“The red lady did this. She caught and tortured me. The SF dudes found me looking for their Lieutenant Secrest. He was killed by unfriendlies. When I said I knew the way home, they rescued me and brought me out of a cave. Came out in Afghanistan. I was really sick, I saw unicorns and dragons at war with red soldiers.”
“You were pretty out of it, huh?”
“He still is, Mr. Taylor,” Lieutenant Ferrete said coming in my room without knocking.
“This is a private conversation,” Bill shot back and Lieutenant laughed dryly.
“If you really think that, you’re naïve, Mr. Taylor. Raven has been declared a person of interest to Homeland Security and the CIA.”
“How long are you planning to keep him in custody?” Bill demanded.
“That depends on what he tells us about Lieutenant Secrest and the Recon team,” Ferrete returned. “We have a few questions about the technology of his eye.”
Bill noticed for the first time the gemstone implanted in my eye socket. “Holy shit!”
“Indeed,” Ferrete said flatly. Major Garrett came in and chased both of them out of my room as he examined me. My temp was still up there, my belly tender were Jasra had knifed me and my lungs still felt like ground-up glass was inside them. It didn’t stop me from asking when I could go home.
“Oh, not for a while, Raven. Your bowel injury is very serious. In fact, given your injuries and the length of time you went before treatment, it should have been fatal. But, you’re in the lucky 5% that made it. Surprising too, considering your malnourished and abused state. What happened to you? How did you wind up in Afghanistan? Are you the child of some Blackwater operative? Is your mom Iranian or something?”
“My mum’s dead,” I said flatly and my expression grew sober. I was finally able to move my hands, the IVs had been downgraded to fluids and antibiotics only; and just one hand. I had a soft cast on my previously broken right arm and a brace on my left leg. For the broken ribs they did nothing but tell me to cradle a pillow when I needed to cough. Which, having pneumonia I did often.
They still had me wearing a catheter and I still had a drain coming out of my side where the wound had been. “I want to go home,” I whined and opened the deck of cards that Bill had slipped me. I shuffled through them and the major smiled.
“You like to play cards? I might arrange a game with you.”
“No, I don’t gamble,” I said and in the middle of the deck, I found both Dad’s and Grandpop’s Trumps. I knew that I could leave immediately if I wanted to and suddenly the burden of staying was lifted. “Doc, what would happen if I went home right now?”
“Without intensive medical treatment? You’d die. Of peritonitis, a long, lingering and painful death, Raven. It’s not a pleasant way to go. I know you want to go home but give it a few more weeks and we’ll see how you do. You’re still running a fever and frankly, I doubt you could stand up for more than five minutes. You’re weak and still very sick. You know that you’ve been sleeping nearly 20 hours a day? Even when you’re not on pain meds. Not eating any significant amounts either. When you can walk across this room, eat three meals a day, gain 10 pounds and your temp drops to 98.6° for three days in a row, maybe then you can go home.”
“Why not ask for pigs to fly, too?” I returned sourly.
“Ha. I’ve seen pigs fly. Lay back down and get some rest. No more visitors today.”
“Will you ask Bill to come see me tomorrow?” I begged. “And can I see the dudes that saved me? I want to tell them thanks.”
“We’ll see. Depends on whether Lieutenant Ferrete lets them out of the Brig.”
“Brig! What are they doing in jail? They’re heroes, not criminals!” I protested and sank back down against the pillows as a wave of malaise hit my gut. My face whitened and he checked me out, calling for the nurses.
“Heart rate just tripled, and his BP is dropping,” he said. “Raven?” He flicked his light in my eyes. “He’s still with us; get some Fentanyl and Reglan for his stomach.” I tried to retch but it hurt too much in my ribs and he rubbed my belly. “Tell me what hurts, Raven.”
“Belly,” I managed. “Ribs and belly. Nauseous.”
“The nurse will give you something for that.” She came back and popped the needle into my hand. In seconds, I was floating and the pain went away. I could feel the cards falling from my hand and made a conscious effort to hold them. Slid them under my pillow but kept my hand on them. Fell into a troubled sleep where I dreamed thieves wanted to steal my grandfather.
