Mindy had called Reno weeks ago to get him to hang out with her. It was difficult to get in touch with her Uncle and his family, let alone take him out to have fun.
She was six years old when her parents brought her to the annual family reunion and met Reno. His mother, Aunt Teresa, and him attended these gatherings religiously. They made small talk but gave little information about themselves. His father, Uncle Gary, an antiques dealer and art collector, was always away on business trips for weeks or months at a time. The profit they made from their business seemed more than enough to have enrolled Reno in a boarding school. Mindy, young and impressionable then, thought his whole situation lonely that she started approaching him during these functions; mostly to play with her and the other children or tell them stories. As time passed, it changed to discussions about topics they were both interested in. He didn’t have a clue about showbiz celebrities, movies and TV series, but he was updated with news around the world and the latest technology. It felt like he was the older brother she never had.
Seeing Reno with Arty; the easy manner they conducted themselves; the tolerance of each other’s attitude; and the unnerving way they predicted one another’s next move indicated that their friendship was deeper than they claimed it to be. In fact, they were more like twins than childhood friends. She found it hard to believe they had lost communication for years.
Reno have always been reserved around their relatives, but he was more open to her that it was safe to say that she knew more about him than most. Despite that, there was something about his behavior that she hadn’t noticed before. It was almost intangible that she wouldn’t have seen it if not for Arty’s presence.
Her uncle was more generous in giving compliments and smiled more often than his friend, but the invisible wall they put up, separating them from the rest of society, was ever present. They even have the same keen awareness – a sixth sense, which bordered on eerie when it frequently turns out right. Still, Reno would always be her favorite Uncle. They come from the same family with the added bonus of having the same swarthy complexion and almost black eyes. So, why did it feel like she was the outsider in this group instead of Arty?
Why did Uncle Reno bring him here anyway? she thought, glaring at no one in particular. Mindy rushed to the entrance of the department store leaving them trailing far behind.
Several boutiques had been visited until Mindy’s annoyance disappeared entirely. She had bought herself a body-hugging dress and a pair of pumps to wear for the Christmas party at the office.
“Isn’t it too early to buy a party dress?” Reno asked. He popped a sushi into his mouth.
It was two o’clock pm. They were taking a late lunch. Both men have been good humored the whole morning as she dragged them everywhere and asked their opinion on the dresses she had tried on. She hadn’t noticed the time until she saw Arty nodding off on the couch. By then, she was deciding whether to buy the pumps or the sandals. Reno had discreetly informed her that Arty had been flying back and forth across continents. The poor man had arrived early morning before they came to fetch her.
“I know. I’m months ahead of schedule. I hate shopping too close on Christmas Eve. The traffic; the mass of people crowding the malls during a sale; just too much hassle for little me. Anyway, I get to pick some really good items in advance.” Mindy picked her California Maki between chopsticks.
Arty ordered black coffee and pasta in pesto which he methodically ate in silence. Reno glanced at him and rose.
“I’m going to the restroom. You two catch up while I’m gone, alright?” He Uncle winked at her and threaded between tables of Food Choices.
“So,” Mindy began. “What have you been doing so far?”
“The usual. Taking care of things at another part of the world then returning here when I’ve time.” He paused, his expression turning serious. “I’m sorry about Kristina.”
“It’s not every day you wake up and hear that your best friend just died.” She crossed her arms at the memory of seeing the remains of Kristina’s house. “Where were you? Aly said you were supposed to come over that day. The fire even made it to the local news.”
“I did. I only stayed for fifteen minutes. Something came up at work and I had to rush to New York. It took me a month to get back, but then it was too late.”
“You could’ve called any of us.”
Arty gave her an unfathomable look.
“You were blaming yourself,” she realized.
“I could’ve prevented it from happening.”
“Look, Arty. What’s done is done and no one can stop what’s meant to happen. Don’t prosecute yourself for something you can’t control. If you still feel bad about it, why not try to make it up to her by moving on with your life and finding happiness. I know Kristina would want that for you.” She bobbed her head.
“Hear, hear,” Reno agreed from behind her. To Mindy, he said: “Since when did my niece become so wise in the world?” He patted her shoulder.
Mindy rolled her eyes at him.
“I didn’t realize Arty could be so…dramatic.”
Reno looked at her fondly and glanced at their common friend.
“Dramatic is a term we wouldn’t dare pin on Arty,” he replied with a wry smile.
The drive home was quiet. Reno had dropped Arty home first. The latter’s house looked the same: a new-looking house surrounded by wilderness.
Are there actual snakes hiding in there? she mused. The last time she had gone to the house, Kristina didn’t seem to mind its appearance. Mindy had thought the two would soon get together. They suited each other. If only Arty’s job didn’t include traipsing around the world and Aunt Ana didn’t get cancer, maybe they would’ve ended up as a couple.
“You have that dreamy look in your face,” Reno interrupted her thoughts.
“Just thinking of what-ifs.”
“Don’t tell me you’re falling for my best friend,” he teased with mock astonishment.
