Rasa’s image smiled from the patil as she delivered her message. “Hi, Amanda. I have some mixed news for you. I think I’ve discovered why the link between your girls became so weak. I’m pretty sure Jena is on Earth. I don’t know how or why, but the link felt almost exactly like the same distance I had to send the message to Shemalla. I don’t know why it took me so long to make the connection, but there it is. I could be wrong, but I don’t think so. I hope you have a great night. I’ll talk with you again tomorrow. Bye.”
Amanda turned to stare at Riccan with a sense of wonder. If her daughter had returned to Earth, then she did not have any reason to stay anymore. She could go home with Juila and continue her search for Jena on home territory.
Riccan said the first thing which came to mind. “This is an interesting turn of events. What if she’s wrong?”
Amanda felt a small doubt rise, yet she tried to ignore it and said, “I hope she’s not!” She walked back to the couch in a daze of wonder.
Riccan sat down next to her and wondered what she was thinking. “Amanda? Who raped you?”
She slowly looked at him and felt her face flush as she replied quietly, “Petre MacVeen.” She watched as Riccan’s face first turned white and then flushed a bright red color. She was alarmed by his reaction.
“He was in the bar tonight, wasn’t he?” Riccan asked through clenched teeth.
“Yes, but we can’t do anything about it right now. Remember Juila, Riccan. I have to keep her safe from him.”
“More like you have to keep Petre safe from me. I’m going back there right now to strangle him until he tells us what he did with Jena!”
“Riccan, stop! I don’t think it’ll work with him. He’s too smug, and he’s been in hiding for almost two anons. Besides, he doesn’t have Jena anymore. I lost my connection with her about three days after she was taken. Another family has her, and she’s safe and happy.” She considered her last statement and wondered if she were safe, then why was she suddenly sent to Earth?
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t go back to the restaurant to beat a confession out of him?”
“Because I am asking you not to do it, Riccan. Please trust me to handle this. I don’t want Jena or Juila to get hurt in this problem.”
Amanda’s expression was so genuinely pleading he could not help but give in and let her have her way on the matter. Although, if he did find himself alone with Petre, he was not so sure he could promise not to do anything to him. He nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll leave him alone tonight. What is your plan then?”
“I’m going to contact Bryon and let him know I’ve seen Petre. He can follow up on it since he was the person who originally filed the abduction charges against him.”
She got up and returned to the patil. She spent the next few minutes going over the evening’s events with Bryon. She could tell Bryon was grateful to finally have a solid and current lead on locating Petre. He promised to keep her apprised of any news, and then they disconnected the call.
Amanda excused herself to take a bathroom break and wondered what else she should share with Riccan. He certainly seemed to be someone she could trust just as Juila had promised. His parentage put him in as much danger as her own, so they had reason to keep one another’s secrets. She really wanted to get to know Riccan better, yet her need to find Jena was even stronger. If she were already on Earth, then she needed to find a way to return to start her search as soon as possible. It was then she realized she had forgotten to tell Bryon about Rasa’s suspicion of Jena’s whereabouts. She mentally shrugged as she washed her hands and thought she’d tell Bryon during their next conversation which was bound to be pretty soon since they had a new lead.
She returned to the couch and curled her legs underneath her to get more comfortable. She decided to ask Riccan about his family. “Tell me about your grandfather and how he ended up being here.”
“Well, let’s see. I’m not sure how much you know about Tuala’s interaction with Earth, but a long time ago there was an incident which caused one of our Elders to send representatives from Tuala to Earth to monitor the situation…”
Amanda brightened immediately and interrupted by asking, “Was it Elder Vargen’s son in Roswell?”
“You do know about it!” He looked at her with a new appreciation and speculated over what other secrets she might already know. “Okay well, I won’t have to give you as much history other than my grandmother was sent over to the museum right after it opened. She fell in love with one of her coworkers who was an engineer. Eventually, she knew she wanted to be with him, but there was the problem of getting him back to Tuala without Elder Vargen knowing about it. He tends to collect people from Earth to help in his research.”
Amanda nodded agreement to his last statement with a shiver of fear at thinking it could have been her own fate.
“Anyway, she eventually found a way to bring him home, but she didn’t know he would lose his memory when he crossed through the Gate. Once they were here in Tuala, she had to make him fall in love with her all over again. Eventually, he regained his memory, and they were married.
“They had my father and were very content with their quiet lives until they sent my dad to school. His test scores caught the attention of Jehoban’s representatives, and they all moved to Acaim so their son could start his education. My grandparents were grateful to get to go live with their son because there wasn’t any concern about my father’s heritage being found out as long as they lived with the Creator.
“Since they had access to a Gate, they went to visit relatives on Earth. Jehoban made it so my grandfather wouldn’t lose his memory on the transfers anymore which made things a lot less complicated. My dad got to experience both worlds as he was growing up which pleased Jehoban greatly. Eventually, when my dad finished his education and retirement, Jehoban promoted him to Elder status. My grandparents chose to stay living on Acaim until they both died about ten anons ago.
