by Toby Neal
“May our hearts be steadfast in service, our bodies strong, our minds our greatest weapon as we serve the Yām Khûmkạn.”
Chapter Seven
Sophie: Day One, Evening
Sophie rode the elevator to her suite in the upscale Pendragon Arches building in downtown Honolulu. She checked both ways when she got off the elevator, the habit of staying alert for threats ingrained, and walked to the door of her apartment.
And then, she paused as she put her key in the lock, leaning her forehead against the door for a moment, steeling herself for the emptiness inside.
The first week is the worst. You’ll get through this!
It had only been days since her daughter Momi and nanny Armita went to Alika Wolcott’s mansion on Kaua`i for his custody month.
They’d arrived at the unique arrangement after a series of experiments. Armita was the secret to their success; Sophie’s loyal, dedicated childhood nanny was able to keep Momi on the same schedule, diet, and routine, so that their daughter’s development remained stable and her attachments undisrupted, as Momi spent time with each parent, equally.
And still it was hard. If only they lived on the same island . . .
Anubis’s toenails clattered on the square of parquet flooring just inside the door, and roused Sophie from her depressive moment. She wasn’t completely alone. She still had someone who needed her, who noticed whether or not she came home—even if that someone was a dog.
Sophie opened the door. She smiled at the dignified Doberman as he sat waiting for her in his mannerly way, a slight whine rumbling in his wide chest, his ears pricked and eyes bright with excitement to see her.
“Hey, boy. I’m in need of a run. Looks like you are too. We’ll go out, right after our call to Momi and Armita.”
Sophie had been given not only Sheldon Hamilton/Connor’s business, apartment, and estate; she had inherited his dog. Anubis was a well-trained guard dog, not at all like her boisterous yellow Lab, Ginger, who had gone to live with Jake and his rescue Pitbull, Tank, upon their breakup. Even two years later, Sophie still felt a pang, missing her silly, loving girl.
Better not to dwell. Better just to keep moving.
Sophie changed into running clothes as she contacted Armita via video chat on her tablet.
“Mama!” Sophie’s heart felt like it burst into a thousand pieces with love, as her toddler’s grinning face appeared on the screen. “Dog!” Momi held up a bright green wad of Play-Doh that could have been anything.
“Darling! That’s wonderful. Is it Anubis?” Sophie dropped to the couch, only one shoe on, to focus fully on the call. She tried to contact Armita every day at the same time, part of the stability of Momi’s daily routine, and her heart swelled with adoration as she drank in the sight of her daughter’s smiling face. Momi really was adorable with her dimpled smile, big brown eyes, and head of thick, curling black ringlets.
“Nubis,” Momi confirmed. Hearing his name, Anubis whined beside Sophie, so she held the tablet to let the child and dog see each other.
“Here, Nubis!” Momi impetuously squashed the blob of green Play-Doh against the surface of the tablet on her side, covering the video camera and blacking the screen out. Anubis gave a startled bark as Sophie laughed.
Armita appeared, laughing, her sharp features softened by her smile as she scraped the malleable clay off the video camera node. “No, my darling. You can’t give it to Anubis through the screen.”
But Momi had already run off, giggling.
Armita pushed a lock of black hair off her forehead as she addressed Sophie. “Momi is a wild girl today, Sophie, and this is after Alika took her canoe paddling! I didn’t let her nap. I’m hoping for an early bedtime tonight.”
“Great idea,” Sophie agreed. Momi was a bright, energetic child, always getting into something. The two caught up on Momi’s activities and routine so far that day, and then Armita caught Momi and made her say goodbye to Sophie.
The toddler’s attention had moved on to a set of oversized Legos, so it was a perfunctory dismissal. “Bye, Mama.” A brief wave, no eye contact.
Sophie stifled sadness as she ended the call. “She’s happy and healthy and has no time for me because she is emotionally secure,” Sophie muttered aloud. “Anubis, let’s get on the road.”
