Sacred Trust (17 page)

“Well, she seems very nice. And I do like Ruen. We've become good friends, more like sisters really.”

“I'm glad to hear that. I know you've always wanted a sibling.”

I stood up. “Yeah, well, I'll be off to bed now. The three of us are walking together to the police terminal early tomorrow morning before school. I imagine you ambassadors will go together for your implants a little later in the day.”

“Sounds good. See you at breakfast then. Sleep tight.”

I laughed. “As tired as I am, no worries there.” I hugged my Dad and kissed him on the cheek. Good night, Dad.”

“Good night, sweetheart. I'm really glad you're home.”

“Me, too.”

In my bedroom, I called Eonus and told him about our plan to walk together in the morning. We picked a time to meet in the lobby and then I told him about what I'd seen in the kitchen.

“Sound unsure? Father happiness important too.”

“I know, and it's not like I mind him having affections for someone other than my mother; I just wish he'd tell me about it.”

“Give time. Father not want overwhelm, Just home.”

“Yes, you're right. You always are,” I said with a smile in my voice. “See you in the morning, Eonus.”

“Good sleep,
shaunta
.” He'd called me
sweetheart
.

I let Ruen know what time to meet us in the lobby in the morning. Then I fell fast asleep, my dreams filled with all sorts of future possibilities for both myself and my Dad.

* * * *

“Thank you for responding so quickly yesterday, Iseen. We appreciate it,” I said.

Pleased at my statements, our concierge fussed over the three of us before letting us leave.

We met up with Ruen's dad at the police terminal. Taking us to their medical facility, we were immediately injected with the tracking device.

“Now keep out of mischief, at least for a couple of days,” said Kikess, as he escorted us to the entrance. “When will the ambassadors be here?”

“A little later,” I said. “This was way too early for diplomats.”

We all laughed, and then we were on our way to BSU.

At school, the three of us agreed to meet at lunch time. I had things I wanted to discuss—away from our parents.

During my morning classes, I received numerous glances from the other students. But I couldn't decide whether they were sympathetic about what had happened to us, or resentful. Our story had been broadcast everywhere while the police searched for us.

Towards the end of class, while the professor was writing some complicated formula on the overhead, Daro Est sat beside me in our mutual class.

“How are you, Nara? I am glad to see you are unharmed.”

I had an urge to slap his face. “Did you help search for Ruen, Tata, and me?”

“Ah, no. The police had everything under control.”

Daro looked away, and then said, “There is a concert tomorrow night. I think it would be a good introduction to Basilian music.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “Do you remember that incident in the courtyard some days ago?”

“Yes,” he said, hesitantly.

“I saw you there in the crowd. Why didn't you step up and say something to defuse the situation?” I asked.

He didn't answer.

“You don't act like a friend, Daro. So there's no way I'm going to a concert with you.”

The class had only a few moments left, so I grabbed my stuff and stomped off.

I caught my breath at a table in the cafeteria. Ruen and Tata arrived, and as I unpacked my lunch, I said, “What are we going to do next? I want to find those captors of ours or, at least, the place where we were held. Do you guys have any ideas?”

“Do nothing,” said Eonus.

That wasn't likely to happen, but I stayed silent.

“Nara, I think we should look for albinos,” said Ruen. “We have no idea where to even start looking for the place where we were held, especially if it was a spaceship. We don't even have a clue as to who to ask about it. I think my Dad is the one to do that.”

“Agreed,” said Eonus. He wasn't the most adventurous of Arandi, but I knew he would follow along with whatever Ruen and I decided to do just to protect us.

“Where shall we start?” I asked.

Just then, two police officers approached our table. “Eonus Tata, Ruen Kikess, Nara Scotia,” one of them said, “please pack up your belongings and come with us. You are wanted immediately at police headquarters.”

Alarmed, we looked mutely at each other.
What now?

