by J. Naomi Ay
Kinar abruptly jumped up as the men crossed through his office.
"No more calls today, Kinar. I am going out."
"Yes, Sir. When shall I expect your return?" Kinar and Taner exchanged glances, both cognizant of what out really meant.
"Ha!" Senya replied, limping into the hall. "I dare say, sooner than you should like. 'Tis not important at any rate. I shan't approve any requests. No money shall be spent. The proverbial purse strings are sealed shut. Let them all wallow in their misery. Let them all reap what they have sown."
"He's mad," Taner whispered, after the door swished shut. "I mean it, Kinar. I have never seen him as he is now.”
“Are you certain? I seem to recall many times when we were ready to break his neck. To think, only a short time ago we were bemoaning his absence.”
“Do you know anything about what happened during their trip? Has he mentioned the Lady? Usually, his madness is directly connected to her. Does he know where she has gone, or if she might come back?"
“Not a word to me,” Kinar replied, shutting down his vid and locking his desk. “And, he does not seem inclined to go fetch her for he has denied the requisition of SpaceNavy assets and personnel. All he speaks of, and to, these days, is his invisible brother, as if this fellow were standing next to him, whispering in his ear.”
“Luka?”
“Indeed, Luka. I suspect a short name for Lucifer. It would seem apropos, would it not? Our Senya and Satan, brothers, if not by blood.”
Taner’s mind twisted around this thought, chewed it, and swallowed. If Senya had indeed gone to the dark side, if he was intent on letting the Empire, and all mankind fail, would there be any way to stop him? And, if so, how?
“Since he’s not returning, there’s no reason for me to sit here alone. I’m off to the pub. Join me, Taner?”
“No.” Taner shook his head, his mind far away. “Thank you, Kinar, but I must think on this. I must do as HIM has suggested, and I must pray. Senya, who and whatever he is, has said many times that he is not the one in charge.”
“Good luck with that.” Kinar laughed and clapped his old friend on the back, before entering the code to lock the office doors. “Take the issue upstairs to the Higher Authority. When you speak with Him, let Him know I should also like a raise.”
Chapter 18
Katie was running. Her breath came hard in her chest, her heart pounded like thunder in her ears. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't know what was chasing her. All she knew was she had to get away.
Katie ran to the edge of the galaxy, to the cliff which fell off into the abyss. Pebbles slipped beneath her feet, cascading over the edge, pulling her with them, pulling her down. She tried to stop. She tried to grab on to something, to hold on before she fell into the darkness.
"Senya!" she screamed, clutching the crumbling granite face of the galaxy's last mountain.
"It's alright," he said, holding her tightly against his chest. "You're safe. I've got you. I won't let you fall."
"Why did you leave me?" she wept. "Why didn't you come find me?"
"I did find you. You're here with me now."
Katie opened her eyes, and looked up in his face, sharply pulling back in alarm.
"Gabe?"
He smiled a little, and shrugged while sitting next to her on his living room couch.
"You were having a bad dream." He patted her arm and smoothed her hair.
Katie nodded. Every night she had a bad dream. Every night she woke up screaming. Every day was even worse, but she didn't tell him that.
"Did he send you?" she asked instead. "Are you here because he told you to find me, or did you come for another reason?"
Gabe turned away, the smile still plastered on his face.
"Oh, look. The sun is starting to rise. Shall we get up and go get coffee?"
"No," Katie snapped, reaching for his arm. "I want to know what you're doing here. I want to know what this is about."
"You're here so the Peace Officer won't find you. Remember? We discussed it yesterday afternoon?"
"Gabe! That's not what I mean, and you know it. You said you're in communications, so communicate with me. Please, just answer my question."
Gabe yawned, and stretched, pulling himself to this feet, and shuffling back to his bedroom. "Well, if you don't want to go get coffee now, I think I'll try to sleep for a few more hours."
Katie shook her head. She pulled the blanket up to her chin. She closed her eyes, and tried to go back to sleep. She couldn't. She tossed and turned. She grew hot, and then, too cold. Morning dawned in the forty-second floor windows, reflecting in her face.
