Chapter 14

"I hear the voices when I'm dreaming, and I hear them say..."

You can encounter some real problems when you write a story about your life. For one thing, you never know how it will end, since the fact that I'm still alive means that the ending cannot be known. Another problem that I encountered is that I have to admit that sometimes, I am not the correct person to be telling portions of my own story.

I was pleasantly surprised to recently discover that my beloved Aimee has always kept a diary. She never mentioned it to anybody, and I don't believe that I ever actually saw her writing in it. Despite the fact that I have shared the innermost thoughts with my three wives, I have always allowed them their privacy, and never questioned their motives.

For reasons that will become clear pretty soon, I have decided to use Aimee's diary entries to describe the events that happened next. Please understand that for the rest of this chapter, it is Aimee that is telling the story. I've edited her words very little, even where Aimee's recollection of events differs slightly from my own and those of my other wives. I've only removed some extraneous details like dates, and adapted it a tiny bit to make it fit more into a narrative style, rather than the typical "Dear Diary" type letter.

I left Jim to send an email to Mr. Voder where I mentioned that he might want to look up Colonel DiPietro. When I returned to the bedroom that I had just shared with Jim, I had found that Jim had fallen asleep. I started smiling, as Jim is extremely cute when he sleeps, but something inside my mind was nagging me: something was not quite right.

I have learned very long ago to trust my intuition in circumstances like these, and I started to look at Jim with concern. I think that my concern must have radiated outside the room, because I heard the sound of breathing and looked at the doorway. Mary and Debbie were both there, looking concerned at me.

"What's the matter, Aimee?" Debbie asked. I could feel her worry in that way that I've always associated with Debbie.

I turned back toward Jim. "Jim is sleeping, but I have a feeling that something is wrong."

Mary came into the room, and stood at the side of the bed opposite me. "I've seen him look that way before. Did you try to arouse him?"

I shook my head and answered, "No, I have not. Not yet. I just discovered him this way."

Mary nodded and then asked, "Did you try to... you know... reach him?"

It was after Mary said this that I realized why I was concerned. I was used to having a feeling of Jim being "inside my head" whenever we were close together. I do not think that he is aware that he does this, or even whether it is he that is doing something or me that is reacting to him. It might be some sort of automatic response on the part of either of us, since I noticed it all the time since our first night together, even when he is asleep.

The problem, as I now realized it, was that I wasn't feeling his presence at all. My brain must have noticed this and given me the "something is not right" feeling that I was experiencing.

"That is it, Mary!" I said. "I do not feel him at all!"

Debbie moved behind me and touched my shoulders. "Did you reach out to him?"

"No," I answered, somehow comforted by the feel of Debbie's concern.

"Please try," Marry and Debbie asked, their voices simultaneous as if they were of one thought.

I must mention something here, because apparently Jim seems to be unaware of it. As much as Jim can reach into the minds of Debbie and Mary, I can sometimes reach into his mind on my own. Somehow, I had the feeling that I could do the same to Debbie and Mary, but I never thought to do so. It would be intrusive, and I totally respect the privacy of my co-wives.

I closed my eyes, trying to filter out all distractions. Usually it is quite easy for me to connect with Jim; after all, he is usually doing most of the work.

I tried to connect with his mind, but I found that I could not get there.

"I... I can not!" I said, tears coming to my mind.

"Calm down," ordered Debbie with a soothing voice. "It's obvious that he's still breathing. Are you sure you can't connect with him?"

"I tried," I answered, feeling quite ineffective. "Let me try again."

"Let's all try," Debbie said, and I could feel Debbie's determination. "Can you teach us how you do it?"

Looking at Debbie, I realized that she had no idea how I actually connect with Jim, but she somehow realized that circumstances were extraordinary right now. Both Debbie and Mary knew that they we all needed to try.

"May I try to connect with you two first?" I asked.

"Of course," both girls answered in unison.

I closed my eyes again. I tried to reach out, and found that I could now connect with Mary and Debbie.

Inside the two girls' minds, I suggested, "Now let us all try together."

My powers are minuscule compared to those that I have seen Jim display. I was afraid that the three of us would probably not be able to summon enough power together to connect with my beloved master. This was not a time for fatalistic thoughts, however. This was an emergency.

From within Mary's mind, I sensed a connection to Jim that I could not make. It was a very faint connection, to be sure, but it was more than I was able to achieve on my own.

Through this feeble connection in Mary's mind, the three of us managed to connect into Jim's mind.

What I found was most discouraging. He seemed to be sleeping, but there didn't seem to be any other "thoughts" inside his mind. It was as if he was asleep, but not dreaming, not thinking of anything.

"He's... he's sleeping, but it's as if he's not there," said Mary, softly.

