Ascension Watchers

by Amy Proebstel

  “I found it!” Juila cried out as soon as she saw her mother enter the doorway. “Dad! I’m so glad you’re home, you can check my search to make sure I’m reading it correctly.” She leaned over to the side and pointed at the computer screen.

  “What did you find?” Riccan asked again. He stepped forward and peered at the words on the computer. “This is a flight plan from Miami to New York City. What’s this for?” He shifted his gaze to his daughter before turning to face Amanda. “Will someone start answering my questions?”

  “Sorry, honey, we’ve been a bit preoccupied.” Amanda hurriedly brought him up to speed on their theories and what they had already put into action. She could see her husband’s expression darken at the mention of the unethical doctor. “So, it appears that Vinia was most likely transported up to Creedmoor by Dr. Gascon. What do you think we should do now?”

  “Nothing right now.” He held up his hand to prevent the imminent outburst. “We wait for Jasmine to call back and confirm what we already know,” Riccan answered even as the wheels continued to spin in his head about how he was going to handle the situation. Before, he had had the element of surprise when confronting Dr. Gascon, this time, the doctor would not underestimate him and would most likely have some type of retaliation plan set into place. He could not afford to be drugged and confined by the doctor, he would have to remain vigilant.

  Amanda relented, “She did say she’d try to get back to me tonight. Besides, it would be better to get confirmation before we stir up the hornet’s nest.”

  Jena and Juila laughed out loud as they stared at their mother. Jena managed to say, “That is the strangest phrase you’ve come up with yet, Mom!”

  “What? Oh, hornet’s nest?” Amanda smiled along with them and then sobered as she added, “Yes, I can see where that would seem odd, but it’s very true in this case. We don’t want to have any contact with that doctor unless we really must.”

  Everyone jumped as the phone rang in Amanda’s hand, breaking through the sudden silence which had descended upon the room. Thinking it would most likely be Dr. Medin returning her call, Amanda eagerly flipped the phone open, hit the speaker button, and held it out for everyone to hear the call.

  “Hello?” Amanda answered, almost breathless with anticipation of good news.

  “Hi, Amanda, it’s me, Jasmine.”

  “Did you find out anything about Vinia?”

  “Yes, and no. The hospital doesn’t have any record of anyone named Vinia. However, they did have a patient admitted under the name Jane Doe three days ago, after normal business hours. Do you think this might be your friend?”

  “The late-night admission certainly fits the timeline needed. We discovered a flight plan logged for the same day from Miami to New York. Yes, I believe it’s her. Thank you, Jasmine!”

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you more definitive proof. What are you going to do now?”

  “We don’t know yet. Thanks again for getting back to us so fast.”

  “Good luck.”

  “Thanks!”

  “Bye.”

  Amanda flipped the phone shut, effectively ending the call. She looked at each member of her family, knowing they were going to have to come up with a rescue mission. Of course, this would not be the first time they had broken into the hospital, and they knew Dr. Gascon would be on guard for them.

  “Any ideas?” Amanda asked.

  Riccan shook his head after raking his fingers through his short hair. He did not like dealing with the pompous ass of a doctor. However, he felt it was safer for him to go alone. He had more training than anyone else when it came to dealing with Earth situations. Not only that, he was adept at using his power to translate himself if the situation became too dangerous. With a resigned sigh, he said, “I guess I’m going to be making another trip to Manzanit so I can pay the doctor another house call.”

  “I don’t think you should go alone this time, Riccan, it’s too dangerous,” Amanda spoke urgently as she reached out with both of her hands and grabbed his arm tightly.

  Juila looked worried as well, yet she was thinking practically about the situation. “I’m going to call Val and let her know she doesn’t need to keep calling the local hospitals.” She stood up from the desk chair and left the room as fast as she could walk.

  Seeing her daughter leave the room to make her call, Amanda became instantly aware of the grave mistake they had all been making in their haste to find Vinia. She pulled on her husband’s arm with one hand and grabbed Jena with her other.

