Chapter 9: Wedding Plans

Mei Lee

Mei walked up the stairs to the aircraft, and watched as Tomas carried the bag containing her daughter.

"Set her in the back, and let's get airborne," she said.

Thomas carried the duffle bag to the back, and dropped the bag on the floor. Turning around, he went to the front of the plane, and gave the pilot his orders. Mei Lee sat down and strapped in.

The rest of the kidnap team came onboard, and took a seat. Five minutes after they closed the door, the plane lifted off and headed for San Francisco, as they opened several bottles of champagne.

Victor

Victor closed his eyes. He saw in his mind several of the rocks sitting in the display for the airport. In his mind's eye, they vanished and Amber appeared on his lap. With a smile on his face, he leaned down, kissed Amber, and neutralized the sleeping drug that was in her body.

"What happened?" Amber asked as her eyes fluttered opened.

"How did you do that? I didn't feel a thing," Michelle gasped out in surprise.

"I did what you did when you took me to that valley. I transported some rocks up to the bag they had her in and made them take her image. At the same time, I brought Amber to me," he replied as Amber cuddled into him.

"That's not possible! You shouldn't be able to do that with non-psychics..."

"But I did! Let's get out of here before they return," he said.

Michelle sat there with her mouth opened and then shook her head as she replied, "You're right," and started the car and turned around.

As they drove, Victor told Amber, who Michelle was. She was still scared of the woman who had helped save her and pressed against Victor. As they were leaving the airport, lightning started slashing through the sky, as the clouds overhead started dumping an unusually heavy load of moisture on the airport.

Michelle reached up and slid the moon roof closed as they drove back to the hotel. Ten minutes later, they pulled under the overhang of the valet parking. Michelle dug a black leather trench coat out of the trunk of the car and Amber slipped it on. Going into the lobby, they went up to their floor and to their room. Victor slid his card through the lock, and they stepped into the room. Victor ran to his mom, and untied her as Michelle and Amber untied the girls.

"We have to get out of here before they return," Victor said as he worked at his mom's knots.

Victor released his mom, and turned to the bomb and knelt there in shock as he watched it being lifted off the table. Looking at Michelle, he saw she was concentrating on the bomb and turned to his sister.

"You're like Victor," Sassy asked as she watched the bomb float in the air.

"Yes, I am. Now please, don't disturb me while I get rid of this," she said and reached out touched the explosive and it vanished.

"What did you do with it?" Victor asked when she opened her eyes.

"I transported it to Pyramid Lake and detonated it on the bottom. Only thing killed by the bomb was a couple hundred fish. Now, we need to get out of here. They just discovered that Amber is missing. They're turning around," Michelle said.

"Then we're heading to Virginia City, and Lori Bennett. We will stay there for another night, and then go to the courthouse to get your paperwork," Annabelle replied as she rubbed her wrists.

"That's your college friend," Sassy asked.

"Yes, she is. Aunt Lori runs a business in the tourist part of town. She sells old fashioned photos to the tourist by dressing them up in old costumes," Annabelle said as she hugged Sassy to her chest.

"So let's get everything packed, and get out of here," Annabelle ordered as she let her daughter go.

They scattered, gathering their bags, while Victor called for a bellhop, and a young man arrived five minutes later. They loaded the bags onto the cart the bellhop had brought.

As they started for the elevator, Victor leaned over to Michelle and whispered, "He likes your ass."

"I know, but he's not my type. Nothing against him, but my boyfriends would pound him to a pulp if he tried anything," she replied.

Victor received an image of three men in their twenties. The one thing he noticed was they all had muscles on top of muscles. The image changed to them lifting weights on a stage, and he knew they were weight lifters. As he watched, one of them bent a piece of rebar as if it was wire, and he felt his balls retreat up into his body.

"Damn, I would hate to meet them in a dark alley," Victor said.

"Their pussycats, they wouldn't hurt a fly," Michelle replied as the elevator doors opened.

Stepping in, Victor looked at his counterpart and whispered, "It's not the fly I would be worried about."

Michelle smiled and then burst into laughter at Victor's comment. The bellhop looked over at them, and then turned away as he tried to figure out what was going on. He wanted to ask the woman out, but it was as if his voice wouldn't work.

"Victor, you're bad," Michelle said as the door closed.

They descended to the lobby and walked across the room to the desk, where they checked out. Michelle and Victor watched the room as Annabelle finished the process.

