General Fiction posted January 30, 2025 Chapters:  ...27 28 -29- 30... 


Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level
Farewell to the team and a new endeavor for Marie
A chapter in the book The Devil Fights Back

The Devil Fights Back - Ch. 29

by Jim Wile




Background
Three intrepid women team up to conquer medical challenges.
Recap of Chapter 28: Fran visits a judge in Philadelphia to obtain a wiretap warrant against Leonard Merra based on the reports submitted to her by Dana and Barry Degner. The judge is reluctant because the evidence is slim, but he grudgingly gives her a 30-day warrant. Fran then meets Dana for lunch, shares the good news with her, and instructs her on how to bug Merra's phone by sending him a text message containing spyware.
 
Fran calls Brian that night to update him on this and to see how his team is coming along. Brian informs her they should be done in a few days, right after New Year’s. Fran tells Brian what Dana has revealed to her about the plans for stopping Glyptophan, and Brian is somewhat alarmed to find out this may include violence against his family. Fran urges Brian to get some firearms practice in.
 
 
 
Chapter 29
 
 
Fran
 
 
I arrived at Brian and Julia’s house on the morning of January 2, 2026. I was a few minutes late and the others were already seated at the breakfast table, eating fried chicken and waffles. Platters of each were in the center of the table.

“Sorry I’m late, but I’m glad y’all started without me. Happily, there’s still some food left.”

I took the empty seat on the other side of Johnny, who was sitting in a Sassy Seat at the table. We looked at each other, and I said, “Hi, Kiddo.” I kissed him on top of his head to avoid the stickiness of the syrup and waffle crumbs all over his face.

“Ha, Fan.”

“Looks like you’re quite the waffle lover, Johnny.”

He giggled and stuffed another piece of waffle in his mouth.

“He’s so cute,” I said playfully to Julia and Brian.

I loaded up my plate and began eating. I decided to wait until after the meal to discuss business and to offer my thanks to Brian, Abby, and Patty. The conversation remained light and mostly centered around Johnny and his antics. I guess Marie had returned home because she wasn’t there.

When the meal was over and we’d all helped Julia clear the table, I said, “Why don’t we head into the family room? I’ve got a few things to say to y’all. You too, Jules.”

When everyone was seated except for Brian who was on the floor playing with Johnny, I stood in front of the Christmas tree that was still up, and I faced them.

“Guys, this may be hard for me, so please bear with me. I just really want to thank all of you for the tremendous effort you made on this assignment, and that includes you, Jules, for all the hospitality you provided to our guests.”

“Hear, hear,” said Abby with a smile, and Patty, who was sitting next to Julia, gave her shoulder a squeeze.

“I know from your reports how extremely difficult this project was and how many long hours you put into it, and I think it’s just amazing what you accomplished in such a short time.”

The four of them began tittering, which struck me as odd. “I know it was a big inconvenience to have to be away from your families during this holiday season, and that you would have undoubtedly preferred to be with them.”

They began chuckling then, and even Johnny started laughing out loud. What the hell had I said that was so amusing?

“Well, apparently you don’t harbor any hard feelings about it, but seriously… thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

I started choking up and could feel the tears begin to well up. Right then I felt a pawing at my hair and heard Johnny cry out, “Na-na.”

I turned around and saw a cat at eye level reaching out its paw to me from between the branches of the tree. Everyone broke up, and I turned back to them and just shook my head and groaned. “You guys! She was there the whole time?”

Patty said, “She kept reachin’ out, tryin’ to touch your hair. It was all ah could do not to laugh out loud at what you were sayin’, Fran, which was very sweet, by the way.”

I turned back around, lifted Nadia out of the tree, and held her at arms’ length. “Oh, you ridiculous cat!” I set her down on the floor next to Johnny who reached out and grabbed her. After a quick bop on his head, she skittered away. This set everyone off again including Johnny.

When the hilarity of the moment finally died down, I said, “On a more serious note now, I’ve got to collect your burner phones from you and swear you to secrecy about what we’ve been working on here. I won’t even be able to let you know about the success or failure of your efforts. In fact, we won’t even know unless we see that Dipraxa suddenly dries up one day and is no longer to be found on the streets. That will probably be the only way we’ll know if the effort was successful.

“But even after that, you can never talk about this to anyone. We don’t want people to know what really happened. I hope the Chinese will just be baffled about it and won’t be able to figure it out. Does that make sense to everyone?”

“Absolutely,” said Abby. “Plus, the way we went about it could be grossly misinterpreted or consciously distorted by ideologs and people unaware of how dangerous the situation was. Some things are just better left unheralded and unspoken.”

