The Guardian's Wildchild (40 page)

Sam signed in at the base and went immediately to the elevator. He didn’t have much time before he had to pick up his boys at school. He descended to the basement level, and the doors opened and he stepped out. He looked down the corridors toward the direction of the storage room and decided there was no need to follow that path again. The doors were about to close, so he stuck his foot into their path, and they reversed. The knock on his shoes jolted him mentally.

That’s it
, he thought
. That’s how the marks got on her shoes.
But the marks indicated the doors must have banged on her shoe repeatedly, as though she needed time. Time for …
Time to hide the memory rod.
Instinctively, he looked up to the elevator’s ceiling.
And that’s where her gloves got the grease.
Lubrication from the cables. The ceiling panels were high, but Sidney could’ve sprung off the hand-hold bar to toss the panel aside and then lift herself above the ceiling.

He did as Sidney had done — took off one of his shoes and placed it in the path of the open elevator doors and climbed up to the roof of the elevator.

“Well, hello there. I see you’ve been waiting. Sorry, but I’ve been detained by one very stubborn Guardian.”

He untied the rod from the elevator shaft housing and placed it into the barrel of his handgun. Then he went to pick up his sons.

Always under the watchful eyes of Perkins, Sam and his boys went horseback riding in the mountains outside of New Seattle. All too soon they had to return to the admiral’s home. The boys ran upstairs to change for dinner while Sam stood as tall as he could in front of his seething superior officer in the admiral’s home office.

“Good evening, sir.” Sam turned slightly away from the admiral, took a breath, and found a calm center within. “Admiral, you’ve been good to my boys, generous. But they need something different now. Something that will lead them to become men of sound character. We got to our rank not because someone handed it to us. It was earned. Every victory was gratifying because we’d proven to be worthy.”

“You forget that you proved to be unworthy of my trust.”

“Perhaps you’re right. The wisest choices weren’t made by Joy or myself.”

The admiral straightened his posture and went to his desk. “What exactly are you getting at?”

“Tomorrow I’ll pick Nathan and Simon up after school and bring them here. They’ll be packed by then. They’ll express their gratitude to you, your family, and staff and … then we’ll be out of your hair. All of us.”

“You’re assuming an awful lot, Captain Waterhouse. I don’t believe they’ll willingly give up the good life they’ve had, even to follow you. And you’re still assigned to the
Nonnah
. You’ll return to your ship tomorrow evening. I’ve no intention of changing anything. Is that clear?”

“Quite clear, but unacceptable, sir.”

“That’s too bad. You may pick up Nathan and Simon at school observed by my security to ensure you return here.”

The head housekeeper knocked on the door and announced the dinner was ready.

The admiral glared at Sam. “We’ll continue this after dinner.”

Sam sat across from his boys in the dining room. They were joined by the admiral’s daughter, Marianne, and her son, Chad. Silence prevailed over the stiffly seated diners. All were dressed as for a formal occasion. Sam and the admiral were in naval uniform, and Sam’s sons had changed into black dinner suits and combed their hair neatly against their heads. They looked impeccably clean — and like dogs about to bolt from their chains, Sam noted.

Everyone waited for the admiral to begin. As he spooned soup from his bowl, Sam spoke up. “Aren’t we forgetting something, sir? Perhaps grace would be nice. Doesn’t hurt to thank the big guy for all our blessings today.” He pointed to the ceiling.

“Thank whomever you like for whatever blessings you deem were bestowed upon you, Captain.”

The admiral returned to his soup, blowing on it. Nathan and Simon studied their dad. Nathan was grinning, eager to see the next move his dad was to make. Simon tentatively reached for his soup spoon. With his eyes closed, Sam sat quiet for a moment. Then clearly but reverently, he addressed God.

“Great Spirit, we give thanks for the fellowship and love of friends and family at this table. We give thanks for your unconditional love that sustains our spirits and for the abundance of food that nourishes our bodies. We give thanks for each new day so that we may have another opportunity to plant the seeds of your Light among those who live in Darkness. We ask for guidance in striving for the higher good in our thoughts and deeds. We thank you for these many blessings, gifts in both the Light and those hidden in the Darkness. For in both the Light and the Darkness, your love is ever present. Amen.”

“That was beautiful, Captain,” Marianne said. “We used to, that is, when mama — ”

“Can we have a little less noise at this table!” the admiral shouted.

“Oh, pardon me, Father,” said Marianne submissively.

The remainder of the meal continued mostly in silence. Sam watched his boys. They sat like little gentlemen in their suits. It was nice to see they had acquired good manners at the table, but Sam thought a little more fun and chatting about the previous day’s adventures was in order. As dessert was being served, he brought up the subject of Nathan’s interaction with a certain green lizard at the sailing tournament.

“So, where do you think Lizzy is now, Nathan?” asked Sam.

Nathan shook his head, indicating this wasn’t the time to bring up the subject.

Sam snickered. “Bet he’s still running. The look on your face when he dropped into your lap.” He turned to his oldest son. “Who do you figure was more scared, Simon? Nathan or poor little lizard? How big was this terrible beast?”

Simon grinned. “Geez, it was only maybe five inches long, including its tail.”

“That’s not true. It was at least a foot long,” said Nathan. “That thing attacked me.”

Sam laughed. “Well, if it wasn’t for your agility and speed, it could’ve been a lizard saying grace over a juicy meal tonight — your big toe.” Sam was still laughing. “Guess you’re more of a seaman than a nature buff.”

Marianne spoke up. “Actually, Simon is the one who handles the outdoors without any complaint.”

“Oh, yes. That’s right, Marianne. You took them camping last weekend. How did that go? Any lunatic lizards after Nathan?” Sam asked.

