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By Root 835 0

who gate-crashed Kathryn’s surprise birthday party to ask for our help, which we all agreed to give, after which we sat around for months waiting to see what she wanted us to do, that president? Now, because the timing is right for her, never mind us, she sent you here with a box that you aren’t allowed to show us unless we agree to go to . . . dare I use the term, work, unless we all agree to work for an agency that doesn’t exist and does not have an address? In addition to that, there is a mystery slush fund that will pay us whatever we want to charge. And you, Lizzie, will monitor those monies out of another mystery fund. It appears we would have no say in the . . . job . . . the venture . . . whatever you want to call it. Oh, I almost forgot, we would . . . if we take on this little . . . whatever it is . . . report directly to the president, who has approval from every agency that has initials in this cockamamy city. Did I get all that right?” Annie asked, looking around at the Sisters, whose heads were bobbing up and down.

“That’s a pretty accurate summary, Annie,” Lizzie drawled.

“Well then, count me in and show me what’s in that damn box,” Annie said gleefully. She smacked her hands together to drive home her acceptance of the situation.

Lizzie looked around at the others until she came to Myra, who was smiling from ear to ear. It was clear the others were not going to raise their hands until they saw what their fearless leader was going to do. Myra raised her arm as high as it would go.

Charles sighed and leaned back in his chair.

Lizzie reached behind her, picked up the blue box with the presidential seal, and set it squarely in the middle of the table.

“Are you absolutely sure you want to commit to this, girls? Show me your hands again.”

Seven hands shot high in the air.

The Sisters leaned in toward the table and watched as Lizzie popped open the top and sat back in her chair.

“Bloody hell!” The words exploded from Charles’s mouth like bullets.

“It’s the gold shields!” Nikki said in awe. She quickly counted them. “There are fourteen,” she said.

“One is new. It seems Jack Emery took one of the originals off an agent and gave it to Ted Robinson when the agent got overly forceful and ruptured Ted’s spleen. The president said Mr. Robinson could keep it as a memento and should be issued a new one.”

Annie was beside herself as she tried to figure out how to wear the shiny shield that would give her immunity all over the world. “What do you think, girls? Hang it from a chain, get a special belt and let it dangle? It’s too big for a bracelet. I don’t think a lapel pin will do it. It’s too big,” she babbled as she blew on it, then tried to shine it even more on the sleeve of the sweater she was wearing.

“They are not for show, Annie. But you are to carry them with you. It’s carte blanche for all of you. All of you meaning Jack, Bert, Harry, Ted, and Espinosa. Maggie makes the number thirteen. The president didn’t want any of you to feel unlucky with that number, so there is one extra shield for Judge Easter, for a total of fourteen shields.”

The silence in the dining room was so total, Charles shook his head as though his ears were stuffed up. He watched as the Sisters chose their solid gold shields and stared at them, mesmerized at what they meant.

“They’re very heavy,” Annie said.

“And shiny,” Myra said.

“The guys are going to love these,” Nikki said.

“Ted can make matching bookends with his someday if he mounts them on plaques,” Maggie said as she stared at her own gold shield.

“Harry does not like jewelry. He will say he does not need this. I will convince him otherwise. Two to a family is very nice. His and hers,” Yoko said.

“I wish I had had this a long time ago,” Kathryn said, so quietly the others had to strain to hear what she was saying.

“But then you wouldn’t be sitting here with all of us,” Nikki said. “I like it. I mean, I really like it.”

Isabelle stared down at the badge she was holding. “I feel like Kathryn does. I wish I had had this back . . . But now is just as good a time as any