by D. J. Holmes
* * *
Julia looks across the hall at Evan. Tears are streaming down his face. Suddenly, he is crying hysterically. She runs to him and holds him in her arms as he continues to cry. It seems like hours, but finally he calms down and goes back to sleep.
While Evan sleeps, he remembers how Daniel and his staff had come through the time portal on the top of the mesa, and how they brought him back to the Beach House, where he is now recuperating and healing from his life trials.
With Julia still by his side, Evan finally wakes up. Looking over at her he says, “Julia, the first time I was here, I couldn’t bare going through the pain that I had just experienced in my life as Blue Cloud. Daniel never forces anyone to do anything that they don’t think that they are ready to experience. He allowed me my space, knowing that there were specific goals that I had to complete.”
“Daniel prepared me to become a police officer in this life, so that I could complete those goals. He is the one that gave me the name of, Evan.”
“You’ve worked through a lot of pain, Evan. Are you ok now?”
“I’m really still quite tired.”
“Go back to sleep then, I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Ok.”
Birds can be heard singing, proclaiming the beginning of a new day. As his eyes open, after a good nights sleep, a thought abruptly formulates in Evan’s mind. Like a bolt of lightning and with a shocked expression on his face, he quickly sits up in his bed.
Julia has been asleep on a chair next to his bed. Awakened by his quick movement she hears, “Julia, it’s my brother, Flying Eagle, who is killing these boys!” he expresses with shocked belief, not wanting to really believe the thought in his head.
“Flying Eagle was on the top of the mesa when he disappeared. It was on the top of the mesa that Daniel came through the portal to bring me to the Beach House.”
Daniel came to check on Evan at that very moment, and Evan recounted his breakthrough. “Daniel, could he have come through the same portal?”
“He could come through the portal, but without permission it won’t bring him here to the Beach House.”
“Where would it take him?”
“I don’t know, since I have never entered the portal without permission.”
Hearing Evan talking to Daniel, Julia runs to his room and Jon quickly follows.
“Julia, since it’s my brother, Flying Eagle, who is killing these boys. He is the one who is trying to kill you. He has found me, and has seen the picture of both of us in the Newspaper. He thinks that we are a couple. He is still out to destroy me and everyone that belongs to me. He’s here, Julia. He came through the time portal.”
Thinking back, he adds, “The braves wondered why he disappeared on the top of the mesa. They didn’t know how to enter the portal, but he did.”
Julia asks, “Is that true, Daniel?”
“The portals are not just for me and my staff. Anyone that has the knowledge can find them,” Daniel explains.
“But, my brother has no more knowledge than I have, and I wouldn’t have been able to find it.”
“If he stumbled into it once, it would be very easy to find it again. That’s probably where he went after you married Snow Flower. I would imagine that he’s been going back and forth between the centuries whenever he needed, or wanted to.”
“Yes, and now he’s trying to come to the Beach House since, Julia, and I are here.”
“That could very well be, because we know that it is him that is trying to compromise our perimeter.” Daniel confirms.
“Will he be able to compromise it?” Evan asks.
“No, because of who he is, he will never be allowed to enter until he changes for the better,” Daniel states. “Evan, I’m glad that you were finally able to work through your grief. You will all be together again some day.”
“I know that now, Daniel. Thank you for all of your help.”
“Evan, your brother came through a portal?” Julia asks.
“Yes, he is the one that we have to find so that the killings will stop.”
“Evan, he will be found, and you will find him. But, you need to finish your recuperation first.”
The bell rings.
“I’ve got to go. Evan, I’ll check on you later today.”
“Thanks Daniel.”
“For now go back to sleep, you still have a lot of recuperation to do,” Daniel suggests. “That’s a good idea, Daniel.”
Walking back across the hall to Jon, Julia asks, “What about you, Jon, are you tired?”
“I’m thinking that I am in full agreement with, Daniel. Why don’t we all rest for a while.”
“What a great suggestion, Jon. I think that I’ll go up to my room and get a few hours of shut eye, if you don’t mind.”
