***
The day of my departure soon arrived. I would be leaving tomorrow. I had spent the entire summer living with my mother, life-guarding at a local pool, and with only the occasional visit from Scott. He had kept his word. He had given me my space. As I thought of leaving, my mind was suddenly inundated by memories of all the good times we had together through the years. My mother was right. This man had been as close to me as any real father. Now we would be away from each other for the longest period of time ever. I drove to his country house in North Bay feeling remorseful that I was only coming up just to say goodbye. As I neared the property, I sensed that something was wrong. There were vehicles everywhere. I parked my car some distance away and hurried up to the house. There were RCMP, military, and National Security Agency agents swarming over his property like ants on candy. As I tried to approach the house, I was confronted by a local constable.
"I'm sorry, but you're not allowed here,” he sternly warned. “This is private property."
"What's going on?" I asked apprehensively.
"This entire area is now under the jurisdiction of the RCMP. That's all I can say."
"But I need to go up there. I need to talk to the owner of the house."
"There's an investigation in progress. I'm going to ask you to leave."
"But, he's… a close friend. I was hoping to see him. I need to talk to him"
"I'm sorry. This is now a restricted area. Again, I'm going to have to ask you to turn around and leave. If you don't, I will arrest you for trespassing."
I walked back to my car while calling Scott’s smartphone number but it immediately went to voice mail. His city house in Willowdale, I thought. I'll try there. I drove back to Toronto but there was a growing apprehension in my mind that he would not be there either. This proved true when I pulled up and the house was cordoned by yellow police tape. There were government agents moving in and around it too—but no military personnel. I called his house number but no one answered. Now bewildered, I drove back to my mother's house while trying to maintain control of my emotions. I walked through the door and my mother could immediately see something was wrong.
"What's the matter, honey?"
I broke down crying. "Scott's… gone."
"What do you mean gone?" she asked while coming over and putting an arm around me in a comforting embrace.
"I… don't… know," I replied in between sobs. "He… wasn't at either of his houses and… there were… police and government officials… everywhere. They wouldn't let me through… to see him. Something… happened to him, but I don't know what. I'm… leaving tomorrow and… and I didn't even get… to say goodbye to him."
She rushed over to the telephone and started making calls.
"Please… call the Lu Tang academy."
She did, but there was no answer there either. My mother didn't know what else to say or do. She was as distraught as I was. I sat in the living room for a long time while chiding myself for the way I had treated him. At supper, I had no appetite. That night, sleep evaded me as well. The next day I made my final preparations to depart. I thought about staying home, but I had my heart set on going to Santa Barbara. It was a tough, bittersweet decision. Then my mother shocked me.
"I have something for you. I'm not even sure what brought it into my mind," she remarked while handing me a small package. "This is from Scott. He gave it to me a short while ago. He said that if anything ever happened to him, I should make sure you get it."
I took it from her and opened it. Inside there was a strange looking key and a note. The note said: If you are reading this Lance, it is because something has happened to me and I'm no longer able to be with you. I want you to know that I've thoroughly enjoyed the time that I've been able to spend with you through the years. You are a great kid—special and unique. A boy who can do anything he sets his mind to. You remind me so much of myself. I've tried my best to make up for the father you never had. I know there were times I failed; many times. Hopefully, you'll only remember the good times we had together. If I had a son of my own, everything that I could possibly leave him can be found in what this key unlocks. Use it wisely. I know you will. This is a tough world to live in. You've heard me say that to you over and over through the years. But it's true, as you'll find out soon enough. Use the training and skills I taught you to do some good with your life and make a difference in your world. I love you Lance, as much as the son I wish I could have had. He had signed it and underneath his name were longitude and latitude coordinates. I sat there staring at the note while holding the key and I wept a long time. The next day I asked my mother to leave a little earlier for the airport.
"I need to stop at a store before we go to the airport," I said. We went to the mall and I bought the best chain that I could find that would fit through the key's eye. At the airport I said goodbye to her. I asked her to call me right away if and when she found out what happened to Scott. She hugged and kissed me goodbye, told me to stay in touch, and then handed me the package containing the scrapbook. I said I would call her when I arrived at the Colson's house.
Dawn of the Knight: The Lance Rock Chronicles Volume 1. Page 10
