Land of Nod, The Child (Land of Nod Trilogy Book 3)

by Hoover, Gary

  He rose shakily and headed back to examine the locket shards.

  What the…

  The locket was intact and lying amongst the fractured remains of the boulder. Jeff picked it up, turned it over in his hand and confirmed that there weren’t any scratches on it. He looked around, selected another boulder and placed the locket on that one. He raised the bat much more tentatively than he had the first time.

  He brought it down and cringed, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes, as the bat made contact. There was a similar flash, and Jeff was knocked back again. However, he was more prepared than he had been the first time. He still lost his footing and fell back but ended sitting on the grass instead of on his back. He could see from where he was that the boulder was once again shattered, but the locket seemed intact.

  I guess I’m going to have to come up with a plan ‘B’.

  Chapter 12:

  “Tomorrow’s the big day,” Dave shouted over his shoulder from the kitchen.

  Jeff’s stomach rolled. He knew they had to get moving, but the prospect was still daunting. I’m clearly still not as tough as I wish I was, but we can’t wait any longer. I’d like to know what happened to Codi and the locket, but chances are it’s on its way to Pheerion Rex right now. Once he has it, he could become invincible.

  Baldwin and Dave were in the kitchen while Jeff, Rasp, Nahima and John had gathered around the table in anticipation. Baldwin usually did the cooking, but Dave had insisted he wanted to help and volunteered to prepare the ground orto.

  Jeff had eaten ground orto before. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but it had a texture similar to rice mixed into mashed potatoes. It didn’t have much taste on its own, but it was typically covered with gravy or sauce, and those sauces varied greatly in taste.

  “Enjoy your last meal, heh, heh, heh,” Dave said as he dropped heavy bowls full of orto on the table.

  Baldwin followed behind him with his own plates and bowls, but he placed them more gently than Dave had before taking a seat beside Jeff.

  There was a general chaos as everyone reached for their favorites. There was no polite, orderly passing. Jeff had learned to wait until things had settled down before getting anything for himself.

  When he had a chance, he took some meat and ground orto. He ladled a pale yellow sauce over his plate and began eating. “Mmm, good orto,” he said.

  Dave beamed.

  It wasn’t actually anything special, but it was nice to see Dave being helpful so Jeff thought he should encourage it.

  There was little conversation as everybody fed themselves hungrily.

  *POP*

  What the…

  Jeff stopped eating and sat straight in his chair. He had just had the oddest sensation – as if there had been a small explosion in his stomach.

  *POP*… *POP* *POP*

  Jeff dropped his fork and stood abruptly. His hand went to his stomach.

  The others looked at him.

  “What’s wrong?’ Nahima asked.

  “I’m having a…” *POP*… *POP* *POP* *POP*… *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* *POP* “A really strange feeling… like things are exploding in my stomach.”

  Dave began laughing loudly.

  “Damn it!” Baldwin said, throwing down his fork and standing also. His hand went to his stomach.

  “Brappers? In the orto?” John asked and then punched his fist in the air. “Nice.”

  Dave made a similar gesture in return. Jeff had come to recognize such exchanges of gestures as a sort of ‘thumbs-up’ or ‘high-five’.

  Jeff noticed that Dave hadn’t touched his orto.

  “Brappers?” Jeff asked.

  “They’re little pellets you can mix into food. When they hit your stomach acid, they explode in a little puff of gas. They can be annoying, but they’re harmless,” Nahima explained.

  Baldwin belched loudly.

  “Of course the gas has to come out.” She allowed herself a smile. Up until that point, she had been trying to create an air of being above it all. “From one end… or the other.” She punctuated that with a small belch of her own. “Ooops.”

  Dave was laughing so hard that it looked like he was losing control of his body as his arms waved, and he stooped, nearly falling down twice.

  When the excitement had died down, Jeff thought of something that had been on his mind. “Hey, could you take me out for a quick trip to the ocean on the lift-car after dinner?” he asked Nahima.