I was still inside Jim's mind, and I could hear the sound of Mary sniffing quietly. I had little experience in rooting around the minds of other people. I kept asking myself, "What would Jim do?" and could not figure an answer.

Debbie's fingers on my shoulders started kneading the muscles in my neck and my back. I could feel how tense I was by the actions of her fingers, and I could feel her reassurances and drive.

I continued to concentrate on looking around in Jim's mind for any trace of our husband, but the only signs of any presence was Mary's and Debbie's minds, also trying to probe.

"We reached him," Debbie breathed quietly.

I simply nodded in answer.

"So where is he?" Debbie asked.

Mary said quietly, "It's as if he's gone."

I answered, "He could just be in a deep sleep." I wanted to assure my wives that what we were experiencing did not necessarily mean that anything was actually wrong with Jim, but since our minds were all merged in the mind of our master, I did not know if I could lie to them.

"We all love him," I heard Mary think aloud.

"Yes," I said, afraid to say any more.

"You don't need to reassure us, Aimee."

That thought startled me. I couldn't tell if it was Mary or Debbie that formed that thought. "I am... I am sorry..." I thought.

"Don't be sorry."

Again, I couldn't make out who formed that thought. All of a sudden, I understood it. It was Mary and Debbie thinking together, forming the thought as if they were of one mind.

After collecting my thoughts, I finally asked, "What do we do now?"

No answer.

I am not a person that worries needlessly. I had no premonition that something bad would happen to Jim, so whatever was happening to him probably wasn't threatening his life, nor any of us. I knew that my concern was totally selfish--all of us were concerned about what the possible loss of our beloved husband would do to us.

I realize that having Jim at the center of our lives made me and my two co-wives very vulnerable. If something should happen to him, our lives could be devastated. We were starting to feel that right now, with Jim looking like he was asleep but not being responsive to any stimulus.

I was happy that Debbie and Mary had a special bond between them. Debbie and I have a similar bond, but it has never extended into the physical. Since Jim entered their lives, Debbie and Mary have grown very close together. I, on the other hand, had focused almost exclusively on Jim himself. Not having him around made me feel very helpless; more helpless than I can remember ever being, even after the death of my Aunt Tomeii in front of my helpless eyes.

Luckily, Mary and Debbie knew this as well, and took charge. "Let's get to work." Once again, their two voices were acting as one.

Before we left Jim's empty mind, I said, from the center of my being, "I will love you forever, my beloved Master!"

Our minds disconnected from Jim's and the three of us were looking down once again at our husband's steady breathing.

Every one of us, with the exception of Jim, had tears in our eyes.

I explained the dream that Jim and I had experienced before he had fallen into this dreamless state to Mary and Debbie. I also explained that I had sent an email to Mr. Voder. I had a copy of the message that I had sent and both Mary and Debbie read it. In fact, there was a reply from him that we all read. It was short and to the point, giving an address on Leesburg Pike in Falls Church, Virginia.

"Could this Colonel DiPietro be the person that's following us? If so, then why?" Mary asked.

I gave the only answer I had. "We must assume he knows about the power that Jim has. He probably wants the power himself, or he wants it for the government."

"Baloney!" said Debbie, dismissively. "If they knew about his powers, they would never have released him from the hospital. Why are they interested now?"

I made it a point not to answer that we had not been very clandestine about Jim's power. I could think back to a couple of incidents, like what happened in that park and our wedding reception. These things could all perk up interest in Jim or us as a whole. Even just the fact that we were all acting as his wives was unusual, even here in Utah. There was no need for assigning blame, especially when all four of us shared it.

Mary was still talking. "You know, this is the strangest that it has ever been since he awoke from his coma--"

"Coma!" I shouted, jumping out of my chair. "That's where he is right now!"

Mary pulled me back. "No, Aimee. It's not the same as before. I know."

"How do you know, Mary? What's different?" I asked.

"When he was in a coma, his mind was still working," Mary explained. "He connected with me, remember? I thought it was just dreams... wishful thinking, even... but his mind must have been there. How else could he contact me in my dreams?"

"Then what is it?" I asked, sitting back in my seat.

"Exhaustion, perhaps?" Mary suggested. "Each time he uses his powers, it takes something from him. With one exception."

"What exception?" I asked.

"When he's with you, dear."

"He got this way when he was with me!" I cried.

"No," Mary shook her head. "I suspect that he must have somehow tapped into something a bit different. He once told me that he was able to visit almost any place that he'd ever been when he dreams. It doesn't take him much effort."

"Yes. He told me that, too," I said.

Mary smiled at me. "Think of the one place he went where he had never been before. It was this Colonel's office, right?"

I thought about it, and nodded.

"Think of what such a 'trip' must have cost him."

