by Teya Tapler
“We have to go inside,” Zander said. “They’ll be looking for us.”
“I-” Evan tried to say something and stopped. Instead she said, “Okay” and drifted slowly toward the house with his jacket on.
He followed her footsteps.
***
Inside, Emil was lying on the sofa, covered with a warm blanket. His jacket was thrown over his legs. Zander propped himself on the sofa armrest closest to Emil’s feet. Peter and Mary were sitting on the loveseat and the professor was on the recliner. Evan knew how much her father loved that chair and imagined him warding off their guests from occupying it.
Agatha Shtuttgart brought food and drinks to the coffee table. Everyone was hungry and thirsty. They didn’t make any stops on their way back and the pizza and drinks they bought for lunch in New York were long gone by then. The guests helped themselves to the cold snacks. Sitting in the Shtuttgarts living room, they looked like ordinary people after a tough day at work.
Evan brought a pitcher of cold water and a tray with glasses, laid them on the table and sat on the loveseat armrest farthest from Zander. Her mother pulled in a chair from the kitchen and sat down.
“I’ll do better tomorrow. Do you like beef stew?” Agatha asked, and then looked at Peter. “I also make a mean chop suey!”
“We’ve to leave as soon as possible,” Emil said. “We don’t want to cause you any more trouble.”
“No one leaves my house tonight!” the professor interrupted him. “You will have a hot bath,” he pointed at Zander, “and a nice sleep,” he pointed to Emil, “then tomorrow my wife will feed you,” the professor looked at Peter, who had his mouth full of crackers. “and we’ll talk again.”
Evan looked lovingly at her father. He was as caring and friendly as her mother. She wanted to mother and befriend the world while he wanted to play the fatherly role. How hadn’t she noticed that before?
It is interesting how being kidnapped and threatened to be killed puts everything in perspective for you. Evan slowly extinguished her “whatever” attitude. It makes you really see the small things around you in a whole new light.
Being respectful and feeling the concern in the professor’s voice made their guests agree: Emil started to doze off on the sofa after Mary said that he shouldn’t be moved, Zander was pushed into the first floor bathroom with a huge towel in his hands, Peter took a sandwich with him and went to one of the guestrooms upstairs, Mary helped Agatha and Evan clean the table, then left, too. Soon Evan bid everyone goodnight and went to her room.
According to the sleeping arrangements, Zander was left to sleep in the living room with Emil who had already fallen asleep on the sofa.
She’s just another client. Zander told himself and turned his head to the backrest of the loveseat. He pulled the blanket Agatha had left for him and tried not to think about Evan. The events from the last couple of days rushed into his sleepless mind. The movie of Evan’s rescue in the Mort’s residence, their trip to New York and the action at Madison Square Garden played in fast forward, slowing down every time Evan made an appearance. Zander couldn’t make her leave his thoughts. The scent of apples still lingered in his memory. He thought about the way she looked at him when he talked with her on their way to New York. Her wide-open, unblinking, beautiful eyes with their long, dark lashes were still staring at him with disbelief. He thought about the way she laughed at her friend’s jokes during lunch break at school, how frightened she was when he found her in Mort’s basement. Zander thought about the way she had swung the steering wheel lock, breaking Mort’s arm, permanently disabling his weapon. He realized she had saved his life by doing something an untrained person like her wouldn’t do unless they cared deeply about the other person.
When Emil started snoring, Zander got up and went into the kitchen. The idea of turning on the lights was tempting for a few seconds; then his eyes adjusted to the different kind of darkness around him. He headed to the window. The big kitchen isle had the same granite countertop as the one in the cape they used to live in. Zander sat on the kitchen isle and picked up an apple from the fruit basket nearby. He took a big bite and looked through the window. The tree shadows in the backyard stood out on the moonlit lawn. The sky had very few clouds. Zander searched for the stars when someone opened the freezer and startled him. He had missed the approaching footsteps.
