CHAPTER 99
Joseph made it to his destination. He looked around. He said to Nxy, “You wait here.”
He walked over to an Asian man with striking white hair. He was standing outside on the walkway.
Nxy tried to get a better look at him. From where she was standing, she saw that he had on a long sleeved light grey shirt and dark grey pants. The men had a brief conversation.
Joseph then handed him something small, and the old man put it in his shirt pocket. The man snapped his fingers. A young boy ran out from a side door between the two buildings. He opened the wrought iron gate that connected the buildings and handed Joseph a package.
The boy then ran back inside as Joseph turned and jogged back to Nxy. “This is where we split up. You have to go your own way now. It’s too dangerous to travel with me from this point on.” She started to protest. He stared at her then said, “I warned you not to do something crazy, and that is exactly what you are doing. Have you lost your mind? I have to make it to the border without being seen by the pawns. If I have you with me they will see me. Get lost.” She stared at him because she sensed he didn’t mean the last part.
He started to walk away, then came back to her and kissed her on the lips. “And I mean it.” Joseph jogged away in the opposite direction. She knew she hadn’t seen the last of him.
He followed his stratagem very carefully so that he wasn’t seen by the pawns in place around the Hub. It worked. Not one of them spotted him. Joseph wasn’t concerned about Nxy. He had a feeling she would keep everything between the two of them. He’d make sure of it. He made it across the border and headed back to the building. He’d already thought of what lie he was going to tell his father. He used the rationale it was only a lie if he got caught; and he never got caught.
Joseph flung open the door and walked a couple of steps toward the stairway. A worker stopped him to ask a question. Joseph yelled at him. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him. He made a contemptuous face and yelled, “Get back to work! What are you looking at? Was I talking to you? I just left here a minute ago. The second I walk through the door everyone’s yammering wanting something. Don’t you people know what to do around here? Every day we go through this. What do you do without me, people? How do you figure things out amongst yourselves? Is this not a place everyone has something to do? If you don’t know what to do, then I will find work for you. Everyone should be working! This time of day I don’t think I should see this many people around here. I’m going to check and see who is not in place.”
He looked around the room as if memorizing where everyone was at that very moment. “I know where every single person should be right now. I know there are people in this room who aren’t where they were stationed. You’re costing me money! Get back to work immediately.” He could tell by the look on each face, those who were glad he wasn’t talking to them. The worker profusely apologized and ran.
Donovan came out of his office and looked over the railing. “What are you doing down there making all that racket? Where have you been? Get yourself together and get up here, right now!”
He pointed to the workers. “Get yourselves back to work people. You don’t want me to come down there do you?” Everyone scattered. Donovan turned and walked away.
Joseph wanted to laugh out loud but he fought to hold it in. He’d just gotten away with something huge and no one was the wiser. He went to his office and put the package in his safe, along with his paperwork. It was worth it. He had made a deal for another game piece… This would give him a secret advantage and an inside track on the game that no one would ever suspect. He turned and went into his father’s office.
Donovan looked up from his paperwork. “I’ve been waiting all day for you. Where have you been?”
Joseph scowled. “I wasn’t gone all that long, Father.”
Donovan gave him a look as if to say, you really think I am an idiot? There was silence. “You know I’m not going to give you permission to leave Dolores. That’s final.”
Joseph was laughing inside. This was too good to be true. He didn’t have to lie now. His father blamed Dolores on his tirade. Good he’d save the lie for another time.
He played along, all the while thinking: Good old Dolores, she came through again.
Donovan sat back in his chair. “What’d she do now? Your mother’s going to love this…”
He knew his father must have done something wrong at home. That’s why he was late and didn’t know for sure how long Joseph had been away. He’d use this for all it was worth. Joseph was happy to do him this favor.
CHAPTER 100
Steele made his way to Wayland’s bedside. Wayland started to wake up. He was groggy from all of the pain medicine. Steele stood quietly until Wayland could focus.
He barely made out the words. “How is she?”
Steele answered him, “Not good, but she is holding her own.”
Wayland groaned and turned his head away. “I’ve got to go see her.”
“Not now. Maybe later.” He knew Wayland wouldn’t accept that. He figured the wheels were turning in his head scheming how to get out of there. He made a mental note to put another guard at the door.
He waited, and then said, “I’m sorry you are in so much pain my friend. I assure you the other guy looks much worse. You made quite a mess of the Hub. Anjoleah and I have been talking. She is not happy and is asserting our Charter may be in jeopardy. Max is claiming his innocence.” Wayland turned to look at him. Steele continued to look at his swollen face.
Then he asked, “Do you have evidence against Max. You made some accusations to your brothers. Can we back them up with proof?”
