by Jim Proctor
Ethan smiled. “Well, we’ll have to remedy that. I could use a riding partner.”
She nodded. “Nolan said as much.”
Ethan began unbuckling the saddle and soon hauled it off Ginger’s back and rested it on the gate. He pulled off the saddle blanket and draped it over the saddle. Two younger men approached and stopped by the gate. One set a metal bucket on the ground just inside the stall.
“Megan, this is Kaleb,” Ethan said gesturing to one of them, “and this is Daniel,” he went on, pointing to the other. “They take care of the livestock, including the horses. Gentlemen, this is Megan. She’s Nolan’s… friend. She’ll be staying with us for two weeks. If you would, please take her bag into the house and give it to Miguel. He’ll know what to do with it. Oh, and tell him Nolan’s not with her, so it will be just one extra for meals.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Kaleb and Daniel,” Megan said.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Megan,” Kaleb said as he picked up her bag. Turning to Daniel, he said, “Take care of the saddle and the blanket.” He turned and headed out of the barn. Daniel smiled at Megan, and then picked up the items and carried them away.
Ethan unbuckled Ginger’s bridle and pulled it down over her face and muzzle, and then gently removed the bit from her mouth. He hung the gear on a hook, and then reached into the bucket and pulled out a brush. “She loves a good brushing after a ride. This will take a while. Why don’t you start by telling me what’s in Nolan’s letter.”
“Oh… well… I don’t really know what he’s written,” she said. He looked at her, and his eyes told her that she should just tell him the story as she knew it. “My husband was a member of the crew of the Independence. Maybe Nolan told you, but he and three other crew members died on their last job.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Ethan said. “Nolan told me about the deaths, and it was in the news, too. He didn’t tell me you were related to one of them.”
“Yes, well, the part that wasn’t in the news was that Carl Wilkins was not responsible for their deaths. We think… Nolan and I, that is, think someone within SACOM was responsible. They used Carl as a scapegoat to cover their negligence.”
Ethan nodded. “I knew something wasn’t right. That story they told about the crew stealing shielding material from the reactor core—there was no way that happened. Carl wouldn’t have endangered them like that.”
“No, he wouldn’t have. That’s why Nolan and I are trying to find out what really happened and who was responsible. We’re sure Carl knows, but he disappeared without any trace a few days after the trial. We want to find him, if we can. I don’t know how much more to tell you, because I don’t want you to know something dangerous should SACOM question you. I think Nolan is a better judge of what to tell you. Maybe you should learn the rest from the letter.”
Ethan continued brushing Ginger without saying anything for a while. Finally, he said, “All right. We’ll leave the rest until I can read the letter. So, which of the…”
“I’m Megan Carson, John’s wife,” she said.
Ethan nodded. “John was a good man.”
“You knew him?” she asked.
“Not personally, but Nolan and Carl told me stories about all the crew members.”
“So you know Carl, then?”
“Sure. He visited here several times with Nolan when he was between contracts. Carl’s a good man, too. Lousy horseman, but a good man,” he said. “Your husband, just like the rest of the crew, was like family to Carl.”
“I know. We were all close,” was all she managed to say. She felt that familiar sting behind her eyes and lump in her throat that said she would begin crying soon if she continued this conversation in the direction it was going. Desperate for a change of subject, she said, “Tell me about Nolan.”
“How far back do you want me to go? I burped him on my shoulder as an infant,” he said.
“You don’t have to go that far back,” she said with a chuckle. “What makes him who he is now?”
“Each of us is the product of our entire life, and the early years are the most formative. To tell you what makes him who he is now, I’d have to start with burping him on my shoulder,” he said with a smile. He looked at her for a moment. “Young lady, before I say anything more about my nephew, I need to understand something. Under the circumstances, this won’t be easy for me, and I don’t think it will be easy for you either. I hope you’ll understand and forgive me.” He stepped around Ginger and began brushing her other side. “You see, I didn’t know who you were until we had this conversation. Nolan wasn’t exactly forthcoming with information. All he told me was that he was coming to visit for two weeks with a lady friend named Megan, and he had something extremely important to discuss with me. I’m sure it doesn’t take much thought to see where my imagination ran with that.”
