Philip Callahan found he was actually
looking forward to working alongside Alex.
It wasn’t that he disliked working with the others but Alex was less
abrasive. He never felt she had an
agenda. Derek Rayne was an intelligent
man, an intensely loyal man, but, Philip felt, he was always trying to
influence Philip to come back. Alex
understood why it would never work. Philip
was happy enough to help out, at a distance, at arm’s length, but he would
never return to being a fulltime Legacy member. His heart was in the parish, among people with everyday
problems. But working alongside Alex
would be satisfying, he felt. A little
like old times but not a lot like old times.
And that made all the difference.
He was flying into San Francisco and
renting a car to drive to San Stefano.
He hadn’t arranged this with Alex.
She didn’t yet know his plans.
Philip would call her when his plane landed and he would tell her
then. He would wait for her in San
Stefano, making a few general inquiries, getting the ball rolling.
Father Brennan’s words of advice
echoed in his head. Padraig Brennan
only knew Philip as a priest. He didn’t
know about Philip’s past and Philip wasn’t going to enlighten him. His time in the Legacy was a closed book and
one which wasn’t reopened very often.
It was hardly a bragging matter and Philip had never been one to brag
anyway.
“Be sure to question everyone,
Philip. You do have the photograph of
the Bromptons, don’t you?”
“Yes, I have it safely packed away.”
“The little girl has copper colored
hair. Unusual. People will have noticed that. Be sure to point it out.”
“I will.”
“The mother has brilliant emerald
green eyes. Again, people will have
noticed.”
“I’ll ask.”
“I believe Mr Brompton has a tattoo on
his forearm from his time in the military.”
“I know, Father. I’ll be sure to ask.”
He’d clutched at Philip’s arm. “Find them, Philip. Bring them home.”
“God willing, I shall,” Philip had
promised.
And now he prayed God would be
willing. Philip knew God had a
plan. Man walked thru life, stumbling
over that plan often by accident.
Sometimes, the plan was joyous.
Sometimes, it was a bitter pill to swallow. Faith was tested. He
couldn’t begin to say he knew what the plan was but he hoped it didn’t involve
the sacrifice of Paul and Christine Brompton and their two children, five year
old Joanne and seven year old Andrew.
And, if it did turn out to be a bitter
pill, Alex would be there to give silent comfort. And, if it turned into a fight, Philip was reassured that Nick
Boyle would be around as well. What
gave him the most quiet hope, however, was that Nick wouldn’t be alone. Merlin would be with him.
I know I shouldn’t feel pleasure in
that, he rebuked himself, but, maybe on this occasion, I can be forgiven. If it turns dark as night and evil is
everywhere, I will fight for God with an Enforcer at my side. I’ve wanted to see them in action for so
long now .. and I have, in Colorado Springs but then, of course, I was on the
other side. It won’t be like that this
time. This time, we’ll be allies in the
same cause. And, if Murphy’s Law is in
operation, I’ll be more than pleased because it’ll mean I won’t get to see Peri
in combat and the Brompton family will be fine and tell me they simply chose to
extend their vacation. I’ll most likely
land in San Francisco only to be told they’re already home in Boston and I can
come straight back. Please, God, let it
be so …
Philip checked the time. He was about halfway to California. Everyone around him was sleeping or reading,
working on business papers. Philip’s
business was spiritual, so he closed his eyes and prayed.
*****
Rachel had stayed over Tuesday
night. With a fieldtrip in the
immediate future, she had a lot of preparation to do. It was all very well for Derek to make these decisions but Derek
didn’t have another life outside the Legacy.
Rachel did. It meant checking
her appointment schedule and moving patients to new times, new days. Most could be moved, some just
couldn’t. Some were too vulnerable
right now to be put off. That meant
doing as much preliminary work on the island as she could before Derek left. She would follow him down later.
All she had to do now was tell him.
Derek was the first down to breakfast
and Rachel came in five minutes later.
“Morning,” she greeted. “Sleep
well?”
He nodded, his expression a little
distracted.
“What is it?” she asked, coming to the
table.
“It’s a trap, Rachel. I feel .. extremely uneasy about allowing
Alex to go.”
She paused. “Derek, your instinct as a human being is to protect others. Your duty as Precept demands it. But .. Alex wants to do this. She isn’t like all those others who have
fallen victim to the trap because she’s aware that it’s there. As Precept, your duty is to let the members
of your house go to the front line. You
have to trust us. We know the risk, the
danger, an’ we still want to do our job.
