ANNOUCEMENT—LATE INSTALLMENT THIS WEEK BECAUSE THERE WILL NOT BE AN INSTALLMENT NEXT WEEK. I’M HAVING CATARACT SURGERY. SEE YOU AFTER THAT.

With this segment of Chapter Sixteen of Repairing the Legacy, we continue the serialization of Repairing the Legacy. This is a rough draft work in progress and may not reflect the final form. Time period: set after the ending of The Martiniere Legacy main trilogy. I’m breaking longer chapters into sections for readability. This is the fourth part of Chapter Sixteen. There will be six parts to this chapter.

New to the series? Chapter order:

Chapter One, Section One

Return of the Prodigal Son (2 parts)

Conversations and a Dinner (2 parts)

Dancing into Change (2 parts)

Sisterly Compromises (3 parts)

Conspiracies at the Rodeo (3 parts)

Passing the Baton (4 parts)

Research Complications (3 parts)

Chasing After Shadows (3 parts)

Fifth Anniversary Present (3 parts)

Mariah (5 parts)

Shadows, Redux (3 parts)

Accidents Happen (4 parts)

Maternal Memories (4 parts)

A Voice…Weeping for their Children (6 parts)

Winding Down the Years (4 parts)

June, 2073

GABE

He didn’t need to use his cane to load everything back up in the crawler—another data point. Gabe checked the time and grimaced. No way he could make a circuit of the lower fields now. On the other hand, those were fields that he might be able to have Ruby drive him to for a look-see. He had learned what he needed to know after this trip to Ladyslipper Spring.

And if he could get her to drive him up here, then perhaps—

There was enough time to continue up to Lone Pine, where Ruby had moved the broodmares after Star’s death. After that, he would need to head back to the house.

Fatigue crashed over him as he drove out of Ladyslipper Draw.

Remember the dream, he told himself repeatedly, as he continued to Lone Pine. Remember Philip’s appearances. Get Ruby to bring you back here, to Ladyslipper.

By the time he reached the gate to Lone Pine, the aches and pains had reasserted themselves. Gabe stuck some horse cookies in his pocket, grabbed his walker instead of the cane because he hurt too bad to trust his cane, and hobbled over. Herrie and Legacy were at the main ranch. Those two could be trusted to be staked out on the lawn. But the other five mares—three more with Star’s foals at their side, all bred and carrying next year’s foals—Star’s last foals.

So why did he keep feeling like the babies he saw now were Star’s last ones?

Gabe leaned on his walker, watching the mares and foals. Eventually, they wandered over to the gate. He didn’t dare go into the field with his walker, but he could scratch the horses that came near. They snuffled at him, and he fed each mare a cookie in turn. The foals got scratches—Ruby believed in treats only in the bucket for young horses, until they were well into ground training and had proven their understanding of proper manners around humans.

Once the treats were gone, the mares drifted off, one-by-one pausing to lick the salt block, the lower-status mares waiting their turn. Then their heads rose and they turned to look down the track leading to Lone Pine.

Gabe wheeled the walker around. Ruby rode Boomer, now gelded and part of the saddle string, scowling as she halted Boomer next to the crawler and dropped his reins to ground tie him after she dismounted.

“Terri says you’ve been gone all day.” She put her hands on her hips, her frown deepening. “You turned off everything but the emergency locator, and you popped off her screens for a while. She was frantic, but I saw that you were down in Ladyslipper and told her it was all right. Just what the hell are you up to, Gabriel?”

“Just a little cruise,” he said. “Ate lunch and took a nap at Ladyslipper. Just wanted to get out.”

“By yourself? Gabriel.” She gulped, and he heard a little bit of the tone that had been that other Ruby crying. “If something had happened out here, especially at Ladyslipper, by yourself—oh God, Gabe. I could take you and Mike out and about if you wanted. Please. Don’t do this alone anymore.”

“You’re so busy with both of us down like this. I didn’t want to trouble you. I just wanted to get out,” he repeated.

Should he tell her his suspicions?

Yes.

“I’m sorry, Gabe.” Her expression softened and she came to him, holding him tight. “But you scared me.”

“I intended to be back at the house by now. Just spent too much time at Ladyslipper.”

“Doing what?”

“Oh, a nap, and—thinking.” He took a deep breath. “I’ve learned something—“

“No! You will not tell her anything!”

That pistol jammed against the back of his head. Gabe tightened up, even as fear crossed Ruby’s face as his body stiffened.

Then Philip laughed, and pulled the trigger.

“Not gonna be that easy, ignorant sprog!”

Darkness. Obliteration.

#

He woke in a hospital bed. Ruby, pale-faced, clung to his hand.

“Oh thank God,” she breathed as he opened his eyes.

“Wha’ happened?” His words didn’t want to come out clear. Gabe coughed and swallowed. More difficult than it should be. His tongue felt thick and awkward.

“You had a seizure—or something. I was terrified that you had a stroke, but the doctors don’t think so now. They don’t know what happened. Dr. Sheri thinks you overdid. Gabriel Marcus Martiniere, damn it, you scared the crap out of me!”

Philip smirked behind Ruby, waving a chiding index finger at him.

“Told you that I would make you pay, ignorant sprog.”

Gabe blinked and shook his head. Philip’s image faded away.

What the hell is going on?

#

Now it became a game of cat and mouse. Gabe was back home after twenty-four hours, but the incident had taken its toll. The left leg that had withered as a result of post-G9 syndrome fourteen years ago reverted to that post-G9 status, almost overnight.

Another issue to puzzle the doctors.

Gabe found one of the video files he had made at Ladyslipper. But when he tried to show it to Ruby—Philip and the pistol struck again.

Another hospital stay.

Trying to tell Mike wasn’t quite so bad, not enough to land him in the hospital, but bad enough. Gabe decided it wasn’t worth trying to tell Justine or Donald.

As long as he didn’t tell anyone, he could work with the video files. Even record more. The security program was strong enough to keep Philip out of those files, so—

He still didn’t have an explanation for those manifestations of Philip.

Or why that pistol had such a devastating effect on him. It wasn’t real, damn it.

Except that every time Philip shot Gabe, it ripped away more of his ability to move and think.

ATTENTION BARNES AND NOBLE/NOOK READERS

Apparently the universal link to The Enduring Legacy does not include Nook/Barnes and Noble.

So here it is!
Barnes and Noble/Nook

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