Mei Lee

Seven thousand feet and sixty miles southwest of Reno, the Learjet 60 was traveling at 400 knots. Mei Lee was looking out the window watching the storm close in on Reno. A large bolt of lightning just missed the plane when they first started climbing from the airport. With a small sigh, she decided she had to get it over with.

She turned to Thomas Ling and said, "Go ahead and get her out of the bag, give her the antidote. Let her go to the bathroom, and get a drink. Then give her another shot. Put her into the crate, so we can transfer her to Jung Wang's aircraft after it is refueled."

"Yes, Ma'am," Thomas said and climbed out of his seat and went to the back of the plane. Bending down, he worked on the lock for the large duffle bag.

"Time to wake up, Amber, you have a date with your new husband," Thomas said as he pulled the top open and jumped back.

"What the fuck?" he said in surprise.

"What is wrong, now?" Mei said as she turned in her chair.

"She's gone! There are only rocks in the bag," he replied.

"What? How?" Mei said as she stood up and walked to the back of the plane. Mei Lee ripped the bag open, then smacked Thomas upside the head, after she had looked inside.

"How did she get loose?" she screamed.

"I don't know. The bag was beside me the whole way to the airport. You saw me put her in the bag, and carry her downstairs to the van. I then transferred her to the plane. She must have had help getting off the plane," he said.

"Turn us around and head back to Reno. Somehow she got loose! She will head right back to that white-eyed bastard," Mei snarled as she picked up the phone that was mounted to the wall of the plane.

"Yes, Ma'am," Thomas replied and went up into the cockpit.

Victor

Victor heaved the last suitcase into the back of the van, and then helped Amber lift their daughters into the van. He kissed each of the girls on their cheek as he let them go and watched as they climbed into their seats and strapped themselves in. Sassy was talking to Michelle, then ran over to their mother and whispered something in her ear. Annabelle nodded her head, and Sassy ran over to Michelle's car and climbed into the passenger seat.

"What's going on?" he said as his mom came over to the van.

"She wants to ride in Michelle's Trans Am," she replied as she opened her door and climbed in.

Amber climbed into the front bucket seat and sat so she could watch between the seats as Victor closed all the doors and walked around to the driver's door. He stood at the door and looked around. Not seeing anyone, he climbed in and started the engine. As he fastened his seatbelt, he waved to Sassy, who was watching from Michelle's car.

Putting the van in gear he pulled out and followed his mom's directions. Instead of going onto the freeway, she had him head through the city. Driving through that town is something Victor would never take lightly, again. Not only do you have to watch the cars, but you have to watch the pedestrians, too! The damned tourists were running across the street to the other casinos! It was a nightmare.

Thirty minutes after leaving the casino, they were heading up the road to Virginia City. The road curled through the mountains, and came around into the old town. The hour drive let everyone see what Nevada used to look like, in the eighteen hundreds. Dotting the hills around the town was some old mining equipment. There was a bill board that told them they could even ride the old small gage train, and see everything. As Victor was driving, he was keeping an eye out behind him. He didn't know if the rescue of Amber had been discovered yet, but he was sure it would be, soon.

"Mom, do they have a courthouse where Amber and I can get married?" Victor asked as they headed down into the town.

"Courthouse? I don't think so. You're getting married in a church, and that church is St. Mary's ... the Mountains Catholic Church..."

"Mom, not a church, you know I'm not like..."

"SHUT UP! Listen to me. You WILL get married in a church, or so help me, I will send you to a monastery and prevent you from marrying Amber. Do you understand me?" Annabelle said.

"But..."

"Victor, we'll do this for your mom, if she wants a church wedding, then a church wedding she will get. Now let's just drop the subject," Amber said.

The girls giggled in the back seat, and she turned to them.

"Daddy's in trouble," Amy said.

"Did you say something young lady?" Amber asked.

"No, Mom. Not a thing," Amy replied.

"Good, now all three of you behave," Amber said and turned around.

"Yes, Ma'am," came the reply from all three girls as they leaned together and started whispering.

Amber turned around at the sound of the whisper and leaned in, and said, "I heard you, now that would be a nice thing to do for daddy. When we stop, I want you to go up to him and do it. Ok?"

The three girls nodded their heads and sat back smiling. Amber blew a kiss to each of them, and looked out the back at Sassy, and the strange woman who had helped Victor rescue her. Even though he told her who she was, she was still a little leery of her.

'Amber, I mean you and your family no harm. My fight is with the council who wishes to dominate all of us Psychics and punish us when we make mistakes that we don't know are mistakes. They get rich off of our blood and sweat and make thralls of us until we pay it off. I won't allow that, anymore. So relax, I will help you to the best of my ability. Your main worry is those three girls in front of you and your future husband, ' Michelle said with her mind to Amber.

