Chapter 9
The concierge directed Janai and Alana to the department store down the block where they began a search for replacement clothing. Alana thoroughly enjoyed the shopping process no matter where they were. Janai on the other hand was more utilitarian in her approach to shopping, which she completed rather quickly. Alana took her time as she tried on a variety of outfits, making Janai watch as she changed several times with the ulterior motive of breaking down Janai’s defenses.
“So,” Alana inquired as she stepped out of the changing room for the fifth time. “What do you think of these?”
Janai sighed and looked at the jeans, appreciating the way they fit the body that was modeling them. “Well…” she confessed, “they fit very well. But I think all those shiny things will attract attention.” She pointed at the offending bangles that were riveted up and down the seams and spread out in waves as they bottomed out along the hemline. “I think we need to keep a lower profile, don’t you?”
Alana grinned as she stepped back into the changing room, deciding that she had teased Janai long enough. She settled on another pair of Levi jeans, exactly like the ones she had ‘borrowed’ from Katie’s closet. Instead of another T-shirt covered by a sweatshirt, she chose a deep blue turtle neck jersey, topped by a thick fisherman’s knit sweater and a thigh length leather jacket. Janai had opted for a new T-shirt and sweatshirt, but gave in to the leather look and selected a brown bomber style jacket. A few under clothes, socks, and a map of the east coast were added to their purchases and they were done with their shopping except for something to carry it all in. Janai spotted a couple of backpacks and purchased them. Finally, they added the leftover toiletries they brought from the hotel in a plastic bag. After satisfying the bill, Janai figured that they just might need to stop at the next ATM to replenish their funds.
They exited the department store, each with their backpacks full of their purchases neatly strapped on their backs. Janai, checked her local map and found the Air and Space Museum on the map and set out on a course to reach it.
The day was much colder than it had been and they were both glad for the leather jackets enveloping them in warmth. They walked east on G Street, south on 13th, then took a left on Pennsylvania Avenue. The Old Post Office Pavilion was across the street and they were remarking about the architecture when Janai noted a tall uniformed woman turn the corner from 12th onto Pennsylvania. They were now walking on opposite sides of the street from one of their benefactors. Janai slowed her pace as she watched the woman cross the street at 12th over to their side of Pennsylvania Avenue. They were in a crowd of people so Janai didn’t think they would be spotted, but she held back their pace a bit more just to be on the safe side.
“What’s wrong Janai?” Alana queried as she slowed her pace to match Janai’s.
“Nothing. I just don’t want to run into our benefactor.” Janai motioned directly ahead of her with a slight motion of her chin. Alana’s shorter human height did not allow her to see the woman Janai had spotted.
“Oh. I guess that wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“Not unless you can come up with a really good explanation why we look alike.” They hung back and watched as Dean entered the FBI Building, then hurried past the building along with a crowd of tourists and crossed Pennsylvania at 9th Street continuing on 9th to Independence Avenue and the Air And Space Museum.
The January day was cold but sunny and the tourists were out in force as they walked to their destinations. Janai did not want to project her powers for fear of being located, so she maintained a high state of alertness as they walked down Independence Avenue. They had talked briefly about assuming new forms but decided that the power expenditure to do so would be like sending out a beacon to whoever was on their trail. Janai had felt a disturbance earlier in the morning that she believed was their tracker changing form, so she knew that he or she was close at hand. She just wanted to get through this day safely, and then to be on their way to the nearest departure craft. They still had to figure out how they would travel to the site but felt the safest was to rent a vehicle for the trip. All visitors to this planet were cautioned against taking things without proper compensation and the penalty for doing so was severe. Their government had long standing rules about using their powers irresponsibly and Janai was uncomfortable about breaking rules. After all, the purpose of their visit to earth was a learning experience for Alana as designed by her father, and their government had kept supplies of monetary funds available in several of earth’s international banks. This supply was maintained by exchanging precious commodities such as gold, silver, jewels, or more exotic items like uranium or titanium, for cash reserves through a third party action. Authorized visitors only had to use their ATM access card to retrieve local currency. Unfortunately, Janai’s card was still in the hotel room on St. John due to the unexpected change in their travel plans. Last night, Janai had bent the rules a bit by using her powers to access the ATM rather than the card. Random and reckless use of their powers, instead of following the clearly defined procedures, was strictly forbidden unless it was in self-defense. And, Janai always went by the rules…well, almost always. In the case of an emergency departure, she would need to set the emergency plan in motion at the nearest outpost. She would also need a driver’s license to rent a vehicle, and she could get that at the outpost too. Thinking back to their itinerary, the nearest outpost was in Alexandria, Virginia. They would stop there on their way out of the city.
