1 Father Bob, Dave, and Meigan

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"If you stand too close to a painting, all you see are patches of color.

If you stand too far back, you can't see any of the detail." - Rube Sofer

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Dave jerked awake. A glance out the window confirmed it was early morning and he was still not in prison, not a dream. He was in the same backseat in which he had drifted off last night. He needed to piss badly, and his legs were stiff as was his back. The Employer must be eager to see him. He hoped they would stop soon for some breakfast. Maybe his last meal. What would he choose from a roadside diner menu?

Kevin, a new acquaintance, sat next to him in the back of an old stretched Lincoln town car. They were well away from the prison and out in the countryside. He wouldn't have any idea where until they drove past a city sign marker. He didn't ask where they were going and Kevin didn't offer to explain. He had learned Kevin was the brightest of the three living with whom he shared this ride.

Steve and the Monkey sat across from him.

Steve looked like he murdered people for a living. His eyes alone gave him away, but the scars - one above his left eye and another running down his right cheek - made him a favorite as the bad guy in a line up. What spoiled the whole effect was the 'Entertainment Weekly' he was reading, that and his chuckles at a photo or new fact gem about a celebrity. Every now and again he would offer to share with Kevin some new tidbit dug up by the investigative talents of the EW team. Or, he would comment while showing a picture of some young new starlet. Watching him Dave was reminded of Tom, but Tom was more people friendly in a relatable way. Also Tom could dress up as Santa Claus for the kids in a mall, bounce them on his knees while he ho ho'ed them into giggles, and that night shoot their parents.

The little Monkey noticed he was awake. To his face Kevin and Steve called him Bigsby. He pulled a garrote from his coat pocket, stretched it like a toy, and smirked Dave's way. Another place and time Dave would enjoy taking his toy and using it on the little shit. Kevin and Steve ignored the little man. Kevin and the Monkey he guessed were Testalinos. Dave guessed they shared a blood tie, Kevin tried not to look at his cousin.

Meigan, his unliving companion, watched the Monkey. "Is he an old friend, Dave? He really does seem to like you."

Meigan had kept him alive for his few months in the penitentiary. She had been with him throughout his brief trial and then prison pretty much every second of every hour of every day and he hated her thoroughly. The living in prison were afraid of him and offered no harm. Ghosts though were entirely another concern. The bitch was smart, insane, and because she was dead and had no need of sleep or food she was always with him. Her one saving grace was that she kept other ghosts at bay. He suspected she hated him every bit as much but fate had tied them together with bonds of mutual need. Those among the living who could see and hear the dead, were rare and she had plans for him. His modest goal was to survive. He used to believe that if worse turned to worst he could find refuge in death and oblivion. He couldn't remember anything of the 13 billion years or so the universe was around before his arrival and he expected, or hoped, that there would be no afterlife repercussions for his lifestyle choices, that there would nothing after his death. He never expected to die of old age of natural causes in a bed. Recent events had forced some adjustments to his afterlife expectations. Particularly since that reaper bitch had set him up to take the fall for all the deaths back in Seattle, it had become crystal clear in a most unpleasant way that he was on the bad side of Death. And he really doubted things were going to be better for him on the other side of the life death divide.

He had badly underestimated reapers and their boss. Jane had tried to warn him and James, but they hadn't picked up on her hints. Was she already plotting something back then? He knew you couldn't fuck over a member of the Testalino family and not bring down the whole clan on your head. So how could he have thought he could best a group of grim reapers without crossing whatever supernatural power it was that gave them orders? This could not end well. He knew the Testalinos and he was sure that they couldn't let go of the fact that three people that they had accepted contracts to terminate were still living and breathing. And he was caught in the middle of a three way fuck fest - this psycho bitch, the Testalinos, and Death.

The car took a few turns down side roads, then a long driveway, and finally stopped in front of large house. Not a farm house but something that would compare well in any major exclusive suburban residential area. This one though was well away from any town. He could see smaller houses nearby part of a larger complex.

After lawyers he didn't know took possession of him at his release late last night, these three appeared. He hadn't worked with any of them before but he was sure the two were Testalinos. He had long suspected that James had been counted among the family and James was one of several people he pleaded guilty to murdering.

