"RETURN WITH VENGEANCE"
CHAPTER 3
Olivia's eyes were fixed upon the television set. She had never been particularly fond of CITIZEN KANE, but there seemed to be nothing else on television, at the moment. Nor did she feel like rummaging through her large collection of videos and DVD discs.
The dialogue from the movie continued to drone on and on. Olivia found her eyes growing heavy with sleep. She took a deep breath. If only she could hold on for one more second . . . Olivia's eyes fell shut. The doorbell rang. She remained in her present state for another second. Another ring followed, along with a hard knock at the door. Olivia's eyes fluttered open.
She glanced at the clock on the mantle. Ten twenty-seven. Who on earth would bother to pay her a visit at such an ungodly hour? Rubbing her eyes, Olivia strode over to the door and called out, "Yes? Who is it?"
"Guess who?" a voice from behind the door shot back.
Olivia frowned. The voice sounded very familiar to her. She peered through the peephole. Delight rose within her. She would know that face from anywhere. Olivia quickly opened the door and let out a squeal. "Cecile!"
The figure bundled in a wet coat and a rain scarf dragged her bags and umbrella inside the apartment. "Hey cherie!" she cried gleefully. "Where you at?" The two women then threw themselves into each other's arms and squealed with delight.
Amidst all of the noise, a figure materialized beside Olivia. It was Cole, dressed in his usual black trousers and sleeveless white undershirt. "Olivia! Is everything okay?" he asked, looking both concerned and paranoid at the same time. "I thought I heard you . . ." He glanced at Cecile and his body relaxed. "Oh. You have a visitor. I, uh . . . I guess she's wondering . . ."
Olivia smiled as she observed her two friends stare at each other. "Don't worry. This is Cecile. The friend I had told you about? She's quite used to seeing others teleport. Cecile, this is my friend and neighbor, Cole Turner. Cole, this is Cecile Dubois, my best friend."
Cole held out his hand. "Cecile, it's nice to finally meet you."
"Yeah," Cecile murmured, "same here." Looking quite stunned, Cecile grabbed Cole's hand and shook it. A gasp escaped her mouth.
Both Olivia and Cole frowned. "Something wrong?" the former asked.
"Muscle spasm," the other woman quickly replied. "From jet lag." She slowly removed her coat and scarf. At five-feet-four, the New Orleans-born woman stood nearly a foot shorter than Cole. She possessed rich brown skin, high cheekbones, and black almond-shaped eyes that many have found penetrating. "So, you're the famous Cole Turner. Livy told me a lot about you." Her eyes swept over his figure in an appreciative manner. "She didn't do you justice."
"Cecile!" Olivia's cheeks grew hot with embarrassment, as she took her friend's wet belongings.
Cole's dark brows shot upward. "Really? Exactly how did Olivia describe me?" Amusement twinkled in his blue eyes.
Before her friend could respond, Olivia quickly spoke up. "I told her that you were a half-daemon . . . and a friend. A close friend. Right Cecile?"
Innocence gleamed in Cecile's dark eyes. "If you say so, cherie." Olivia sighed. She wanted to die from embarrassment. Right there on the spot.
Cole smiled. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Cecile. I wish I could stay longer, but I have a busy day, tomorrow."
"Will you be busy, tomorrow morning?" The words came out of Olivia's mouth before she could stop herself. Cole's eyes expressed surprise. Even Cecile stared at her. Feeling self-conscious, Olivia added, "I just thought . . ."
Cole immediately responded, "I'll be here at seven, sharp. See you tomorrow." He gave the two women one last smile and disappeared.
After placing Cecile's wet coat and scarf into the closet, Olivia helped her friend carry the latter's luggage to the guest room. "I had the room prepared after you called." She dumped one traveling bag inside the spare bedroom. "Only I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."
"I changed my mind and decided to leave today. Tomorrow's flight was a little too crowded for my taste," Cecile replied. She placed the other bag alongside the first one. "And you know how much I hate crowds." She sighed. "Lord, I'm tired. And hungry. You got any leftovers?"
