Jordan was sitting and relaxing with her family when her phone started vibrating in her pocket. She rolled her eyes and groaned. “Who the fuck is calling me now?” she asked as she pulled it out. “it had better not be that bitch of an ex of mine.” When she looked at the number, she knew it immediately. It was Davina’s parents. “Hello?” Jordan asked as politely as she could muster.
“Jordan?” Davina’s mother said.
“Yes.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are leaving our daughter destitute like she is?” her father cursed into the phone.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“I think that your daughter needs to admit that she’s been using me all this time. I’ve been nothing but a paycheck to her. No more of that.”
“Davina loved you”, her mother said.
“No the fuck she didn’t. Davina’s a lying whore. She was blasting my family behind my back and all any of them did was treat her like one of us.”
“What do you mean?” her mother asked.
“What the fuck did I just say? You daughter is a lying whore who’s been using me for my money. She lied to the man who fathered our children about my family then threatened the kids. And I know that you don’t consider Levi your grandson. My parents have always treated Jasmine like she was family, unlike you two with Levi.”
“Davina always told us that they treated Jasmine like a leper, like they wanted nothing to do with her because she wasn’t Jewish.”
“If that were fucking true, then why would they have spent the Israeli equivalent of $1500 US on clothes and shoes for Jasmine while she’s staying with them? Why would my mother hold Jasmine while she cries herself to sleep because she’s not near me? It’s not your daughter she cries for. It’s me. Let that sink in for a little while because I’m about to go to bed. I’m tired and I’ve got training in the morning with my father’s former bodyguard in the morning. You two have a nice life.”
“Hold on Jordan!” she heard Davina’s mother yell.
“What can I do for you?”
“What has Davina been lying about?”
“Too much to say in one short phone conversation, so I’ll give you the Cliff Notes version. She’s called my brother’s brutes, my sisters catty bitches, and my parents unsupportive of me and my lifestyle. She’s even said that my tough as nails mother is a complete pushover that can’t tell my father now and that she’s a spotlight hound. All of that is a lie. My parents have always been supportive, my brothers are only brutish if protecting one of their sisters, and my sisters are anything but catty. Now as I said, I’m going to bed, I’m tired. I need to get my rest for tomorrow.”
“We’re sorry for how Davina’s done you, Jordan”, Davina’s father said. “We had no idea.”
“Save it. I really don’t care how sorry you are for what Davina’s done. Take care of yours and I’ll take care of mine. And, believe me, by the time all is said and done you and Davina will be lucky to see either if the kids, let alone Jasmine. Now, you two have a nice life. Good bye”, Jordan said and hung up. She looked at her siblings who were all staring at her. “What?”
“Are you going soft, Jordan?” Meagan asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t lay into them like you normally would”, Makayla said.
“Kayla, I’m tired. I’ve had a hell of a day. I’ve found out that my wife has been lying about our family all these years. I’m filing for divorce and I’m training so that I can get revenge for the shit that bastard Grissom did to me. What about that isn’t exhausting?”
“Well, I can see where all of it is.”
“Exactly. Yeah, over the phone with my former in laws I was a little soft. Hell, when I was on the phone with Davina earlier, I was soft. But, when I saw her at the house I let her have it. My buzz had worn off and I wasn’t feeling as awesome as I had been when she called. I wasn’t kind either. Now, I’m going to bed. Reece should be here soon if what Mom and Dad hinted at over the phone earlier is true. He and I really need to talk about the kids and stuff like that.”
“So we’re finally going to meet the mysterious father of Levi and Jasmine?” James asked.
“Yes. You’re all finally going to meet my best kept secret.”
---------------
When David and Brie got up for the day, they prepared to take Reece to the airport to go home. The kids were melancholy, but they understood that Daddy had to go home and talk to Mama. They just weren’t happy about the fact that Daddy had to go home. “Why can’t we go too?” Jasmine asked.
