by F Stone
“Well, hello there. I see you’ve been waiting. Sorry, but I’ve been detained by one very stubborn Guardian.”
He untied the rod from the elevator shaft housing and placed it into the barrel of his handgun. Then he went to pick up his sons.
Always under the watchful eyes of Perkins, Sam and his boys went horseback riding in the mountains outside of New Seattle. All too soon they had to return to the admiral’s home. The boys ran upstairs to change for dinner while Sam stood as tall as he could in front of his seething superior officer in the admiral’s home office.
“Good evening, sir.” Sam turned slightly away from the admiral, took a breath, and found a calm center within. “Admiral, you’ve been good to my boys, generous. But they need something different now. Something that will lead them to become men of sound character. We got to our rank not because someone handed it to us. It was earned. Every victory was gratifying because we’d proven to be worthy.”
“You forget that you proved to be unworthy of my trust.”
“Perhaps you’re right. The wisest choices weren’t made by Joy or myself.”
The admiral straightened his posture and went to his desk. “What exactly are you getting at?”
“Tomorrow I’ll pick Nathan and Simon up after school and bring them here. They’ll be packed by then. They’ll express their gratitude to you, your family, and staff and … then we’ll be out of your hair. All of us.”
“You’re assuming an awful lot, Captain Waterhouse. I don’t believe they’ll willingly give up the good life they’ve had, even to follow you. And you’re still assigned to the Nonnah. You’ll return to your ship tomorrow evening. I’ve no intention of changing anything. Is that clear?”
“Quite clear, but unacceptable, sir.”
“That’s too bad. You may pick up Nathan and Simon at school observed by my security to ensure you return here.”
The head housekeeper knocked on the door and announced the dinner was ready.
The admiral glared at Sam. “We’ll continue this after dinner.”
Sam sat across from his boys in the dining room. They were joined by the admiral’s daughter, Marianne, and her son, Chad. Silence prevailed over the stiffly seated diners. All were dressed as for a formal occasion. Sam and the admiral were in naval uniform, and Sam’s sons had changed into black dinner suits and combed their hair neatly against their heads. They looked impeccably clean — and like dogs about to bolt from their chains, Sam noted.
Everyone waited for the admiral to begin. As he spooned soup from his bowl, Sam spoke up. “Aren’t we forgetting something, sir? Perhaps grace would be nice. Doesn’t hurt to thank the big guy for all our blessings today.” He pointed to the ceiling.
“Thank whomever you like for whatever blessings you deem were bestowed upon you, Captain.”
The admiral returned to his soup, blowing on it. Nathan and Simon studied their dad. Nathan was grinning, eager to see the next move his dad was to make. Simon tentatively reached for his soup spoon. With his eyes closed, Sam sat quiet for a moment. Then clearly but reverently, he addressed God.
“Great Spirit, we give thanks for the fellowship and love of friends and family at this table. We give thanks for your unconditional love that sustains our spirits and for the abundance of food that nourishes our bodies. We give thanks for each new day so that we may have another opportunity to plant the seeds of your Light among those who live in Darkness. We ask for guidance in striving for the higher good in our thoughts and deeds. We thank you for these many blessings, gifts in both the Light and those hidden in the Darkness. For in both the Light and the Darkness, your love is ever present. Amen.”
“That was beautiful, Captain,” Marianne said. “We used to, that is, when mama — ”
“Can we have a little less noise at this table!” the admiral shouted.
“Oh, pardon me, Father,” said Marianne submissively.
The remainder of the meal continued mostly in silence. Sam watched his boys. They sat like little gentlemen in their suits. It was nice to see they had acquired good manners at the table, but Sam thought a little more fun and chatting about the previous day’s adventures was in order. As dessert was being served, he brought up the subject of Nathan’s interaction with a certain green lizard at the sailing tournament.
“So, where do you think Lizzy is now, Nathan?” asked Sam.
Nathan shook his head, indicating this wasn’t the time to bring up the subject.