To deny us … We might as well
quit the Legacy. And .. I’d like you to
consider this. Alex has recently
suffered an emotional upset. What she’s
going thru now is a period of adjustment.
Almost grieving. Like a lot of
people do, she’s thrown herself into her work since she came back from
Gretna. A fieldtrip might be what she
needs to help her the most. It’s work,
and important work – people’s lives could be at stake – but it isn’t here. Away from this glasshouse environment,
relying on herself .. she’ll rediscover her strengths. She won’t be alone – Philip is probably the
best person to go with her. Someone she
knows, someone she can trust, solid, reliable, a good man, one there for all the right reasons, and one not likely
to make unreasonable demands on her.
There can be no romantic entanglement.
I know you feel uneasy, Derek,” Rachel concluded, “but you have to let
her do this.”
He regarded the table top for a long
moment. “I do trust Alex, maybe more
than you realize. And I am responsible for the safety of
everyone in this house. But this goes
beyond concern. It is genuine fear that
I may lose her forever.”
“Nick
an’ Peri – ”
“May not be enough, Rachel! I may lose them as well. Just because they have triumphed over every
obstacle so far doesn’t mean they can triumph here. Some traps, once shut, cannot be sprung. It could be a one way door, even for
Peri. Think of what that would mean,”
he invited. “We would lose three good
people; the world would lose an Enforcer.”
She was shocked. “Are you saying we should just .. let this
go?”
“Of course not.”
Rachel nodded. “No, of course. You’d go, even if you
could do nothing. You’re ready to
sacrifice yourself but you won’t allow us to – ”
“And Kat? She would lose her mother.
Are you so ready to walk thru a one way door?”
“This time is no different from any
other time I’ve been in danger since I joined, an’ don’t you forget it.”
“I’m not saying that, Rachel.”
“Then what are you saying, Derek?”
“We
need more time. We need to know exactly what we are dealing with. You and me, we are Nick and Peri’s
backup. More than anyone else, we have
to be sure of what we are doing. Fools
rush in. Angels fear to tread.”
“We have time. Well .. you
have time.” She sipped at her tea,
trying to reduce the tension in the room.
“I will do what I can to prepare for this fieldtrip in advance but I
can’t go down there with you. I checked
my schedule last night and I have three patients whose appointments I cannot
move. I can try to schedule them on the
same day or over two days but that’s the absolute most I can do. When I’ve seen them, I’ll follow you down.”
“Maybe I can persuade Alex to put this
off for a week or so.”
“That would work for me but I don’t
think Philip is prepared to wait. He
has a personal interest here. Some of
his parishioners are missing. An’
putting it off for a week puts the fieldtrip in the danger zone of month end, a
time we definitely want to avoid.”
He looked at her. “Yesterday, when I was studying the map, I
had a vision. A town, Rachel. There is
no town on the map. There is only a
road. A road which leads to hell. I felt the emotions of the people trapped
there.” Derek closed his eyes. “It haunted my sleep last night. We have to help them but I don’t know how.”
“I don’t suppose the rulebook for
Precepts comes with all the answers,” Rachel commented, squeezing his
hand. “Some things we have to figure
out for ourselves.” She leaned
back. “Okay, let’s discuss the worst
case scenario. Alex an’ Philip, by
accident, get stuck in this .. invisible town or alternate dimension. That’s bad.
But, to look at it from the other side of the mirror, we’ll have two
people on the inside. They can pass information out to us, information Nick an’
Peri will need to formulate a rescue plan.”
“Really.” Derek sounded just faintly scornful and Rachel felt a hot rush of
blood stain her cheeks. “How do you
reason this? The modern marvel of cell
phones, perhaps? When you were trapped
in the colony of New Eden – your very first fieldtrip, if you remember – did
Nick’s cell phone work? When you were
trapped with Kristin in that internment camp, did any of the phones work? All
the people who are presently trapped, none of them have cell phones to call their families and tell them what has
happened? How exactly will Alex get the information to Nick so
that he can go in with guns blazing?
“I’m trying to help, Derek,” she
muttered.
“I know. But a trap is a trap, Rachel.
They aren’t easy to open once they’re closed. If they were, they wouldn’t be traps. The best hope is not to spring it.”