Ten minutes later, music blasting in her ears to forestall any thinking, Sophie and Anubis ran down the sidewalk of the busy Honolulu thoroughfare that would dead-end at the beach. Sophie could hardly wait to shed the tension of the day in the mellow ocean off Waikiki. Her friend Marcella liked to joke that no day in Hawaii was complete without a dose of “vitamin sea.”
Huge old monkeypod trees spread dappled shade over the still warm city street as they headed downtown, dodging a colorful, multicultural crowd, most of whom were in no hurry as they enjoyed vacation speed.
Sophie jogged in place at the street lights, keeping her heart rate up. She loved running with Momi in her jogging stroller, but during the months she didn’t have Momi, she could run hard and long, and even take Anubis on some of the rugged Oahu trails for the run-hikes that had really made her fall in love with this verdant island paradise.
When they reached the long, shallow arc of sand at Ala Moana Beach Park, Sophie tied Anubis to a nearby coconut palm and popped out his foldable water bowl from her fanny pack, filling it halfway from a water bottle. He lapped up his fill and settled in the shade to wait. She’d worn a sleek sports bikini under her running clothes, and when she reached the sand, she kicked off her shoes, peeled off her clothing, and ran down to dive into the warm, gentle ocean.
The crystalline salt water with its mellow, rolling waves seemed to rinse away her stress. Sophie swam forward underwater, releasing a stream of silvery bubbles through her nose. She opened her eyes, braced for the sting of the salt, and was rewarded by seeing a school of brightly striped manini, small black-and-green tangs, darting around a submerged coral rock.
Sophie burst up out of the water, grabbing a breath, and turned to parallel the shore, moving into a crawl stroke. She swam laps back and forth, just outside the wave line. Eventually finished, she rolled over onto her back and floated, arms spread, gazing up at the salmon and gold cumulus clouds of sunset.
There really just wasn’t anything quite like the sunset in Hawaii: the arch of clear sky, the towering and magnificent clouds floating by as gracefully as galleons, all of it framed by golden beach and graceful palms. If only she had someone to share the beautiful moment with . . .
A recent spate of weddings had exacerbated her loneliness. Marcella had celebrated her nuptials to Marcus Kamuela a year before; Alika, Momi’s father, had tied the knot with his physical therapist girlfriend Sandy on Kaua`i around the same time, and now Jake and Felicia were moving to the Mainland together . . . How had she ended up alone, when she’d had a chance at love with three wonderful men?
Sophie’s gaze feasted on the spectacle of the sunset around her. She had so much to be grateful for; she had to focus on that. Yes, sometimes she felt incomplete without a partner by her side, or sad about having to share her child with Alika on another island—but whenever she stayed in the moment, there was always something to celebrate and appreciate.
Thinking this way had helped her manage her chronic depression. That, and a little white pill each morning . . . but she wasn’t ashamed to take medication to manage her disorder, not when she was a mother whose child, however well cared for, needed her to be present, involved, and functional. Her mother, Pim Wat, had been too ill during much of Sophie’s childhood to provide the care and connection her daughter had needed—and now, Pim Wat was imprisoned in Guantánamo, supposedly lapsed into a catatonic state—and that was Sophie’s doing, too.
Not that she regretted being a part of her homicidal, narcissistic mother’s capture!
Sophie rolled over, completing a final lap before she exited the water. She took a quick shower, patted herself dry, and pulled on her running clothes again. She untied An
ubis’s leash, and headed for home.
The Doberman’s sharply pointed ears swiveled even more than usual as they approached Sophie’s building, and Sophie heard a familiar, excited bark. As they came around a corner, she spotted her Labrador Ginger immediately. The yellow Lab’s whole body wriggled with excitement, and the dog barked loudly, straining toward them on a leash held by Jake Dunn.
Sophie had not seen Jake since their breakup two years before, and he radiated energy and charisma as he strode toward her, laughing at Ginger’s antics. His short dark hair, big square shoulders and striking gray eyes still made her knees a little weak.
“Jake! What a surprise!” Sophie kept her voice bright and breezy.