Olivia started toward the kitchen. "I can make you a quick omlette, if that's okay with you."
Seconds later, Cecile joined Olivia inside the kitchen. She sat down on one of the chairs that surrounded the table. "So, this is your new apartment. Very nice." She added slyly, "And so is your new neighbor."
Olivia removed several items from the refrigerator - eggs, butter, milk, red and green peppers, onions and cheese. She gave Cecile a pointed stare. "Meaning?"
"Meaning . . . nothing," Cecile replied with a shrug. "I only meant that he seemed like a very nice man. Or half-demon, or whatever he is. He's a daemon, right?"
After reaching for a knife, Olivia began chopping peppers. "Yeah, he's a daemon. You don't have a problem with him being one, do you?"
"Not after what you told me about him." Cecile broke off a piece of cheese. "I like him. I don't have a bad feeling about him. And besides, you've always been a good judge of character. Better than me, that's for sure." She popped the cheese into her mouth.
A mischievous smile curved Olivia's mouth. "Does that include Andre?"
Cecile frowned. "On second thought, you're not always right."
"Oh dear God! What has Andre done now?"
The other woman's frown deepened. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay." Olivia finished chopping peppers.
Silence reigned inside the kitchen. It did not last. "Do you want to know what that son-of-a-bitch Andre did?" Cecile angrily cried, ending the silence. "He helped Janet Casey get a job at his uncle's insurance company!"
"And?"
"And?" Outrage increased the decibel in Cecile's voice. "You know how I can't stand that woman! So does Andre!"
Olivia began chopping onions. "Why? Because she's a little odd? Who isn't? It seems to me that you have some . . . I don't know, inferiority complex about Janet. It's funny, since both of you seem alike in many ways." Olivia paused. "Does that bother you?"
A sigh left Cecile's mouth. "You know, remarks like that will only get you into trouble with me."
"Well, I'll still have Cole as a friend," Olivia said with a smile. When Cecile failed to retort, her smile disappeared. She glanced up and noticed the other woman staring knowingly at her. "What?"
Cecile commented slyly, "You should see the look on your face. You're attracted to him, aren't you?"
Olivia rolled her eyes. "Of course I think he's attractive!" she retorted. "What woman in her right mind, wouldn't?" She cracked one egg into a bowl.
Cecile's next words left Olivia feeling slightly uneasy. "I didn't ask whether you thought he looked attractive. I asked if you were attracted to him. You know what I mean. You're just avoiding the question."
"If you must know," Olivia shot back, "I only think of Cole as a friend. My neighbor. A chum, a buddy. And that's all!" She glared at Cecile. "Get the picture?"
Cecile shrugged. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever you say." She broke off another piece of cheese and popped it into her mouth. Almost under her breath, she added, "I wonder if Cole knows Andre."
"Fat chance!" Olivia replied.
* * * *
The two women stared at Cole with disbelief. Especially Olivia. "You know Andre? Andre Morrell?"
As promised, Cole appeared at Olivia's apartment for breakfast, at seven o'clock sharp, the following morning. He, Olivia and Cecile had just finished a meal that consisted of French toast and sausage. The two women told Cole about their twenty-year long friendship, which included six years at Stanford. And Cole answered all of Cecile's curious questions about his past. One of those questions happened to be about her boyfriend, Andre.
Cole swallowed the last of his coffee. "Sure, I know Andre. We've been friends for the past ten years. While I was eluding the Source's bounty hunters, two years ago, he helped me hide in planes of existence I've never even heard of."
"Now, why hasn't he ever told me about you?" an annoyed Cecile asked, partly to herself.
"Considering his past, maybe he feared you wouldn't understand his friendship with a half-daemon."
Cecile gave him a shrewd look. "So you know that Andre used to be a bokor? Of course you do! What am I saying?"
"Yeah, I know." Cole paused. "He still practices magic, right?"
Nodding, Cecile added, "Andre is now a houngan, a priest. And a healer. He uses his power to help others. But redeemed or not, Andre is still Andre. He hasn't changed that much."