“All right. So we find out as much as we can and stay outside the zone. But, if we are to help those people already in the trap, we need to know how to open
it .. an’ that may be impossible from outside.”
“Now you understand why I feel so
uneasy,” Derek commented.
*****
“If we don’t go soon, they’re gonna
call the cops,” Merlin remarked.
“They’ll think we’re casing the joint.”
“We are, but not to break in. We’re casing it so we can move in.” Nick shook his head. “A
week never seemed so long. Let me see
the floor plan again.”
Grinning, she handed the print to
him. “You called your friend yet?”
“I rang Jazz last night. He’s thrilled you’re going.”
“What about your other friend?”
“Liz?
No, not yet. Soon as I get
back.”
Merlin nodded. “Is it gonna be difficult, Nicky? Cos, if it is, I can hang around in the area
an’ wait for you.”
“Rachel says you’ll make it
easier. I know I’d prefer you to be there.
Can we get some proper gym equipment?”
“Sure. You can get whatever you want.
Another car to fill up the garage.
Your own computer set up.
Whatever. We got the space. It’s a big house an’ only the two of
us. I visited some interior designers
yesterday. They’re prepping some ideas
for us. Nothing set in stone. Themes.
Colors. Types of furniture. I wanna do the work myself. I want us
to do the work,” she corrected, “no matter how long it takes.”
“Yeah .. I like that idea,” he
smiled. “Okay, let’s go.”
They walked back to where he’d parked
the Mustang. “Why does Rachel think me
being there will make it easier? Did
you an’ Liz break up on bad terms?”
Nick hesitated. “There were issues left unfinished. Words left unsaid. We moved on with our lives.
She met a guy – Kevin – an’ they got engaged. Then she got sick an’ she asked him to call me because .. it’s a
long story, an’ you can read it in the Legacy archives. Kevin an’ I didn’t exactly get along. I was willing but he saw me as a threat and a bastard for walking out on
her. I couldn’t win but I wasn’t there
for him, I was there for Lizzie. She’d
asked for my help. I wasn’t gonna let
her down again.”
“You said the words you didn’t say
before?”
He nodded. “She was in a coma, though, so I don’t know if she heard. Anyway, when it was over an’ she was safe, I
said goodbye. As far as I know, she an’
Kevin got married and they’ve started a family. I haven’t seen her or spoken with her since that day in the
hospital. The invitation came outta the
blue.”
“So why does Rachel think I should
go?”
“Liz will know I’m married and Kevin
will know I’m bringing my wife with me.
I can’t show him in any other way that I’m no threat. It’s a way of drawing a line under the
past.”
“Okay. I’ll go .. if she wants me there. I won’t spoil the day for her, Nick, no matter what you’d
prefer.”
“Fine with me,” he accepted, unlocking
the doors. “What can you find out about
San Stefano?”
“We got four days. Probably a lot. I can send Aquila scouting ahead. At least we’d know what to expect.”
“Yeah, good idea. Do it.”
“Aye, sir!” she grinned, snapping off
a salute.
“Not right now. Tonight is good. I don’t suppose Alex will be heading down there till the weekend
anyway.”
“You don’t know Alex very well, if you
think that,” Merlin remarked.
*****
Philip’s plane landed and he collected
his bags before going to the car rental desk.
There was a long line of people waiting so he found some pay phones and
called Father Brennan.
“My flight’s just landed,” he
said. “Is there any news?”
“I was hoping you were calling to tell
me something good, Philip. We’ve heard
nothing. Paul Brompton’s sister has
been here today. We prayed together.”
“Keep praying, it can only help,”
Philip commented.
“For them, and for you. Be careful, walk in God’s light.”
Philip sighed as he hung up. The one time he wanted Murphy’s Law to work,
it was stubbornly refusing. He pressed
out another number, one he knew so well he didn’t have to remember it.
“Luna Foundation. How may I assist you?” answered a strange
voice.
“Is Alex Moreau there? It’s Philip Callahan.”
“Yes, sir. One moment.”
Philip waited, watching the line to
the rental desk slowly shrink.
“Philip, hi,” Alex said warmly.
“Hello, Alex. Who was it who answered the phone?” he
asked.
“That was Andrew. He took over from Joseph. Where are you?”
“At the airport in San Francisco.”
“So soon?” She sounded dismayed.
“I have a missing family, Alex. I’m not waiting around, hoping they’ll just
materialize out of thin air. I’m
collecting a rental car soon and I’m driving down to San Stefano. I’ll meet up with you there.”