  “What’s wrong, Mom,” Jena asked as she tried to turn around to find out what had suddenly come over her mother.

  Pushing the two of them out of the room in front of her, Amanda propelled them all down the hall, not saying anything until they were in the living room again. “We weren’t being careful in the office. That bug is still in there, and, for all we know, Dr. Gascon heard all about what we discovered tonight and who is involved. This is really bad, Riccan. You said you were going to pay the doctor a visit and he might be making plans as we speak to move Vinia and making a trap for you. How could we have been so careless?”

  “Amanda, you’re overreacting. I told you I disabled the bug.”

  “Yeah, but you didn’t get rid of it. For all we know, those men could have replaced it with a new one!” Amanda covered her face with her hands, moaning slightly at how bad this could all turn out if they were not careful.

  “Then I guess I should leave immediately. Dr. Gascon has no way of knowing I can be there in ten minutes, so he won’t be ready for my surprise visit.”

  “Do you even have to see him? Why can’t you just locate Vinia and whisk her out of there?”

  “I suppose I could track her by her birth crystal, but where’s the fun in that? I like making him squirm.”

  “Stop it, Riccan, that’s not even funny. That might’ve worked for you when you were a bachelor, but now you’re a married man with two teenage daughters. You cannot risk yourself so recklessly anymore!”

  “I’m sorry to upset you, Amanda. I was just teasing. Your idea about tracking Vinia using the elemy was actually really good, and I won’t have to have any contact with the doctor. Besides, there’d be less fuss if the patient just went missing rather than letting everyone know about our involvement with her. We have no idea what he’s forced her to talk about in the three days he’s had her.”

  “I’m sure this has been a nightmare for her. Please hurry, Riccan. If you insist on going alone, then please remember to be safe.” Amanda flung her arms around her husband, forcing him back a step with the impact of her lunge. She poured every ounce of her love into him in that one embrace, she hoped it would not be the last time she held him. Thinking so negatively was so unlike her, she suddenly realized this mission was pre-destined to succeed. Still keeping her arms around his waist, she leaned back and looked up at him with a smile on her face. “Riccan, I know you’ll be fine! Do you know how I know?”

  “No…why?”

  “Because you are one of the thirteen samara holders. Jehoban would not have had you be part of the group if he had known you were going to die before the fulfillment of the prophecy.”

  Riccan’s mouth twitched downward on one side as he considered his wife’s analogy. “I think you might be onto something there. Thanks, love. I can go with a clear mind now.” He pulled away from her, turned, and began to walk to the kitchen to get his telepod remote. Just as he glanced back one last time before leaving the house, his plan was changed one more time with the appearance of Juila.

  “Wait, Dad! I want to come with you.”

  “No.”

  “No, listen, Dad. You’re going to fly to Manzanit, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, the last time you went to Creedmoor, you ended up flying home from New York on a commercial flight and had to make other arrangements to pick up your abandoned telepod. What if I were to fly with you and remain in Manzanit until you either returned wit
h Vinia, or you stayed on Earth and I fly it back home alone?”

  “How would you know to do in the latter event?”

  “You could take your cell phone and call home with your plan. Jena can tell me what’s going on through our mind link.”

  Riccan looked up, contemplating the plan, as he rocked back on his heels. It actually was a good idea, then he would still have his telepod the next day for work. Juila was familiar with the craft, and she could visit with her friends in Manzanit while she waited. “Sure, I like it.”

  “I don’t,” Amanda piped up from where she had entered the kitchen to listen to the change in plans.

  “She’ll be fine in Tuala, honey. Heck, she’s probably safer there than she is here.”

  “No kidding, especially considering Dr. Gascon!” Jena agreed readily.

  “Fine!” Amanda relented. It felt as though her whole family was ganging up on her. The sooner they all left, the sooner they would return. “Go before I change my mind.”

