by Imogen Rose
I shook my head. This was unbelievable. “Were you with me? Can you tell me what happened?”
“I wasn’t, though I did help rescue you. I’m your knight in shining armor.” His eyes twinkled.
I liked the sound of that.
“You were kidnapped, along with Simla and Justin.”
“Really? Why them? It sort of makes sense that he took me, since I’m the granddaughter, but why Simla and Justin?”
“Potomal needed to strengthen his group; he needed more recruits. I guess he felt that Simla and Justin were suitable in some way. They both have Wanderer parents, both are defiant, and therefore probably up for joining his group.”
I rolled my eyes. I found it hard to believe, but then I wasn’t aware of all that had gone on in the past year.
He continued, not noticing my doubt. “I don’t know what happened at Potomal’s, obviously, but Simla and Justin wanted to come home, so you and Kellan, along with a Sigma-W team, rescued them.”
“And now they seem to be working with Potomal, after all,” I added.
“Yeah. Which makes me think that the whole thing about them being abandoned by Potomal–or whatever–was to throw us off track, to buy them time to regroup and plan their next attack.”
“So their plan of attack seems the same,” I mused.
“Well, no. Not really.”
“What do you mean?”
“This time, Raj seems to be involved. I’m sure he had nothing to do with the initial plan. I wonder what’s changed?”
“Raj was going on about the blueprints to the portal,” I offered. “At the beach, I mean, when he took me to the Bahamas.”
“He’s been after those blueprints for a year. What’s that got to do with Potomal, though?”
I had no idea, except that Raj needed the blueprints so he could sell them and buy himself that mansion he’d been whining about. “Who was Raj selling the blueprints to? Potomal?”
David’s eyes flickered, and the already creased line on his forehead deepened.
“David?”
He rubbed his palm against my forearm, his eyes beseeching me to give him time to think. I nodded, sat back, and waited for him to talk.
When he finally did, I jumped a little. The hum from the engines had lulled me into a semi-dream state.
“Sorry, Poppet. Were you asleep? Your eyes were open.”
“No. I was just daydreaming. What did you say?”
“I said, you may be on to something.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Maybe Potomal is Raj’s buyer. I can’t for the life of me work out why Potomal would want those blueprints but, if he does, the rest makes sense.”
“How so?”
“Well, he would help Raj get them, if he ultimately wanted them.”
“Why wouldn’t he just get them himself?”
“Raj probably set the wheels in motion first and, when he went looking for a buyer, Potomal must have heard about it and got interested. Potomal would never sully his hands in a dirty scheme like that; he’d happily let Raj do the legwork. Why would Potomal want blueprints to the portal, though? It’s just a machine that does what he can easily do himself anytime he wants to.”
“Maybe he needs it so he can transport other people easier. I mean, you guys get exhausted wandering, right?”
He nodded, smiling like I had cracked the code to life. “Sheesh, Poppet. You could be right. It would give him tons of power.”
“And that’s what he wants.”
“Please fasten your seatbelts,” a flight attendant interrupted, walking by our seats.
We remained engrossed in our own thoughts for the rest of the flight. I stared out the window admiring the view as we came in for the landing. In the terminal, it definitely felt like a déjà vu situation when we spotted Morena waving at us.
“How’s Dad?” David asked, as soon as we got close enough to her.
I felt guilty that David had taken time to come and find me when he should have been with his dad. I really sucked as a friend.
“No, you don’t,” he reassured me. “You’ve just had a lot of stuff going on.”
I looked down at our entwined fingers. I needed to be more careful with my thoughts.
Morena motioned for us to follow her. “Kevin’s okay. He’s at my house. He wanted to come, but I told him to stay put. He had some minor injuries, just some superficial scrapes, but I took him to the hospital to have him checked out. He’s fine, just a bit bruised. Arizona, David told me we need to stop by the hospital to have you checked out as well.”
“No–” I started to protest.
“We’re having you checked out,” David said firmly. “Besides, Morena can take you to visit your mother while we’re there. I would, but I can’t until I rest for a while.”