  She started to open her mouth, and Jeff could sense she was about to ask him more. He didn’t want to explain at that moment.

  “Sure,” she said before letting out another small belch.

  Chapter 13:

  The lift-car glided silently over the rocky coastline toward the water. It was a simple, open, flat-bottomed vehicle that, as Jeff knew from prior experience, could fly over land or water. The sky was clear and the stars plus two full moons were bright in the night sky.

  “Are you going to tell me any more about what we’re doing?” Nahima asked.

  “I’ll tell you in a minute. Let’s just get out over some deep water. I want to dispose of something.”

  Nahima looked at him but didn’t say any more.

  The vehicle’s drive was very quiet and since the lift-car wasn’t actually in the water, the waves didn’t break against it. They were far enough from the shore that there were no bird or insect sounds, and Jeff soaked in the serene quiet that was unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

  “This is good,” he said after they had travelled so far from shore that he couldn’t see it anymore.

  He reached into his shirt and pulled the chain and locket over his head. He opened it and looked at the photo of his younger self one last time.

  Jeff snapped the locket closed then held it over the water. After a few moments, he let go, but Nahima reached out and snatched it from the air before it hit the water.

  “Wait. Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked.

  Jeff nodded slowly. “It’s too dangerous. We’ve seen the power of it, and there’s the other one we need to find. I’ve got to get rid of this one… and the other one if we can find it.”

  “But have you considered that your powers could be coming from this? What if you lose your powers once it’s gone?”

  “I’ve thought about that. And even if that’s the case, it’s better to just have it gone so nobody has it.”

  Neither of them said anything for several moments.

  “You know,” Jeff said. “Not very long ago, I was just a normal kid. I didn’t have to worry about deadly creatures and wars with lizard men. I didn’t have to worry that people might be trying to kill me… or the fate of the world might depend on me doing the right thing.” He looked at the locket in Nahima’s hands. “Is it wrong of me to just wish I could go back to that?”

  Nahima shook her head as she looked at the locket. She looked up at Jeff and put a hand on his shoulder. “No I understand.”

  She looked back at the locket and opened it. “You know, I’ve never actually held this before. I can almost feel the power coming from this thing… it almost seems to exude an energy.”

  She snapped it closed, opened it again, turned it over in her hands and then looked up suddenly.

  “What about John? What is it I should know about John?”

  Jeff was startled and disturbed by the question. Is the locket telling her John killed her mother? “What are you talking about?” Jeff tried to use his confusion regarding why she would suddenly ask the question to convey confusion about the broader subject.

  Nahima looked at him, then down at the locket. “I’ve just got the strangest feeling – strange but strong and clear – that there’s something about John I should know.”

  Jeff shrugged. I can’t let this blow up now. I need both you and John to help me travel around the planet to try to find my father… and, hopefully, do something to stop this impending war. I can’t afford to lose you, or John… or both. “
I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied.

  He took the locket from her somewhat abruptly and dropped it in the water. Lights from the vehicle illuminated the surface, and Jeff watched as his younger face sank quickly out of sight.

  Chapter 14:

  Jeff hadn’t slept. When dawn seemed close enough, he gave up. By the time the others would just be getting up, he was already dressed, packed and ready to start their journey.

  Now what? He fidgeted with nervous energy. Jeff went back to his already made bed, stretched out on it, closed his eyes and tried to get some of the sleep he hadn’t been able to get the night before.

  The effort was futile, and after ten minutes, he sat back up. He reached for a bag beside his bed and pulled out the notebook he’d been using to translate his father’s notes along with one of the original books. I’m probably just wasting my time, but I’ve got some time to kill.

  a-c-c-u-r-a-c-y c-o-u-l-d b-e q-u-e-s-t-i-o-n-a-b-l-e b-e-c-a-u-s-e o-f n-u-m-b-e-r o-f p-e-r-m-u-t-a-t-i-o-n-s r-e-q-u-i-r-e-d t-o g-e-t t-o t-h-i-s p-o-i-n-t.

