Page 1 of Gone (Gray Wolf Security #23)

“I’m so ready for this getaway,” said Lauren, leaning back in the rocker on Erin’s porch.

She crossed her long legs, swinging her foot back and forth, her sandal loosely hanging on for dear life.

She still looked like the young woman whom Trak married.

At least, that’s what they all saw. Still beautiful, lithe, her once blonde hair, now a silvery blonde, but her amethyst eyes seemed healthier and happier than ever.

“The guys have been so busy these last few years, and this summer has been hotter than usual. I just want some mountain breezes, cool air, and no electronics. None!”

“I hear you, Lauren,” smirked Erin. “I thought retirement would look different than this. I’m actually not sure what I thought it would look like.

But I guess I can’t blame the guys for staying busy.

We’re doing the same. Of course, all of this is also our fault.

We gifted them Gray Wolf. Once their name was out there and people knew who they were, we couldn’t control the number of requests coming at them. ”

“Yes, but we keep busy in our own way, and still attend to the houses, the food, the kids, grandkids, all of it. I feel like they’ve become complacent and expect that we’ll do those things,” said Faith. “I never thought I’d say that about Ian before.”

“Let’s face it,” said Grace, “we could say it about all of them. Do you agree, Lena? Lissa? All of you?” She looked at the faces of the dozen or more women sitting on the huge front porch, and they all nodded.

“I guess I haven’t thought much about it because this is all I know,” said Jenna. “I’ve been so busy just trying to find my place here, I didn’t pay much attention to whether it was normal or not. I love Nash, but I can also say that I thought at our age we’d have a lot more free time together.”

“Unfortunately, it’s very normal,” said Kari. “Although I can’t really bitch at Pierre when I’m working non-stop as well. We take on so much pro bono work, it’s like I can’t walk away or I’d be leaving the rest of the legal crew in the lurch. I don’t want to do that to them. It’s all too much.”

“So, what’s the solution?” asked Alexandra. “We’ve been through this a million times, but somewhere in the recesses of their brains, our brains, we think we can save the world. We can’t. The world doesn’t want to be saved, or if it does, no one can agree on what that looks like.”

“That’s pretty dark for so early in the morning,” said Tory, looking at her friend.

“I know what she means,” said Ella. “How many gangs do we have to go up against? How many corrupt business owners do we stop?”

“How many terrorists?” said Savannah. “How many governments that only want to destroy the rest of the world?”

“How many drug dealers, pedophiles, traffickers?” asked Kat.

“Where does it all stop?” whispered Mary.

“We see the good that we do, that they do. Yet we’re called on time and time again to do more, usually with our own funds, our own weapons.

We’re fortunate to have Matthew and Irene.

But how do we stop it? Or do we? We all want our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to live in a safe world. ”

“Of course we do,” said Marie, “but we can’t guarantee that, and it’s foolish of us to believe that we can. We are only human, and worse than that, we’re dealing with humans that don’t see justice, faith, humanity in the same ways that we do. We’re just human.”

“Are we?” smirked Rose. “I know that I am, or at least I was. But what am I now?”

“I know what she means,” said Lily. “Look at us. We’re in our sixties, seventies, and eighties, and yet if someone on the street guessed our age, they would say we were in our forties. I feel as if I’m in my forties.”

“I think we all do,” said Ally. “As part of the medical team, I can assure you that we all have the bodies of forty-year-olds, the internal organs of forty-year-olds. I can’t explain it, and neither can the rest of the medical team.

To be honest, I’m not sure we want to explain it.

Or we’re afraid to explain it. I haven’t figured that out yet. ”

“Look, we all know that Mama Irene and Ruby have done something,” said Kat.

“Yes, but what?” smirked Camille. “Listen, I love being young and strong and, dare I say, beautiful, like the next person. Mama looks amazing for her age, Pops too. But at what price?”

“What do you mean?” asked Grace.

“I mean, will we be forced to one day stay on this property and not leave? Although I don’t suppose my mother actually does that, does she?”

“No,” chuckled Faith, “she does not. But people are asking questions. Especially after her recent tree escapade, folks are stopping me all the time asking questions. They are wanting to know how she looks so young, and she seems so vibrant and healthy.”