"Senya?" she whispered to the sun, forcing her eyes to stare at the golden glow, blaming it for the tears that streamed down her cheeks. "I don't know what I did. I can't remember whatever it was. But, whatever it was, please know, I'm really sorry. I want to come home. I want to be with you. I can't sleep when you're not here beside me. Communicate this, Gabe," she said louder. "Tell him, since I can't. Will you do that, Gabe?"
“I already did, Cassie,” he called from the other room. “But, the fool wouldn’t listen.”
Katie and Gabe arrived at Murray’s Gun Range right before ten that morning. Granted it had been a few years since she had been there, several decades if she had cared to count. Still, Katie was surprised to discover the range was closed for business. Boards covered the windows, and a heavy chain with a lock twisted through the front door.
“Oh no!” Katie cried. “When did this happen?”
Gabe shrugged and read the notice posted on a wall.
“Recently,” he surmised, noting the red paper showed only a tiny bit of wear.
“How am I going to get a gun now?”
Gabe shrugged again. “Remind me what exactly you need a gun for?”
“I’m leaving, Gabe,” Katie snapped. “I need it for my protection. I don’t know where I’ll be going, or what I’ll encounter there. Without one, I’ll be practically naked.”
Gabe smiled, and his eyes lit up. “May I come with you? I’d like that.”
“What? To come with me, or to see me naked?”
“Both?”
Katie sighed and rolled her eyes. “Remind me how many of you guys there are?”
Gabe chuckled and began to walk back to the Porsche.
“Are we staying here on planet Earth, or shall I acquire a spaceplane?”
“Actually, Gabe, thank you for the offer, but I want to go alone. I don’t need a babysitter, especially the middle brother.”
“Now, Cassie,” Gabe began, holding open the passenger door.
“Katie!” Katie snapped. “With a ‘t’.”
“Cassi’ot?”
It was right about then when a siren sounded. Before Katie could jump into the speeder or run away, they were surrounded by a half a dozen cops, one of whom just happened to be Peace Officer Walter.
“You’re under arrest, Anne Black!” he bellowed.
“For what?” Katie protested.
“Trespassing. This property has been sealed by the sheriff’s office.”
“Why?”
“That’s none of your business,” Walter replied, waving his coveted Glock in Katie’s face. “Into the speeder, ma’am. We’re going down to the station to discover just exactly who you are.”
Katie knew she was trapped. She couldn’t outrun six Peace Officers with guns, and she could tell by the gleam in Walter’s eye that he knew who she was.
“Uh, Gabe?” she asked, while compliantly walking to Walter’s car. “Any chance you can do those things your brother does?”
“What things?” Gabe raised his arms. “Am I arrested too?”
“Sure,” Walter replied. “Get in back.”
“You know,” Katie prompted, ducking her head as she climbed through the door. “Tornadoes? Floods? Fires? Zap people in the butt? Make people die just by thinking about it, or willing the planet to shake? Are you good for anything, Gabe, besides
communications?”
“Sorry.” Gabe settled down next to her. “My position is more defined. I can sing well and I can play a lot of instruments. Would you like me to entertain you on the ride?”
“No! Hey Officer! What happened to my Miranda Rights? I didn’t hear you offer me a lawyer.”
“Sorry, ma’am,” Walter said, envisioning his 188” big screen vid with fourteen surround sound speakers in his man cave. “We don’t have to do that anymore. The Rossorians insisted that was an infringement on their religion. They took it before a judge who agreed that the laws in the Book of Rosso made more sense.”
“What? You’re kidding me? Have the Rossorians taken over Earth?”
“They’ve taken over everything, Cassie,” Gabe replied. “My brother has been busy.”
“Which brother?”
“Actually, all of them, except for the baby. He’s still a little cherub.”
“Stop talking,” Walter snapped. “We’re at the station.”
Katie was led to a tiny room with a table and a chair bolted to the floor. Gabe went off in another direction as happily as if he was checking into a hotel.