Chapter 48
My father, grandfather, Bill, and even Rinlon, Tegan and Pire all crowded the conference room along with a strange man I didn’t know but had heard his name. J. Emerson Sergeant. He was the top litigation lawyer in the world, wasn’t afraid to take on the US government or any other government. He had scads of politicians in his pocket and dark shit on everyone. Plus, he was a personal friend of the President. No one pissed him off and lived to regret it.
Right then, he was securing my release from US military and HS custody. I wasn’t present, I was still in my bed dreaming but Dad told me about it. Even then, Major Garrett only let my family in one at a time.
So, the second person I saw from home was my Dad – the King of the Courts of Chaos although rightly his title was Lord. He looked every inch a successful IT guru in his fancy three piece designer suit of thin blue pinstripe, starched lavender dress shirt with French cuffs. He looked pissed and I thought if I hadn’t been full of tubes, lines and in shades of white, yellow and green, he might’ve punched me. Instead, he hugged me gingerly and said, “Cool eyeball but it’s kind of throwing a wrench in things.” I knew Trumping out of here wasn’t the easy answer, it would leave too many questions. Both Dad and Grandpop liked to visit this Shadow and being on the Watch List would definitely cramp their style.
“Fine. I can fix that,” I shrugged and popped the stone out. I would’ve swallowed it but my throat was still sore from the trach tube. I handed it over to Dad. He stared at what looked like a giant star sapphire and nothing more exotic than that. My eye socket was empty and the world looked weird through only one eye. Flat, wavering as if it wasn’t quite real.
“They’ll want to study it,” he said. He reached into shadow and handed me an eye patch. Great, now I’d look like a pirate.
“That’s okay, too.” I spoke the word in Draconic, the oldest known magic language and an exact copy appeared in my hand. Without its magical properties, of course except for the action of the star widening and narrowing. When their scientists took it apart, (as I knew they would) they would find it was merely a miniaturized camera lens with a sensor embedded inside a man-made gemstone.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” he cautioned. “Rest and let Emmy get you out.”
“Okay, Dad,” I agreed and he paused. His eyebrows, dark and winged flattened over his eyes. “I like the sound of that, Raven. Never thought I’d say that. Son.”
“Love you, Dad,” I mumbled going back to sleep.
Grandpop came in next and lightly kissed my brow. I opened startled eyes and he stared at my eyepatch. “How are you feeling, Corby?” He teased, his warm hand on mine.
“Okay. Tired.” My eyes welled with tears. In halting words, I told the Prince what had happened to Murphy and he gripped my hand hard.
“He loved you, Raven. As much as any mother or father,” he said and I nodded.
“I know. I just never got to tell him how much he meant to me. I wish I had died in his place.”
“He wouldn’t want you to feel that way. I love you, too. You up for the rest of the gang? If not, they’ll understand.”
“Roelle, Marcus? Linz?” I asked carefully.
“Roelle and Marcus stayed home. Blissfully happy with each other but woefully worried about you. The Princess is with Vialle and she’s waiting for you.”
“Tegan left her?” My eyebrows raised.
“She’s in the castle surrounded by the – Palace Guards,
” he smiled. “What could happen?” I knew he’d been going to say the Black Dragons but stopped before it could trigger any interest. I knew they were both recording and videotaping us.
“Luke?”
“Signed an alliance with Random and the Golden Circle. After all, his place is within its borders. And it provides them access to Blackbird.” He paused. “There’s a little problem with a…covey of lizards in Khafra?”
“I suspected as much. They’ll behave until I get back.” I hope, I said under my breath. I closed my eye and he kissed me again. Ugh, too many lips on me today.
“I’ll let you rest.” He softly closed the door and I drifted away peacefully. I sort of suspicioned that other people came in to see me. In a half world between sleep and dreaming, I was aware that the nurses came in, treated, fed and hydrated me, and even rolled me. Other people came in and with cold hands explored my belly and ribs. Some dude in scrubs entered next and tried to get me to breathe into this tube and float a plastic ball but I couldn’t stay awake long enough.
