Chapter 13: Loose Ends

Wake up everybody! We have to get ready for Cindy’s breakfast meeting, Linda shouted. Come on, we’re late already!

Mouse groaned and rolled over. Can’t we just stay here and let you go to the meeting?

Ret whispered, They’re already downstairs in the restaurant. Cindy, Fred, Mike, Diane and some new girl named Joyce.

Okay then, we have to hurry. Let’s drain the bladder and go. Shower time after the meeting, Linda said.

I’ll go along, but I may fall asleep during breakfast, whispered Tink.

As Linda sat on the toilet, she got a very clear and distinct picture of five people sitting around a table in the restaurant. They all had coffee, and a waitress was taking their orders. It was Cindy, Diane, Fred and Mike, plus a new girl. There was no sound, only the live picture. What the hell? Linda exclaimed.

Whoa, Linda. Did you do that? asked Mouse.

I didn’t know we could see that far away, whispered Tink.

We’ll talk this over after breakfast, Ret told them. Something important has happened.

Downstairs in the hotel restaurant all conversation came to a stop as Linda walked up.

“Hey there, about time you showed up,” said Fred. “We were about ready to call in the cavalry to find you.”

“Sorry about being late, I was up ‘till early morning what with all the fans and the interviews and stuff,” Linda apologized.

“It’s okay,” Cindy said. “We haven’t gotten into the real important items on the agenda yet anyway.”

Linda sat down at the large circular table and picked up the coffee carafe and poured her cup half full. Then she added five of those little sealed cups full of white liquid pretending to be milk and five packets of sugar. When she was done making a perfect cup of coffee, Linda looked around the table. Everyone was staring at her. “Well then, what’s on the agenda?” she asked.

“Five milk and five sugar? Linda, do you just flavor your milk and sugar with a touch of coffee?” Diane asked with a laugh.

“She’s always done that,” Fred added. “I drink mine black, can’t handle that much sugar in my diet.”

“Linda, this is Joyce. She’s going to be your personal assistant for a couple of months, just to see if the two of you click. Joyce will be traveling with Fred and Mike as part of your support team. Her primary duties are to book hotel rooms, make travel arrangements, arrange interviews with the media and respond to fan letters. She has a bachelor’s degree in public relations and several years experience working out of Los Angeles with some well known celebrities. She’ll take some of the day to day annoyances off your plate. Her job is to make your life easier,” Cindy said as she began the meeting.

Joyce nodded at Linda, and mouthed ‘Later.’

“Now, I have a legal team on retainer to handle any problems that might arise. Here’s their contact information. We also have an accounting firm in Los Angeles on board. Fred and Linda, you both have to meet with them to get your tax information straightened out for this year. I hope you’ve kept accurate records. Their information is on this form. We’re in negotiations with a Public Relations firm in Hollywood. They have excellent references. I think that’s going to work out well. Linda, I want you to seriously consider adding a chauffeur and bodyguard. The more popular you become, and the more you’re in the public eye the greater the possibility of problems for you. Diane, did you want to tell us about Linda’s situation with Ping, now?” Cindy said.

“Linda, you’re a star. Ping sales of the Spencer line have topped the fifty million dollar mark worldwide. Everyone wants to hit the ball three hundred yards! Add in over twelve million in ancillary equipment sales and we’ve paid you over seven million dollars in royalties. Archer clothing, a subsidiary of Ping, is also doing fantastic. They can’t keep up with orders for their new Linda Line of golf clothing and accessories. You can add more royalties from them. I’ve been in touch with Adidas and Titleist also. The shoes are flying off the shelves and Titleist is selling more fluorescent purple golf balls than any other color, outside of the basic white of course. Mr. Archer asked me to check with you about coming in and being measured for a full line of purple and white clothing, bearing your name. We’ve got to keep our ‘Purple Pro’ looking good!” Diane enthusiastically added.

Did she say seven million dollars!? Ret asked.

Before taxes, remember. Also Fred gets ten percent and so does Cindy. Then Mike gets his five percent. We might end up with thirty-five to forty percent of all that, Linda reminded them.

Still, forty percent of seven mill is, like ... anyone have a calculator handy? Tink inquired.

At least it’s money we can spend, not hidden away in the Caymans where we can’t touch it, Mouse added.

That reminds me, Juan Gomez needs us to visit him in the Caymans to go over the latest coded bank money we grabbed, Linda whispered. And we haven’t even added the bank codes from Australia yet.

“Fred?” Cindy asked.

“It’s almost Christmas. As far as I’m concerned, we have accomplished everything we set out to do, here in Australia. Next stop for us is the Bahama’s LPGA Classic the end of January. I need the team to be there one week early to practice and walk the course. Otherwise, I have nothing planned,” Fred responded.