“Sure. I’ll try to get away today.
You have my cell phone number?”
“I do, yes.”
“Call me when you know where you’re
staying.”
“You want me to reserve a room for
you?”
“Would you? Thanks, Philip. I’ll see
you soon. Bye.”
He hung up again and went to join what
was left of the line.
*****
Alex breathed out in a rush, and
admitted to feeling just a little railroaded into hasty action. She would have liked another twenty four
hours to work on the background to this investigation, and she’d just lost
that. She paused to think what to do
for the best. Philip was right – he
couldn’t wait. They were working this
together so .. she had to leave as soon as she could, but that didn’t mean
immediately. Alex glanced at her
duffel. She’d started casual packing as
soon as Derek has said okay, so that was already half done.
If I take the laptop, I can continue
researching once I get there. That
might distract Philip a little. He’s
been out of this for so long, he’s forgotten what it’s like. Fools rush in … And I’ve been in this for so long, I forget what it’s like
outside. Philip is worried about people
he knows, people who are missing near San Stefano. I’m investigating a crop of pink dots on a map. That puts it in
perspective.
I’ll take the laptop. It’ll slow Philip down. His concern will energize me. Symbiosis.
We feed each other. If I leave
after lunch, I’ll be there by five.
Philip can’t get in trouble in
that amount of time.
Alex emptied her duffel on the bed and
began repacking in earnest.
*****
“No morning run today?” Rachel asked
as Nick and Merlin came in.
“Not today,” Nick replied. “We’ve been to look at our new house.”
“Oh, so that’s the surprise,” she smiled.
“Well, good luck to you both an’ I hope you’ll throw a housewarming
party sometime.” Rachel looked to
Merlin. “Peri, do you have a moment?”
“I’ll go make that call,” Nick
murmured and headed for the stairs.
“Sure, Rachel. What’s up?” Merlin asked.
Rachel gestured to the music
room. “Derek’s uneasy about Alex going
on this fieldtrip,” she began once they were alone. “Does he have any reason to feel that way?”
“You’re asking me if I know anything
about the area near San Stefano,” Merlin replied.
“Yes, I am. He told me he had a vision and it seriously disturbed him. He’s convinced he’s going to lose Alex,
forever. And, if you an’ Nick go after
her, he’ll lose you too.” Rachel leaned
forward. “My job here is more than just
Legacy member. I also advise an’
counsel the others in this house .. unofficially. Now, I can help Derek but only if I know how to play it. Does he have grounds to worry this much?”
Merlin looked away while she
thought. “I can tell you the area has
been designated as a warm spot. That
means we keep an eye on it on a random basis.
It’s getting hotter. An’ it’s
growing.”
“You couldn’t have told us that
yesterday?” Rachel asked, her shoulders hunching with tension.
“I wasn’t here when you discussed it,”
Merlin pointed out. “And Enforcer
business doesn’t always mean Legacy involvement. I do think Derek has a reason to be concerned, but not to sink
into black depression. Nick an’ I will
go down there on Sunday evening an’ take a look. If necessary, I’ll shut it down.”
“What if you get trapped as well?”
Merlin shrugged. “I’ll find a way out. Rachel, don’t start sharing Derek’s .. panic
attack. It won’t help. He has to trust us to do our jobs. You have to trust us as well. Look, Nick asked me to find out as much as I
can before we head down there. Whatever
I discover, I’ll share. Okay? Did Derek tell you what he saw?”
“He said he saw a town, although
there’s no town on the map. There’s
only a road an’ it’s a road which leads to hell.”
Merlin nodded. “That’s interesting. Did he mean the highway leads to hell, and,
by that, did he mean the town? Or was
it another road?”
“Maybe you should ask him,” Rachel
suggested.
“I think I will. No town on the map … I guess what we have here is a bubble.”
“A what?” she frowned.
“A bubble,” Merlin repeated. “Like .. an extrusion. A pocket of other existence. Not always there because not everyone ends
up inside it, but there when the conditions are right. No way of telling when that is. It’s a non-specific phenomenon. Random.”
Rachel blinked. “So .. no time is good.”
“Not really, no. Why?”
“Because the local superstition is not
to drive along that highway on the last day of the month.”
Merlin considered this. “I’d say it’s pot luck. How does a random phenomenon like a bubble know it’s the last day of the
month? My guess is that it doesn’t.”