* * * * *
The alien tracker parked the vehicle on a side street near the Hotel Washington. He had stopped briefly when he picked up the residue of Janai’s powers on the ATM machine she had used the night before. He knew that they would not spend the night on some park bench on the Mall and assumed that they would need cash to stay in a hotel. After riding around the area, he decided to check things out on foot, starting with the hotels north of K Street. He was getting agitated with the lack of results and decided to try the south side of K Street. He was now walking toward the Hotel Washington. As he approached the elderly Bellman standing at the doorway, he pulled out the ID he had taken from the real FBI agent. Flipping it open and presenting the picture of the two women on the dive group shot, he asked the Bellman if he recognized them.
“Well, I’m not sure,” the Bellman began. “We get an awful lot of people through these doors.” He looked more closely at the photo, stroking his chin with his weathered hand. “Could be, and then maybe not.” He looked up at man expectantly.
The tracker knew the game the man was playing and extracted a twenty from the wallet, handing it over with a smile. “Does this help your memory?” he asked sarcastically.
“Well…” the man began after pocketing the bill. “I do believe I saw them talking to the Concierge.”
“How long ago?” he asked, trying to control his eagerness.
“Hmm,” he looked around, stalling. “Don’t know for sure.”
“Look old man, I don’t have time to play games. These are dangerous people.” He was about to grab the man by his lapels when the Concierge came out the revolving door.
“Is there a problem out here?” the taller, younger Concierge inquired with a serious tone.
“Not at all,” replied the bogus agent as he walked over to the younger man and showed the ID and picture once more. “Your Bellman was just telling me that he thought he saw these two talking to you. Do you recognize them?”
The Concierge took his time looking at the picture. He did not like rudeness, especially from law officers who should know better. “Yes,” he finally replied after drawing out the time as long as he dared.
“How long ago?” he asked brusquely.
“About an hour ago, maybe less,” or maybe more, he thought as he noted the time was almost 1:30 PM and the women left about 11:00 AM.
“Did they say where they were going?” he asked again, still with the same tone of voice.
“Shopping. I sent them over to the Old Post Office Pavilion,” he pointed in the direction he sent them. “What did they do? They seemed awful nice to be in trouble with the law.”
“None of your business,” the faux agent replied as he hurriedly turned away from the two men and headed in the direction of Pennsylvania Avenue.
“You know old man,” the Concierge said as he watched the man run off in the direction he was given. “It’s people like that give police bad reputations.”
“Umhmm,” the old man said. “But why’d you tell him the wrong time and direction?”
“Didn’t like his attitude. Besides, no matter what those two gals have done, they don’t deserve to be found by the likes of him.” He jerked his head towards the now distant runner. “Think I’ll just call my brother over at the FBI and check this guy out. He needs a real attitude adjustment, and my brother can certainly help him with that. Besides if they’re really dangerous, I’ll tell my brother where they really went.” The two men laughed as they watched the agent turn the corner onto Pennsylvania Avenue before the Concierge headed inside to call his brother.
Ten minutes later the young Concierge came out. “Well, I’m glad I sent that bastard in the wrong direction. Seems, the real Agent Kirk is on his way to the west coast. He called in shortly after take-off to notify the office his ID was missing.”
“Damn,” the older man said softly. “Wonder why that guy is after those nice gals.” The both shook their heads in wonder then went back to work as the next volley of cabs arrived at their door.