I was going to insist on not stopping at the hospital, but if it meant that I could visit Mom, then I’d put up with having my shoulders looked at. They were still sore, but I could move them just fine.
On the way to the hospital, Morena filled us in on what had happened to Kevin. I just sat and listened, not interrupting even though I wanted to.
Morena drove up to the hospital entrance. “David, take my car and drive to my house. Kevin’s waiting for you, and your mom is due any time. She may already be there. I’ll take Arizona to see the doctor, and then to her mom. We’ll take a taxi back to the house later. Okay?”
I saw the indecision on David’s face. “Arizona, I’ll stay with you….”
“No, go, David. I’ll be fine. I’ll see you later. And thank you, for everything.” I kissed his cheek and let myself out of the car. A lump rose in my throat, and I felt a wave of loneliness flood over me as I watched him drive off.
Raj looked at Simla in dismay. Couldn’t she do anything right? He’d practically outlined and arranged this maneuver himself. He’d handed it to her on a silver platter, but still she’d managed to mess it up. He had watched helplessly as Arizona was plucked from them, right from under his very nose. Again.
He shook his head and scowled. The casino security staff was approaching, so he moved away from the group to blend in with the slot machine addicts, the only ones who seemed uninterested in the scrambling and shouting. Most of the other people just looked dazed and confused by what they’d witnessed, but a few were panicking. He had watched as Simla suddenly disappeared in a mist of vapor. Madison had grabbed Kellan and disappeared with him; Olivier did the same with Harry. The rest of the Sigma-W-Pi members had also instantly vanished.
Raj suddenly felt a pressure on his shoulders. He gave in to the weightlessness, closing his eyes, his arms flopping to his sides, as he was transported by one of the Sigma-W-Pi.
What now? He had Dan and Sophie waiting for him at the motel. He had run into them as Simla and he had made their way back to contact Potomal about their new plan. They wanted their money, of course, and had been frustrated when he told them that he didn’t have it. Dan had taken the news better than Sophie, only rolling his eyes and sighing. Sophie had a complete meltdown. He had waited it out as she screamed, calling him names and hurling all kinds of abuse. She even tried to kick him. Dan had held her back, which was just as well or Raj might have cracked and lost it himself. He was proud of the way he’d managed to calmly ride it out. When Sophie was done, they’d sat down and talked it out. When he got the money, he’d share it with them. At least, that was what he’d told them, and they seemed to buy it. They had, of course, wanted to be in on the plan, but he hadn’t wanted to explain the whole Wanderer phenomenon, so he convinced them to wait at the motel while he retrieved Arizona. They–especially Sophie–had been resistant, but had no choice but to go along with it if they wanted any chance at getting some money.
Raj wasn’t quite sure what the plan would be now that they hadn’t managed to nab Arizona. Still, they had Harry. He would be a pain to contain, but Raj had Dan to help him. Everything was going to work out after all. He smirked as his feet made contact with
something soft and warm.
He was back on the beach, the blue ocean stretching in front of him. He looked around; he was alone, not a soul in sight. He sat down on the pinkish-colored sand, slipped off his shoes, and stroked the sand with his feet, letting the grains sift through his toes as he waited for the others. They should arrive at any moment. Soon the beach would be full of activity.
He sat there for an hour, growing more and more frustrated, until he could take it no longer. He looked up into the sky and howled. One long drawn-out pained cry, sounding like an injured animal.
“Dad?”
“Simla! Where the heck have you been?” He glowered, feeling his anger rise as he fought to maintain control.
“I was carrying out Potomal’s orders.” She lifted her thin eyebrows. “And I had to wait for a Sigma-W to transport me back here to the Bahamas. Remember, I can’t wander geographically.”
“Potomal’s orders? I thought we were carrying out my plan. Which you, by the way, totally messed up!”
“I’m sorry about that. That is what I had clearance for, so when things went wrong, I had to let him know right away.”
“So what now? What does the most esteemed Potomal want me to do now?” Raj fumed to himself. “Does he still want the blueprints? Does he want me to get them or will he get them himself? Either way, I want my money!”
