With this segment of Chapter Ten 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 second part of Chapter Ten. There will be five parts to this chapter.

New to the series? Chapter order:

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

September, 2064

GABE

Ugly was an understatement. Gabe wrapped one arm tightly around Ruby’s waist as Al bent over to talk to his mother. They stood with Justine, as far away as they could get and still be in the same room.

Al’s time. Al’s moment with his dying mother.

But God, the shape Mariah was in. She had always taken care of herself, maintained a high-end beauty regime. Now she was emaciated, skin sagging on her face and from her arms, and she appeared to be years older than Ruby, even though they were the same age. Her hair looked like it had been roughly hacked short with no regard to styling. Not the Mariah he had known.

An argument for mental deterioration? Dementia? Certainly. Now whether that was influenced by mind control programming or natural—he couldn’t say.

But there was no mistaking the adoration in Mariah’s expression as she gazed at her son. Alexander had been a means for Philip to keep control of her, until he sent partially-cyborged Al back to his mother, programmed to kill Mariah when triggered.

Gabe’s lips tightened, remembering Mariah’s words when pleading with Ruby to break Al’s programming.

Destroying your marriage earned me a full week with Alexander. And that was when he finally called me Mama.

He shuddered. Yet another one of Philip’s evil actions.

And once both she and Al were free of Philip, Mariah ended her old seductive habits. At least that was what he had thought. Justine’s report—raised questions.

Ruby’s arm tightened around his waist. “You okay?” she whispered.

He nuzzled the top of her head. “Memories.”

“Yeah.” She bit her lip. “Me too.”

Al straightened up. “Gabe?”

“Yeah.”

“She wants to see you.”

Another shudder. Ruby dropped her arm from around his waist. He took her hand, gently urging her to come along as he walked that ever-so-long-seeming distance toward Mariah’s bed.

Up close, she looked even worse. Lips eaten away.

What the hell was in that mix?

He forced himself to meet her gaze.

“Gabe.” He had to listen close. “Sorry. So sorry. Listen. Zing—” Her body convulsed as alarms went off. But her eyes remained fixed on him, even as medical staff pushed them away, then herded them out of the room.

“I heard you, Mariah,” he said, raising his voice above the cacophony. “I heard you.”

“Heard what?” Ruby asked.

“Zing.”

“Zingter?”

“I suspect so.” He squeezed Ruby’s hand, seeking comfort there, even as she frowned at him, a troubled expression crinkling her eyes.

That convulsion sure as hell looked like a block created by poorly-executed mind control programming. Justine had hinted that Zingter Enterprises had accessed some of Philip Martiniere’s secrets. Mind control programming included? Gabe wouldn’t discount it.

We’re looking at murder, not suicide. Mariah, damn it, what the hell did you get yourself into?

#

Gabe waited to voice his suspicions.

Mariah never regained consciousness. Al was the only one allowed back in with her, and he sat with his mother for two hours before she died. Gabe held Ruby’s hand as they sat in the waiting room, while Justine paced.

“We need to order an autopsy after she’s dead,” he said to Justine during one of the few moments she sat.

“You sure about that, Gabriel?” Tension made her formal.

“I’ll fucking pay for it.” He used the firm, hard tone that didn’t allow for argument.

Justine nodded curtly, then started pacing again. “I’ll make certain it happens, then, Gabriel.”

“It’s the right thing,” Ruby said quietly. “I heard what she said, Gabe.”

“If it’s Braun—” He swallowed hard. “Tine, are you going to be able to manage this?”

“I have to be able to handle it, Gabriel.” She shook her head. “We need to discuss this elsewhere.”

“Understood.” He tensed.

Did full-on, corporate war between the Group and Zingter Enterprises lie ahead of them?

Not something he would hand over to Brandon to control, unless forced.

But God, was he capable of managing what this corporate war might lead to, given his own health?

It’s not Heaven’s Reach, at least.

However, Terence Braun was twenty years younger than Gabe.

#

They buried Mariah in the Los Angeles family plot, near Philip and Joey’s graves. Gabe and Ruby flanked Alexander at the simple graveside service. Afterwards, Gabe lay flowers at the graves of his mother, his sister, and Saul while Justine and Alexander left.

It still hurts.

He lingered by the graves as Ruby slid her arm around him, and he leaned on her.

“When it’s time, do you want to be buried by them?” she asked.

“No,” Gabe said. “I don’t belong here anymore. I want to be buried wherever you are. You’re my family now.”

“The cemetery at the Double R, then,” she said.

