Daniel called Gladys and asked for any case files Alicia might need. He explained her fever and indicated Chris would stop by to pick up whatever was needed for Alicia to catch up on some work from home.
Gladys sounded disappointed, but she assured him she’d take care of what he asked for.
His next call was to Chris to tell him of the change of plans and that Alicia was feeling under the weather. Chris hurried to the hospital to pick up the files and arrived as Daniel was ready to leave.
“Keep an eye on her, Chris.”
“Always.”
* * * *
Seething. That was the word that best described Grant as he slammed his fist onto the surface of his desk. “I’m not going to wait any longer. We make our move next week. If we can get her alone we will; if we can’t, casualties will be necessary.” He spoke to his underlings without looking at them. Instead, he focused on the water he manipulated into various shapes above his desk.
“Yes, sir!”
The men left to prepare, and Grant got up and paced back and forth. Where has she been all this time? There was no explanation for why his agents weren’t able to retrieve Alicia from the hospital, and he hadn’t seen or heard from them since they went on the assignment. They must have been careless and allowed those Pa lel dogs to capture them. But I’ve sent additional agents, and they haven’t even seen her there.
He stared at the papers strewn across his desk and hissed out a breath. The disorder in his office was a visual reminder of how annoyed he truly was. Nothing is as it should be. Why do you elude me? How is this even possible? He leaned back in his chair and released a long sigh. “I have pulled the memories from every agent. I have even watched her house myself. How could a human just disappear? Tai ikamu!” He pounded the desk with his fist, the water of his body rippling with frustration.
Grant had never had any difficulty with an assignment, and Alicia Lewis was proving to be more than arduous. The image of her was still fresh in his mind as if he’d seen her the day before. That mental picture fueled his anger as he thought about the past months without being able to acquire his latest prize. I have never failed my king, and I will not start now.
Suspending orbs of water around him, Grant began to think as he stood and paced, allowing the floating spheres to ripple and orbit around him as he moved. Perhaps I should retrieve her myself. The time for secrecy is over. I will bring her here no matter what. Using the water, he left new instructions to be notified whenever anyone spotted her and indicated he would be the one to retrieve her. “I’m going to handle this personally; now get to work finding her. Move!” I will have you soon, Alicia. You will give my king what he wants, and you will give me everything I need and more.
* * * *
When Chris heard Daniel enter the house, he looked up from the television in the living room. “How’d it go?”
“No problems, but I need to be at this address tomorrow to intercept someone the mark was working with.” Daniel shared the location with Chris as he glanced up the stairs in search of any signs of Alicia.
“Really? Who is it?”
“I don’t know, but they’re a key target. This guy had a lot of memories tied to him.” Daniel kicked off his shoes and turned to see what Chris was watching. “You and those martial arts films.”
“Alicia has good taste in these movies. But let’s talk about tomorrow’s mission. I’ll go with you. Scott and Jonathan can keep an eye on Alicia.”
“I’d feel better if you were here while she’s sick. If I have to do this, I don’t want to leave her with anyone else.” It was odd going on missions without Chris, but he’d do whatever was necessary to make sure Alicia was protected.
“How about I go and you stay? I’ll relay whatever I find to you and to the advisor simultaneously.”
“Thanks, Chris.”
“Anytime.”
“How’s she feeling?” Daniel’s gaze was back on the stairs when he didn’t hear any movement in their bedroom.
“The same. She’s still in bed. She slept most of the day.”
“Did you get her to eat something?” He was hopeful, but hearing she’d been in bed all day didn’t please him, and he gripped the small brown paper bag he carried in agitation. He’d picked up some medicine for her in the hope of lowering her fever.
“Under pain, duress, and the threat of death, yeah. She nibbled on some fruit and went back to sleep.”
“I don’t think she has the flu. She hasn’t been coughing or anything like that.”
“Ask one of her coworkers to check her out.” Chris shut off the television and readied himself to leave. He gave Daniel a clap on the shoulder when he passed by him on his way to the kitchen. “She’ll be fine. She’s not the first person to get a cold. Stop freaking yourself out.”
“You’re probably right. She’s never been sick before, though; it’s just weird. Anyway, I’ll try reading her tonight to see what I find, and then I’ll give Gladys a call and try to set something up.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
When he returned from the kitchen, Chris and Daniel went over the details of the mission before Chris left for the evening.
Daniel made his way to the bedroom to check on Alicia and found she was still sleeping. After climbing in bed next to her, he wrapped an arm around her waist. She murmured softly, and then returned to her deep sleep. I’ll take care of you, beautiful. He nuzzled into her neck before he closed his eyes and read her water. There was a change in her, and he wrinkled his eyebrows when he picked up on it. Enki, what is this?
He continued to search her for any injury or illness, but he couldn’t find the source. There was something slightly familiar about what he sensed, but he couldn’t quite place it. He drew out a tiny globe of her water and allowed it to pass through his skin. He focused on her water and tried to identify why the difference seemed so familiar. In a flash, his eyes popped open and he sat up straight. He turned his gaze to Alicia’s sleeping face with a heart that threatened to race out of his chest. Enki-ak-si lilu!
