“Yeah, the blonde hair and blue eyes are a dead giveaway,” he chuckled, to her relief. “Yes, I’m one quarter Chinese. My mother was only half Chinese herself. My grandfather, the Tai Chi Master, was Chinese and my grandmother…” he paused, “…my grandmother was Irish.”
Fi’s mouth dropped open. “You’re Irish too?”
Asher’s smile faded. “I’m sorry, Fi, that I’ve told you so little about my family when I know everything about yours. It’s not fair, I know. It’s just that whenever I wanted to talk about them…” his voice started to break, and he looked away. “…It’s just that I never know what tense to use, you know?”
She felt the burn as tears rushed to her eyes. Of course. She’d never even thought about it. The pain that could come with a simple tense…
“What do I say?” Asher continued. “Do I say my mother was kindness personified, or that she still is? Do I say that my father was a warrior, or that he is a warrior? It just…” He stopped again, and she patted his hand, pressing the beautiful coin into it.
“Wait,” he said, as he picked through the pile on the bed and pulled out a knotted, red silk cord. He threaded it through the coin and drew it around her neck.
“Asher, no, this is yours, I can’t take it,” she protested. “It’s too important.”
“Jeez, Fi. You’re terrible at accepting gifts.”
She grimaced, and he laughed and turned her to face him. He fingered the beautiful coin where it lay in the hollow of her throat. She shivered as the cord rolled against the soft skin of her neck. It felt like a whisper.
“I won that first tournament with this around my neck,” he murmured. “And I won the one after that, and the one after that. I only began to lose when I started to fight with my father. I took it off because I was angry. When I got stuck in New York, I cursed myself for not bringing it to school with me. I’d always felt better with my family’s strength around my neck.”
He held her by the shoulders and nodded toward her belly. “Fi, that kick was a reminder. It was a kick in the pants for me and my daydreams. No matter what happened in the past, I have to focus on the present. We have to get back. What’s important is that we get you and the baby to safety. So please, wear my family’s good luck charm. It will make me feel better to know that it’s there to protect you.”
For a moment, Fi considered protesting the likelihood that the coin would protect her, but his face was so intense that she thought better of it. Who was she to question the positive energy in the little coin? She bowed her head. “Thank you, Ash. Once again, your generosity is both surprising and overwhelming.”
“Ok,” he sighed. “Let’s get out of here. It’s time to go home.”
When they got downstairs, Asher motioned for her to follow him back into the living room. “I have to leave some kind of message in case they come back.”
He pulled out his utility knife and cleared the wooden coffee table. Fi was about to ask him what he was doing, when he jammed the point of the knife into the tabletop and she gasped.
Asher grinned over his shoulder. “Gonna owe mom a table later, but I needed a message that would last.” Fi nodded and watched as Asher carved his message. “Was here. M safe. Eden. M…”
Wait, what was that? Asher’s knife carved a symbol that looked like a stick figure with extra arms. A Chinese character! He’s leaving a message in Chinese?
He continued. “M…”
Another character. Like an “X” with eyebrows this time.
“Luv U,” he added, before finishing with a final character. This one was very complicated, and he carved each line carefully. “There,” he said, as he stepped back and admired his handiwork.
Fi ran her fingers over the Chinese characters. “What do they mean?”
“The first one means ‘husband.’” His voice was gentle.
Her hand flew to her mouth in surprise. He’d included her in his message? “And the others?”
“The second one means ‘father.’”
Tears filled her eyes. He hadn’t just included her. “You’re a little early on that one,” she joked half-heartedly, blinking.
“No, Fi,” he shook his head. “Like I said, this has made me realize that I’m already a father, and my responsibility is to you and the baby…not my parents. And that means getting you home safely and as soon as possible.” He pulled her toward the door.
“What about the last symbol, the really complicated one?” she asked.
He smiled. “That one means me.”
They emerged from the house to find Sara jumping up and down and clapping her arms across her chest. “Oooh, hey!” she smiled. “It’s getting pretty chilly for standing around in the shade.”
