Secrets of the Past, Shatana Dindore [romance novel chinese novels txt] 📗

Prologue

Glendale, Texas

July 14, 2006

A slight breeze blew across the small west Texas town, giving those outside on this hot, July day a moment of relief from the searing heat. The sounds of children playin in the water could be heard in the distance. One woman barely noticed the breeze, the heat or the sounds as she absentmindedly wipe sweat from her forehead and stapled a flyer to the last telephone pole on the block. She had a mission and she wanted to be finished before the sun went down. She knew what came out at night in this town and how corrupt the child welfare system was Soon, everyone would know just how corrupt it was. The woman walked down the block to where her car was parked, not noticing the man walking behind her, stopping to read the flyer she had just put up. He smiled at what he read and knew he had found someone else to help him with his plan. A plan that had been building for twenty five years. He memorized the name and phone number written on the flyer and walked away toward his car. He started the car when the woman’s name clicked in his mind. Her children had been part of the recent thirteen children to disappear. He quickly drove away, praying that it was not already to late to get her to join him and those that were helping him fight an evil no one had seen before.

Two years later

The man sat behind his desk, staring at the man and two women seated before him. He was not happy with these three who worked for him. His piercing blue eyes seemed to stare right through them and into their souls, searching for their deepest secrets and the man fought not to run screaming from the room. He had seen what the other man could do to those that did not do as they were ordered. He still remembered the screams and all the blood from the man who had been here before him. He shuddered and tried not to show his fear as he looked back at his boss.
David stared at the three people in front of him and sighed. “I want to know what happened with this case. I was told it was all but finished, that the judge would rule in our favor. Now I find out that the children were reunited with their family. Someone messed up and I want to know who.”
The younger man cleared his throat. “Sir, all we know so far is that the judge had a visit with a man and woman this morning before the hearing. Our sources tell us after this meeting, he came out of his chambers looking a little shaken. No one can seem to find out what happened during that meeting, but we are still questioning him.”
David glared at him then slammed his fist down on the desk, causing the three to jump. “I want to talk to this judge myself. Bring him to me tonight. Now, I understand that there is some group going around advising people how to keep DCP from entering their homes and taking their children. I want to know who these people are and I want them taken care of. Am I clear?”
One of the women nodded. “Yes sir, I will get right on that.”
David nodded and stood. He turned toward the window behind him. “You three know what ya’ll are to do. You are dismissed.”
The three quickly left the office, relieved that they were not being punished. All of them had seen just what could happen if they displeased their boss too much. David grinned as he stared out the window. He had known how afraid they were of them. He could smell their fear and it was sweet. He really wanted to know who was working against him and the man he worked for. He wanted to crush them, to hear them scream as he crushed their bones, and tortured them. He smiled at the thought. Anyone passing by the window would have shuddered if they had seen that smile. It was full of evil.


The big, black panther sniffed the air and growled from behind the bushes where she was hiding. Slowly three adults and two children stepped out from the bushes and quickly headed to the van parked in front of the house they had come out of. The panther kept alert for any dangers as she followed slowly behind. Satisfied that the coast was clear, she jumped into the van and it sped off.
Robert looked over at the panther and grinned. “Almost done, then you can rest.”
The panther just stared at him with her violet eyes and Robert was glad she was on their side. He looked into the rearview mirror and found the eyes of the other man. “Do you know what to do once you get to your next stop?”
The man nodded. He was about to speak when Robert stopped him. “I don’t need you to tell me. Call me paranoid but the people we are up against would do anything. For all we know they have put a bug on this van.”
The panther’s eyes went wide, and Robert softly smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s just a precaution. The less said the better.”
An hour later, Robert and the panther watched an airplane take off and both sighed with relief. They had saved another family from being torn apart. They walked back to the van, where the panther slowly changed and Alexis stood in it’s place. She clinched her teeth at the pain she had grown use to over the years and sighed. She quickly dressed and climbed into the front seat. She looked over at Robert. “You honestly think they might have planted a bug on the van without us noticing?”
Robert sighed. “You know how evil these people are. With them anything is possible. After I drop you at home, I am going to get rid of this van. By morning there will be no trace of it anywhere.”
Alexis nodded. She yawned and laid her head against the window. She was exhausted. For the last three days, they had secretly gotten families out of town. Families that had been investigated for neglect or children abuse, when their only crime was living below the poverty level. She knew the anxiety and fear these families went through. She had lived through it four years previously and had sworn then no other families would go through it just because they had no money to fight a corrupt system.
She jumped out of the van when Robert pulled in front of her house. She looked at him through the open window and grinned. “We did good tonight. Be careful. David and the others who work for him are trying hard to find out who we are.”
Robert nodded and pulled away. Alexis watched him until the taillights on the van had disappeared, then went into her house where her Aunt Clara was sitting on the couch watching television and waiting as she had done for several years. Alexis took a moment to stare at the older woman who had been her mother and father all in one since she was six years old. Clara was fifty five but a stranger could easily mistake her for early forties. Her dark brown hair had no trace of gray and her face was unlined. Alexis smiled as the other woman looked at her. “Well, we got another family off safely. Robert went to get rid of the van. He thinks it might be bugged and doesn’t want to take any chances.”
Clara nodded. “Probably for the best. Come sit down. I have something to tell you.”
Alexis walked over and sat on the couch beside Clara, seeing the worry in the other woman’s blue eyes. “What’s going on?”
Clara sighed and looked away. “The doctor called today with my test results. I have stage four ovarian cancer. He says its inoperable but maybe with radiation and chemotherapy, I can beat it.”
Alexis stared in shock at her aunt. She felt as if someone had punched her in the throat and for a moment she could not speak. She felt the tears spring up behind her eyes but pushed them back and swallowed around the lump that had formed in her throat. “Well, we can get a second opinion. Maybe the doctor is wrong.”
Clara shook her head and took Alexis’ hand. “I have already gone to a specialist. I know this is a shock, but I am not worried. I will fight this just as I have everything else life has thrown at me.”
Alexis nodded. Clara had gone through a lot in her life from living with abusive parents, to two abusive ex-husbands then losing her brother, Alexis’ dad sixteen years previously. Alexis let go of her aunt’s hand and stood. “I am making some coffee. Would you like any?”
Clara shook her head. “No, thanks. I think I am going to bed and read for awhile. It has been a long day. Don’t stay up to late.”
Alexis nodded and walked into the kitchen. She could not shake the feeling that things were about to get a whole lot worse.

A man stepped from the shadow of a tree in Alexis’ backyard and sighed. He had been sent to watch over the young lady and he wasn’t sure it was a good idea. He was suppose to remain impartial to those he kept a look out for, but there was something about the young woman that told him this could turn out to be more than just another assignment.


Chapter One
February 1, 2010
Libertyville, Utah

Alexis pulled the last of her ancestors journals from the box and set them on top of the book shelf in the living room. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and stood to survey her work and sighed. She had moved to Utah two weeks ago and finally had everything unpacked. She was glad her new job didn’t start for a week. She planned to use that time to read the journals and try to find away to defeat those she knew in her heart had killed her aunt.
Clara had died two months ago in the hospital of the ovarian cancer, at least that is what the doctors told her, but Alexis knew better. There was evil in this world and she planned to get rid of it without dying. Her ancestors had tried for centuries and all had failed, but Alexis planned to win. Even if it meant she would die too. She pushed a strand of hair from her face and picked up the empty box and walked out of her bedroom, to