“Things were pretty tame, at least probably by your standards, Captain. But come to think of it, on the first night, or was it the second? Anyway, Simon was in one tent and Nathan was with Chad in another. An hour or so after we were in our sleeping bags, there was this sound. Like some animal in pain. It was just awful. Woke me with a start, felt like it was right outside my tent. I scrambled to find my flashlight. Couldn’t find the silly thing at first. When I finally got it I ran outside ready to smack whatever was out there.”

Simon shook his head and smirked.

“I first noticed Chad and Nathan’s tent,” Marianne continued. “It looked like something had grabbed it or had been thrashing at it. The boys were nowhere to be seen. I called for Simon and, bless his heart, he came running right away to my side, such a brave young man. I called and called, and so did Simon. Chad and Nathan finally shimmied down from a tree not too far from our camp. Never did see the animal, don’t even know what it was. It was awful, Captain. You can be very proud of Simon. And, Nathan, well he had the skin scraped off the inside of his legs when he slid down that tree trunk, but oh, can he climb trees!”

Simon’s shoulders trembled with the laughter he was trying to contain. He let out a loud growl that ended as a painful scream.

“
You
. It was you!” shouted Nathan, grabbing onto Simon’s shoulders. “You lousy — ”

The admiral banged on the table. “If you don’t all mind, I’d like to enjoy my dessert. Quiet!”

The snickering continued unabated. Simon and Nathan jostled with each other as much as they dared. When the admiral could no longer take the informality at his table, he told the three boys to go to their rooms. Simon and Nathan hesitated.

“Go on. I’ll check in with you before I leave,” Sam assured them, and they ran off.

Sam sat back in his chair and sipped his coffee. He held the cup in his hand, receiving its warmth and letting the delicious flavor linger in his mouth. The adults were again quiet, and Sam’s thoughts drifted to nowhere in particular. He found himself more relaxed than he would’ve thought possible at the table of his nemesis.

He looked beyond the room’s double archway into the hallway, which glowed softly from candle light. It reminded him of the last time he’d seen Sidney. The terra cotta tile floor was warm in contrast to the blue shadows in the darkening garden beyond the large French doors. He noticed a shadow on the hallway floor, the maid perhaps coming to clear the dishes. He savored another mouthful of his coffee and looked back to the floor.

The bare feet made him almost choke. Sidney stood in the hallway, as perfect and clear as the pillars beside her.

“What’s wrong, Captain? Is it too hot?” asked Marianne.

Marianne looked in the direction Sam had been staring and said, “Yes, the terra cotta is beautiful. Shipped all the way from Italy, wasn’t it, Dad?”

The admiral simply grunted. Sam returned his focus to Sidney, standing plainly on the Italian tile. Obviously, no one else could see her. She softly smiled and beckoned with her eyes. She went to the French doors behind her, opened them and stepped through, disappearing into the garden.

“Excuse me.” Sam rushed toward the doors. “Going for a walk.”

Before anyone could respond, he was through the hallway and outside the French doors. Sam followed the garden path among trees and hedges, catching a glimpse of Sidney several yards ahead at each turn.

He called to her, “Sidney, wait!”

She didn’t respond. He ran to catch up to her. Just when he thought she should be within reach, he discovered he was at the perimeter of the admiral’s property. Danik and Ryan stood on the other side of a tall iron fence.

“Hello, Sam.”

Sam was stunned. “What the hell is going on? Where’s Sidney?”

“Danik grinned. “She’s on your ship, Captain.” Danik raised his right hand toward the fence. A lock clicked and a section of the fence swung open. “That’s what we need to talk about. We need to get her off that ship as soon as it arrives in harbor, if not before.”

Sam walked through the opening. He was still trying to sort out what he’d just seen.

“Sam?”

“First I need to get my sons out of here. My boys come first. Sidney knows that.”

“Sam, she’s powerful. But she’s flesh and blood too.”

“You have any suggestions?” Sam asked.

“Glad you asked. What are the chances of Ryan and me landing our chopper on the
Nonnah
?”

Sam shook his head. “That would be daring to say the least, even suicidal. Any attempt would result in an immediate defensive action against an intruder. Commander Moon is currently acting captain and will follow orders from only naval command or Captain Butchart. He won’t abide by orders from me.”

Danik’s eyebrows lifted. “Why not?”

“Even if I were to talk to him from a monitor-equipped comlink, he’d be concerned I was being coerced into a request like that. And there’s something you don’t know about Commander Moon. I believe he’s been influenced by Captain Butchart concerning Sidney. He won’t kill her, but he won’t help her either.”

Danik crossed his arms and frowned. “And you’re not returning to the
Nonnah
, are you?”

“Once my boys are safe, I’ll … ”

“They’re safe now, Sam.”

“I make one wrong move and the admiral will make sure they disappear. I can’t risk that!”

Danik was deep in thought and walked in a close perimeter around Sam. Sam became uneasy with the tension. He loosened the grip of his tie at his throat.

“I’d better get back to the admiral,” he said and stepped toward the open gate.

“Not so fast.” With a wave of Danik’s hand, the gate slammed shut. “You plan to bargain for your sons’ release with Sidney’s life. Perhaps mine, Ryan’s, and those of the rest of my people. Am I correct?”

Sam felt the heat from Danik’s glare. “It’s not my intention to involve anyone beyond Sidney.”

Danik shook his head. “Not acceptable. What do you think, Ryan? Plan B?”

Ryan groaned. “Hey man, we said we wouldn’t. Too risky.”

“Might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb!” Danik said. “We’d better let ’em know right away we’re on board.” He waved his hand and the gate swung open. “Be seeing you, Sam.”

Danik seemed far too at ease for someone planning something risky. Sam was confident he was bluffing. And so he watched the duo disappear into the night shadows, and then headed back to the admiral’s home.