Background
Is Anderson a gallant knight? Can he recover Shana's family's stolen relics and heal the wounds of genocide?
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ENDING OF PREVIOUS POST:
Anderson also stood and touched her arm. "You're right about the painting. But you need to think about the problem you have at hand now. These men aren't going to forget that you requested the painting. I think they could be viewing this as a threat, and they aren't taking it lightly."
"I'm not a threat to anybody." Tears welled in Shana's eyes. She glanced at Anderson's hand on her arm. "Please, I need to be alone and think about all of this." She left the patio.
Romeo followed.
Anderson watched her until she reached where the hallway turned to the section of the penthouse her room was in.
Jane and Helen silently cleared the table.
After the women had left, Philip asked, "Feel like another pool game?"
"Nope. I think I'll go over my speech for Congress. If you need me, I'll be in my office."
"Your choice." Philip rose from his chair. "You know, women are funny. Sometimes they don't want our help. Or maybe they just want to ignore the situation."
"In this case, she wants to believe it doesn't exist. Doing that just might get her or one of her family members injured or murdered." Anderson walked toward his den with both German shepherds following close behind.
In the den, Anderson lifted a folder that held his speech, opened it, and then slammed it shut. "How am I going to protect her and get the painting to its rightful owner without anybody getting hurt?"
Axel and Thor stood and laid their heads on Anderson's desk.
TODAY'S POST:
Chapter 7 part 3
In her room, Shana sat on the bed's edge, wiped the remaining tears, and reached for her Torah. She absent-mindedly thumbed through it. Grandmother always said all answers can be found in the Torah. Finally, she settled on the story of Noah and his sons; Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
After she finished reading Genesis 10: 6-30, she petted Romeo's head. "It figures one of Ham's sons fathered the Palestinians. They've been a problem since the beginning of time. I wonder?" She searched the back of the Torah for a map. "It was Japheth's sons who fathered Russia. I can't blame Ham for this too."
When Romeo looked up at her, she said, "I know you're wondering who fathered the Israelites. Well, to answer your question it was Shem's son Arphaxad. He's a direct descendant of Abraham." She knelt down, looked Romeo in the eyes, and smiled. "I can tell your Jewish history is lacking. I'll fill you in."
"According to Jewish tradition, Abraham was born Abram in the city of Ur. That was in Babylon about 1800 BCE, in case you didn't know." Shana sat beside the large German shepherd and he placed his head on her lap as she continued, "His father Terach worshiped idols. I'm sure you know that was wrong. After Abram smashed his father's idols, God came to Abram and told him to leave his family. If he did, he would make him father of a great nation. Abram left, but it wasn't quite that simple. Many other things happened."
Shana yawned. "But that's for another day. I can tell you're a good student. Some of my high school students could take lessons from you." She stood. "I'd better get ready for bed." She petted his head. "You don't need to follow me into the bathroom. I can handle things in there." She watched the dog tilt his head and then added, "Really I can."
When Shana left the bathroom, Romeo was lying next to the door. "You need to move so I can get out," she said as he stood and took a few steps. "You're such a character." She bent over and gave the dog a hug. "I'll admit I do enjoy having you around. You're not judgmental and I like that."
Lying in bed, she reached over and gave him another pat. "Good night."
Hours passed and Shana tossed and turned. Romeo stood and laid his head beside her. She rolled over, and eye-to-eye with the dog, said, "You're very intimidating staring at me in the dark." She sat and turned on a table lamp. "Now, not so much."
Romeo gave a few tail wags.
"I can see that makes you happy." After Shana released a deep breath, she said, "I wish you could tell me your opinion about the Russian Mafia and my family's painting. I'm wondering if I should just go home and forget this whole mess."
Romeo gave a soft growl.
"I take that as a 'You shouldn't leave. I'd miss you'." She reached over and rubbed his neck. "I'd miss you, too. Do you think the Russians are as dangerous as everybody seems to think they are?"
As Romeo lowered his head, Shana whispered, "I'm talking to a dog and expecting an answer. What's wrong with me?"
Characters so far:
Shana Kohlberg -- a 25 year old high school English literature teacher -- she's trying to get her family's painting back
Anderson Sharp -- often called Drew -- 31 years old -- works part-time on Wall Street -- a billionaire from Texas oil wells
Dmitry Bezrukov -- one of three Russian men in black suits
Jeff Burk -- takes care of Anderson's cars
Helen -- Anderson's cook
Jane -- Anderson's housekeeper
Philip -- Anderson's butler -- close friend and confident
Ben -- Anderson's dog walker
Axel -- Anderson's lead German shepherd
Thor -- Anderson's second German shepherd
Romeo -- Anderson's third German shepherd
Aaron -- Shana's older brother
Ivan Morozov -- owner of the painting 'Winter-Traum' by Bruno Schmidt
Ivan Kuznetsov -- formally Ivan Morozov, I accidently chose a real person, so I have changed it.
Patricia -- Anderson's ex-wife
Emily -- Anderson's five year old daughter
Isaiah Glassberg -- Anderson divorce/custody attorney.
Jeremy -- Jane's second-cousin twice removed, NYC undercover cop.
Author Notes
Thank you Google Images for a photo of a Noah's family tree. I'm concerned about this post. I'm hoping to show Shana's devotion to her religion, her feeling of loneliness in NYC, and the questions she still has about if the painting is worth the trouble. Thank you for the wonderful support you give me.
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