Wayland tried to sit up. His first attempt was unsuccessful. The second attempt he made it. Steele let him, although it hurt him to watch his nephew in so much pain. Wayland remembered falling on Reiko at the scene just before he passed out. He reached for his pocket and then realized that they had changed him into hospital garb. He looked at Steele. Then asked for his clothes. He reached into his pant pocket and took out Reiko.
Steele held his hand out and took it. He held it up. Steele looked at the images and listened to the audio. “This should put him away for some time. Good work, son. Your dad would be proud.”
Wayland asked, “Take me to her?”
Steele looked at him. “To do what? They may not even let you in to see her… Just rest and get well.”
“Take me, please.”
Steele closed his eyes. Wayland was his only “son”. He had taken over for his parents after they both died. Steele couldn’t bring himself to say no. He rubbed his neck considering the options. He said, “Let me find out more, and then I will come back for you.”
Wayland threw himself back against the bed exasperated. Steele could feel his heartburn coming on.
“I’ll be back.” Steele turned to leave the room. He gave orders to the Journeyman brother joining him to get another guard posted at the door.
Then he went to find Anjoleah. It wasn’t too difficult to find her. She stood close by, directly outside Wayland’s room, with her arms folded. Wayland’s Journeyman brothers were also there. He walked up as she asked, “Got proof for me?”
Steele paused before he took Reiko out of his vest pocket.
She asked, “What is it?”
“It’s Reiko, his tracking device.”
She squinted. “How does it work?” He showed her. Her face lit up. She snatched it from him.
He protested, “Not so fast. Our Charter states that we remain in control of our own evidence.”
She looked at the tiny orb and closed her hand around it squeezing it. He watched her as she walked away.
Steele turned to his men and said, “Journeymen, we have proof! We had rights to fight to the death to defend Wayland!” They let out a battle cry that Anjoleah could hear as she walked away.
Steele called out to her, “I am going to ask that Max be handed over to us for justice.”<
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Anjoleah stopped and turned around. She gave him a look that said: don’t even try it. Aloud she said, “This one’s mine.” She briskly walked away from Steele and the Journeymen. As she turned the corner she examined the tiny orb in her hand. She put Reiko deep in her pocket and patted it. As she walked she was unaware of the tiny orb making its way out of her pocket and falling quietly onto the ground. She kept going as Reiko made its way back to Wayland.
Anjoleah made her way to the facility where Natalie was being helped. She went in the back way and stood over Natalie. Natalie looked at her. Anjoleah growled, “Young lady your dad is going to…”
Dimitrios heard Anjoleah from out in the hall as he neared her room. As he entered the room he spoke from behind Anjoleah, “Natalie, oh my! What is going on here? Her father will, what Anjoleah? Step away from her.” He was panicked out of his mind.
Anjoleah slowly turned and said calmly, “May I see you out in the hall?”
Dimitrios said, “After I talk to my daughter. Then I will come and meet with you out in the hall, but not until then. Wait outside.” Anjoleah left the room looking at him as she passed. She quietly let the door close behind her.
Dimitrios fell beside Natalie’s bed. In a strange jumble of different languages he cried out, “Oh my, what happened to you? My dear Princess.” Natalie smiled as tears slid down her cheek.
He kept repeating, “Who, who did this?” He looked her over. “Why would someone do this to you?”
Natalie finally put her hand up to stop him. She whispered one name, “Max.”
Dimitrios paused. “Max, did this?”
“Yes.”
He bent down close to her and asked, “Why would he do this to you?”
“Wayland said in order to kidnap me, Daddy.”
Dimitrios stood straight up. “What! Did you say to kidnap you?” She slowly nodded.
Dimitrios immediately ran from the room to find Anjoleah. He found her discussing the earlier incident with Alexander.
She said, “I have the proof that we need to put away Max right…” She reached into her pocket and was feeling around.
She growled, “How can this be?”
Alexander playfully answered, “Here, let me try.” He reached for her pocket and she smacked his hand way. Alexander cleared his throat and nodded behind her as he noticed Dimitrios standing there. She turned around and looked up at him.
Dimitrios asked, “Did I hear you say you have evidence?”
Xander started coughing and held up his pointer finger as he walked away leaving them to talk.
Anjoleah looked up and rolled her eyes. “I did have proof… It was in my pocket. I put it there as I left the facility where the Journeyman is being cared for.”
“The Journeyman? What Journeyman?”
“The one who was fighting with Natalie.”
“Natalie was fighting with a Journeyman?”
“Nooo, he was fighting for her.”
Dimitrios said, “I don’t know the whole story. Would you care to fill me in?”
Anjoleah sighed, “A couple of days ago the Journeyman Steele came to me and asked if his nephew, Wayland, could continue to work on an investigation he had started. He said they’d share information as they got it. I gave them permission to continue based on their Charter provisions that basically says they have the right to investigate anyway. The problem was, Wayland wasn’t forthcoming and it seems as if he withheld vital information. Steele seems to think he got involved with Natalie somehow, and conducted his own investigation thinking that sharing the information might put her in danger.
