The Fifth Prophecy

The Fifth Prophecy

By Marie Everett

The Fifth Prophecy would not have been possible if not for

My wonderful family for their love and support with valuable assistance from

Maddie Kimmel, Troy VanderPool, Candace Cruz and my new readers

Thank you all so much!

Text copyright © 2012 by Patricia L. Parnell writing as Marie Everett

Smashwords Edition/All Rights Reserved

Smashwords Edition License Notes: This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away. If you wold like to share this book with someone, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

CHAPTER ONE

Whoa, Nellie! That just never gets old.

Is that prime or what?

Jackie Foster lounged on the hotel’s leather sofa, idly listening to the conversation as she debated the merits of breakfast now or after a walk on the beach.

I don’t think I’d ever get tired of it.

It just has to be illegal, but, my goodness, it’s sure good for the heart and soul.

That was an odd comment to make. Jackie leaned into the back of the sofa and continued eavesdropping on the conversation.

"Maybe they should reconsider their advertising. If they’d put that in the brochure…"

Oh, my God, they wouldn’t be able to handle the business that would pour in.

What the heck were they talking about? Jackie turned her head and peeked over the top of the sofa. The only people around were six grandma-types, quietly crocheting in the corner in front of the floor-to-ceiling picture windows.

Can you just imagine a whole night of that?

Nope. Well, yes. Oh, my, yes, I can. My heart, though.

Jackie peered over the sofa again. What was going on? She looked around the entire lobby, which was empty except for the crocheting group in the corner. Did she need a vacation so badly she was hearing oddball conversations in her head? Because no way was that group of old ladies talking about sex. No way. Oh, man, were they talking about sex?

A strange voice loudly announced, Uh oh. Damn bird. Loose again. Hide under the chair! Damn bird.

Hide under the chair? This was just too weird and getting weirder by the minute. Enough was enough; the breakfast/walk decision was just going to have to wait. Jackie stood up and moved around to the back of the couch. She caught a flurry of movement in the corner and looked in that direction. The crocheting group of grannies looked up and smiled at her. Wait a minute! None of the women were talking and this voice had been…odd. She smiled back at the group and started moving toward their corner when the strange voice spoke again.

Oooohhhh, I’m a goner. Damn bird. I’m not going to jail again! No, no, no, no, no. Escape, escape, escape. Down periscope. Damn bird.

Jail? Again? Down periscope? Damn bird? What the hell!

By now, the group of women had set down their crocheting and openly watching her with broad grins. Okay, what’s up with that? Jackie cocked her head at the group and spread her hands in question. One woman laughed and pointed under a chair.

Taking a deep breath, Jackie knelt down and looked under the chair. Right into a pair of inquisitive yellow eyes. She shrieked softly and jerked back, falling on her butt and elbows with a clear view of the area under the chair.

She started laughing. Okay, introductions all around were definitely in order here. Um, hello. I’m Jackie. Would you like to come out now or do you want to stay under there? Jackie smiled up at the group of ladies as she pushed herself up and sat cross-legged on the floor to wait for a response.

While she waited, the women laughed and began to introduce themselves. Well, dear, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Trudy. Jackie looked at Trudy; that was one of the original voices she’d heard.

And I’m Betty. Yep, there’s the second voice. Okay, so these women had been the ones talking about….something. Sex? Nah, come on, no way.

I’m Mildred.

Sue.

Carol.

Linda. But here on the island, we’re just called the grannies.

Jackie smiled at them and said, I was eavesdropping on your conversation. It was intriguing to say the least. What on earth were you talking about?

At that moment, a small grey and red Congo African Grey parrot erupted from under the chair, preening and fluffing its feathers. Hello. Damn Bird, it trilled in that strange voice. The little parrot stared at Jackie, tilting her head several times before hopping up on her knee.

The grannies took a collective breath and held it while staring intently at Jackie and the bird comfortably perched on her knee. Betty leaned down and stroked the parrot’s head. Hello, Damn Bird. Well, Jackie, you’re in for a treat. She likes you. She introduces herself to everybody, but climbs on very few people. In fact, only a select few. Betty studied her for a moment and smiled. Hmmm. This will be fun.

