| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted January 29, 2022 | Chapters: |
...9 10 -11- 12... 
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The best laid plans
A chapter in the book Vanished
Vanished - Chap 11
by Begin Again
While Michael appeased Annie with milk and cookies in the kitchen, Tango and Poppa had moved to the veranda to talk.
"The woman needs serious medical attention, Poppa. But something tells me we need to keep this under wraps, so Doc Copeland is out of the question."
"I agree. The fewer people that know, the better off we'll all be. Maybe we could get her to one of the safe houses, and our doctors could examine her."
"Great idea, but how do we do that without alerting Garth? He'd need to authorize it, especially since it would require the use of the jet."
"He's proposing to Allie tonight at the party. You want to be the one to mess that up?"
"I'd rather be standing in front of a firing squad. Garth's already coming apart at the seams. I love Allie, but that woman can make a mess out of him."
"Guess that's what love is all about, my friend, and why you and I remain single." Poppa laughed. "Not that I'm complaining, except I wish we were still on the beach. Now that woman—" Tango nudged Poppa with his elbow to stop him from blurting out his thoughts.
Annie bounced out of the house onto the veranda, her finger pointing towards the vineyard, squealing, "There's Garth and Allie. I'll go get them."
All three men answered in unison, "No!"
Tango scooped her up with one arm, stopping her planned exit.
"Hey, put me down." She scowled. "I want to warn him."
Tango bent and planted her feet on the floor. "Annie, listen to me. Tonight is a very special night for Garth. He has a surprise for Allie. You wouldn't want to ruin it, now would you?"
"Surprise? What surprise?" Annie looked at each of them for a response. "Exactly! You want to tell him yourselves even though I'm the one Angel told."
"Annie, listen to me. Someone left your friend for dead. She needs a doctor, but we can't let anyone know. So, we have to keep this a secret until we can move her to safety. Those men might still be here. Do you understand?"
Annie scuffed her shoe against the floor and nodded. She'd learned the hard way about evil men living in Hayden and how they could hurt you. "I thought they were gone."
Tango hugged the little girl. "Sometimes more try to replace the ones we arrested. We have to be careful. So the fewer people who know, the safer your friend is, okay?"
Annie mumbled. "Okay."
Tango stood and turned to Poppa. "I don't have much of a choice. I need to call in a favor and get the woman to a doctor."
"What about the boss?"
"I'm going to hope he's too wrapped up with tonight to check on anything. Michael, you stay with Angel till I find out our flight plans. Poppa, maybe you better hang out around the house. Put a few of the team on alert without giving too much information."
"What about me?" Annie looked at the men. "I want to help, too."
Poppa pretended to be thinking, and then he said, "You're going to be my secret agent."
Annie's eyes lit up, and she smiled. "Secret Agent! What do I do?"
"I need you to talk to all the guests and listen closely to their conversations. If you hear anything important, you come and get me. Okay?"
"I can do that. I better get dressed for the party, so I'm ready when people arrive. I'll be the best Secret Agent you ever had."
"I know you will. I'm counting on you."
Annie hugged all three of them. "Don't blow my cover, okay?" She laughed and skipped down the drive.
**********
Allie's contented sigh put a smile on her cowboy's face. He tipped her face toward his and kissed her softly, followed by a deeper, more passionate one.
"Are you happy to be back home, Allie?"
"I'm happy anywhere when I'm with you, but walking in the vineyard at sunset is the best. It's so breathtaking. I can see why Jack wanted to bring Liz here. It's so romantic."
"Yes, it's obvious Liz loves it here. I thought she'd go back to New York after Jack's death, but I guess finding Faith had a lot to do with her decision. Family makes a difference."
"Emmy's so excited about their new home and bringing the film festival to Napa Valley. Cassidy has her eyes set on Barrett. Fresh beginnings seem to be the thing nowadays.."
"Cassidy and Barrett? He's the new guy working with Darryl, right? Diego mentioned him, but I haven't met him yet. Probably tonight at the party."
"Everyone seems to be settling down. Do you ever think about staying in one place? Wouldn't you get bored without the job?" Allie stared at the hilltops in the distance, covered by a blanket of red, lavender, and orange clouds.