“I want to talk to Murray,” Katie demanded, pounding on the table. “Murray of Murray’s Gun Range. He’ll recognize me, and he’ll know I wasn’t trespassing. I get one call. It’s a state statute. I know this. My dad was a lawyer. Until you let me call Murray, I refuse to say anything else.”
“Who are you really?” Walter leaned his bulk upon the table. He narrowed his eyes, and glared at Katie with a menacing expression.
Katie lifted her chin, her lips set in a tight frown.
“If I let you speak with Murray, will you confess to who you really are?”
Katie stared at the ceiling, noting a water stain in the corner, probably from a leak in between the upper floor.
“I have proof,” Walter continued. “I have a witness who can identify you, who knew you when you were kids.”
Katie closed her eyes, and pretended to sleep, while wondering vaguely if Gabe could rescue them. Maybe, communications included that weird ability to make people think and do exactly what he wanted.
“Alright,” Walter agreed, walking away. “I’ll bring Murray here, and you can speak to him alone. But, I’m also going to bring in my witness. We’ll see what you have to say when she confronts you with your past. I know who you really are, Captain de Kudisha, and I’ll be collecting the huge bounty on your head.”
Murray Morrison of Murray’s Gun Range didn’t know why he was being called into the sheriff’s office. He had complied with all statutes and regulations. He had shuttered the range more than a year ago when it was outlawed, and he had turned in all his guns and ammunition, just like the Federal Marshall had ordered.
Well, not completely. Murray did have some remaining stock in his cellar, just a few rounds of this, and a few rounds of that. Nothing the Marshall would have been interested in. He also had a few left over pieces. Maybe a dozen? Alright, make that two dozen.
Actually, Murray had enough guns to outfit an entire army, and enough ammo to keep them shooting for about six months straight. But, they were all part of his personal collection. These weren’t for resale. Oh no. That was illegal now, and Murray didn’t like messing with the law.
When the Peace Officer first rang him, Murray was prepared. He had a preplanned excuse ready for just this sort of event.
“The guns are in the cellar,” Murray swore. “For my son. They’re family heirlooms, handed down from his granddaddy's daddy."
“What guns?” Peace Officer Walter had asked.
It was at this point, Murray realized he had made a mistake.
"No guns," he said quickly. "I don't have any guns here. You must have misheard me. I said gums, like chewing gum, you know? I've got all the classic flavors including Beechnut and Black Jack."
This confused Walter, but he pressed forward anyway.
"Mr. Morrison, I need you to come down to the station to identify a perp. She claims she knows you. She claims you can give her an alibi for trespassing on your property this morning."
Murray, relieved that his guns weren't the cop's concern, readily agreed to come right down to nail the trespassing criminal. However, he was in for quite a surprise, as was Katie, when Murray appeared in the room at the jail.
"Who is this?" Katie demanded, as Murray was seated at the small table.
Unlike Katie, he was not cuffed to the table's leg. He stared at her blankly, as she stared at him, not a sign of recognition in either his or her face.
"This is your alibi," Walter smirked. "Murray from Murray's Gun Range."
"This isn't Murray," Katie shrieked. "Murray's an old man."
"Oh, you must mean my father, Murray," Murray said. "He's getting old. He's, like, sixty now."
"Sixty?" Katie gasped, quickly doing the math. "He was sixty when I was a kid. No, Murray's got to be at least...uh...a hundred twenty?"
"Great-Granddad Murray? You knew him?"
It was at that point, Katie realized she had made a mistake.
"Maybe not," she whispered. "I must be mistaken. I don't know any of you. I was at the wrong gun range. I'm sorry if I was trespassing."
"Wait!" Murray gasped, rising from his chair. "I know who you are. There's a picture of you and Great-Grampa Murray in the gun shop. You were the junior range champion three years in a row. You're Katie Golden. Wow! You held up great. I bet Grampa Murray Jr. would be thrilled to see you. Any chance you can come visit him at the Home?"
"I'm not." Katie shook her head. "I can't be, Katie Golden. Honestly. Do I look like I’m eighty years old?"
"No," Murray agreed. "You look awesome. I can see why Gramps has had a crush on you all these years."