A soft chuckle escaped Cole's mouth. The laugh felt easy on the ears. Cecile approved. "It's been a while since I last saw him, but you're right," Cole admitted. "Which leads me to wonder how on earth you two met."
"Andre and I have known each other since we were kids in New Orleans," Cecile explained. She added that she had been aware of Andre's embrace of dark magic and how it affected the Morrell family. "I never really got to know him until Olivia and I met him in Morgan City, some three years ago."
Olivia added, "Andre was temporarily working for some drug dealer I had tracked from here. This guy was heavy into Vodoun. The police thought he used 'voodoo' to keep certain locals in check. They never realized that he had a genuine bokor, or sorcerer, working with him. To make a long story short, the drug dealer asked Andre to kill us . . . only he couldn't."
"He got tired of his life of crime," Cecile added. "And of using black magic."
Rolling her eyes, Olivia smirked. "C'mon Cecile! You know the real reason Andre gave up his life as a bokor. And it just wasn't about him longing for a new life."
An annoyed Cecile bit her lip. She loved Olivia like a sister, but the woman could be exasperating. No one loved playing devil's advocate more than Olivia. Except for her father, Jack McNeill. And Andre.
"You know, you two ladies have very dangerous tastes in men," Cole concluded. "A warlock and a Vodoun sorcerer. What's next, I wonder?" Cecile gathered from his words that he knew about Olivia's late fiancé, Richard Bannen.
Cecile replied, "Well, I don't have a half-daemon as a close friend." She smiled at Cole. "At least not yet." He returned the smile. A wave of warmth seemed to radiate from the half-daemon. Which greatly surprised Cecile. He almost seemed to be at peace. She wondered if Olivia's presence had anything to do with this feeling.
Cole opened his mouth to speak when blue lights appeared in the room. Seconds later, a familiar figure materialized. Cecile recognized Olivia's whiteligher, Leo Wyatt. "Hey Leo!" Olivia greeted warmly. "What brings you here? Would you like some French toast?"
The whitelighter's gaze lingered on the breakfast longingly, before it shifted to Cole. Leo frowned. "Oh. Cole. I didn't realize you were here."
A smirk appeared on Cole's lips. "Leo. I didn't realize you were coming. Is there something wrong? A disturbance in the Force?"
Coffee almost spurted out of Olivia's mouth. Cecile hid her smile with a coffee cup. Leo's handsome face turned red. Cecile saw the suppressed anger in his blue eyes. "I'm here to discuss a matter with Olivia. A matter between friends."
"In other words, you're here to besmirch my character again," Cole sarcastically added. He heaved a large sigh and stood up. "Well, I know when I'm not wanted. Good day, ladies," he said to Cecile and Olivia. "And thanks for the breakfast." He disappeared.
Leo murmured darkly, "I see that no matter how he tries, he doesn't change." Then he finally seemed to be aware of Cecile staring at him. Again, he flushed. "Oh, I didn't realize . . . It's nice to see you again . . . uh, Cecile, right?"
"Yeah." Cecile held out her hand. Leo shook it. "I haven't seen you in quite a while, myself. Not since last May. Olivia has told me that you're expecting a baby next spring."
Leo smiled. "That's right. Piper is at least four to five months pregnant, right now."
Cecile returned his smile. "Congratulations." Personally, she found the idea of an angel getting a witch pregnant very strange. But she kept such thoughts to herself.
After shooting a quick smile at Cecile, the whitelighter returned his attention to his charge. "So, you and Cole are now having breakfast together?" he demanded, frowning.
Olivia sighed. "Leo, please tell me that we're not going to start on this conversation again!"
"I understand that you might be grateful to Cole for saving your life, three weeks ago, but . . ."
In a hard voice, Olivia shot back, "But nothing! My relationship with Cole is not about me being grateful! I like him. He's a friend. And my friendship with him is none of your concern!"
"He's a demon, Olivia! He's evil!" Leo cried. "You have no idea of what he's really like! You've only seen his good side."
Green eyes expressed fake surprise. "His good side? Gee Leo, how can he be evil, if he also has a good side?"
