The Guardian Awaits
The Mirage: Fata Morgana
Chapter
One
Undercover
agent, Colin Chase Rand had spent a week with his family who had come to visit
him in Duluth before he left the area.
His
mother had always wanted to stay at the historic Fitger’s along the shores of
Lake Superior. His father, as always, was accommodating to her wishes. She was
thrilled with the stunning lake-view room they’d reserved.
His
brother, Rick, was there for a few days but had to return before the week was
up. They were short-handed at the fire station and he had to return to work.
His mother and sister, Ilene, took advantage of the hotel spa and lots of
shopping.
It
was extremely relaxing. He’d been on guard, on high alert for so long he’d
practically forgotten how to relax.
His
good friends, Keoni and Lizette, came to share the last day with him and his
family. It was awesome to have all of them together before he headed out of
state to the next assignment.
The
shaky goodbyes and the hugs filled him with happiness and love. He had one hell
of a family. Colin knew how lucky he was to have them.
With
his family, Keoni, and Lizette in the rearview mirror, Colin left Locke Bay
satisfied he’d done the best job under the extenuating circumstances.
It
was hard saying goodbye, not knowing if all would go well with his next
assignment. It was something he learned to accept and live with. He was close
to his family and, at times, it was extremely difficult to be without them,
especially during the holidays, or missing birthdays.
Or,
when Lizette put the gun to his head. All he could think of was how much he’d
miss his family; how it’d break his parent’s hearts if she pulled the trigger.
Keoni
Nani and Lizette Hill are two of the best friends a person could have. They’d
met under the most unusual circumstances. When he’d first met Lizette, he
didn’t trust her, knew she was hiding something. She was, absolutely without a
doubt.
Funny
how things turned out sometimes, he ended up knowing she and Keoni would always
have his back.
Usually,
when he completed a job, he left it all behind, but those two will be lifetime
friends.
After
Keoni’s initial shock of discovering that Colin and Lizette were undercover FBI
agents, he had their back. Normally, the job would’ve been over and assigned
somewhere else. It wasn’t quite how it worked out and Colin was satisfied with
the outcome.
Keeping
their secrets from the Mafia and keeping them from the FBI wasn’t much
different. Occasionally, there was a bit of guilt that bubbled up. Neither one
of them coughed up the information to the higher echelons.
Colin smiled to himself. And boy, the two of
them were a bundle of fun. It broke the high stress of being undercover and
wondering if he’d see the next morning.
It
was his mother’s expression when he announced he’d joined the FBI as an
undercover agent.
It
took a few moments before she finally said, “I’m proud of you, son, but what
happens when you wake up dead because of some sicko or felon killing you?”
He
hugged her. There was nothing else he could do except give empty reassurances.
He
had a four-week vacation under his belt, and he intended to take the whole four
weeks. One week with his family and the rest would be a nice ride to Florida by
way of the New England coast.
It’d
be the first break he’d had in well over three years. Colin planned on taking
small hops and playing tourist before he hit all the waves on the Rhode Island
coast. He may even put his board in at Ruggles Rd.
Once
he tackled those breakers, he’d be on his way to the next town, the next
adventure, and the next undercover position in a small, obscure, and relatively
unknown town in Florida.
He
drove on the scenic roads and avoided the highways. He smiled as he enjoyed the
drive looking at the open land, the cows, corn, soy, more corn, and oh, look!
Cows.
A
few hours later, it was time for him to charge the car, and take his first stop
at Spring Green. He’d heard about the House on the Rock for years and never
managed to get there to see it until now.
The
hotel room was typical. Colin leaned his head back in the chair and looked out
the window wondering what it would be like to live in Florida.
He
sure wouldn’t have to worry about driving and shoveling snow anymore. That will
be nice.
He
headed next door to the restaurant, grabbed a meal to go, and some Danish for
his breakfast. The next morning, after he toured the House on the Rock, Colin
headed southeast. Colin put it in auto-drive, looked at his itinerary, and
played around on the radio. Preferring side roads instead of busy highways, he
meandered through the countryside lost in his thoughts.
The
long road had multiple mirages. The weather had been wacky lately, most likely
causing all the mirages. He always thought they were like chasing a rainbow. No
matter how close a person gets to it, it was always just beyond their reach. He
recalled a long-ago memory with his mother.
She’d
taken his hand. “Look. Colin. The end of the rainbow is right in our backyard.
Watch what happens as we move closer.”
He’ll
never forget that day. It withdrew from them as they moved toward it, but when
they walked back to the house, they turned to look again. He expected it to be
gone. Colin stood in awe. The rainbow glistened and beckoned to him.
Passing
through Genoa City, a few miles from the Wisconsin and Illinois border, a
stunning illusion of a mirage was on the road in front of him. The lights and
colors were bending upward. The air was shimmering, similar to the northern
lights. He stared, mesmerized by the sight.
The
closer he got, the bigger it appeared. The road lifted upward, reaching
skyward, creating an impression that the countryside was floating.
There
were horses and people hovering in the air. He wanted to reach his hand out and
pet the horses.
As
he drove closer to the phenomenon, the more it wavered. Within seconds it
morphed from within his reach to beyond the horizon and then back again. It was
enchanting.
“Was
it King Arthur’s sister, Morgan? Is she the one that had magical powers and
could pull castles into thin air?”
Siri answered him, Morgan le Fay was King Arthur’s sister who lured sailors to their
deaths by summoning visions in the sky. She created large objects to flow
upward confusing the sailors, prompting claims of sighting the Flying Dutchman.
A tale among the sailors, the ghost ship was cursed to sail the seas for
eternity.
Colin
held the steering wheel, watching as he entered the mirage. “Fata Morgana.”
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