Return of the Clonsayee
Book 2
of the
Xidoran Prophecy Story
By
Elaine Bassett
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ISBN 978-0-9889313-1-2
Text copyright © 2013 by Elaine Bassett. All rights reserved.
Published by I Dream Publishing, LLC.
Cover illustration by Danny O'Leary
Edited by B. Linder
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by I Dream Publishing, LLC.
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Prologue
Donovan walked through his Passageway and into his office. He called out into the hall for Non.
The tall man suddenly appeared at the foot of the steps. “I’m on my way, Boss.” He took the stairs three at a time. He entered Donovan’s office and closed the door.
Donovan asked him to have a seat. “Thank you for getting in touch with me as quickly as you did. As you are aware, we need to act swiftly to resolve this matter. I understand that you have taken the necessary steps to begin the process of extraction. I’ve looked over your recommendations and under normal circumstances I would agree. However, I was thinking something a little more daring and unexpected. I’m thinking of danger and the unimaginable. I’m thinking of pushing the limit and pulling off the greatest jail break in history.”
Non smiled deviously. “You’re not talking about…”
“I am.”
Non sat forward in his seat. “If we pull this off. Anjoleah will…”
“I know. That’s the point. They will never see this coming and there is no way for them to track us using this technique.”
“It’s insane. The crew might not survive.”
Donovan shrugged and frowned. “So, we would have killed them anyway. At least they have a shot at surviving. They can thank you for that. I’d have been done with all of them.” He scowled and pointed a finger gun at the door, right as one of his goons entered the room. “BAM!”
His goon froze, then hurriedly backed up and closed the door.
Non said, “You’re the mastermind. I’d better get going then. If we are going to pull this off, then I have a substantial amount of work to do. This is the most death-defying jailbreak in the history of the world. It’s wickedly twisted and seemingly scientifically improbable.”
Donovan looked him in the eye. “You’re the malicious architect. Don’t fail, the stakes are too high.”
Non said, as he was walking out the door, “Anthony will be a laughing stock after this…”
Donovan reveled in the thought…
Several nights later Non was working late putting his plan into motion. He’d been busy gathering the right criminal minds to make his plan happen.
Meanwhile Donovan and Joseph had been the victims of two crimes themselves. The two men were currently busy trying to solve the mystery of who was idiotic enough to break into Joseph’s house, and then make it all the way across town to try to collect on a hit put on Donovan…
The two men stood at Joseph’s safe room door knowing one of the perpetrators was now trapped in the room on the other side of the impenetrable door. Donovan looked at Joseph and whispered, “Son, I have to admit it was smart to put the precautionary trigger on your Passageway. Without knowing your code, the varmint is cornered.”
The two men stood ready for anything. Joseph’s adrenaline was pumping through his veins as he put his key in the lock to open the door. Both men pulled out double-action pistols from their side holsters. They released the safeties on the firearms. The men agreed that on the count of three, they would barge into the room and restrain the larcenist. Both men strategically took their stance on either side of the door. One… two…
Joseph turned the doorknob and forced the heavy door open. His eyes scanned the room. Donovan’s gaze locked on the man sitting at Joseph’s desk. The man stared forward as if he’d been expecting this moment to come and he’d prepared himself for anything. Donovan and Joseph each took a step into the room and stood frozen, staring at the man before them.
Donovan was processing, wondering: Where did I go wrong? How’d I miss this one coming?
Joseph was puzzled why his father hadn’t spoken yet. All Donovan could ask was, “Why?”
Sitting before them was Non’s future replacement. This man was one of the big dogs in the Stygian Market. He’d run with the pack for years and both Joseph and Donovan had trusted him implicitly. They had been betrayed. This could result in a huge coup d’état going down.
The man simply said, “I want out.”
Donovan, with a single shot, killed him.
Joseph frowned and looked at him. “Really? Why did you do that, Father?”
Donovan shrugged. “You heard him. He wanted out.”
Joseph pouted. “No, I don’t care about that. You shot him in my chair! I loved that chair! How am I ever gonna replace it?”
Donovan growled, “You’re getting soft, Son. Why didn’t you do it yourself?”
Joseph made a face. “Because I wanted to find out who was in on this with him and where they were going first, then I could take them all out. But no, Trigger here had to be the big shot.”
Donovan shrugged. He saw movement from behind Joseph and once again fired his pistol, this time into Joseph’s hallway hitting the Grunt between the eyes. “Shoot first, ask questions later is what your mother always says. The last man standing is the one who gets to go home for dinner; and tonight she said she’s making her specialty. I’m not going to miss it for a putsch. Otherwise, if I’m late, there is no fury in the universe like your mother with a cold dinner sitting on her plate.”
