Stranger Things have Happened...

Later that night, a call came in for James, but he was nowhere to be found. The next morning, there was a big mix-up between what was supposed to be shipped and what was received. Again, James could not be found. The authorities were notified, and sailors walked the streets looking for him at all hours, Still nothing.

Backtrack three days ago:

His eyes opened to a blinding light, James was concerned as it was night time when he took his walk, add to that, he was laying down in a bed instead of standing. Then his broken leg exploded in pain! He felt someone give him a shot and the pain receded. "Get the brace on that leg while I hold it!" I felt something go around my lower leg and foot leaving my toes free.

I tried to raise my head and open my eyes. "Great, Ironman's waking up! Becky, hit him again, I can't do this and fight him at the same time! I felt the prick of another shot and reality began fading away. I came back to the land of the living, and my first sight was of what looked like four homeless people standing in a line at a cappuccino and a latte machine on a wooden table. I turned my head a bit and saw two of them sitting and talking while they drank their drinks.

"Carlo," and the one facing me nodded in my direction. The one that had his back to me turned his head to see me awake then took off running through a door. An elderly Asian man came in the same doorway, and walked up to me.

"How's the leg?" he asked.

I noticed that I was in a bed where my feet were the lowest part of my body, and I didn't need to raise my head to look around. You could almost say I was proped up against the wall. "It seems to spike from time to time, but before I call in the pain meds, the pains suddenly gone.

"Exactly as it should be. If the same pizza cutter who worked on you worked on Alonzo, he needs to see me like yesterday! I owe Jerico my life, and I know Alonzo has become his. Tell him, "Phyllis needs to meet Mrs. Clean where the cookies fight!" He'll know it's legit!

"Captain James el Diablo Ramirez, Welcome to my humble abode!" a deep voice rumbled behind the Asian man. who stepped back to see a large dark skin man whose eyes clearly showed they have not seen any rest in a while. "What can I ever do to repay your kindness?" My confused look told him I had no idea of what he was talking about.

"Why do you men always jump right into the middle?" a musical voice sounded from the doorway. Everyone pulled back to reveal an olive-skinned beauty in a wheelchair with her left arm in a cast and the end of a scar barely sticking out from under her hair on her neck.

"My name is Azara, this blubbering mountain of a man is my husband Raban. I and my guard were attacked returning home. They killed my guards, and were about to do the same to me when you walked around the corner. You almost lost your life protecting me, for that, I thank you!

"Where are we? If I may ask," I asked as my eyes did their best to focus. I was getting better, because I could see one solid image, and a thin ghost of the same right behind that.

"We are the shadow people, el Diablo. the people that your society believed weren't worth saving. We found out two things that saved our asses. first thing was the miles and miles of tunnels under Spain, and second, was we figured out that we were stronger together. So we collected what we needed and liberated a few luxuries. Now we are fully capable of supporting ourselves down here. We have everything the upper world has. Even your life was saved in one of our hospitals." Raban stated proudly.

"He does have a point there," a small voice in my head said. "A fact to which I shall always be grateful!" That was what my mouth said. It started coming back the walk to clear my head, the fight standing over her, a blade in my back, then fading into blackness, listening to a bunch of yelling and hands on my body.

"I remember, Glad to be of service," I told Azara, She gave me a sparkeling smile.

So how long have I been out?"

Raban said, "Dawn tomorrow makes it three days."

"Three days? I'm getting married in four more days!" My mind was going ninety-to-nothing.

I felt a calming touch on my arm and looked down to see Azara's hand. "My friend, on my life, you shall not miss you day with the Princess!" I started to feel myself slipping into darkness again. "Rest well. my hero."

Three days later in the afternoon, Azara, Raban, and myself were having a farewell chat, and a couple of drinks as I was healed up enough for beer, but no liquor. We had both agreed that our people could help each other if the other ever needed anything. "Before you go, el diablo, We have a gift for you to remember us by," three women stepped up one holding a pair of calf high boots finely polished and buffed. The second woman stepped up holding the dress coat proudly showing my family's crest and coat of arms. the last woman gave me a pair of pants the color of the sea as the bow of a ship slices through it, as well as a blue cape that is pinned to the left shoulder of the dresscoat.