"Murray Jr. had a crush on me? I didn't know that. Why didn't he say something? Not that it would have mattered. Oh! I didn't mean that.” Katie covered her face with her hands. “I don't know your grandpa, Murray Jr. How could I? My name is Anne Black.”
Walter chuckled at the sound of defeat in the woman's tone. He had her now. He had her nailed. His mega screen vid was practically boxed and ready to ship.
"Any chance you'll let me go?"
"No," Walter snapped, showing Murray to the door. “Any chance you’re going to confess?”
“To what? Trespassing? Sure.”
“No! To being the infamous Empress, the treasonous fugitive, Captain Katie de Kudisha who single-handedly was responsible for destroying the Alliance.”
“What? I didn’t do that!” Katie de Kudisha bolted from her chair.
“Your husband did, and this is a community property state. His crimes are yours unless he wants to come here and serve them for you.”
“I meant, I didn’t do that because I’m not her. I’m Anne Black.”
“Right,” Walter smirked, walking out the door himself. He didn’t have to lock it. There was no way she could escape.
He had her in his clutches, and now it was time to go in for the kill. His mother was waiting outside in the foyer, anxious to reunite with her old friend.
Adrienne would get the truth from Katie de Kudisha. Adrienne would have the Captain begging to be put away in a cell. Walter knew this from experience. He felt just like this every time he went to visit with his mother at the Home.
Chapter 19
Jim had promised Joanne he’d meet her at exactly noon in the school’s cafeteria. Unfortunately, he was delayed by a call from Eva. Jim had grown to dread Eva’s calls. They always meant another program was slashed, or another budget was cut, which meant thousands more heads had to roll.
“Why don’t we just close our doors and call it a night,” Jim had grumbled while Eva delivered the latest bad news. “If he doesn’t want to make a profit, there’s no point trying to stay in business. Is there?”
Eva opened her mouth to respond, but decided against it.
Jim could sense something was wrong with her, not that he knew her so well. Still, she didn’t
look as cheerful as she usually did. She seemed distracted, forlorn, her eyes cast away from the screen.
“What’s the matter, Eva?” Jim had asked, his voice upbeat, although he was concerned. He also wasn't surprised she was unhappy. “Takira-hahr isn’t the Garden of Eden is it? It's more like Hell having to work directly for HIM."
“Sometimes,” Eva sighed, and tried to force a tiny smile, “I guess this job is not exactly my dream job anymore.”
“I hear you,” Jim said sympathetically. “You and I are stuck in the same boat, and unfortunately, it’s got a hole in the bottom. Want me to loan you a life preserver? I've got a few extra here in my desk.”
Eva chuckled politely, and shook her head.
“No, Jim. I am afraid we are in different boats.”
“Don't let the Big Guy get to you, Eva. He can grind you down until you're nothing but dust. Every day, my dad thought that the dude was going to kill him.”
Again, Eva’s head tossed in a little way, her chestnut hair swinging in mass to one side.
“He’s not mean to me, Jim. He's actually been very kind, and he certainly hasn’t threatened to kill me yet.” Her eyes glanced off into the distance, her lips parted. “It’s just…”
“What?”
“He’s so sad. He’s so very unhappy. It breaks my heart to be around him, and be so helpless.”
Now, it was Jim's turn to pause, to scratch his head, and look away, as he considered that Eva was in too deep.
"Eva," Jim advised. "You're playing a dangerous game. Trust me, there's nothing you can do, and you don't want to."
Eva’s face turned bright red. She wouldn't meet Jim's eye.
"Just be careful," Jim reiterated before signing off. "Katie's going to return. I don't know when, and I don't know how, but she always comes back, and she won't like you messing with her man. Just remember what I said about Thad being afraid that the dude was going to kill him every day. Who do you think was holding the gun that shot Thad dead?"
As Jim flew away from the office, he put Eva out of mind, and instead focused his thoughts on Joanne. He had to admit, he was looking forward to seeing her, although being around all those teenagers didn't particularly excite him. Maybe afterward Joanne would be interested in going out for a drink. He'd be up for dinner too, if she could spare the time. There was no one at home waiting for him to share a hot meal.