Orchids to Die For (Jim Morgan Adventure Series) by Catherine Burr, James Halon

North, Just why are we flying into Sao Paulo? It’s like 1,800 miles to Rio Bronco.”
    Eunice sensed something was awry, intuitively, she called the girls together, “I’m walking around here thinking you girls know what’s going on, then, suddenly, nobody knows it’s Thursday? Come on ladies, let’s talk -- out loud, please.”
    The three psychics looked at each other. Eunice suspected they were communicating amongst themselves via ESP, by the way that their eyes darted one to another and their facial expressions were undergoing rapid changes. They were silently arguing, no doubt about it.
    Lisa looked at Eunice, “Miss North, as a group, we are not sure what is expected of us on this orchid hunt. We’re just confused. All three of us are getting images of spies and terrorists all around us in Sao Paulo. We’ve all seen, in our sixth sense, Margolova firing bullets at Jackie. And we’ve sensed her, Margolova, following us -- to Rio Branco. Yet, the CIA and their Brazilian contingent were supposed to eliminate her in Sao Paulo. The latest thing we are seeing is that Jim Morgan and his girlfriend Catherine is Margolova’s target, not so much the orchids. The real problem here is that we, the three of us, are being considered as expendable merchandise.”
    Eunice was listening intently. She had her elbows firm on the table, her head resting in the palms of her hands, she was intoxicated with their perception, “Go on, I’m sure there’s more.”
    “Yes,” Lisa countered, “...there is.”
    “Go ahead.” Eunice wanted everything between them open and above board, “What else?”
    Lisa continued, while Jackie and Tonya focused on reading Eunice’s thoughts, “Last night, we did some if-then scenarios. It’s kind of a game we can mentally play, if the person’s mind we are focusing on has an alternative plan. We can expose that plan by changing our own intent. Are you following?”
    “Yes. I am. Please go on.”
    “We did this rethink, because we, all three of us, sensed a physical harm coming to Jackie. We don’t think she’ll die. But Margolova will shoot her, if she goes.”
    Eunice was flabbergasted; Jackie and Tonya clearly read her shock at the words Lisa was openly orating.
    “Please continue, Lisa.” Eunice looked at Jackie with a maternal concern.
    Lisa began, “The second scenario we worked was that we declined to go...on the orchid hunt. Jim Morgan and Catherine Harris go, just the two of them... They want the adventure, and they want to be together...” Lisa paused.
    Eunice wasn’t enjoying the Morgan remarks, “And?” Eunice questioned.
    “They both get murdered by Margolova. She finds the orchids and sells them to some Hezbollah Monks in Lebanon.”
    “And if no one goes?” Eunice looked to the girls as a group for an answer.
    Lisa blushed, and continued, “Margolova will come here and kill a lot of people, including you.”
    “Me!” Eunice was appalled, “Why me?”
    “There’s one more situation we considered, Miss North.”
    “And, that is?” Eunice was overwhelmed with what she was hearing, she was angry, and wanted to stop the conversation, but would hear them out, “let’s hear it, Lisa. Don’t hold back anything. Okay?”
    “Okay.”
    Tonya interrupted, asking if she could use the bathroom. Jackie then asked for coffee, as did Lisa. Eunice called Mureatha for fresh coffee and requested some Danish, or whatever was available. Eunice herself was ready for a shot of whiskey...
    Lisa sat quietly waiting for the coffee, as she did so, she read some deep hurt feelings in Eunice’s thoughts. They were centered on Morgan and Harris, and how she was now going to host them as her guests and independently contracted employees. And Lisa felt a deep sadness for the woman whom she had grown to admire as her mentor and confidant.
     Eunice’s thoughts raced on, she had forgotten, in momentary lapse, that her thoughts were open to these mysterious women. And she had a quick