Sam snickered. “Bet he’s still running. The look on your face when he dropped into your lap.” He turned to his oldest son. “Who do you figure was more scared, Simon? Nathan or poor little lizard? How big was this terrible beast?”
Simon grinned. “Geez, it was only maybe five inches long, including its tail.”
“That’s not true. It was at least a foot long,” said Nathan. “That thing attacked me.”
Sam laughed. “Well, if it wasn’t for your agility and speed, it could’ve been a lizard saying grace over a juicy meal tonight — your big toe.” Sam was still laughing. “Guess you’re more of a seaman than a nature buff.”
Marianne spoke up. “Actually, Simon is the one who handles the outdoors without any complaint.”
“Oh, yes. That’s right, Marianne. You took them camping last weekend. How did that go? Any lunatic lizards after Nathan?” Sam asked.
“Things were pretty tame, at least probably by your standards, Captain. But come to think of it, on the first night, or was it the second? Anyway, Simon was in one tent and Nathan was with Chad in another. An hour or so after we were in our sleeping bags, there was this sound. Like some animal in pain. It was just awful. Woke me with a start, felt like it was right outside my tent. I scrambled to find my flashlight. Couldn’t find the silly thing at first. When I finally got it I ran outside ready to smack whatever was out there.”
Simon shook his head and smirked.
“I first noticed Chad and Nathan’s tent,” Marianne continued. “It looked like something had grabbed it or had been thrashing at it. The boys were nowhere to be seen. I called for Simon and, bless his heart, he came running right away to my side, such a brave young man. I called and called, and so did Simon. Chad and Nathan finally shimmied down from a tree not too far from our camp. Never did see the animal, don’t even know what it was. It was awful, Captain. You can be very proud of Simon. And, Nathan, well he had the skin scraped off the inside of his legs when he slid down that tree trunk, but oh, can he climb trees!”
Simon’s shoulders trembled with the laughter he was trying to contain. He let out a loud growl that ended as a painful scream.
“You. It was you!” shouted Nathan, grabbing onto Simon’s shoulders. “You lousy — ”
The admiral banged on the table. “If you don’t all mind, I’d like to enjoy my dessert. Quiet!”
The snickering continued unabated. Simon and Nathan jostled with each other as much as they dared. When the admiral could no longer take the informality at his table, he told the three boys to go to their rooms. Simon and Nathan hesitated.
“Go on. I’ll check in with you before I leave,” Sam assured them, and they ran off.
Sam sat back in his chair and sipped his coffee. He held the cup in his hand, receiving its warmth and letting the delicious flavor linger in his mouth. The adults were again quiet, and Sam’s thoughts drifted to nowhere in particular. He found himself more relaxed than he would’ve thought possible at the table of his nemesis.
He looked beyond the room’s double archway into the hallway, which glowed softly from candle light. It reminded him of the last time he’d seen Sidney. The terra cotta tile floor was warm in contrast to the blue shadows in the darkening garden beyond the large French doors. He noticed a shadow on the hallway floor, the maid perhaps coming to clear the dishes. He savored another mouthful of his coffee and looked back to the floor.
The bare feet made him almost choke. Sidney stood in the hallway, as perfect and clear as the pillars beside her
.
“What’s wrong, Captain? Is it too hot?” asked Marianne.
Marianne looked in the direction Sam had been staring and said, “Yes, the terra cotta is beautiful. Shipped all the way from Italy, wasn’t it, Dad?”
The admiral simply grunted. Sam returned his focus to Sidney, standing plainly on the Italian tile. Obviously, no one else could see her. She softly smiled and beckoned with her eyes. She went to the French doors behind her, opened them and stepped through, disappearing into the garden.
“Excuse me.” Sam rushed toward the doors. “Going for a walk.”
Before anyone could respond, he was through the hallway and outside the French doors. Sam followed the garden path among trees and hedges, catching a glimpse of Sidney several yards ahead at each turn.
He called to her, “Sidney, wait!”