Turning toward the sound he saw Evan picking up a green ice-cream box. She closed the door of the freezer and faced him, not seeing anything in the dark.
“Why aren’t you asleep?” his whisper startled her and the ice-cream box hit the floor. The scream froze on her face when she recognized his voice and shrugged in response.
He put the ice-cream box on the kitchen isle in front of her.
“Where’re the spoons?” he whispered.
“I’ll get them,” she took out two spoons from the top drawers under the kitchen isle, grabbed the ice-cream box and sat on the chef’s mat in front of the sink between the kitchen isle and the window. He kneeled down against her and she handed him the other spoon. The mat was soft and warm, the best place for a midnight snack on the tile-covered kitchen floor.
Evan opened the box and dug her spoon in, filled it up nicely and put it in her mouth.
He dug his spoon in the ice-cream and repeated his question, “Why aren’t you asleep?”
“I was thinking wa-a-ay too much,” Evan said with the spoon still in her mouth. “How about you?”
“Me, too.” Zander carefully scraped the ice cream with his spoon.
“You don’t have a math test on Monday,” she said casually and looked down at the ice cream, ready to dig her spoon in again.
For an unknown reason, the voice of the tiny reader girl came into Zander’s head.
For all you need to bring the world to peace can be reached when you are on your knees.
He filled his spoon with ice cream and lifted it to Evan’s mouth. She looked him in the eye and parted her lips as he gently put the ice-cream filled spoon in her mouth. She closed her lips and licked the delicious treat. It was apple flavored with real apple pieces and some gooey caramel.
Evan swallowed slowly and opened her lips. Still looking at her, Zander carefully moved the spoon away and then leaned forward and kissed her lips. Her eyes closed as she kissed him back. He hugged her over the ice-cream box. She felt his hands burning the small of her back as he held her tight. Chills ran up her spine as he parted his lips and continued kissing her long and slow. She inhaled his breath. His kisses moved slowly to her left ear and back. She felt that he loved her and hugged him as strong as she could, her hands around his neck. She started playing with his thick and unruly hair, digging her fingers in the back of his head. Feeling his hard body pressed against hers, she didn’t want to let him go.
Thoughts about the mission, the pearls, the rules he had just broken and Emil’s angry face made Zander stop. Full with guilt and remorse he looked down at her: her eyes closed, her lips waiting. Whatever that was, it had to end then and there. They were leaving the next day. She was just another client. That could never be. They were from different time periods…
“You still worried about the math test?” he said with a heavy heart.
She put her forehead on his shoulder and replied, “No.”
The clock on the microwave behind her showed 4:30 in the morning. Any early risers in that house would be waking up shortly. He knew what had to be done.
“You may want to go to your room.” His heart ached as he released her from his embrace.
“It’s better when no one knows who ate the ice-cream.” She winked at him and put the box back in the freezer.
“Goodnight, Evan,” he said and headed back to the living room.
Chapter 27
“Excuse me, Professor.” Emil put his hand on professor Shtuttgart’s shoulder. “I’d like to have a word with you, in private, if possible.“
“Sure, come to my office.” Professor Shtuttgart invited Emil t
o the adjacent room and closed the door.
The two men sat on the brown leather armchairs in front of the ceiling-high bookcases: the professor in his pajamas and cozy robe and Emil in his black T-shirt and jeans.
“I need to talk with you about the pearls,” Emil started.
“Well … I - I don’t really have all of them,” the professor said.
“I read in the newspapers about the robbery,” Emil said quietly.
“If you want, you could take the fifth one. Without the other four, there is no need to keep it,” the professor said.
“I’ll really appreciate it if you could give us that last pearl,” Emil realized there was no need to explain that they had already secured the rest of the set. The events from the night when they sneaked into the Archeological Museum Vault flashed in his mind. Using the subconscious readings catcher received from the Chancellor, it was pretty straightforward to identify the storage location. “We’d take care of it and obtain the other four as well.”