'Thank you, I hope it works out in the end, but I'm still scared, ' Amber replied.

'I know, but for now think of your wedding. That's what you should be thinking of. Your Mother's plane has been diverted to Carson City, due to the storm I raised over the city. So, for now, you're all safe ... turn around, we are slowing down, ' she said.

'Thanks, ' Amber replied and turned around. She was looking at Victor in the mirror. He smiled at her, and wagged his eyebrows. Amber blushed and hid her mouth behind her hand.

"Where do I go, Mom?" Victor asked.

"Turn left at the next intersection. We go six streets and then turn right. I will direct you to her house," Annabelle replied.

Victor followed his mom's directions. They pulled into the driveway of a yellow two-story house. Victor put the van in park. Michelle parked on the street. They climbed out of their vehicles. Victor walked around and opened the side door for Amber and the girls. He stepped back as they climbed down, and suddenly he was on the ground.

The triplets hit Victor in the waist, and he fell on his ass as they wrapped their arms around his neck.

"We love you, Daddy!" they said at the same time as they hugged him tightly.

"I love you all, too. What brought this on?" Victor asked as he returned the hug and heard the snap of a camera. Opening his eyes, he looked at his mom and smiled.

"You're going to be a great father," Annabelle said as she lowered the camera.

"Thanks, Mom. I will try. I just wish dad could have lived to see it," he said as he released the girls.

"I do, too. I just wish he could have, too. If he hadn't had to go up to Sacramento and if that drunk hadn't ran the red light and T-boned his car, he would still be with us ... but if 'ifs' could be redone, your uncle Joe would have had tits and been called Josephine. Now let's get inside. I see..."

"Annabelle!" Lori Bennett said as she came down the stairs to the sidewalk.

"Hi, Lori. I hope you don't mind us dropping in on you?" Annabelle said.

"Oh, God, no. How are you doing?" she asked as she kissed Annabelle on her cheeks.

"Fine, you know Victor and Sassy. These are Amber, Victor's fiancée and their daughters Amy, Lisa and Cindy, and their friend Michelle," Annabelle said as she introduced each of the kids.

"Daughters? What the heck do you mean? Victor is only sixteen, and the girl looks to be about the same age! Yet those adorable girls look to be around eleven!" Lori said.

"Let's get inside. I will explain everything, in there," Annabelle said as she looked around with a worried look on her face.

Seeing the look on her best friend's face, Lori hustled everyone inside as soon as they grabbed their suitcases. Lori showed everyone where to place their bags and then set the four girls in front of the TV with the Nintendo Wii, chips and soda. The girls started playing Super Mario Galaxy as she dragged Annabelle, Victor, Amber and Michelle into the dining room.

"Ok, Sis, tell me what's going on," Lori said after getting everyone a drink.

"Well, it's like this," Annabelle said and started explaining about how Amber's mom is trying to kidnap her and take her to China. She told her about the kidnapping and shooting of Victor and Amber, and how Amber had been able to get free with the help of the Department of Homeland security. She told her that Amber and Victor were given the responsibility of the three girls by their mother before she died. How the courts agreed with them when their mother's ghost had appeared and tore the courtroom apart.

"I saw that on the news, they had footage of some woman covered in poop. I couldn't stop laughing over it. But seriously, a ghost?" Lori asked.

"Yes, a ghost, now can you help us? Amber and Victor need to go to the courthouse and sign up for a marriage license, I have a certified letter giving permission, we have Amber's emancipation letter, and the letter from the court making them the girls' guardians. We just need the help of the Father at St. Mary," Annabelle stated.

"Then let me call Father John, if you're hungry, there are waffles in the freezer from the waffle cone shop, and I think the girls should eat something besides chips and soda," Lori said and left the room.

"Waffle cone shop?" Victor asked.

"It's a shop that makes waffle ice cream cones. She probably got some extra from them. You haven't had them in ten years," Annabelle stated as she went to the freezer and opened it. Seeing the stack of waffles in sealer bags, she pulled four packages out, slit them open and stuck the first two in the toaster oven. As they heated, she gave orders to Victor and Amber, "Amber, go get the girls cleaned up. Victor, get the plates down, silverware ready, and I will mix up some eggs for scrambled eggs. Lori is a juice fanatic, so she probably has juice in the fridge as well as milk; get some in glasses for everyone."