“Oh, Ethan,” Megan said, “I’m sorry if I’ve disappointed you in any way.”
Ethan nodded. “Then I’m right to assume you and Nolan aren’t romantically involved?”
Megan smiled. “Nolan is a friend.” Ethan continued brushing Ginger, and she thought back to some of the things she had said to Nolan’s neighbors when she was staying with him. She knew how uncomfortable she must have made him, and she was feeling a bit uncomfortable now. “Ethan, I don’t know what to say. Nolan couldn’t tell you anything over a comm link. SACOM might have found out what we are doing.”
He stopped brushing and looked over the horse’s back at her. “Why would SACOM be spying on my nephew?” he asked.
“You don’t know?” she asked. After a moment, she said, “SACOM took Nolan and questioned him for five days. They were pretty rough on him. He told me a little about it. It was mostly mind games, but they tortured him a few times, too. He’s sure they’ll take him again for more questioning sooner or later. They’ll probably be rougher next time. That’s why we set up this visit, to make SACOM think he was visiting you for two weeks so they won’t come looking for him.” She patted her pocket. “I have his data unit with me, in case they are tracking him. We need to buy some time.”
“Buy time for what?” Ethan asked.
She stared at him for a moment. “I think if Nolan wants you to know, it will be in his letter.”
Ethan nodded. “All right. Well, now, Ginger is groomed and ready for a meal.” He dropped the brush into the bucket and walked out of the stall. A few minutes later, he returned with a bucket of oats and poured it into a tray attached to one wall. He stepped out again and came back with a hose that he used to fill a trough. “Let’s go into the house. We can get you settled, and then I’ll read that letter.”
* * * *
Ethan opened a door and stepped aside. Megan walked into the room and turned a full circle, taking it all in. There was a large canopy bed with intricately carved wooden posts finished in a dark stain. A dresser stood against a wall, and a matching desk was under a large window looking out on the orchard. The walls were painted pale green and the sculpted carpet was medium green. A vase full of fresh flowers stood atop the dresser, filling the room with a gentle, calming fragrance. Lavender was one of the scents she could identify.
Ethan stepped into the room. “I hope you like it,” he said.
“It’s wonderful,” she said. “The view of the orchard is beautiful.”
“You have your own full bath through that door. I’m on well and septic out here, so the water pressure isn’t like what you’re used to in the city. The shower is more like a gentle rain than a waterfall.”
“It will be fine, I’m sure. Everything will be fine,” she said.
“Well, if you want anything, just say so. If I don’t have it, Miguel can get it at the village store, or he can order it and have it shipped in.”
“Who is Miguel?” she asked.
“He runs the house, does the cooking, runs errands, and does the shopping.”
Megan smiled. “I won’t need anything. I’m a simple woman with simple
tastes. If I didn’t bring it in my bag, I can do without it for quite a long time.”
“Karra, my late wife, was like that. Never fussed over anything. Took life in stride and made the most of what she had in front of her. I guess that’s why she settled for me,” he said with a smile.
“If you ask me, she was a lucky lady,” Megan said.
“Well, she was happy. I know that much. I did my best, and it always seemed good enough for her. My only regret in life is…” His voice trailed off as he looked into Megan’s eyes and saw his own pain reflected there.
“What’s your one regret?” she asked.
“It’s not important,” he said softly and looked away.
“It’s okay. You can say it,” she said.
He looked at her for a moment, and then said, “My one regret is that I lost her far too soon.”
The smile faded from Megan’s face. She knew exactly what he meant.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything,” he said.
“No, it’s okay, Ethan. I guess we have something in common—a bond, you might say.”
