{"id":140,"date":"2012-04-01T00:00:35","date_gmt":"2012-04-01T04:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/?p=140"},"modified":"2012-03-31T08:50:21","modified_gmt":"2012-03-31T12:50:21","slug":"chapter-fourteen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/?p=140","title":{"rendered":"Chapter Fourteen"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\u201cOnce more unto the breach.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s what my brother told me the day they left.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t point out that he was completely unprepared for what he was going to do, that he\u2019d never done anything like this in his life.\u00a0 I figured that Alana Chase and Brendan Cho would impress that upon him quickly\u2014if circumstances didn\u2019t do it before Alana could.\u00a0 I hoped against hope that she didn\u2019t decide to have pity on him and be nice<\/em> to him for the first time in her life.\u00a0 That would have been a total disaster, and I love my brother too much to wish that on him.\u00a0 I\u2019d rather have a living failure than a dead hero for a brother.<\/h3>\n

— Kara Grace-Forester, member of the Rose Council (5245-5250)<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

5 Novem, 5249 PD<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lindsay had cradled his face in both hands and kissed him one more time.\u00a0 \u201cBe careful,\u201d she whispered softly, staring up into his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cCome home.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He\u2019d swallowed hard and nodded, kissing her back and holding her for a few long moments.\u00a0 \u201cI will.\u00a0 I promise.\u00a0 I <\/em>promise.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ezra had patted his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cTime to go, Brendan.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He\u2019d nodded and stared at Lindsay for another few long moments before letting go, turning away, climbing aboard.\u00a0 She\u2019d waved to them as they lifted off.\u00a0 He\u2019d prayed he knew what they were doing.<\/em><\/p>\n

He was still praying, staring at realspace. \u00a0They were on approach to Xiangaou, a small moon orbiting a gas giant in a system neighboring that of New Earth.\u00a0 It\u2019d be a short hop from here to the second target installation, in another neighboring system.<\/p>\n

Xiangaou wasn\u2019t a settled world.\u00a0 It was an exploited planet with areas set aside for combat training, mining, and limited aquaculture.\u00a0 He\u2019d been born at a world like Xiangaou, on an orbital station.\u00a0 It had been at Xiangaou, however, that he\u2019d been trained, that he\u2019d served.<\/p>\n

It held no wonder for him, no pleasant memories.\u00a0 It was a place where he had once lived and had tried very, very hard for many, many years to forget.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou okay, Brendan?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded slightly, most of his attention on his boards.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m fine, Ez.\u00a0 Just thinking.\u00a0 Dangerous thing for me to be doing right now, I know.\u201d\u00a0 He exhaled silently, staring at the gas giant that was slowly looming, growing as they got nearer.\u00a0 Xiangaou Control would be contacting them soon.\u00a0 He\u2019d have to play his role to the hilt.\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure the dampening field is working?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ezra nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve tested it and retested it.\u00a0 It\u2019s working.\u00a0 No one\u2019s going to know there\u2019s more than one person aboard this ship, Brendan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brendan nodded slightly and tried to relax.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t working.\u00a0 Not for the first time, he wished Lindsay were there.\u00a0 It was her touch that he needed, her voice.\u00a0 They were completely cut off out here, though\u2014no safe way to get a message back home.\u00a0 Not without being detected, which they would be, this close to an inhabited planet.\u00a0 Maybe when they were between this leg of the trip and the next, if there was time.\u00a0 But not while they were in hostile space\u2014and Brendan was under no illusion that this was anything but hostile space.<\/p>\n

A loaded pistol appeared on the console near his left hand. \u00a0Brendan blinked and looked up at Alana, who smiled tightly.\u00a0 \u201cYou might need it, Commander.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded slightly, matching her smile.\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Colonel.\u201d<\/p>\n

She patted his shoulder with her flesh and blood hand\u2014it briefly occurred to him that she had done that deliberately\u2014and then turned and moved back to the far end of the compartment.<\/p>\n

The ship wasn\u2019t very big.\u00a0 The cockpit blended into a few sleeping alcoves and a corner mess with a hot plate and a water dispenser.\u00a0 Only the head and a small cargo area were private.\u00a0 Ezra had that area crammed full of supplies\u2014medical and otherwise.\u00a0 Brendan was hoping against hope they wouldn\u2019t need most of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what\u2019s your plan, Brendan?\u201d\u00a0 Alana stretched, standing not three feet behind him.\u00a0 She was dressed in a plain gray jumpsuit, one that hugged every curve she still had rather than her usual baggy attire.\u00a0 Brendan had considered asking her whether or not she was planning on killing anyone on the trip.\u00a0 He\u2019d decided not to.<\/p>\n

