by K Bledsoe
Diarmin knew what she meant, but she shook it off quickly.
“We need to talk.”
“Oh?” he asked, eyes flicking up toward the camera.
“We’ll take the chance.” She lowered her voice and indicated the couch. They both sat, heads close.
“The king is so overjoyed at my return that he will not listen to my warnings. He speaks of keeping Hahn as the heir even after I am confirmed and crowned, at least until I produce offspring.”
She grimaced slightly, but Diarmin wasn’t sure if it was the idea of the prince still being heir or having children.
She continued with a slight frown. “He ignores the information we have uncovered, even concerning the drugs he has been given, and I don’t know what to do. It almost seems as if he’s losing his mind, but he is still logical, just dismissive.”
“Remember that the drugs amplify emotion. Right now, he is happy you are home and that emotion dominates all others including self-preservation.” Diarmin lowered his voice to a whisper. “He could also be concerned about spies and not tipping his hand. We need to act faster. By now, some of the details of the prince’s collusion should be hitting the presses.” He picked up the control for the entertainment system and spoke in a normal voice. “Shall we watch some news while we eat?”
But what they saw took away their appetite.
***
The children sat on the bed, saying nothing concerning their father. Lenore could tell they had thought such a thing but hoped she would reassure them it wasn’t. They were thinking hard, and she let them process it all.
“So, when you mean kill, it was self-defense, right?” asked Allison. Her pleading eyes made Lenore glad she could confirm that it had been self-defense. The actual story was much more complicated.
“But you said, ‘the last time.’ There were other times?” asked Quinn.
I was hoping he wouldn’t catch that.
“Look, kids. Your father was a very different man when I met him. He had a dangerous job and, well, the truth is that he didn’t like who he was and what he did, so he changed, became the wonderful man he is today.”
“What was his job?” asked Quinn.
“We don’t have time to discuss this now, we are in the middle of an assignment. The only reason I told you is that I can see it was bothering you, and you wouldn’t stop until you got answers. I have confidence that you can handle what I told you, but you also need to understand that it is difficult for your father to face his past. When we have the time, we will all discuss it together, as a family. But for now, you have to let the matter drop.”
“But—” they said simultaneously.
“I said, drop it. Don’t make me regret trusting you with this private information. And remember, that is not who your father is anymore. At all.” That seemed to work but distraction was in order. “Ok, back to the newsfeeds.”
Reluctantly Allison returned to her computer, but Quinn had another question.
“Have you ever killed anyone, Mom?”
She should have known he wouldn’t let it go. “You know what I used to be.”
“I know,” he answered. “But after you left the Xa’ti’al?”
“I’m sure it was self-defense, too,” said Allison with certainty in her voice.
Lenore’s mind flashed back to Quinn’s rescue and all that had happened. She didn’t want to lie to her children, but she also didn’t want to take away Allison’s youthful idealism. She compromised.
“Self-defense, yes. No more discussion now. Minds back on our mission.”
Quinn took his computer out of the bag and returned to his position on the bed. Lenore did her best to follow her own orders and shoved away the memories of the bodies lying on the floor, especially the one that had had the shield bubble.
She turned on the public viewscreen in the room. The broadcasts were all about the return of the princess and how she was providing proof. Her story of being captured and sold into slavery was quite the tale. Speculations abounded, and Allison commented with a giggle that soon there would probably be dozens of stories in books and videos, people putting their own fictitious spin on such a tale.
Lenore was about to switch away from a program of a man and woman intently discussing how the fashion industry would be affected by the princess’ return when a strange sound came from her pocket. It was a high-pitched whine that ended in a squeal that rather hurt the ears.
“What in the world was that?” asked Quinn, sticking a finger in his ear.
“I’m not sure.” Lenore reached into her coverall pocket and pulled out a private commlink.
“That’s linked to Jonah’s,” said Allison. “Is he trying to contact you?”
“No, that would be a beep and flashing light. This light is solid. I think that indicates that the commlink has been destroyed. That has never happened before.”
“Uh, oh. I think I know why,” said Allison. She pointed to a live newsfeed that said it was coming directly from the palace.
Lenore and Quinn gasped and commented simultaneously.
“Uh-oh.”
***
Jonah tossed another empty energy drink container into the recycler and absently watched the flash as it was reduced to molecules. His tired mind tried to think of how they would be reassembled with some sort of replicator, but he gave up. He’d been watching the prince for hours, but nothing happened at all. He accidentally fell asleep for a while early that morning, but rewinding the tape showed Hahn still in bed at the time.
Shortly after that, a package had arrived from “Delilah” that contained several energy drinks and a note to enjoy them in the order in which they were numbered. The first one he drank slowly, waiting for any negative effects but when it was done, his mind was more focused than it had been for days, despite his fatigue.
He reached for drink number three and glanced at a different screen. There was Diarmin and Raahi, the palace programs descrambling her appearance. Their heads were together on the couch, and they appeared to be talking intently. Jonah had been sneaking glances of her whenever he could despite the pang every time he did. He turned up the feed to listen, grateful as he had never been to have audio within the palace, and still only caught the trend of the conversation. The king didn’t believe her that the prince was up to no good. Quickly Jonah erased the evidence and cut the line to the sitting room they were in. Now no one else could listen in. He’d heard all he needed to.