“My dad made sure I was trained to follow in his footsteps. I’ve also been to Earth quite a few times. I spent about two anons there once while I went to school to learn about engineering. It’s really come in handy integrating both types of technology to spark innovative ideas.”
“Like the auto-pilot on the telepod?” Amanda remembered how flustered he had become when he mentioned that aspect. He had changed the subject immediately at the time, and now Amanda understood the reason.
“I should have wondered at your lack of reaction at the time, but I just couldn’t believe I had slipped up so badly in front of someone. But yes, like the auto-pilot. I probably never would have thought of it had I not become a pilot on Earth. The two flying styles are nothing alike, but both are quite exhilarating.”
“So you’re an accomplished pilot on Earth as well, huh? Any other hidden talents?” Amanda could not help teasing him.
He laughed out loud and was grateful the evening was turning out to be pleasant after all, if not more than a little unexpected. “I’ll let you know as I think of them!”
“What are your parents’ names and where do they live now?”
“My dad is Elder Daven, and my mom is Nena, she’s a teacher. They live in Pantano.”
Amanda reviewed her memory of Barla’s map and knew the name was significant in some way and suddenly it hit her: Pantano was where she had started her journey with Nealand so long ago…Boca Raton, Florida. “Your parents live in Florida?”
It was now Riccan’s turn to be shocked that Amanda would know the location so readily and he was once again impressed with her knowledge. “Have you been there?”
She shook her head and replied, “I’ve only been there on Earth, and it’s where all of my problems began. It’s an amazing coincidence, don’t you think?”
Riccan was beginning to wonder if they really were coincidences because he knew Jehoban was involved. He smiled and shook his head in wonder at all the strange turns of events. There was so much more to Amanda than he had original
ly believed and he was utterly fascinated with her.
Amanda looked at her timepiece and discovered it was quite early in the morning, and they both had to get up in a few hours to go to work. She looked up at him and wondered if he would stay if she asked. There was only the couch as another bed, but she really did need to sleep yet she did not want to be alone with Petre so close.
“I can see what you’re thinking, Amanda. I can stay on the couch tonight if you want me to.”
Amanda sighed with relief as she answered, “I hate to even ask it of you, but I am scared to be alone.”
“I understand. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure I’ll sleep fine.”
“Thank you, Riccan. You have no idea what this means to me!” She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before she got up and took their glasses to the kitchen to rinse them out. “I guess I’ll head to bed then after I get you a pillow and some blankets.”
“Sounds good, Amanda. Sleep tight! I’ll keep guard out here.”
“Thank you.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Petre was certain he had seen Jesisca leave the restaurant. It was impossible, of course, based on Ninan’s conversation he had overheard so long ago. He had believed she was dead, but now he was not so sure. If Jesisca lived, then he could get her back after his business with Elder Debbon was concluded. He would have followed after her, had the loud-mouthed guy at the bar stopped yelling that Petre was a wanted man.
Not wishing to be arrested before he could confront Elder Debbon, he decided he should probably leave the bar hastily. He knew it was too late to locate the Elder, so he went back to his water craft and sat down at the table to think. People now knew he was on the island; he could have kicked himself for his carelessness. There were many considerations to take into account in order to get his custodial rights put back into place and being careless was not a part of the equation.
Using all of his mental strength he added an extra coat of protection around his water craft to avoid discovery from anyone. He was going to have to wear a disguise on the island because people would be warned to look out for him. Again he cursed his bad luck since a disguise would be terribly uncomfortable in the heat of this island. With no other option, he shrugged and imagined the end result would be worth the discomfort.
Chapter Twenty
BRYON CONTACTED THE authorities as soon as he disconnected his call with Amanda. This was the best lead they had had in over an anon. He knew Amanda was a credible witness, but she also did not want to be brought into the investigation. The authorities in Kirma assured him they would get in touch with the appropriate people in Durseni.
With all of the things which had gone wrong over the last two anons, Bryon decided he was not going to wait and see what happened this time. He rushed into the living room and found Alena telling stories to the children.
She could see he had some news to share and told the children, “Okay, kids, go get your pajamas on and brush your teeth for bed.” As soon as the trio of children were out of earshot, she looked up at Bryon and asked, “What’s happened, Bryon?”
“Amanda saw Petre in Durseni.”
Alena gasped at the implications this news brought to Amanda. If both Petre and Amanda were on the same island, it was only a matter of time before Petre found out about Juila. Her heart started racing, and she felt as though someone had kicked her in the gut.
Bryon continued, “I’m going to go over there to see what I can find out. I’m not going to let the authorities lose him again.”
“I’m coming with you, Bryon. I have a feeling Amanda is going to need me as well.”
“What about the children?”
“I’ll go over to Tana’s house immediately to see if she wouldn’t mind having them over for a few days until we can get this situation sorted. I’m sure she won’t mind; she wants this investigation over as badly as we do!”
“Okay, I’ll start packing a few things. I’ll also let Frasnia know I’ll be gone for at least the next day or two.”
