Wings of Deception (25 page)

After
Honey called him bubbling over with excitement about what had happened and that the family would be going away for a while, he agreed that it was a good thing to do. The poor people had been through hell and partly due to him and the ACAA.
They deserved a break.

He
began to talk less with
for he was feeling that he was beginning to have some serious feelings for her. He would not let that happen, he could not
,
for any sort of relationship beyond friendship would not work between them.

When he left for New York it had been a week since they had spoken and he missed their conversations. She had a way of making him think too much on things he didn’t want to think about. To his dismay
,
she was what occupied his mind the entire trip on the plane.

He
checked
in
to
a hotel
near
his old office was and after calling some old buddies up, met them at the bar
for catching up time and a few drinks. He was careful not to overdo it though, remembering the last time he had a horrible hangover he ended up at Morgan’s with Sheila for the infamous dinner.

The ne
x
t day he contacted Abe to let him know he was in town and would be ready at the designated time to be picked up by a car that
was to
be sent for him. He had no idea where it would take him but would be prepared for anything with the carefully tucked in derringer under his belt.

It was eight
PM
and he sat at the bar where he could watch for the car. When the long black sedan pulled up
,
he did not wait but immediately went out knowing it was for him. He slid into a back seat facing Abe on the opposite one. They
exchanged pleasantries for a
few minutes
before Abe cautioned him.

“Jacks, it is not too late to change your mind you know. Just say the word and I will have the car turned around.”

Jacks did not answer right away
, but
when he did he was sure.

“Are you kidding Abe? Why ever would I even think of doing that?”

Abe nodded his head. “I didn’t really think you would.”

After that he was silent.

Jacks’ tried to get some landmarks logged into his head but the combination of the night darkness and the dark paneled windows would not allow it.

They left the lights of the city behind
.
A
fter an hour of riding they pulled up to a gate which was promptly opened
.
T
he car proceeded to wind its way down a long curvy drive
until it stopped in front of a stone house that showed no lights.

Large wooden doors
,
which were centered in the middle, opened and Jacks at least saw some light coming from within. He got out following Abe through the doors and
stiffened
when they closed behind them with a bang.
Okay Jacks, don’t go losing your nerves now. You are a big boy and there is no such thing as monsters.
But it sure was spooky in there with only the dimmest of lighting showing a long hallway which he thought was never coming to an end. When it did there were stairs going down and they
kept
descending
until Jacks had to ask, “Abe, where the hell are we going anyway?”

Abe stopped and gave Jacks a strange look.

“Please do not use the word ‘hell’ so casually Jacks, some of us live there.”

They
began walking again and Jacks held his tongue. For all he knew the stairs had already been long enough to go to the fabled ‘hell’ and this meeting was getting creepier by the minute.

Just when he was about to say, ‘enough’ they came to
the
opening
of a large sparsely furnished room,
but
they
did not
stop there
. Three doors graced the walls and Abe went to the one
that was
to the far right and opened it, holding it open for Jacks.

“Wait a minute! You are not going in?”

Abe shook his head.

“This is as far as I go. The
m
an wants to see you alone.” He shrugged and his white
brows
came together in a frown. “You had your chance to change your mind and you only get one.
” Seeing defiance in Jacks eyes he prodded
,
“Look Jacks, you asked for this and for some reason you were granted something most wait a decade for. Go on, you are expected.”

Jacks turned and squinted to see in the dimness. He was in a
nother
huge room and there was a curtain
he
was certain
had
a bed behind
it
. T
wo
women appearing to be servants
came out and one pulled the curtain back revealing a large four poste
r
bed
.

Propped up on pillows in the center
,
was an elderly man whose age Jacks could not determine as the lighting
still
left a lot to be desired.
His hair was white
,
thin and straggly
and
looked as if it were pulled back into a ponytail. Jacks walked
to
the foot
of the bed
and stopped.
This is what I came to meet? An old man that is so old he just may die while I am here! Damn!

The man studied him with dull eyes that held no color that Jacks could tell
.