Officer Kikess sat us down in his office at police headquarters. The room gave me the cold, daunting feeling all government offices seemed to generate, but perhaps it was the expression on Ruen's father's face that underscored my feelings of foreboding.

After we were settled, he said, “I have some bad news. Ambassadors Scotia, Tata, and Title are missing.”

“What?” My mind couldn't grasp what Kikess had just said.
I just saw Dad this morning!
Nothing out of the norm had happened.

Before I had a chance to say anything else, Ruen stood up and asked, “Where's Mom?”

“No one knows where they are, daughter. When they never arrived to get their tracking devices, I spoke with your concierge. According to Iseen, the three of them left your building together this morning, apparently in good spirits. I have checked with their respective offices, but they have not been seen.”

“The albinos took our parents,” I said in a panic. “You're the police! Do your job! Find them!”

Eonus took my hand to either console or quiet me, and Ruen shot me a dirty look. Apparently, I'd just criticized her father, but I didn't really care about that right now. I could feel the blood drain from my face, and my palms broke out in a cold sweat.

Kikess clasped his hands together on his desk. “As I said, we have already started looking, in all their normal places. Unfortunately, if they have been kidnapped by the same forces that whisked you away, we currently have a minimal number of places to look. Have you thought of any more information that could possibly be of help?”

He was right—we had no idea where we'd been. And if our parents had been abducted by the same people, the task of finding them might be impossible.

I slumped in my seat, and said, “They didn't get the tracking devices yet, so you can't find them that way. We really don't have any more information about where we were held. We've already told you everything we know. Have you looked in close planet orbit?”

Kikess didn't like my last question. “You don't really—“

I scooted forward on my chair and slammed my fist down hard on his desk. “Yes, I do!” I knew he was going to try to placate me and I wasn't about to let him. “It's at least worth a try, isn't it?”

He sat back in his chair and stared at me while my eyes pled for at least the benefit of doubt. “We'll see,” he finally said. I guess it was the best I was going to get.

“Nara.” The gentleness of his voice and the comforting pressure of Eonus' hands on my shoulders drew me back into my seat, where I could only stare worriedly down at my feet.

“Rest assured, we will do all we can to find them,” Kikess said. “Now, I want you three to return to school. I will have someone escort you. Then, after school, return to your apartments. I will assign officers to watch your lobby from after school until they return you to your classes tomorrow. Now, no excursions on your own. Do not look for your parents; leave that to me. I want you to stay safe and at home, when you are not at school.”

He was asking the impossible and didn't even realize it. “You will send word to us if you find them, right?” I asked.

“Yes, Nara. I promise.” His gaze then shifted to Ruen. “Daughter, I want you to stay in your mother's apartment. It will be safer for all of you with the guard in the lobby. And I do not expect to be home very much.”

Ruen nodded, and looked at Tata and me. I reached out and took her hand in mine. At least she'd be able to stay near us. That should reassure her a bit.

Officer Kikess left to arrange for our transportation back to school.

“I don't like this,” I said. “I need to look for my father.”

“No,” said Tata.

I didn't say anything, but I wanted to kick him.

Throughout my afternoon classes, the time dragged by, my thoughts elsewhere when I wasn't looking at the timepiece on the wall. I let my com record my notes while I watched the clock, the numbers barely moving while I waited to hopefully hear from Ruen's father. Finally, my last class ended, and I met Eonus and Ruen in the courtyard.

“Home,” Eonus said, before I could even say hello.
Blasted!
He knew me far too well. He should also know a firm
no
wasn't going to make me back down.

“
Actually
...” Ruen gave him a peeved look. “I want to investigate The Temple of Enlightenment again. We've not been there for some time, and it is on our way home. Perhaps we can find some clues from where you first ran into trouble,” she said.

“Watchers. Remember?” Eonus said, jerking his head at the lone police guard watching us from a short distance. All three had followed us from our respective classrooms and then two had left a single guard to shadow us on the way home.

