by F Stone
He touched her hair lightly and asked, “What’s on your mind?”
She hesitated, struggling with an internal conflict. She stood up and walked toward the ship’s railing, and Sam followed her. He tried to be patient until he glanced at his watch.
“We don’t have much time. I have to put you back in safekeeping and head to the airport.”
Sidney appeared lost in the distant Hawaiian mountains. She nodded as if receiving advice from the island’s spirits. Her eyes filled with tears.
“Sam, you can’t come back to the ship.”
“Explain.”
She replied as if still in her trance. “Once you’ve taken your boys from the admiral, he’ll have no advantage over you. The admiral’s paranoia runs deep. And there are others, a woman, who considers you a great risk away from the admiral’s control. You know too much. You may suffer the same fate as Joy. Take your boys and disappear with them. Please don’t come back to this ship.”
“Do you see some prediction?”
“Only a basic sketch. More of a feeling than a clear picture of the future. Admiral Garland isn’t the real threat. And I believe there are those who are not worthy of your trust.”
Sam shook his head. He knew that his life hung on a precipice and every step must be carefully placed.
“My son’s lives are all that matter. You don’t know how they’ve changed since living under a strictly regimented household. I’ll do whatever it takes to get them out of there. And I’ll be coming back. End of discussion.”
“I can get off this ship myself. I have other resources. Once the Nonnah is docked in New Seattle, I — ”
He kissed her forehead and led her toward his office. The kiss had been effective before at distracting her. His motives for coming back to the ship were clear in his mind. If necessary, he’d be paying for his freedom with the transfer of Sidney to Admiral Garland — not as a prisoner, but as a powerful ally — or so the admiral would be led to believe.
Sidney stepped away from Sam. The kiss had been mechanical. She recognized his manipulation and refused to be swayed. She brushed aside her annoyance and centered herself.
Finding her center in her Guardian soul, she said, “Whatever you’re planning, don’t forget the higher good. Whatever action you create in the universe will return to you, and you’ll suffer the consequences of any harm done to others.”
“Right.” He was only half listening to her. With each passing minute he felt the shackles of the past year slip away. Nothing would get in his way now.
“Sam, you’re not listening!”
Sam smiled at her and stepped into his office.
Sidney trailed along behind him. “They’re going to kill you!”
“I’ve never run from a fight.” He went to his desk and activated his computer and security systems.
“You need to think of your boys. They need you more than ever.”
Sam’s guilt about his failure in not being a better dad exploded to the surface. “Don’t start telling me what a lousy father I’ve been!”
“That isn’t what I meant.”
There was a knock at Sam’s door.
“Come in!” he shouted.
Commander Moon entered. “Everything okay, Captain?”
Sam straightened into his officer’s posture. “Yes. How are the repairs coming along?”
“The engine’s purring like a grouchy old lion, and the deck’s temporary repairs are done, at least as much as we can do here. Got sheets of plywood covering the bigger holes. I’ve advised New Seattle Naval Base that more permanent deck repairs need to be scheduled when we arrive. You’re ready to disembark, sir?”
“Not quite. I’ll be off in twenty minutes. I’ll see you at the gangplank.
Just before the commander left, he set a bright yellow shopping bag on Sam’s desk.
“This just arrived for you, sir.”
Sam checked his E-mail. The officers had returned to the ship and were reporting all systems ready for return to sea.
“The Nonnah is ready and so am I. Let’s go.” Sam firmly displayed military conduct. He was brisk and in control.
“Sam, I’m sorry. I don’t believe you’re a lousy father.”
Sam studied Sidney momentarily. “You see something in your crystal ball?”
“Not a crystal ball. My intuition … and other ways.” She moved close to him. “Have you packed all your things? Your crystal and Celeste’s feather?”
“No. Just going to use my wits and a dab of gun powder, if necessary.”
“No, Sam!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll just put a little dent in the admiral’s armor. Nothing fatal.” Sam paused, and then went to his desk and retrieved the feather and the crystal.
“Here, you take my crystal, and I’ll bring the feather. Feel better?”
“No, you’ll need the crystal more than me.”
Sam tossed his crystal and the envelope with the feather into his suitcase. Picking up his luggage and the bag Moon had delivered, he led her out to the main deck.
“We have to take a bit of a detour. Watch your step,” he said as he pointed to sheets of wood lying on the deck.
“Sam, will the routine stay the same? Will I have my meals in the boardroom?”
Sam led Sidney to a stairway, and they descended.
“I’ve advised Rhett to ensure a guard is with you at all times. It’s his call about the meals. He may decide to modify things. I’ve asked Lorna to keep track of you. I mean … ”
“I know.”
They reached Sidney’s cell and greeted the guard. Sam opened the door and led her into her room, flicking on the ceiling light before shutting the door behind him.
“Commander Moon will be the only one who can open this door. By the way, he knows about your ability to unlock things. All the officers know. It was necessary to ensure they were diligent.”
“Uh huh. What else do they know about me?”
Her eyes conveyed the love she had for him, and it softened his resolve. Sam pulled her close.