"Having a place to call home doesn't mean a person can't have a job. I still have my home in Gulf Shores, though Jeremy sees it much more than I do. I need to call him. Make sure his mom and him are doing okay."
"I forgot about your house in Gulf Shores. The one you and Katherine shared." Allie's throat tightened. "Lot of memories there for you."
Garth wrapped his arm around Allie and stared across the fields. "Yes, I have many memories in Gulf Shores, but I have lots of memories worldwide. My life with Katherine was a long time ago."
"It's hard for me to imagine having a home and maybe a family, leaving everything behind and putting our lives at risk as we do."
"Allie, you know I love you more than anyone or anything. Coming so close to losing you in Savannah, I discovered I could never live without you in my life. We're a team. We're meant to be together."
"Listen, cowboy; I'm not going anywhere. I love you, too. So much has happened since we met, and I'm trying to see our future."
Garth reached into his jean pocket and let his fingers wrap around the ring. His heart was pounding against his chest. Allie was his life, and he wanted to spend the rest of his days with her at his side. He took a deep breath and pulled the ring out of his pocket, gripping it in his sweaty fist. "Alyssa Shelton, you know I love you."
Allie giggled. "That sounded so serious." She tipped her head and teased, "Mr. Garth Woodman, I love you too."
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. "Allie, will you—"
"Allie." A shrill voice startled both of them. Liz was standing at the entrance to the rose garden. "Father Tobias has arrived early, and he's asking for you."
"Give us a minute, Liz." Garth's head was about to explode.
"I'm sorry, Garth, but Father Tobias is our guest. Allie, please come in for a few minutes. I have so much to prepare, and he asked for you."
"I'm coming, Liz." She turned back to Garth and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry, babe."
"Allie, wait!" He jammed the ring back into his pocket and kicked the fence post as Allie disappeared inside with Liz. Garth leaned against the fence, muttering, "Well, cowboy, that didn't go as planned, now did it?"
While Michael appeased Annie with milk and cookies in the kitchen, Tango and Poppa had moved to the veranda to talk.
"The woman needs serious medical attention, Poppa. But something tells me we need to keep this under wraps, so Doc Copeland is out of the question."
"I agree. The fewer people that know, the better off we'll all be. Maybe we could get her to one of the safe houses, and our doctors could examine her."
"Great idea, but how do we do that without alerting Garth? He'd need to authorize it, especially since it would require the use of the jet."
"He's proposing to Allie tonight at the party. You want to be the one to mess that up?"
"I'd rather be standing in front of a firing squad. Garth's already coming apart at the seams. I love Allie, but that woman can make a mess out of him."
"Guess that's what love is all about, my friend, and why you and I remain single." Poppa laughed. "Not that I'm complaining, except I wish we were still on the beach. Now that woman—" Tango nudged Poppa with his elbow to stop him from blurting out his thoughts.
Annie bounced out of the house onto the veranda, her finger pointing towards the vineyard, squealing, "There's Garth and Allie. I'll go get them."
All three men answered in unison, "No!"
Tango scooped her up with one arm, stopping her planned exit.
"Hey, put me down." She scowled. "I want to warn him."
Tango bent and planted her feet on the floor. "Annie, listen to me. Tonight is a very special night for Garth. He has a surprise for Allie. You wouldn't want to ruin it, now would you?"
"Surprise? What surprise?" Annie looked at each of them for a response. "Exactly! You want to tell him yourselves even though I'm the one Angel told."
"Annie, listen to me. Someone left your friend for dead. She needs a doctor, but we can't let anyone know. So, we have to keep this a secret until we can move her to safety. Those men might still be here. Do you understand?"
Annie scuffed her shoe against the floor and nodded. She'd learned the hard way about evil men living in Hayden and how they could hurt you. "I thought they were gone."
Tango hugged the little girl. "Sometimes more try to replace the ones we arrested. We have to be careful. So the fewer people who know, the safer your friend is, okay?"
Annie mumbled. "Okay."
Tango stood and turned to Poppa. "I don't have much of a choice. I need to call in a favor and get the woman to a doctor."