I looked at Eonus. “Oh, c'mon. We can lose him easy peasy if we separate before we get to the temple. It's a good idea, and it is on our way home.”

He vacillated, but I knew he wouldn't leave Ruen and me to our own devices. Besides, if the albinos did nab us again, we had tracking devices now. Maybe they would lead us and the police to where our parents were being held, whether it was on solid terra firma or several hundred miles above it.

* * * *

The Temple of Enlightenment presented a different aura to me on this visit. I found the temple had a more relaxing feel about it. Perhaps I wasn't as stressed as during my first visit. Or maybe my mind was just buzzing at a lower frequency. Of course, our previous encounter had involved discovering a dead Basilian on the dais. And then Ruen had forewarned me where my relationship with Eonus was headed. The coincidence of that however was a bit freaky.

The first person we ran into was High Priest Ada Chap. His robes were no less resplendent this time than during our terrifying encounter with the dead Basilian. “Young ones, how are you? The temple is happy you have safely returned,” he said.

Apparently, he remembered us and knew about our disappearance.
Should I be worried?
I wondered.
And, the temple is happy?
What kind of nonsense is that?
However, I thought better of saying anything
. I guess I should just go along with his gobbledygook
.

“Yes, we've been returned unharmed,” I said, “but now our parents, the ambassadors, have disappeared. They haven't perchance shown up here, have they?” I took a wild guess because he creeped me out. The calmness I'd originally felt had deserted me.

“Do not be so silly, young lady. Why would they be here?” he asked.

“I'm just so worried, I'm asking anyone,” I replied.
A slight exaggeration
.

Ada Chap made no response.

“Nara, I need to go home,” said Ruen.

I looked at her. What was she up to? She did look a little off-color.

“I feel ill. Perhaps that is an overreaction, but I think our recent experience has rattled me more than I realized.”

“Sure, let's go home,” I said, putting my arm across her shoulders, I hugged her to me, and the three of us turned around and walked out.

Something was up! After we were some distance away from the temple, I asked Ruen, “So what's really wrong?” I knew she hadn't been entirely truthful.

Ruen rubbed her hands together—a sure sign of agitation. “This may seem strange, but I think the high priest was present during my interrogation. I remember a similar smell. Perhaps from candles or something. Ada Chap most likely had the fragrance on his clothes.”

“Okay, let's go home and talk about it.”

* * * *

When we arrived at our building, we found all three of our babysitters waiting for us, with vexed looks on their faces. They didn't say anything to us however; they merely tailed us into the building's foyer and stood there side-by-side, blocking the entrance behind us.
What? Did they think we were going to run back out?

Iseen met us, wearing a frown. It amazed me how all three of our races had such similar expressions.

“Iseen,” I greeted her. “How are you today?”

“Fine. I am concerned about the ambassadors, though. Is there any word?”

“No, nothing yet. Ruen's father and the police are looking for them. But they don't know if the same people involved in our abduction instigated this one. And since no one knows where we were held, the police are at a disadvantage. But we will keep you updated,” I said.

Iseen pointed to a Basilian police officer. “This fine officer has been waiting for you.”

“You are late,” the policewoman said, scowling at us.

“Oh, we stopped at the riverbed park to try and release some stress. I guess we stayed too long. I'm sorry we worried everyone. We'll make sure to be more punctual tomorrow,” I said.

“Hmmph.” One of the trio behind us grunted his opinion of my obvious fabrications. “They are all yours, Scondo,” he said. “Watch out they do not disappear in three different directions. We will be here in the morning to escort them to class,” he added, obviously a strong hint meant for us.

I looked back over my shoulder at him. “Thank you for taking such good care of us,” I said, giving him an innocent smile that would have melted butter had there been any in the vicinity. He just glowered back at me, making Ruen snicker into her hand.

As our watchers left, we scurried up to my apartment, leaving the policewoman at her station at the inner lobby doors. We knew we could exit the building in one of two other ways if we wanted, but we'd had enough confrontation for one day. At least I had.