by R E Swirsky
CHAPTER 48
Wednesday 07:45 Paris, France
Nathaniel did his best to appear cheery and alert for the benefit of Diane and the girls, but four hours of restless sleep just wasn’t enough. Diane knew why he was tired and offered no sympathy.
Dishes clanked in the background of the hotel restaurant. Each clink and bang sent bolts of annoyance rattling through his head. He motioned to the hostess for a refill on his coffee after chugging back the first as fast as he could.
The crepes came with fresh strawberries and a tower of freshly whipped cream, which both girls attacked eagerly while he settled on coffee and toast. After last night, he had little appetite.
“Guess who I saw last night?” Ellen asked.
Diane stirred her tea. “Who did you see?”
“Taka.” She was clearly excited. “He goes by Johnny now.”
Nathaniel nearly choked on his toast and covered his mouth. The damn kid couldn’t even stay in the room.
“Oh, really?” her mother responded.
“Where?” Meagan asked. She frowned, and her bottom lip curled out in a pout. She always liked Taka. Diane thought she had a crush on him.
“At the end of the hall. I was getting a snack from the machine.”
“In our hotel?”
“Yeah. He had a bucket and was getting ice.”
“I want to go see him when we’re done. Where is he?” Meagan asked.
“Just three rooms down. I can show you later.”
“Can we, Mom? I haven’t seen him in over a year.” Her fork shook in her hand and she burst a grin. She was clearly excited.
“Just finish your breakfast.”
Meagan turned to Ellen. “What else did he say? What’s he doing here?”
“He didn’t say much, but he really looked different.”
At least the boy kept his lips zipped about how he got here, Nathaniel thought.
“Looked different?” Diane asked. “How did he look different?”
“Dunno, really. He was always dressed nice before. You know what I mean—nicest clothes, smelling nice, and his hair…” she laughed. “His jeans were dirty and his shirt was all rumpled.”
“What was wrong with his hair?” Diane laughed along.
“His hair was like all over the place.” She put one hand in the air and made a swirling motion above her head. “He needed a comb.”
Diane looked at Nathaniel, who only shrugged.
Ellen chewed another forkful of her crepe and then gave a disparaging smile. “He really looked like he’d been sleeping in his clothes.”
Michelle frowned. “Don’t you think that’s odd, Nate?”
He didn’t answer.
“At least he smelled nice—like soap. I think he had just had a shower,” Ellen said.
“What else did he say? Like how long is he here for?” Meagan asked.
“Dunno.” She shrugged. “He didn’t seem surprised to see me. Just said hi and kept walking to the ice machine. I had to follow him to get him to stop and talk to me.”
She paused.
“He’s weird. I don’t think I like him anymore.”
“I still like him,” Meagan said, causing Diane to give her a half smile.
“Did you know the Huis were out here?” Diane asked Nathaniel.
“I had no idea,” Nathaniel replied and looked at his watch.
Johnny was no longer in his room just down the hall. Johnny was currently somewhere high over the Atlantic, heavily sedated, on his back, stripped naked, and strapped to an ambulatory cot. An IV of sugar water with a mild sedative completed the scene. The fourteen-hour flight home on the small Enbraer Legacy 500 would make one stop in Gander, Newfoundland, to clear customs before refuelling and carrying on to Calgary. It had the appearance of a routine medical transfer, a simple forgery the Order had used numerous times before. Johnny would be back on the ground in Calgary early in the morning where he would remain sedated and secured. His final destiny remained in question.
Few things, and fewer people, caused Nathaniel to tremble these days. But there was one man who still had that effect on him: Geordie. Even the thought of him made him tremble again. Geordie would not approve of what he was doing by bringing Johnny home.