He nodded. “I miss them. My life changed so much when they died. And yet—”

“We wouldn’t have met if this hadn’t happened.”

“We would have,” Gabe said. “Only I would have met you as Gabriel Martiniere, potential Martiniere-in-waiting, looking for talented bot developers to bolster my qualifications to succeed Saul as the Martiniere. Not as Gabe Ramirez, broke saddle bronc rider.”

“You really think so?” Ruby looked up at him.

“One of your competition bots from high school caught Cousin Arthur’s attention when I was interning in his agricultural technology division during my time at the University of Paris. If it hadn’t been for Philip’s insistence that I start work in the Los Angeles labs, and—my testimony in US vs Martiniere Group—I would have approached you during your junior year at Oregon State. Talked to you about considering a future with the Group. If Saul had survived, Philip’s notions about women in positions of power wouldn’t have dominated the Group, and the Martiniere Grant that died with Saul would have been available to you. Hell, I would have been the person interviewing you for it. I have no doubts that you would have become quite the force in the labs, even without our relationship. But I like to think we would have gotten together.”

They stood silently, thinking about that possibility.

“That would have been a very different life,” Ruby said finally. “But that Gabriel Martiniere would have married a high-society woman.”

“Not likely,” Gabe said. “By then I was pretty resistant to high society mamas throwing their daughters at me. I would have still won your heart. Even as Gabriel Martiniere, I had an eye for a brilliant, beautiful horsewoman who could hold her own with me in the labs. More so than yet another pretty face.”

She chuckled. “Ah, Gabe. Lots of ifs, could-haves, would-haves, and should-haves.”

“And that’s one reason why I won’t be buried here. Los Angeles is the Martiniere Group’s past. Tied to Philip and his aspirations. The Double R and Moondance point to the future.”

Ruby shook her head. “I’m amazed at that prospect.”

He sighed. “And now it’s time to think about that future.”

#

They held the war council at Moondance the day after Mariah’s funeral—Justine, Brandon, Gabe, Ruby, Serg, and Kevin Swait. It started in Brandon’s office.

“The autopsy report supports our suspicions that Mariah’s death was murder, not suicide,” Justine said grimly. “I have staff working with the authorities, and made it known to them that the Martiniere Group is very interested in seeing Mariah’s killers being brought to justice.” She sighed. “Not that finding those people will finger the persons behind the scenes.”

“What do we know about her activities in Los Angeles?” Brandon asked.

“She was seeing a lot of the Zingter principals in LA,” Kevin Swait said.

“Define seeing,” Gabe said.

“Apparently having sex with them,” Justine said.

“The other piece is that we’ve made connections between her activities and Zingter indentureds disappearing over the border into Mexico,” Serg said.

“So she was to trying to atone for her past. Once again.” Gabe shook his head.

Justine raised her brows. “It’s possible that she stumbled across this rather than deliberately sought it, Gabriel.”

“Terence Braun could easily have targeted Mariah,” Gabe said.

“Yes, Gabriel,” Justine said. “Donald is doing that investigation through Rescue Angel. No results—yet.”

Gabe leaned back in his chair, steepleing his fingers. “Bran. I can’t dictate as the Martiniere Emeritus, but I can advise. Any actions that we take need to be kept separate from the Group.”

He glanced at Ruby. She nodded. They had discussed this probability last night.

“Your mother and I are willing to take the lead on whatever comes out of Donald and Justine’s investigations,” he continued. “As the Martiniere Emeritus and the Matriarch.”

“Family, and not the Group?” Brandon asked.

Gabe nodded. “This may not be a Group issue, but it does affect the Family. Mariah was one of ours, through Alexander. Therefore, she’s Family. It will also be—cleaner for Pat’s re-election campaign if you’re not connected.”

Brandon turned toward Justine. “Justine? Your opinion?”

“Speaking as the Director of Security, this is a preferred approach,” she said. “And since my authority extends to the Family as well as the Group, I see no conflict in continuing this investigation under Gabriel’s supervision.”

“And as a representative of Swait Farms, because this impacts Barkley-Martiniere-Swait Associates, I see no conflict in assisting with this investigation,” Kevin said. “Especially since indentured management may be involved.”

“Good,” Brandon said. “You’ll keep me briefed about any problems, Dad?”

“Yes,” Gabe said, taking Ruby’s hand. “Serg, Justine, Kevin. Let’s move out of Bran’s office to make our plans.”

********************

Just a little note here—spot the origin for A Different Life—What If? Yes, it’s in this segment. And it will be released toward the end of April. Here’s the cover reveal…