* * * * *
The meeting with the team from the FBI went better than she had expected. She was glad to see that the interagency cooperation that began to develop on her Catskill assignment was still in place and growing. Exiting the building in a good mood, Dean walked the short distance to the Old Post Office Pavilion. She looked at her watch and noted that it was nearly 1430 hours and she was definitely hungry. Entering the Greek Taverna, she was glad to see the lunch rush was about over and didn’t have to wait for a table. Ever since Sergeant Major Tibbits told her about the outstanding Gyro Special here, she was anxious to try one. She had been looking for a suitable substitute for the excellent gyro’s she found at Port Lucaya on Grand Bahamas Island and was hoping Tibbits was right. She selected a table at the back of the room that would be conducive to do some people watching while she waited for service. A handsome young waiter came to her table carrying a glass of water and a menu.
“No need for the menu,” she told him as he offered it to her. “I’ll have the Gyro Special and a tall iced tea, sweetened, two lemon slices.”
The young man nodded and in a voice not ordained for his outer shell of manhood he said, “Excellent choice, Colonel. Save room for some Baklava. It’s to die for!” he winked and bowed slightly slipping the menu under his arm with a flourish. Returning upright, he turned crisply and headed to the kitchen to put the order in. Dean chuckled and whispered under her breath “we’re everywhere,” as she watched him sashay towards the kitchen. Settling back in her chair, she relaxed a bit to do some people watching. Her eyes were following a young couple as they passed by the restaurant window when she caught a flash of frantic movement out of the corner of her eye. Focusing intently, she saw a man in his mid-thirties making his way through the pavilion at a dead run, popping his head into stores as he ran through the main floor. She bet he was some law officer or another searching for a purse-snatcher or shoplifter. As he poked his head into the Taverna, he scanned the crowd quickly and stopped dead as he came eye-to-eye with Dean. Their gaze held as the man recognized her, but Dean had no idea who he was or why he was looking at her so intently. She did get a creepy feeling when their eyes locked for that fleeting moment and then her nape hairs began to tingle. She hated that feeling because it always meant bad things were going to happen...she just had no idea how bad they were going to get. Almost as quickly as he came in, he left, rushing on to the next store. Dean shook her head and tried to calm her feelings, rationalizing that she didn’t know the guy from Adam. But his eyes…they had the most unusual color, it was almost like looking at a photographic redeye exposure that had been darkened slightly. She picked up the water glass and brought it to her lips as she stared at the spot where he had stood. She felt cold water splash on her hand and looked down at the glass, amazed to see that her hand was shaking.
* * * * *
Janai exited the IMAX Theater with a huge grin on her face while Alana’s countenance was one depicting physical pain. They both had eagerly entered the theater with its five-story screen to see the film ‘To Fly!’ Little did they know that the presentation would also let them ‘experience’ the thrills associated with the various means of flight depicted on the screen. The Saturn rocket segment and the view of the Earth dropping away were somewhat familiar and mild in comparison to the segment depicting an 1800’s hot air balloon flight—at least for Alana. The princess nearly lost it when the hang glider soared over the coast of Hawaii and then had to grab Janai’s arm when the Blue Angels raced across the skies of Arizona. Janai on the other hand, had thoroughly enjoyed the film as well as the sensations as evidenced by the grin on her face. They had spent a little while longer visiting the other exhibits before Alana suggested they find a place to sit. Her stomach was still a bit queasy as they came down from the second floor of the museum and her conversation was minimal while Janai recapped the leaps made in air travel between the time of the Wright Brothers first flight and the landing on the Moon. They walked over to the cafeteria on the first floor where Janai ordered a hamburger combo platter and Alana settled for a bottle of club soda. Janai just finished her burger and fries and was about to make another point about the film when she stiffened, her senses picking up an anomaly once again. Stopping, Janai slowly did a visual scan of the area, looking for anything out of the ordinary, but all she could see were tourists engrossed in conversation as they ate their lunches. She was certain someone was scanning and it was closer than the disturbance she felt earlier in the morning, only this time it seemed more erratic, as though a neophyte was using his or her powers for the first time. Her impression of the sensations was that they were bouncing around--sending conflicting signals. She knew the rebels would not send a trainee, so she interpreted it as panic causing the irregular pulses, or perhaps anger, or maybe a lot of both. Janai looked up at the clock on the back wall and noted that it was nearly two thirty. She needed to get out of this city and away from whoever was trying to find them. She needed to keep Alana safe. She needed to get them to the emergency starship…and soon.
“Janai?” Alana called for the second time.