“Come around here
,
Jacks. As you can see I am far too old and feeble to bite.”

His attempt at laugh
ing was
more of a cackle and Jacks did as he was told and stood at the old man’s side. A chair appeared from nowhere and he supposed one of the women put it there
,
though he saw no one.

“Sit
down my boy
.” And Jacks sat. He crossed his legs more to have something to do than anything else and
said to
the man, “I am at a
disadvantage
here. Y
ou
seem to
know who I am but we have not been introduced.
I am sure you have a name.” This was more of a question
than a statement
and he waited to find out who this strange man was. Surely he was not
the
powerful person
on which
he
wished
to
vent his anger.

Instead of responding
,
the man went into a coughing fit so that one of the women appeared with a glass of water. When he settled down
,
he waved her away.

“Damn this old age. How old do you think I am Jacks?”
His eyes staring steadily into Jacks’ own dark brown ones made him feel as if he could read his mind.

Without
hesitating
Jacks replied, “Old.” And the man laughed causing another spasm of coughing.

“Yes I am, but do
not
underestimate me for my age is just something of a nuisance. It in no way defines who I am. You
could
call me
many names but
for the time
being,
just call me
Asa
.”

“
Asa
.”

Now that his eyes were getting more accustomed to the lighting in the room he could see that there was a wheelchair nearby
and thought,
s
o he is not only old but
old and crippled
!

“I see you spotted my
steel
legs. Tell me Jacks, what do you want of a useless old man? You asked for this meeting, now what can I do for you?”

His words caught Jacks off guard and he blurted out, “I want to know
the origin of
your powers for obviously they are extensive.”

“Ah, so you are curious…and why should I tell you?
Give me a reason.
”

Jacks tried to
appear
nonchalant and giving a twist to his mouth answered, “No reason
except that
y
our underlings were carrying out your orders when they interfered with my life and it is my nature to want to know why you were interested in me in the first place to have me blackmailed.”

“Blackmail is a strong word, I like to think you were being prodded by…uh…certain forces to come into your legacy.
I had nothing
to do
with that imbecile’s actions
,
after you turned down
your
chance to become a senator.
That fool Morgan,
became
a
liability
after he met that woman.
”

“What legacy
would that be
?
I am sure that you know everything there is to know about me, so you must know I was an orphan and I have no such legacy, I assure you.”

“
Ah
,
b
ut you are wrong on both accounts Jacks
.
Y
ou were no true orphan and you do have a legacy
, one that had to wait forty years to come into effect, one that you will not be able to refuse.
”

Jacks stood. “I did not come here to hear bull
crap
from a dying old man
.
Obviously you will be no help
to me
and how could I possibly vent my anger on such as you
. I will say good night and leave
,
that is assuming I am not a prisoner and can leave?”

He looked straight into the man’s eyes. It was a mistake for he became
mesmeriz
ed
and Jacks found that he was unable to look away.
“You
have
free
will
to choose to do whatever you want my boy
,
but first there is a story I would like to tell you please, if you will indulge an old man. Please sit back down; you’ve nothing to lose by giving me a few more minutes
of your time
.
I have waited a long time.
”

Jacks was
not sure why he did as he was bid but he sat back down and gave the old man a nod. “Okay, I am listening.”

The man smiled and when he finished
his story,
Jacks took his leave freely as promised but
carrying
a
revelation
almost to
o
heavy to bear.

                                                                              NINETEEN

It was unlike Jacks to snap at her and Sheila was disturbed. Returning from New York he was
a
maniac at the office and pushed everyone else to the point of exhaustion
.
W
hen she tried to talk to him about it, he as much as told her to mind her own business.
She knew him too well to have hurt feelings but she left him alone
,
figuring he would work through whatever it was.

Honey
,
on the other hand
was disappointed that he never called anymore and when she called him he was always too busy to talk and her feelings
were
hurt
,
for she found that she missed their friendship. She took on extra work for herself to fill the void
that
Jacks had left in her heart. Telling
herself
that it was for the best because of their differences did not help either
,
for the heart knows only what it feels.