Ezra asked instead.\u00a0 Alana had just smiled.<\/p>\n

Brendan licked his lips.\u00a0 \u201cContact Control, tell them who I am, request approach.\u00a0 Dock.\u00a0 Lock down the ship.\u00a0 Find her mother and bring her back here as fast as I possibly can.\u00a0 Then get the hell out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds brilliant.\u201d\u00a0 He winced at the sarcasm.\u00a0 What had she been expecting?\u00a0 \u201cDo you really think they\u2019re going to let you waltz around unescorted?\u00a0 That they\u2019re not going to search the ship?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ll scan the ship and when they don\u2019t find anything, they\u2019ll leave it alone.\u00a0 They\u2019re not going to waste the manpower.\u00a0 They\u2019ll let me waltz around unescorted because in their brains, I\u2019m still a good little soldier that finally found his way home, probably chock-full of good intelligence on E-557.\u00a0 The deep scans that I\u2019ll get when I step onto the station will confirm my identity. \u00a0They\u2019ll assign me quarters and leave me alone at least until tomorrow morning.\u201d\u00a0 Except I won\u2019t be here in the morning.\u00a0 I\u2019ll have grabbed America Farragut and we\u2019ll be gone.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cIf things start to get dicey, I can play factions off each other.\u00a0 If the intelligence we have is right, then there\u2019s two generals currently vying for supremacy here.\u00a0 Katsuana controls the stations and Hatchii controls the ground.\u00a0 All I have to do is tell Control that Hatchii ordered me to ground\u2014if my memory serves, he was my penultimate commanding officer twelve years ago\u2014and we can get the hell out of here when I have America before they\u2019ve even realized I\u2019ve gotten her.\u201d\u00a0 I hope.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re sure that\u2019s going to work?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded, smiling grimly.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s going to work.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019d better.<\/em>\u00a0 He glanced over his shoulder toward Ezra.\u00a0 Ezra frowned and shook his head slightly.\u00a0 Now that they were out here, in the middle of hostile territory, he was starting to have second thoughts.<\/p>\n

We should have made you stay home, Ez.\u00a0 You are <\/em>not prepared for this shit.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMake sure you both stay away from the windows, though.\u00a0 Not sure that the polarization is as good as we think it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alana nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI have every intention of that.\u201d\u00a0 She leaned against a bulkhead and started checking her metal hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeurotoxins or sedatives?\u201d\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t asked what she\u2019d loaded.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t been sure he\u2019d wanted to know.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

He winced.\u00a0 Neurotoxins.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re really out to kill someone, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo are you, Brendan.\u00a0 Whether you want to admit it or not, you\u2019re here because you\u2019ve got a bone to pick with these people, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

He winced.\u00a0 I do.\u00a0 But that\u2019s why I\u2019m taking something from them.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to have to kill anyone. Misguided as they are, they\u2019re just doing their jobs.<\/em>\u00a0 He was going to have to, though.\u00a0 He picked up the pistol.\u00a0 Silenced model.\u00a0 He nodded slightly and slid it into his holster.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going to watch the hatch, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Alana smirked.\u00a0 \u201cNo one\u2019s getting onto this ship that\u2019s not you or America Farragut, Brendan.\u00a0 Period.\u201d<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t sure if that should frighten or comfort him.\u00a0 He finally just nodded.<\/p>\n

His implant itched.\u00a0 He tried not to scratch at it.\u00a0 It was a newer model, one that didn\u2019t require him to be hardwired into the console.\u00a0 It was better, though the ship\u2019s activity seemed to comprise a low-level buzz in the back of his brain, constantly threatening to give him a headache.\u00a0 He wondered not for the first time if the buzz had always been there when he\u2019d had an implant or if this was something new.\u00a0 He picked up the passive scan of the ship before his board ever alerted him to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter lock and load.\u00a0 I\u2019m getting a passive scan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ezra looked at Brendan, then at Alana.\u00a0 \u201cPilots always that tuned in?\u201d<\/p>\n

She shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m about twenty years out of date when it comes to pilots, Dr. Grace.\u201d\u00a0 She sat down on one of the bunks and watched Brendan manipulate the controls to adjust their course slightly, aiming them directly at one of the stations in specific.<\/p>\n