Damn the torpedoes, Damn Bird said. Escape, escape, escape! She cocked her head at Jackie, then opened her beak wide. Ah-ooo-ga! Dive! Dive! Dive!

Jackie looked at Betty. Damn Bird? Seriously? That’s her name?

Well, no, but it’s the name given to her by…

Damn Bird fluffed her feathers again and climbed up Jackie’s arm. Mac.

Mac? Mac what? Uh oh, said Jackie. Is that another parrot that’s gotten loose?

Mac. Mac, the heart attack. Buns of steel. Great buns. Mac.

Damn Bird climbed further up to perch on Jackie’s shoulder under her hair and nuzzled her neck. Jackie lifted her hair and stared at the parrot, then at the grannies. Okay. This is the first day of my vacation and I really need the break. But have I totally lost it? Did I take a wrong turn somewhere and end up in a zoo?

Trudy laughed. You’re probably where you’re supposed to be. And now you know what we were talking about earlier. She gestured to the picture windows. Mac runs up the cliff every morning. A definite sight to see on any trip. And, Sue, you were positively drooling this time so don’t deny it. Dang, I think we were all drooling.

Well, his buns do look like they’re made of steel. Damn Bird got that right, drawled Sue. I wouldn’t mind finding out for sure. And that chest!

This group looked to be in their eighties and they’re drooling over a man’s butt and chest. Go figure. No matter the age, apparently hormones don’t burn out, Jackie thought. Good to know.

Who’s Mac? she asked.

As one, the grannies sucked in their breath and all eyes focused on her. You haven’t seen him yet? Linda gasped. When did you get in? How long have you been here?

I checked in late last night. I did run into a woman named Lucy. She was in the lobby. Jackie got a puzzled look on her face. It was a bit strange. She stared at me as if she knew me.

The grannies exchanged knowing looks with each other, but left it to Trudy to answer. Dear, Lucy’s been here forever. She’s seen so many people come and go, she probably thought she did know you.

Okay. So who’s Mac? Jackie asked again.

WHERE THE HELL IS THAT DAMN BIRD! The bellow came from the front desk just off the lobby. Carson! Tell me you had a brain freeze and decided to take that damn bird home. Tell me that your damn bird isn’t flying around the hotel again. Carson!

Jackie moved her hair again and squinted down at Damn Bird. Who is Carson?

Damn Bird stared quizzically at her and warbled, Mac. Great buns.

Ah, droolable Mac. With that temper, he doesn’t sound like anyone would drool for him. And why does he call you Damn Bird?

Heh, heh, heh, chortled Damn Bird.

Jackie stared at Damn Bird, who stared back, then hid under her hair again. Well, one thing was for darn sure…this was certainly starting out to be an interesting vacation. She was still cross-legged on the lobby floor with Damn Bird on her shoulder. She looked toward the front desk area and, once again, eavesdropped on a conversation. This time, the grannies were eavesdropping right along with her.

Sorry, Mac. I thought she was still on her stand.

Un-huh. I’m beginning to think it doesn’t matter. That damn bird has probably learned our schedules and figured when it’s the right time to leave and fly around the hotel. I think she does it on purpose.

She knows you’ll look for her if she leaves on her own and you always find her, so you’re her hero. Personally, I think she’s infatuated with you and she’s flirting.

Oh, God. What did I do in my life to deserve this? And remind me why I keep you around because I don’t remember. Shit, I don’t want to remember. Where’s that damn bird?

The pool maybe? She does like floating around on the rubber rafts. She only punctured nine of them.

Jeez, not the pool.

Maybe the gym? She likes the treadmill, too.

Oh, great, thanks for the reminder. You stay here and I’ll go check.

Sure thing, boss.

While I’m hunting down your damn pet, wipe that smirk off your face.

You bet. I’ll work really hard on that, so you just take your time.

