Rita Ch. 02.5: An Angel Awakens

"I thought that you did not know my parents, only investigated their death."

"A lie, dear. I was CIA. We tell more lies before lunch than most people do all week. I had to distance myself from it. It's probably the only lie that I have told you. I had four meetings with your mother. One afternoon we had a couple of bottles of wine and laughed together. I liked her very much."

"I was fond of her, also." Rita's trademark sarcasm. "What about the shooters? Who killed my parents?"

"The shooters were just the tools, they vanished like smoke." Leslie held her head in her hands. "Rita, I know that it is no consolation, but the man that gave the orders is no longer with us."

"Old age, I suppose, in a cozy little cottage somewhere."

"No. Lead poisoning, dear girl, as soon as our people could find him."

....

"Coffee, Phillipe?" Robert asked.

"No, sir. I am going to bed soon."

"After helping get Sandy and company squared away at the hospital, Phillipe stayed awake waiting for the rest of us to get up." Tony reported on the young man.

"I thought that someone should stay by the telephone and watch the bistro. I wanted to see if Rita was OK." Phillip said.

"Excellent work all week, young man. Thank you. That is common sense and initiative. I will see to your rise in pay." Robert cleared his throat. "Phillipe, I see now why Tony and Rita think highly of you. Andre thinks you are a fine young man and so do I. We want you to keep studying under Rita and Tony. In a year or so, we hope you can take over logistics and security in Marseille. Tony is traveling too much. During that time, absorb as much wine knowledge as you can. Hell, son, even de Palma can be a wine nerd at times."

"Oui, Robert, Phillipe is aces. Right now, I need you to help get Rita's head straight. She has a thousand questions and you and Leslie Goodall have most of the answers."

"We were going to call a meeting and lay all this out for you. I should have known that you would figure some things out." Robert said, showing concern.

"Rita made your connections to Agent Goodall. I thought that you were having an affair until I found Isabella and Leslie having tea in the garden. I researched some company records. I think that you and Andre moved some 'temporary employees' all over Europe during the cold war."

"Many companies helped move intelligence personnel, back in those days. Most of them didn't know it. Good thing that it didn't go bad. Look, Tony, Leslie is telling Rita some heavy shit. I don't know what is about to come out of that door."

Tony looked toward the house. "Maybe we should move closer."

"I haven't heard anything. Do you really want to try pulling Rita out of a fight?" Robert asked.

.....

"I thought I smelled Chanel No. 5 on Isabella's tennis jacket. Chanel is a little cliche, don't you think?"

"I guess de Palma likes girl-sweat and Lysol. You should adopt a signature scent, maybe something like strippers wear." Leslie sniped. "She's coming online. Good morning, Bella."

Dennis Renard had turned his old bedroom into a computer center with a twin bed in the corner. There were several machines with monitors. The main system used a big-screen TV for a monitor. Isabella was on a Skype call and was now twice life size.

"Rita, how do you feel?" Isabella asked.

"I'm OK." Rita said and dropped her eyes. She took the mouse and reduced Isabella's window to a regular size.

"I talked to Dennis a moment ago. Sandy's labor has taken a pause, but they think it will start up again soon. The baby is in a safe position and both heartbeats are where they should be. This is information that you should be giving me, young lady! I know that we ask a lot from you on these trips, but damn Rita! You got royally piss-eyed with Sandy going into labor."

"I know, Bella. Pardon moi. I'm sorry. I am going there now."

"It's my fault. I got her upset and she lost track..."

"Don't run to my rescue, old woman!" Rita barked at Leslie.

"Please don't call her an old woman, she is younger than I am. Now, what are you ladies upset about?" Isabella asked from the screen.

Rita leaned close to her microphone and spoke a little softer. "I wanted to confront Robert about how he and Agent Goodall have been manipulating my life. All these things fell together in my head. You three have known each other a long time. She is the old friend that sent you to talk to me."

"I received a text from Robert. It said that you found him and 'Suzy Slut-cakes' in the same bed this morning. So, we've been very close friends." Isabella said with a slight dip in her voice.

"Bella, my love, you know very well how far away the other side of a king-size bed can be." Leslie seemed to hint of some private knowledge. "I told her the big thing... the thing I live with."

"Dear God, Les! We had a plan to tell her that, but you just drop it over coffee. I'm glad she didn't kill you. Is she in shock?" Isabella asked.

"She looks a little shocky around the eyes. Hard to tell with the hangover." Leslie diagnosed.

"I am still here, ladies. I'm OK." Rita interjected. "She didn't get my parents killed, mother did. She should have gone on to the States and not stayed in Spain." She took a few slow deep breaths in case she was on the edge of shock.