"What about the boss?"
"I'm going to hope he's too wrapped up with tonight to check on anything. Michael, you stay with Angel till I find out our flight plans. Poppa, maybe you better hang out around the house. Put a few of the team on alert without giving too much information."
"What about me?" Annie looked at the men. "I want to help, too."
Poppa pretended to be thinking, and then he said, "You're going to be my secret agent."
Annie's eyes lit up, and she smiled. "Secret Agent! What do I do?"
"I need you to talk to all the guests and listen closely to their conversations. If you hear anything important, you come and get me. Okay?"
"I can do that. I better get dressed for the party, so I'm ready when people arrive. I'll be the best Secret Agent you ever had."
"I know you will. I'm counting on you."
Annie hugged all three of them. "Don't blow my cover, okay?" She laughed and skipped down the drive.
**********
Allie's contented sigh put a smile on her cowboy's face. He tipped her face toward his and kissed her softly, followed by a deeper, more passionate one.
"Are you happy to be back home, Allie?"
"I'm happy anywhere when I'm with you, but walking in the vineyard at sunset is the best. It's so breathtaking. I can see why Jack wanted to bring Liz here. It's so romantic."
"Yes, it's obvious Liz loves it here. I thought she'd go back to New York after Jack's death, but I guess finding Faith had a lot to do with her decision. Family makes a difference."
"Emmy's so excited about their new home and bringing the film festival to Napa Valley. Cassidy has her eyes set on Barrett. Fresh beginnings seem to be the thing nowadays.."
"Cassidy and Barrett? He's the new guy working with Darryl, right? Diego mentioned him, but I haven't met him yet. Probably tonight at the party."
"Everyone seems to be settling down. Do you ever think about staying in one place? Wouldn't you get bored without the job?" Allie stared at the hilltops in the distance, covered by a blanket of red, lavender, and orange clouds.
"Having a place to call home doesn't mean a person can't have a job. I still have my home in Gulf Shores, though Jeremy sees it much more than I do. I need to call him. Make sure his mom and him are doing okay."
"I forgot about your house in Gulf Shores. The one you and Katherine shared." Allie's throat tightened. "Lot of memories there for you."
Garth wrapped his arm around Allie and stared across the fields. "Yes, I have many memories in Gulf Shores, but I have lots of memories worldwide. My life with Katherine was a long time ago."
"It's hard for me to imagine having a home and maybe a family, leaving everything behind and putting our lives at risk as we do."
"Allie, you know I love you more than anyone or anything. Coming so close to losing you in Savannah, I discovered I could never live without you in my life. We're a team. We're meant to be together."
"Listen, cowboy; I'm not going anywhere. I love you, too. So much has happened since we met, and I'm trying to see our future."
Garth reached into his jean pocket and let his fingers wrap around the ring. His heart was pounding against his chest. Allie was his life, and he wanted to spend the rest of his days with her at his side. He took a deep breath and pulled the ring out of his pocket, gripping it in his sweaty fist. "Alyssa Shelton, you know I love you."
Allie giggled. "That sounded so serious." She tipped her head and teased, "Mr. Garth Woodman, I love you too."
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. "Allie, will you—"
"Allie." A shrill voice startled both of them. Liz was standing at the entrance to the rose garden. "Father Tobias has arrived early, and he's asking for you."
"Give us a minute, Liz." Garth's head was about to explode.
"I'm sorry, Garth, but Father Tobias is our guest. Allie, please come in for a few minutes. I have so much to prepare, and he asked for you."
"I'm coming, Liz." She turned back to Garth and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry, babe."
"Allie, wait!" He jammed the ring back into his pocket and kicked the fence post as Allie disappeared inside with Liz. Garth leaned against the fence, muttering, "Well, cowboy, that didn't go as planned, now did it?"
"The woman needs serious medical attention, Poppa. But something tells me we need to keep this under wraps, so Doc Copeland is out of the question."
"I agree. The fewer people that know, the better off we'll all be. Maybe we could get her to one of the safe houses, and our doctors could examine her."
"Great idea, but how do we do that without alerting Garth? He'd need to authorize it, especially since it would require the use of the jet."