Joseph snarled, “Then try not to be so messy, will you? I’ll have to have Non arrange for someone to clean up this mess.
“Geez, listening to you talk about Mother’s dinner is making me hungry.”
Donovan walked over to the phone. Joseph wondered what in the world his father was doing.
Donovan turned away. When the phone was picked up on the other end, he said, “I’m bringing someone home for dinner…”
Chapter 1 – Sophomore Year
On the planet Bridgeiro several weeks later…
Dimitrios was to meet them in the Hub at a specific destination that he’d chosen. Now he wished he’d picked a different location that wasn’t all the way across the sector. He was walking full stride trying his best not to be late.
The inquiries had run the Sojourners’ Council meeting past the time allotted. He thought: We were this close to keeping the meeting to a pu
nctual conclusion. Why did she do it? As he walked, Dimitrios replayed in his thoughts the whole incident that caused the council to go off on a wild tangent. Her comment set off a chain reaction that led to something similar to a nuclear explosion within the chamber. Immediately following the fallout, they had been attacked with a barrage of rapid fire questioning. The unanswered questions left him wondering how they would recover without causing irreparable damage to the reputation of Anthony’s legacy. Dimitrios’ head was still spinning from the shouting. He’d had a headache for days now, but this catastrophe left him devastated and numb to the pain.
When will Anjoleah ever learn to keep her mouth shut? Dimitrios already knew the answer to that one, never. That woman. His diagnosis: Anjoleah’s a control freak! The agenda for the council meeting was all settled. He was the one who was supposed to do all the talking. He had attended to every detail, had guided the meeting with expertise, then had it all wrapped up. No questions were to be accepted from any of the council members. She had no idea, no idea the entanglement she had caused him. Dimitrios pondered that last thought: or maybe she did… I’ll have to think about that angle later when I have more time. Not that anyone could figure out her thought process. He was beginning to wonder if there was a thought process or a method at all to her genius madness. He recollected earlier conversations with her second-in-command. Xander has tried for years to make me a believer. Maybe all these years she’s fooled him into thinking she was competent? Now that’s a word to consider. Is she competent? Or is she a time bomb? He decided maybe the answer was both, but today proved she was definitely not a genius.
Dimitrios was relieved that Anthony had pulled her aside after the meeting. Anthony would take care of her. He’d have to find out the gory details of the aftermath from that meeting-of-the-minds later. He was just thankful the distraction gave him the opening he was looking for to slip out the door unnoticed. He was certain he had another hectic night ahead of him.
When Dimitrios finally arrived at the determined location, he pushed his comical thoughts of how to solve a problem like Anjoleah aside. He gave Natalie a hug and a kiss on her forehead, and said, “Good morning, Natalie.”
He then said hello to Carson, Charles, Caroline and Wayland. “Let me help you get these cases to the Jones’ office where they will be secure.”
Dimitrios helped Wayland and Charles carry the heavy cases containing the Marble Track through the Hub to the Passageway and into Carson’s office. Carson opened the vault and the three men set the cases down on the table. Carson put a few other things away before closing the vault.
Dimitrios looked at Charles and said, “Did you receive your next assignment in the Hub mail?” Charles nodded. “Great. Then please return it through the Hub mail when you finish.”
The Passageway changed colors signaling visitors. Carson said, “We arrived just in time. I received Hub mail earlier from the queen’s assistant. The letter stated that the queen would be sending instructions to us about the coronation. I’ll meet her agents in the Hub now.”
Carson soon reappeared with two official men representing the Queen of England. The queen’s men called out the names on the large envelopes. The names were written in calligraphy on the front and each had a crimson wax seal on the back. Once the gentlemen were finished, Dimitrios thanked them. The two couriers turned to leave and Carson escorted them back to the Hub.
When Carson returned, Natalie said, “Let’s open the envelopes and read the queen’s instructions for the coronation.” Everyone unsealed the envelopes using a crystal. They withdrew their letters and looked them over.
Caroline’s mouth dropped open as she looked at her friends. “All this for me? The letter says the queen will provide everyone’s attire. She has made this coronation into a special occasion. I don’t deserve this.”
Charles hugged her. “I’m so happy for you, Caroline. Don’t say you don’t deserve this special occasion. You do. The queen is very generous and obviously this means a lot to her.”
“Obviously, I just don’t know why me.”
“Because you are special. The queen wants your coronation to be a momentous occasion. We will all thank the queen when we see her.”
While the others were looking over the details in the letters, Dimitrios mentioned to Carson, “I’d like to get a closer look at the Marble Track Passageway.”
Carson volunteered, “If you have time, we can set it up now.” Dimitrios agreed.
