The Lights of Tenth Street (42 page)

Ronnie allowed herself to be propelled out of the apartment and into Tiffany’s yellow convertible. She tried to relax as they sped toward their destination—a large, private lake an hour from Atlanta. Tiffany bubbled on about the men that would be there, who they were, what they did—how much money they had.

Ronnie listened with half an ear. Maybe if she got sloshed it would be okay. And maybe she wouldn’t mind a sugar daddy, like Tiffany’s friend Wade. It would be better, in some ways, than the stage work—just one guy, rather than many. And she sure wouldn’t mind the perks Tiffany enjoyed: all the new clothes she could want, some great jewelry, and enough cash that she was thinking of buying a house. A nice house.

Ronnie watched the trees speed by. But would it be worth it? What would she be giving up? She looked sideways at her friend.
Had
Tiffany given up anything by acceding to such a calculating relationship with Wade? Not really—she got what she wanted out of it, just like he did.

For just a moment, she let her mind replay the rush of power she felt on stage. She wouldn’t mind having that in a relationship—having some guy wrapped around her little finger. It would be nice to be in control, to be the one in the driver’s seat for a change. Already, that was one thing she’d gained from her time on
stage: confidence. She was in control of her own destiny. She’d never be a victim again.

“You’d better hurry or you’ll be late.”

Sherry Turner tried to shoo Doug out the door, but he pulled a jar out of the fridge and calmly began smearing grape jelly on top of the peanut butter on three slices of bread.

“Not until I finish helping you get ready for White Water. The cooler’s almost packed, so you should be able to avoid the highway robbery of the snack bars at the park.”

He heard a squeal and glanced over his shoulder to where their two little banshees were chasing each other around the kitchen table, hardly able to endure the wait.

“But you’ll miss your boat,” Sherry said. “They’ll set off without you.”

“I guess I’m hoping that might happen and I can still go to the park with you guys.”

Sherry snorted. “More likely, they’ll wait for you, and Jordan will make your life miserable for holding everyone else up.”

“Yeah.” Doug finished wrapping the last sandwich. “Well, I guess I’m done anyway. I’ll have my cell phone if you need me.”

“Okay.” Sherry hesitated, then gave Doug a hug, the second one that morning. “Have fun.”

“I’ll try. But I’d have a lot more fun being with you.”

Doug gave her and the kids a quick kiss and left the house before Sherry could see the redness in his eyes. Those hugs this morning had been like water to his desperate thirst.

He drove away thanking God and praying for his family, for himself, for the Lord’s continued protection and grace. He kept the car radio off The only sound was the humming of the engine and his quiet prayers. It was an hour drive to the lake, and he knew that this morning—like so many others recently—he could fill it entirely with fellowship with his Lord.

A few minutes later, the minivan backed out of the driveway and headed toward the highway.

The giant figure following close behind could see the van practically rocking with the exuberant excitement of the two children. When the family reached their
destination, Caliel watched as the kids went running through the payment booths and into the delights of the day. Sherry kept trying to keep Genna by the hand, but she was skipping and bouncing, and Sherry finally let her run ahead with Brandon. Caliel kept an eye on them—and on the watchful dark forces that loitered here and there—as he called his team together and conferred about their mandate.

Every face was grave. This would be a painful assignment, but the order had come from the Lord of Hosts. Caliel watched Genna run back to her mother, and tug on her hand, pulling her along, saying something about a new ride, a new feature of the water park. The timing was coming soon, too soon.

They would carry out their orders without question, trusting in the ultimate plan and purpose of the Almighty. The Heavenly Father loved this little family so much. Despite what this day might look like to them, His heart for them was always and only good. Caliel prayed that the family would not stumble because of it, and that they would at some point be allowed to understand the reason for this day.

Caliel and his team sent forth a simple prayer for guidance, and for the good purposes of the Father to prevail, and then broke ranks, heading to their assigned tasks. One angel hastened away to rendezvous with others of their unit. The timing had to be perfect.

Tiffany parked in the marinas lot and nodded at the men standing on the quay, talking.

“There you go, Ronnie! One of those has your name on it.”