“That you’re a very, very strange woman.” He kissed her lips softly and stepped away. “Sidney, will you tell me anything more about your activity on the base or how I can help?”
“No, Sam.”
“Didn’t figure you would. Had to ask one more time, just in case. Here’s a small gift.” He handed the yellow bag to her.
“This is for me?” she asked, her eyes wide.
Sam’s comlink sounded. “Captain, your driver’s here.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Sidney put her nose close to the inside of the bag. “It has a wonderful, light fragrance.”
“It’s frangipani blossoms, temple tree. Hawaiians call it plumeria. Often used in weddings, I guess. Supposed to have special significance.”
“Oh, Sam,” she whispered. As she pulled the pale green, fragrant, pillar candle out of the bag, petals of fresh yellow blossoms tumbled out and fell at her feet. She set the candle in its crystal base, shaped like the plumeria blossoms, on her side table. She scooped up the fragrant petals from the floor and placed them around the candle.
“Here, I’ll light it for you. You can keep the lighter. Just don’t burn down my ship, okay?” He tried to sound serious, but failed.
Sidney’s smile touched him deeply. There was no escaping her allure and the way his rule book vanished at the mere thought of kissing her. He shut off the ceiling light.
“Thank you, Sam. It’s so beautiful.”
He grinned. “So I don’t have to take it back?”
She shook her head, wiping away a tear. “I love you, Samaru Waterhouse.”
He paused momentarily. “I know.” In the soft candlelight, he kissed her one more time — a long, passionate kiss. Then he released her.
Sidney stepped back and looked intently into his face. She assumed the role of a sage Guardian, wise and powerful.
“Trust your intuition. Know that you have guides
who will help you. All you have to do is ask. Open yourself to their messages. You have access to far more power than you’re conscious of right now.”
He grinned. “What, more feathers under my bed?”
She remained steadfast. “Celeste and others — they will be there for you, always. Above all else, trust your intuition.” She lightly tapped his chest over his heart. “It will lead you to the higher good.”
Opening the cell door, he glanced back to see her standing in the candlelight. Its warm glow shimmered on the gray walls and onto Sidney’s warm brown hair and silhouette. He burned the image into his memory.
“I’ll be back, Sidney.”
She hesitated to respond. She was holding on to every last moment and putting it away for safekeeping. She stood tall. Softly, she whispered, “I’ll be here, Sam.”
He shut the door, activated the locking mechanism, and reassured himself that Sidney would remain safe during his absence. She was invincible. Every time someone tried to destroy her, she survived through her powerful connection with her legion of gods.
Sam rented a car when he arrived at the New Seattle airport early Saturday afternoon and drove to the Naval Base. He dashed through the rain into the base administration building. Inside, the security staff met him.
“Check in here, sir,” said the guard.
Sam offered his hand to the scanner. He left his luggage behind the security desk and ensured his pistol was secure in its shoulder harness. He had a meeting with the admiral in half an hour. In the meantime, he wanted to retrace Sidney’s path. He stood where she hid under the steps at the subbasement and thought it strange no one had seen her. On the basement level he found the storage room.
Searching the room for anything out of the ordinary, he discovered an old desk and tried to open the drawers. One was stuck. He worked at the drawer to see why it was jammed and eventually freed a piece of cardboard that had been wedged along its side. Inside he found Sidney’s shoes and gloves. So this is where you left your shoes, he thought. He noted the grease on the gloves and wondered where she’d been. He put the shoes and gloves back in the drawer and made his way to the stairwell.
As he headed up to the admiral’s office, he felt in control. The admiral was going to have to swim for his life, drowning in his paranoia. A few suggestions implicating Butchart, and the admiral would be his. Sam felt anger well up. He’d get his revenge and his life back.
As he stepped into the admiral’s office, his heart beat rapidly. He took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and let it go. Quickly, he stepped up to Admiral Garland’s desk and stood at attention.
“Captain Waterhouse reporting, sir.”
“At ease.”
Admiral Garland remained seated at his desk. From the position of his military throne, he looked Sam over. He tapped the desk with a pen and did his best to sneer and thrust the weight of his authority in Sam’s direction. Sam had the impression that the man had shrunk and aged since the last time he’d seen him, only a couple months earlier.
“Let’s get down to business, Waterhouse. It appears you may have found a connection between Captain Butchart and the prisoner. He did become agitated when I asked about these so-called Guardians. However, it doesn’t prove any disloyalty.”
Sam swallowed his hostility. “Admiral, Butchart is a Guardian. I know this without any doubt. How do you know he’s never used his unusual abilities to manipulate you? Perhaps I wasn’t clear in my reports about just how powerful these people are.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake. Butchart has yet to display any unusual tricks other than getting the truth out of liars.”
“Not tricks, Admiral. I assure you. You won’t find these people in a carnival. They live in secret, isolated from government controls. If he hasn’t told you about his past, you can’t trust him, sir.”
Admiral Garland burst out of his chair, sending it skidding back against the wall. “Captain Butchart is far more loyal and trustworthy than you.”
Sam leaped out of his chair.
