Caleb 50 - Justice

Author's Note.

My thanks, once again, go to Dr Mark for his help, advice and editing on this chapter. I sincerely hope he isn't getting bored with it.

I also hope that you guys are not getting bored with it - I think I said, close on to 100000 words ago that I'd expected to finish by now...

PM

Caleb 50 - Justice

I watched Matilda Bree as she spent some time allowing the dogs to get to know her. She didn't seem to be in any particular hurry nor was the driver of the car seemingly interested in exiting the vehicle. I couldn't see who was driving from this angle.

Eventually, the dogs lost interest and wandered back towards where Dean and I were standing watching the older woman. She looked up at me and gave a half smile.

I didn't hear what she said to the driver as she leant into the car for a moment, but then she closed the door and started to walk towards us.

Reflexively I checked my shields while sending to my girls.

"Matilda Bree has just arrived."

I sensed surprise and worry from the girls, but they refrained from asking any questions.

"Caleb," Matilda said on approaching me. Then she looked at Dean. "I'm sorry. I saw you at Caleb's party, but we weren't introduced. I'm Matilda Bree - formerly of the Everson Council."

"I know," said Dean not offering his hand. "What can we do for you Miss Bree."

"It's Mrs. actually," she said. "My husband, god rest his soul, took my name when we married since I was the last of my line."

Dean didn't ask his question again; he merely raised an eyebrow at her. She cleared her throat self-consciously.

"I was wondering," she said after a moment, "if I might have a conversation with Caleb."

Dean looked at me.

"About?" I asked.

"Please," she said. "I know that what has happened has not exactly... endeared us, or me, to you but, believe it or not, I am on your side."

I snorted. "You knew about the binding oath?" I asked, knowing full well that she did, but wondering if she would lie.

"Knew about it, yes," she said, "supported it, no. I have spent the last thirty years trying to get the use of that oath stopped; ever since I arrived on the council and found out about it."

"So, you expect me to believe..." I began.

"No," she interrupted, "I don't. Certainly, in your position, I wouldn't believe me especially after what happened yesterday. I also would like you to know that I had no knowledge of the attempt on all your lives. The only way I can think to prove it to you is to allow you to see for yourself."

She stood up slightly taller and dropped her shield. I stood, unmoving, looking at her. I have to admit I was wondering if this could be some kind of trap. She was far older than me and far more experienced with telepathy. If I were to enter her mind would it give her some kind of reciprocal way into mine? I didn't think so, but I wasn't rushing in.

"Why?" I asked temporizing while, at the same time, asking the question to the twins. It was sent to all the girls since I didn't want to exclude the others, but Ness and Jules knew who I was actually asking.

"Why what?" asked Matilda.

"Why is it so important to you," I asked, "that I know?"

"There are a number of reasons," she said. "Firstly, I saw the rage in you at your party. I know how angry you were, are, about the binding. I also know your power. You scare the living shit out of me and I definitely do not want to be on the wrong side of that."

"I'll call Dianna and ask," sent Mary. "I don't think so, but I'll check."

"Secondly," she continued, "although I have 'stepped down' from the council, I still believe that I can be of use to both families, mine and yours. Your intervention left a void in our leadership that there are precious few people ready to fill."

"It was not my intervention," I said. "I merely had a discussion with the Abuela Gonzales. It was her decision to act upon what she'd learned. In all honesty, it never even occurred to me that she would do anything of the sort. I was still angry and was venting. That's not to say that I am, in any way, sorry for what happened. To my mind, you all deserved what you got, and worse."

She sighed. "Sadly," she said, "I have no defense. I promise you. . .I tried. I'm sure that, now in hindsight, I could have, and should have, done more."

"Dianna said that there is no problem with reading her mind, " sent Mary. " She can't attack through your shield and, even if she could, she is nowhere near powerful enough to hurt you."

"And thirdly," she finished. "I have come, as a representative of the now defunct council, to ask a favor of you. It is one that I hope you will be willing to perform. It is a necessary task and I am certain that you are the only person who can do it."

"If the council is now defunct," I began, "how can you be their representative?"