Ronnie peered through the windshield. “Oh, goodie.”

Tiffany pushed her Gucci sunglasses up on her nose and grinned at her friend as they walked toward the group.

“Ready?”

The men caught sight of them and one of them stepped forward. Tiffany squealed and ran forward. She kissed him long and hard, and the man fairly smirked with pride when he looked up, keeping Tiffany close by his side.

“Wade, you remember Macy, don’t you?” Tiffany said.

“Of course.” He extended a hand, which Ronnie shook.

As some of the other dancers arrived, Wade made the introductions around to the other men.

How bizarre, Ronnie thought, to be politely shaking hands with someone you’re going to undress in front of in a few minutes. She shook herself and put on a polite smile. “So, Wade, are these men your colleagues?”

“Partners. Not necessarily colleagues, but partners. Some work with me, but most belong to companies that work with us to produce our broadcast marketing materials—commercials, corporate films, that sort of thing. Several of these guys are key players in producing our next Super Bowl commercial.”

“Ah.”

Ronnie started to say something about the advertising contract Tiffany had cajoled him into, but caught her roommates dagger glance and thought better of it.

A sports car pulled up, sending gravel flying, and Marco stepped out. He strode up and said hello, then gestured for everyone to get onboard.

“Is everyone here?”

One of the men said they were still waiting for a colleague. No one seemed to mind the delay. Ronnie watched as Marco huddled with the man who had spoken, curious that they seemed to know each other well. She’d never seen him in the club, that she could recall. Marco beckoned them onto the boat, and they disappeared down an interior passageway.

A well-dressed young man wearing tailored khakis and an expensive shirt appeared at Ronnie’s elbow, and she allowed him to help her onto the boat. He looked ready to talk, but she gave him a sweet smile and asked if he knew where the restrooms were located. He pointed around a few corners.

She found the restroom—the “head,” the man had called it—with little trouble. She was touching up her makeup and preparing to go join the party when she heard voices approaching down the little corridor outside. They stopped for a moment well shy of the door, but Ronnie could hear them as if they were standing in the same room.

“Well, he promised he’d be here, and he’s not the type to break his word.”

The second voice was Marco’s. “I hope so. We have the perfect girl with us today. He’s married and she’s not the type to be a marriage breaker, so he’ll probably have his guard down around her more than any of the other girls. That will be the easiest means. She’s still new and untested—she’s never done a party like this before—but we can’t wait any longer. We’ll see how she does.”

What on earth were they talking about?

Ronnie thought about barging out into the hallway and asking, but thought better of it.

The men moved on down the hall. Ronnie waited a few minutes, then slipped out of the bathroom and found her way back to the party by another route.

Five minutes later, Marco found her. He took her arm, and for just a flash Ronnie felt a strange terror overtake her, a certainty that he knew she’d overheard him and that he would kill her as a result.

Ronnie forced herself to shake off that crazy thought, dampening her racing heart. What was wrong with her? Marco was
family!

He pulled her aside, talking in quiet tones. A new man was coming on the boat today. Would she keep him company? His name was Doug and he was a big shot finance guy at one of Wade’s partner companies. Marco had never met him, but heard that he was a bit reserved. Could Ronnie draw him out, make sure he had a good time? He probably wouldn’t tip her anything, but Marco would cover that. Just take good care of him. And next weekend, he added, he had an even bigger party he’d like her to cover.

Ronnie agreed, nodding, surprised at her own disappointment. So no sugar daddy. At least this weekend.

She looked around the room. “Where is this Doug guy?”

“He should’ve been here by now. He probably just got stuck in traffic.”

Marco left Ronnie watching the deck and made his way to a back room. He stepped into the small space and greeted its occupants, closing the door behind him.

“Are we ready?”

The two men turned and gave him a thumbs-up. They pointed at several monitors showing crystal-clear views of the main party room.

“We’ve got this room wired, and most of the other places they could go.”

“Bedrooms?”

“Of course!” One of the men looked insulted. “What do you take us for, amateurs?”

Marco grinned and slapped him on the back. “Hardly. I’m just sorry that you have to spend this beautiful day cooped up in here, rather than out enjoying the show.”