I thought about it and then said, "Mary, you seem pretty confident about your knowledge of his powers."

"I've been experiencing them for all those years when he was in his coma," Mary said, smiling. "I didn't think about it until more recently, but I still have the experience."

"You said his trips take something from him, except when he is with me."

"Yes," Mary said. "Debbie and I think you have a similar power, but it's different. I don't think he'd be able to do what he has done without you. It's like you are some sort of amplifier."

I nodded. "Are you telling me that he likes me because of my power?"

Mary looked at me and scolded, "Don't EVER say that, Aimee. He loves you because you are you. He loves you more than anything else, I think."

I looked at Mary, trying to see if there was any jealousy or pity on her face. I did have a deep bond with Jim, but I had assumed that Debbie and especially Mary shared that same bond.

"I am not jealous," Mary said, smiling. "I'm happy that Jim has found his perfect partner."

"Partners," I corrected.

"Partner," Mary insisted.

"He loves you... and Debbie!" I said.

"Yes. He does," Mary answered.

I waited for Mary to continue. She didn't.

I thought about Jim. I thought about Mary and Debbie. I thought about everything.

Softly, Mary said, "You are so unique. You are so special."

"We are all special because Jim loves us," I said, truly believing what I was saying.

"Very true," Mary answered.

For the first time, I felt the closeness that Mary and Debbie shared with one another.

"You should sleep," Mary said. "You really need sleep."

"No," I replied. "I will not sleep until our husband wakes."

Mary looked sharply at me. I did not need to read her mind to understand her concern. She was thinking that it could be a long time.

My silent reply, heard only within my own mind, was a repetition. "No matter what, I shall not sleep until our husband wakes."

Something about Mary's explanation about fatigue made sense to me. I also had noticed Jim's fatigue, especially when we were together at the "grass shack" in Makena.

"All right," I said. "Let's assume this is a temporary thing. Jim's simply exhausted. What do we do now?"

"I say we get the mother-fuckers that are going after us!" Mary answered.

I looked at my co-wife. There was a look in her eyes that told me that she was not just kidding.

Debbie looked concerned, but Mary spoke again. "They are following us. We are investigating them. There isn't very much more that we can do in Utah."

"So we go to Washington and kick butt?" Debbie asked, getting into Mary's mood, and I could feel myself react to Debbie's determination.

"No," Mary replied, shaking her head. "We go there and get some answers."

"Aimee, do I have any property in that area?" Debbie asked.

I already knew the answer. "There is a place in Georgetown. That should be pretty convenient."

"I do?" Debbie asked, looking at me. "One of these days, Aimee, you'll have to let me know all the places my father collected."

Without thinking, I said, "The Georgetown place was going to be a graduation present for you, Debbie. He never actually lived there. I don't know if it's even furnished."

Immediately, I regretted saying that to my co-wife. I saw the look of loss in her eyes at the indirect mention of her father.

Mary also seemed to feel Debbie's loss. As I said, she and Debbie were very close, and if I could sense Debbie's moods, Mary almost certainly could. Mary decided to change the subject. "Should one of us stay here for when Jim wakes up?"

I knew that this was Mary's subtle way of telling me that I should probably stay behind, as much as I wanted to help end this harassment and invasion of our privacy. I nodded, once again a bit envious about the closeness that Mary and Debbie shared. I hoped that they would be enough to get whatever job that needed to be done completed.

"No," Debbie said, surprising me. "We all go. The four of us."

"Debbie," I said, "Jim is not conscious right now. We would make a scene trying to get him on an airliner. That would alert whoever is looking for us."

"No worries," Debbie answered. "Put him on a stretcher or a wheelchair and have Mely and June meet us at the airport. I think our little ruse has already caused enough confusion to the people following us."

Maybe Debbie was correct. I figured that whoever had been following June and Mely's flight plan would almost certainly know that we were not with them. Maybe they were no longer being followed.

That idea was rejected soundly by Mary. "That just won't work. If the government has people following them, they will not stop following them just because we're not with them. If anything, wherever Mely and June stop, they will be followed and their location will be bugged. No matter how we contact them, the communication will be monitored and our location will be revealed."

I sighed and looked at Mary for help. She had a military background, but I never really checked that out before, since I didn't think it had been important. I made a mental note to find out more about Mary's service in the military.

Mary thought for a while and then said, "All right. We can get to Washington and meet up somewhere. The government may know where Debbie's properties are, and may even now be looking for us here."

I got a sinking feeling at that.

"So what do we do?" asked Debbie.