He nodded. “I suppose so. Well now, you’ve had a long trip, and I’ve done nothing but keep you from resting. I’ll leave you to relax for a bit. Lunch will be served at noon. Just come downstairs and follow your nose. Miguel’s a good cook, and I usually take my meals at the kitchen table.” Then, after a moment’s thought, he added, “But we can eat in the dining room if you prefer a more formal meal.”
Megan shook her head. “The kitchen table sounds very homelike. Have you ever read The Lord of the Rings?”
“Many times,” he said.
“I’m sure I’m part Hobbit,” she said.
Ethan looked her up and down with a questioning expression.
“I’m an unusually tall Hobbit,” she said with a smile.
He nodded. “Then the kitchen table will be perfect. I’ll leave you to rest, and I’ll see you for lunch at noon.” He turned and stepped out of the room, closing the door as he went.
* * * *
Ethan hadn’t been kidding when he told her to follow her nose. The aroma of Miguel’s cooking greeted her when she opened her door. Turning right, she went down the steps to the foyer. The smell was strongest in the passageway going to the rear of the house, so that was where she went. Near the end of the hall, an archway on the right opened into a large dining room. The archway on the left led to the kitchen. Miguel was stirring something in a deep pot on the stove. The table was set for two, so apparently Miguel and Kaleb wouldn’t be joining them for the meal.
Ethan strolled down the corridor and stopped beside her in the arch. “I knew you’d find it,” he said.
“It smells delicious,” she said.
“Come in and sit down,” Ethan said.
She walked to the table and sat on the right. Ethan sat across from her. “I love the smell, Miguel,” she said. “What are you making?”
Miguel turned and smiled at her over his shoulder. “It’s beef stew, served over pasta, with steamed fresh vegetables.”
“This is one of my favorites,” Ethan said. “Miguel is a good cook.”
Quietly, she asked, “Won’t he be joining us?”
Before Ethan could answer, Miguel said, “You two have things to talk about, I’m sure. Today, I’ll be having lunch on the front porch.”
“Thank you, Miguel. That’s very thoughtful of you,” Ethan said.
Megan pulled the letter from her pocket and handed it to Ethan. “We keep putting this off.”
He nodded. With a sigh, he tore open the envelope, pulled out the paper, and unfolded it.
Dear Uncle Ethan,
I am sorry I am not there with you and Megan now. There is no place I would rather be. However, I have urgent business to attend to. Something is very wrong, and I think Carl is in trouble. I mean more trouble than just losing everything. I think he may be in danger. SACOM is desperate to find him. Desperate enough to have held me for five days of questioning. From their questions, I gleaned a few bits of information that I’m sure they had not intended to tell me. I think Carl stole something extremely valuable from them, and they want it back at any cost. I don’t have a lot of time, as I suspect they will come for me again for more intense questioning.
You remember how I was before Carl took me in and straightened me out. I was a lost soul. I owe a lot to Carl. I have to help him, and I’ll give anything in the attempt. You know what I mean.
Once I find Carl and get him to safety, I’ll find out what really happened, and who set us up. If anyone knows, he does.
Megan is John’s widow. Take good care of her. She is strong as horseshoe iron, but she is still hurting, as you understand better than anyone. She loves horses, and I know riding will help her to heal.
As you read this, I am stealing the Independence. I’ll need it to find Carl and get him somewhere safe. Don’t worry about me. As soon as you have read this letter, burn it. I don’t think SACOM will bother you, but don’t take any chances. They won’t waste their time questioning you, but they might stoop to searching your place. Burn it, now.
I hope to visit you soon. Maybe after SACOM grabs me next time, assuming they release me.
Nolan
Ethan handed the letter to Megan. After she had read it, she asked, “What does he mean when he says he will give anything in the attempt?”
He looked down at the table for a moment, and then looked straight into her eyes. “He means he’ll give his life trying to help Carl if he has to.”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” she said.