"These were found in the pile of rubble they made of your family home. We think it's time they see use again, what do you think?" Azara, and Raban could read my answer in my eyes. "In an hour, transportation will be ready to take you back to Madrid," she slid a burner phone across the table. "Don't you want to tell a certain someone the marriage is still a go?"

I dailed Tessa's number. The sounds of all agencies connecing to the call reminded me of the sound AOL made when there was dial-up networks. I laid the phone face up on the table and took six steps away. A sniffiling, tired, and scared voice said, "H-Hello?

"Has anyone told you they love you today? Because I do!" I said it to her like I always had.

"You perverts need to stop trying to mess with my mind! FUCK YOU! The call got dropped. Really.

I called her right back, "Your favorite movie is "Back to school" with Rappin' Rodney, and your favorite line is 'He wants you to dress-up like wonder woman, tie him up with the golden lariat, and force him to tell the truth!"

The silence was deafening, "You're alive!" and Then she broke down. Then the line exploded with people getting on the line telling me what part of the alphabet they represent. But when they began telling all kinds of shit they wanted me to do because THEY were the ones in charge. I took it for as long as I could hoping Tessa would get back on. I finally told them all that I was an under-cover-agent for the "G.F.K.M.A." and that I was committed to completing my mission, and that I had only one demand, the wedding take place as scheduled, or they won't like what happens next!" Then I ended the call.

"G.F.K.M.A.?" Raban grinned.

"Get Fucked & Kiss My Ass. We're a new branch of the alphabet!" All three of us were laughing so hard we couldn't take a sip of water to try and calm down. Then a gentleman showed up saying that my ride was there, he needed to make some adjustments, and then he would be ready. After hugs and handshakes, I got ready to return to Madrid. It was still an eight hour ride by boat, they moved me from Madrid for safety reasons.

Not even halfway there the motors started to cut out and fail. The Captain began swearing in Portuguese while his fingers flew over the keys of his laptop. He suddenly let out a large sigh, "el Diablo, You know how to ride horse, yes?"

The fact that I did, didn't lessen the chill running down my back at all!

Forty five minutes later, I was standing on the dock of a horse ranch, walking to the stables. just as I walked inside I was face-to-face with a man around 20/21 years old. He stared at my face, and then turned to the older man that greeted us at the docks. "It's him, Pop! I got a real good look at him in Madrid." I gave both the son and the father a questioning look.

"The word they're trying to put out is that you stole something big and ran off," He said.

"And what do you think?" I said looking him in the eye.

He paused for a moment, then spit tobacco onto a pile of horse manure, "Just like that Captain, since your family took control of these lands one could live, we need to get back to that. I've a confession to make, Captain. when they ripped you family house apart and burned the rest, My family was your Stablemasters, and to save the horses, my family brought them all here to care for them. There was one Stallion that was only bred to the best pure blood mare possible. He was your Great grandfather's horse 'Tornado', would you like to see his Grandson? He's been a bit uncontrolable at times, Gramps hired a trainer who said he could bring him in-hand, but I swear he's getting worse."

"I want to see him, please," I asked.

"He's with his trainer now, but there's no harm in watching," he gave me the directions, two over and one up, has a big red number seven on it. The more I walked the more balanced and controlled I became with my steel cane, sometimes I even forget I'm using it.

I was walking under the window when a voice reached my ears. "Stand still mother-fucker, once you get used to this all you'll be able to do is petting zoos while I get my payoff and disappear before anyone finds out!" I wedged the tip of my cane in between the cracks of the siding and used as a step up so I could see in the window. There was an athletic looking man trying to stick a beautiful black stallion with a syringe on a poll from outside the stall. I hopped down and came around the side that had number seven on it, and when I turned the next one I found the door locked, the window wasn't in place for long as I reached in to unlock it.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? I'm this horses trainer, so get the fuck out!" He yelled at me.

"Who the fuck I am, is your worst nightmare! The rest we'll learn as we go, sound good to you?" I smiled.