Mike interrupted the meeting, “I’ve seen a lot of golfers come and go out there. In my opinion, Linda can be the next Tiger Woods, female version, without a doubt.”

Jeez. Tiger Woods again? complained Mouse.

“We all seem to be in agreement then. Finish up whatever personal business you have here in Australia, then enjoy your Christmas. I’ll see you the week after the holiday in Los Angeles, Linda and Fred, to meet the lawyers, accountants and anyone else I can get lined up to support Linda. Except for that, you’re all on vacation, as of now,” Cindy told them.

Vacation! Tink grinned.

Let’s take our vacation in the Caymans, and we can visit Juan at the same time. We might even see Jessie and the Jellyfish gang, Ret suggested.

Let’s go over everything up in our room, whispered Linda.

“Linda, if you can stay for a bit after breakfast and let me know what vacation reservations I can help you with, that would help me a lot,” Joyce said.

“Sure Joyce.”

After everyone finished breakfast, they all shook hands, hugged, kissed various cheeks and wished each other Merry Christmas. One by one, everyone left to whatever personal destinations they had for the holidays ‘till only Linda and Joyce remained.

“So, Linda, where do you plan to go for the Christmas vacation?” Joyce asked.

“I’ll need plane reservations for Hawaii tomorrow, and a hotel room right on that famous beach they have. That’ll cover Christmas. Then I need a flight out of Hawaii to Los Angeles for the day after to attend that meeting with Cindy. I want a hotel room on the beach in LA, too. I want to fly down to Jamaica for New Years and rent a charter from a friend of mine down there on Montego Bay. Her name is Jessie and her boat is the Jellyfish. Don’t make the reservation in my name, I want it to be a surprise,” Linda told her.

“You’re leaving here tomorrow, first class, at three in the afternoon on Qantas to Honolulu. Be at the airport three hours early to check in. I’ve booked you into a suite at the Theodore Hotel on the Royal Moana Beach. It’s a new five star hotel.” Joyce continued working on her tablet. “Okay, I have a first class ticket booked for you leaving Honolulu the day after Christmas on a Delta non-stop to Los Angeles with the penthouse suite at the Charleston Hotel on Venice beach in LA. Then I’ve got you leaving for Kingston, Jamaica two days before New Years Eve and The Jellyfish is all yours,” Joyce looked up and smiled at Linda.

“Damn, girl. Where’ve you been hiding? I could have used you two months ago!” exclaimed Linda.

Joyce beamed at her. “This is what I do. My job is to make life easier for you. Do you need me in Honolulu? If not, then I’ll meet you in LA, and you can let me know if you’ll need me after the meetings.”

“No, Joyce. Go enjoy the holidays. I’ll be fine. See you in LA,” Linda told her. She thanked Joyce and hugged her, then headed up to her suite in the hotel in Sydney. Okay girls, we need to go over our own agenda, Linda told the posse.

We should have about nine billion still in the Franklin Trust Bank in George Town, Grand Cayman Island including the money from Tijuana. We need to talk with Juan about that, Mouse reminded everyone.

We should go see a doctor in LA and get birth control pills if we’re not pregnant, Tink added.

I need to stop and pick up our new jewelry from the jeweler here. That means a trip back up to Brisbane. And I want to get these braces adjusted back in Los Angeles. They’re driving me crazy, Linda said. What else do we need, Ret?

I’m sending those bank codes to Juan for the bikie gangs in Brisbane and the Asian gangs here in Sydney. We also need to talk about our abilities, Ret told the girls.

Something wrong with our abilities now? Mouse asked.

Ret asked.

Yes, we’re twins. I’m Kelly. I have the sight.

I’m Karen. I don’t have any talents. I just tag along with Kelly, and can see what she looks at, but I can’t do anything.

Welcome to the family, Kelly and Karen, Linda told them.

Tink said, Yes, welcome to the family. Why did you hide from us?

Kelly answered, We’re very shy. In fact, Karen probably won’t talk much at all. I can speak for both of us, but I probably won’t talk much either. This is so difficult for us.

Ret said, Karen, don’t stress. You have a talent. It just hasn’t manifested yet. It seems to take a traumatic event of some kind for our skills to show up and improve.

Mouse enthused, This is so exciting. Six of us now. We’re not alone any more!

