Chapter 54: The Ratu’s Story

Gerald hadn’t been exaggerating. The Lodge was lit up with extra lights and surrounded by a squad of soldiers in green camouflage fatigues. Anna was on the porch.

“What’s with the troops?” I asked Anna as we approached.

“Oh, good! You’re here. I was just going to send for you,” Anna replied. “The troops are for the Cowen boys. The middle one told his brothers and they started plotting some minor revenge. Unfortunately, the young one, Nate, is it? Anyway, he let it slip to Mandy, and so Penny and I went to speak with their father.”

Penny is FBI Agent Penelope Lane. She has been assigned to protect me while the deal with the Russians is going on.

“You know what they say about the apple not falling far from the tree? Well, to make a long story short, he didn’t see that Sammy had done any wrong, and even encouraged the boys to “stick together”. So I called out the troops, mostly for show. Penny read them the riot act, threatening them with arrest if they were still here tomorrow morning,” Anna supplied.

“They’re packing now. When they leave, the squad will stand down,” she added.

“Thank you for looking out for them,” I told Anna.

“The Ratu is in the great room with your grandmother,” she also supplied.

Kalani and I found them seated together in a group. They adjusted the arrangement to make room for us. The Ratu looked first to her daughter, rather sheepishly if you ask me, then rattled off something in their native tongue.

“Use English, Mother,” Kalani told her.

Finally, she looked at me. Then rising from her seat on the couch, she dropped to both knees and pressed her forehead to the floor.

“Please, Pele Solakanali!” she said beseechingly. “Can you find it in your heart to forgive a foolish old woman?”

I hesitated.

“Ileana?” I thought. She was in their cabin with Mikeya.

“Yes, oh Great One?”

“Cut that out!” I thought with a laugh. “I have need of your services, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, Michael. What do you need?” her thoughts were sparkling with anticipation for tomorrow.

“Between my images of your beauty and those sexy thoughts you’re thinking, you’re causing a reaction I cannot explain to the others right now. I really need you to be serious for a moment,” I pleaded. “Please!”

She laughed and began to tone down her emotions for me.

“I am scanning your grandmother, but I don’t understand all the thoughts tied to the emotions. If I share them with you, will you help me understand?”

“Of course, Michael. I’ll try.”

I connected Ileana to my scan and after a few seconds, she gasped!