Fi nodded and zipped her jacket tightly against the cool breeze. Fall was definitely starting to creep up on them. Sara put her fingers to her lips and gave a short whistle and in a few seconds Sean trotted into view from behind the house. He smiled as he approached, but Fi saw the tightness around his eyes, reminding her that he and Sara were still waiting for news.
Asher must have seen the same thing, because he immediately alleviated their worst fears. “It’s good news,” he assured them, and Sean and Sara both exhaled. They were quiet as Asher explained the evidence that his father had escaped with his mother and his weapons. “Like I told Fi, if anyone could keep my mother alive, it’s my father.”
Sean clapped him on the back. “Well if your father is more of a badass than you are, then I’d say that’s an understatement,” he said generously.
Fi’s heart twisted, as Asher nodded and pressed his lips together. The news was mostly good. Finding them would have been better. Of course, now that he truly believed them to be alive, Asher would probably be even more dedicated to listening to the lists. She sighed, resigned. Like Sara had said, if it were her parents…she wouldn’t ever give up.
Sean spoke. “I guess that means that it’s time to head out, right?”
“Which means,” Sara smiled, “we’re officially going back to Eden.”
“That’s right, let’s head home,” Fi said.
As they walked, Asher and Fi caught them up on more of the details of what they’d found. Fi wasn’t sure if Asher would be willing to discuss some of the things he’d shared with her, but Sara noticed the jade coin around Fi’s neck and everything came out from there. It was nice to see Asher finally feel comfortable talking about his parents. Having decided that they were alive, he used the present tense. My mother is…my father is…Fi felt warmed every time he said it, and she knew that he did as well. Despite their physical absence, she knew he felt their living spirit in his heart again.
Sean broke into Fi’s thoughts, echoing her earlier question. “So, Asher, then what you’re saying is that you’re…Chinese?”
Asher laughed and waved his hand dismissively. “One-quarter,” he scoffed. “That’s no big deal. All Americans are mutts. Aren’t you a bunch of different things?”
“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure that I’m not Asian,” Sean joked, and Fi punched him. Sean poked at her and she slapped his hand away and laughed.
Asher rolled his eyes. “Are you sure, Sean? How can you be so sure?”
Sean considered this silently and Fi found herself thinking about it too. Even though he was joking, Asher had a point. Even if you traced your roots back four generations, it started to get fuzzy. At least, it did for her family. She wondered what else might be in her history besides Ireland, England, and a tiny bit of Germany?
“Hmph,” Sean was reflective as well. “Wait, do you have a Chinese name then?”
Asher looked startled and Fi whirled to face him. A Chinese name? She hadn’t even thought about that. Is that what he meant when he said that character he’d carved was “him?” He meant his name? His face twisted in discomfort and she felt her annoyance grow. He had to be kidding! He has a Chinese name and he didn’t tell her?
Sean kept on with his thoughts while she seethed. “Dr. Bing has an E
nglish name and a Chinese middle name. He said a lot of families do that now to preserve the culture even though the kids are really American.”
Fi watched Asher carefully as he bit his lip and a red flush made a steady climb up his neck to his ears. “Well?” she prompted him, unable to wait any longer.
“Um…” Asher’s start was tentative.
Fi stepped in front of him and stopped him with her hand. “You have got to be kidding me!” She jammed her hands onto her hips. Asher hung his head, but his expression was really too amused for her taste. “After all the crap you gave me about my name!”
Sean burst out laughing, and Fi heard him start to explain quietly to Sara, who looked confused. “She’s mad because Asher bugged her for her full first name all the time when they met. She didn’t tell him for a while because it reminded her of her father …and it made her sad.”
Sean’s voice trailed off and Fi’s anger drained away. She’d been trying to ignore Sean in favor of glaring at Asher, but his words hit her hard. Of course Asher hadn’t told her. Just like he hadn’t said anything else about his family besides the little bits he’d been able to make himself share. He was sad. All eyes turned to Asher. He stood, unsmiling, a pulse of tension tugging at his jaw.
Fi slid her hands from her hips and reached for him. “Ash,” she began, and stopped as he blew out a loud breath.