\u201cIncoming hail,\u201d he murmured absently, then nudged the controls through his implant to put it through.\u00a0 A voice came over the comm lines, complete with the attendant crackling of distortion.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnidentified craft, you have entered Chinasia Corp sovereign space, Xiangaou Prefecture.\u00a0 Identify.\u201d\u00a0 It was a woman\u2019s voice.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t surprise him.\u00a0 That was one of the jobs normally assigned to women of the Corp.<\/p>\n

He switched over to the Corp\u2019s tactical language, knowing that she\u2019d understand it.\u00a0 \u201cXiangaou Prefecture Control, identify Cho five five seven four three niner two one.\u00a0 Repeat, identify Cho five five seven four three niner two one.\u201d\u00a0 Brendan licked his lips and waited.\u00a0 Either they\u2019d be shot out of the sky, or this would work.\u00a0 They\u2019d know in a moment.<\/p>\n

The woman on the other end switched tongues, too, to the corporate language.\u00a0 \u201cInterrogative Cho five five seven four three niner two one.\u00a0 How did you escape?\u201d<\/p>\n

He laughed bitterly, answering in the tactical language.\u00a0 \u201cThey lost interest, Control. \u00a0I ran.\u00a0 Request docking at three seven niner five.\u00a0 Repeat, request docking at three seven niner five.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are cleared to three seven niner five.\u00a0 Stand by for further information.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Control.\u201d\u00a0 He toggled off the voice pickup.<\/p>\n

Ezra\u2019s brow was furrowed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat did she ask you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow I escaped,\u201d Brendan said, not looking back toward them.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did<\/em> you escape?\u201d\u00a0 That was Alana.<\/p>\n

He shook his head slightly.\u00a0 \u201cI told him that they lost interest in me and I ran.\u00a0 Likely story to the people here.\u00a0 It\u2019ll go over well.\u201d\u00a0 He licked his lips.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re cleared to docking.\u00a0 You two keep your heads down.\u00a0 With any luck\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He exhaled.\u00a0 \u201cWith any luck, this won\u2019t take too long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou hope,\u201d Alana said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Brendan murmured.\u00a0 \u201cI hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 \u25cf\u00a0\u00a0 \u25cf<\/p>\n

\u201cThey should be in Corp space now, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned from the starplot in the middle of the darkened base operations center.\u00a0 Most of the staff had gone home for the night\u2014it was getting late, the sun had long ago gone down.\u00a0 He nodded at Lindsay.\u00a0 \u201cCouldn\u2019t sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n

She shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cI keep worrying about him.\u00a0 I want to reach, but I\u2019m afraid that would put him in danger.\u00a0 That it would put all of them in danger.\u201d\u00a0 She slowly sat down in a chair that during daylight hours would belong to a flight controller.\u00a0 She stared at the starplot for a few long moments.\u00a0 \u201cWhere are they, Uncle Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

He stared at the starplot for a moment, then tapped a system.\u00a0 The plot zoomed in, revealing a solar system dominated by a few gas giants and an asteroid belt.\u00a0 \u201cZhang-aouh, Xiangaou Prefecture.\u00a0 If calculations are correct, then they should have made the system a few hours ago.\u00a0 Might already be on-station at Xiangaou.\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded a little, staring at the system.\u00a0 She could almost\u2014almost\u2014see the tiny ship they\u2019d set off in, moving in to dock at a station shaped like a cylindrical pincushion.\u00a0 She sighed softly, shaking her head and quietly marveling at her own imagination.\u00a0 \u201cHow long do you think this leg is going to take?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged a little.\u00a0 \u201cWe allowed three days in the timetable, though it might be faster.\u00a0 Commander Cho is an excellent pilot and he may well have been able to drop into realspace closer to Xiangaou proper than most.\u00a0 It\u2019s also going to depend on how easily he manages to get into the area where we think they\u2019re holding your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lindsay nodded, biting her lip.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not going to be good, Uncle Adam,\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 \u201cIt didn\u2019t feel like\u2014or look like\u2014it was going to be good, when I had that vision of her.\u00a0 It just\u2026it was bad.\u201d\u00a0 She stood slowly, moving closer to the starplot, watching the animation built into the program for the starplot cause the gas giants to spin and slowly orbit their sun.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a reason we decided to let Dr. Grace go along, Linny-pie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d she said softly, watching the central gas giant spin lazily.\u00a0 \u201cKara\u2019s furious.\u00a0 She was hoping someone would talk him out of it, or tell him he couldn\u2019t go.\u00a0 She\u2019s terrified he\u2019s going to get himself killed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs he?\u201d<\/p>\n