“Thanks for understanding. Believe me, I trust you, but my boss says I’m going to have to have y’all sign non-disclosure agreements that you will never talk about any of this.”

I reached into a briefcase I’d brought, pulled these out, and passed them out. When I’d collected the signed forms, I asked them if they had any questions. When none were asked, I said, “In that case, I guess it’s time to say goodbye. You’ve all been great.”

When the final hugs and goodbyes had been given and received, I said, “Alright, Miss Abby. Time to head out.”

After she and I got her bags loaded into my SUV and buckled ourselves in, with a final wave to the others, who were standing on the front porch, we left for the airport.
 
 
Marie
 
 
I’ve been home from North Carolina for a week now, and started back to work a couple of days ago. I have to admit there’s a longing in my heart for my little grandson. He has a way of bringing out the good in me. Admittedly, there isn’t too much of that, but whatever there is, he’s able to bring it out.

I got to rock him and bottle feed him a few times from the milk Julia had pumped and stored, which helped build an added closeness with him. Who would have predicted the effect this child would have on me? Certainly not me.

Getting to know my daughter and son-in-law better has also gone a long way in healing the rift between us. I’m going to have to keep going down there, because each time I do, I come back a better person. A few hundred more trips, and I might even become bearable to be around.

Julia gave me much food for thought in regards to spending my spare time in a more productive way than drinking. Not that I plan to stop cold turkey, but I have at least given thought to taking on a student or two—perhaps only one to start. In fact, I think I would like to start with a rank beginner, who hasn’t been ruined yet by some other teacher. One who I can mold into playing the right way—the way I did with Julia.

I was thinking about this when I returned from work this afternoon, and I must have been smiling as I entered the building. Cedric held the door open for me and said, “Good afternoon, Ms. Schmidt. You’re looking particularly cheery this fine winter afternoon.”

“Thank you, Cecil. I’ve decided I’m going to take on a violin student. I’m planning to start with a beginner who’s never played before, like my daughter was.”

“You choose a student yet?”

“No, but one shouldn’t be hard to find.”

“I know of one, Ms. Schmidt, who would love to learn to play the violin. This person likes music, but never had the chance to learn an instrument.”

“And who might that be, Cecil?”

“That would be me, Ms. Schmidt.”

You, Cecil? You seriously would like to learn how to play the violin? What makes you choose the violin to want to learn?”

“Well, I wanna learn something. And seems like I got me a ready-made teacher right here in front of me. How much would you charge to give me lessons, Ms. Schmidt?”

I thought about this for a minute. This boy could not afford what I would be tempted to charge, but what a challenge it might be. I felt like Henry Higgins facing Eliza Doolittle.

“I’ll tell you what, Cecil. I won’t charge you anything if you’ll promise to practice what I teach you, and continue to show progress. If I catch you slacking off, I’ll drop you like a hot potato. Is that clear?”

“Crystal. I won’t let you down. But I don’t own a violin.”

“I will provide one at first. Could you come for your first lesson tomorrow evening, say, at 7:00?”

“I’ll be there, Ms. Schmidt. And thank you!”

“It’s Dr. Schmidt, Cecil.”

“It’s Cedric, ma’am.”

“Whatever,” we said together, smiling.



Recognized


CHARACTERS



Fran Pekarsky: One of three narrators of the story. She is an FBI agent from the North Carolina field office in Charlotte.

Dana Padgett: One of three narrators of the story. She is the assistant marketing director for a Big Pharma company.

Brian Kendrick: Fran's younger brother. He is the inventor of Dipraxa and Glyptophan.

Julia Kendrick: Brian's wife. She is a world-class violinist who now plays in a bluegrass band.

Johnny Kendrick: Brian and Julia's baby boy and Marie's grandson.

Dr. Marie Schmidt: Julia's mother. She is the third narrator of the story.

Cedric (aka Cecil): The doorman at the apartment house where Marie lives.

Lou D'Onofrio: Fran's boss at the FBI.

Patty Mattson: A hacker friend of Fran's. The programmer on Brian's project.

Abby Payne (nee St. Claire): A girl from Dana's past, who she used to bully but has befriended during their adulthood. The mathematician on Brian's project.

Mike Pekarsky: Fran's husband. He is a DHS agent.

Leonard Merra: A vice president at the Big Pharma company where Dana works. He is in charge of stopping Glyptophan.

Steve Griffin: Dana's husband.

Barry Degner (aka Tony Faiella): Dana's friend who will act the part of a leg-breaker to attack Brian.

Judge Raymond Jezek: The district court judge in Philadelphia who grants Fran a wiretap warrant against Leonard Merra.
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