She gave a short laugh. "Okay," she said, "point taken. I have come on behalf of Ezra Everson and myself. We met following yesterday's events and decided on our course of action, not as the Everson Council but as senior members of the Everson line. We will be approaching Judge Roder with regard to this, but we need your agreement first otherwise there is no real point."

I sighed. I might as well hear her out. If I thought that I might decide to 'grant' the favor it would be conditional on me reading her mind and seeing the truth of what she had said so far.

"And the favor is?" I asked.

"We want you to strip Zacharia of his power," she said simply.

I must have looked like an idiot, standing there, gaping at her. I had no words.

"You want Caleb," clarified Dean, "to remove Zacharia's power? Why?"

"Because he has become unhinged and dangerous," she said firmly. "Zacharia was the oldest of us, the longest serving council member, and yet not the leader. He sorely resented Ezra and his leadership position, which he got on the vote of the reconvened council, when the last leader died. His response was to bully Ezra mercilessly.

"Ezra was never a strong man, but he was not an evil one either. He, too, disliked the binding oath, but never dared to challenge Zacharia on it. Truth be told Zacharia terrified him, and not without cause. Since Ezra was the leader of the council, when it came to voting, Maggie was bound to vote with the leader, so no matter my opposition, each time it came up for discussion the binding oath was voted back into use three to one. Zacharia bullied Ezra into voting the way he wanted him to.

"My vote never counted. Again, in hindsight I could have done what you did; I could have gone outside the council; but I too was bound by an oath. No, it wasn't 'binding' in the same way as the oath taken by your family, but I was still honor bound not to act against my council or my family. I was in an impossible situation, and yes, I admit Zacharia scared me, not a little, too.

"I salved my own conscience regarding the binding of your line, by voting against it each time it came up for discussion, knowing full well that my vote meant nothing. It became almost a joke to Zacharia. He treated me with contempt because of it."

"So why now?" I asked. "If Zacharia has been bullying the council all these years, why all of a sudden is he so dangerous that he needs his power removed?"

"Because being forced to step down unhinged him," she said earnestly. "As bad as he was before, Zacharia would have never done what he did yesterday. He tried to murder not only you, but two members of his own family, and five Norms who we were sworn to protect. On top of that he did so by violating one of those Norms. He broke every edict of the council and, not to mention, several laws. In short, he has gone from zealot to fanatic.

"But not only that, he is an ongoing danger to all those around him. Unless his powers are removed, he is going to continue to hurt people and, without a doubt, he will come after you, and yours. again."

"And what about Heath," I asked. "Are you going to tell me that he was under Zacharia's 'influence'?"

Matilda grimaced. "Yes and no," she said. "No, he wasn't under Zacharia's control, but yes he was under his influence insomuch as the young are influenced by the old. Heath is a complicated boy. He had two major reasons to take action against you. First, he has always held a torch for the twins and he'd hoped one day to be able to date one of them, although he didn't know them well enough to determine which one. That has to tell you where his interests really lay. Second, he was 'told' that he would have to play the part of your lover if you weren't interested in the twins.

"Zacharia wanted someone he could control, in a position of control over you. As our Matriarch's granddaughters he thought he had that control over the twins, at first, but he was sadly disappointed. Heath would have been your perfect lover, had you been gay, but secretly reporting your every move and thought to Zacharia, and using his influence to make you do what he, Zacharia, wanted. It was only going to be until you had taken the oath, after which he would be able to break off the relationship, and you could be controlled directly."

"Surely they had to know I would have seen through that?" I said surprised.

"This was all decided long before we knew about what powers you had," she replied. "We knew you were powerful, but didn't know you were a multi. We thought you possessed compulsion alone. By the time you had manifested other powers, you were already bound to the twins. Zacharia was delighted when he heard about the bond. He thought then that we had you firmly in our grasp. Nobody expected you to do what you did when Dianna came up here and you showed how formidable a man you really are."

"So, Heath was really going to take one for the team," I said without mirth.

"Probably more than one," she said with a wry smile. "So, are you going to take me up on my offer? I've never stood this long without my shields and I'm feeling kind of vulnerable."

"Come into the house," said Dean. "Here is not the place for that."

"Who's in the car?" I asked.

"That's Emily," she said. "She's my 'companion.'"

