Powerless (Book 1): Powerless (22 page)

Carefully
he
carried
it
to
the
table
by
the
window
and
began
to
inspect
it.
Opening
it
carefully,
he removed
the
contents
for
examination.
From a quick inspection he
gathered
it
to
be
a
hard
drive
from
a
computer,
but
he had
never
seen
one
like
this
before.

It
was
the
same
size
as
a
normal
drive,
but
the
markings
on
it
were
very
different
to
any
he
had
seen
before. It
appeared
to
be
military
grade
technology.
He ran
to
his
car
and
grabbed
his
laptop
to
connect
the
device
and
learn
what
secrets
were
hidden
inside.
Swiftly he booted
up
his
laptop
and
connected
it
all
in
a
hurried
panic. Just
before
the
device
powered up,
it
struck
him
how
easily
this
process
had
unfolded.

Lee’s
face
crumpled;
his
brother
would
always
fail-safe
anything
of
importance.
Choosing
to
re-examine
the
device;
carefully, he
opened
it
and
discovered
a
circuit
board
missing.
Lee
exhaled
a
breath
of
relief,
certain
that
if
plugged
in
the
  
device
would
then
most
likely
have
corrupted
any
information
on
it
and
his
brother
would
have
been
lost.
Searching
every part
of
the
cabin
to
find
the
missing
circuit
board
, he
could
not
find
it
or
any
clue
as
to
its
location.
Lee
knew
only
one
person
knew
his
brother’s
thinking
as
well
as
he
did. With
that in mind
he
left
the
cabin.

Lee
took
the
device
and
drove
to
his
father’s
house
to
show
him
what
he
had
found.
Met
by
his
father
who
had
been
tidying
up
the
back
yard,
Philip’s
first
words
to
Lee
were,
“Any
news
on
Tom?”
His
voice
held
concern
that
his
casual
words
could
not
conceal.
Lee
turned
to
his
father.

“Come
into
the
house
and
I will tell you
the
whole
story.” After hearing the whole story, Philip maintained his usual calm, but insisted they he take a look at the cabin himself, determined to not miss anything. Together they drove to the cabin in silence, neither wishing to speculate about what might have happened. They entered and at first Philip could not see anything missing or out of place.

“They took Tom, and he let them take him. Look, there is nothing here out of place, not a thing. You and I know what Tom would have done if he had put up a fight.” This was chilling for Philip to hear, as he knew Tom only went because he didn’t have a choice and this was scarier to him than if he had entered a room that Tom turned over with anger. It was unturned by fear.

Lee reaffirmed what his father was thinking.

“Tom
went
willingly, this panics me!
Knowing him as we do I
know
that
he
would
have
left
a
clue
for
us
to
find
him.”

He went on to explain
about
the
clock
not
working
and
the
device
hidden
at
the
bottom
and
how
only
at
the
last
second
did he remember
that
Tom
would
have
protected
the
information held
on
the
device
and
how
upon
further
examination
he
opened
it
to
see
a
circuit
board
missing.

“…but
there
was
no
clue
as
to
where
the
circuit
board
was.” Lee concluded, dragging his hands through his hair as the weight of this felt heavy on his shoulders.
Philip
was
equally
stuck
in
finding
an
answer
to
where
his
son
could
have
hidden
the
circuit.

Recalling
the
time
on
the
clock,
he
queried
the
meaning
of
it.
“Does
the
time
1.48
have
any
significance
to
us?
I
know
it
does,
I
just
can't
remember
why...”

Philip
took
a
moment
to
think
over
the
scenario
his
son
described
to
him
and
the
numbers
he
had
quoted
to
him.
With
sorrowful
understanding,
his
father
sighed.

“Yes,
but
it’s
not
what
you
think.
It’s
not
1.48.
It’s
13.48
on
the
24hr
clock.”
Philip
paused
and
took
another
breath,
looking
his
son
in
the
eye,
he
instructed
him.
“Get
your
coat
and
come
with
me.”

He did
as
his
father
asked,
taking
his
coat
and
following
him
outside.

They
got
into
Philip’s
car
and
drove
south
out
of
the
town.
About
4
kilometres
out
his
father
turned
left
up
a
small
country
road.
Driving
for
another
few
minutes
they
then
pulled
in.

“I
haven’t
taken
you
here
since
you
were
a
child. It
was
too
difficult
for
me,
in
fact I
am
surprised
your
brother
remembered.”

Lee
peered
out
the
window
at
something
that
resonated
like
a
memory
he
had
lost
and
couldn't
place.
Philip
gestured to him,
“Follow
me.”
Lee
did
as
his
father
asked,
despite
this
being
very
strange
to
him.
They
strolled
up
along
a
wall,
gazing
in
across
the
top
Lee
saw
that
on
the
other
side
was
a
small
graveyard.
With
this
a
memory
of
this
place
began
to
come
back
to
Lee.

Reliving
the
last
time
he
was
here,
that
day
had
sat
in
perfect
silence
much
like
today.
He
could
see
birds
and
a
small
stream
that
ran
down
the
centre
of
the
graveyard.
Despite
knowing
they
were
making
noise,
the
day
remained
perfectly
silent.
Lee
walked
two
steps
behind
his
father
as
a
nervous
child
would;
he
trusted
his
father’s
direction
completely.