They exited the car. His head immobile he moved his eyes to the sides and saw several ghosts watching their arrival. He knew better than to let them see he was aware of them. Meigan saw them, too. She glared and none approached. Meigan was a real people person even in death. Someone opened the double door and the four walked into a foyer. Kevin motioned to follow to the left and led the way into a waiting room. Kevin let him use a restroom. They took turns. After they had all gathered in the room again, less than a minute passed, and a young woman entered looked him over and to Kevin said, "He's waiting in his office. You're to go right in."

Again Kevin took the lead and walked down a hallway. He saw a few more ghosts lingering along the walls. Kevin stopped in front of double heavy looking dark wooden doors and knocked twice. He paused and opened the doors. They entered an office wide with a high ceiling. Bookcases lined the walls. There was a ghost, but it caught sight of Meigan and fled through the wall. A wide desk faced them and a large window dominated the room. The head of the Testalino clan sat behind the desk. They approached walking between chairs arrayed half moon in front. The man stood. His face was neutral. Dave could see Meigan approach the man moving through his desk. She looked him over up close.

Kevin bowed his head a bit and said, "Father Bob. There was no trouble."

The family had an odd practice of calling him Father Bob to his face, but only family did that. Dave had always called him sir and that was over the phone. His name was Roberto. He couldn't help but think of him as Bob. It didn't fit well. He had met the man once before and thereafter talked by secure lines a few times and then when Bob engaged him to fix the Seattle problem.

Father Bob said, "Thank you. Leave us."

Dave saw the surprise on his new friends' faces. They hesitated a moment, recovered, and left. Steve closed the doors behind them. Bob motioned toward a large chair facing the desk. They sat. It had been a long drive through the night. Bob did not offer anything to drink. There was silence for several seconds that stretched. Dave kept quiet. Bob studied him. Meigan had moved to Dave's left side. Whether he left this house alive or dead would be decided soon. Meigan showed no worry about his fate.

Bob opened, "I apologize for not getting you released sooner, but after the debacle in Seattle...well it took a little time to arrange your release. You pleaded guilty to murdering several prominent citizens of Seattle and my nephew, James. I hope you weren't too inconvenienced."

"No, sir. No more than could be expected."

More silence. Let him choose the pace.

"I'm well aware that the narrative that came out of your trial was fiction, but the real details of what happened and your role..."

Meigan hit his nose, hard, knocking him back in the chair. Blood gushed out. He stood putting his hand up to stifle the flow, and then she hit his jaw knocking him to his right down onto the floor. This was not the first time she had demonstrated her monopoly on the power in their relationship, but the timing did seem odd. He pulled himself up to his knees. Bob came around the desk with a handful of Kleenix. His eyes were wide as he looked around for some rational explanation for what he was seeing. There was nothing to see. Meigan moved off and he stood up and took Bob's offering and pressed it to his nose. The blood flow was more than the tissue could hold and Bob reached over to his desktop to pull several more. Bob waited a few feet off and then decided to retreat back behind his desk.

"Well, sir. Our client, Ms. Meigan Hesburgh." He looked at her. "She would like her contract fulfilled."

"That would be the woman you shot back in Seattle?"

"Actually, sir, I did not shoot her, and, yes, that woman. She's here now. She's been with me since the trial." He moved to sit back down.

Bob returned to his seat. Dave had to admire his composure.

"Well, Dave." Bob looked off the side and then returned to Dave. "Our family's creed is simple. Once we take a contract every member of the clan is committed to its fulfillment no matter the cost." He paused. "Our reputation has already suffered, but I have every intention of fulfilling our obligation. I have no choice."

Meigan spoke up, "I'm glad to hear that."

When Dave said nothing she moved closer. Dave put his hand up to signal he heard her and said, "Ms. Hesburgh is glad to hear that, sir."

"She can hear me?"

"She's right here. She can hear everything perfectly. You just can't hear her side. That's what I'm here for." He looked over at Meigan, who smiled down at him. There was no warmth in her smile.