“I have to tell Alex,” Rachel
declared, rising quickly. “She thinks
she’ll be safe if she stays away next Tuesday.”
“Good plan. I’ll go talk with Derek.”
*****
Nick sat on the bed and pressed out
the number written on the back of the invitation. His heart rate was a little up, his mouth felt slightly dry. The number began to ring.
“Hello?”
It was a faintly breathy voice. “Liz?
It’s Nick.”
“Oh, hi, Nick! I was hoping you’d call. You got the invitation.”
“Yeah. It came yesterday.”
“Can you make it?” Liz asked.
“Yeah. Liz, I have to ask – ”
“Anything,” she cut in.
“Is it okay for me to bring Peri?”
There was a slight hesitation. “Who’s Peri?”
“She’s my wife,” Nick replied. “We’re both in Santa Cruz Saturday at a
friend’s wedding. We can drive to
Watsonville Sunday morning.”
“You’re married ..?”
“Yeah. Couple of years now. Peri
said that she understands if you don’t want her there.”
“No, of course not. I mean, sure, bring her. If I’d known, I would’ve included her in the
invitation.”
Nick breathed a silent sigh of
relief. “So .. how’re you? How’s Kevin?”
“We’re all fine. Look, Nick, I have a ton of things to do, as
you can imagine. I’ll see you Sunday.”
“Okay, Liz. Take care.”
He heard the line click dead and he
shook his head as he hung up. He’d
never meant to do it but he knew he’d hurt her.
*****
“Alex, I’ve just spoken with – ”
Rachel began as she came thru the open door then she halted. “What are you doing?”
“Packing for my trip. Philip called from the airport. He’s already on his way to San Stefano. I figure I’ll follow him this afternoon.”
“So fast?” Rachel frowned.
“I’ll take the laptop with me. I can research just as easily at the motel.”
“Alex, listen to me. I was just talking with Peri about this
situation. She says she thinks it’s a
randomly appearing bubble. That means
the end of the month isn’t an accurate indication of the danger zone.”
“I know.”
Rachel stared. “What?
How do you know? When did you know?”
“Yesterday,” Alex admitted. “I spoke with Philip, like Derek
wanted. He said his missing
parishioners vanished around eight days ago.
That’s nowhere near the end of last month.”
“An’ you didn’t tell Derek that?”
“No.
And there’s a reason I didn’t tell him, Rachel. If I had, he would’ve refused point blank to
let me go there. I want to do this. I know there’s a trap there. I’m not stupid.”
Rachel shook her head. “You’re right. He would have refused.
He’s still thinking about it.”
“That’s why I’m going today, before he
has a chance to change his mind.”
“Well .. just remember your backup
won’t be there until Sunday evening earliest.
Be careful. An’ don’t let Philip
drag you into something you’ll both regret.”
“Philip?” Alex queried, then
laughed. “C’mon.”
*****
Derek was sitting in his office, the
map spread on his desk. Merlin glanced
around the door.
“Got a few minutes?”
He looked up. “For you, yes. We need to talk.”
She came in and sat down. “What did you see?”
“Exactly? A road in a town.
Houses. Nice houses on one half,
tenements on the other. One half was
bright, sunny, cheerful. The other was
steeped in misery. I saw no people but
I felt their emotions, Peri. Such
terrible resignation, such horrible despair.
Guilt. Surrender. They knew they were trapped there.”
He looked down. “I’ve been willing myself to see more but my
gift is being obstinate. The times when
I’ve not wanted to see things and it’s been forced upon me … Now, it stays silent and dark when I need it
the most, when I need to know the extent of the situation in the town.”
“You saw a town?” she queried.
Derek shook his head. “A road in a town.”
“There may not be a town, only a single road,” she pointed out.
“Do you know what’s there?”
“No, I don’t. What I do
know is that there’s cause for concern.
This area in the Diablo Range is known to us an’ we’ve been monitoring
it from time to time. It seems to be
growing, an’ growing more rapidly in the last few years.”
“Why haven’t you done something? People are disappearing!”
Merlin didn’t react to the sudden
burst of anger. “Derek .. this appears
to be what we call a bubble. One of
those pockets of existence where time can run screwy. We don’t like to go in them because, like the hotel, we could get
trapped in there. The hotel was
different – when it was here, you could see it, you could go in. If you knew how, you could get out again so
long as you did it before sun up. This
bubble .. there’s a road inside with houses.