“Nah. He’s too serious for my taste.”
“Believe me, he wasn’t always like that.”
“What happened to him?”
“Life.” The traffic light flashed green. Reno’s focus shifted away from her to the car ahead of them. By the tone of his voice, he wasn’t going to elaborate on his answer any further.
“By the way, I’ve been dying to ask. Why were you in Kristina’s wake?”
“I was there out of curiosity. I saw the news and sensed something off.”
“And did you find anything?” Mindy frowned. She had the same feeling that the fire wasn’t just a simple accident.
“Nothing I could put a finger on. It’s probably just a false alarm.” He steered to the right and pulled over in front of her house. “The funeral, however...”
“Aly, right?” Mindy grinned. She had never seen her Uncle so clueless in the face of a woman like Kristina’s sister.
“Yes,” he admitted. “And a man you seem to dislike very much.”
“Peter,” she sniffed. “Nothing new there. He was being a jerk as usual.”
“A jerk?”
“He’s a player. He broke Ina’s and Tina’s heart in college. And he was fooling around with another girl when he was courting Liza.”
“Tina is Kristina’s short name?”
“Yeah.”
“They were a couple?” He turned off the engine and faced her. “Wouldn’t his attendance at the wake be considered as a thoughtful gesture?”
“It would’ve been if he wasn’t asking details about the incident. It was horrible enough that we all knew who perished in it,” Mindy fumed.
“What kind of questions?” Reno leaned on his seat.
“About the findings from the investigation. He was questioning its accuracy, as if he was convinced that Kristina was with someone when the fire started.”
“Could you remember his exact words?”
Mindy paused, recalling what she had overheard. “He said, ‘Are they sure there
was only one body inside the house?’” Mindy’s forehead wrinkled. She felt disturbed after repeating Peter’s statement. She had been overcome with grief at the time to analyze his words. Why would someone who wasn’t at the scene say that? “Uncle, are you saying there was foul play involved?”
“It would have been simpler if it was,” he said in a low voice.
There really is a conspiracy, she thought.
“If Peter is one of your prime suspects, I have another.”
“Arturion is innocent,” Reno said quickly.
“Who’s that?” Mindy asked. She didn’t know anyone by that name. “I meant Arty. Arthur Menesarios. He was the last person Kristina saw before the fire.”
Reno didn’t react.
“I know he’s your best friend. He’s my friend too but he came to her house before leaving for New York.” She waited for an answer. “I’m not accusing him that he killed Kristina but we barely knew him and his background. I’m just trying to look at the situation objectively.”
“Objectively,” he repeated. “Yes. It is one of the reasons I have broached this subject with you. Mindy, I want you to tell me directly, if by any chance you see Peter behaving oddly and if he approaches you. If he does, act civilly. However, do not accept his invitation if he offers to take you to a location he would not disclose.”
“Alright. I’ll keep an eye out. And Arty?”
“I shall see to it myself, though he has a credible alibi.” He shrugged.
“What’s his alibi?”
“It’s classified.” Reno smiled mysteriously.
“I assume it has to do with his work.”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” She lifted the door latch when Reno placed his hand on hers.
“Mindy, this case is dangerous. Please understand that I’ve only shared this information to protect you. There would be instances that curiosity would try to get the better of you. We are not certain who are involved and I would not want you to endanger your own safety. Leave this job to me and my people.”
She had never seen him this dead serious except during one awful reunion when one of their older relatives had a heart attack. He, with the help of his mother, Aunt Teresa, pushed their way and applied first aid to Grandpa Diego. Everybody thought the old man would die but Grandpa Diego miraculously survived. In fact, he became stronger after the incident and now walked without a cane to support him.
“I will.” A recollection of this conversation would be enough to keep her from making her own enquiries. Hopefully.
Chapter 19
Reno
Mindy’s solemn response bode well. In Merleina, the neighbors treated each other as an extension of one’s direct family; but the girl was the little sister he never had.
She has been spending more time at the main office of her father’s company. Still, it cannot be discounted that Mindy and Karina had been friends most of their lives. Exposure to the latter made it possible for Mindy to raise her frequency and eventually acquire the ascension symptoms. A case he was working on with Sola’s Gate Keepers came to mind. If she did have the symptoms, will another Zertan drone come after his niece? Two of his Guards took shifts watching over Mindy and would alert him if a Keeper notices her or when danger is close by.
Reno returned to the Keeper’s human residence. Arturion would probably demand an explanation of his motives behind the unexpected reunion.
The house seemed empty. The trees and plants outside were quiet and not a single creature stirred inside. Neither Arturion’s physical body nor his auric field was in sight. However, Reno’s instinct told him otherwise.
Merleinans usually have wards in their homes to keep their privacy in a world where people can easily pick up another’s thoughts, intentions, and emotions. In the third dimension, Travelers, Keepers and Guards found it useful to block intruders and those with ill intent from entering the vicinity of their abode.
Arturion sat waiting for him in the living room – rather, waited until sleep took over. This was no ordinary side effect from using Merkaba to make an active man doze on a hard wooden chair.
