Chapter 23
One Week Later
Every day the training continued. Ayanna was getting used to being with Patrick, although they had nothing in common.
Elijah called a staff meeting. Ethan sat at the kitchen table with Ayanna and Patrick. Also the phantom farmer was sitting there. The farmer had an unusual look about him. His face was as curious as his frumpy body.
Elijah said, " This is our associate, 'Mr. La Rata'. Rata has been gone on an important mission. My concern here is secrecy. We can't allow ourselves to become known by our enemies or it would mean certain disaster.
Elijah said, "I want to take a moment right now to better define what our roles are here. We are all in charge of taking care of, and defending the house, including a new member I am going to introduce in a few minutes. We are all field agents, meaning we go out to gather information. We are all analysts, meaning we take the information and determine what is the intent of our enemies. Any questions?"
They all looked at each other. Elijah nodded to La Rata, who got up and left the room. He came back a couple of minutes later with Bella Schmickle.
"Bella!" Patrick jumped out of his chair. "You're. . .You're here! I can't believe it!" Patrick ran over to embrace her.
Bella said, "Rata said I had to come here. You needed me desperately."
"What did you tell your sister?"
"I just left a note that I was leaving."
"So, you are going to stay?"
"Patrick, I want to be with you forever." He held her close. "Thank you, Elijah."
Rata said, "Hey! Hey! Hey! I went all the way over there and got her and brought her back. Show me some love here."
Patrick said, "Thank you Rata! You are the greatest."
Bella said, "Yes, thank you Rata. Sorry I gave you so much trouble."
"No problem."
Elijah said, "Patrick, will you stay here with all of your friends?"
"Yes sir. You are definitely our friends. We want to stay here, right, Bella?"
"Where else would we go?"
Elijah said, "Bella, your job is to keep house here."
"Okay. I'll do a good job."
"Bella, if you will excuse us, we have a meeting to conduct here. Please go outside whenever we have a meeting. Also, please never go into the shed."
"Okay." She had a look of disappointment in the restrictions and went outside.
Patrick asked, "Why can't she stay?"
"Because of that!" Elijah pointed at Patrick. "You will fight for her and she will fight for you. We aren't having that boyfriend/girlfriend drama here. Trust me, you won't want her in these meetings any more than I would want my wife here. That's the final word on that topic. Patrick, you are Rata's hired hand. He got out of the scavenging business and bought this farm in order to help us. He is a true patriot."
He looked at Ayanna, "Ayanna is part-time help here on the farm, and I am a visitor, Rata's friend. Rata may have some other friends coming here from time to time. Everyone got it?"
They all nodded in agreement.
Elijah said, "All right. We have some more business. Tomorrow night, everyone bring an extra set of black clothes. Let's keep them here. Anyway, one of the big concerns we have right now is the Hexmen. We don't know much about them."
Ayanna's ears perked up as it was her pet topic that was being discussed.
Elijah said, "A Hexman mob is not the kind of place we can infiltrate like Delburg or something like that. So what we need to do is capture one of them and bring them back here for interrogation. Our front person on this one has to be Rata. Ayanna, I don't want you anywhere near them since some of them have seen you already, and I'm pretty sure they don't like you. But I want you to help sniff them out with your hyperosmic senses."
"My what?!" Ayanna said. "I need to know what it is before I can use it."
"Yea, it seems that you have an abnormally acute sense of smell, at least for sniffing out some things, like filthy Hexmen. Tell your folks you will have to work late tomorrow night. You will not go anywhere beyond the point of finding their trail. Once you're done, come here immediately and report, then go directly home. Right, Arrow Girl?"
"Got it, but won't it take all week to figure out where they are?"
"Don't worry about that right now. We know the general area, but we didn't want to get too close and spook them off until we are ready."
"Okay."
"Rata will lure a Hexperson out of the camp and Patrick will help bring them back. Alive, please. Oh yea, one more thing." Elijah pulled out a Benjamin Franklin silver half-dollar for each of them at the table. Here's your two-week's pay."
Ayanna stared at the cash. Amazed that she was getting big money for having so much fun.
Ayanna had her bag of black clothes with her on the way to the Farm. "Dang it!" That freaking Mike Hendricks was always stalking her! If he used those skills that effectively at the Farm he would get hired in a heartbeat.
"Hi Angela. . .I mean, Ayanna."
"Hi, Mike. Hey, you know, I'm kind of busy right now. You don't mind, right?"
"You sure are busy a lot. Where are you going?"
"The same place I'm always going, Mike, to work."
"Did you ask if I could work there yet?"
"Oh, I forgot. I'll get back with you tomorrow on it. You better get away now, so I don't get fired."
"Why?"
"The boss says he doesn't want any of that boyfriend/girlfriend drama, you know. . .not that we are, you know. . .anything like that. Okay Mike, see 'ya around."
Mike had a bewildered look on his face. "Okay, See ya."
Ayanna arrived at the farmhouse. Rata and Patrick were already dressed in black.
Rata said, "Go in the bathroom and change."
After she came out, Elijah was sitting at the table. There were three pistols on the table with holsters. Here is one for each of you. Ayanna, you take the .22.
Ayanna recognized it from her practice. It was no trouble to carry or shoot.
"Okay team, report to the shed," Rata said.
They went out to the shed. Inside was Ethan Mentzer and three of the other Scouts mounted on their horses.
"Ever ride a horse before?" Ethan said to Ayanna.
She was speechless, she shook her head, bedazzled by his dashing cowboy image and his long blonde hair.
"Here, put your foot here, and I'll help you up."
She mounted the horse effortlessly with Ethan's help. Ethan was so strong. This was the coolest thing ever.
"Put your arms around me so you don't fall off."
Rata immediately gravitated toward the lone female rider. She gave him nominal help, and struggled to get on, and the horse did not like it, but the horse was well trained and only twitched and danced around some. Once on the horse, Rata snuggled up with his rider. She arched her back a little, trying to make Rata give her some space. Her wiggling only encouraged him.
Patrick also got on a horse with another rider without much trouble.
Elijah opened the large door and the horsemen went out northward up Harris Road.