She licked her lips.\u00a0 Of course he\u2019d ask.\u00a0 As if I\u2019d seen.<\/em>\u00a0 She\u2019d seen, of course.\u00a0 The vision had come unbidden when Kara had hugged her\u2014Kara hugging her brother as he climbed out of the ship, then turned back to help with a stretcher.\u00a0 The vision had fragmented, then, but Lindsay could tell it was something she\u2019d be witnessing with her own eyes.\u00a0 The hell of it was that she hadn\u2019t seen Alana or<\/em> Brendan in the vision\u2014just Kara, Ezra, and a couple of medical teams.\u00a0 She almost wished she\u2019d seen more.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think so, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded slowly.\u00a0 \u201cBut you don\u2019t know about the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

It must have been written all over her face, the doubt, the pain.\u00a0 It hurt so much, the not knowing.\u00a0 It frightened her.\u00a0 She sighed a little and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d almost rather not know anything, you know?\u00a0 If he\u2026if doesn\u2019t come home, I don\u2019t want to know he\u2019s not coming home.\u00a0 The waiting is horrible, but at the same time..\u201d\u00a0 Her voice trailed away and she bit her lip, looking at the floor.\u00a0 She swallowed.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to be alone right now.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to go home to an empty house and an empty bed.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201c\u2026can I stay with you and Aunt Rachel for a few days, Uncle Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

He blinked at her.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to go home to an empty house.\u00a0 It just\u2026it just makes it worse.\u00a0 I keep thinking \u2018what if he doesn\u2019t come home? \u00a0What will I do?\u2019\u00a0 I can\u2019t stand it.\u201d\u00a0 She stared at the planet again and at the moon that orbited it.\u00a0 Would he make it away from that place alive?\u00a0 She almost reached for him through their bond\u2014almost\u2014but something stopped her.\u00a0 Something told her that maybe that wouldn\u2019t be the best idea.<\/p>\n

Adam followed her gaze and shook his head slightly with a quiet sigh.\u00a0 \u201cIf you really want to, Linny-pie, we can find the room. \u00a0I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFind the room?\u201d\u00a0 She looked at him.\u00a0 Find the room?\u00a0 There\u2019s plenty of room. \u00a0You two are sharing one room.\u00a0 That leaves another two bedrooms in the house.\u00a0 One was mine and one was his.<\/em>\u00a0 Maybe she\u2019d sleep in his bed at her aunt\u2019s cottage, like they had when they were younger, before they\u2019d built their home deeper into the highlands.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just you and her, isn\u2019t it?\u201d\u00a0 She snapped her fingers.\u00a0 \u201cMarshal Rose.\u00a0 She\u2019s staying with you, isn\u2019t she?\u201d\u00a0 Why wouldn\u2019t she just stay at the barracks, though?<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAye, and she\u2019s sleeping in your old bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lindsay shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI can sleep in Brendan\u2019s old bed.\u00a0 It\u2019s okay, It\u2019s comfortable enough.\u201d\u00a0 She smiled wryly.\u00a0 Probably still smells like him, too, but I\u2019ll go home and get our blankets anyway.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam hesitated and she noticed, brow furrowing as she looked at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Uncle Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

He exhaled slowly, shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cTime you found out anyway.\u201d\u00a0 He shut down the starplot and checked to make sure his link was in his pocket.<\/p>\n

She blinked, her eyes adjusting quickly to the dim.\u00a0 \u201cTime I found out about what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took her hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026and we\u2019ve waited a long time for this, Inspector Rose.\u00a0 Time to finish what was started.\u201d\u00a0 The figure in black drew his weapon and aimed it unerringly at the slender, slightly gaunt man leaning on a cane.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cFreder, <\/em>down!\u201d\u00a0 Adam Windsor body-checked the man with the cane as the figure in black\u2019s gun went off\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Her uncle was steadying her, eyes wide.\u00a0 \u201cLindsay?\u201d<\/p>\n

She let out a little gasp, shaking herself before looking up at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cWho\u2019s Freder?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam went sheet-white.\u00a0 He grasped her by the shoulders with both hands.\u00a0 His lips barely moved, expression one of shock, almost horror, voice barely a whisper.\u00a0 \u201cWhat did you see?\u201d<\/p>\n

