Dragon Girl

Part 30 End Game

By Sundayafternoon, Toliver was "deeply in love" with Ellen Girardeau.Ellen, of course felt the same, but she idolized him before theystarted "dating". Neither of them seemed worried that the depthof their emotions happened in only two days. At dinner Sunday night,with Janey listening in on Ellen's mind, Tomas Toliver told her theentire plan, including where the supplies were located, and that itwas mostly Simenski's idea.

"Oh, Tomas, youcan't. If not for all the girls, think of poor Janey. She isn't arich brat ... she just found the hope that money can give. Mr. Frostis probably the only one who could pay the entire forty milliondollar ransom and then some, but ... Tomas I know your heart ... Ican't believe you would harm all those people." Ellen pleadedwith him.

"I don'tintend to harm anyone ... it's Simenski who is the terrorist. Irealize now he was only using me ... he doesn't care about me ...not like you do, Ellen."

"Oh, Tomas itwould break my heart for you to die or go to jail."

"What can I do?Everything is in place; we even have the basement under theceremonial room wired already."

"The Award Dayisn't until a week from Saturday ... turn yourself in ... turnState's Evidence against Simenski."

"If he finds outI've ratted him out he'll kill me himself."

"The authoritieswill hide you from him."

"I don't trustthe police ..."

Just then Janeyand her body guard walked in and to the table next to them.

"Janey what areyou doing here alone?" Ellen asked.

"Meeting my dad.He has an hour to spend with me before he has to go back to work, sohe asked me to have dinner here with him. And I'm not alone ... Ihave my shadow." She said with derision and thumbed at the bodyguard.

"Your fatheronly wants to make sure you are safe, Janey. On duty she's notallowed to talk much, always listening and looking." Ellen tried tosoothe.

"Well, she canwatch and listen just as easily from the vantage of sharing the tablewith me and acting like she's alive instead of a robot. She creepsme out!"

Ellen turned toMiss Gerald. "Please, your hovering is making her uncomfortable;couldn't you act more like a friend?"

Amanda sat andtook off her dark glasses.

"My name isAmanda, Janey. I can act under cover until your father gets here thenI'm back to the shadows."

"It's justthat before he adopted me, anyone hanging around not talking to mewas a danger so you stalking me is creepy."

Toliver askedJaney "How long have you lived with Mr. Frost?"

"Only fiveyears, I had just turned eleven when mom signed off on me."

"You knew yourparents?"

"Not my dad, hewas killed in some foreign land when I was two, it unhinged my mom soI bounced in and out of foster care for the next nine years. When shewas holding it together they gave me back to her when she'd lose itI was in foster care."

"You poor dear..." Ellen said holding to Toliver's hand.

"I grew up fastis all. I love my mom but she's completely over the edge now,she'll never come out of the cracker factory. But not only did Mr.Frost adopt me he's taking care of her in one of his own hospitals.He's got some new ideas about psychology and the trials are verypromising. Not drugs but other therapies that are non invasive."

"How did he findyou?" Toliver asked.

"NationalSpelling Bee. I was the second runner up of the entire nation when Ispelled Constantinople at the age of six. The news release gave someof my history and he told my mom he'd been following me all thattime, he paid some of her bills when we couldn't. She told me itwas an angel. Yeah, an angel named Magnus Frost. She had to beheavily medicated to be calm when he offered to adopt me, but theymade sure she understood what he was asking."