That afternoon, I had visitors. Two at a time. Most of them hung out and whispered quietly among themselves. It was comforting to know that that they were there, even if they didn’t say anything to me. I could smell them, especially the sharp, spicy scent of Dad and Gramps. I could feel it when they stood over me.
“Merlin, are you going to take him to the Courts?”
“Hell no,” my Dad shuddered. “They’d make mincemeat out of him. Why don’t you bring him to the Palace or San Francisco? I could stay there, I haven’t had a vacation in a while and Ghost has things well in hand at Court.”
“If Emerson can get the US government moving,” Corwin said. “They dug in their heels until I told him I could give them the eye.”
“What exactly is that thing?”
“Can I talk?” I asked cautiously.
“Yes. Merlin put a ward around the room when we’re in it so they only hear us discussing Great Aunt Dottie,” he grinned. “And her pet bats.”
“Do I have a Great Aunt Dottie?”
“Oh yes,” he nodded. “On your great-great-grandfather’s side, Dworkin. She was and is probably still alive and batty.”
“So, what is that gemstone/eyeball?” my Dad asked.
“It’s magic, part of a comet that fell in Minsk, part of a spell of the Seven Stars. I think it’s part of Amber’s beginnings. Sort of like the seed of the Primal Star.”
“Like the Jewel of Judgement?”
“Even more powerful than that. I think it could destroy the Jewel.” I paused and continued. “What was your dad like, Grandpop?”
“Oberon was a lot like Random. And like Eric without Eric’s mean streak. He was fun but a rascal around the ladies. No one really knows how many wives he had. After all, there are over nine of us that we know of and that’s not counting Dworkin’s get. You have cousins, aunts and uncles on all the Shadows. So, what you do want to do? Come home to Amber, Khafra, or San Francisco?”
“The doc said I’ll die if I don’t stay here until the infection clears up. I don’t mind staying as long as I know I can leave. Besides, if I just disappear, won’t that make it really hard for you to visit?”
“No. I can kick around in Amber and other places until years have passed here so that they won’t be looking for us. It depends on what you want.” He looked at me inquiringly.
“Like what? Go to high school? Graduate and go to college? I’m a little beyond that now, don’t you think?”
“Well, what you want to do with your life? You needs some kind of occupation. A Prince of Nothing and the Black Dragon is a unique skill set but it doesn’t exactly look good on a resume.”
“I’d like to study architecture,” I said out of the blue surprising myself. “To learn how to repair the Gothic cathedrals, the gargoyles and stonework.”
“Oh, I see. For Murphy?” He smiled. “Hoping you may one day find another?”
“There’ll never be another one like Murphy,” I said sadly. “Grandpop, can you do something about the men that saved me?”
“Saved you?” It was his turn to look surprised. “I thought they were Jasra’s men?”
“They were in it only because she promised them a way home. She didn’t deliver.”
“Secrest?”
“He…loved her. He wanted her to quit. She said I killed him but I never saw him. I think she did it and blamed it on me; she was trying to get him to show her where the wormhole was that brought him here. I suspect he didn’t because he realized she was only using him.”
“How do you know that?” He asked curiously.
“He told me. He called her a quisling once.”
“You’re a smart kid, Raven. Are you eating yet?” I looked down at my blanket-covered knees. I was still in bed, they only allowed me up twice a day and that was for a short walk to my door and back.
“Stomach and guts are still sensitive. They have me on a tube thing and put this nasty stuff in it.” I lifted the blankets, my gown and showed him the duodenal port sewn into my belly. Even after two weeks, I was still horrible shades of lime green and yellow. His eyes darkened in rage and his teeth clenched. He looked every inch an avenging Prince.
“Remind me never to piss you off,” I said shakily.
“All I can say she’s lucky she’s dead. I would have done worse to her than she could ever have imagined,” he snarled.
“Hey, Gramps, don’t raise your blood pressure.” I felt the room shimmer and looked at him inquiringly.
“That’s the wards warning us of non-Amberites. Watch what you say.” I nodded and the door opened to let in Martinez and Suarez. They were in dress uniforms and spit-polished, along with Lieutenant Ferrete and the CIA man whose name I forgot. The SF dudes eyes’ widened at my grandfather and the close resemblance between us.