  J-e-f-f,

  Wait, what’s this?! Jeff quickly translated the next paragraph and read it through. His hands were shaking, and he could feel his heart pounding.

  Jeff,

  You know the basic facts of what has happened to me, but I have a strong feeling (and my feelings have been eerily accurate) that you’ll find this, so I’d like to bring you up to speed.

  There was a loud knock at the door, and Jeff jumped.

  “Are you awake? I think you’re going to want to see this,” Dave’s voice said from the other side of the door.

  Chapter 15:

  Jeff had to jog to keep up with Dave – who wasn’t typically excitable. Dave led him to the monitors that displayed views of Codi’s apartment. The cameras showed several different angles revealing an oddly dressed woman going through the apartment and opening drawers. Her clothing looked similar to something a Native American in a cold climate might have worn in the 1800s. She appeared to have a jacket, pants and boots made from roughly processed animal skins.

  “Hmmm, that’s not Codi. When were these taken?” Jeff asked as he tried to decipher the time markings that were still unfamiliar to him.

  “They’re live shots,” Dave answered with a broad grin.

  “What’s going on?” Nahima asked. She was still in her pajamas. Her hair was standing up in spots and sticking out at odd angles.

  “We’ve got to go,” Jeff said.

  Nahima looked at the monitors, and her eyes widened as she realized what was happening. “You two go,” she said. “I’ll be right behind you as quickly as I can.”

  Jeff and Dave were already on their way to one of their flying cars.

  Chapter 16:

  It was still dark as they approached Codi’s apartment. An unusual vehicle caught Jeff’s eye. It was generally similar in design to other flying cars he had seen, but it was battered, dented and patched together. It was painted in a mottled pattern of greens and browns, but Jeff thought the pattern wasn’t intentional. It looked more like the result of using whatever paint or primer happened to be available at the time of a particular repair.

  As soon as they had landed, Jeff was out of the vehicle and on his way to the exterior door of the apartment complex. He pulled a small electronic device from a pouch on his belt. John had explained that the device would not only unlock the door, but it would disable the camera that would otherwise take a video of anyone entering. He waited for Dave and was annoyed to see him examining the junky vehicle.

  Damn it, he’s taking his good old time. Oh well, he has his own device to unlock the door, Jeff depressed the button on his device and waved it in front of the door. When he heard the latch click, he pushed it open and stepped into the narrow, dark stairwell that led to a number of apartments above.

  Jeff walked slowly up the stairs to the third floor and looked for any signs of movement near the door to Codi’s apartment, which he could see from the stairwell.

  He stepped toward her apartment and paused in front of the closed door. He considered drawing a weapon. No. I just want information. I don’t want a confrontation. I need to be as non-threatening as possible.

  He waived the electronic device in front of the door and pushed it open. Fifteen feet away, the woman he had seen on the video stood frozen and was looking at him over her shoulder.

  “Hey, hi, don’t be scared,” Jeff said while holding his hands in front of him in an attempted calming gesture. “I just want to talk to you. I’m looking for Codi. Do you know where she is?”

  Jeff began to walk slowly toward her. He heard the door click closed but then heard it open again. He looked over his shoulder and saw Dave entering.

  The woman turned her body to face Jeff as he approached. Jeff saw that, other than her clothing, she didn’t look unusual. She appeared to be in her mid to late thirties and had short blonde hair.

  “Are you a friend of Codi’s?” Jeff asked. He was within five feet of her.

  Her expression was completely blank. Is she scared? Curious? Angry? I have no idea. Does she even speak English?

  They stood looking at one another for several moments.

  Then, with amazing quickness, she pivoted on one foot and sent a powerful side-kick toward Jeff that slammed into him just below his ribs. He doubled over and stumbled backward. He tried to get his feet under him. However, his weight had been shifted too far back, and he fell.