“Before you go, Katherine, may I ask you a question?”
“Sure, Jon, what would you like to ask?”
“Everyone is calling you, Julia. It was Julia who helped me when I first arrived here. Are you that, Julia?”
“I am, Jon.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I haven’t had the chance. You’ve been so adamant that I was Katherine.”
“Well, you are, Katherine. But I guess that you’re also, Julia.”
“I’m really tired. Would you mind if we talked about this at a later time?”
“We’ll talk later.”
A few hours later, Jon wakes up and looks over at Evan. Noticing that he is awake he walks over to his room. “Evan, how long have you known Julia?”
“Julia has been my partner on the police force for two years, but she seems to know you quite well also.”
“I’d be glad to tell you our story,” Jon volunteers.
“Great. It sounds like there is a lot about Julia that I don’t know.”
The hours go by quickly. Jon tells his story of Mary and Matthew as young children, how they were sent away and how they grew up, finally meeting in England. He tells Evan about that awful, final day, and how he had tried to find Mary/Katherine riding around to every place they had been together. He also tells him why he sat down to write everything in the note book, that he now carries with him, while he is at the Beach House.
Evan had so many questions that he wanted to ask Jon, but Julia comes down the stairs from her rest.
“Hello my Men! How are both of you?”
“I’m fine, Julia,” Jon answers.
“Thank you for calling me ‘Julia’, Jon. I don’t remember my life as Katherine.”
“I’m feeling better also, Julia,” Evan assures her.
“I’m so glad that both of my men are feeling better. My stomach is telling me that it’s hungry. What about my men? Would you like some lunch?”
Jon is first to say “Sounds good.”
Evan asks “Do you think that Daniel will let me get out of this bed? I’m tired of laying here.”
Daniel comes around the corner. Julia looks at him and says, “Perfect timing, Daniel. Evan wants to know if he can get out of his bed, and if so, would it be alight to go for a walk on the beach after we eat something?”
“All of you may do whatever you feel strong enough to do,” he answers.
Evan is ecstatic, “Great! Get me out of this bed and let’s go outside to the beach. I want to see the ocean and hear the surf rolling in.”
Daniel has Treysen prepare Evan for his walk outside. He is detached from the monitor and given clean clothes to wear.
“Remember that, Evan is still quite weak,” Daniel cautions, “He has worked through a great deal of emotional trauma. So, walk slowly with him. Take this folding patio chair in case he needs to rest while he is walking to the lounge chairs on the beach.”
Julia gratefully acknowledges his kindness. “Thank you Daniel.”
“I am here to serve you.” He bows his head, and puts his right hand to his heart as a gesture of love.
Jon, Evan and Julia make it out to the lounge chairs, by
the edge of the surf. The heat of the day has gone and all that is left of the day is the beautiful setting sun.
Abruptly, there is a surge in the frequency of the energy field that surrounds the Beach House, and the beach. As Jon, Evan and Julia look around them to see what is happening, they watch as all of the doors and windows on the Beach House automatically shut.
Simultaneously, several of Daniel’s staff appears by their side. Each staff member is glowing with a white light around them, almost making them invisible. As the staff holds each others hands, Jon, Evan and Julia are encircled in a protective, white colored circle. Covering the outside of the white colored circle, is a gold light which almost looks like a solid gold plate, making it impossible for anyone else to penetrate it.
While all of this has happened quite quickly, all that Jon, Evan and Julia feel is calmness, security and love.
In a few minutes, Daniel is standing by his staff. He thanks them for their service and then dismisses them.
“Daniel, what happened?” Evan asks.
“Flying Eagle, is trying to breach the perimeter again. I sent my staff to surround you as a precaution. But, I want you to know that no one can set foot on this property unless they are pure of heart.”
“What are you saying, Daniel?” Julia questions.
“I’m trying to say, that Flying Eagle, can never set foot on this property unless he asks for forgiveness for the evil that he has done.”
Daniel continues, “Every person that comes here has never been perfect. That’s the way that we all learn. The people that come here have asked for forgiveness, and have within their hearts the intent to only do good things.”