“But - they were stolen,” the professor said.
“We have our means,” Emil’s look indicated the existence of knowledge and technology he was not at liberty to discuss. After a small pause he continued, “You see, professor, the pearls are part of a device used to destroy people’s lives and homes,” he continued, skipping the “and planets” part of the pearls’ destructive capabilities. “In our time, they were the reason behind gruesome events very similar to the World War II. Millions of people died at the whim of a crazy man, his brother and their followers. They called themselves the 906 Inquisitors. We fought for years to stop that madness. Yesterday, with the help of your family, we finally secured the last remaining Inquisitor.”
“Zull Mort,” the professor shivered. “That might explain his profound interest in my work, his generosity and devotion to the cause. Too bad he decided to use these marvelous human qualities to harm others. He could have been the perfect benefactor.” Professor Shtuttgart shook his head.
“If the pearls remain here, the threat to humanity would be even greater,” Emil said, “for you don’t have the technical capabilities required to guard or destroy them.”
“I understand.” The professor sighed. “Leaving them here can lead to great danger to mankind.”
“Here, take these,” Emil pointed to the duffle bag on the floor between them. “These are perfect replicas: same size, weight and color.”
“- and they are completely harmless,” the professor said. “Thank you for explaining the consequences. Honestly, I thought the pearls were part of a device but never suspected that such a damage could be caused by them.”
***
Evan woke up with a smile on her face; her hair was spread on the pillow and her quilt half fallen off the bed. The sun was shining through the pastel-colored curtains and the room was filled with a mellow light like the one surrounding the fairies in the kids’ movies. She stretched her arms and legs and slowly sat up in bed. Her eyes fell on the clock on the nightstand. It was eight o’clock. She had overslept.
Going to bed, she had decided to get up at seven to have more time to talk with Zander. There were so many things she wanted to ask him…
Evan fell across her bed, her head dropping down heavily. He was leaving soon. They would be packing all day and she would have to be very creative to be able to isolate him from the rest of the group and especially from the guy with the bright green eyes. He had been watching her ever since they headed off to New York.
Her thoughts ran in circles like a hamster on a training wheel. Every idea for pulling Zander aside and talking to him brought her back to the starting point that he was leaving and there would be no time. Exhausted from this futile exercise, she decided to take the day as it unfolded, hoping that she would think of something.
She quickly dressed and went downstairs to find everyone, including her sister Allie, having breakfast throughout the house. Mary and her mother were at the kitchen counter exchanging waffle and pancake recipes, drinking coffee and having a girls’ kind of fun. Allie was sitting with the big girls, pretending to understand their conversation. Zander and the Asian-looking guy were in the living room sitting on the furniture like men watching the Super Bowl. Their postures were part relaxed and part tense as if expecting the competing team to score any minute. The TV was on and she could hear the morning show reporters talking about the recent explosions in their neighborhood. Her father and the bright-eyed guy she needed to avoid were nowhere around.
Evan felt the urge to run into the living room and drag Zander away, but not wanting to make everyone suspicious, she entered the kitchen instead.
“Good morning.” Evan smiled.
“Good morning, Evan. Did you know that your Chemistry teacher just gave me a wonderful recipe for a pound cake?” her mother greeted her as Mary gestured indicating no one had explained to Allie what was going on.
Evan smiled and sat next to her sister.
“May I have hot cocoa, too?” Evan asked.
Her mother poured a mug and gave her a plate with strawberry-filled pancakes. Evan grabbed the food and headed to the living room.
“I need to check on today’s reports.”
“She wants to become a journalist, a famous reporter, and watches the morning news every day, including the weekends,” her mother explained proudly.
Mary smiled back and turned the conversation toward the college application and grants process. For her that was invaluable information she could only obtain from someone actually going through the process. The historical files on that topic read more like a statistical report and were not useful. Being the culture expert of the team, she delved in head on.
