As soon as he received the text from Master Warrior Dixon, he’d issued a red alert and the academy was on shut down. He called the rest of the teams who were out in the field with the trainees and pulled the plug. He needed everyone back for an emergency meeting so that the warriors could get a plan together and get out there to get her back.
Right now, he’d had Dixon and Merion report straight back to him as soon as they had stepped foot back in the academy and here they were, standing stiffly in his office, squirming under his ferocious scrutiny. They knew that they had screwed up, even unintentionally. A missing trainee? Kidnapped right under their very noses? Unforgivable.
“I don’t know what to say, Kelton. I really don‘t.” Dixon was mortified that he’d had to report back to the school with a missing trainee, especially Aisline. He’d had plenty of casualties out in the field in all his years as a warrior, but never an abduction. And a trainee? It was inexcusable. He’d told Kelton that they should have overruled the council and held her back, but their hands had been tied. And now they were paying the price. An extremely high price at that.
“It was a shambles. Denver was to blame.” Merion mumbled.
“You were in charge! He‘s still a goddamn child compared to you! You took the eye off of the ball.” Kelton roared. Dixon and Merion kept their gazes steady but he could see the guilt in their faces. It wasn’t fair to totally blame them, but they were the responsible adults of the group, so this was on their heads.
“Kelton, you know I’m not trying to bail here, but I need to get back to HQ to file a report and start strategies for the rescue mission. Hopefully, they might have some Intel on the Mortuorum who took trainee Warrior Kellerman. It‘s still only early.” Dixon explained. He really didn’t want to leave, but if sooner they could find out any information as to her whereabouts, the sooner they could go in to get her out. They hadn’t been out in the field for long before it happened, so they had the rest of the night to plan and execute a full scale rescue mission.
“The council have asked me, too.” Merion said in a quiet tone.
“You. Get out. Keep me updated. Merion, you stay. ” Kelton glared. Dixon nodded briefly before leaving. Kelton turned his full attention back to Master Warrior Merion. He was the senior warrior out there and he had allowed the screw up to happen, in Kelton’s eyes anyway.
“Run me through what happened. Minute by minute. Second by second. Don’t leave anything out.” He demanded spearing him with a stony glare.
“I really don’t know what else I can tell you, Dane. I’ve been through it all. I‘ve really got to go. They‘re expecting me.”
“There’s a whole lot more you can say. What the fuck happened?” Kelton roared and started pacing around the small office that was rapidly filling with bodies and didn’t really have any spare room for pacing. “Shit. Just go. Get someone to call me from the council to give me a full update. Can someone find Kayleigh? She’s the girls’ goddamn mentor.”
Kayleigh was sitting on the side of Denver’s bed as the poor boy sobbed. She knew that she should have pushed the door to as she knew that he wouldn’t want witnesses to his break down, but even in a situation like this, it wasn’t exactly appropriate. Luckily, everyone was showing them due respect and leaving them in peace. Sure, everyone wanted to see him knocked off of his perch, but not like this. The boy was falling apart with remorse and grief. No one would have wanted that, not even his worst enemies.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t- I shouldn’t- I didn’t mean-” he stuttered, unable to complete a coherent sentence.
“Shhhhh. We’ll find her.”
She wanted to give him comfort, but if he hadn’t had fallen out of line, and acted out of line, then none of this would be happening. But it had happened and now they had to deal with the consequences. It was a difficult situation for Kayleigh to deal with. Sure, it would have been a horrific situation with any trainee missing, but this was Aisline. They had a special bond, and not just of mentor and student. Kayleigh felt very maternal when it came to Ash.
“But, what if we don’t?” he croaked into her shoulder which was soaked damp with his tears, emotion thickening his words and making them almost unrecognisable.
“We will. We have to.”
There was a knock at the door and Kayleigh peered out as it opened up a little wider to reveal Professor Fieldman.
“Kayleigh, Warrior Kelton has requested your presence.” she whispered, casting a sympathetic look towards Denver. Kayleigh raised an eyebrow expectantly, hoping that she was going to be getting some good news on the disappearance, but Jainey gently shook her head. Kayleigh nodded in confirmation that they were still at a stale mate. This was a pure nightmare for all involved.
“His office, as quickly as you can?” Professor Fieldman raised an eyebrow and Kayleigh nodded again, “I’m on my way.”
She turned back to Denver and put a hand on his shoulder to gain his attention. Thankfully, his sobs were calming down and she knew that he was emotionally drained and would soon fall asleep under the pressure of his feelings.
“I’ll be back to check on you.” she said as she stood up. There was no response from Denver, as he lay on the bed with his eyes closed and tears streaming a silent river down his face.
Kayleigh sped down the corridor, eager to hear if there were any developments. Sure, Jainey had made it clear that they hadn’t got any more information about Aisline as of yet, but there had to be something. There just had to be. Something. Anything. Even the smallest ray of light would be a welcome relief. Hope. That was what they needed. Faith.
Skidding to a halt outside Kelton’s office, Kayleigh straightened her clothes and took a deep breath to compose herself before reaching out and knocking on the closed door.
“Come.” Kelton’s dulcet tone beckoned her forth.