Looking at Daniel, they all say, “Thank you, Daniel, for that explanation.”
“You are all more than welcome. Would you like to come in and sit by the fire? It’s starting to get a little chilly out here.” As the three of them stand up, Daniel helps Evan, and they all walk back to the Beach House.
As Daniel takes Evan to a nice comfortable easy chair in the great room, he says, “I’ll let you sit here as long as you would like, while I attend to my other duties.”
The crackling, searing fire in the fireplace is beautiful. To sit here in the great room, and watch the fire as it dances around the wood, is truly a great experience. But, there is something that keeps gnawing at Evan’s heart. His brother, Flying Eagle, had to be taken care of. Now that he knew who the killer of these young boys was, he needed to make a plan.
Finally, Julia says, “I think that I will go to bed. I’m tired and need a good nights sleep.” She looks at both of them with sensitive gentle eyes and says, “I want you both to know, that I admire and love you both.” Jon and Evan look at her strangely and watch her as she walks up the stairs to her bedroom.
“What was that all about?” Evan says.
“I don’t know, Evan, but I have a funny feeling,” Jon speculates.
“I do too. Anyway I’m glad that she’s gone. I didn’t want to worry her. We need to make a plan to get my brother. Would you be willing to help?”
“Well, that’s one thing that I’m really good at, making plans,” Jon states with a smile.
Evan and Jon stay up most of the night, creating a plan that they hope will capture Flying Eagle.
Finally, morning comes and they are both exhausted, falling asleep in the great room.
At the same time that Evan and Jon fall asleep, Julia has awakened, gotten dressed and is packing her bags in her room. She walks to the balcony to look down to the first floor to see if anyone is there. Looking over the balcony, she sees both Evan and Jon fast asleep.
“The ring,” Julia says to herself. “I left it on top of the chest of drawers. I can’t forget it now! I’ve had it since the crime scene, before I came to the Beach House.” Going back to her room, she picks it up. “Ok, which pocket should I put it in?” she wonders, while she is closing the door to her room. She fumbles with her overnight case, “Why am I so clumsy today?” Unknown to Julia, the ring, rather than going into her pocket, falls onto the floor.
Going down the hall to the lower floor, Julia walks to where Daniel is with his patients. He is working with a young woman that came in just yesterday, and Julia waits to talk to him.
After a few minutes, Daniel looks out to the hall through the window. “I’m sorry it took me so long. Treysen told me that you were here. I couldn’t leave her any sooner than I did. That poor woman has lost her two sons, and she’s trying to find them.”
“How could she lose her sons?”
“I don’t know. That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”
“Did you get her from a portal, like you did with Jon and Evan?”
“No. This young woman was transferred here from another place. I have been asked to help her find her sons.”
“I wish I could help, but I’ve got to leave. Would you help me?”
“Don’t you want to wait for Jon and Evan?” he asks.
“No, I would like to go now,” she says.
“Ok. How can I help?”
“Would you have one of your staff drive me to my apartment?”
Immediately a staff member appears. “This is Henry” Daniel says to Julia. He turns to Julia and says, “Henry, this is Julia.”
“Hello, Julia,” Henry says with a smile. “I am here to be of service to you. What do you need me to do?”
“I would like you to drive me to my apartment.”
“I would be glad to. Come with me.”
They walk to the garage where all of the black suburbans are kept. “Would you like some help with your baggage?” he asks.
“Yes, thank you.”
Her baggage is loaded into the suburban and they leave the Beach House. Eight hours later when they finally arrive at her apartment, Julia asks Henry “Would you like to come in? I’m hungry… I could make dinner for both of us.”
“That sounds wonderful, Julia, do you need any help?”
“No, I think that I can handle it, but if you could help me with my luggage once again, that would be great.”
“Where would you like me to park this suburban?”
“My parking place is in an underground garage.”
“Ok, show me the way.”
After they park the suburban and walk up to her apartment, Henry carries her luggage into her apartment. Julia goes to the kitchen and looks through her cupboards to see what she can make for dinner.
