Life After 9/11

The Secret Family History

"You were right to come to me," said Isabella Braumlein-Crenshaw as she led Logan and Sean into her apartment in Seattle, Washington. (After Sean's recovery, Sean sent Mobley and the other Knights back to headquarters while he dealt with the task of finding the Nine of Eight.) "I must admit I was nervous when my youngest daughter called me and told me about your situation," said Belle. "Not that I haven't been nervous before, but you know how that goes. Anyway, there's so much I need to tell you, and this family has some secrets that not even Nichollo or I know about."

"If you want to know why we're here, we need to find the Nine of Eight," said Logan.

"Indeed," said Belle as she picked up several large books and papers from a nearby desk, setting them on the dining room table. "And why do you want to know about the Nine of Eight?"

"Because as I hovered between the realms of life and death after that incident in South Carolina, I had a vision telling me to find the Nine of Eight," said Sean.

"Yeah, because you just had to get involved in that incident involving that crazy chick, didn't you," said Dicky as he and Andrea came into the room.

"Shut up, Dicky," said Andrea. "Sean didn't ask that girl to slap him in the head with a shovel. I'm surprised she wasn't charged with attempted murder in Sean's case."

"Indeed she wasn't," said Sean. "Besides, she thought I was just a news reporter."

"Yeah right," said Dicky.

"OK, can we all just focus on the ask at hand?" said Logan. Everyone glared at him. "It's important that we know everything about the Nine of Eight."

"I see," said Belle as she glared at Sean. "And what makes you want to come here and ask me those kinds of questions?"

"I think you might know who or what the Nine of Eight is," said Sean.

"Well, if you want to know about the Nine of Eight, you must remember your history," said Belle as she opened up one of the large books on the table. She read: "Emaria Kroger, Radmila Reimar, Varvara Isaacson, Milorad Mekonnen, Evgenia Mekonnen, Demian Lukin, Branislav Lukin, and Hadassah Trichenberg were known as the "Infamous Eight", the bastard children of Leopold Trichenberg. Each of them charmed their way into becoming high-ranking members of the Russian Imperial court. Hadassah lived with the Imperial Family, which treated her as their own daughter. Emaria seduced various court members and manipulated them into doing what she wanted. Milorad also wheeled and dealt his way to the top, and he and Leopold often controlled the court..."

"The Infamous Eight?" said Logan. "You're kidding, right? What do they have to do with the Nine of Eight?"

"Everything," said Belle.

"Oh, you mean we have to know who they are?" said Sean.

"Yes you do," said Belle.

"Wait just a minute here," said Dicky. "How much of that is true?"

"Everything in this book is true," said Belle as she turned to face Dicky and Andrea. "It's our family history. Don't tell me you don't know your own family history."

"What if I don't know about my family history because my foster parents were focused on keeping me alive instead of telling me about people I won't meet?" said Dicky.

"There's no excuse for that, Richard Jeremiah Trichenberg!" Belle snapped at him. "Your foster parents were wrong to take you, and your father was wrong to give you away after his second marriage to that gold-digging whore! No one should have to live their lives without knowing who they are; that's not how it's done!"