Leo heaved an exasperated sigh. "You know what I mean!"
Olivia's eyes narrowed. Cecile felt a brief pang of pity for the whitelighter. She recognized that look on her friend's face. Someone was about to discover the brutal truth. And that person would not be one Olivia McNeill.
"Leo, why are you here?" the red-haired witch asked suspiciously. "Why are you here, this morning?"
The whitelighter hesitated. "I . . . I mean . . ."
"You mean what?" Olivia demanded relentlessly. "Your little visit has something to do with Phoebe Halliwell, doesn't it? Cole and I ran into her at Morgan's, yesterday." Her green eyes bored into Leo's. "What's the matter, Leo? Does the idea of another woman with Cole bother her that much?"
Leo's face became even redder. "Phoebe's not jealous, if that's what you mean." The unease in his eyes said otherwise. "She's concerned about you. We're all concerned."
"I've heard this before," Olivia airily replied. "From Phoebe, as a matter of fact. According to her, Cole hurt her and she thinks he might hurt me."
The whitelighter angrily declared, "He did hurt Phoebe! He betrayed us all when he . . ."
"When he became the Source? Yeah, I know all about that." Olivia paused and gave Leo a shrewd look. "In fact, I may know a lot more than you do."
A frown darkened Leo's countenance. "What are you talking about? What has Cole been telling you?"
"Let's just say that Gran scanned Cole's memories of the past and projected them to us. The family. We know what really happened when he became the Source, earlier this year."
Cecile spoke up. "This Source. Are you talking about the same daemon that led this . . . um, Source's Realm? The one you told me about?"
Olivia nodded. "That's the one."
Disbelief mingled with pity in Leo's eyes. "My God, Olivia! I can't believe that you just accepted everything Cole told you. Don't you know? One of his powers is the ability to manipulate the minds of others. He could have been sending your grandmother, false memories!"
Green eyes rolled in disgust and sighed. "Leo, I love you like a brother and I know that you mean well. But could you please get your head out of your ass and use your brains? Do you really believe that Cole could prevent Gran from learning the truth? For all of his powers, he couldn't even prevent Barbas from messing with his head, last month!"
"Barbas?" Cecile asked.
"The fear daemon I once told you about." Olivia continued, directing her words at Leo. "And Leo, do I have to remind you that Barbas has never been able to deal with the telepaths in Gran's family? Why do you think he has been avoiding Collins telepaths for so many centuries?"
Realization seemed to have stricken the whitelighter. He stared at Olivia with stunned eyes. "Are you saying that . . . ? What exactly did your grandmother see in Cole's mind?"
Olivia sighed. "That Cole had been possessed by the Source's essence. After using the Hollow to take his powers and save the Charmed Ones. Cole had been possessed by the Source for practically three months. Now, while you contemplate this earth shattering news, do you want me to fix you some French toast?"
Poor man. Cecile stared at the whitelighter with pity. He had just become another victim of the McNeill Redball Express - otherwise known as Olivia's blunt tongue. Poor man.
* * * *
The slightly battered cargo ship ended its voyager from Singapore, when it eased into one of the docks at Pier 34. The dock supervisor, Lloyd Janowski, glanced out of the window heaved a private sigh of relief. At last. Although three days late, the S.S. Enigma had finally arrived.
One of the dockworkers, a burly, blond-haired man named Clancy Walker, popped his head inside Janowski's office. "Hey, is that the Enigma?"
Janowski growled. "Yeah, it's finally here, thank God! And it's about damn time!" He reached for the telephone.
"When do you want us to start unloading the Enigma's cargo?"
A frown creased the supervisor's face. "What's the rush? You're not even finished with unloading that freighter."
Walker shrugged. "We're almost finished. And besides, don't we have another freighter that's due from Yokohama, this afternoon?"
Janowski sighed. "It can wait. And as for the Enigma, you can begin on her hold. But after you finish unloading the Omega Star." Once Walker disappeared, Janowski reached for his telephone and began dialing the telephone number for the U.S. Customs Office.
END OF CHAPTER 3
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