Agon (16 page)

Benny came toward them, and he knew
that there was more bad news. His face told Agon that he was going
to have to hold on to his temper that was showing itself more as
they waited here. When Benny said her name, Judith grabbed his hand
like a lifeline and Agon pulled her into his arms again.

“
There are some things I’d
like to ask you. I’m not sure you would know, but I have to ask.”
She nodded, and Benny looked at Agon. “It’s not pretty. We’ve
found…there was another vault in his bedroom that we discovered
quite by accident.”

“
He did it.” When Agon
looked at Judith when she didn’t continue, she buried her face in
his neck. “They found some pictures of children. And…souvenirs as
well. Clothing and…and things from little boys. Jerry has been
collecting things for years and years.”

It took Agon a few seconds to get what
she was saying. And when he did, he felt his belly lurch. A man who
did this was beyond anything he’d ever encountered. When Benny
continued explaining to Judith what they’d found and wondered if by
any chance had she been a victim as well, Agon reached for
Boss.

I cannot…I need You. I
cannot think what to say to her in her need.
Boss didn’t say anything, and Agon felt his heart break, not
for him but for Judith.
He has hurt so
many, and there are so many that he…why would he be allowed to live
with so many people aching from his ways?

I’m so sorry, Agon. I know
that you hurt for the children, but this will bring them peace. To
know that he will be getting what he deserved.
It wasn’t enough, and Boss seemed to know it.
For now, Judith needs you more than you need
answers. I’m sorry, My son, but this is something that had to be
done.

I do not understand. How
can we allow this to happen? How can…he has murdered them, the
children that may have gone on to bigger and brighter
things.
Boss agreed and told him again how
sorry He was.
I don’t want your sorrow. I
want justice.

Anger boiled from him, and he had to
back away from Judith to get some control over it. When she looked
at him, Agon knew that he’d hurt her, but he didn’t know how to
control his feelings.

“
You won’t hurt him.” He
nodded, and Judith shook her head. “No, you won’t. Even if you were
to go out and kill him with your bare hands, what justice do you
think it will give to them? You think it will give you satisfaction
to know that you’ve rid the world of this monster? It won’t. Not
anything will but his own demise, legally and publicly. And only by
the courts’ system will anyone get satisfaction from
this.”

“
Did you know that he was
doing this?” As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew that he’d
made a mistake. “I am so sorry, love. I did not—”

“
Get away from me.” He
reached for her again only to be shoved back. “You touch me again
and…you think that had I known this was going on I wouldn’t have
done something? Anything to save these children? You ask if I
knew…did I know what he was doing here, and then call me ‘love’ in
the same breath? Fuck you. Fuck you to hell and back.”

As she moved away from him, Riss
stopped him from going after her. He tried to push him out of the
way but only succeeded in making him laugh. Finally, giving up for
now, he asked him what he was doing.

“
She will need time to
cool off, I think.” Riss looked over his shoulder at Judith, then
back at him before continuing. “What did you say to her that would
have her so angry?”

“
I asked her if she knew
what her uncle was doing. And Boss is mad as well. He…I cannot
understand why He’d let this happen and not stop it.” Riss nodded
but didn’t say anything. “I have messed up horribly with her. She
will never forgive me.”

“
I would think you deserve
it if she does not.” Agon felt his heart break a little more. “You
have done her a grave injustice by thinking she would not do
something about this. And Boss as well. I believe what you have
done today is ‘bat a thousand.’ Would you care to try to beat your
record?”

“
I will need to make it up
to her.” Riss nodded but didn’t move. “Have you hurt Kala in such a
way?”

“
No. And I do not plan to
either. Not that you planned this, but you did hurt her all the
same. I have heard that groveling works well. And diamonds and
chocolate. I know not what they have in them that makes a woman
swoon, but Kala has said that it is the way to a woman’s heart.”
Agon decided to have a conversation with Kala, but Riss was shaking
his head. “You tell Kala what you did and you will have two women
that hate you. She is very protective of the young
woman.”

“
But what am I do to?” He
hurt. His heart did as well as his body for what he’d done to his
one and only love. “I will buy the store out of each item if
necessary, but I do not know how to give it to her, and grovel,
too, if she has no wish to see me.”

Riss told him he had no idea and then
left him. A cheer went up around the hole they were digging, and he
found he no longer cared what they found. Agon had to think of how
to rectify what he’d done. He thought of Lily and asked her if he
could see her. In a few minutes, he was with her at the
compound.

“
I have messed up badly.
Not just with Boss, which is bad enough, but with Judith. I have
done the unforgiveable.” He told her what he’d said and what Riss
had suggested. “What do I need to do? Please help me.”

“
I do not think chocolates
will work with your Judith. She is more of a practical girl. I
would say to get her some, but not a house full. Diamonds?” She
smiled at him, and he thought he might be in more trouble. “Have
you given her a ring yet? To tell her how much you love
her?”

“
I have not. Should I?”
She put out her hand in answer and he looked at the large blue
diamond on her finger. “I should find someone to help me with this.
I have no idea what she would like. I should buy her a diamond mine
and let her choose the cut and color she wants.”

“
You think like a man.” He
didn’t understand her since he was indeed a man, but said nothing
as she laughed. “You think that a few baubles will make things
right, when they will only help but not mend her broken heart. What
you need to do is think of something that would please her. Not
something that would get you off the hook.”

“
Hook?” She nodded, and
Agon shook his head. “I think it would be better had I been
watching Riss’s worms for all these years. Them I know how to
please. A bit of compost and a little water and they are
happy.”

“
What are Judith’s compost
and water?”