“S’ok, I’m ok now. I really do feel much better knowing that they escaped together,” he reminded them all, including himself.
Fi felt her heart squeeze as she watched his emotions bounce around. She’d known that this trip would be a roller coaster for him, and not the fun kind. “I’m sorry,” she said.
Asher’s shoulders relaxed as he answered Sean’s question. “Yes, Sean, you’re right about me having a Chinese name…a middle name, like Dr. Bing said.”
As she walked, Fi chastised herself for her earlier reaction. She’d wanted to know more about his family for years. Maybe she should stop focusing on her own petulance and just listen.
“So what is it?” Sean asked.
“Long,” Asher replied, bringing a smile to her lips.
He pronounced it with an accent, almost like the way a British person would say “long.”
“Long,” she repeated quietly and he shot her a nervous smile. “What does it mean?” He stifled a laugh. She narrowed her eyes, relieved to see merriment reflected in his. What’s the joke, she wondered?
Asher cleared his throat. “It means ‘Dragon.’”
A New Development
-----------Fi--------------
“It’s them!”
Fi bolted straight up in her sleeping bag and panted in the darkness. The back of her neck and hair were soaked with sweat and her heart was pounding. The late September air carried a deep chill, and she shivered as the heat fled her body. Jesus, she was getting sick of that dream. Why did she always have to have such vivid dreams?
She was relieved to see that hadn’t awakened Asher, who snored gently beside her. Though she knew she wouldn’t go back to sleep, she lay down again anyway and sighed. This dream just wouldn’t go away. She’d had repetitive dreams before, but usually they would stop in time. Or be replaced by something worse, she though ruefully. It was like the dream was haunting her…like it was trying to tell her something. But what?
Frustrated, Fi decided to get up and join Sara for sentry duty. Heck, maybe she’d take over for her and let Sara sleep some more. It was nice to know that her insomnia could serve some purpose. As she crossed the dark clearing, she saw Sean’s sleeping form, but no Sara. Hmmm, she must have had to relieve herself. Fi sat with her back to a tree and hummed quietly to settle her jangled nerves.
After she’d hummed her way through two of her favorite songs, Sara still hadn’t returned. She’d been gone a long time now, for a simple bathroom break. Fi stood and peered into the darkness and listened. The forest was quiet. It was so late that even the animals weren’t stirring, so why didn’t she hear Sara anywhere? Goosebumps bloomed across her skin as she raced to her pack.
Quickly, she pulled on her shoes and grabbed her flashlight and her .22. As she shoved the gun into its holster, she suddenly hesitated. The old Fi would have tiptoed away from the boys, not wanting to disturb them, and looked for Sara. But she couldn’t now. Asher would kill her.
“Ash,” she shook his arm gently. “Ash, wake up.”
“Huh? What? Are you ok, Fi? What’s wrong?” When she heard the fear in his voice she was glad that she’d awakened him. Imagine if he’d risen only to find both girls missing.
“I’m ok,” she reassured him. “But Sara’s gone.”
“What?” he sat straight up. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. I was going to look for her and then I remembered my promise.”
“Thank God,” he grunted as he pulled on his shoes. “You wake Sean.”
Fi’s chest tightened as she approached Sean’s peaceful form. “Sean.”
He awoke gently, with a smile in his voice. “Hey, Fi, what’s up?”
“Sean, Sara’s gone.” Fi’s heart squeezed harder as she said the words.
“What?” Sean shouted and scrambled from his bag. “Where is she? What do you mean? Where did she go?” He tugged on his boots frantically as the questions came pouring out.
A soft red glow appeared behind them as Asher explored the area with a flashlight. It bobbed along the edge of the stream near their camp. Sean tore after Asher, with Fi close behind.
Asher crouched at the water’s edge, and touched the ground gently. Even in the dim light, Fi could see the outrage on his face. “She’s been kidnapped.”
Sean bit his fist and collapsed to his knees. “No, no, no, no,” he said. Each “no” was accompanied by a shake of his head.