She shook her head slowly, starting to shake.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2026I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 There was a gun and you knocked someone over\u2026and I didn\u2019t see anything else.\u201d\u00a0 She put a hand to her head.\u00a0 \u201cSo who is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam licked his lips, pulling her into a gentle hug.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t tell anyone what you just saw, Linny-pie,\u201d he murmured.\u00a0 \u201cFreder is Frederick Rose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her brow furrowed and she looked up at him.\u00a0 \u201cMarshal Rose\u2019s husband?\u00a0 But he\u2019s dead.\u00a0 I remember that\u2014Aunt Rachel cried for a week.\u00a0 Did that\u2026did what I saw\u2026did that already happen?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t say anything, just shook his head slightly.\u00a0 \u201cFreder isn\u2019t dead, Linny-pie.\u00a0 Daci and I just fooled everyone into thinking he was.\u201d<\/p>\n

She gave a little gasp.\u00a0 \u201cDoes Aunt Rachel know?\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cShe does now.\u00a0 Has for a couple weeks.\u00a0 Come on.\u00a0 He\u2019s been dying to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMeet me?\u00a0 Why?\u201d\u00a0 She pushed some hair out of her face.\u00a0 Because I\u2019m the Oracle, or because of something else?\u00a0 Probably because I\u2019m the Oracle.\u00a0 Marshal Rose knows that.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why she wouldn\u2019t tell her husband about me, especially since Aunt Rachel was their friend, and my guardian\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe knew your parents.\u201d\u00a0 Adam led the way out into the corridor, going quiet.\u00a0 He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to ask another question, not speaking again until they were in his skimmer and on the way back to the cottage.\u00a0 \u201cDo you need anything from your house?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was going to get some blankets, but that\u2019s all right, I\u2019m sure you still have some of the ones I\u2019d be looking for.\u201d\u00a0 Lindsay chewed her lip. \u00a0\u201cWhy so secretive, Uncle Adam?\u00a0 Why cover it up?\u201d\u00a0 It must have been something <\/em>awful.<\/em>\u00a0 Somewhere she\u2019d known that there had been something terrible that had made her aunt cry for so long all those years ago.\u00a0 She\u2019d just never quite figured out\u2014or asked\u2014what it was.\u00a0 It had seemed silly to, really.\u00a0 Rachel had gotten over it, moved on.\u00a0 Lindsay had started having visions that seemed important.\u00a0 And then Brendan had crashed and Rachel had taken him in, too, despite Alana\u2019s protests.\u00a0 In the wake of all of that, her aunt\u2019s distress\u2014and her curiosity over the reason for it\u2014had passed into the dim recesses of her memory.<\/p>\n

He exhaled as the skimmer slowed and he guided it up the roadway toward the cottage.\u00a0 The moon was full and high above them, overshadowing some of the paler stars in the sky.\u00a0 The air was crisp, chill, promising the seasons to come.\u00a0 \u201cThere were people trying to kill him.\u00a0 He knew too much about something\u2014that\u2019s what we think.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t want the rest of the galaxy to know.\u00a0 So they tried to kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut they didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made everyone think they did.\u00a0 To keep him safe.\u201d\u00a0 Adam shrugged slightly.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s been at Urgathe with Daci for twelve years.\u00a0 Been safe, since you could count on one hand the number of people who knew he was alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou never even told Aunt Rachel, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head slowly, stopping the skimmer next to the cottage, in the shelter of some trees.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t tell her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because you didn\u2019t think you could trust her?\u00a0 Or something else, Uncle Adam?<\/em>\u00a0 She stared at him for a long moment.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t move to get out of the skimmer at first, just stared at his hands for a few long minutes before looking at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had my reasons, Linny-pie.\u00a0 Closely akin to the ones that made me move out.\u00a0 You understand, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

She bit her lip.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I\u2019m going to have to, Uncle Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

He kissed her forehead.\u00a0 \u201cCome on.\u00a0 I think they\u2019re still up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean I\u2019m meeting him now<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam smiled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s staying with us, too.\u00a0 Better you meet him now than later, right?\u201d\u00a0 He climbed out of the skimmer.\u00a0 \u201cCome on.\u00a0 I\u2019ll go get you some clothes in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lindsay nodded slightly, momentarily dumbstruck.\u00a0 He\u2019s dying to meet me.\u00a0 I don\u2019t even know who he is, or why anyone would want to kill him for something he knew.<\/em>\u00a0 She was a little worried\u2014what sort of visions would he spark?\u00a0 Would he spark anything?\u00a0 God, I hope what I just saw was one of those futures I have a prayer of changing.<\/em>\u00a0 Some were like that.\u00a0 Others weren\u2019t\u2014they were merely warnings of what was coming, moments in time that could not be altered.\u00a0 Others were the opposite\u2014possible futures, futures that could be changed.\u00a0 I hope that\u2019s one that can be changed.<\/em><\/p>\n