He sat back in his chair, lost in thought and focusing on the camera that was outside the door to the room Raahi was in so that he would know when she left.
I have to do something. More than just erasing tapes. Maybe I can think of other ways to help now that my mind is clearer.
Three pulses against his wrist was his only warning. He looked at another screen and saw the prince approaching the Reviewing Room with a huge mass of people behind him, filling the corridor. Jonah pulled out the private commlink, but then realized he wouldn’t have time for a message. Instead he tossed it into the recycler. The reassuring flash came at the same time the door was flung open.
“Good afternoon, Your Highness. What can I do for you?” He bowed low, hoping he looked surprised and harmless.
Prince Hahn snapped his fingers at two burly men beside him and pointed to Jonah. In one fluid movement, they grabbed Jonah and had his arms restrained behind him. As they shoved him toward the door, he felt binders tighten on his wrists.
The prince exited, and Jonah was pushed out right behind him. His shock was compounded by the flashes of light in his eyes that could only be from news crews.
The prince turned back to him, his eyes triumphant and bearing regal as he said, “Jonah Wilkerson, you are hereby arrested and charged with treason.”
“Wha—?” he began but a jab to his solar plexus by one of the guards robbed him of breath.
“Quiet, traitor,” he growled in his ear.
The prince turned to address the crowd.
�
�This man is responsible for many crimes against the government. He has conspired to have an innocent girl impersonate the princess and has been leaking false information about me and other key people in the government.” He held up a large viewer that the crowd could see. “I can prove that tapes given to the media were falsified so that I appeared to be unfit to take my place within the council.” He turned back to Jonah. “As Reviewer, you were in the perfect position to create these lies and find an imposter.”
“I have no idea—” Jonah began, but a shake from the guards silenced him. Clever, clever prince, to find a scapegoat. Jonah decided nothing he could say at this point would help.
“No idea? What about this?” The prince angled the screen he held so that he and the press could see it. It was a very poor picture, obviously of a distant camera, probably private security. Despite the poor quality, it appeared to be himself entering a restaurant. He suppressed a groan when the prince hit a button that now showed Raahi’s entrance. He knew it was a fake because a real video would have been scrambled. But the false video was excellent, and there was nothing he could say without revealing the highly-specialized scrambling tech. The prince continued his accusation.
“You were seen going into this place and shortly after, so did the woman who is claiming to be Princess Maya. While you didn’t leave together, there was only five minutes between departures. Going separate ways fools nobody.”
Jonah couldn’t believe it. That small video would ruin everything, especially when the looks on the newspeople’s faces showed they believed the prince. He had to do what he could to convince them otherwise.
“A coincidence.” He lifted his chin and tried to look perplexed.
“Oh?” taunted the prince. “How about this?” He zoomed in on the picture of the false Raahi, settling on her right hand. “No tattoos.” He turned to the crowd. “I have the statement of a local tattoo artist admitting he was paid an enormous sum to ink the false tattoos.”
“That’s not true!” Jonah struggled, but the guards held fast. He felt a stirring of hope when a woman in the crowd spoke up.
“What reason would he have to do such a thing?” she asked.
But Jonah’s hopes were dashed when the prince looked back at him with a triumphant smile. “Jonah didn’t want to give up his position.”
“But he could have a job anywhere with his security experience.”
The prince looked at the man who had commented, then nodded at the guards. Their grip on Jonah tightened, and Hahn tore open Jonah’s shirt to reveal his tattoo.
“He didn’t want to give up his position as the Betrothed of the Princess.”
Pictures clicked and flashed, the reporter’s eyes shocked and angry. Jonah knew he was doomed. The prince knew exactly what he was doing.
“Take him away.”
The worst part was that Jonah knew he had failed Raahi.
Chapter Sixty-one
Diarmin watched Raahi out of the corner of his eye during the live newscast. Her face was completely devoid of emotion but her hands, partially hidden by her flowing sleeves, gradually clenched into fists.
As they watched him being led away, Diarmin switched off the video.
“We need to leave, now.”
That got a reaction as she boiled up out of her chair, fists still clenched at her side.
“I can’t just abandon—”
“There’s nothing you can do for him now. You will be the next target, and we don’t know who to trust.” His eyes flicked to the cameras to show that now they had no idea who was manning the security.
She calmed down, and Diarmin envied her well-controlled emotions, trying to ignore the fact that his own adrenaline was firing up.
“Very well,” she said. “What do we do?”
“I think it’s time for plan C.”
Raahi’s eyes widened and nostrils flared slightly but she nodded. “Fine. But first I need to see the king.”
“That’s not—” A beep interrupted them. Had to be Lenore. The only reason she would risk a transmission is if she saw the broadcast. “Hold that thought.” He thumbed the receiver. “You saw?”