"Split up, but meet in Virginia," Mary suggested. "Arrive in Baltimore International, Dulles, and Washington National on separate flights. Aimee goes with Jim, Debbie and I separate. Since Dulles is probably closest, Aimee and Jim will go there since he will be the hardest to move. Aimee will find transportation to the closest Holiday Inn to Falls Church. Debbie and I will choose which airport we'll take at random. We'll meet at the same motel. Aimee... ask for two double or queen size beds... something big enough for all four of us. How much cash do we have?"

"Eight hundred and twenty," I said automatically.

Mary winced. "That will get us to Washington. That may not be enough for the other incidentals, like food, cab fare, lodging..."

"Go on the cheap," Debbie suggested. "Use bus fare instead of taxis. Washington has a good mass transit system, I think. Don't they?"

"How much do we trust this Mr. Voder?" Mary asked me.

"If we cannot trust him, we're already screwed," I stated.

"Can he arrange for us to get money in Washington?"

"He might be able to contact Charles Penet to wire us money. Holiday Inn might accept Western Union."

Debbie shook her head. "You need positive identification for Western Union."

"How about sending money from Malen to Mr. Voder and having him deliver it to Holiday Inn?"

I thought. "He doesn't do face to face. He might deliver it to us if we give him the name we will use. What name would be good for me?"

Mary smiled. "When I first met you, you reminded me of a friend named Patricia."

"Patricia James it is," I said. I loved using the name of my beloved Master, as well as Debbie's father.

"All right," Mary said, taking charge again. "Before getting to the airport, stop at a uniform store and get a nurse's outfit. You'll also need to find a collapsible wheelchair. A stretcher will probably need some sort of doctor's references. A wheelchair is quite common in airports."

Debbie said, "What should I do?"

"We'll go to the airport together, but take different flights. You can route from here to the mid-west, and from there, route to National or Baltimore. It will be twice as difficult to follow that way. Take public transportation to Falls Church and find the Holiday Inn."

"And you?" Debbie asked.

"I'll route through a city on the east coast, and from there to Baltimore. Same deal."

"So... Chicago and New York?" Debbie asked.

"No," Mary said, looking our co-wife sternly. "Make the decision on the intermediate stop when you make the reservation at the airport. Find out what's there, and what's affordable. Pick whatever is convenient. Remember, any information that is only known by one person cannot be compromised by another."

I thought Mary was correct in her paranoia, and considered that both of them knew the almost the exact itinerary for Jim and me, but since I had the incapacitated Jim, it was obvious that I needed to use the most direct route. I considered switching my destination as well, as some of Mary's paranoia was starting to rub off on me. I felt that same paranoia inside Jim's head before and it was a comforting memory for me. There was something that calmed that paranoia, though: there was nothing that Debbie or Mary could do that would betray Jim--and therefore the two of us--in any way.

"He'll be all right," Mary said to me.

"I know," I said, sighing. "I do not see any harm coming to him or any of us."

"He loves you, Aimee," Mary said, looking deep within my eyes.

"He loves all of us," I answered.

Mary looked at me and said, carefully. "He loves you, Aimee. He loves you in a way that neither Debbie nor I can ever be loved by him."

"I am but his third wife," I said, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Not in his heart, dear."

As Mary left the room, I started sobbing, quietly.

I left the room briefly to send a quick email of explanation to Mr. Voder and quickly returned to the room to start packing our bags.

Waiting is sometimes lonely, especially when my Master is lying in a dreamless state. I try to think of other things in order to pass the time.

I realize that I never did write about the origin of my name. It is a common one, for sure, but it was my Aunt Tomeii that suggested that name. Originally, my first name had an apostrophe (or is it an acute accent?) after or on the second to last letter, which is the traditional way to spell my name: Aime'e.

In grammar school, I had taken to leaving that accent off, something my aunt laughingly (but not disapprovingly) referred to as Anglicizing my name, since the accent served mostly to confuse teachers, students, and friends. For instance, in Hawaiian, the backward quote (called 'okina) is a common diacritical mark that usually means a tiny pause in between syllables, so people that could read Hawaiian would almost always mispronounce my name.

When I was very young, I had even considered spelling my name "Amy" but the pronunciation of my name is just slightly different enough than what that spelling of the shorter name would imply. Also, my Aunt disapproved.

I realize that I mention my aunt often when I record my thoughts. Since I have plenty of time right now, I feel it is again time to write about her.

Aunt Tomeii was my mother's older sister, and she was a very influential person in my mother's life, and she also came to be the most influential person in the first fifteen years of my own life.

My Aunt Tomeii taught me very many things, including some of the old legends, most of which she firmly believed. It was my Aunt Tomeii that showed me that I was special and that I had the gift of insight. Without actually telling me how, she helped me develop my gift. My mother, who didn't believe in the legends, thought this was a harmless preoccupation on both of our parts. Mother humored the two of us without prohibiting it, as long as I did my chores and school work properly.