“Hey, little Dragon,” they gave me a careful fist bump. “How you doing?”
“I’m alive, thanks to you. What do you want for a reward?”
“Depends,” he returned.
“On what?” Gramps asked and Martinez jerked his thumb towards the US government agents.
“On them. If they believe our story. We told them what happened. You told them the same thing. We’re waiting to see what the bigwigs decide.”
“Will this end your military career?” Grandpa asked.
“It could,” he said.
“Did you like saving my grandson?”
“Yeah. It was…intense,” both admitted.
“The pay is double what you make here and you get to live in the Palace. Want to come back and join us?”
Their eyes lit up. “I’m in. We get to go back and forth?”
“That can be arranged or you could bring your families too,” Grandpop said.
“Wait a minute –,” Ferrete said. “Palace?”
“Why yes,” Prince Corwin of Amber said. “I’m the brother of the King of Amber. Prince, if you will and Raven here, why he is the son of King Merlin of Chaos.” Their mouths dropped open at the outrageous although true claim. I snickered at the expressions on their faces. “Shall I call President Obama and ask him?”
“Wow, Gramps. You know Barack Obama?” I said admiringly.
“Quite well. All I have to do is ask him to release these men and my grandson and that will happen. You have the device and your facts; it’s time to release everyone.”
“Call him,” Ferrete said calling Gramps bluff so he did. The upshot was that we were all invited to be flown to Washington as guests of the President and I was going into a very exclusive rehab place out on the Beltway where, surprise, Grandpop had a residence. We would leave on Friday, which gave me another two days at the AFB. Everyone else flew over first, leaving Grandpop with me to ensure I didn’t disappear into CIA or HS limbo. Truth was, I was scared that it would happen, too so I was glad to see him stay. I fell asleep knowing I was guarded.
Chapter 49
Murphy took me to see the Lincoln Memorial when I was 1
2. I remember staring up at the giant noble and sad face of the President and being awed by it more than anything I’d ever seen. Naively, I asked if he was a gargoyle like Murph and if he would rise and fly off. Was sort of scared that he was so huge. Murphy didn’t laugh at my question but several other people standing nearby did.
After that, we explored the Smithsonian, the Reflecting Pool, White House, Capital building and even the Library of Congress. Last, when night fell, traffic dimmed, and you could smell the cherry blossoms along the Potomac even over the smell of diesel and car exhaust, Murphy flew me to the top of the Washington Monument where we perched atop the needle. The view was magnificent (between the bursts of the strobe lights warning airplanes). I could see the Pentagon, J. Edgar Hoover building and the pentagon shape of the entire city. It was even grander than the view from the Statue of Liberty.
In the fancy ambulance guarded by Secret Service agents, I saw all these things again as we drove past them. The ride from the airport was long and traffic had been murder. Lots of stop and go, even in the fast lanes. We’d attracted attention from the Press because of the military jet landing at a restricted area at Dulles and being met by a waiting ambulance and black Escalades. The Press knew some VIP was coming in but not who or what so they were curious. My transfer from plane to ambulance occurred as I was sleeping and I didn’t wake up until we were passing the loops of the Beltway. I couldn’t see much, flat on my back on the hospital cot and the flight had left me exhausted. Grandpop was still with me along with a nurse.
The driveway I could see partially as we motored up its crepe myrtle lined paved cobblestones. The suspension in the diesel ambulance was so good that I didn’t feel any bumps. I did see a high fence of steel made to look like wrought iron with fancy gates but couldn’t see anything of the hospital itself. From the whistles of the drivers, it must have been something. I really didn’t pay much attention until I was actually transferred into a hospital bed and on an air mattress.
My room was private, more like a fancy suite. My bed, a pretty Cherrywood dresser and bookshelf with a computer desk and chair. Papered with genteel hunting scenes of elegant TBs going over brush fences and pale pecan bead board below. Brass sconces on the wall, hand knit throw rugs on lovingly maintained wide plank floors. Four big windows that opened to a small balcony. A sitting room done in yellow and pale wicker and a small kitchenette complete with a bar table where a wheelchair could comfortably park beneath.
Black Dragon of Amber Book Two: The Road to Amber Page 29