Yeah, right. Here, take my suit and put it in my office. I’ll change when I’ve found the damn beast. And work on reminding me why I hired you.

Jackie watched the grannies as they suddenly sat up straighter, rearranging their clothes, fluffing their hair, and looking expectantly toward the front desk.

A man jogged into the lobby and Jackie caught her breath. Wow. Oh, wow twice. Okay, yeah, hormones would never burn out around this one, she thought. She stared at him and didn’t care if he noticed her rudeness. Hearts don’t really trip, do they? If this was Mac, he was gorgeous. Over six feet tall. Thick black hair falling past his shoulders, tied back in a ponytail. Almond-shaped eyes so vividly green, they were emeralds shimmering in his tanned face. His mouth was…he had a Charles Bronson mouth with that thin upper lip and full bottom lip. Utterly kissable. Long arms with well-defined muscles and big beautiful hands. Wide solid chest. Really wide solid chest. A straight lean back. Long heavily muscled legs. A smattering of hair on his chest, arms and legs. That was easy to see because he was only wearing microfiber shorts that hugged his body. Hugged that butt. Buns of steel? Holy cow, titanium alloy was more like it!

He jogged through the lobby, looking straight ahead. Jackie put her hand on her chest and took her first breath in what felt like hours. She fanned her hand in front of her face and looked at the grannies, who nodded knowingly because they were also fanning themselves.

Oh. My. God. breathed Jackie.

To die for, Carol said faintly.

I want him for Christmas, Betty sighed.

Prime man stuff, Trudy gushed.

Damn Bird leaned out from under Jackie’s hair. Safe now? she trilled. She hopped down her arm to her knee and started bobbing her head and flapping her wings. Mac, the hunka hunka burnin’ love! she sang loudly as she danced on Jackie’s leg. Hunka huuunnnka Mac! Ah-ooo-ga!

Carson grinned widely while waiting for Mac to get through the lobby, then he peered around the corner to make sure he was gone. Yep, he was gone and the grannies were in their favorite corner with the newcomer sitting on the floor in front of them. Lucy had told him that a new guest, Jackie Foster, had checked in and she was the one. Carson needed to meet her so, as soon as he realized she was in the lobby with the grannies, he had taken Moxie off her stand and put her on the counter, knowing his pet would immediately race for the ladies and, therefore, Jackie. He gleefully rubbed his hands together and chuckled. Matchmaking time!

Jackie saw movement from the front desk area and watched as a face appeared around the corner. After cautiously checking the lobby, the face was followed by the owner’s body. And what a body! This one looked to be about six and a half feet tall. It was topped with thick shoulder-length sun-bleached blond hair. Thick lashes surrounded hazel eyes. Visible dimples framed thin lips and a thin mustache. His well-trimmed body was clad in dark jeans and a polo shirt with the resort logo on it.

The grannies saw him and waved. Carson! Are you up to your tricks again? Linda scolded while shaking her finger at him. Shame on you. You know he’s going to catch on at some point.

Carson walked through the group, bending down to kiss cheeks and hug shoulders. He hasn’t caught on yet so I should be safe enough. Are you going to help me this time?

Trudy clasped her hands to her chest. Oh, do you mean…. she gasped. Finally?

He nodded. Yep, Lucy told me. He looked at Jackie and smiled. Please forgive my rudeness. I’m Carson Adams, the manager, and I’m sorry I wasn’t here to greet you when you checked in. My bird seems to have welcomed you to the island, though.

I’m Jackie Foster and it’s nice to meet you. Jackie looked at Damn Bird, still dancing on her leg. This is quite the welcome. What’s her real name?

Moxie. And, believe me, she lives up to her name! She’ll answer to it, but she’ll also answer to Damn Bird, which is what Mac calls her.

Damn Bird. Where is Mac? Tight buns. Damn Bird arched her neck up and stretched her feathers out as she looked around. Where is Mac?

Mac is looking for you. He’ll put you on your tree limb if he finds you. Do you want to go back to jail? Carson grinned as Damn Bird scurried up Jackie’s arm to hide under her hair again.