Linda told everyone, Keep practicing. All of us need to improve. Kelly, keep working on your range and strength in seeing things. Karen, don’t worry. There must be a reason why you can follow Kelly’s sight. It’s just not clear to us yet. Mouse, keep improving those illusions. Tink, practice, but be careful what you dissolve. Ret, work on sending. Your receiving is great already. I’m going to work on flying, and moving multiple, larger things. Now let’s go pick up our jewelry and do some sightseeing, then we can pack for Hawaii. We leave tomorrow!

The shrieks of five happy girls filled Linda’s head. They had all forgotten about Hawaii!

Let’s take a shower and get dressed. We have to pick up our necklaces and earrings in Brisbane and get back here to fly out to Honolulu, whispered Linda.

Linda called Joyce on her cell phone and had her get a flight up to Brisbane and back so she could pick up her new jewelry. She told Joyce not to use her real name. Joyce found her a six passenger commuter plane called Nick’s Charters that would fly ‘Mabel Jones’ up, wait for her, and then bring her back to Sydney the same day.

At the private plane section of the airport, Linda ducked into a ladies room and slipped into a stall. She whispered, Mouse make us look like a sexy thirty year old married blonde. I don’t want to deal with autographs and fans this trip. We need to get in and out of Brisbane.

Poof! You’re now a Big Tits Blonde trophy wife, giggled Mouse.

Linda walked out into the lounge area of the private plane section and saw a man Ret identified as Nick, the plane’s owner. She walked over and introduced herself as Mabel Jones.

“G’day Mrs. Jones. If you’re all set then, we can get off to Brisbane. Any luggage?”

“No luggage, Nick. I just need to run up and pick up a package then back here to Sydney. And please call me Mabel. Mrs. Jones is my mother-in-law.”

“Right, then. The plane’s all set to go. I’ve already run my pre-flight checks, so if you would follow me, we can get off the ground and be on our way.”

The plane ride up to Brisbane was uneventful. The girls were happy it was a six passenger plane so they could each have their own seat ... at least that’s what they told Linda!

As the plane lined up for it’s final approach, the left side engine started to sputter and died. Then the right side engine caught fire and Nick had to shut it down.

“It’s going to get dicey here, Mabel. We just lost both engines. Tighten up your seat belt I’m going to try and make the runway.”

“Mayday, Mayday. This is Cessna 11756 declaring an in-flight emergency. I am two kilometers out from Brisbane Lockley Field. Both engines have quit on me. I am requesting an immediate emergency landing. I think we can make it to the runway.”

The tower control operator radioed back, “Cessna 11756 you are cleared on runway one two zero for an emergency landing. All aircraft are being routed out of the flight pattern. Emergency personnel are standing by. Good luck, mate!”

Ret whispered, We’re still a couple miles out. He doesn’t think we can make it.

Tink shouted, We’re gonna die!

Linda calmly replied, Be quiet now, sisters. I won’t let the plane crash, and no one is going to die. Not ‘till we get old and gray. Just let me concentrate.

The plane began losing altitude at an alarming rate. It was obvious they wouldn’t make it all the way to the runway. Nick started searching the ground ahead for a potential spot to bring her down without injuring anyone on the ground.

Linda took over control of the aircraft and lifted it back up to horizontal flight. She maintained the flight speed and attitude as the small craft edged closer and closer to the airport.

Linda concentrated and controlled the small plane all the way to the end of the runway before she let go and allowed Nick to finish landing. She was exhausted from handling such a large inanimate moving object.

The girls went wild. High Fiving each other and congratulating Linda.

That was awesome! Mouse shouted.

I was so scared! I thought for sure we were going to die, Tink added. The twins nodded in agreement.

Ret said, I knew our Linda could do it. She’s been getting stronger and stronger!

Emergency crews arrived as the small plane rolled safely to a stop. An airport tow-car arrived and hooked up to the front of the craft and towed it to an empty hangar. Linda and Nick climbed out of the Cessna to be checked over by the waiting EMT team. After being declared healthy, Linda took a short coffee break to calm down and recharge. Nick joined her.

“That was pretty incredible. I’ve never seen anything like that before. The plane basically flew itself that last kilometer. Mabel, to tell you the truth, we should have crashed about two hundred meters short of the runway. How we made it, I’ll never know.”

“Sometimes, miracles happen,” Linda told him.

Nick apologized to Linda since his plane couldn’t take her back to Sydney, but he promised to get her a flight back with a friend of his. He took her cell phone number to call as soon as he had a ride lined up.

As Linda left the terminal, she had Mouse change her back to her normal appearance, with just a touch of ignore me to dissuade anyone from recognizing her. She walked out of the terminal and caught a taxi to Carstairs and Sons, Jewelers, where her new jewelry was ready for pickup. After entering the store, Mr. Carstairs took her to a private room to show her the results of his craftsmanship.