“Oh, we’ll enjoy the show all right.” The second man was talking. “But we expect you to sneak us some of that food you shipped on board. We can’t give up
everything
you know.”

“Deal.” Marco made ready to depart. “Don’t spare the film.”

“Don’t worry, chief. We’ll get plenty of pictures of Mr. Doug Turner enjoying himself.”

Marco’s eyes gleamed. “Perfect.”

“Mommy, can we go on that one? Please, please,
please?
”

Sherry took one look at the impossibly high water slide—more like a vertical
wall, surrounded by the parks lush landscaping—and gave a strangled laugh.

“Goodness no, Genna! I don’t want you to break your neck! I don’t care if that older boy told Brandon he could handle it; it’s too much for either of you. And look at it—I don’t think you
really
want to do it.”

Sherry squatted down beside Genna and gestured to the top of the tall tower where teenagers waited to plunge down the slide and into the splash pool far below. “See how high that platform is? You’d probably climb all the way to the top, and then change your mind anyway.”

“But, Mom!”

Sherry held up a finger. “No whining or we’ll have to leave. That’s the rule for today. Okay?”

When her daughter nodded, she stood up and took Genna’s hand. “We have all day to do as many rides as you want. And anyway, it’s Brandon’s turn to pick our next ride. Brandon, what’s next? Anything but that water slide!” She looked around. “Brandon?”

Her six-year-old son was nowhere to be seen. Sherry turned a full circle, raising her voice. “Brandon!” She turned again, her voice mounting to a panicked shout. “Brandon!”

Genna’s eyes were wide. “Mommy, what—”

“I can’t find Brandon, honey. He was here just a moment ago. Brandon!”

She was swamped with a feeling of unreality, her eyes sweeping the morning crowds. She held fast to Genna’s hand, turning another full circle, her voice tight. “O dear God, help me find him.”

“But, Mommy—”

“Not now, honey!” Sherry spotted a security station and began pulling Genna toward it, even as her daughter resisted her efforts. “Genna, stop it! We have to get some nice policemen to help us find Brandon!”

“But, Mommy, he’s going to fall!”

“What?”

Sherry swung around and followed the direction of her daughter’s hand, pointing toward the steep landscaping around the vertical water slide. Her son was creeping upward where no one was intended to be, climbing over wet stones and plants.

“Brandon!” Sherry screamed, and dozens of heads turned her direction. She ran wildly forward. “Stop, Brandon, stop!”

Sherry reached the base of the landscaping, hardly noticing the ruckus behind her as other park-goers shouted and pointed, as park security made desperate attempts to tell the workers on the tower to stop the ride.

Sherry scrabbled to climb the steep stones, her eyes full of the small towheaded
boy, who had just reached the edge of the slide, his little hands gripping the lip of the smooth orange material, his face intent.

Her son couldn’t hear her desperate cries. The next teenager to go was sitting on the edge of the slide, crossing his arms over his chest as instructed. He lay back, and the tower worker pushed him off.

Caliel and his comrades slashed their way through the besetting forces, thrashing their way toward the precious child who had been tempted closer, ever closer to destruction. Their forewarning of the malicious plan had not lessened the pain of watching the plot unfold. But the Lord on high had allowed it to go only so far and no farther. His power blazed forth, and Caliel leaped toward the boy.

He reached Brandon as the teenager hurtled down the steep vertical drop, holding the two apart long enough to keep Brandon from climbing full onto the slide. Caliel’s face was full of desperate pain as he watched the speeding form brush aside the half-teetering child, the small body flying through the air, landing with a crack on the stones, and then tumbling unconscious to the splash pool below.

“
BRANDON!
”

Sherry plunged headlong into the splash pool. She scrambled to her feet and caught Brandon up in her arms, crying his name. His eyes were closed, head lolling back, his left arm hanging at a dreadful angle.

Burly lifeguards and uniformed security alike leaped into the pool and cleared a path back out through the gaping crowd, working with amazing speed to lay Brandon on a shallow ledge and breathe life into his lungs.