“Yes, he still wants them, and he wants you to get them. In a way, it was good that we managed to get Kellan. Now you can use him to get Dr. Fox to send you the prints, since Dr. Darley is out of action. I’ll bring him to you at the motel in a little while.”
“Where is he now? And the other boy?”
“They’re guests at one of Potomal’s mansions. Neither of them know he’s behind this, and Potomal wants his name kept out of it. Harry will stay there until he gets the blueprints.”
“And I can do what I wish with Kellan to get the prints?”
“Yes, Dad. Just get them as soon as you can. This has gone on long enough.”
It had indeed. Still, at least now there was an end in sight. Simla disappeared as he got up to head back to the crummy motel. It would be crowded with him, Sophie, Dan, and Kellan.
He knocked on the door and waited for the onslaught of questions.
“Well?” Sophie’s eyes blazed. “Did you get the money?”
He pushed his way into the room, shoving her to the side so he could pass.
“What the–” she screeched, coming at him. Dan caught her from behind, drawing her back with his arms around her waist, with Sophie spluttering and kicking to get free.
“You better start talking and fast,” Dan warned with a growl. “Or I’ll let her at you.”
“Oh, calm down, both of you. I have it under control. I haven’t got the money yet, but will soon. We’re expecting a guest, so get yourselves together.”
“Who?” Sophie muttered, elbowing Dan into letting her loose.
“Kellan–”
“Kellan Fox?” Sophie yelled. “I’m through babysitting! What the–”
“Shut up and listen,” Dan snarled impatiently. “This better be good, Raj.”
“Olivia’s in a coma, so I can’t get the blueprints from her.”
“I can’t believe you still don’t have those damned prints,” Sophie mocked.
“I thought I did,” Raj said defensively. “She slipped me a set of fake ones.”
Sophie rolled her eyes.
“Anyway, now that I have Kellan, I’ll just get them from his father in–”
“Dr. Fox?” Sophie seethed. “We were just with him! We could have got them!”
“You were? Where?” Not that they could have got the blueprints off him. Why on earth would he just hand them over?
“He was at Ames when we came through the portal.”
“How did you two come through the portal?”
“Never mind that! The point is, Larry Fox was at Ames when we came through. We tied him up; he’s probably still sitting where we left him.”
Raj could feel his stomach churning. What if he couldn’t make contact with Larry because he was restrained? He felt his stomach heave, and he was overcome with nausea. He sat down on the bed, his face in his hands. What now?
“What’s wrong with you now?” Sophie scoffed.
“Shut up! Just shut up, you stupid woman!”
“Hey, watch it!” Dan’s voice boomed low and dangerous.
“If Larry’s tied up, we won’t be able to contact him. How are we going to get the blueprints now? Let me think!” Raj pressed his face back into his palms, sweating. He couldn’t think of any way to get to Larry without Sigma-W-Pi involvement. How was he going to get Potomal to help him again?
Dan walked to the door when someone knocked on it. He opened it and looked over at Raj, who nodded at him to let Kellan and Madison in. Madison looked grim, her eyes fixed on Kellan and her hands firmly around his wrists. She didn’t say a word. She simply walked over to Raj, put Kellan’s hands in his, turned around, and walked out the door.
“Chatty much?” Sophie threw her a disdainful look. Then she turned to glare at Kellan. “You better not try anything.”
“Or what?” he spat.
Dan’s fist was in Kellan’s face before he could blink, the force pushing him over onto the floor. He struggled back up, blood flowing from his nose, and launched himself at Dan. Dan shook his head in silent amusement and brought his fist deep into Kellan’s abdomen, causing him to bend over and sputter. Then he fell back down to the floor. This time, Kellan didn’t get up.
Even though Morena was with me and I knew she’d keep me safe, I was scared and lonely. It wasn’t myself I was scared for; I was petrified for Kellan and Harry. I wondered what I was going to tell Dad as I prepared to transport back home to visit Mom. What was I going to tell Dr. Fox?