For the next twenty minutes I not only used my cane as a club, but found it was balanced enough to be used like a pike for penetration as well. The stick he was trying to use was too long for indoors, so my cane became even more of a weapon. Until I backed him up against a work bench and his hands found a blade. He made a running lunge at me, but I was able to trap his wrist, then roll on my back and launch his body over my head. My foot screamed as I got back up quickly to defend myself, but there was no need. Not only had my legs sent him over me, but also the wall of the stables. The Stallion had the final revenge!

I noticed something silvery on the stallion's inner right leg and blood running down. Without a thought, I climbed the stall's wall until I could halfway fall down the other side. I crawled over to the horse slowly. He must have trusted me enough because he stood still as I got up on my knees and pulled out the broken top of a syringe and the attached needle. I then did my best to tie my shirt around his wound.

There were people running to see what the noise was about. Pops came in and saw what had happened, climbed into the stall to check on me. Even moving as slowly as possible, the Stallion wouldn't let him near me. After a bit I had enough strength to stand, "Where is a trough or pond where we can clean up?" I asked Pops.

"Straight out that door, and bear to the right, the lake's not that far off." Pops answered. He watched in disbelief, as the horse that just killed a man, was slowly walking out of the barn letting Mikel hang off his mane for support. Two hous later, Both my horse and I made ready for our journey back to Madrid.

"There's something else we took to keep safe. Your famly's saddle. My family gifted it to your family the day Juan Sanchez married his wife. It's time it went back home as well. They brought it out and tried to saddle the stallion, who kept rearing up, until I walked over and wrapped my arms around his neck, and stroked his shoulders. He let them saddle him and then ran back and forth getting used to being saddled.

"el Diablo, you've bonded with this horse when no one else could. Guess I should have known by his name, "el paseo del diablo."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"The Devil's Ride" He said quietly.

I mounted my friend, as my dress clothes were carefully placed in saddlebags. I was also given a hand-held GPS so I knew where I was. With a farewell wave and a whisper to my new friend, we took off for Madrid. We were off at a good clip, yet the more he opened his stride and lowered his head, the faster he ran, no labored breathing, just the joy of being free to run again.

We came across a river and the GPS showed a bridge about a half-hour away. I know my horse saw the ravine ahead as well. I tried to use the reigns to adjust course for the bridge, to no avail. One quick launch of the horse's legs muscles and we landed on the otherside of a 25 foot ravine with three feet to spare, and we were now suddenly an hour and fifteen minutes ahead of schedule.

The horse tossed his head, and I could hear what I swear was him laughing. We stopped at a small lake we found to clean up and get a drink. I don't know what came over me, but I got up and found a good sized apple tree and picked three large apples. Then I walked over to my horse and set the apples down on a rock. Picking one up, I scratched his ears, and he looked down into my eyes. I put one of my hands on my chest and said, "diablo," then put the same hand on his chest and said, "parca", I did it three times, and after each time, I gave him one apple.

After he finished the last apple, I put my arms around his neck and gave him the fiercest hug I could. I can't explain the feeling that flowed through me when 'parca' lowered his neck and pressed his head against me. When we pulled away, I notice that I seemed to see things a bit more clearly, or was it that I suddenly had a better understanding on things. At that moment either answer would have worked.

I knew the house would be watched, as well as other places I have been known to be. That is why I called Edmond on the burner phone I got from Azara and Raban, and made arrangements with him to hide for the three hours until the wedding. As soon as the stall doors closed, Edmond started asking questions almost to quickly to answer the last one. I just nodded my head and kept a smile on my face while I tended to parca.

When I was done, I gave his head a good rub and whispered, "I need a bath, don't make too much of a mess," as I smiled at him. Edmond went to close the stall door and I yelled "STOP! parca will never be confined again." It startled Edmond almost as much as when he looked back towards parca, the horse had already lowered his head so he could stare at him, and then shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he said to me, but was looking at the horse, parca raised his head up and down twice, then his manner became more relaxed. "Want to tell me where you got the horse?"