"He's proposing to Allie tonight at the party. You want to be the one to mess that up?"
"I'd rather be standing in front of a firing squad. Garth's already coming apart at the seams. I love Allie, but that woman can make a mess out of him."
"Guess that's what love is all about, my friend, and why you and I remain single." Poppa laughed. "Not that I'm complaining, except I wish we were still on the beach. Now that woman—" Tango nudged Poppa with his elbow to stop him from blurting out his thoughts.
Annie bounced out of the house onto the veranda, her finger pointing towards the vineyard, squealing, "There's Garth and Allie. I'll go get them."
All three men answered in unison, "No!"
Tango scooped her up with one arm, stopping her planned exit.
"Hey, put me down." She scowled. "I want to warn him."
Tango bent and planted her feet on the floor. "Annie, listen to me. Tonight is a very special night for Garth. He has a surprise for Allie. You wouldn't want to ruin it, now would you?"
"Surprise? What surprise?" Annie looked at each of them for a response. "Exactly! You want to tell him yourselves even though I'm the one Angel told."
"Annie, listen to me. Someone left your friend for dead. She needs a doctor, but we can't let anyone know. So, we have to keep this a secret until we can move her to safety. Those men might still be here. Do you understand?"
Annie scuffed her shoe against the floor and nodded. She'd learned the hard way about evil men living in Hayden and how they could hurt you. "I thought they were gone."
Tango hugged the little girl. "Sometimes more try to replace the ones we arrested. We have to be careful. So the fewer people who know, the safer your friend is, okay?"
Annie mumbled. "Okay."
Tango stood and turned to Poppa. "I don't have much of a choice. I need to call in a favor and get the woman to a doctor."
"What about the boss?"
"I'm going to hope he's too wrapped up with tonight to check on anything. Michael, you stay with Angel till I find out our flight plans. Poppa, maybe you better hang out around the house. Put a few of the team on alert without giving too much information."
"What about me?" Annie looked at the men. "I want to help, too."
Poppa pretended to be thinking, and then he said, "You're going to be my secret agent."
Annie's eyes lit up, and she smiled. "Secret Agent! What do I do?"
"I need you to talk to all the guests and listen closely to their conversations. If you hear anything important, you come and get me. Okay?"
"I can do that. I better get dressed for the party, so I'm ready when people arrive. I'll be the best Secret Agent you ever had."
"I know you will. I'm counting on you."
Annie hugged all three of them. "Don't blow my cover, okay?" She laughed and skipped down the drive.
**********
Allie's contented sigh put a smile on her cowboy's face. He tipped her face toward his and kissed her softly, followed by a deeper, more passionate one.
"Are you happy to be back home, Allie?"
"I'm happy anywhere when I'm with you, but walking in the vineyard at sunset is the best. It's so breathtaking. I can see why Jack wanted to bring Liz here. It's so romantic."
"Yes, it's obvious Liz loves it here. I thought she'd go back to New York after Jack's death, but I guess finding Faith had a lot to do with her decision. Family makes a difference."
"Emmy's so excited about their new home and bringing the film festival to Napa Valley. Cassidy has her eyes set on Barrett. Fresh beginnings seem to be the thing nowadays.."
"Cassidy and Barrett? He's the new guy working with Darryl, right? Diego mentioned him, but I haven't met him yet. Probably tonight at the party."
"Everyone seems to be settling down. Do you ever think about staying in one place? Wouldn't you get bored without the job?" Allie stared at the hilltops in the distance, covered by a blanket of red, lavender, and orange clouds.
"Having a place to call home doesn't mean a person can't have a job. I still have my home in Gulf Shores, though Jeremy sees it much more than I do. I need to call him. Make sure his mom and him are doing okay."
"I forgot about your house in Gulf Shores. The one you and Katherine shared." Allie's throat tightened. "Lot of memories there for you."
Garth wrapped his arm around Allie and stared across the fields. "Yes, I have many memories in Gulf Shores, but I have lots of memories worldwide. My life with Katherine was a long time ago."
"It's hard for me to imagine having a home and maybe a family, leaving everything behind and putting our lives at risk as we do."