“The problem came when Max and his men decided to strike today and it caught Wayland off guard. A brawl ensued and now we have four men dead at the scene. Max now claims he’s innocent. Natalie and Wayland both are in critical care. I guess he’s in pretty bad shape. Well, they all are in bad shape. Max got the worst end of the deal.
“From what we can gather so far, Max had around forty of his freakish punk followers gang up on Wayland, Natalie and the few Journeymen who arrived to assist him. It wasn’t a fair fight but it seems they held their own. It doesn’t excuse them, and because of the deaths, I think I have grounds to revoke their Charter. I didn’t give…”
Dimitrios held up his hand. “Stop right there! You will do no such thing until a complete investigation takes place. This Wayland was helping Natalie?”
“Yes.”
“Let me make sure I understand this, you want to revoke their Charter because they kept Max from kidnapping Natalie?”
“No. You have that all wrong. They didn’t share information.”
Dimitrios held his hand up and walked away. “This is crazy! No, Anjoleah, no.” He turned around and came right up to her face. “You dropped the ball when it was in your court. Why did you not notify me that it was MY daughter in jeopardy?”
“I didn’t know it was Natalie.”
Dimitrios briefly squinted. “Where is the evidence? I’d like to look it over before you take it to the Passageway Base.”
Anjoleah looked down and to the side of him as she said, “I don’t have it. I put it in my pocket, and now it’s gone.”
Dimitrios growled, “What? Do you have a hole in your pocket?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“What was it?”
“A marble.”
“A marble?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve lost a marble?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve lost more than one Anjoleah. I think you had better retrace your steps to find it. Don’t you?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Did you find out how to use it, or what it does?”
“You hold it up and you can see images and incidents that took place.”
“I think you need to go look for it. Let me know when you find it. One last question.”
“Yes?”
“Which Journeyman facility is Wayland located?”
“Northside.”
As he walked back to Natalie’s room he said, “Let me know when you find your marble.” She mocked him to herself as she left the building.
When Dimitrios came back into the room he found Natalie asleep. He kissed her cheek. He decided to pay Wayland a visit. He left word with the charge nurse to tell Natalie, if she woke up, that he’d be back before long. She agreed to tell her.
Dimitrios headed for the Northside Facility. As he walked, he had time to think. Once he arrived he noticed a few somber Journeymen standing guard outside. He walked over and talked to them. They told him what they knew of the incident. Which was as much as he knew. He entered the facility and asked for directions to Wayland’s room. They didn’t hesitate because the head nurse knew Dimitrios. The guards outside the room moved aside, allowing Dimitrios to enter. When he walked into the room, Wayland was sitting, awake on the edge of the bed. (He had discovered Reiko on the floor and had just bent over to pick it up.) When Dimitrios came in he thought Wayland was trying to get out of bed and rushed over to help him.
Wayland looked at him. “Dimitrios, I’m sorry. I…”
Dimitrios helped him get back in bed and stood beside it. “Thank you Wayland, for protecting my daughter.” The two men began a lengthy conversation.
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Natalie sat up and whispered, “You can come out now, he’s gone.” Steele came out of the nook in the room that had been hidden by privacy curtains.
She said, “I’m sorry to have alarmed you and made you hide like that; but my dad is having a hard time with this. I was afraid he’d make you leave. Anjoleah already came by and he forced her to leave the room. I remember you talking to Anjoleah after the fight. Who are you? Do you know this man they called Wayland?”
He came closer, next to her bed and said, “My name is Steele. I am Wayland’s uncle. He sent me to check on you. He said to tell you he is sorry he cannot come to you right now. My guess is, Wayland will come as soon as he is able to get out of th
e facility.”
Natalie said, “I guess I’m not looking so good right now. I’m probably a mess.”
“Well if truth be told, you are two of a kind. He’s not looking all that great right now either.”
She looked away. “I’m sorry, but grateful he got involved.”
“I don’t think he would have had it any other way. He is very honorable, just like his dad.”
Natalie looked at him and asked, “You said he’s honorable. What else can you tell me about him?”
Steele smiled. “Maybe I should let him tell you about himself.”
Natalie looked down at her swollen hand. “Okay.”
“Is there anything I can do for you?”
Natalie shook her head. She changed her mind and said, “Yes, there is, please tell him thank you for saving my life.” Steele smiled.
She said, “I’ll tell him again, if I ever see him.”
Steele said, “I’ll tell him, but I’m sure you will see him sooner than you think.” He touched her hand. “You are a brave young lady.
“I have to get back to him now. Take care.”
She nodded. “Thank you for coming.”
“You’re welcome.” Steele left and headed back to Northside Facility. He thought to himself maybe if he told Wayland that he had seen her, and she was fine, he’d stay put.
The Xidoran Prophecy Page 73