“Hey, Sophie.” Jake’s voice was also carefully casual. “Ginger’s been to obedience school since I saw you last—not that you’d know it by her behavior.”
Ginger had reached Anubis. The two dogs greeted each other ecstatically with much whining, jumping, and nuzzling, in marked contrast to Sophie and Jake’s stiffness.
“I have some important news,” Jake said.
“Let me guess. You and Felicia are getting married.” Sophie was surprised that her voice was strong and calm. She noted tiny changes: his waist looked softer, his cheeks fuller, his laugh lines deeper. This man was contented. Jake had not been contented the entire time she had known him.
“Ha. No.” He cleared his throat. “That’s not it.” He held out Ginger’s leash. “It’s sad news, actually. Tank passed away last month, and . . . Felicia and I are taking this opportunity to open a branch of our company in California. We can’t take care of a dog right now, and Ginger is a dog who likes company. As you know.”
Sophie took Ginger’s leash automatically. “Of course, I’ll take her. That was always our agreement.”
Jake looked down at Ginger with genuine regret in the downward curve of his mouth. “I hope you don’t mind how sudden this is. It just didn’t seem like something I could call you to talk about on the phone. I knew you still had Anubis, so I was hoping it wouldn’t be too much of an imposition for her to come back to you.”
“It could never be an imposition to have Ginger in my life,” Sophie said with dignity. “Thank you for bringing her to me—and caring for her the last two years.”
Their eyes met for the first time. Jake’s mouth turned up in the smile she remembered. “You’re looking good, Sophie.”
“And you as well. It really is good to see you again.” She’d never expected that to be so true. Sophie tugged Ginger back; the Lab was excitedly licking Anubis, and the dogs’ leashes had become tangled. “I see my girl’s still a brat. It turned out to be such a good thing that you had her for those first couple of years; I could never have managed a dog with her behaviors when Momi was an infant.”
“Is Little Bean with Alika?” he asked. Sophie felt a pang at his use of the pet name they’d called her baby during her pregnancy. Jake had hardly seen her child before Momi’s kidnapping; had never had a chance to get to know her. Perhaps that was for the best . . .
“Yes. Momi’s with her father this month. We have a unique custody arrangement that seems to work. She spends a month at her father’s, and then a month with me. I miss her, but it’s only fair.” Sophie shrugged, trying to make light of it.
“Yeah, I keep in touch with Alika. He seems to feel the same way,” Jake said. A zing of surprise zipped up Sophie’s spine—they were in contact with each other?
“I’m surprised to hear you and Alika keep in touch.”
“Guy’s a good friend. We’d been through a lot together. I’ve actually seen Momi a few times when I was on Kaua`i.” Jake held her gaze. “You’ve done a great job with her, Sophie. Both of you. She’s an incredible kid.”
This shouldn’t feel like some kind of betrayal, but it did. She’d have wanted to know Jake was visiting her child and Alika. Though, on second thought, it would have tortured her to know it. . . “Thank you for bringing Ginger back. And I’m sorry about Tank.”
Jake shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. That old reprobate had a great life after you and I rescued him. Felicia and I miss him, but we’ll get another dog when the time is right.”
“Speaking of work, I heard from Bix that you’re doing some contract work for Security Solutions.”
“Yeah. Mostly training for your operatives. Our company specializes in kidnap rescue.”
“I heard that. Smart to keep a tight focus,” Sophie said. She couldn’t think of what else to talk about, any way to delay his departure.
Jake, apparently, couldn’t either. He lifted a hand as he turned away. “Take care of our girl, Sophie. I’m sure our paths will cross again someday.”
“Be well, Jake. Say hello to Felicia.” She held both dogs close and watched as he walked away, taking long slow breaths and willing herself not to cry.
She was over him. Yes, she was, she really was. Or at least, she needed to be, and she wanted to be . . . which was almost the same thing.
Sophie headed into the building, checking Ginger’s leash as the Lab galloped forward. “Oh, naughty daughter of a two-headed yak, heel!” Ginger finally fell in line, grinning up at Sophie, her warm brown eyes alight. Anubis pranced happily on her other side.