Opening up the door, she was shocked to see quite how many people that this small office could hold. There were Master Warriors, professors and a couple of trainees tucked away in a corner. And there was Kelton, leaning over his desk, talking animatedly on the phone. She knew better than to interrupt him, so slid carefully through the crowd to stand by his side.
Gratefully, he looked up at her but didn’t smile. There was nothing to smile about right now. But, the look in his eye told her that he was glad she was there with him and that was all she needed from him.
“Yes, Sir…. That is correct…. No…. I’ll do that right away…. Yes, I understand that…. Yes, I’ll do it personally…. That goes without saying…. I’m not sure that is something I can think about right now…. How can I consider that when one of our own is missing? … That may be, but I have my priorities…. Yes…. Fine…. Thank you.” and he hung up the phone, cracking the plastic casing on the handset as he slammed it back down onto the receiver.
“Fuck!” he shouted and slammed a fist into the wall behind him, crumbling plaster and dislodging an old painting depicting a rural scene from the wall, sending it crashing to the floor, the frame snapping beyond all repair. He’d always hated the ugly thing anyway.
Everyone fell silent in the room.
“I need to make a call. Please convene in conference room seven. I will be in with you shortly.” Kelton said with his back to the rest of the group, resting his forehead against the wall. He sounded tired and looked defeated, with his shoulders sagging under the pressure. This was all getting way too much to deal with.
He hated to look like things were getting to him, that they were getting on top of him. He always like to assume control of any situation that he found himself in, but right now he was drowning. This was bad. Really bad. What the heck was he supposed to do?
Quietly, each of the men in the room filed out and headed down the corridor without a murmur of complaint, only Trey and Jackson pausing in the doorway to look at Kayleigh.
This was killing them. She was their friend, one of their best friends. Jackson was her friend first and foremost, but after the other night, there was som
ething there. Not knowing where she was, or what was happening to her was pure torture. This was exactly what he had feared could happen and he was powerless to do anything to help. It was just pure luck that he and Trey had managed to sneak in with the other warriors, trying to gleam any little bit of information that they could about Ash.
With their worry over Ash and her whereabouts, it hadn’t even crossed their minds to take their frustration out on Denver. God help him if they did ever think of it. It was his fault this was happening. But, Jackson could only focus on one thing - Aisline. Where was she? Was she hurt? Was she -? No, he couldn’t even bring himself to think that.
Kayleigh shook her head at him, “Go, Jackson. It’s okay. If we hear anything, we’ll come and get you all.” And Jackson had no choice but to leave with Trey and the rest of them.
Once the door had shut, Kelton slumped down in his chair and lowered his head to the desk. Kayleigh walked over to stand behind him, with her hands softly on his shoulders. It was all she could do for him right now.
“This is a friggin’ nightmare.” Kelton said, his head in his hands.
“What did they say?”
“The Council? Nothing I didn’t expect. I have to phone her parents to notify them of her disappearance.”
They were both silent for a moment. There was nothing that she could say or do to make things any better or easier for him. She didn’t envy him that task, especially after the way they had treated and disowned Aisline. Kayleigh couldn’t imagine them being the most understanding people in the world.
Kelton knew that he had to get it over and done with, so he leant forward to pick up the phone with a heavy sigh, regretting in a way that it still worked.
He listened wearily to the three clipped rings of the telephone before-
“Kellerman residence?” A male voice answered the phone, announcing the name of the household but ending on a higher note, suggesting it was more of a question than a greeting.
“Mr Kellerman, please.”
“And whom may I say is calling?” The male sounded bored, like he didn’t really give a shit who was calling. Kelton was sure that his job sucked. Working for a bunch of snobby socialites was sure to be demoralising.
“Master Warrior Kelton from the Sons of Satrina Academy of Combat Training.”
There was silence at the end of the line. Kelton wasn’t sure whether he was going to get the master of the house or if he’d hung up. He glanced up at Kayleigh with an infuriated expression.
Suddenly, there was a crackle on the end of the line, like the handset had been picked up again.
“Yes?” a terse voice bit down the line.
“Mr Kellerman?” Kelton asked.
“Speaking.”
Kelton took a breath. “Mr Kellerman, I have some concerning news about your daughter, Aisline.”
“I’m not sure what you are talking about, Mr Kelton, but my daughter is here with me and I can assure you that there is no need for concern.”
Well, that took Kelton by surprise. “What? Sorry, what did you say? Aisline is there with you?” He looked up at Kayleigh, shocked beyond words. Kayleigh clapped a hand over her mouth and a tear of relief slipped free from her eye. Oh, thank god, she thought.
“I think you misunderstand me, Mr Kelton. I have a daughter. And Mariette is here at home.”
Silence. Stone cold silence. And Kelton felt his blood start to boil.
“Mr Kellerman. Now is not the time to play games. Aisline-“
“And I told you, Kelton, that I no longer have a daughter called Aisline!” Mr Kellerman roared down the phone.
“Now, wait a minute-”
But, Mr Kellerman cut him off again, “No. Sir, you wait a minute. I do not appreciate you calling me at home and wasting my time. When the girl was deposited into your care, she became your responsibility. End of story. Do you have any idea what this situation has done to my reputation?” He boomed in a self-righteous tone.