But no one out here has ever seen that.
It doesn’t appear so people can stroll in then vanish away taking them
with it. There’s some kind of interface
which none of us can recognize. It may
be something invisible, like an energy barrier across the highway. Or it may be something like .. a picnic
spot. People pull over, stop, get out
an’ get stuck. Bubbles can be burst,
but you have to know where to stick the pin.
This is a random phenomenon which can’t be predicted and it isn’t here
all the time. Makes things kinda
tricky.”
“We have to act. We can’t allow this to continue. Are you willing to .. do what you must?”
“Always. It could be that the only way to prick this bubble is from the
inside and I will go in there to do that.
What I want from you is an assurance that you’ll let us try. Let Alex do what she feels she must. Nick
an’ I will go with her, not wait to be called.
She may not be able to call.
Let’s face it, the bubble could cause havoc, or it may not even show
while we’re there. And I want you an’
Rachel to stay outside. If the rest of
us get trapped, you could be the deciding factor. You come in after us, goodbye Angel Island. We may not see this place again.”
Merlin sat back. “I’ll send Aquila down there to scout.”
“No.
It’s too risky. What if she get
stuck inside the bubble? What if she
doesn’t see it until it’s too late?”
“Aquila eats risk for breakfast.”
“If you two are separated for days, you are the one who suffers. You grow weak, tire easily. I need you strong, Peri. Help, yes, but here, with the research. Contact other Enforcers, see if any of them
has ever encountered such a thing and how they dealt with it. When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow sometime. Nick wants to spend some time with Jazz
before the wedding on Saturday. Sunday
morning, we’re driving over to Watsonville, and Sunday evening we head for San
Stefano. What about you?”
“Friday. Rachel will follow possibly over the weekend. If not, the early part of next week.” He gazed at the map. “So many people … ”
“We’ll crack it, Derek. Don’t let yourself get dragged down. Sure, traps are nasty, but they can be
sprung. It just needs a little pressure
at the right point. And, if you need me
to be strong, I want you to be strong
as well. We got a deal? No more brooding, let’s get down an’
dirty. Kick some ass.”
Now he didn’t react. “And if I
lose Alex?”
Merlin shook her head. “Then you lose her. You’ll lose Nick an’ me. Doesn’t have to be permanent. An’ think of this – we may not be able to
get word out to you, we may not be able to communicate at all but we will be working to get free. Trust me on this. An Enforcer held prisoner isn’t a sight to see or
experience. We get mad pretty quick
an’, when we get mad, we get even.”
He nodded and the tension left his
shoulders. “Very well. If the worst does happen, I expect you to
keep them safe and to bring them, and as many others as you can, out of that
hellhole. I expect you all to be working
hard to break free. Rachel and I will
be working just as hard on the outside.”
He held out his hand.
Merlin shook it. “Deal.”
“Deal,” Derek said.
*****
Alex was in the control room
downloading data from the mainframe onto the laptop. She worked as quickly as the technology permitted, and she felt
like a thief.
“Alex?” Derek said quietly.
She froze then turned to face
him. “Don’t try to stop me. Please.
I’m leaving after lunch.”
He frowned. “Why so soon?”
“Because Philip’s already on his way
down there. He shouldn’t go alone.”
For a moment, it looked like Derek
would argue but then he released a long, slow breath.
“No, he shouldn’t. And I cannot tell Philip what to do. He is no longer a member of this house or
the Legacy. However, as Precept, I can
tell you what to do.”
Alex straightened, her chin jutting,
her eyes flashing a warning.
“I won’t stop you going but I do not want you going anywhere near that area until at least Monday
morning. I’ve decided to send Nick and
Peri with you, and not wait until you call for them. They will not be available until Sunday evening. I will come down on Friday, Rachel will
follow as soon as she can. While we
wait, you and Philip can make as many inquiries as you want. Build up your store of knowledge. Be thorough in your research. Once you are inside, all you will have is
what you know. It could save your
life.”
“That’s if I get trapped inside,” she
pointed out.
Derek shrugged slightly, a mere twitch
of his shoulders which might have suggested he didn’t really care. Alex knew otherwise.
“I saw what was in that area,
Alex. Why would I have seen it if none
of you were ever going in? I think we
may as well accept it as a strong probability rather than a remote possibility. Prepare yourself. Warn Philip. And do as I say.”