"And how is that? I mean how is it that you, only you, can hear...and see her?"

"I'm not sure, but one of the reapers, the one who killed James, did something to me and ever since I can hear ghosts, and, as you just saw demonstrated, they can connect physically with me. Meigan has been so very kind to remain at my side all throughout my ordeal ensuring my well being...with perhaps only an occasional unfortunate lapse."

"The one who killed James? I thought reapers did not kill people. They just collected souls."

"That was what I believed too. But apparently there are gaps in our understanding of what reapers can and cannot do."

Meigan stepped closer. Dave flinched. She said, "I'm glad you two are bonding so nicely, but let's get moving."

"Did she say something?"

"She wants to get down to business." The bitch had an eternity of time, but no patience. Maybe that was her personal hell. And he suffered in between her conflicts. He could see where this was going and it felt like a lose-lose. He had no choice. It was late, but with his recent epiphanies he had taken up prayer. At least the bitch couldn't read his thoughts. He prayed to the powers that he now knew were out there. He apologized for everything he had ever done wrong. He prayed promising anything and everything he was capable of giving over in the remaining years of what looked to be a miserable existence if he could get a chance to escape this fate that Meigan was preparing for him. He figured he had nothing to lose. Jane and Tom were both sinners right up there with what he had done and somehow someway they found a pathway to what looked to him a pretty good deal. They both were now bodyguards for the two primaries that he knew he was going to be sent again to kill. He was also pretty sure this new attempt would fail.

Meigan was a young lady of focused will. Obstacles to whatever she set her mind on were to be obliterated. He was at her mercy and he was pretty sure she didn't know the word. He had met reapers in prison. They would not protect him from ghosts. He suspected they knew all about him and his situation. Meigan threw him a lifeline. She was crazy, but what choice did he have? She had rehearsed with him over countless nights what she wanted and how they, working as a team, he would play Robin to her Batman, would get goals, her goals, accomplished. He counted each day he woke up a success. She nodded for him to explain to Bob. Dave continued, "She has the account numbers and passwords to access a considerable amount of money in several hidden bank accounts abroad. She will fund whatever it takes to make sure her brother, Trip, and his wife, and her little nephew, are freed to join her in her present state of being dead. And, she would not object if our two former colleagues, Jane and Tom, also joined her." She frowned. He remembered. "Oh. And she also wants the bitch who shot her to die." She nodded.

Bob leaned back. A bit of a smile touched his face upon the words 'considerable amount of money' reaching his ears. "Ms. Hesburgh, my family and I are committed to the fulfillment of our original contract." He stopped to think something over. Made a decision, leaned forward, and continued, "Our failure, twice, to complete the contract has hurt our reputation and I've lost...a few assets. I believe our interests coincide, but more importantly our family honor is at stake. The contract will be completed, or, every last member of the family will die in the attempt."

That was a commitment to finish the original only but left the new proposals open. Dave inwardly groaned. He was pretty sure he would be joining Meigan soon enough. Bob was whole-heartedly onboard for a return engagement in Seattle. Bob sat back again, thought something over, and then put his hands on the desk and stood. "I'll have someone show you to your quarters. You get rested, we'll have lunch, and this afternoon you can explain everything, and I mean every detail, that happened in Seattle." He stood up. "However, no one else here understands about reapers. You and James were the only two resources I had that knew about them, so we'll have to work around that little problem."

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After lunch back in Bob's study and after the three had reviewed the events in Seattle, Bob asked, "So do you have any ideas as to how much we should tell, can tell, our people about these reapers?"

"Sir, I can't explain every aspect, but it's probably better they know nothing."

Bob, nodded. Meigan fidgeted. That wasn't good. Ghosts don't need to fidget and it implied, he knew, another kind of mental energy coiled straining for release.

"I suspect that knowing about this other side interferes with the job." Bob nodded again. He continued, "Someone who knows nothing has total free will and can exercise it to decide to kill their target, but I've got...well this is an intuitive leap here, but I believe that knowing about the supernatural side and these reapers somehow causes static in the system." He looked over at Meigan. She rolled her eyes. "This power cannot interfere with the free will of someone alive, except and to the extent that person is compromised. In that case I believe it leaves that power leeway to itself interfere."