Finally hearing her princess, Janai turned to face her. “Someone is close. Very close and very angry,” she said in explanation to the questioning look on Alana’s face. “We need to stay in crowds. Until we can break away safely.” She stood and walked over to Alana’s chair motioning for her to stand, then took Alana’s elbow and led her to a large crowd gathering at the entrance with their tour guide. She maintained her vigilance, constantly looking for any sign of trouble. Joining the back of the group, they followed along until they had completed a tour of the museum’s first floor. Spotting another group getting ready to leave, they slipped into the back of that one and made their way outside. Following along with the tourists, they found themselves headed toward the Metro stop at L ‘Enfant Plaza. Consulting the Metro map she pulled out of the jacket pocket, Janai determined that they could take the yellow train to the Reagan National Airport stop. Once there, they could rent a vehicle and begin the trek to the closest starcraft. Alana glanced back over her shoulder at the Capital city hoping that some day they could return and continue to explore and learn. Perhaps even learn more about each other, she thought hopefully. She caught one last glimpse as they broke away from the group of tourists at the Metro entrance and headed down the stairway into the bowels of the transportation system.
With any luck, Janai thought, we’ll be on board the starcraft tonight and headed for home. We just need to make one stop and correct that one thing I forgot to do at our benefactor’s home.
* * * * *
Dean was back in her office by 1530 hours and still perplexed about her reaction in the Taverna. C’mon Dean, you’ve faced some pretty bad times and come out without a scratch. What’s got your nape hairs tingling now? And what’s with the shaking hand? Dean admonished herself as she opened her office door. She hung her coat and hat on the rack by the door, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly trying to regain her composure. The trip back on the Metro was very frustrating as she tried to settle her instincts down and rationalize the incident. All her self-talk didn’t work. The hairs at the nape of her neck were still on alert and she was damned if she knew why. As she rounded the corner to her desk, she noticed the message light was blinking. She picked up the phone and entered her code to retrieve the message. There were three messages recorded. The first one was from Katie at 1520 hours.
“Hey. I just got a call from that coroner. I think you’ll want to talk to her. Something really bizarre showed up in the autopsy of those two kids, but I think it’s best if you let her explain.”
Dean could hear papers shuffling in the background before Katie continued.
“I just cleared my schedule for today. I’ll be heading out shortly to pick up Sugar and then head for home. I should be home in about an hour…maybe and hour and a half. See you there.”
The second call came in at 1525 from the Falls Church coroner, Doctor Evon Bell.
“Colonel Peterson, this is Doctor Evon Bell, the Falls Church Coroner.”
The voice was rich with a slow, heavy drawl that reminded Dean of Tiny’s Texas twang. She smiled as she listened to the pleasant voice.
“You and your friend, Agent O’Malley left a message regarding the Lowe/DiAngelo case. Would you please give me a call when you come in? You can reach me at 444-1414. I’ll look forward to your call. Thank you.”
The third call was from Lieutenant Green who was sounding somewhat anxious.
“Colonel…Ted Green here. Call me ASAP. Use my cell number.”
“Well, maybe this is why my hairs are tingling,” Dean said out loud as she dialed the coroner’s number first.
“This is Doctor Bell.”
“Doctor Bell, this is Colonel Deanna Peterson. I got your message.”
“Thank you for calling back so quickly.”
“Agent O’Malley left a message regarding the case and said I should talk to you,” Dean offered.
“Yes, that’s correct. I want to double check on the actions of Mr. Lowe and Ms. DiAngelo. Can you tell me what you remember of the two?”
“Well, we only met them on the dive that last day,” Dean began then corrected herself, “and at the airport the next day. They seemed like a nice young couple. Very healthy, athletic.”
“Do you think they may have gotten hold of some…something illegal while there?”
Dean thought for a moment, then recalled overhearing Eddie talking with another couple on the dive boat about the regimen they followed daily. Low salt, low fat diet, lots of exercise, no alcohol, adamant about eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. “I seriously doubt that. I remember listening to Eddie talk. They were both very health conscious,” Dean replied.
“No way someone could have slipped something into their drinks?” the doctor questioned again.
“I doubt it. If I remember correctly, all they drank was bottled water. What seems to be the problem? Did they have some kind of drug in their blood?” Dean could hear the doctor sigh on the other end.