"Your..."

"My husband died five years ago," she said. "At the end he needed nursing care, so Emily came in to help out. She's a Norm. We got kind of close and, well, she just never left. And before you ask: no, I haven't influenced her and, yes, she knows about powers."

"Then don't leave her sitting in the car," said Dean, his inherent politeness and hospitality kicking in.

I saw uncertainty flicker across Matilda's face.

"She will be perfectly safe," I said. "I am not Zacharia. I won't harm a Norm just to get at you. If I have a problem with you, it's you I'll be coming after. You'll see me coming, but it won't help you." Her aura flamed with fear for a moment, then calmed down.

"Good to know," she said a little uncertainly. I saw her eyes go distant for a second then the door of the SUV opened and a young woman stepped out. She looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties. She also looked terrified.

Hesitantly she walked over until she was stood beside Matilda who, unconsciously, took her hand. The gesture was so natural, so instinctive, that I knew that these two women were lovers. Emily though continued to tremble.

Gently I rolled relaxation, and trust, and safety over her.

I felt her relax. Matilda raised an eyebrow at me.

"She has nothing to fear here," I said. "It was not fair for her to be in so much turmoil."

Emily looked at Matilda, a question in her eyes.

"Yes dear," Matilda said gently. "He used his Empathy on you. Just to soothe your nerves and to make you more comfortable. It's skirting the rules but since he isn't using it for personal gain, rather to make you more at ease, I can see no harm in it."

"Come on through," said Dean leading the ladies into the house. I followed behind.

He led us all through and out onto the deck where the rest of the family were seated. Everyone was waiting to find out what was going on.

Introductions were made. Although Mary and Amanda already know Matilda, they had never met Emily before.

"Please sit," said Dean and the two sat on one of the two seaters. I took a chair across a small table from them.

"Can I get you ladies a drink?" asked Dean. "Coffee? Soda? Juice?"

"Coffee would be nice please," said Matilda. Emily just nodded. Dean was too slow; Ness was already halfway to the kitchen by the time he turned around and within a few minutes was back with a tray of coffees for all.

Matilda took a sip of her drink and then looked at me. "Well?" she asked.

"Are you ready?" I responded and she nodded.

She had been telling the truth it seemed. The subject of the binding oath had come up a dozen times or more in the time since she joined the council, and each time she had argued vehemently against its use and had been voted down by a belligerent Zacharia and a cowardly Ezra. Maggie's vote had been both controlled and unnecessary since, even if she had voted against, in the event of a tied vote the leader of the council would have the deciding say.

I searched for any indication that she had known about the plans to reduce the Stott's numbers and found nothing. It appeared that she didn't know about that, although there were some questions about the use of the amulet and trying to ensure small families. Again, both issues she disagreed with but was voted down anytime a vote was called.

Finally, I needed to know that she wasn't aware of, or complicit in, the attempt on our lives. She had known something was going on for certain. She had tried to question Zacharia when he had returned the night before the flight looking very pleased with himself. He had robustly shut her down and had taken Heath with him when he left to prevent her questioning the younger man. It had left her feeling decidedly uneasy but with nothing to base her feelings of unease upon.

I backed out of her mind and saw her relax. Her shield sprang up a moment later.

Dean looked at me.

"It's true," I said. "Everything in her mind supports what she told us."

"Could that not have been arranged like that?" asked Dean. "In the desert our psi's said that the enemy could do that."

"It could," I said. "But I looked over a long period of time. I suspect in the desert your guys were only looking for immediate information - stuff that happened in the last days or weeks. The longer you try and 'implant' stuff, the more likely you would see discrepancies. I went back thirty years. I very much doubt they could have implanted that much information without leaving some loose ends."

Dean nodded. "Okay then," he said. "Now what?"

"I have no idea. Matilda?" I looked at the older woman.

"I need for you to come back to Portland with me for a couple of days," she said. I, we, need to see Judge Roder and then, if she agrees and gives the order, to..."

"Where?" I asked.

"You could come and stay at..."

"No!" said six voices simultaneously. Strangely mine wasn't one of them.

Emily squeaked in shock at the sudden outbursts and looked around in surprise. Emily was not handling this situation well at all.

