Hidden Talents

Gordon.”
    Caleb exhaled slowly. “Bits and pieces of other people.”
    “What?”
    “Nothing. It's not important. Just something Serenity keeps saying.”
    “She's an unusual young woman.”
    Caleb watched the hot water churn. “Yes, she is.”
    “Did you know that she contacted Dolores yesterday morning?”
    “No.”
    “Sent word that Phyllis and Franklin had tried to buy her off.”
    Caleb frowned. “I didn't know about that.”
    “She told Dolores that she wouldn't deal with them. Said if anyone was going to try to buy her off, it would have to be me. And I'd have to come here tonight to do it.”
    Anger sliced through Caleb. “I didn't hear about any of this.”
    “Expect she didn't intend for you to hear about it.” Roland paused thoughtfully. “I knew what she was up to right away, of course. Knew she was trying to force me to make the first move.”
    “Is that why you came here tonight?” Caleb asked. He should have known. He should have guessed that Roland was here only because he'd thought he might be able to buy off Serenity.
    “No,” Roland said. “There's not enough money in the world to buy off a woman like her. I knew that from the start.”
    The warmth of the hot water seeped slowly back into Caleb, driving out the cold in his guts. “But you came anyway.”
    “Figured I had nothing to lose by accepting a dinner invitation,” Roland said. “Hell, maybe she'll be good for all of us. God knows it probably pays to get fresh bloodlines into a family now and then, just like it does in horses.”
    “There is that.” Caleb kept his tone neutral, but he was secretly stunned by the massive olive branch Roland had just offered. “There's something I need to tell you.”
    “About what?”
    “The past. It's a long story.”
    “I don't think it's a good idea to talk about the past anymore,” Roland said. “Let's just let it rest in peace.”
    “We've never been very good at letting it rest in peace, have we?”
    “No, I guess not.”
    “Maybe we can after I tell you what happened yesterday in Seattle.” Caleb wondered where to begin. Then he recalled the family portrait of himself and his parents. “First, there's a picture I think you should see.”
    “A picture of what?”
    “Me and my parents.”
    Roland seemed to sink deeper into the frothy water. “Didn't know there were any pictures of you with them.”
    “There is. One. It was hidden in my mother's jewelry case. And it led me to some answers to a lot of questions that should have been asked a long time ago.”
    “All right,” Roland said. He sounded as if he was bracing himself for battle. “Tell me what you found.”
    Something made Caleb glance out into the night at that moment. Shadows moved in the darkness. Two massive canine heads appeared at the glass walls of the hot tub room. They were followed by a large, familiar figure draped in great quantities of lethal-looking hardware.
    “Hell,” Caleb said. “Not now.”
    Blade made a fist with his gloved hand and pounded softly on the glass. “Got to talk to you,” he mouthed.
    Roland straightened abruptly in the tub and stared at the figure on the other side of the window. “Who the devil is that?”
    “His name is Blade.” Caleb climbed out of the hot tub and reached for a towel. “Don't worry. He's a friend.”
    “Looks like something out of a goddamn war movie.”
    “Yeah.” Caleb opened the door. Cold air, dogs, and Blade moved into the steamy room.
    “You got visitors,” Blade said. He stared at Roland.
    “As a matter of fact, we do,” Caleb said. “My grandfather. So unless this is something really urgent, Blade, I'd like to suggest that you come back some other time.”
    “It's urgent, all right.” Blade turned back to face him. “Invasion's started.”
    “Again?” Caleb asked.
    “What invasion?” Roland demanded. He stood up in the hot tub and grabbed a towel.
    “Don't ask.” Caleb waved his grandfather into silence. “Okay, Blade, let's take this from the top. What makes you think the invasion has begun?”
    “Someone's nosing around Asterley's cabin.”
    “Asterley's cabin? Are you sure?”
    “Probably the point man. More'n likely the rest of the commando team is on hold at the bottom of the mountain, waiting to see if this guy can secure a fire base. Stop him and we got a chance of nipping the invasion in the bud.” Blade indicated the clothes that Caleb had left on a hook. “Better get dressed. Ain't got much