“Would you bet your career or your life on it, Admiral?” Sam paused to let the remark strike its mark. “If you had special powers, if you could manipulate energy and move things, could you resist using it to gain wealth and power?” Sam lowered his voice. “Admiral, has there ever been an incident when you wondered how something happened, something connected with Captain Butchart?”
Admiral Garland hesitated. He moved away from his desk. Sam stepped forward, pressing for an answer.
“Anything, Admiral. It would’ve appeared sudden, without any known cause — perhaps thought of as an odd coincidence at the time, simply a random occurrence.”
Admiral Garland waved his hand in the air. “Hell, things like that happen all the time. Doesn’t mean shit.”
Sam could see the admiral was trying to shrug off something. Something bothered him. It was time to let his doubts fester on their own and change tactics.
“Admiral, there’s something else you need to know. Your secret project is in jeopardy.”
“What secret project?”
Sam lowered his voice. “A certain file you call Thy Kingdom Come. The file my wife discovered, the one that ultimately caused her death. I never knew the significance behind that file until I got our prisoner to talk.”
The admiral eyed him suspiciously. “And what does she have to do with this so-called file?”
“She found it in your computer!”
The admiral smirked. “Now I know you’ve gone over the edge, Waterhouse.”
“Sir, just listen, please. That file refers to a proposed new energy source, sun crystals.” Sam watched the admiral’s reaction. His eyes had lit up at the words sun crystal. “According to our prisoner, some people believe these sun crystals are powerful.”
“Captain Waterhouse, I’m beginning to believe either you’ve become mentally deranged or soft headed over that prisoner, or both!”
“Do you recall when I reported that the prisoner gave a demonstration on how she was able to unlock doors?”
The admiral glowered. “Go on!”
“Sir, she did that without any crystal. She doesn’t need it. Both she and Captain Butchart have a paranormal ability to perform magic. It’s not sleight of hand or some illusion, sir.” Sam began his tactic to lead the admiral down the wrong path. “Sir, those crystals I’ve been transporting to you are little more than circus props.”
Sam noted that the admiral was making every effort to appear not affected. He restrained himself from pacing as he normally did when agitated.
“Waterhouse, the military has been supporting a variety of research activities. I assure you we’re not spending valuable resources on ‘circus props.’”
“Admiral, cults and gypsies having been toting crystals around since the dawn of time. Are you sure you haven’t been misled to support a hocus pocus operation? I know your scientists have been studying these crystals and may have had some success. Is that not so?”
Admiral Garland became flushed at the insinuation of being duped.
“Captain, we, er, I am preparing to demonstrate a new energy source that will revolutionize the entire planet. I wouldn’t risk appearing the fool if I wasn’t certain the government will be impressed. And if it happens to include an unusual form of energy, what of it?”
Sam wondered just who “we” was. “And will Frank Butchart play a part in that demonstration?”
“The what, who, and how are classified, Waterhouse.”
“Sir, I’m betting the scientists have experienced success only when Captain Butchart is present during the experiments. He’s a Guardian, Admiral. He has powers like Sidney. Your scientists’ claims regarding the crystals are bogus. It’s Butchart, sir. When a Guardian stokes up his mystical fires, it appears as if the crystal is doing the work. They glow, but that’s the trick, sir. The real power is coming from the Guardian, not that rock.”
Sam was sure he was creating doubt in the admiral’s mind, perhaps to the p
oint of postponing the demonstration. He had no doubt the admiral was going to go a few rounds with Butchart before the weekend was over.
The admiral’s comlink sounded, announcing an incoming call. He took a breath and slowly released the tension from his face.
“Waterhouse, we’ll continue this talk at another time. You’re coming by the house to pick up the boys, correct? Perkins will accompany them, as you know.”
“Yes, fine. Taking my boys out for supper tonight and then to the sailing races tomorrow.”
After being dismissed, Sam returned to the storage room to retrieve the gloves and running shoes he’d found earlier. He stuffed the gloves into a pocket in his blazer and folded the jacket around the shoes, making sure they were concealed.
21. Savannah’s Gift
Late Afternoon, Saturday, July 13: As soon as he arrived at his hotel, Sam placed a call to the police station. Once he was connected to Clay’s comlink, the two men agreed to meet for coffee.
At first Sam said little to Clay about Sidney or his role as the admiral’s executioner. He had to test the waters to see if he could still trust the detective. He talked about ports, the ship, his crew, and his boys. After a while, Sam sat back in his chair.
“You were right, Clay. Should have taken my boys and disappeared. Never thought the admiral would’ve been so desperate.”
“Uh huh.” Clay leaned forward. “Sam, I got this niggling feeling in my gut.”
“Like what?”
“You’re not here just to spend a few days with your boys.”
Sam remained quiet and waited for the detective to continue with his theory. Clay also sat quietly, staring at Sam.
Sam grinned. “You know, this coffee’s a hell of a lot better than the last one you bought me.”
“Sam!”
“Yes?”
Clay groaned. “Oh, you military sorts.”
Sam leaned forward and whispered. “I know. We clam up tighter than a bull frog’s ass.”
The two laughed, but Clay didn’t drop it. “Sam, what have you got up your sleeve?”