With their game plan sorted, they went their separate ways and made all the necessary arrangements for both family and work. Within twenty minutes they were boarding their personal telepod ready to leave town. Once they were both safely seated and belted in Bryon began the start up procedures. He palmed the bay door closed while simultaneously activating the crystal drive. Within moments the console displayed an array of green lights, and the telepod began to levitate inches above their driveway.
Bryon visualized the coordinates of the landing port on Durseni, taking into account the position of the evening sun, and moved his hand from the manual control to shift into mental control. Everything blanked out for a few moments while he held the image of their destination fixed firmly in his mind: then they were both seeing what he had visualized. Thankful for the quickness of travel he went through the shutdown procedures and soon they were both unbuckled and standing in the stifling heat as the cargo door opened into the twilight.
“We won’t be able to stay with Amanda since there’s not enough room at her house. We’ll have to stay in a hostel for the night and call on Amanda tomorrow. Besides, I’m sure she’d be scared if we knocked on her door tonight. After seeing Petre on the island, I’m sure she’s feeling a bit spooked.”
“Oh, Bryon, I hope we can catch Petre before he causes any more trouble.”
Bryon held her tightly to him with his arm around her waist as he answered, “I hope so, too. I want this whole nightmare over so we can go back to our quiet lives. Do you remember when we thought life was a bit boring?”
“I can’t say as I do, Bryon. Life is never boring around our house!”
Bryon grinned at her comment as he directed them toward the flight office to arrange for housing and a transport.
He planned on heading down to the dock to search for Petre’s vessel. If he knew Petre as well as he believed he did, he imagined the pompous man had probably tied up in a prominent location; however, he was also smart enough to have his vessel cloaked from view. Bryon believed he would be able to locate any empty spots large enough for his style of water craft and, using a stick, he would probe the spots for any solid surfaces. While the invisibility cloak worked on the eyes, it did not work on something physical. He was determined to find Petre that night with or without the authorities.
Once they were finally at their hostel for the night, Bryon announced, “I’m going for a walk. I’ll be back shortly.”
Alena looked at him with a knowing expression, but she came forward, gave him a kiss, and said, “I love you. Be careful.”
“I will. I love you, too.” He gave his wife a lingering hug before he left the room. As planned he made straight for the main port and began his search. Since he lacked a stick to probe the seemingly vacant berths he ended up using his foot instead. Unlike his original idea, Petre’s vessel was not located in a prime spot, but rather at the end of a short, ill-maintained wharf.
Once his foot encountered a solid surface which appeared empty, Bryon took a leap of faith from the dock and landed solidly onto a water craft. Entering a water craft unannounced was never a good idea; however, Bryon felt the element of surprise would be a necessary advantage. Feeling secure with his shield, Petre would not be expecting any visitors. As soon as Bryon got beyond the shield, he had no trouble seeing the water craft and headed directly toward the main cabin. Descending the stairs two at a time, he burst through the cabin door. Without hesitating, he walked straight forward, grabbed Petre by the throat, and picked him up from the chair where he sat.
“Where’s Jena, Petre?” He shook him for good measure and realized Petre would be unable to answer if he could not breathe. Bryon let go of his hold on Petre’s throat and punched him in the gut to incapacitate him further. “Don’t mess with me, Petre, where’s Jena?”
Petre slumped to the floor, held his hands to his neck, and gasped for breath. He was stunned to see Bryon on his water craft and wondered how he had gotten past h
is shield. Nobody came aboard his craft without his permission. For once he decided to tell the truth and sneered, “I don’t have Jena. That little brat was more trouble than she was worth. But you won’t have to worry about her either since I sold her to Elder Debbon.”
Bryon looked at Petre as though he had grown a horn out of his head. Elder Debbon? What was this man talking about? Then it all made sense, Alena had said only a wise-woman or an Elder could perform the crystal changing rite. They had only questioned the wise-women, overlooking the Elders entirely. Now he was going to have to approach Elder Debbon to get Jena returned, and he was not pleased with this new turn of events.
Petre’s smug smile became too much for Bryon to handle at the moment and without even forming the thought Bryon smashed his foot into Petre’s face. He watched as the blood poured from Petre’s nose and upper lip. Petre slumped to the cabin floor with his eyes rolled up into his skull.
Not waiting for another instant, Bryon bent over and slung Petre over his shoulder. Because Petre was unconscious, the shield surrounding the vessel disappeared, and Bryon could no longer see the fuzzy haze of the shield. He easily jumped onto the dock and walked speedily toward the Durseni Authorities Office. The walk took almost ten minutes, and Bryon could feel Petre starting to wake up. He quickened his pace and reached the office just as Petre regained partial awareness.
Bryon burst through the front doors of the Authorities Office and slammed Petre down into a seat next to the intake window.
An armed guard immediately confronted Bryon. “Who’s this man?”
“This’s Petre MacVeen. He’s wanted for the kidnapping of my daughter, Jena. There’s also the matter of him stealing a shipment from Kirma Shipping and Receiving which has never been recovered. Please arrest him and have him extradited to Kirma for processing.”
The guard was clearly taken aback by Bryon’s confident request, but immediately regained his composure and grabbed Petre by the arm. “Come with me.”
Ascension Discovery Page 78