He started to tell her that Judith was
not a worm, but he realized what she was asking him. “She makes the
most amazing jams and jellies. It is her hope, I think, to have a
shop of her own, selling her wears and gifts. Kala told me once
that she’d talked to her and that was what made her gush.” He
thought about Judith and her needs harder. “She has no confidence
in her abilities either. She believes them to be horrors placed
upon her when she had no choice.”

“
Benny would love to keep
her on full time. I think she enjoys working with him.” Agon
nodded. “And you are right about her cooking. I would buy nothing
else if I could. But she said she has no room to make all that I
use. Apple jam is next on her list. As are grapes and
peaches.”

“
She needs her own
gardens. Larger than a few rows along the building.” He thought of
the orchards that he’d seen as a protector and wondered how one
would purchase a farm. Agon looked at Lily when she handed him a
paper.

“
This is on the market now
and ready to be purchased for the man who would have the cash. I
was bringing it to Judith to show her, but I think you might be
better off with it now. What do you think? Is this her compost?”
The article told of a large farm that was going to be sold as soon
as possible. “It has a large home that has not been renovated in
some time, several out buildings, as well as a production building.
I have not seen it as yet, but there are over four thousand acres
that come with it. The land is covered in trees, an orchard as a
matter of fact. There are also grapes, as well as a few other
gardens. I have heard that there is also an herb garden that needs
to be repaired.”

“
It is perfect.” He read
the rest of the article and wondered how to do this. “I need
someone who knows about such things. I would like to surprise her
with it, but I know…Boss would know.”

“
But He is angry with you,
you told me.” Agon nodded but knew that He’d help. There was never
anyone as forgiving as Him. “Are you going there now?”

“
Yes.” Nodding again, he
looked at Lily. “I cannot thank you enough. You have helped me when
I thought all was lost.”

“
You’ll get this and when
you do, I’d like to be there when you grovel to her. It’s the next
best thing to diamonds to some women.”

Kissing her on the cheek, he went to
see Boss. As much as he knew he’d be forgiven, he also knew that it
would not be easy. He’d been horrid to the people he loved and Agon
was going to grovel as much as it took.

“
My Lord, I wish
forgiveness and Your help.” It wasn’t the best way to say he was
sorry, but he needed Judith to not be mad at him. “I should like
for You to forgive me and to help me make it up to Judith as well.
I need Your help now more than I ever have.”

Chapter 9

Walking along the deer path, Judith
let the tears fall. It had been a horrific morning and now Agon
thought she’d leave small boys to be killed. As much as she wanted
to go back and strangle him, she knew that deep down he didn’t
really believe it, but it didn’t make it hurt any less.

“
You should know that I
have spoken to him.” She looked at Boss when He spoke. The man
could pop in and out of her life like a ghost. “I am sorry as
well.”

“
Sorry for what?” He
walked with her for a few more minutes when they came upon a large
bulldozer working. “They’re finding all the bodies now. I have only
had to point out one or two, but they’re getting them all now. It’s
really depressing to think that someone could be so evil and
yet…and yet give the appearance that he is as sane as anyone. I
wish I would have known sooner.”

“
You have done well and
all that you could, my dear.” She didn’t think so but said nothing.
“The young boys, I’m very sorry about them. I knew, of course, but
as all things…. Agon is very upset with Me as well. He thinks I
should have stepped in and stopped it. I told him that…. But he has
come to Me on another matter, and we are now all right again. He is
very passionate about his love for you.”

“
As I am him. But You
can’t do it all.” He looked at her and smiled. “I talked with Kala.
She said You are looking more and more exhausted all the time. How
do You keep this all from falling down around Your
ears?”

“
It falls a great deal,
I’m afraid.” The dozer stopped moving, and several men made their
way to the area. “They have found yet another. Some they will never
find, sadly. And others still will never be known. I think that
sadder than anything that has happened here.”

“
I want to walk the
grounds when this is all over. Maybe I can find a few of them on my
own. Benny said he’d help me.” Boss nodded but as they watched, two
bodies were brought out of the earth, not one. “I’m going to work
with him more, too. The commissioner is retiring next term, and
Benny said he’s going to run. I think he’s a great person for that
position.”

“
He is.” She started
walking again when the bulldozer’s engine roared to life and
started to move the earth from the ground to an awaiting truck.
“Will you forgive Agon? I have never seen him so distracted
before.”

“
I have. I…he hurt me
badly, too. I know that he is under some stress, but he should have
a better care as to what he says. But as I have said, we’ve
talked.” Boss said nothing, and she was glad. She didn’t want
anyone defending Agon right now. She wanted to bask in her anger
just a little longer.

“
He asked me to marry him.
He said that You were the one to make it right. I’m not sure what
that means, but he seemed to be excited about it.”

“
I will make it official,
but you are wed in My eyes. I have something for the two of you,
and you will soon see a difference in yourself. You have markings
now that you didn’t have before.” She had seen the small gold crest
that morning and told him. “It will change the day I pronounce you
man and wife. You’ll be a part of my Mystic Protectors. Do you know
what they are?”

“
Kala and Riss are ones.
They said they are trainers of the new protectors. I don’t know
what You think I can do to help, but I’ll do what I can.” He smiled
at her. “You know, I don’t care much for that look. It tells me I’m
in for a long, bumpy ride and my ass is going to bruise until I
learn to flow with it.”

“
You have an odd way of
putting things, but you are correct. You will be better off just
going with the flow. Sometimes it is for the best when you do. I
will help you when you need it, but I do not see the necessity of
it. You are going to be fine.” He laughed a little. “I think you
will be surprised at how much you can contribute. You are a very
brilliant woman. Others, not just protectors or mystics, will come
to you for advice.”