“Because Mama is still dealing with heavy stuff. She’s still getting better from her broken leg”, Brie explained as she made breakfast.
Jasmine pouted. “That sucks, Gramma.”
Brie laughed at the pouting 5 year old. “I know, sweetheart. Believe me, I would love for you to be able to go see your Mama too, sweet girl.”
“You want to get rid of us?” Levi asked.
Brie laughed. “No, sweetie. I want you guys to be able to go home with Daddy to Mama and be happy. I know you kids are having fun here with me and Grampa, but you guys should be able to go back to school with your friends.”
“Are we going to have lessons while we’re here?” Levi asked.
David nodded as he sipped his coffee. “I talked to an old school friend of mine who is a retired teacher. He’s agreed to come over a few times a week to teach you two what you need to know for when you go back to school. Thankfully, school’s just getting started so, you’ll be fine. And from what I understand about you two, you’re both ahead of your classes anyway.”
“Yeah… the first half of the school year bores me, Grampa. It’s no fun unless it’s recess.”
“I understand that. You Mama was the same way, Uncle Jake, Aunt Maddie… most of your aunts and uncles as a matter of fact.”
“Did Mama and Uncle Jake skip a grade? Because Mama was talking about doing that with me.”
“Yes.”
“When did they skip?”
“Eighth grade, if I remember correctly.”
“Why don’t you two stop interrogating Gramma and Grampa and go wash for breakfast?” Reece said to his children. They stood and did what their Daddy said and Reece laughed. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. We deal with it every morning”, David said with a shrug.
“David, do you mind if I ask you a question that’s rather curious and a little nosy?”
“Depends on the question.”
“Whatever happened to that straight jacket and the leather pants from the ‘Prayer’ video?”
David chuckled. “Those damn pants and that damn straight jacket. Those items, along with a few of Danny’s guitars, Mikey’s drum kit, and a couple of John’s basses are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They also got a couple pairs of my labret jewelry and a few other things that I don’t remember.”
“Whoa. Pretty cool. I’ll have to stop by the Hall of Fame and check out the Disturbed exhibit one of these days.”
“They actually have two straight jackets. The one I wore in concert all the time and the one that I wore for the last show. They also have all of the jumpsuits I wore over the years.”
“Nice”, Reece said, nodding his head slowly. He sat at the little table and waited for Brie to give him his breakfast and he talked with David about this and that. As they all ate, the adults talked about the trip Reece was about to make and David and Brie gave him accurate descriptions of their children. “So, Jake’s not the raging ass that Davina described him to be.”
“Not in the least. He’s not the hot head Davina described him to be either. Of Jordan and Jacob, Jordan’s the one with the short fuse. Jake is extremely patient. I mean, if he wasn’t he wouldn’t be a Nobel Prize winning doctor, right?” Brie said with a smile.
Reece shrugged. “He sounded like he’s a nice guy over the phone last night.”
“Jacob is a very ‘nice guy’ but he doesn’t tolerate bull shit. None of my boys do, and you’re also going to have to face my sons in law as well as my boys.”
“How many does that total?”
“Seven. Meagan’s not married and Jessi’s husband lives here. The only two of my sons in law you’ll have to deal with are Maddie and Makayla’s husbands; Colton and Kylely, as well as Malachai, Jacob, James, Jeremiah and Marc”, David said.
“Any advice?”
“Show no fear”, David and Brie said in unison. “Had this happened the way it normally would have, you would have been invited to the house and met outside by the boys. Jake would have given you a stern talking to and told you the rules of how things were going to go down. You’d come in, meet us, and we’d sit down and talk. If you show the boys fear, they will have you for dinner with fava bean and a nice Chianti”, David continued.
“David, did you have to quote ‘Silence of the Lambs’?” Brie asked with a laugh.
“Yes I did.” He cracked a smile and winked at his wife as he ate. “Anyway, don’t let my boys intimidate you. There may be a lot of them, but they’re all really just a bunch of teddy bears.”