She didn’t respond. He ran to catch up to her. Just when he thought she should be within reach, he discovered he was at the perimeter of the admiral’s property. Danik and Ryan stood on the other side of a tall iron fence.
“Hello, Sam.”
Sam was stunned. “What the hell is going on? Where’s Sidney?”
“Danik grinned. “She’s on your ship, Captain.” Danik raised his right hand toward the fence. A lock clicked and a section of the fence swung open. “That’s what we need to talk about. We need to get her off that ship as soon as it arrives in harbor, if not before.”
Sam walked through the opening. He was still trying to sort out what he’d just seen.
“Sam?”
“First I need to get my sons out of here. My boys come first. Sidney knows that.”
“Sam, she’s powerful. But she’s flesh and blood too.”
“You have any suggestions?” Sam asked.
“Glad you asked. What are the chances of Ryan and me landing our chopper on the Nonnah?”
Sam shook his head. “That would be daring to say the least, even suicidal. Any attempt would result in an immediate defensive action against an intruder. Commander Moon is currently acting captain and will follow orders from only naval command or Captain Butchart. He won’t abide by orders from me.”
Danik’s eyebrows lifted. “Why not?”
“Even if I were to talk to him from a monitor-equipped comlink, he’d be concerned I was being coerced into a request like that. And there’s something you don’t know about Commander Moon. I believe he’s been influenced by Captain Butchart concerning Sidney. He won’t kill her, but he won’t help her either.”
Danik crossed his arms and frowned. “And you’re not returning to the Nonnah, are you?”
“Once my boys are safe, I’ll … ”
“They’re safe now, Sam.”
“I make one wrong move and the admiral will make sure they disappear. I can’t risk that!”
Danik was deep in thought and walked in a close perimeter around Sam. Sam became uneasy with the tension. He loosened the grip of his tie at his throat.
“I’d better get back to the admiral,” he said and stepped toward the open gate.
“Not so fast.” With a wave of Danik’s hand, the gate slammed shut. “You plan to bargain for your sons’ release with Sidney’s life. Perhaps mine, Ryan’s, and those of the rest of my people. Am I correct?”
Sam felt the heat from Danik’s glare. “It’s not my intention to involve anyone beyond Sidney.”
Danik shook his head. “Not acceptable. What do you think, Ryan? Plan B?”
Ryan groaned. “Hey man, we said we wouldn’t. Too risky.”
“Might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb!” Danik said. “We’d better let ’em know right away we’re on board.” He waved his hand and the gate swung open. “Be seeing you, Sam.”
Danik seemed far too at ease for someone planning something risky. Sam was confident he was bluffing. And so he watched the duo disappear into the night shadows, and then headed back to the admiral’s home.
Soon after Sam had left the dining room, Butchart arrived. He was directed to wait in the admiral’s office.
“Frank, sit down,” the admiral said when he came in.
Butchart was prepared. He’d taken special effort to subdue the tumor pressing down on his brain with pain medication. His training as a Guardian had provided him with the tools to manage it, shrink its size to nearly nothing, but with the stress of Madame’s arrival on the base a year earlier, the cancer had returned with a vengeance.
He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a large sun crystal.
“Admiral, you have yet to understand the potential of this crystal. Allow me to demonstrate.”
Butchart stepped back and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. After a few minutes, the crystal began to glow. Its brilliance lit up the room. In another second, the only light in the room was from the crystal.
“I’ve just turned off all the power on your property. Good for a start, sir?” Butchart asked, obviously pleased with himself.
The admiral raised his eyebrows and gasped. He was in shock. “Everything is off?”
“Even your security system, which would normally seal off rooms, shut gates, and sound off a siren with a power failure. Absolutely nothing will work in this house except by manual labor.”
Marianne rushed into the room. “Dad, we have a problem. There’s no power.”
“Never mind, my dear. It’ll be all right shortly. Just keep the servants quiet for now.” When Marianne had left, the admiral turned back to Butchart.
“Okay, that’s impressive, but you’d better be able to reverse that.”