"He was a gift," I grabbed him by his shoulders and spun him around, "Follow me up to your bathroom so I can get ready for my wedding, and I'll tell you all about it." I steared him over by the bathroom door and got him a chair, "I'll leave the door ajar so we can talk," and walked over to the shower and noticed him shaking his head in a mirror on the wall, as I peeled my shirt off.

"You and your father have a contest going on or something," when he saw my new collection of cuts and stabs.

"I can see where one might think so sometimes, but no," I said loudly as I started the shower. I loved Edmond's shower! The pipes came up through the floor and where attached to the wall itself, that and a gritty-square on the floor below a 12 inch 'rainmaster' shower head, measuring four foot out from the wall and five foot long. You could have eight people having a shower at the same time as there were no other shower walls, or doors that one has to worry about. This would be where I try to call all you sinners out with your perverted thoughts and try to help you all out! But, seeing as how I'm right there with ya, what's the point?

I told him about my taking a walk and almost losing my life during the fight. "But I was helped out by a great bunch of people who call themselves 'the shadow people.' I was just finishing the second rinse of my hair. I opened my eyes and Edmond was standing there in his clothes, getting sopping wet.

"I want you to speak clearly, and repeat what you just said! Edmond's eyes almost bored into mine as I repeated how I was stabbed in the back at the end of the fight and heard voices and then hands all over my body, then blacking out. I came to in a Starbucks (kind of), and then meeting two people who were seemed to be held in high regard by everyone around us. Edmond stood there and then his whole body began to shake like he was about to explode!

I took a step back, "Everything alright there, Edmond?"

He just turned and walked over to get a couple of towels. "Why do I even try? I spend my life looking for the crown & cross box, peering at every little scrap of information, losing countless hours of sleep! Then his dad shows up and it's "I bought a storage-locker for $2, and look what I found inside!" Then his son shows up, takes off on a week long bachelor party, shows up on his wedding day saying he was out doing 'body-shots' with a group of people that many have gone missing trying to prove they exist! I resign, no! I FUCKING QUIT!! He stomped off heading out of the bathroom and down the hall.

"So now that you have a reason not to look good, I guess you won't mind if I use your razor, right?" I yelled after him.

"Why not let your prissy little ass use everything in there? You know you just have to touch everything!" was his reply.

"This cheap ass razor the only thing you got? Could you check the pockets of my pants? I think I brought my pocket knife." I shot right back

"Just use your moisturizing cream, it'll soften the blow." He was in rare form today.

"I'm going to try and shave with this busted up thing you call a razor, if I don't make it, please tell them I was trying for a shave, not a self-sacrifice!

"Asshole" Edmond said.

"Dickhead" I called back.

"You and your Dad have to stop by more often, maybe a weekly poker night? I miss shooting the shit with just the guys!" He laughed back as he closed the door to his room to change.

I went down to check on parca, and found three more apples sitting along the wall of the stall, somebody was trying to make friends. I heard the sound of feet behind me, and parca let out a snort and shook his head. I spun around and in a few quick steps, my arm shot out behind a small crate, and pulled out a dirty looking boy about ten years old. "Please Senor diablo! I was only here to look at him. He's magnificent! I only brought him the apples because he looked hungry.

Please don't hurt me!"

I looked over at Edmond, who seemed to have a thought and turned around and headed back upstairs.

I looked back at the boy, "Where are your parents? And just how many apples did you give him?"

"My parents are dead. Father in the war, and mother ran off so she might as well be. And I only gave him this many," and held up nine fingers. Nine plus the three on the stall wall, no wonder parca liked the kid.

"So, where do you sleep and eat?" I continued asking.

"I sleep anywhere that's dry, and I won't talk of what I've had to do to eat." He looked me in the eye, "So, are you going to turn me in, or turn me loose?"

Before I could open my mouth, Edmond spoke behind me, "He's giving you a job, my little urchin! One that includes a dry place to live, and always something to eat!"

Edmond looked at me, "If you're going to rock your Great-grandpa's look, you need a standard and a standard bearer. I happen to have a standard of your house from long ago, and I believe we've found our bearer."

"A dry place to live, and food everyday? include a room of my own and we'd be getting closer,"