“I’m awake.” Arturion’s head lifted.
“You are now,” he returned, guessing what had transpired in their homeland the day before.
“I can sense you from where you’re standing,” Arturion said wearily.
“Good. I won’t have to waste my breath reminding you about the rules of traveling then. Suffice to say, if you had kept our meeting on schedule, you wouldn’t have met my niece.”
“You never told me you were related to Mindy.”
“You didn’t ask. I, myself, have only recently discovered her friendship with Karina.”
“During the funeral.”
“Yes.”
“You should have warned me this morning.”
“Perhaps. But I was curious of how both of you would react.” Arturion waited for him to continue. “In fact, she believes that it would only be fair to add you as one of the prime suspects in committing arson and, possibly, murder.”
“Who’s the other one? Peter?” he asked, untroubled by Mindy’s doubts of his innocence.
“She mentioned him.” Reno repeated what his niece had heard from Peter.
“Then, our suspicions are correct.”
“It does not prove he has a direct connection with the Zertans.”
“Yet.”
“Peter’s family is involved in politics. His ancestors have powerful friends here and all over the world. The current patriarch, Peter’s father, is an influential figure; but there is no love lost between father and son. The young man has yet to prove himself to his old man.”
“Why not take him in for questioning?”
Indeed, it would have been easier. The Elders, however, had interfered in the Black Guards business. A message had been sent to his office prior to his departure to the third dimension. It clearly stated that there would be no direct contact to any individual suspected of collaborating with the Zertans. The high priestess and Sola knows the reason behind it. However, the Council has been in session for the last two weeks. The only means to communicate with its members is to send a written message to the recipient.
“It—” Reno’s train of thought was interrupted as Kala came to mind.
Arturion jumped from his seat, his chair crashing unheeded on the floor. For a moment, his eyes were unseeing.
They looked at each other with the understanding that the situation had changed at home. Reno extended his arm; he would make the return journey to Merleina for the two of them. But his friend had already initiated a Merkaba of his own. Light flashed. Arturion vanished.
Reno followed suit, shaking his head disapprovingly. He made his destination to the makeshift training area he and Karina have been using and walked the remaining distance to the house.
The front door was ajar. Worry and sadness leaked through the doorway. He closed it as he entered the threshold, shutting out the rest of the world of what was taking place inside.
On the second floor, he met Kala outside Karina’s quarters. Sara was inside with Sola and Arturion.
The vertical line deepened between the girl’s brows. She was concerned for Karina but refrained from speaking to anyone or sharing her thoughts with Reno.
In a short while, Sara ushered them all to the living room. The high priestess and the Keepers’ Commander still wore the Council’s official robes. They had apparently left directly from the Session hall once they received word from Kala. It also meant that the Liyanna, even unofficial, holds weight for the Elders to allow Sara and Sola to leave the meeting.
The set of the high priestess’ mouth was not promising. Sola appeared more concerned for his foster son than Karina. Arturion had his Gate Keeper’s stoic mask on. Reno knew it well and its purpose for he had seen its birth years ago.
“We can sustain her physical body until she wakes – if her soul chooses to return from her spiritual journey. Apart from that, there is nothing we
can do,” Sara declared.
“A spiritual journey?” Reno asked. There are those among them, enlightened beings, who could traverse galaxies and universes and the dimensions by voluntarily leaving behind their physical body in search for higher truths. They usually come back after a period of time. This was just one of several means of travel for the spirit.
“Karina slipped in the bathroom and hit her head. She is in a state of deep sleep. The Silver Cord, connecting body to soul, remains intact; but her spirit is not present among us. She travels and would not respond to my call.”
*****
The Qihaman mountain range, situated at Merleina’s borders in the south and east is riddled with secret tunnels and caves. A year prior to the Atlantean wars, Council member Qihaman had dreamt of exploring the mountainous area on foot. He had reached the peak of the mountain when the sky darkened with the promise of a storm. He saw a light flash nearby beckoning him. Curiosity piqued, he followed it and discovered a cave with a little girl waiting inside. She pointed at the deeper part of the cavern, the entrance to the tunnels. The girl guided him through the network of passages until they came to an exit. She had led him to the base of the mountains and gave him a pendant that only he could activate into displaying the map of the tunnels. As payment, he would store the tunnels with food and other provisions.
The dream ended, Qihaman woke holding the very same necklace in his hands. He visited the location of his dream and verified the authenticity of the gift. He learned then the necessity of a map as the mountains were protected from anyone who uses the Sight and tools for scrying and tracking.
A Council meeting was held. The dream was analyzed and dissected. They concluded that the dream was a warning of imminent upheaval. When war erupted, civilians unable to fight – children, pregnant women, the elderly and the injured – took shelter in Qihaman’s mountains.
After Merleina’s shift to the fourth dimension, people returned to their homes and abandoned the sanctuary. The mountains were later named after the Council member; not for discovering its secrets but for defending to his death one of its passages against a group of enemy scouts, who had stumbled upon the entrance leading to the medical facility.
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