  Riccan leaned forward to kiss Amanda on the lips before grinning and rushing out to the garage to catch up with Juila, who had gotten a head start. “We’ll be back before you know it,” he called out over his shoulder just before the door slammed shut behind him.

  “I wish,” Amanda whispered.

  Jena put her arm around her mother’s waist and leaned against her. “This’ll be over soon, Mom.”

  “I know.” She pressed her cheek against her daughter’s soft hair, so much like it had been as a baby, taking comfort in her daughter’s assurances as well as her physical presence.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  To say Riccan was surprised to bump into Debbon would have been an understatement. Both men had been completely preoccupied with inner thoughts as they walked down the hall that neither even registered the other’s presence until they made full-body contact, knocking the breath out of both of them.

  “Sorry!” they cried out automatically in unison.

  “Debbon?” “Riccan?” They asked again in unison, causing them to chuckle.

  “What brings you here?” Riccan managed to ask first, hoping Debbon could be persuaded to leave without finding out his own mission.

  “Rasa asked for my assistance in recovering her samara. I volunteered to come and help her get through the backlog of District cases to free up some of her time. Unfortunately, just as I arrived, so did Yingun.”

  “Yingun! What would possess him to come after his performance at the convocation?”

  “You heard about that, did you?”

  “Of course! As my father’s successor, I’m entitled to know who I’ll be dealing with when my time comes to step up. I need to know my friends and enemies within the group.”

  Debbon grimaced slightly and admonished, “We are a team, Riccan, we don’t get the luxury of choosing sides.”

  “Nicely spoken, First,” Riccan replied formally, taking his scolding with the proper humility.

  Seeing Riccan had taken the hint, Debbon changed the subject by asking, “What brings you here?”

  “I was looking for Rasa to ask her a favor. Do you know where she is?”

  “Not at this moment, I left her in the courtyard. After the barbs Yingun parted with, I imagine she’s probably in her private quarters by now, trying to keep from exploding.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Definitely! Yingun can be a complete ass when he puts his mind to it. I just sent him on his way home, so Rasa would have a few minutes to compose herself.”

  “Good thinking. Can you imagine where he would’ve ended up if Rasa had been at the controls?” Riccan chuckled even though there was a terrifying element of truth behind his joke. He felt a shiver of apprehension run through him, just contemplating the implications. Turning around, he fell into step alongside Debbon. “Are there problems here in the District? Why would Yingun show up uninvited out of the blue?”

  Debbon glanced sideways at Riccan. He had always wondered at the man’s use of strange phrases, and considering he was now married to someone from Earth, he began to get a clearer picture of where he came up with them. Perhaps there was more to Riccan than first met the eye, he would be remiss if he did not watch him more carefully from now on. “It’s a very good question and one which we’ll be trying to answer.”

  He stopped walking, glanced up and down the hallway to assure their privacy, and spoke hurriedly to Riccan, “Initially, we were suspecting he might have had something to do with the samara’s disappearance, but the way he was speaking earlier, I don’t believe that to be the case anymore. However, I do think he might be behind the increased number of dissidents who have shown up in the Manzanit District. His timing and lame excuse for arriving to ‘help’ were a bit too convenient in my mind. Has your father mentioned anything about any changes in his District?”

  Riccan considered his question seriously, yet he also felt anxious about completing the mission he had come to do. The more truthfully he could answer the First’s questions, the sooner he would be able to go. He shook his head slowly and replied, “No, nothing I can think of right off hand. I’ll ask my dad if you like, and we can see if anything has come up which he might have dismissed because he hadn’t realized there was a connection. In these troubling times, we need to be communicating everything with one another until the prophecy has been fulfilled. I’m certain Lucinden is doing everything in his power to thwart us at every turn.”

  “Truer words have never been spoken,” Debbon agreed even as he nodded and began walking down the hallway, arms held behind him as he mused on all of the recent events unfolding, most notably, Rasa’s ascension ceremony where Callan’s neck had been slit. His lack of a samara felt like a personal attack from Lucinden, which he did not much like the feeling. Soon, he promised himself, I’ll have my samara very soon.