Butchart again connected with his crystal, and the power resumed. “Have someone shut down your power source. The crystal will provide all the power you need to run this house.”
The admiral ordered his staff to turn off the main power source and was elated to find that the crystal performed as promised. The entire house — lights, appliances, security — functioned at optimum levels through the sun crystal’s energy.
“How long will it continue supporting this house, Frank?”
“I’d have to give it a booster every hour. It’ll gradually lose its connection with me. But as you can see, it takes little time or effort on my part.”
“Don’t believe a word of it, Admiral,” Sam said, bursting into the room. “He’s just making sure you’ll keep busy hoarding these little rocks while he gains more control. It’s his Guardian sacred teachings that put on this show. Nicely done, Frank. But I’ll show you that I can do even better with what Sidney has taught me. And Admiral, I’ll achieve more without Frank’s paperweight.”
Butchart lunged at Sam. “You miserable piece of shit. Get out of here. Get back to your rotting ship.”
Sam quickly sidestepped the attack and remained unruffled.
“Calm down, Frank,” demanded the admiral. “I’ve purposely invited you both here tonight so we can get to the bottom of this.” He turned to Sam. “You’re up, Waterhouse.”
Sam swallowed. He’d expected a face-to-face confrontation with Butchart at some point, but not so soon.
“Let’s see, Admiral. How about something of more military strategic implications?” Sam thought for a moment. “How about your chopper out on the helipad? If I were to get it airborne and maneuver it?”
The admiral was intrigued. “Move my helicopter off its pad, and turn it in another direction. But don’t fire the guns.”
Sam was nervous. He’d only moved small objects before. But if he wanted to keep the admiral’s attention, he had to do something big — without using that crystal on the table. Focus was the key. He stood at the side of the window and spotted the garage to his right a short distance from the mansion. He began his meditation technique. Standing erect with his hands lifted slightly away from his sides, he created a faint rainbow-colored arch extending from one hand, over his head, and down into the opposite hand.
In a few more seconds, the men heard the whine of the chopper’s engine. The chopper soon came into view as it hovered above the t
reetops. The admiral looked back at the sun crystal on his desk. It showed not a glimmer, no rays of energy emitting from its facets as it had when Butchart had given his demonstration. It sat just like a paperweight, lifeless. As far as he could tell, the source of power Sam accessed to perform this amazing task came from within him.
Gradually, the chopper shifted its position toward the garage. It flew over the driveway where both Sam’s and Butchart’s vehicles were parked.
The admiral was speechless, his eyes wide with amazement. Sam remained silent and in a meditative state. His hands were motionless. The admiral grabbed Sam’s shoulder.
“Well done!” he shouted above the roar of the chopper’s engine.
Suddenly, the chopper switched positions and fired toward the window.
Butchart and the admiral dove away from the window but not before bullets shattered it. Flying debris struck Butchart’s shoulder and arm. The admiral crawled on the floor under the flying bullets to his desk. He reached into a drawer and grabbed his gun, aiming it square at Sam’s head.
“Stop it or I’ll blow your head off!” he shouted.
The firing stopped, and Sam returned the chopper to the helipad.
“God, that was too damn close,” Sam said, feeling rather stunned. “Are you all right, Admiral?”
The admiral kept his aim on Sam. “What the hell were you trying to do?”
“Kill us,” Butchart said. “You’re under arrest, Waterhouse!” He was trying to brace his bloody right arm and hold his gun with his good hand.
“Hang on a minute, Frank,” cautioned the admiral.
“Admiral, for Christ sake, this traitor — ”
“Frank, if I intended to commit murder, you’d both be dead right now. Actually, it would’ve been the ideal opportunity. Doubt the police would suspect me since I was in the room when the chopper attacked. Admiral, when you grabbed my arm, it changed my focus to this room. At least that’s what it felt like.”
The admiral lowered his gun and surveyed the damage to his office.
“Shit. Look what he did. And with no pilot. Just think what this could mean to operations, Frank.”