“Bears being the operative word?” Reece asked with a laugh.
“No”, Brie said. “Let me break it down for you like this. When you meet Jacob, look him dead in the eyes and shake his hand firmly. Speak clearly and confidently, like you did to David and I the night you met us. You don’t have to kiss Jake’s ass, but be confident and show it. Cocky will get you in deep shit with our boys, but so will meekness.”
“So don’t let them scare me and be confident?” Reece asked.
“Yeah, in a nutshell”, Brie said with a nod.
---------------
“Hey, Jake, have you figured out what you’re going to put in the note to Grissom?” Morbus asked when he came back in.
“I’ve been putting thought into it, but I haven’t gotten it written yet”, Jake responded. “Had to help the kids with lessons, ya know.”
“I understand. I remember the days of helping the kids with homework. I want to get this out tomorrow.”
“How are you sending it?”
“UPS same day delivery. I want him to know what his days are numbered as soon as we can get it to him.”
“Then I’ll go up to the office and type something up now”, Jake said with a grin.
As he stood, Delilah looked at him. “What’s going on, baby?”
“We’re going to mess with Mr. Grissom just a bit. Let him know that his days are numbered.”
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Hell yes. I want him to know that he fucked with the wrong group of people.”
Delilah’s eyes lit up with a smile. “Get him, baby.”
Jake pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be back shortly and we can finish this movie.”
“Sounds good to me. I wanted to get caught up in that sitcom I love to watch anyway. I love On Demand.” She picked up the remote and started looking for the show that she was talking about.
Jake shook his he and laughed as he headed up the stairs to his office. He sat down at his desk and tried to think of a sinister quote that would let Grissom know that he was still at the forefront of the minds of the Draiman family. When he couldn’t, he called Jeremiah. “‘Miah, I need a quote to let the bastard know we’re still thinking about him.”
Jeremiah was quiet for a moment. “Try this one on for size. ‘It is weakness rather than wickedness which renders men unfit to be trusted with unlimited power’, John Adams.”
Jake’s fingers flew over the keys as he typed the dictation from his brother. “How do you recall these things?”
“The quotes I retained from school are all just a part of the random madness inside my head.”
“Nice. Thanks, I think that one fits the message I’m going to send to Mr. Porter Grissom.”
“Jake, a piece of advice. Don’t talk too much and don’t sign it. Give him the quote, be short, sweet and to the point, and let it go.”
“Thanks ‘Miah.”
“No problem, Jake. Talk to you later, bro.”
Jeremiah hung up and Jake went back to typing. He took his brother’s advice and kept it short. He printed the message on a small note card and gave it Morbus. “Here you go, Morbus. Have fun.”
Morbus read the note and laughed. “I love the quote. It fits the situation that Grissom’s put himself in.”
“Jeremiah gave me the quote.”
“Leave it to a philosopher. Well, I’m going to go add this to everything we’re sending to the moron and I’ll let you know how as soon as it’s off.”
“Sounds good. I’m going back to the movie my wife and I were watching.” Jake sat down on the couch. “You’re not too busy watching this ridiculous sitcom are you, love?”
“No. I’ve seen this episode, anyway. It’s not as funny the third time through.”
“No kidding. So, movie and you’ll catch up on your show later?”
“Baby, as long as you’re curled up in the couch with me, I really don’t care what we watch.” The comment made Jake smile as he turned the movie back on and got comfortable
Morbus walked out and went back to his house. He was smiling to himself as he mounted the four wheeler and took off. He hoped that Grissom got the message loud and clear and that he got sloppy. Sloppy meant easy to track. Sloppy meant easy to find. And for Jordan, Grissom sloppy meant easy to kill. His greatest hope was that Grissom would make the mistake of coming back to Colorado so that it made killing him easier. The easier it was to kill him the easier it would be to clean up the mess behind Jordan.