She took both dogs over to the security desk in the lobby and introduced Ginger to the guard. She had him put the dog on her registered address. The man, a portly gnome with tufts of white hair above his ears, came out from behind his desk and gave each animal a biscuit.
Sophie rode up in the elevator with the dogs a few minutes later, and let herself into the quiet apartment. The animals took care of that silence the moment she took off the leashes, leaping and playing in the living room and making her smile, as she stripped off her clothes and went to the shower.
By the time she’d donned her sleepwear, the dogs had both crowded into Anubis’s roomy bed, twined around each other like long-lost lovers. Anubis was clearly delighted to have the company, and Ginger was never a dog who liked to be alone. This was a good thing. Her heart swelled with gratitude that Jake had brought Ginger home to her.
Sophie heated a microwaveable glass casserole that Armita had prepared and left for her in the freezer. She carried it next door to her computer lab. She and Raveaux had divided up the Finewell’s video footage for review and now, seated in Connor’s former secret office, she could begin studying her half of it. She also wanted to dig deeper into the history of theft and fraud that Finewell’s might be hiding. For that, she needed to fire up her DAVID software.
Sophie cracked her knuckles and leaned in toward her bank of monitors, eyes intent on the screen and fingers flying.
She might be alone, but she was seldom lonely.
Chapter Eight
Connor: Day One, Evening
Connor submitted to Healer’s hands digging deep into his flesh as he got a massage. The man’s weight pressed his body into the rough cotton toweling covering the table. He shut his eyes and let go, allowing his muscles to relax to the point that they felt like they’d drip off his bones. As he imagined them softening like candlewax under the heat of the Healer’s hands, he felt the knots and bruises give way even more.
Considering the rigors of what he’d been through that day, he had gotten off lightly as far as injuries go—his mental transcendence had protected him as he’d known it would.
Healer had put several stitches in the slash Pi had landed to the back of Connor’s leg and daubed his various cuts and abrasions with salve—but Connor’s tissues were already knitting together far more rapidly than he would have believed before he had come to study with the Master.
He could direct his body, at the cell level, to accelerate healing, and he would be back to normal by tomorrow.
The air in the room seem to shift. Connor sensed the Master nearby. “Come see me when you’re done,” that hypnotic voice said, and Connor nodded.
Clean, fed, and rested, Connor dressed carefully in a new snow-white gi. His rank was that
signaled by the color of the robe and the black belt he tied around his waist, embellished with a carved jade ornament. He took the stairs to the Master’s apartments and knocked lightly on the familiar wooden door.
“Come in.”
As he had done hundreds of times before, Connor entered the luxuriously appointed apartment. A fire crackled in the wide hearth, and a table in front of the flames was set up for their usual game of chess.
The Master stood by the cabinet in the corner. He raised a flask of his favorite drink, a liqueur made from dragon fruit juice that was definitely an acquired taste. “I believe a celebratory toast is in order.”
“Thank you.” Connor took the crystal tumbler of ruby liquid the Master handed him. “And thank you for allowing Pi to live.”
The Master laughed, the harsh sound a contrast to his silken voice. “Too soon for you to thank me. Pi is many things, but not forgiving. Pride is his weakness. You handled the situation well. He will look small if he goes against you.”
They seated themselves at the chess table. Connor sipped the drink cautiously—it heated his throat going down. “What I can’t understand is how you chose me, so long ago, and had my scalp tattooed with that number. How did you know? How do you know with any of the recruits?” That question that had been burning in his mind ever since he’d begun witnessing graduation ceremonies at the compound.
“I don’t know what will happen. I only know what I feel led to have marked on a man’s skin.” The Master smacked his lips in appreciation, and refilled his tumbler. “A gift of discernment. I can see what is in men’s and women’s hearts, and many times I can influence them. However, I am not omniscient. Many fail. Many fall short of the number they have been given, a number that represents their potential. You did not.” The Master lifted his glass. “You have done the work you came to do. I hope you have no regrets.”