No jail. Hell, no, I won’t go! Hell, no, I won’t go! Jackie’s hair rose and fell as Damn Bird bobbed to her own little song.

Jackie looked at Carson and said dryly, Thanks very much for this. I’m on vacation. Aiding and abetting an escaped jail bird…pun intended….wasn’t part of the plan.

Carson laughed and watched as she flipped her hair over her shoulder to help Damn Bird hide. Lucy was right; this was the one for Mac. It wasn’t just her beauty that would capture Mac’s attention. Mac was a sucker for red hair and Jackie’s was a thick dark auburn that fell to her waist. The length was great, but the color alone would put Mac on his knees. Throw in flawless porcelain skin, thickly lashed brown eyes, small tilted nose, and full lush lips. On top of that, there was the long athletic body that spoke of serious exercise. Quite the package. Moxie obviously liked her and she seemed to have a great sense of humor. Add all of that up and there you go! The makings for an incredible matchmaking experience and, boy, this was going to be good. Yep, Lucy was right on the money, and Carson couldn’t wait to get started.

So, Miss Foster. You’re on vacation? What do you do?

Oh, please, it’s Jackie. I’m a travel writer for Fodor’s, but this trip is just for me. She stared at her shoes and said softly, I needed the break more than I thought. She stared at her shoes a little more, then looked up into the concerned faces above her and forced a smile. I was just working too hard, I think. Pushing things too much. And a vacation is always a good thing, right? Her laugh sounded strained.

Sue reached out and put her hand on Jackie’s shoulder. Well, dear, you’ve come to the right place for rest and relaxation. If nothing else, Damn Bird will provide a mental rest for you and you won’t be able to fight it. Or her.

Um-hmmm, drawled Linda, and the scenery around here can’t be beat whether it’s inside or outside. As you’ve already seen for yourself. The group laughed as Jackie blushed and nodded.

Ladies, if you haven’t had breakfast yet, perhaps you’d be my guests. Carson extended a hand to Jackie and helped her up. Although you might want to do something about Moxie.

I’m going to pass on breakfast, but thanks. Can Moxie go outside? I thought I’d go for a walk and explore the island a bit. Is it safe for her? Jackie asked as she brushed her clothes down.

Oh, sure, it’s safe and everybody around here knows her. It’ll be fine. If she flies off, don’t worry because she’ll come back. We’ll see you when you get back so enjoy your walk. Carson walked her to the front door and watched as she headed out, then turned back to the group. Now, ladies, I need your help. Jackie’s the one.

Trudy smiled widely and nodded. She’s perfect for him.

We’ll have to help her relax. She’s worried about something, Carol said.

She did get very quiet, didn’t she? Do you think it’s job-related or personal? Or both? Sue asked.

Mildred shook her head. It doesn’t matter. He’ll have her so twisted in knots that she’ll only be focused on him very shortly.

But it has to be fun for both of them, Betty emphasized. Of course, with Damn Bird, neither one will have a choice.

Linda put her hand on Carson’s arm. We’ll help you, you know that. And we’ll have just as much fun as they will. But does this also mean you’ll finally come clean about Lucy?

The ladies all nodded in agreement and stared hard at Carson, who tried to look away. He sighed and gave up. Yes, I’ll tell you about Lucy. It’s time and she’ll understand. Let’s have breakfast and we’ll make our plans, then we’ll talk about Lucy. He turned to look at the hallway leading away from the lobby. Let’s get out of here, though. Mac’s on his way.

Mac stomped down the hall, muttering under his breath. He hadn’t found that damn bird. She wasn’t in the pool or anywhere in the gym. Well, she wasn’t his problem. Unless she’d found a new hiding place. Or unless she freaked out a guest. Oh, hell. He stopped for a moment and thought back to the gym. Had he checked the showers? Both of them? He thought hard for a moment. Yes. Yes, he had checked everywhere. Damn bird! She was on her own because Mac wanted to get back to the lobby. As he’d passed through it on his hunt for Damn Bird, he’d been looking straight ahead. Yet something had been different. Something in the corner? Yeah, the far corner. The grannies had been there, he knew that, because they were always there. What was different? Hmmm. He’d go check it out.