  From the floor, he saw her push past Dave, shoot out the door and disappear down the stairs.

  Colors flashed as Jeff sucked to try to pull air into his lungs.

  Dave’s only reaction was to laugh with a series of loud guffaws that rattled the walls of the small apartment.

  “Why didn’t you stop her?!” Jeff asked angrily when he finally had enough air and composure to do so.

  Chapter 17:

  Dave held his stomach and tried to squeeze breaths and words between his laughs as the two of them descended the stairs. “That was great! The ‘Mighty Raja’ taken down by someone’s mom.”

  Jeff scowled and squinted as they exited the dark hallway. Jeff could see Nahima’s vehicle settling in for a landing in the glare of the sun that was just cresting the horizon.

  Within moments of landing, Nahima was out of her vehicle and running toward them. “What happened?” she asked as her eyes darted back and forth from Jeff, who was clearly disappointed, and Dave, who was wiping tears of laughter from his face and still had a huge smile.

  “We lost her,” Jeff said.

  “Oh, no, that’s not the whole story,” Dave said. “It was a small, dainty-looking woman and she knocked Jeff on his back-end.”

  Nahima looked at Jeff with clear surprise. “Who was she? Did she have any weapons or anything?”

  “No weapons, just pushed Jeff over like he was nothing and took off.” Dave said made a fluttering gesture with his hand.

  “Why didn’t you stop her?!” Jeff asked in exasperation that was verging on real anger.

  “Well see, here’s the thing… ” Dave replied then trailed off without actually offering the ‘thing’. He ambled slowly toward their vehicle, and Jeff felt his head might explode from the frustration.

  Dave opened the vehicle door and seemed to be looking for something in a storage compartment. He pulled out a small electronic device and walked back toward them.

  “Wouldn’t it be interesting,” he said, “if someone had thought to put a tracking device on her mobile that could track it anywhere on the planet?”

  Jeff’s face shifted from grim frustration to near elation. “Did you track it?!”

  “Naaaah, I’m just kidding. I didn’t think of it in time.

  Jeff’s fists clenched, he gritted his teeth, and he struggled to avoid lunging at Dave.

  “Actually, I’m just kidding about kidding. I planted it.” He flicked a switch with his thumb and a map lit on the device.

  Chapter 18:

&n
bsp; Nahima hovered fifty feet above the ground and a half mile from the location indicated on the tracker. They were above some tall trees that stood at the edge of a clearing, ten miles outside of the barrier that protected the city. On the far side of the clearing, they could see something that reminded Jeff of a mid-nineteenth century western fort. A wall of upright logs surrounded structures made primarily from rough wood and animal skins with some metal and other scrap materials also incorporated.

  Jeff couldn’t see any people through his viewer, but the vehicle they had seen outside Codi’s apartment was parked in the open area.

  “What do you think?” he asked.

  Nahima shrugged. “Codi’s mom said something about a gang of thugs in the wilderness. Could this be it?”

  Jeff was thinking the same thing, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. “Should we try to contact them? Just go up and knock on the door?”

  “I don’t know. I guess… maybe if we set down a good distance away – try not to be too threatening – we can walk up and see if we can get someone to talk.” She looked at him.

  Jeff wasn’t sure. He was trying to tune in his feelings to see if he could get any insight, but nothing came. “What do you think?” he asked Dave.

  Dave was uncharacteristically quiet. “Sure… whatever.”

  He appeared nervous, and Jeff found that unsettling. Dave was typically cool even in circumstances that seemed dire to Jeff.

  “Let’s just stroinging do this.” Dave said loudly and abruptly.

  Chapter 19:

  Nahima landed 500 feet from the compound in the middle of the clearing. The three of them looked at each other.

  “Well, we’re completely exposed,” Nahima said. “But hopefully that will illustrate we’ve come in peace.”