* * * *
Chris reached the designated location early and waited for the target. After finding him alone, he caught him by surprise and overpowered him. He wasted no time. He probed and broadcasted the man’s memories to both Daniel and the king’s advisor. “You can’t hide the information. Resisting won’t help you.”
Chris was annoyed at the man’s struggles to keep his memories out of reach, but he continued extracting until he reached memories that related to Alicia. Tai ikamu!
Chris was dumbfounded at what was revealed. Several Ver-Rist Tokos gathered to follow the instructions of someone named Grant. He explained they were to abduct Alicia next week, and they needed to scan her while she concentrated on various tasks.
To his complete and utter disbelief, Chris watched as this Grant explained that Alicia might possess the resonance necessary to activate the Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl. “Advisor?”
“We must call a meeting at once. Be ready in one hour. Both of you.” The advisor’s thoughts were filled with warning.
Chris acknowledged the order and continued his extraction until he had uncovered every single detail. Having no other use for the man, he ended his life. Getting rid of the target did nothing to lower his level of agitation, and he paced around the man’s body. “Daniel!”
“I saw it.”
“What do you think King Philip will do?”
“I don’t know. I don’t like this.”
Chris could feel Daniel’s apprehension through the water he levitated next to his temple. He felt the same way, and he racked his brain for answers. “No wonder they’ve been after her. They want to use her to gain power.”
“I will kill every one of them myself before I let them take her.”
“Do you really think she can create the resonance?” Such a thing was unheard of, and Chris wondered how it was even possible.
“I have no idea. I never even considered it as a possibility. All
I know is I need to get her somewhere safe.”
“I agree. We’ll come up with a plan after we speak to the advisor.”
“Chris, I’m moving her now. There is no way I will wait another second. I’ll bring enough water with me to hear the advisor. But for now, I am packing our things and we’re leaving.”
“Let me help you, Daniel. You don’t have to go it alone, not now, not after all we’ve been through.”
“It’s okay. I know where we can go.”
Daniel’s emotions transmitted through the water, and Chris could feel his desperation. He would do anything to be there for Daniel. Don’t shut me out. “Contact me from the car when you can. I mean it, Daniel. I’m always here for you, for both of you; you know that.”
“I know. Thank you for everything, Chris.”
It was an uneasy feeling to hear Daniel speak like that, and Chris felt like his muscles burned, filled with the need to propel him to act on his friend’s behalf. The thought of saying good-bye to his best friend left a sour taste in his mouth, and he struggled to stay calm. “Don’t make it sound so final. What’s going on? What exactly are you thinking?”
“Besides the obvious?”
“Well, yeah.”
“I don’t know and that’s what bothers me.”
* * * *
Back at the house, Daniel packed two bags and put them in his SUV. After lowering the backseats, he placed blankets and pillows in an effort to make a comfortable, albeit rudimentary bed. He went back into the house and lifted Alicia’s sleeping body gently, cradling her in his arms, and then carried her down the stairs and out of the house. He slowly lowered her onto the blankets and tucked them around her.
He watched her for a few moments and made sure she was as comfortable as he could make her before he closed the door and got behind the wheel.
He started the engine and drove in silence as worry and fear permeated every fiber of his being. He gripped the wheel as visions of their possible future played in his mind, and he clenched his teeth at the thought of the Ver-Rist Tokos taking her away from him. He didn’t have a destination in mind; he just drove. He glanced in his rearview mirror from time to time to see if Alicia slept comfortably, and his heart ached as the target’s memories and revelation played on an endless loop inside his head. Nothing can happen to her. Enki, please!
When the time came for the meeting, Daniel pulled over to the side of the road. He unscrewed the cap on his bottled water, extracted the water from it, formed a globe, and placed both hands on the surface.
“Daniel. Chris.” It was King Philip himself.
“Your Highness.”
Chris and Daniel spoke their greeting in unison. Daniel was surprised they were speaking to the king directly. It was equal parts unexpected and unnerving. If he is speaking to us himself, this has to be serious.
King Philip didn’t waste any time. “The advisor has relayed this troubling news to me, and I am disturbed. I never thought Davidus would go this far, but clearly I was mistaken. If Alicia possesses the ability to create a resonance the Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl responds to, then the Ver-Rist Tokos would have a weapon they could use that would render us all helpless. Our lives would be changed forever if she were to activate it.” The king paused for several moments before he continued.
“If they take her, there wouldn’t be anything we could do to stop them. She has no training or understanding of how to use the Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl. She could wreak havoc while the Ver-Rist Tokos use her to figure out its capabilities. As protector, I must not allow any threat to the Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl. It was with a heavy heart that we have decided we must not allow Alicia to be abducted. The only way to eliminate the threat is to eliminate her.”
Daniel was in shock, and words failed him as he replayed the king’s words.
“Your Highness, she is an innocent!” Chris pleaded into the water, and Daniel could feel the fear and anger in his friend’s thoughts. “Our people have never harmed an innocent. It is one of our oldest laws. It’s one of the first things we learn as enforcers.”