The lights were on in the living room, but the kitchen was dark.\u00a0 She could hear laughter in the living room, her aunt and probably Marshal Rose\u2014and Frederick Rose, who she\u2019d never met, never known.\u00a0 But he wants to meet me.<\/em>\u00a0 Adam preceded her into the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cLindsay is going to stay with us a few days, Rachel,\u201d he announced as he entered.\u00a0 Lindsay drifted into the room in his wake.\u00a0 Marshal Rose and her aunt were in their pajamas.\u00a0 The marshal was seated on the couch, wrapped around the man from her vision\u2014Frederick Rose.<\/p>\n

It was dark, and cold.\u00a0 A bearded man, taller than her but with her blonde hair glared at a much younger Frederick Rose.\u00a0 It was her father, probably more than ten years ago.\u00a0 He was holding a gun in one hand, back pressed against a corner, and he looked ragged.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGet out of here, Freder,\u201d Grant Channing growled, not looking at the younger man.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGrant, I want to help.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGet out of here,\u201d he growled again, finally looking at the other man.\u00a0 \u201cThe only way you can help us is to stay on your side of the law while we stay on this one.\u00a0 If you can find a way to force the Commonwealth make them pay for what they did to Mimir, maybe we can quit.\u00a0 But not until that day comes.\u00a0 Now get out of here before you\u2019re tarred with the same brush as America and I.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat about Adam and Rachel?\u00a0 You let them help.\u00a0 Why not me?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got legitimate connections that are still strong, Freder.\u00a0 I\u2019m not going to put those in jeopardy.\u00a0 Get the hell out of here.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Frederick Rose stayed where he was.\u00a0 Grant grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him back, back away from where he was facing.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGo, Freder!\u00a0 Damnation, get out of here.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI want to help,\u201d he repeated.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou want to help?\u00a0 Make sure that my daughter knows someday who killed the world that should have been her home.\u00a0 Make sure everyone knows.\u00a0 Now get out of here!\u00a0 Rachel and Adam aren\u2019t even involved in this.\u00a0 Go!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He blinked.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re\u2026they\u2019re not?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Grant shook his head, staring at Frederick for a long moment, desperation and pain showing in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cAmerica made them take our daughter and run.\u00a0 I wanted her to run, too.\u00a0 She wouldn\u2019t listen.\u00a0 Damn her, but she wouldn\u2019t listen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Grant.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSo am I, Freder.\u00a0 Now go, before you\u2019re in over your head.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Freder nodded.\u00a0 \u201cGood luck, old friend.\u201d\u00a0 Then he was gone.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThanks, Freder,\u201d Grant muttered, \u201cI\u2019m going to need it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

She steadied herself in the doorway, eyes widening as she stared at the unfamiliar and at the same time all-too-familiar figure on the couch with Marshal Rose.\u00a0 They were looking at her, him most of all.\u00a0 She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again, licking her lips.<\/p>\n

Frederick Rose slowly stood up from the couch, ignoring a cane that leaned against the arm of it.\u00a0 His limp was pronounced and for a moment Lindsay wondered how close someone must have come to killing him, all those years ago.\u00a0 She straightened in the doorway and met him partway, offering him her arm for support.\u00a0 He smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re their angel, huh?\u201d\u00a0 He touched her cheek.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been waiting quite a long time to meet you, little one.\u201d<\/p>\n

He knew them.\u00a0 God, but he knew them.\u00a0 There are so few that\u2026that could say they were their friends.\u00a0 <\/em>She laughed a little, smiling.\u00a0 Her voice was small.\u00a0 \u201cYou knew my mom and dad?\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick laughed and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cFor most of my life.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou have your mother\u2019s eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lindsay managed to laugh, then covered her mouth as tears gathered in her eyes.\u00a0 She hugged the man she didn\u2019t know and he hugged her back.\u00a0 \u201cMy father\u2026he told you to run away and find who was responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick nodded slowly.\u00a0 \u201cHe did, little one.\u00a0 That he did.\u00a0 I wish I hadn\u2019t listened.\u201d<\/p>\n

For better or worse, I\u2019m sure he\u2019s glad you did.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s nice to meet you,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNice to be met, little one.\u00a0 Nice to be met.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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