“Ted’s got cameras all over the place. I think we need to just give the whole kabob a hiccup. Jake’s not here, so we’ll have to figure this out ourselves.”
“Figure what out, ghosties?” Mason asked, walking into the suite.
“We need to hide something we’ve done from Ted.”
“That’s going to be hard. Why.”
“Sit there and press play. We’ll keep a lookout.”
The ghosts saw the lights go out and then the emergency lights come back on. Kevin moved through the wall to see Mason working frantically, using the backup generators. He sat back, thought, and then smiled and pounded on the keys some more. When he had finished, he said, “God help me, I hope I’ve done the right thing.”
“You don’t know if it’s going to work?”
“Oh, it worked. It will look like the cameras started failing inside and then frazzled out as the computers went on the backup system. Let’s go outside. I’ll have to make a grand entrance once the cameras are up again.”
Kevin followed Mason as he ran down the stairs, outside, and then came walking up to the building as the hotel’s power came back up. He rode the elevator and walked down the hall. He hit Ted’s cameras just before he put the key in the lock. He walked in and walked over and then began frantically backing things up.
“He’s a better actor than Mia was,” Fergus said.
Mason picked up the phone and called.
Ted, who was watching his wife eat her second sundae, with a silly look on his face, at the ice cream parlor adjacent to the hotel, picked up the phone.
“Ted, there’s a problem with the computers. I think the power went out. The backup generator kicked in, but I’d feel better if you or Cid took a look,” Mason said.
“I’m on my way.”
“What’s wrong?” Mia asked.
“Power failure. Mason is freaking out. All I had running was recording the hotel’s security cameras. I’m sure we’re fine.”
Mia glanced out the window and saw Fergus waving frantically.
“Why don’t you go ahead. I’ll go and buy some fudge.”
“Are you eating for two?” Ted asked gently.
“No. But I can’t seem to get enough of you. Maybe I better buy more protection too.”
Ted leaned across the table and kissed her. “The others are in the bar we passed.”
“I see Fergus. I’ll see if he will escort me.”
“Grand idea. Don’t be long. We have suitcases to pack if we’re going to sleep on the boat tonight.”
“Yes, Teddy Bear.”
Mia abandoned her sundae and paid the bill. She walked outside and found Fergus and Kevin frantically pacing.
“What did you do?” she asked. “Fry the computers?” she guessed.
“No. Let’s go and sit over there. There’s no cameras there.”
“Okay,” Mia said, getting worried. She sat down, and Fergus pressed the disk into her hand and explained.
Kevin watched her face and was surprised that there wasn’t any shame or humiliation, only resolve.
“I haven’t told Ted the whole story. He didn’t ask. I think he was afraid to. I’m sure, in his mind, he thinks I made love to Murphy, and that’s what the big fuck up was. He won’t ask. He doesn’t want to hurt us. Maybe he should see this. Murph doesn’t come off too good though. But still, Ted’s got to see this. ‘Knowing is half the battle’ GI Joe.”
“No, then he’ll hate my son. I hate him right now,” Kevin said.
“But he wasn’t himself,” Mia defended. “Sure, he’s a little prig at times, and I think without his normal emotions, he became a self-righteous puritanical beast instead. On my end, I used my talents to free him and the birdmen. We couldn’t fight a ship full of pirates. But I didn’t make out with the captain; he only thought we did. Mind control is a tricky thing. On one entity, it gets you slapped. On another, it starts something that I would have had a hard time stopping. Fortunately for me, the Peacock arrived. I mentally screwed with that man’s libido. That’s all I’m guilty of. So, when Stephen said what he said, I knew he really never knew me.”
“On the ship, there were looks cast about,” Kevin reported. “Even I thought you were kicking boots with the captain. When I saw this recording, I knew I misjudged you, but I also saw how it may put a dent in what you and Ted have going right now. If you were my woman, I would understand,” Kevin said. “Women are treated so unfairly. Things haven’t changed much. If a man did this, he wouldn’t be called a whore. He’d be called 007.”
“Mia, I’m sorry that Kevin and Mason have seen this,” Fergus apologized. “I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid I’d blurt it out to Stephen when I next saw him. Regardless, I’m going to punch him in the jaw. And I want Kevin to give him a good talking to. We didn’t know how to get rid of the evidence and were discussing it when Mason walked in.”
“Mason,” Mia said, putting her hands to her face for a moment. “I trust Mason; he’s a Callen. But I shouldn’t put him in this position. Secrets hurt relationships. I just don’t know what to do?”
“Catherine used to say that there is no sense in flying off like there are foxes in the henhouse when there aren’t foxes in the henhouse,” Kevin said.
“Very sound advice,” Mia said. “Although, I’ll need to face Mason.”
“If it helps, he was working furiously to help you. He’s on your side, Mia.”
“I hope so, because I’ve been losing a lot of friendships lately. I would hate