Once he was out in his house, he put together the package that was going to go out first thing the next morning. He took great care in putting the ashes of the dead spy in a spill proof container, then placed the container in a small wooden box- the same one Grissom sent the original ashes to Jacob in to be exact. On top of the container the drivers’ license and the note the Jake wrote. He noticed that Jake didn’t sign it, so he did. He simply picked up a pen and scribbled his signature “M” on the small note card that held the note. He wanted Grissom to know exactly who had him in their crosshairs.
The package was ready. He was ready to send Grissom the message of a lifetime. And, unlike with Jake, there wasn’t going to be the shock of it coming through a child or finding out later whose ashes were in the box. He would know. That was Morbus’s shock factor. We found your spy and we killed her. It was that simple.
---------------
Jordan was having trouble sleeping. She couldn’t stop thinking about the things she’d learned that day and the different conversations with people associated with her soon to be ex wife. She’d no sooner relax than the conversation with Davina over the phone would start playing in her head. Or, the conversation with Reece.
Reece. Reece Tyson, the father of her children. He was on his way from Israel that night, and he’d meeting the rest of her family for the first time. From what she understood, the meeting with her parents went smoothly and once Reece was on the plane, Mom and Dad were going to call Jake with impressions. She hoped that they had nothing but good things to say because she knew that her parents impressions would dictate her brothers’ impressions.
Finally, she’d had enough of her mind bouncing from one topic to another. She couldn’t sleep because she couldn’t get her mind to be still. She finally got up and went downstairs. She was going to see if anyone was still up that might be able to give her some advice on how to get to sleep.
As she crested the top of the stairs, she heard the TV still on and heard soft talking. “Well, that’s good news. I’m glad that everything went well. If you’d given me a bad review he was going to get the third degree from us boys tomorrow when he arrived. So, now my question is where is he flying in to? Really? Private flight? Huh. That’s cool. How did he swing that? Oh, his agent. Now, what does this guy do again? Oh yeah. Ira thinks he’s the coolest skater out there. Yeah, your grandson is starting to take an interest in skating. He even wants to keep his hair long like Uncle Marc, but he wants to keep his curls. I told him I’d think about it.” There was a chuckle. “Alright Dad, I shall pull the boys together and we will play nice with Mr. Tyson. You told him what?” An outright laugh issued forth. “Really? With Fava beans and a nice Chianti, huh? I’m glad you and Mom never let us watch that movie as kids because it would have caused horrible nightmares. But, too agree with Marc, it is an Occult Classic. Well, I need to carry Delilah to bed. She passed out with her head in my lap. Yeah, I’ll probably be up a little while longer, why? Alright. I’ll see if she’s up and have her call. But, why do I need to be awake for that? Oh. Well, that makes sense. Ok, I’ll be down present for the phone call if she wants to make it. Ok, talk to you in a little while then, Dad. Bye.”
Jordan chuckled as she made her way down the stairs. “I take it that it’s a good thing that I can’t sleep tonight, huh?” she asked.
Jake looked up from where he was sitting on the couch. “You heard that did you?”
“I heard your end and drew a conclusion. Mom and Dad want me to call the kids, huh?”
“Yeah. Jasmine is freaking out over something.”
“That poor baby. I would love to be able to hold her and comfort her, but the very document I’m using against Davina prohibits it.”
“So, you’re really going through with the divorce?”
“Sure am. She was talking all kinds of trash about you, the rest of our siblings, Mom and Dad… and she went unchecked until now.”
“So, if you’re at peace with the decision, Jord, why are you still awake?”
The question made sense. “I don’t know, Jake. I can’t get my mind to be quiet. I keep hearing the different conversations I’ve had through the day.”
Jake nodded. “Restless. I understand. I think you need to talk your kids. That might just help you sleep.”
She nodded. “We shall see, Jake. Take Lilah to bed. I’ll wait here for you to come back.”
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