Page 23 of Controlled Chaos

Chapter 13

The office was exactlyhow I’d imagined only the furniture was oversized to accommodate Thaddeus Foster’s taller stature. A long cherry wood desk near the window had a killer view, overlooking the property as if everything on the island was his to rule. Tall bookcases lined one of the walls. All of the books looked like first editions. Only one or two spines were broken but those titles appeared to be well used. A table on one side was surrounded by four leather chairs. On the opposite end of the room a taller table held a model version of the compound.

“Wow, this is great.” Porter approached the model and leaned down to get a better look.

I could see the section we were in with the main housing area, but off in the distance, in the same location where we crossed the clearing, was another building. This one was huge, like a domed stadium, and around it was another compound similar to the one we were in.

“That’s a big expansion,” I whispered.

“I know. We’re all very excited about it.”

I squatted to get a better look to see if there were building names or any indication what was going in those places. “What exactly do you intend to do in that huge building?”

“Change the world.” Wanda’s eyes sparkled like she meant it.

Porter and I exchanged a covert look with each other.

“No, really, Mom.” Porter stood up and gestured to the dome. “What are you going to do in there?”

“Hold the graduations, give seminars. Make the world a better place. We have big plans, and we have room to grow.”

“Sounds great, Mom.” Porter’s tone was less than enthusiastic. “Are you sure that your program proceeds can afford a place like that?”

“Of course, silly. Contributions are rolling in. We wouldn’t have started clearing the property if we didn’t have the funding secured.”

“Who designed it?” I asked, moving around the table taking in the foundation plans.

“Thaddeus designed the whole thing. He has a double major in engineering and psychology and minored in chemistry. He practically helped design and build every section on the island. So much has changed since your little incident, Porter.”

“You and Porter’s dad did a great job raising him through his troubled years. He probably wouldn’t be as successful as he is if it weren’t for his loving parents.”

Wanda’s smile slowly fell. “We did all we could.”

“It must have been hard raising Porter and Dakota as a single mom after your husband’s death.”

Wanda’s eyes flashed with something I couldn’t read. Her voice turned somber and lost all of its excitement. “It was. I’m thankful every day that Thaddeus stepped in to be a positive role model.”

Her clouded eyes cleared. “If you’ll excuse me. I need to get back to the others.”

She gestured with her hand toward the door, ushering us out.

“I’m sorry if I brought up hurtful memories,” I said.

“It’s fine. Their father was a good man and should be remembered.” Wanda’s tone was full of conviction as she led us down the steps to rejoin the others drinking their after-dinner tea.

“Did you notice her demeanor when talking about my dad,” Porter said, taking my hand and moving me across the room to talk in private.

I turned my back on the room to face Porter. “I don’t know what secret sauce your step-daddy is putting in the Kool-Aid, but something just isn’t right, and it’s not just the murder.”

Porter rubbed his hand over his face and let out an aggravated sigh. “So, you agree?”

“Yeah,” I answered. “I’m beginning to understand why they don’t let visitors on the island. I wouldn’t be surprised if they sacrifice virgins into a volcano.”

“That’s reason enough for me to stay no matter if you leave. I’ll just have to fight off the advances and try to get to the bottom of things. Let me go find Edward to see about getting you transportation out of here.”

Porter started to head for Edward across the room when I touched his arm, stopping him. This was a colossal mistake in the making. “I’ll stay to ward off the women, but only if we’re vigilant about danger.”

“You have my word,” he answered.

Something in the pit of my stomach told me I was going to regret that offer. But I was on an island in the middle of nowhere, and Porter might be warding off any psychics, seers, or abilities that Carlos was using to pinpoint my location. If he didn’t know where I was, he couldn’t get on the island to kill me, right?

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