Once we arrived, we walked to Mom’s room. Morena stopped outside the door. “I’m going to wait for you here. Come get me if you need me.”
I nodded and went inside. Unlike the last time I had been here, it was quiet and dark. That was until someone shrieked and ran across the room and threw their arms around me.
“Arizona!”
“Ella, wow! I’m so glad to see you. I’ve been so worried.”
“Worried? Why? I’ve just been at a sleepover, then Mrs. Skoog picked me up and brought me here to see Mom and Dad. Mom is still sleeping. I wish she’d wake up,” she said, her voice choking.
“She will.” I slipped my fingers through hers and pulled her with me to Mom’s bedside. Dad was sitting there, holding her hand, just like he had been the last time I saw him. He got up and flung his arms around me.
“Hon, are you okay? What’s been going on? Inez brought Ella; she’ll be back soon. She didn’t say much. I think she’s trying not to worry me, but keeping me in the dark isn’t right. I need to know what’s going on.”
“I know, Dad.” I threw a glance Ella’s way. He nodded, thankfully catching my drift. There was no way I could update him with Ella in the room, she’d freak. “How’s Mom?” I asked, changing the subject.
“The same.” He sighed.
I perched on the bed and took Mom’s other hand. She looked so peaceful, lost in a deep sleep. I bent down, bringing my mouth right up to her ear. “I love you, Mom.” I kissed her forehead. She didn’t flinch, not even a whisper of a movement. I could feel my eyes welling up, so I hastily wiped them dry before Ella would notice my despair. “Has Gramadea been here?”
Dad gave me a tissue. “No, she was supposed to stop by last night, as was Harry, but they didn’t. I’m worried. Have you seen them?”
“Yes,” I said cautiously, once again nodding toward Ella, who was looking at me keenly. “I saw them over at Gramadea’s place.”
“So did I, Dad,” Ella added. “But then I left to go have a sleepover. What did you guys do after I left?” She suddenly sounded very grown-up.
“We had dinner and stuff,” I said vaguely.
“So where’s
Harry now? Did he go back to college?”
College? I frowned at her. “What do you mean, Ella?”
“Uh, nothing, Arizona,” Dad interrupted.
“No! Don’t blow me off. I know all about losing a year and all that. College? Did Harry go off to college? Doesn’t he live at home anymore?”
Ella looked down at her feet, glancing up to shoot Dad a look. Then she glanced at me with a guilty expression. She’d obviously been told not to spill.
“Dad?” I asked gently. He looked so worn, but I had to know. “Did I really miss Harry’s graduation?”
“Yes. He’s at Dartmouth.” He sounded apologetic.
I knew that had been one of his top picks, along with Harvard and Princeton. It was just strange that he’d gone without me even being around to do the college visits with him like we had planned. Or maybe we did visit them, and I just didn’t remember.
The door to the room opened, and Mrs. Skoog poked her head in.
“Come on in, Inez.” Dad waved her in. “Did you manage to find out anything?”
She shook her head. “Arizona, how’s David? Morena told me you arrived with him.”
“He’s fine. He’s gone to visit his dad.”
“Is his dad okay? Was he hurt?”
“I don’t really know, though Morena said that he is okay. Morena will be able to tell you more, she’s outside.”
“I’ve already asked her. She doesn’t know much, but she says that he seems fine. I just wondered if you had any more news.”
“No, but I think they’re expecting you.”
“Yes. I know. I better get going. Rupert, I wasn’t able to get hold of Amadea or any of the Sigma-Ws. Do you want me to take Ella with me? I can look after her. I assume Arizona is going back with Morena?”
“Yes, please. I need to talk to Arizona for a while, so could you take Ella and bring her back tomorrow?”
Mrs. Skoog nodded. “Ella, are you okay with that?”
“Can I bring Tallulah?”
Mrs. Skoog smiled. “Yes, of course.” After Ella kissed Dad and me goodbye, David’s mom took Ella’s hand and led her out the door.
“Arizona, please tell me what’s going on. You can bring Morena in as well, so we can get her up to date.”