Despite her heart pounding out the same rhythm, Fi saw that there was no denying the marks Asher had found. The scatter of footprints and drag marks in the muddy stream bank told the whole story. “There’s no blood, Sean,” Fi said, over his continued “no”s. “And look! We can follow them.” She grabbed Sean’s flailing arm to show him, but his eyes were looking right through her. “Sean, we have to track them, starting right now. We can save her!” He nodded, his head bobbing loosely. Fi released him hard, shoving him backward to rouse him. “Remember, Sean. Those assholes just took the wrong girl.”
An hour later, a recovered Sean crouched over a mark in the darkness. Where once he’d been too stunned to move, now he was a man on a mission. The anger streamed off him, but each new mark that did not include blood encouraged them to push on. None of them had much in the way of experience tracking humans, but all had experience with tracking animals. It turned out that tracking humans was easier. Every few feet another careless broken branch, or footprint in the mud served as a beacon, guiding them to Sara.
“This way,” Sean growled. “They went this way.”
“Good, let’s go,” Fi whispered. She knew that the time it was taking them to follow the trail was killing him, but they couldn’t risk missing a clue in the darkness. “We’re going to find her, Sean.”
Though she tried to sound reassuring, anxiety burned in her chest. It was obvious that Sara been taken against her will…the original marks showed signs of a struggle. Of course, given Sara’s abilities, Fi knew that “struggle” was probably an understatement. But that just made it more frightening. How did they take someone like Sara without waking the rest of them? Fi kept her head down as they swept for more marks. A flash of color caught her eye and she stopped. A bit of white fabric clung to a broken branch. Sara had been wearing a white dri-fit shirt.
“Here,” she said, and Sean ran to her and grabbed the fabric. He pushed ahead through the heavy brush with Fi and Asher close behind. She heard Sean gasp, and as they emerged onto the high ledge beyond the brush, she saw why. From their vantage point they could see Sara below, seated on a rock by a glowing fire pit. Her hands and feet were bound, but she was alive. Fi felt a wave
of relief. Thank God. Beside Sara stood four people, two men and two women. They appeared to be deep in discussion. All wore the same strange, short tunics and loose pants, with cropped hair. There was no mistaking the odd little uniform, even though they’d never seen it themselves.
“Truthers,” Sean said, and exhaled. “This shouldn’t be so difficult.” His grip tightened around his staff, but Fi could hear the relief in his voice. No one wanted to discuss the other possibility.
Just then a tall figure emerged, melting from the surrounding forest. He wore all black, and rather than a tunic, he sported a military vest and cargo pants. The firelight glinted off the machete in his hand, and her stomach seized. Lobo.
Beside her, Sean’s breaths had turned to ragged snorts, but he’d managed not to cry out. The Lobo spoke with the group of Truthers for a moment and then they left the clearing, while he stayed…with Sara. Fi’s fear whirled into rage. “What the fuck is a Lobo doing with the Truthers?”
Suddenly something clicked in her brain. “It’s them,” she thought, remembering her dream. That ambush wasn’t a random bunch of Lobos! The one had yelled ‘it’s them’ because they were looking for the Seeders specifically. No wonder there were so many of them together. And there was only one reason that the Lobos would have been looking for the Seeders. They were working for the Truthers.
“I know,” Sean’s voice wavered with newborn fear.
“Looks like the Truthers decided that as long as they had someone else do their killing and intimidation, that made it ok,” Asher’s whisper was fierce. “I wonder if it’s just the one.” They peered down and listened.
“I don’t hear anything,” Fi said, and then sucked in her breath.
The Lobo had stopped pacing and approached Sara. “It’s a shame that the Truthers don’t have a better end planned for you,” he sneered, and Sara turned her head away. “I would definitely have better plans for you myself.”
He took a step closer and Sara looked him straight in the eye. “Don’t touch me.”
The Lobo stopped and laughed. He held his machete under her chin. “Or else what?” In a flash, the blade slashed a shallow cut down her right cheek. Sara gasped and Sean exploded from the bushes.
Seeds of War Page 31