“Yes, Derek,” she nodded.
*****
Andrew served lunch to a full house
that day and it would be the last time he did that for a while. Nick was already packing for his trip. Alex had completed her packing and loaded
her bags in the trunk of her car.
Rachel would be gone by early evening.
Derek watched them as they ate. There was the usual banter, good natured,
upbeat. He had struck a deal not to
brood but it was difficult not to think that this could be the last time they
sat together like this.
Merlin glanced at him and smiled. Derek had to smile too. How many times had he dwelt on that
particular thought? More times than he
could count.
“So Philip’s already on his way,” Nick
remarked. “Yeah, you shouldn’t leave
him to go it alone, Alex. I know he
chose to leave an’ I would resent the rules being broken for him to come back,
but he lived in this house. He was one
of us. We take care of our own.”
“Exactly,” she agreed, paused, then
commented, “Look, I know it seems I’m being rash in taking off so suddenly but
there is a method in my madness. I don’t want Philip to get into
trouble. I don’t want to get in trouble.
I figure if I’m there, I can act like a brake, slow him down. He doesn’t know anywhere near as much as we
do about that area. What’s driving him
is a missing family. People he
knows. And you know how Philip can be
when he decides to focus and take things into his own hands.”
Derek nodded. “I approve of your actions.”
“I won’t forget my orders,” Alex
promised. “I’ll make sure Philip an’ I
stay away from the danger zone until Nick and Peri get there. Believe me, I don’t want to get stuck inside
that place. If I can figure it out and
cause it to just .. collapse, freeing all those people into the bargain, and
without me ever setting foot over the border, I’ll consider this fieldtrip a
glowing success.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Rachel
murmured. “Take care.”
“Oh, I will.”
“We’ll be there early Sunday evening,”
Nick told her. “If things turn awkward,
it can be our excuse to get away.”
“Did you speak to Liz?” Rachel asked.
He nodded. “She said it’s okay for Peri to go as well but .. there was
something in her voice. I hurt her,
Rachel. I was as gentle as I could
be. I didn’t just tell her, I explained
.. an’ I still hurt her.”
Rachel nodded slowly. “Sometimes that can be for the best. By the time you get there on Sunday, she
will have had the chance to rationalize the situation an’ she’ll have started
the healing process. Telling her now
was kinder than just turning up with a wife beside you.”
“I guess.”
“It’s only a few hours then you’ll be
gone again,” Alex commented.
“Yeah. I bet Kevin will be pleased about that,” Nick remarked. “Well, I got things to do. Safe journey, Alex. Take care.
We’ll see you Sunday.”
“Sure,” she smiled.
“I have to go shop for a dress for the
wedding,” Merlin winked. “Alex, stay
away from that warm spot or I will get cranky.”
“You got it,” Alex laughed.
“Rachel, Derek, later,” Merlin said
and followed Nick out.
“I’d best get on the road,” Alex said,
rising. “It isn’t that I don’t trust
Philip, I do, but he can take enthusiasm to extremes when he gets the bit
between his teeth.”
*****
Kevin came home from work early in an
effort to do something about the atmosphere in the house. He hated the way it had been just
lately. Ever since, in fact, Liz had
decided to invite Nick. There was
tension. Not silence, not ignoring each
other – that might have been easier, in some ways. There had been cold words.
Words which hurt because they were so casual.
As usual, the house was quiet when he
let himself in. Then he heard muffled
crying.
“Liz ..? Are you okay?” he asked, breaking into a run.
“I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” She
sat up and dried her eyes.
“Is it .. post natal depression?”
Kevin ventured, wading into deep water.
“No, Kevin,” she said, “it isn’t.”
He nodded, understanding at last. Something in the flat tone of her voice told
him what he wanted to hear.
“He called to say he isn’t coming.”
A weight slid from his shoulders. Kevin felt peace descend on his tortured
soul. Now, he could start to make it
right, and he really wanted to do that.
The ghost had backed off.
Liz watched him, watched the relieved
smile on his face. “He did call,
yes. And he’s accepted the
invitation. Nick will be here on
Sunday.”
Kevin flinched. He no longer cared why she’d been
crying. He felt crushed. Cursed.
“Fine. Whatever. I hope you’re happy now.”
Liz went to say something but shook
her head. Baby Martin started
whimpering. She rose and turned her
back on her husband. Kevin walked away,
his life in tatters.
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