He made it back to the lobby, which was now empty. He looked around, but didn’t see anything out of place. He walked over to the Granny Corner, as his staff called it, and still didn’t see anything jarring. Huh. Well, hell, he’d just keep an eye out because something was up. He could feel it.

Mac headed for his office. He needed to take a shower and change into his suit. Carson would have hung it in the private bathroom of his office. Mac slowed his pace as he thought about Carson. Carson was up to his usual tricks. That was not surprising, yet there something different about him this morning. What was it? What was going on? Damn it, this was his hotel. He shouldn’t have to second-guess his own employees. Granted, he and Carson had a history since they’d been roommates in college. And as roommates, he’d certainly learned a lot about Carson’s thought process. Well, no, that wasn’t quite true. Carson had his own way of thinking and it definitely wasn’t like most people. Uh-oh. Was that a clue he shouldn’t ignore?

He reached the desk and was greeted by Abby, his morning clerk. No luck finding Damn Bird, hmmm? she asked with a grin. He scowled at her, shook his head and sighed. His life was embarrassing. Every one of his employees knew about the bird’s lusty fascination with him and they went out of their way to make sure Damn Bird had new flirting material. Just last week, he had come up behind two maintenance men standing in front of Damn Bird’s tree limb and teaching her to say Manly Mac. When he let the guys know they’d been caught, they just shrugged at him. Totally embarrassing.

Did you see where Carson went, Abby? he asked while picking up his messages.

To the restaurant. He took the grannies to breakfast.

Okay. I’m going to my office, change clothes, return some calls, then do a walk-through. When Carson gets back, ask him to meet up with me, would you? Oh, and I’d like to see a list of arrivals for both yesterday and today.

Sure thing, boss. I’ll print the list and have Carson give it to you.

Thanks, Abby. Mac went into his office and closed the door. He took a quick shower to wash off his morning run, dressed, and sat down at his desk, reaching for the phone to start returning the first of several calls.

Jackie found a path along the cliffs, overlooking the clear blue-green water. The cliffs were high with natural harbors. Both sand and pebble beaches led to sea caves that invited exploration. The scenery was dramatic, made more so by the majestic cliffs, which kept the water calm while providing protection from the wind. A church steeple was located at one end of the island and a lighthouse was visible from the opposite end. Jackie knew that a village was located on the island, but she couldn’t see it from this part of the cliff.

As she stood at the top of the cliff, absorbing the beauty and peace of her surroundings, Damn Bird peeked out and looked around. No jail, she smirked. Escape. She flew off and Jackie chuckled.

Enjoy your freedom, Moxie. I’m sure I’ll see you later. She picked her way along the cliff and found a path leading down to the beach. She took off her shoes, tied them together and threw them over her shoulder. Rolling up her jeans, she walked into the water and curled her toes in the cool sand. She needed this. She had needed it for a very long time, but never allowed herself to take the time. Even though she traveled all year, going where Fodor’s sent her, that was work. No matter how beautiful, the places she visited and wrote about were all for work, so she never really relaxed. Now she was forcing herself to take this time for herself and, damn it, she’d relax if it killed her. She had some thinking to do and needed peace to do it.

But right now, she was going to relax and empty her mind of all concerns. Well, she’d apparently found just the right place for that. How could she contemplate any serious thoughts with Moxie belting out songs and movie lines while flirting with a man who was clearly frustrated with her antics? She didn’t think the grannies would allow her much time to herself, either. And they had been so excited with Carson’s request for their help. Something was up there, but she had no way of knowing what was going on. Oh, and then there was Lucy. Jackie shook her head as she thought about her brief encounter with Lucy. Strange things, definitely strange things and strange people on this island. An island with the gorgeous eye-candy named Mac. Jackie wouldn’t mind finding out more about him, but first things first.

Damn Bird landed on her head.