"Still, this is quite a bit to process. Rita, Robert and I took you under our wings on Leslie's behalf, but we quickly fell in love with you. I would gladly call you daughter, but I could never to pretend to garner the love you have for your mother."

"The uncertainty of not knowing the things you have been hiding has been eating me alive. I've come close to running away many times, but I have stayed for the people." Rita said with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I was afraid to tell you in the past. I thought you would run away; I was sure of it. Now that you are surrounded by friends that truly love you, I think we can come to terms with this together. Rita, we can help some people that no one else is rushing to help."

Rita hated to hear Leslie be so right. A few years before, she would have run. "What are you doing? Are we some kind of comic book vigilante team?"

"You and Tony were all the team we needed, but Phillipe is doing well and learning fast." Isabella said.

"I know a few things I could teach him." Leslie said.

"Leslie! Don't be such a slut." Isabella snapped.

"I meant like picking locks or playing a short con."

"I don't want to put Phillipe in a situation where he can be hurt." Rita said.

"We don't want anyone to get hurt. I understand that you are calling Phillipe, 'Little Brother'." Isabella probed.

"Tension was building, and I needed to put up a barrier. I was either going to take him to bed or fire him."

"It is a good way to stay his teacher. We know what someone else would do." Isabella said. She and Rita looked at Leslie.

"What are you looking at me for?"

.....

In a few minutes, Rita and Leslie came out of the house with teary eyes, arm in arm. "I feared the day that you found out. I thought that you would freak out."

"I was going crazy not knowing." Rita said. "Sandy's contractions have taken a break. She must be miserable." She told the men.

"When you and Isabella came to me, I was in trouble, you already knew all about me, didn't you?" Rita asked, reaching to take Robert's hand. "Did you want a fighter or a nurse?"

"I wasn't looking for either. We were just helping a young woman in trouble. Leslie had told us about you a little bit here and there. Isabella had been counseling her for the thing she told you today. When she told us that you had snapped, but for a good reason, we went to meet you." Robert took Rita's hands in his. "We used the nursing angle to keep you working. But you have proven many times that you are a special lady. You are a caring nurse, a phenomenal fighter, a top notch cook and someone we love very much." Robert was getting choked up. "We have felt that you have been happy the last few years, Little Senorita. We hope so."

"Oui, Papa Robert. I love you all and I am happy. Leslie is right. Years ago, I would have run away. She and I have much to talk about if she will stop lying to me. I have been blocking these things from coming together in my mind."

"We need to go to the hospital, but we have to know... are we a team you are putting together?" Tony asked.

"I heard Patterson's comedy bit last night, but in a way he was right. I think we could help some people that no one else will, like the girl in Mexico. Tony, we needed you when we hired you. The theft was about to bankrupt us, but you have been bored since. So, yes, you are a natural leader with the skills to fly and a talent for cutting through bullshit." Robert said. "Since you helped the Woodhill girl, we have been brewing up something."

"Do I fit into this group?" Phillipe asked. "Have you been involved in my life?" Phillipe said, trying to hide his confusion.

"No, you just fell to us, and we are happy that you did. We have 'Great Expectations' for you, Pip." Robert said with a snicker.

"Oh God, I hate Dickens." Leslie said. "How long have you been holding that line, funny man?"

"Phillipe, you are our wildcard. You are the bard, the showman. You are learning the leadership skills of our knight. You are learning the fighting skills of our ninja and the tech skills of the computer wizard. You have the ability to think fast and learn fast." Robert said. "You have a bright future, I think."

"We must talk of this later. I promised Sandy that I would be there, and I will be, even if you are still talking, Robert." Rita said.

"You are right, Rita. Go. Go. I will see you later." Robert said. "We will take Phillipe to his room."

"I will stay until we have more time to talk." Leslie said.

Tony said. "Are we getting matching hero clothes? Does this team have a cutesy little name?"

"Funny you should ask, de Palma." Leslie said. "Someone at the FBI took what Chrissy said and ran with it. The final report says, "Extraction element: Private Security: Angel Team One."

Thank you for reading this. You are a legend.

Coming soon: Rita Ch.3 Angel Team Deliverance

Deepest apologies for the delay in dropping this one. I got hung up on one scene for months. I regret the self-indulgent cross over from "KDS Construction". (Don't read it. It's garbage.) I wanted to go back and cut it down to one baby, but I had jokes written. I'm sorry this instalment ran long. I hope that future parts are much shorter. I also feel that this chapter is anti-climactic. Oh, well. I got all the secrets revealed (or not) and now Rita's Angel Team can get to work.