“No. Unfortunately we couldn’t get a blood sample,” she began cautiously. “Colonel, Agent O’Malley said you’re in the Intelligence Section, so I’m going to be a little more forthcoming with you as I was with her.” She paused again, seemingly to gather her thoughts. “I posed the same questions to Agent O’Malley and also asked her about new drugs that may be out there that we don’t know about yet. Unfortunately, she couldn’t help me but suggested I talk to you.”
“Let me get this straight. You couldn’t get a blood sample? Did they bleed out? Couldn’t you get a sample from where the bodies were found?”
“No, Colonel. We’ve tried everything and came up empty. You see…the blood, well, every drop of it had turned into a solid…set right up like concrete pellets…only it won’t dissolve. It’s the hardest damned thing I’ve ever seen. Looks like someone poured coffee grinds into their blood vessels. Is there a new weapon, or gas, or…something, that the military is experimenting with?”
Dean heard the explanation, but was unable to fathom what may have caused this. “No. Nothing. Unless it’s something foreign that even we haven’t heard about yet…but that’s not likely. What could have caused that?”
“Well, damned if I know. I’ve never seen anything like this and I’ve seen some pretty messed up bodies in El Paso. I was hoping you might have a clue.”
“I’ll check with the other services and make some calls to some of the other agencies, but I seriously doubt if any of them will know anything. Something like this would be going through the network like wildfire.”
“Besides the blood…was there anything else that was out of sync.”
“There’s one other thing that doesn’t make any sense. We interviewed some of Mr. Lowe’s students. One young man swore he saw Mr. Lowe that afternoon…actually bumped into him as he rounded a street corner.”
“Hmm, what was the estimated time of death?”
“Well, that’s what’s strange. He swears he saw him at just about the same time we were taking out the body bags.”
Dean did a mental shift and thought about the doubles for Officers Drake and DeVoe, and her and Katie. “Doctor, can you be reached 24-7?” Dean asked as she grabbed a pencil.
“Sure, just call my cell phone. If you hear anything, please call me. I always have it on. The number is 676-6767…and Colonel…”
“Yeah, don’t worry,” Dean anticipated the caution. “I’m not ready to start a national panic either.” Hanging up, she dialed Lieutenant Green’s cell number. It barely rang when it was picked up.
“Green,” came the simple salutation.
“Lieutenant, it’s Dean. What can I do for you?”
“Ah, Colonel, thanks for getting right back to me. Hang on a minute.” She could hear him walking and then a door shut. “Dean, I just got out of the autopsy on DeVoe and Drake…and, well, it’s not like anything I’ve ever seen before. The coroner is stumped too.”
The nape hairs stood on end again and Dean said, “Couldn’t get a blood sample?”
There was dead silence on the other end of the line, followed by a clearing of the throat. “How in hell did you know that? Is there something the military is experimenting with?”
“Nope. Just taking a stab in the dark,” Dean replied somberly.
“That’s one hell of a stab, Colonel. What made you come up with that?
“I just got off the phone with Doctor Evon Bell. She’s the coroner in Falls Church. I think you need to make contact with her and their homicide division. Seems they have a problem with look-alikes too…and solid blood samples.”
Dean and the lieutenant discussed the facts of the two cases as much as they knew and they both came up blank when it came to possible explanations. Dean gave him Doctor Bell’s cell number and they agreed to keep each other posted. By the time she hung up, it was 1600 hours. Her next call was to General Carlton’s office to set up an appointment to discuss her meeting with the FBI. Sergeant Major Tibbits penciled her in for 0900 on Monday morning and told her to have a relaxing weekend before they hung up. Dean packed up her briefcase, grabbed her coat and hat, and headed for home.
* * * * *
Chapter 10
Friday, 1600 Hours
The FBI double had gone through the entire Pavilion and came up empty handed, his anger level rising. Either Alana and Janai had changed their plans to shop there or the concierge was lying. He knew he couldn’t chance going back to question the concierge some more and also knew he was running out of options. If he didn’t find them soon, he would be forced to use his powers. He’d rather find them using more archaic methods because then he would have the element of surprise on his side. If he could just get close, he could finish his directive and perhaps place the blame on the humans in the process. At least he was satisfied they were still in the same forms. His main concern now was deciding if they knew they were being sought out, or if they were still following their itinerary for this country’s visit. The conversation he overheard in the underwater cave led him to believe that Janai was on alert, but Alana’s comments also had him hoping that the princess was still pursuing the original itinerary, albeit adjusted for their current location. Remembering the original plan, they were to spend three days in this capital city before heading west across this country visiting other sites along the way. The final destination was the pick up location in the California desert, nine days from today.
