Locked Away

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was almost a half hour before Cam heard footsteps on the stairs. She still hadn’t heard anyone leave, but then, she couldn’t swear that she hadn’t fallen back asleep.

Michael walked into the room.

“You’d better get dressed,” she said and frowned. “My Deputy Commissioner is here with Guy. I think you should hear what he has to say.”

“The D.C.? Why is he here?” Cam asked as she threw off the blanket. She sat up, watching Michael closely to see if she could tell what was happening.

Michael sat quickly and slid socks onto her feet.

“I may be going with you,” she said without looking up. She reached for the running shoes under the chair.

“What?” Suddenly Cam switched into business mode. She quickly got off the bed.

“I’m not sure just what is happening, but the D.C. came all the way to Montreal to talk to me in person. When I wasn’t home, he called Guy. Now they’re both downstairs drinking coffee.”

Cam went to the dresser to look for underwear.

“Come down when you’re ready,” Michael said as she finished tying her shoes. She gave Cam a quick kiss and went back downstairs.

* * * *

Michael and the two men were standing on the screened deck overlooking the lake. It was an overcast day. She was pointing out something to them when Cam came downstairs. It always amazed her when she saw the tall, stiff male version of Michael. Aside from being three years older and just a little grayer, this first son of the Gauchet family looked exactly like his younger brother Jean-Rene. Or maybe Jean-Rene resembled Guy. All three younger Gauchets had a strong resemblance to their father.

They all turned to greet her.

“Cameron,” Guy said as he bent to kiss her on the cheek. “Let me introduce our Deputy Commissioner, Dr. William Nance. Dr. Nance is in charge of our Organized Crime Division for all provinces.”

Cam held out her hand to the tall gray-haired man. She didn’t always know the exact terms but she knew that this man had a job comparable to her boss, Richard Deems. She also knew he was the person Michael reported to since she had been promoted to Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Organized Crime Involving Minors. Michael’s work of creating a program to teach self-defense techniques to women and children had brought her much acclaim. The promotions had quickly followed.

“I’m very pleased to meet you, Commissioner. The Gauchet family has told me so much about you and your wonderful work.”

“I’m very sorry to bother you on such a wet Saturday, Ms. Andrews, but I was anxious to consult with Miss Gauchet before you left for Washington,” he said, shaking her hand.

“I don’t understand, Dr. Nance,” Cam started, looking from Michael to Guy. The Deputy Commissioner in Canada knew she was going to Washington to be assigned a case? What was this?

“I’m sorry. I’ve been on the phone for two days with your Director Craig Roberson. He speaks very highly of you. I thought you’d be more aware of what has been happening.”

“No, Dr. Nance, I’m sorry. I have no idea why he called me to Washington. I’m in the dark about all of this.”

Nance laughed, a little embarrassed. “Then I suppose I need to talk to both of you. I’m sure Director Roberson won’t mind me telling you what is in store for you.”

“Then come inside and have a seat, sir and let us all hear it.” Cam gestured to the couch and big chairs in front of the fireplace where Michael already had a fire roaring. It had to be a high priority if Craig Roberson was in on it. Craig was the Director of the CIA. He was also the reason she worked for the DEA. He had been her friend when she worked as a linguist/cryptographer for the CIA, fresh out of grad school.

She looked out onto the clouded lake that seemed twice as blue as yesterday and twice as cold. Then she turned and joined the others in front of the blazing fire.

When they all had settled into their seats with fresh cups of coffee, Nance began. “Director Roberson and I both received messages from the government of Malaguay this week. The president, Raul Ascensio, wants to create what appears to be a revolutionary program in South America. He wants to stop the drug trade out of his country and start new venture programs to replace the drug money. He’s getting a lot of resistance, of course, but he wants the children of his country to live a better life. He wrote to me because of the programs that Miss Gauchet established to teach self-defense to women and children. He was impressed that they were being taught to take care of themselves. That’s what he wants for his country. He wants the women and children to be able to work and learn without having to rely solely upon their men.” He chuckled, nervously, at the looks Michael and Cam gave each other.

“Yes, Michael’s programs are very special.” Cam smiled. “I’m sure that President Ascensio will be very pleased as well.”

Cam looked over at Michael proudly. She always knew that the work Michael had created was special. It had been adopted by several big inner cities in the U.S. She was gratified that men in other parts of the world were seeing that, too.

“I know that Director Roberson is sending you to identify the drug problems and sending an Alicia Clayton to determine what other industries or agricultural programs would be viable for the area, so I won’t waste your time going over all that now. I’m sure there will be a lot more when you get to Washington.”

“I’m glad that the two of you will be working together again,” Guy added. “You two make a powerful force to deal with.”

Cam smiled at him. She often wondered how this proud man dealt with the fact that his baby sister out-ranked him in the RCMP. Like his father and his brother, he had risen to a high rank as a Mountie. He oversaw much of what the Montreal Contingent investigated. To have to ask his little sister for authority whenever problems arose in the physical preparedness of his troops must have rankled his ego. But Guy sat there with a smug look on his face. Yes, she was a baby to him, but he was proud that she was his baby sister.

* * * *

Guy and Dr. Nance left to go back into Montreal just as the sun was beginning to glide toward the mountains in the west. Nance wished them both good luck. Guy gave them both a brotherly kiss and hug.

“Do well, ma petite. But don’t stay there too long. We’ll be waiting for you to get home,” he told Michael. Then he turned to Cam. “Don’t worry about this house. Jean-Rene and I will make sure it’s still standing till you get home.”

“I’ll leave money to get everything done,” she told him.

“No need. I know where you live and I’m on very good terms with your wife. You can pay me when you get home.”

“Merci, Guy.”

They watched him and Dr. Nance until the boat rounded the point of land to the north.

Michael picked up the plane ticket and notes that Dr. Nance had left with her.

“Well,” she murmured and breathed a heavy sigh as she tapped the papers against her hand. “There goes the going-away scene I had planned for you.” She stared into Cam’s eyes.

“It only means that it won’t have an ending, my dear Mistress.” Cam smirked at her. “This could go on for nights and nights and nights.”

When Michael only nodded, Cam became worried.

“Is something wrong?” she asked as she slid the empty coffee cups into the dishwasher.

“Stage fright, I think. I am good at what I do but I am not sure I can sell it to the president of another country. Perhaps I should not be the one to go,” Michael said softly as she stood in the kitchen doorway.

“You’re right,” Cam said, coming to stand in front of her. “You’re absolutely right. Why should you go?”

Michael was wide-eyed with bewilderment.

“Silly!” Cam laughed after a minute. “You’re the one who thought up this program. You’re the one who convinced the upper echelon of the Mounties to put it in gear. You convinced all the constables that it was right for their women and children to learn to defend themselves, and—” Cam ticked off on her fingers the points of her argument, “-you wrote the whole training procedure. Now, who else should go?” Cam stood with her feet spread apart defiantly. “You always tell me to get over it. Well, get over it yourself. We’ve got too much work to do to get ready for that flight on Monday. You’ve got to go to your house in Montreal and pack; I’ve got to pack. Come on! We’re wasting time!”

Her tirade was stopped by an arm around her shoulders and lips that pressed into hers.

“This will be so exciting,” Cam whispered when she was once again able to speak. “The two of us; together. Me looking for drug runners and you teaching your self-defense classes. In the same places!”

“And I’ll be able to watch out for you so you don’t get hurt again,” said Michael with a smile. “Are you sure you want to do this? We can still back out.”

“Yes, I want to do this and I want to do it together with you!” Cam exclaimed.