“I am aware of this, Chris. But in this case, it was agreed upon. We must break the law in order to preserve everything we hold dear. The Ver-Rist Tokos must never be allowed to access the Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl. You know this.”
“Your Highness, she is my Dau-Hael, my wife. She’s…” Daniel paused. His emotions were getting the better of him, and he needed to get himself under control so he could continue. “Your Highness, she’s pregnant.”
King Philip’s heartbreak filtered into his thoughts, and Daniel could feel his turmoil. He doesn’t want to do this. Please don’t do this!
“I’m sorry, Daniel. If there was any other way, I’d take it, but there isn’t. She must be sacrificed for the good of all.”
Chris’ fear was rapidly being replaced by rage and resentment, and Daniel felt every ounce of his emotion. “Your Highness, I cannot accept this. You would kill two innocents to stop a catastrophe that could possibly be prevented. It may never even happen. We can still protect them, keep them safe where the Ver-Rist Tokos can’t find them. Please, Your Highness, don’t give me an order I can’t carry out.”
“Chris, I understand your pain, but do not forget your place. I am your king, and you are bound to my word.”
Daniel’s muscles began to spasm, and his head fell back against the headrest. “Your Highness, we have carried out your orders without question. We have risked our lives time and time again. Please do not ask me to do this.” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and he was wholly unprepared to consider alternatives for this scenario.
“We must eliminate this threat. This is my order. I want the memories of her…” King Philip paused. It was as if he had difficulty saying the next words. “I want the memories of her death in four days.”
“Your Highness, please. I beg you, reconsider!” Chris was frantic as he pleaded one last time. “I can’t do this; how can you demand this?”
“If you cannot complete the task, others will be sent.”
The connection ended, and both Chris and Daniel screamed into the night.
*
Alicia woke with a start when she heard Daniel scream. Why are we in the car? Where are we going? “What’s going on? What’s wrong?” She made her way to his seat and pulled her eyebrows down when she saw the water floating in front of his face. His phone rang in the background, but he made no move to answer it.
“Beautiful…” His hands trembled, and shudders moved though his body.
“What is it, Daniel?”
“Beautiful, they want… They want…”
She had never seen him like this, and it terrified her. “If you can’t say it, show it to me. Tell me what’s going on.”
“I can’t. I don’t want to hear it again!” Daniel shook his head and avoided looking at her. She could sense his anger and helplessness, and her stomach heaved in protest, but she swallowed it down.
“Danny, you’re scaring me. I wake up in the car to you screaming at the top of your lungs. I’m entitled to an explanation. Just tell me.”
Daniel began to pound his head on the steering wheel as he chanted, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no!”
Without hesitation and ignoring her fatigue, she held his head and climbed into his lap. She wrapped her arms around him and tried to tamp down her need to react to what she felt from him. “Daniel, I’m here. Let me in. Show me what happened.”
Daniel’s phone continued to ring, and she picked it up. She was going to shut it off until she saw the number. “Chris, what the hell is going on?”
“Alicia? I’m so sorry!”
“Sorry about what? What’s happening?”
“He hasn’t told you?”
“No, he’s barely able to speak. Just tell me what this is about, Chris. I am losing my mind here.”
“Alicia, put his hand in some water and touch him. I’ll show you what happened.”
Alicia scooped out a cupful of water from one of the
floating globes and placed Daniel’s hand into the liquid. When she held his free hand in hers, she let Chris know she was ready. Chris instantly sent a rush of images through Daniel, and her eyes widened. What the hell? “Chris, I’ve got to call you back.”
“Alicia, please talk to me. I need you to know I will not allow this to happen. I’d never hurt you, and I will stop anyone who tries to.”
“I’ll call you back, Chris. I need to calm him down.” Daniel had his eyes closed, and he banged the back of his head against the headrest.
“Promise me.”
“I promise I’ll call you back, Chris.”
“Thank you.”
She hung up the phone and tried to search Daniel’s face as she sat in his lap. Instinct put her into triage mode, and she thought through each part of the situation as if it were an injury needing treatment. She didn’t know where to begin, so she started with the one thing that might bring him around. “I’m pregnant?”
Her words seemed to break through, and he finally looked at her. “Yes. I sensed it in your water earlier while you slept. Your water changed, kind of like Bethany’s.” His voice was empty, completely drained of all emotion.
“And this resonance, that’s why they’re after me?”
“Yes.”
“They’ll kill me to stop this king?”
Daniel’s voice trembled as he offered his reply. “Yes.”
Alicia closed her eyes and tried to digest all the information she had received. “I’m not a part of this fight. This doesn’t have anything to do with me!”
“I know, beautiful. I’ll figure out a way to protect you, both of you.”
“How? Where will we go? These are your people we’re talking about. All you do is track down and kill your targets. This is bullshit!” Anger bloomed inside her. She thought over everything Daniel had shared with her about the abilities of the Leuk Ahnal, and she closed her eyes. Memories of the days her water was manipulated came back, and she shook her head. I can’t fight them. They’ll find me and kill me.
“I’ll figure this out, beautiful. I just need time to think.”
Waves of Change Page 13