“Where is Evan going to apply?” From the corridor Evan heard Mary ask her mother.
Evan was almost in the living room when she heard her father’s voice from the office. “Evan, could you bring the pearl here, sweetheart?” He had used his sixth sense again, knowing when the worst moment was to call and ask her for something.
Let’s do this quickly and then I’ll talk to Zander. She left her breakfast in the living room and went to fetch the pearl.
When she returned, Peter and Zander were nowhere to be seen. Mary was still in the kitchen trying to convince Agatha Shtuttgart that they didn’t need any more food for their trip; there was virtually no travel time as the person was broken down to string level and then reassembled at the destination point. A bag with homemade bread, jam and cookies was more than necessary.
Allie was running around trying to help when Emil was talking with the professor in his study. Evan entered her father’s office and stood in front of them with a reusable grocery bag in her hands. The bag was glowing through the seams. A simple explanation of why the pearls had been discovered by the Shtuttgarts and not anybody else started to form in Emil’s mind. He continued looking at the professor, pretending he didn’t notice the glow or Evan’s entry.
“This is the last pearl.” The professor took the bag from Evan to hand it over to Emil. As he touched the bag, the magical glow stopped. Evan smiled in response and disappeared back to her room.
Emil placed the bag on his lap and peeked inside. The last pearl was sleeping quietly at the bottom.
“Professor, don’t be saddened because of this,” Emil said. “It is extremely noble and brave of you to agree to the exchange. The future of the mankind is in your debt.”
The professor nodded, humbly acknowledging Emil’s words. He knew that his actions that day would stay hidden for generations if not forever, but knowing what he was participating in was enough for him. He needed no bigger reward than ensuring that his children, grandchildren and their future descendants had a future.
***
Evan was lying on her bed, looking at the stars and planets waltzing on the ceiling. It was almost like yesterday when she laid here thinking she was in love with Kevin. That was when she was too young and naïve. She had been a senior at the Hamptonville High School for the last month
and would soon turn 18. As a girl at that age she was able to understand her feelings better. She knew she was in love with Zander.
He has the most beautiful and enchanting eyes in the world.
The purple highlights in his lazurite colored eyes reminded her of her favorite flowers, blue pansies. The one for which you were not sure whether they were a blue velvety color with purple highlights or a purple velvety color with blue highlights.
She knew she was in love with Zander.
He wasn’t the only guy around with strong biceps and wide shoulders. She liked his character the most; the way he talked to her with his slightly husky voice, the way he took care of her; the way he protected her. Just the thought of him gave her goosebumps and made her want to hug him. She didn’t feel that way about anyone else.
He is my knight in shining armor, my guardian angel. How can I live without him?
Her mother’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Evan, come downstairs. Our guests are leaving.”
Evan got up, looked in the mirror and corrected her ponytail. She took a small package from her desk, wrapped in pink paper with black polka dots. A black silk ribbon was hugging it with a lot of love. Evan held the package gently then hid it in her pocket and ran to the basement.
There everything was set up for the departure. Their guests had decided it was safer to do the final transcast from the empty basement by explaining something about the concrete being a good transcaster waves isolator.
For lack of a better option, a flat sheet was spread in one corner of the basement floor. It was laid two feet away from the walls and any supporting pillars. The few bags they had carried to New York and back were piled there along with the boxes with the Mort’s equipment from the apartment.
One by one the members of the Anaconda team said their good-byes to the Shtuttgart family and moved onto the flat sheet with the bags. It was a long procession similar to the handshakes between two teams at the beginning of a sports game. The Shtuttgarts were lined up closely to the stairs and their guests moved slowly from person to person. Except that the mood was depressing. Everyone was looking down, feeling sad for leaving or for not being able to keep their new friends longer. They briefly looked each other in the eye, thanked for the things done, shook hands and then looked down again, moving to the next person.