Kelton stood up and banged a fist on his desk, “Listen to me, you little piss ant waste of oxygen. Your daughter is missing. Your daughter has been abducted by the Lamia Mortuorum. Your daughter is in grave danger. I personally think that your daughter’s life is worth more than your petty little reputation!” Kelton spat out the word daughter and banged his fist once again, punctuating the point to make sure this poor excuse for a man understood the position that they were in. Who did this man think he was? Kelton only wished that the bastard had been standing in front of him when he’d been speaking. He’d have knocked him seven shades of Sunday.
“Aisline? Abducted?” Now his voice was small and concerned.
“Yes. It was my duty to inform you.” Kelton looked down at the floor and fell silent, trying to reign in his anger.
“My little girl? Gone?” There was thick emotion in his voice now. Finally. Now, he sounded like a father concerned for the welfare of his daughter. However, in Kelton’s opinion, it was too little too late.
“Not gone. Kidnapped. By the Mortuorum. We’re going to get her back. As I said, it was my duty to inform you.” And he hung up.
He knew that it wasn’t the right thing to do, but on top of everything else, her father’s reaction was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The last thing he needed was the little prick of a man complaining to the council about him, but Aisline was his one and only concern at the moment.
Glancing up at Kayleigh, she had tears running down her cheeks. Moving to her side, he put a comforting arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and she nestled her face into his chest.
“Oh, Kelton. I thought she was safe. I thought she was at home.”
“I know, I know. For a minute, so did I. He is a narrow minded little man who doesn’t appreciate the amazing daughter he’s got. He should be proud of her, not denying her.” His pulse was still racing with anger at the man’s initial reaction.
For a moment, they stood in silence, their arms wrapped around one another, the quiet only broken by Kayleigh’s soft sobs.
A knock on the door interrupted them. “Come.” Kelton said, quietly.
Chapter Twenty-Eight.
“Kelton,” Dixon rushed into the room, “We have a lead. Get your men together.”
Another flood of Master warriors and grad warriors had followed Dixon and were now crowded the corridor outside of his office as Kelton looked up in surprise.
“Talk.” he demanded while moving over towards a locked cabinet. Opening it with a key that was attached to a silver chain hanging around his neck, Kelton quickly looked over the contents. Deciding on a couple of hand guns and a selection of daggers, he quickly shut the door and turned to see what Dixon had to say for himself.
Apparently, they had had an anonymous tip off. There had been a phone call saying that they knew of the whereabouts of the kid who had been taken and mentioned that she was female, which as why they were taking this seriously. In a situation like this, there was plenty of scope for crazies calling in with bogus information.
According to the source, she was being held the other side of Brandestowen in a dilapidated old warehouse, in the heart of the Lamia Mortuorum area of town. The information sounded reliable. They couldn’t afford to ignore it, or any other lead, if they were to get her back.
They had only a brief time span of hope. They had to get out on the streets and get her back before day break, or they could kiss goodbye to their chances of ever seeing her alive again. The Mortuorum hadn’t taken her to sate their bloodlust. They had taken her to make a statement. If the Sons of Satrina couldn’t uncover her by morning, tomorrow night they would be finding parts of her scattered all over Brandestowen in gruesome Technicolor. It was the sort of statement stunt that the Mortuorum would pull.
Not if Kelton had anything to do with it.
As of yet, it was stated in the phone call that she hadn’t been injured or ill-treated, but that they feared for her safety and advised the Sons to move quickly with their extraction.
W
ho was their informant? It couldn’t be one of the Mortuorum. Sure, Kayleigh was living proof that they weren’t all base monsters, but it just didn’t make sense for it to be one of them. They couldn’t afford to ignore this information though. They had to take the risk and go in.
And that was just what Kelton planned to do.
Within minutes of receiving the Intel, he’d rounded up the rest of the Master Warriors from the other conference room and were now holed up in one of the sparring rooms, which was one of the only places that could accommodate such a large gathering. They couldn’t have gone to the main hall or the cafeteria as some of the students may have been milling around there. They didn’t need extra ears and eyes getting involved in this. This wasn’t a place for the trainees. They had a limited time and had to use it to their full advantage. This was the only suitable spot to get everyone together that they needed, with the added privacy from prying ears.
“Can I have your attention, please?” His voice boomed out loud with authority, rising over the din.
Everyone fell silent and turned their full attention to him. You could have heard a pin drop in that room. They were all so focused on what was going to happen next that a bomb could have gone off and none of them would have taken their interest away from Kelton. They needed to get the girl back and soon.
“Gather round. This is what we’re going to do.” he waved a hand at a blueprint that was laid out on one of the tables and everybody moved forward to get a good look. “Dixon? Would you care to explain?” And he passed the floor over to the other warrior.
Where Aisline was allegedly being held, it was in an area that had long since become derelict so there was little to worry about in the way of human casualties. But this place was also chosen by the Mortuorum for the same reason - they could do as they please with no witnesses.
The Sons of Satrina: A Sons of Satrina Novel Page 24