"Interesting. How did you come to that conclusion?"

"It's too strong to say conclusion, but it fits what I know happened at the Ferguson mansion and later at the warehouse. The more the participants knew the harder it became to follow through on our intent."

"So we tell the crew nothing about the supernatural aspects of the reapers and our targets. And you believe that will maximize our chances of success."

"I do. And I would add or better I should say subtract a few..." OK. Now comes the hard part. "I suspect the reason Tommy survived in that house that night and the reason he's staying so close to reapers is that he was transformed like me. I believe he can see ghosts and be touched by them, and that's why, despite having some very wealthy surviving relatives, he's staying with reapers."

"OK. And therefore?"

"I think that something very powerful and of supernatural origin wants him alive. We should drop any intention of removing him."

Meigan did not wait for Bob's reply, she hit him hard enough to knock him to the floor. He rolled over and waited for the next blow, but...

"Ms. Hesburgh. That will be enough." Bob stood up and walked around the desk. He put a hand under Dave's arm and helped him to his feet. "Dave works for me. You are my client. He is my asset. Do not touch or hit him again, or...I will regard my obligation to finish this contract as terminated." Bob looked around. Then guided Dave back to his chair.

Meigan spoke up. Dave repeated whatever she said word for word and with a distinctive tone he set aside just for her. It worked and saved time. But it meant he looked insane working two voices. He hoped Meigan did not notice the voice he reserved for her words was warped a bit with the insane. "I want the kid dead." She looked at Dave. "And I bet you're going to suggest leaving the reaper's sister alive, too?" She understood the implication of the points he was making all too well.

Dave said, "Actually, yes, I do suggest exactly that. Think about it. She seems to know a lot about them and her reaper sister is, as you found out on your own in Seattle, not an average reaper. I mean I saw what she did calling up that black cloud that took James' soul. And she killed James herself. Going after the sister..."

"That lower class whore shot me dead. If..."

"You would've died anyway. I heard what they said while you were dying. You had an appointment. The girl was just..."

"If I had lived they never would've..."

Bob raised his hands. Dave was getting practiced at voicing both sides of the conversation - the one side for Bob's benefit - but no doubt it looked, and sounded, weird. "Look. Listen. Ms. Hesburgh, or Meigan. Dave is making some good points that we need to consider. We don't understand the rules governing this situation. And it sounds like stepping over an unseen boundary can provoke lethal repercussions. We're talking about working around some powerful forces here."

Meigan said, "I am a powerful force." Dave mirrored her voice closely as in this case she put heavy emphasis on the 'I'.

"Yes, Ma'am, that you are. Let's just consider all the facts and what we can deduce so that we can, the three of us working together, find our way to a reasonable, and successful, conclusion."

Meigan did not look happy. She folded her arms. Dave watched her and taking his cue Bob waited. She seemed to calm down and said, "Dave, by your own reasoning, if we don't tell the actual team anything about any of this stuff, including me, then with all their unrestrained free will that supernatural power will be powerless to stop them from killing any or all of them. Correct?"

Dave considered that. He just didn't know the boundaries. Too many unknowns including unknowns he didn't even know were there. "In theory..."

She said, "So let's test the theory."

Bob broke in, "Let's collect more information first." He looked where Dave cued as Meigan's position. "Let's have an advance team study their movements, all of them, and look for a pattern and for opportunities. We can think this over more while we get ready to follow the team out to Seattle. We'll decide the final kill list when we're all out there."

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The next day in the afternoon Dave stood behind a podium. Family members and the remaining loyal employees were gathered to hear him outline the upcoming mission's parameters. Bob had already chosen the advance team that would prepare the way and collect information out in Seattle. He was surprised that the Monkey, or Bigsby, would be included. The leader would be Kevin along with Steve, and a man named Scott. With the exception of the Monkey all these people had successfully completed many jobs for the Employer. He knew Scott from prior missions. He noticed Monkey looking him over. He looked very disappointed that Dave was to live and he didn't try to hide it.