He made his way back to the stolen vehicle and got in. After starting the car, he sat in the vehicle as it idled. “Of course!” he suddenly said out loud, nearly shouting. “They’ll need to make a stop at one of the emergency outposts.” He knew Janai would need to secure new ID’s for the trip across the country since the other set was still on the island of St. John. Janai could get that ID at the closest outpost…and if they were going to change their plans, the rules dictated they would have to make a stop at the emergency outpost anyway to inform the realm. Either way, he could get the information that he needed from there. He sat there a bit longer, admonishing himself for not thinking of the outpost sooner and he hoped they had not already been there and left again. Feelings of guilt about the oversight brought out his anger once more as he recalled Varian’s constant cautions that he needed to pay heed to the fact that Janai’s superior intelligence was not to be discounted and needed to be figured into his actions. He must plan for contingencies at all times. Feeling the anger build, he banged his fists on the steering wheel repeatedly in an effort to release his frustration.
He checked his mini computer and located the closest outpost. It was a pawnshop operated by one of their people that had pulled the earth-bound assignment. It was located in Alexandria, off King Street. Unbeknownst to the High Council and Emperor, it also served as a communication base for the rebels and the shopkeeper, Serus, was one of their allies. Janai and Alana needed new ID’s and if they were going to depart from their schedule, rules demanded they send word back home…and Janai always went by the rules. Feeling better, he decided that he would contact the pawnshop and give them a new directive to follow when the princess and her protector showed up.
* * * * *
Alana opened the door of the pawnshop, allowing Janai to enter first. The shopkeeper set his paper down when the two customers stepped into the store.
“Hello,” he said with a smile. “Anything in particular I can help you with?”
Janai swept the store with her eyes to make sure they were the only ones inside. Stepping to the counter she pinned the shopkeeper with her green eyes and began the scripted conversation. “Yes. We’re looking for some old maps.”
“What kind of maps?” came the cautious reply. He couldn’t believe his luck. After years of sitting in the outpost he had two contacts with his people within minutes of each other.
“Solar maps,” she continued.
“What quadrant?” the shopkeeper asked intensifying his countenance.
“Theilios 342.”
“I believe I may have what you’re looking for in the back room. He stepped around from the counter, walked to the door and locked it. He turned the ‘open’ sign around so the ‘closed’ side was now facing out. ”Follow me, please,” he said as he led them to the back room. Once they were secure in the room, he turned to Janai and said with a slight bow, “My name is Serus, I am at your command, princess.”
Janai looked over at Alana who was smiling at the mistake in identification and nodded imperceptibly for Janai to continue without correcting him.
“We are in need of new identifications and a new credit card too.” She was about to tell him about the change of plans but thought better of it. It wasn’t general knowledge that she and Alana were on this trip. Only a few members of the High Council knew, the Emperor, and of course, Varian. Serus should not have known their identifications unless…time to bend the rules, she thought cautiously.
“I hope your originals were not stolen Princess. The people of this world are not to be trusted,” he commented as he turned to a cabinet on the far wall. “If you give me the names on the originals, I will have them deleted from the systems.” He opened the cabinet to expose a variety of electronic consoles and equipment that would have made the most knowledgeable computer expert stand before them in awe.
“Sara Jones and Eve Smith,” Janai responded as he entered the names into the computer.
“And what names do you wish to assume?”
Janai thought for a moment and decided that their benefactors were possibly well known given their occupations and if they took false names it may cause them problems. “Deanna Peterson and Katherine O’Malley,” she instructed and he entered the information on the touch pads.
“Please step in front of the scanner,” he said indicating an optic eye on one piece of equipment. They complied and within a minute they had new driver’s licenses, Passports, and American Express cards. He handed the items over to them and smiled. “Is there anything else Princess?”
“Yes. We need some cash…for our trip.”