Henry notices a baby grand piano in her living room. “How long have you played the piano?” Henry asks in a louder than normal voice, so that she can hear him.
“I’ve played for several years. I sit and play for hours when I have the time. It takes all the pain from my soul, caused by the cases that I work on.”
“Would you mind if I play it?” Henry asks.
“I would love to hear you play some music.”
Henry sits down and starts to play from memory. Julia listens as she is preparing the dinner. She quickly pulls together a delicious meal of stuffed Cornish Hens, Waldorf salad, Rolls, Asparagus and Lemon Ice water.
While everything is cooking, Julia begins to set the table in the dining room. Henry thoroughly loves the touch of the keys of her piano, and begins playing another piano piece. The song that Henry is playing sounds so familiar to Julia that she looks at Henry, puts down the dishes and walks over to him.
“Where did you learn that music?” she questions.
“Oh, I’ve known it for quite some time,” he says as he looks up to her.
“It seems so familiar to me. Like I have heard it before, but I don’t remember where.”
Henry looks up at her and smiles. His look is so familiar to her now. Who is this man who is playing her piano? And, where does she know him from?
“What is the name of the music?”
“It comes through my heart, Julia. I play what my heart tells me to play.”
“How does one play without music notes in front of them?”
“That’s the same thing that Daniel said to me when I asked him what a portal is?”
“I’m not meaning to upset you, Julia. Everything will be told to you in time. Would you like me to stop playing?” Henry asks.
“No, it’s very soothing. Please continue to play. I’ll finish setting the table. Dinner will be ready soon.”
Meanwhile, back at the Beach House, Evan and Jon have been awake and up for some time.
Daniel has been busy trying to find out how his newest patient could have lost her sons. “This has never happened before. Can you tell me what you have found out so far?”
“I wanted to be with my sons because they were too young to be without their mother. When I got to the other side, I found out that my sons had been given a new guide, and in the process he lost them.”
Concerned and somewhat confused, Daniel continues to question her, “Have you found out why or how the guide lost your little boys?”
“I’ve heard a little. But I was told that my best chance would be to ask for your help. Would you please help me?”
“I will do my best. Now rest for a while and I will try to see what happened.”
“Thank you, Daniel.”
In the great room, Evan and Jon are wondering about Julia. “I wonder when she is going to come down here.” Evan asks.
“I know. She is usually up quite early,” Jon states.
“I’m going to go up to her room and see if I can wake her up. We need to let her know what the plan is.”
“Ok, Jon, I’ll wait here for you.”
Walking up the stairs and over to Julia’s room. Jon knocks on the door. There is no answer. He knocks again and opens the door.
“Julia, it is Jon. Would you please come downstairs, Evan and I have a lot to tell you.”
There’s no answer, so he walks into her room. Everything is clean and her bed is made. Her luggage is gone. Confused, Jon turns around and walks out of her room. As he gets to the door he notices their ring on the hall floor, up against the wall. He picks it up, puts it in his pocket and walks down to where Evan is waiting.
Jon has just started to tell Evan that Julia is not in her room, when Daniel comes into the great room. “How are both of you today?” he asks.
“We’re fine. Have you seen Julia?” Jon asks.
“Yes. Julia wanted to go to her apartment early this morning, so I made arrangements with one of my staff to take her there.”
“You what?” they both echoed.
“Don’t you realize that she will be in danger there?” Evan asks in a surprised manner.
“Gentlemen, she is not alone. Henry, one of my staff, is with her. She will be protected until you can arrive.”
Concerned, Jon declares, “Evan, you’re still too weak. I’ll go.”
“Jon, there is something that you need to be aware of,” Daniel warns. “Since, Julia, didn’t come to the Beach House through the Hall of Corridors, the minute that Henry leaves her apartment, she will forget about the Beach House, which means that she won’t remember you. She might think that you are familiar, but, she won’t be able to remember where she knows you from.”
“Thank you, Daniel. I’ll follow her from a distance, just to make sure that she is ok, until Evan is able to come.”
CHAPTER 11