"Allie, you know I love you more than anyone or anything. Coming so close to losing you in Savannah, I discovered I could never live without you in my life. We're a team. We're meant to be together."
"Listen, cowboy; I'm not going anywhere. I love you, too. So much has happened since we met, and I'm trying to see our future."
Garth reached into his jean pocket and let his fingers wrap around the ring. His heart was pounding against his chest. Allie was his life, and he wanted to spend the rest of his days with her at his side. He took a deep breath and pulled the ring out of his pocket, gripping it in his sweaty fist. "Alyssa Shelton, you know I love you."
Allie giggled. "That sounded so serious." She tipped her head and teased, "Mr. Garth Woodman, I love you too."
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. "Allie, will you—"
"Allie." A shrill voice startled both of them. Liz was standing at the entrance to the rose garden. "Father Tobias has arrived early, and he's asking for you."
"Give us a minute, Liz." Garth's head was about to explode.
"I'm sorry, Garth, but Father Tobias is our guest. Allie, please come in for a few minutes. I have so much to prepare, and he asked for you."
"I'm coming, Liz." She turned back to Garth and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry, babe."
"Allie, wait!" He jammed the ring back into his pocket and kicked the fence post as Allie disappeared inside with Liz. Garth leaned against the fence, muttering, "Well, cowboy, that didn't go as planned, now did it?"
 Recognized |
Garth Woodman, FBI Agent, and Allie's love interest
Alyssa Shelton, Investigative Journalist, and Liz's best friend
Elizabeth (Liz) McKinley, widow, owner of Sweet Haven, and twin sister to Faith
Faith Cranston-Newton, recovering cancer patient and mother to Annie
Annie Cranston-Newton, Faith's precocious young daughter
Sebastian, a St. Bernard and Annie's sidekick
Mary Hunter, Liz and Faith's deceased mother, and Annie's grandmother
Hank and Emmy Armato, retired detectives and current Private Investigators
Tango and Poppa, Garth's top FBI Agents
Sheriff Diego Ortiz, Napa Valley's law enforcement
Cassidy Rotello, a rescued victim of a solved drug crime and friend
Michael Lansing, neighbor to Sweet Haven Winery (Liz's home)
Darryl Pennington, Long time Estate Forman at Sweet Haven Estates
Miguel Sanchez, the former vineyard supervisor, currently residing in jail
Mason Caldwell, recently deceased drug and crime boss in Napa Valley
Father Tobias, a priest, recently assigned to Hayden's notorious church
Barrett O'Brien, an eager newly hired employee at Sweet Haven Estates
MJ Cichella, Writer and Director, and honored guest for Napa Valley's first film festival
Sandra Pepper, a well-to-do woman new in town, aka Samantha FBI
Angel - a ghost, a mysterious woman, or the Legend?
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Alyssa Shelton, Investigative Journalist, and Liz's best friend
Elizabeth (Liz) McKinley, widow, owner of Sweet Haven, and twin sister to Faith
Faith Cranston-Newton, recovering cancer patient and mother to Annie
Annie Cranston-Newton, Faith's precocious young daughter
Sebastian, a St. Bernard and Annie's sidekick
Mary Hunter, Liz and Faith's deceased mother, and Annie's grandmother
Hank and Emmy Armato, retired detectives and current Private Investigators
Tango and Poppa, Garth's top FBI Agents
Sheriff Diego Ortiz, Napa Valley's law enforcement
Cassidy Rotello, a rescued victim of a solved drug crime and friend
Michael Lansing, neighbor to Sweet Haven Winery (Liz's home)
Darryl Pennington, Long time Estate Forman at Sweet Haven Estates
Miguel Sanchez, the former vineyard supervisor, currently residing in jail
Mason Caldwell, recently deceased drug and crime boss in Napa Valley
Father Tobias, a priest, recently assigned to Hayden's notorious church
Barrett O'Brien, an eager newly hired employee at Sweet Haven Estates
MJ Cichella, Writer and Director, and honored guest for Napa Valley's first film festival
Sandra Pepper, a well-to-do woman new in town, aka Samantha FBI
Angel - a ghost, a mysterious woman, or the Legend?
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