Dean, Cheryl, the twins, Jules, and Ness had spoken.

"No offense," said Dean, "but it's going to be some time before there's that level of trust between us. Caleb is not going anywhere with you. You set up the meetings with Judge Roder, tell us the times and the places, and we, he, will be there."

I looked at my watch; it was almost twelve thirty.

Dean read my meaning even if he couldn't read my mind.

"Would you like to stay for some lunch?" he asked. The two women looked at each other, and then Matilda nodded.

"Thank you, yes," she said.

Ness and I went into the kitchen and began to prepare the food.

The conversation was stilted over lunch. Emily barely picked at her plate, her fear still palpable. I got the impression she had heard a lot about me from the council and was terrified that I was going to do something unmentionable to her. I didn't repeat my soothing of her, and neither of the twins intervened either. That kind of surprised me since Amanda was usually so free with her powers.

After lunch Matilda thanked Dean and Cheryl for the hospitality, Ness and I for making lunch, and got ready to leave.

"I'm going to fly back as soon as I can get a seat," she said. "I'll call you when I've spoken to Judge Roder and let you know the result. I suspect that she'll want to see you sometime tomorrow."

"We'll need half a day's notice," said Dean. "That's all."

She nodded and turned to me, walking up close.

"Caleb," she said "thank you for hearing me out. I know you have no love for my family and I fully understand why. But look behind you; two of my family are also your family. I would love for us to be able to bring our lines back together, but as a true partnership."

"Let's take it a day at a time," I said.

She nodded.

Dean and I stood on the porch as Emily and Matilda drove away. For some reason Matilda sat in the back seat while Emily drove. It seemed a strange arrangement to me and I wondered if they were trying to maintain the fiction that Emily was an employee rather than a lover. One thing I had seen when I had been in Matilda's mind had been their relationship, and I was surprised at the depth of feeling that Matilda had for Emily.

I shrugged. Far be it for me to judge other people's relationships. The fleeting thought of sharing with the two of them skipped through my mind. Despite the fact that Matilda was over one hundred and forty years old, she didn't look much older than about fifty and she kept herself in shape. I shook my head to clear the image that had presented itself.

"So," said dean. "About that gun..."

+++++

We'd gotten about halfway into town when my phone rang.

"Caleb?" It was Matilda.

"Yes?" I replied.

"I've spoken to Judge Roder on the telephone," she said. "She's asked if you can meet with her tomorrow morning at ten. I'm trying to get a flight back now, but I should be there by then. Can I say yes?"

"Let me call you back in five minutes," I said.

I pulled over into a random convenience store parking lot and explained to Dean.

"If we're going back there," I said, "there's no point in buying another weapon. I can simply pick up the Glock I have at the firing range and use that."

"Okay," he said. "I'll call Gerry and get him to prep the jet. Did you want to offer Matilda a ride?"

I thought about that for a second, before nodding. "If that's okay with you," I replied.

He seemed about to say something, but then changed his mind and simply nodded.

I called Matilda back.

"Hi," I said. "We're going to fly up," I paused and looked at Dean.

"Gerry said we can leave in about two hours," he whispered.

"This afternoon - leaving in about two hours," I continued. "Have you got a flight?"

"There's nothing available until the morning," said Matilda. "We were just looking into finding a hotel for the evening."

"You can fly up with us," I said. "If you want."

Matilda paused for a few minutes and I heard muted voices. I wondered if Emily would be able to stand being in such close proximity to me for that long.

"That is very gracious of you," she said finally. "Where should we meet you...and when?"

"Dean has a hangar at the airport," I said, "meet us there at three?" I raised my eyebrows to Dean, and he nodded.

"I'll find it," she said, "and thank you."

"Now all you have to do is break that news to your girls," Dean said grinning.

"Are you coming?" I asked him. Somehow it was important to me that he was there.

He looked across at me. "Sure," he said. I sighed in relief.

I'd briefed the girls by the time we got back, so they had already begun to get things together for a flying visit back home. The idea was that we would go back to the house, all of us, including Gerry, could stay the night. We'd go see Judge Roder tomorrow morning, then fly back up immediately after.