Much of the data Dave had forwarded to the Employer from his first attempt was available as was Jane's original surveillance files. Mostly pictures and names of the targets and other people his first team had collected. It didn't take long to put together an overview presentation. Bob wanted the advance team to get moving soon. The team would drive out within the next few days, set up three safe houses, equip them, and start watching the targets and collecting updated information. One house would be for the advance team. One for their team led by Bob, and the third would be in reserve, a refuge should things go worst case. The main team would follow for the final execution of a plan that Bob was putting together. Every remaining family resource would be pulled into this. Dave suspected that more than the family reputation was at stake. They failed twice to complete a major contract. He knew that several none family assets had elected to go elsewhere. Those assets knew too much about the family, and there were too many influential people out there who might be willing to hire them to settle scores.

Dave could see Bob approaching from the outside hall. Two small children ran up to him. His face turned into a huge glowing grin for them. Odd how the man liked kids. It looked to Dave like he passed something, probably a candy, to each. He gave the smallest a hug and sent them both on their way. His smile dropped and he continued his march toward their presentation to the teams, the first of several before they would be sent on their way.

Bob entered and took his chair to the right rear of the podium. The lights were lowered. Someone closed the double doors. He counted fifteen assets seated in the darkened briefing room. Meigan stood next to Dave at the podium near two wide screens dominating the front wall of the room. To kick things off on the first screen he put up a picture of the reaper that undid his own attempt. "This is our most dangerous obstacle."

At that several of the men groaned. Bob stood up. The groans stopped. He motioned for the lights. Eyes adjusted and he said, "This will be the most unusual and dangerous job that you've ever undertaken. There are aspects about why that is that I and Dave cannot explain. It's for your own safety and to ensure a successful outcome that certain details will be withheld. Two teams of some of our best resources failed to complete their missions. Dave was head of the second team. One of our own died in the attempt, killed by that dangerous obstacle." He pointed backwards at the girl on the screen and kept his eyes on the main groaners.

One of the older men burst out, "Father Bob, come on. That's some high school girl. Are you telling me that she killed James?"

Dave broke in, "I saw it with my own eyes."

Bob said, "Baxter, all of you, listen carefully to what Dave tells you. I want you to follow his instructions to the letter. Your, all of our lives, depend on it. The family has failed twice and if we as a family are to get this to a successful conclusion, we must execute in best form. We do not want to repeat the mistakes made on those two missions." Bob looked over at him and sat down. The lights lowered again.

Baxter, according to Bob the family's best at sniper work, crossed his arms and looked back stone-faced at the picture of Georgia Lass aka Millie on the screen. Dave was sure he was not convinced. But for now he would keep quiet. At least Bob understood what they faced.

"This young lady officially goes by the name of Millie Hagen. That's what on her driver's license. She also uses the name Georgia Lass." He paused. He would have to pound the message in over the next few days. "The bottom line is this. Avoid this young lady. Make sure you keep your distance. She will interact with the others but do not follow her. And ultimately when we make our move she can't be anywhere close by."

He had worked with a few of the men in audience. He knew they were skeptical, probably thought he was touched in the head. No matter. To the extent he had input in developing their plans he would not cross swords with Ms. Lass under any circumstances. He knew back in that warehouse when she called up that dark thing from Hell that he was on a very slippery slope into no end of bad. When she called up a gateway to Heaven for the four ghosts of people he had been compelled by circumstances to terminate, well, it just wasn't fair. But then life never was. It only seemed to be when you weren't paying attention.

He showed pictures of their targets and all the others. This was just the opening exposure. Before the advance team left they will have seen pictures and heard briefings on all these people and received waves of data - maps, work schedules, patterns of behavior. He did leave out one important piece of information - the date Ms. Lass died. Bob agreed there was no way they could communicate that without endangering them all.

On the bright side he was sure Meigan would not hit him again. He had already transferred more than a million to fund the advance and follow-on operations. And then she would still be with him every night. That was too bad. Part of him was tempted to talk to a few of all these ghosts lurking around the house, perhaps not unlike his four vengeful shadows. Who knew what secrets they could tell him. Then again maybe they would kill him - he could be on some other ghost's kill list.