Tracy giggled and, not surprisingly, they both managed to completely forget all about WIJO in no time at all. Their success was such that neither one had a single thought about WIJO for the remainder of the night. Eventually, they even managed to get some asleep.
Chapter Three
Mar 16, 2020
Linda had gone up to her room alone since Jesse had graciously agreed to give her time to use their bathroom and get ready for bed while he and Lieutenant Saunders bonded over a beer in the bar downstairs. She was surprised at how her impromptu decision to share her room with him was now affecting her. At the time, it had seemed logical. But, once she’d actually climbed into bed, wearing a modest nightgown which thankfully she’d brought along, she began experiencing butterflies. What had she been thinking? This guy she hardly knew, thisattractiveguy … he would soon be coming up. Then, they’d be alone … together.
When Captain Bonomo did gently knock and then open the door, she was still unsure of how she felt. But, he smiled disarmingly at her and said, “Hey, Linda. I see I gave you enough time. Thanks again for agreeing to share this room with me.”
“Well, it was obvious they all wanted their own rooms.” Linda smiled and added, “Did you see the expression on Tracy’s face when that lieutenant seemed to be suggesting she and John be inseparaterooms?”
Jesse chuckled and said, “Oh, yes! That wasnevergoing to happen. Nor was splitting up Oliver and Candace or the Tremblays.”
Linda was still trying to find things they could talk about to keep the mood light and easy. No, she wasn’t going to allow any sexual tension to creep into the room. She said, “Sooo … this Tracy is a fire witch. The way that sergeant explained how shocked he’d been at her creating all those fireballs when they’d rescued Candy? He was hilarious.”
“Actually, I got to watch when she brought down some lightning bolts. She hit this huge tree outside an estate in Bogota. Three strikes and that tree went down in flames. That was spectacular. Quite a demonstration. Which, of course, was exactly what her friend Missy had wanted. And, it worked. Manuel Rodriguez was convinced Missy was a demon and willingly surrendered.”
“Yes, I read about that. “P” Branch still has him tucked away in their prison. You were down there for that?” Linda was impressed.
“I’ll never forget it.” Jesse sat down on his bed where he could chat with her more easily.
Linda said, “I’ve never actually met any witches before this weekend. I read all about them in those briefings from “P” Branch but … I guess I thought they’d be more different somehow. They seem sonormal.”
Jesse grinned. “Well, I’ve never actually met any werewolves before this weekend. The Tremblays seem pretty normal as well.”
“Yes, they are. I guess it’s not until you get past that superficial shell all werewolves maintain around their personal lives. They keep their secrets really well. It was only after I’d been dating one for over a year that I found out what he was.”
Jesse knew from what Gene had told him that she’d been in a relationship with the Beta of the New England werewolf pack for a couple of years. “P” Branch had recruited her after she’d broken up with him. They continued discussing witches and werewolves for quite a while. And, as they shared how they each had gotten to know all about supernaturals, they got to know more and more about one another.
Finally, Jesse said, “It’s probably a good idea for us to get some sleep. We have a big week coming up. I’ll just go undress in the bathroom. I hope you don’t mind that I sleep in my underwear and don’t have any pajamas. Go ahead and turn off the lights and I’ll leave the bathroom light on when I come out so it’s not totally dark in here.”
When he did exit the bathroom and quietly slipped into bed a few minutes later, she was lying with her back facing his bed. She had her eyes closed but was very,veryaware of his presence none the less. She remained awake and aware long after his heavy breathing suggested he’d fallen asleep. No, she wasn’t experiencing any sexual tension. Well, maybe a little …
Jesse did not actually fall asleep right away either, in spite of the way his breathing may have convinced Linda that he had. No, he was finding his thoughts and feelings about the woman in the next bed were keeping him wide awake. It had been a long time since he’d been in a relationship with anyone. And, there were so many things about Linda that seemed to stimulate his senses. Thus, it was much, much later that he did manage to drift off. And then? He dreamed about her all night long.
-----
When Talib Mansoor heard from his source in the American Embassy that Candace Axtell and her demon protector Oliver Bessom had been there that day, he was quite concerned. This was very bad news. He had no choice but to immediately report this back to Mullah Ahmed Kahtar, one of WIJO’s top leaders in Afghanistan and his immediate supervisor. His mission in Germany was suddenly at risk.
He’d seen the warnings which the leaders had sent out. He knew Bessom had somehow been responsible for many of WIJO’s recent failures and what a disaster it had been each time they’d tried to kill or capture the Axtell girl. Now that his team had successfully bombed that nightclub in Munich? The presence of these two could not be any coincidence. No, all his careful planning for further bombings must wait. He’d notified everyone to assemble at his warehouse right away. That night. He knew he would be hearing back from Mullah with special instructions.
As each member of his team arrived, he explained what had happened and why he had called them in. When they were all gathered in the large meeting room at the warehouse which was also used for his beer, wine and liquor distribution business, he called then all to order.
“Attention everyone.” He looked at each of the fourteen men on his team. “I have just learned the Infidel whore Candace Axtell is here and has brought one of the U.S. demons with her. This demon was last seen in England two weeks ago when our attack in London was stopped and Abdullah Jawara was arrested. So was his entire team. I have sent word to Mullah Ahmed Kahtar and we will wait here to learn what our leaders will want us to do.”
One of his men asked, “Why must we wait? Surely it will be Allah’s will that we destroy these abominations!” There was some murmuring around the room indicating many of them agreed. They all knew what an embarrassment it had been when Candace Axtell had been rescued rather than beheaded. It had been rumored an entire village in Afghanistan had been destroyed.
Mansoor was quick to reply. “We must wait to learn what our leaders say. They have made it very clear there will be no more public failures to disgrace our cause. And, none of us here knows how to defeat the demons which the U.S. is using against us. They are not human. And, they possess great powers. Powers and abilities which we do not yet understand.”
Another voice asked, “Will they be investigating what we did in Munich? We left no evidence they can find to trace back to us.”
“Who knows what demons can determine? Or, what they can use to search for us? That has been the problem for all our teams which have failed. We must wait for orders. And, if those orders say we must leave Germany, then we will obey.”
-----
Mullah Ahmed Kahtar was also concerned when he received Mansoor’s report. Askar-Samar Karimi had said the U.S. demons would interfere if there were further WIJO attacks. And, now Bessom was in Germany. Attempts to kill him or Candace Axtell had all failed. Even their surveillance teams had failed. Bessom had chased them away with fireballs.
Mansoor’s team would not be successful in either of these efforts and should probably be pulled out. He began calling the other leaders. Karimi was the first one to get his call and that was his recommendation. But Kahtar thought perhaps they could wait a day or so to see what developed. WIJO had invested a great deal in establishing Mansoor in Germany.