Carson reopened the vault. Dimitrios assisted in carrying the pieces out and setting the Marble Track up on a large folding table that Carson had retrieved from the garage. The Marble Track Passageway was prodigious, once all the pieces were in place.
Dimitrios admired it, as he and Carson were having a conversation about the Marble Tracks he’d come across through the years. Dimitrios said, “They are very rare, especially in this mint condition.”
Willoughby, who had been placed by Carson’s desk, spoke up saying, “That’s the way to the Whispering Forest.” Everyone turned his or her attention to Willoughby.
Natalie said, “Willoughby, this opens a Passageway to the kingdom, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. You see it goes other places too, my dear. There are special marbles that Catherine would set upon the track to open a secret Passageway.”
Natalie thought for a moment. “A secret Passageway? Hmm.”
She looked around. “Has anyone seen a marble around here?”
Charles said, “Why, did you lose yours?”
Natalie raised her eyebrow at Charles. “Very funny.”
Charles smiled impishly back at her.
Dimitrios said, “You have to use enchanted marbles to make it work. I didn’t see one included in the cases you brought from the Journal Storage Shop. Why don’t all of you meet at the shop in a couple of days and take a closer look around?” Everyone agreed. The four men began disassembling the Marble Track then took the pieces and Willoughby to the vault. When all the pieces were placed in the Marble Track cases, Carson closed and locked the vault.
Dimitrios said, “I have business to take care of tonight, so I must leave now.” Natalie and Wayland decided to join him.
After their visitors left Bev said, “I believe it would be best if I call Margaret and ask her to arrange for Caroline to spend the next three nights at her house.”
Bev looked at Caroline and said, “Margaret and I will work out a schedule for your time with us. Since Margaret and Al will be here tomorrow, I’m sure they will be happy to bring you.” Everyone agreed with the plan. Bev left to make the call to Margaret.
Carson and Charles took Caroline home. Joyce met them at the front door. Charles told Caroline goodnight before he headed back to the farm with Carson.
They went directly to the office. Carson and Charles sat together and compared notes. Then Charles began working on the paperwork that Dimitrios gave him earlier. He composed his thoughts and wrote until it was time for bed. When the clock struck ten o’clock, Carson encouraged Charles to go to the house. Tomorrow was going to be a big day. They had planned a big celebration because tomorrow was Cynthia’s birthday party.
Chapter 2
As soon as Dimitrios made it back to headquarters, he went right to his office and rolled up his sleeves. He opened the door and sniffed the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. He thought: I can always count on Cassia, the amazing mind reader. How does she do it?
He sat down at his desk and a moment later heard a soft tap on his door. As Dimitrios looked up, Cassia said, “I thought you’d like some coffee.”
“Lovely.” He coughed then returned his gaze to his desk. “Yes. I meant coffee would be lovely. Thank you.” He felt like an imbecile and had to remind himself to get back to work, concentrate.
Cassia returned with a cup of coffee and set it on his desk. She asked, “Where would you like to start?”
He mumbled, “Over.”
She leaned forward. “Pardon me?”
“I’m just
talking to myself. Thank you for the coffee. I think I need it more than I previously thought.” Dimitrios took a sip and looked her in the eye. “How did you know I’d be working tonight?”
“Anthony’s secretary said you would be coming back to work. She told me about the debacle following the Sojourners’ Council meeting.”
He paused to think about the comment as he took a few sips. Then Dimitrios sat forward, putting his cup down on his desk. “I don’t even know where to begin…”
“Just a minute, please.” Cassia left his office and returned holding a large stack of files balanced on her arm. “Why not try the beginning? I have these documents for you to peruse.” She placed the folders on the desk in front of him. “I made a few connections while you were gone; then set up some appointments for tomorrow with our scientific team to go over the events again.”
He opened a file and began reading. “Pure genius.” He read on. “I’ve got to give you credit…”
She interrupted him. “The credit is all yours.”
“How do you figure?”
Cassia pointed to the stack of files. “You pulled those documents earlier yourself. When you handed the files to me, you gave me instructions to return them to you on or around this date.”
Dimitrios looked skeptical. “When?”
She smiled. “When you tried out your theory. Take a look.” She bent over the desk and handed Dimitrios his technology tablet. “Go to program 290473-4 j.”
He repeated the code just above a whisper, recognizing it as a secret code that Cassia shouldn’t have. Dimitrios opened his mouth, but nothing came out as he carefully thought over his words. “Just how did you get that code?”
She straightened up. “You gave it to me and told me to remind you. See, I wrote it down just as you asked.” Cassia pointed to a note clipped to the front of a file folder.
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