“It’s not just the pond. Is it, Claudette?” asked Marie. Her sister looked up at her, then slowly looked at each of the faces of her family and friends.

“I’m honestly not sure,” said Claudette calmly. “We all know that Pops is, well, an angel of sorts.”

“An angel of sorts?” frowned Alexandra. “He is an angel, Claudette. We’ve all accepted that to be fact. We don’t know what Irene and Ruby are. Maybe we’re not supposed to know that, maybe we are. But this, all of this, isn’t normal.”

“What are y’all talkin’ about?” asked Irene, walking toward the group of women. They all sat up a little straighter, staring at their matriarch.

“Looks like they got something heavy on their minds,” smirked Ruby.

“Mama, we all want to know how this is possible,” said Marie, sweeping her arm around the circle. “No jokes, no stories, just the truth. How are all these beautiful, physically perfect women still looking the way we do when we are well past our primes?”

“Says who?” laughed Irene. “None of y’all are past your primes. None of you. The idea of a prime is something others put in your head.”

“Mama, please stop talking in circles and avoiding the question,” said Camille.

“Y’all are startin’ to act like my boys. Always suspicious of something goin’ on. There’s nothing goin’ on. Your answers are in front of you.”

“Mama,” started Camille. Irene held up her hand, silencing her daughter.

“You all visit the pond at least once a week. That keeps you young, healthy, youthful lookin’. What helps is everything around you. The plants we eat, the air we breathe, the life we live.

“Yes, Ruby and I have a bit of magic in our fingertips. But ninety percent of it is just prayer.” The women stared at them, giving a curious gaze of disbelief. Ruby gave a big belly laugh, shaking her head.

“Y’all know that my ancestors came here with magic in their fingers,” said Ruby. “You can call it voodoo if you want. My people did.”

“So, you’re a priestess?” asked Kari.

“I’m no priestess, child. I’m just a woman who knows how to make things happen using what’s around me. That’s my gift. A big part of that is sometimes making others believe in things that aren’t real. Making them believe so heavily, they see nothing else.”

“What do you mean?” asked Faith.

“Why do you think your mama and me spend so much time with our plants?”

“You like to get dirty?” frowned Suzette.

“You, more than anyone, should know the qualities of plants, especially those special plants when they’re mixed together.

” Suzette stared at her. “You mix a few things, and men begin to hear and see strange things. You mix a few more things, and you can bring on powerful illness. It’s not voodoo. It’s science.”

“I suppose that is true, but are you telling me that you and Mama have been mixing herbs and plants all these years to make magical things happen? That doesn’t explain knowing when something will be said or done, and you two showing up.”

“Child, we’re both over a hundred years old. The fact that we’ve learned to read people along the way, to gain a sort of sixth sense, seems natural,” chuckled Ruby.

“Y’all need to learn to accept things, even when you don’t understand them,” said Irene. “Ruby and me, your daddy too, we work to have the earth, the air, and the land protect all of us. Now, your daddy, he has skills even I don’t understand, and those won’t last forever either.

“In fact, time is coming near.”

The women all stared at Ruby and Irene, looking from one to the other, trying to understand the depths of what the women were saying.

“But how long, Mama?” asked Marie with a slight hint of childlike fear.

“There’s no tellin’, child. It will be different for everyone, or maybe all at once. I think it’s safe to say that Ruby, me, your father, we’ll be closer than all of you.”

“Probably Teddy, too,” said Ruby.

“Yes. Teddy may be the closest of all.” Marie turned to her sister, Claudette.

“Is this what Mama has been teaching you? You’ve been learning of the ways to help us all live longer? The plants, the water, all of it.”

“Yes. That and our history here. If we don’t know that, it won’t help us at all. There’s an entire library of history to learn, and I’m not even halfway through it all. Mama and Miss Ruby have so much knowledge, I’m not sure I’ll ever understand it.”

“Mama, maybe we share the knowledge,” said Suzette. “Don’t put that burden completely on Claudette.”

‘You know, it’s funny you say that,” smiled Irene. “I was thinkin’ this would be a good time for y’all to get away and learn some new things.”

“Irene, we have a getaway planned,” said Erin. She nodded at the women.

“Yep. And I’ll be sure you learn what you need to learn.”