He nodded and went to a safe in the corner. Turning the tumblers with practiced skill, he opened the heavy door and extracted a stack of fifties. Returning to Janai, he handed her the stack. “Will this do?”
Janai looked at the bills in her hand and decided it was probably more than they needed, but returning any of it may alert him of their shortened plans.
Alana stepped up behind Janai and looked at the stack and began to say, “That’s…”
“Yes, Janai. It’s not much, but we have our new credit cards as well. Here,” Janai offered the bills to Alana, “please hold these Janai.”
Alana looked up at Janai and for a brief moment tried to consider what might be going through her protector’s mind. She touched the hand holding the stack of bills and called on her powers, ah, so that’s what you’re thinking…so be it. She released Janai’s hand taking the bills into hers. “Yes, my princess,” she added with a slight upward twitch of her left eyebrow.
“How has your visit been progressing?” Serus added, eager to gather what information he could, hoping he could parlay the information into a more comfortable assignment.
“Well, Serus. Except for the loss of our identification, everything is going smoothly. We look forward to our trip west.”
Alana turned her attention to the shopkeeper and assumed a ‘protector’ mode. “What can you tell me about the people west of here? Are there any cautions we need to be aware of?”
“As the protector, you should not have much to fear from these people,” he replied as he turned toward Alana. “Your powers are much superior.”
“Can you recommend a route of travel?” she asked. She was hoping to set a trap if, as Janai suspected, he should truly not be trusted.
“This time of year, I would suggest a southern route across the country.” He pulled out an Eastern United States map from a desk drawer and took a highlighter from the jumble of pens in a coffee cup. Opening the map, he marked a route that would take them from the Washington D. C. area to Jacksonville, Florida. “From there, you can go across toward Houston, Texas before heading back northwest,” and across a lot of open deserted country, he thought as he finished marking the map. He handed the marked map to Alana, who studied it carefully and noted that he had marked routes that were not highly traveled.
“Your routes take us through sparsely populated lands. Is there a reason for this?” Alana inquired as innocently as possible.
“Yes. It’s just that I think you will find the countryside much more appealing than the large cities…and it’s a much safer route,” he lied expertly.
“I see,” Alana commented as she folded the map and looked up to see an appreciative smile coming from Janai. “Well, my Princess,” she said speaking to Janai, “we should be on our way. We have a long way to travel before we sleep tonight.”
Janai nodded in agreement. They reentered the main room of the pawnshop, thanked Serus, and left on foot taking a circuitous route back to the Metro stop as an added precaution.
* * * * *
The FBI double arrived at the pawnshop at 1630 just ten minutes after Alana and Janai left. He double parked the vehicle outside the shop and hurried in. The shopkeeper greeted him as he entered much the same way as he greeted the two females. Quickly going through the scripted conversation, the shopkeeper once again flipped the sign and locked the front door before leading the way to the secure back room.
“My name is Serus…” the shopkeeper began hardly able to hide his excitement of the recent contacts with his people after all these years.
“I know who you are!” the man began almost angrily, “I am Kerris, Personal Enforcer for Varian. We spoke minutes ago. I want to remain here for a while to wait for the Princess.”
“Honorable Kerris,” Serus began, “you just missed her. She came in moments after I received your call.” He cowered as Kerris smashed his fist onto the desk he was standing by. “You…you didn’t say to detain her until you arrived.” He looked at the smashed desktop and decided not to try to bargain for a homeward assignment…at least, not right now.
“Did you do what I commanded?” Kerris turned on Serus, anger emanating from him like water pouring over a waterfall.
“I provided them with the new identifications they requested and a map and with the route you instructed me to give them.” Serus backed away from the angry personage, realizing that this powerful force standing before him could very easily terminate him. He had heard rumors of how volatile the Enforcer was. Now he was witnessing this explosive nature first hand and was very glad that he had carried out his instructions.
Kerris regained his control knowing that he had been one step ahead of his sister after all. He tilted his head back and laughed hard and loud. “Good!” he said between laughs, “Did you encode the credit card as I instructed too?” Serus nodded vigorously. “Very good!” Kerris reached out and grabbed the shopkeepers shoulder. “So…they intend to continue on their trip to the west. Tell me…did they say anything else?”