  When they turned down the hallway leading to Rasa’s private chambers, Debbon did a double-take at seeing Juila and Ulwin talking at the end of the hall. “Did Juila come with you?”

  “Yes, she wanted more practice flying the telepod.”

  Debbon nodded his understanding.

  Riccan hated having to be deceitful with an Elder, yet he had no idea how Debbon would view his interference with an Earth matter. He moved closer to his daughter and asked, “Were you able to find Rasa?”

  “Ulwin was just telling me she’s unavailable.”

  Riccan smiled knowingly and said, “Surely, if you just told her that I’m here…”

  Ulwin shook his head emphatically before interrupting, “I’m sorry, Elder Rasa was quite specific she was to remain undisturbed.”

  “Did she say how long it might be?”

  “No, although she did seem in a much better mood after Elder Senjin’s visit.”

  “Elder Senjin is here?” Debbon asked in surprise. “I just came from the Gate room and didn’t run into him.”

  “He arrived by telepod and left through the main entrance only a few minutes ago,” Ulwin supplied helpfully.

  Chapter Four

  RICCAN AND DEBBON exchanged bewildered looks, both silent with their own interpretations of what the other Elder could have said or done to have Rasa want to be left alone.

  “Well, that does complicate matters some,” Riccan murmured to himself before looking over to see if Juila had any answers for their dilemma. Seeing her shrug, Riccan had to decide soon how he would handle this turn of events. Realizing he had no other options, Riccan turned to Elder Debbon and asked, “Will you walk with me?”

  “Sure.” After they had moved far enough away from where anyone would hear them, Debbon asked, “What’s going on, Riccan?”

  “How well do you know Vinia?”

  Clearly not expecting the sudden shift in conversation, Debbon blurted out, “Not very, but that’s probably going to change with my son planning to marry her daughter.”

  Riccan nodded thoughtfully as he realized this might be the perfect opening for what he planned to ask. “Yes, that’s true. You see, it�
��s come to my attention that Vinia has gone missing.”

  “Missing? When?” Debbon looked around them, noticed the alcove just ahead, and drew Riccan into the private area for them to continue their conversation without interruption.

  Riccan spent the next few minutes giving Debbon all of the details he had been given and ended with, “So I’d appreciate it if you could send me to Earth through the Gate here so I might search for Vinia.”

  “How certain are you that this Dr. Gascon has her? What kind of trouble could he cause us if you were to interfere?”

  “Well, everything points to his involvement, and with his fascination with my wife, it would stand to reason he would be very dogged in keeping this other woman who happens to look so much like her, don’t you think? As to what kinds of trouble, it’s hard to say. From what we’ve learned about this man, he’s rather eccentric to say the least. I’m not sure what he feels he needs to prove, but for some reason, he’s become fixated on proving alternate dimensions exist.”

  “Do you think Lucinden is involved somehow?” Debbon felt the familiar twinge inside him even as he asked the question as if he already knew the answer.

  “I’ve never felt that when I was with him, but that’s not to say he hasn’t put the suggestion to him. You know, several other people have had more dealings with the doctor whom I could ask your question. Maybe Gascon has mentioned Lucinden by name in passing in front of them.”

  “Do that. Meanwhile, I’ll personally send you to New York through Rasa’s Gate. I think the sooner you can find Vinia, the better off all of us will be. It’s not good news to hear of any Tualan being missing on Earth, let alone someone who will be related to me by marriage in the near future.”

  “Thank you, Elder Debbon. I’m very grateful you want to help.”

  They left the private alcove and hurried down the hallway.

  “What will you do if Dr. Gascon really has Vinia?”

  “I won’t know for certain until I get there.”

  “I wish there was something we could do about that man. There’s something wrong with his head for him to think the things he does to those patients is okay.”