“Plan C?” Lenore’s voice had the calm-tension that meant she was worried.
“Yes. Heading out now.” He thumbed it off, but not before he could hear Allison’s voice faintly in the background.
“Plan C? Isn’t that the dangerous one?”
The communication ended before he heard his wife’s response, and he turned back to Raahi. She was ready with the argument he had put on hold.
“I know that’s not part of the plan, but he can help.”
“I don’t think…”
“Look, it’s my life that will be in the most danger with this plan, and I am going to do it my way.”
Diarmin knew it would be useless to argue, and if she had an idea of something that would make it less dangerous, he was all for it. He nodded, and they left.
As soon as the door opened, the guards snapped to attention. Diarmin tensed, but she was faster.
“Accompany us to my father.” Without waiting to see if they followed, she began walking with Diarmin right behind her. Fortunately, the guards hadn’t been in the room to hear the broadcast so didn’t doubt her authority. The halls, this far from the security wing, were quiet.
As they reached the king’s rooms, she turned to the guards. “Wait out here.”
“But, Your Highness,” began the woman who was evidently the higher-ranked, ignoring Raahi’s eye roll and sigh. “It is against policy to allow a non-approved …”
“I think my father’s personal guards will be able to deal with anything.”
“I am sorry, but I cannot allow…”
“Fine,” she cut her off.
Diarmin was sure that Raahi, like himself, was becoming aware of a distant commotion and had to hurry.
“You, come in,” she said, pointing to the fellow who hadn’t spoken. “I have reason to believe the king’s life is in danger so Lieutenant, you must guard this door and not let anybody in. Understand? Not a soul. That’s not a request, it’s a command.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” she said, snapping to attention yet again.
Diarmin admired Raahi’s quick thinking as they entered the outer room of the king. As soon as the door closed, she locked it and turned to the other young guard.
“I am sorry, Louis. I’ll explain later.” With a quick motion, she struck a nerve point on the man’s neck, and he fell to the floor unconscious. Diarmin reached for the stun stick still clutched in the guard’s hands and tested his pulse to make sure he was fine. As he hid the stick under his jacket, Raahi continued to the bedroom and entered with no hesitation.
Both of the king’s personal security guards brought their weapons to bear, actual guns, not the stun sticks that the rest of the palace security had. But they lowered them when they recognized her. The king was seated at his desk, working on a pile of papers and data pads.
“My dear Maya, what are you doing here?” he said.
She ignored him, approaching the guards instead. “Ila, something is wrong with Louis. Please check on him.” She locked the door after he left.
Ok, getting rid of another guard is good, but now we are trapped behind two locked doors so how are we going to get out of the palace to initiate plan C?
She turned to the older guard, slightly gray around the temples but still in prime condition. “Jagjit. As a child, I watched you personally risk your life twice to save the king. Once, taking on the wild rhino on safari and second, charging toward that crazed citizen who attacked him and earning a severe wound to your leg. I know I can trust you to protect the king, no matter what happens.”
The man nodded, but the king had his own comments.
“Now, Maya. Don’t let your imagination…”
“Father, I am not imagining anything, and you will soon see what I am talking about. My life is also in immediate danger, and I need to leave.” She had to raise her voi
ce over his protestations. “Only for a short while. This man and his companions have initiated a brilliant strategy that will insure my safety, but I need your help.”
“I don’t think…”
“Father,” she put a hand on his arm. “Please. I know what I am doing and am not a child anymore. But,” and here she grasped his right hand in hers, lining up the tattoos in that extremely intimate bond. “If this works, in only a day or two I will be back forever. You can sing me the old lullabies like you used to every night, and we will remember the days when life was simpler.”
The king folded her hand to his chest. “Very well, dear. What do you need?”
“First, you will listen to this plan and what you need to do. Second, Jagjit needs to move the bed so my friend and I can use that private passage behind it to escape.”
***
Lenore sat at a table of an open spaceport cafe, slowly sipping her drink. Her arm was slung casually on the chair back, which allowed her line of sight to be directly on the stairs that led up to second floor. The large bag next to her feet looked like simple luggage but instead contained everything they needed for Plan C. She had just retrieved it from a storage locker, stashed earlier in case it was needed in a hurry. But they’d had plenty of warning from that broadcast by the idiotic prince. The children were safely back on the ship, and she was relieved to have made it to the rendezvous before Diarmin and Raahi. Just as she began to worry, she saw a familiar blond wig rising up the escalator. They were arm-in-arm, as if a couple, and she was surprised at the strange pang of jealousy at seeing the two laughing together.
When they reached the table, Lenore showed them the globe that disrupted any electronics. Immediately, their arms disconnected and the jealously vanished as the façade dropped. Lenore was mightily impressed with the girl’s ability at disguise. She’d had Lenore’s instincts convinced they were a couple. She would have made a good Xa’ti’al, she thought, then instantly regretted it.
“So, what took you so long?” she asked as they seated themselves.
“I had to change. My outfit would have been easily tracked. The hair was a risk, but we hadn’t much choice. Speed is necessary.”