“Me too.”
“What will you do if SACOM comes to get you?” she asked.
“They won’t. Nolan’s right. They know I don’t know anything. If they come here, it will be to shake Nolan up, make him worry about me. I doubt they’ll even do that.”
“And if they do come?”
Ethan smiled, “They can search all they want to. They won’t find anything.” He took the letter from her, pulled a lighter from his pocket, and set flame to a corner of the page. It burned slowly at first, but accelerated as the flame spread across the open page. Just before it reached his fingers, he dropped it and watched it glide gently downward. A small bit of glowing embers was all that reached the floor. A thin wisp of smoke rose briefly before it was gone.
“Lunch is served,” Miguel said as he placed two large bowls of pasta and stew on the table.
“I’m sorry, Miguel, I failed to introduce you two. This is Megan. She’s a friend of Nolan’s.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Megan. If you need anything during your visit, just let me know,” Miguel said.
“Thank you, Miguel. It’s nice to meet you, too,” she said.
Miguel prepared a bowl for himself and then left the kitchen. When he had gone, Megan asked, “Will Kaleb be eating on the porch, too?”
Ethan shook his head. “Kaleb and the other hands don’t live here. They pack their own lunch and eat in the office in the stable. Miguel lives here, and normally takes his meals at the table.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve put him out,” Megan said.
“Not at all. Miguel is my employee, and he likes it that way. He always eats alone when I have company.”
* * * *
It was mid-morning the following day when Megan and Ethan stepped out under a clear, blue sky. Kaleb came from the barn, leading two horses.
“I’ll let you have Ginger. She’s very gentle and even tempered. She’s just the horse for someone who hasn’t ridden in two decades,” Ethan said.
“What is the other horse’s name?” she asked.
“This is Molly,” he said as he took the reins.
Kaleb gave her Ginger’s reins and said, “She’s a sweet beast. She’ll be good to you.”
“Thank you, Kaleb,” she said.
“Mount up, and we’ll be off,” Ethan said as he put a foot in a stirrup and sprang up onto the saddle.
Megan tossed
the reins over Ginger’s head and mounted up. It felt good to be astride a horse again. This was something she really had missed all these years. Ethan gave Molly a gentle nudge with a heel and she began to walk. Megan followed as he guided Molly toward a wide path through the orchard to the south. They rode in silence for a while as Megan acclimated herself to being on a horse again. It was all coming back to her. Well, most of it, anyway. Ginger was walking now, and Megan couldn’t remember if a trot or a canter was the next gait. She laughed at herself, realizing that Ginger knew what gait to use next, and she didn’t know the name either.
After a while, Megan relaxed, feeling comfortable that Ginger would not do anything she couldn’t handle. She looked at the trees for the first time. “Plansons,” she said. “Is the whole orchard plansons?”
“This patch is. I’ve got a patch of peach trees over the hill to the north, and several varieties of apples to the east,” Ethan said.
“Yesterday, you were going to tell me a bit about Nolan,” she reminded him.
Ethan smiled. “What do you want to know?”
“I don’t know… what was he like as a child?” she asked.
Ethan sighed. “You may not believe this, but Nolan was a wild child, out of control, you might say.”
“No way!” she said.
“Nolan is special. He has an IQ of 167. As a child, he was bored in school. By the third grade, it was pretty clear that he wasn’t connecting with the other kids in his class. He tried to get their attention by being disruptive. It worked, and that fueled more disruptive behavior. By the fifth grade, he had to be pulled out of public school and transferred to an accelerated private school. That was when his education took off. His behavior settled down, mostly, and he flew through the curriculum. He was fourteen when he started college. Had his master’s by twenty, and his PhD by twenty-three.”
“I didn’t know he was Doctor Peters,” Megan said.
Ethan nodded. “He earned his second PhD when he was twenty-six.”
“Two? What fields?” she asked.
