The Guardian (The Gifted Book 1) (24 page)

38
Coercion

About an hour after settling into the bushes outside Randell and Daen's apartment, Bestian and Gauvin saw Randell step from the apartment building and approach his car. It hadn't taken them long to find the car the woman had been in. They'd hidden in the bushes, waiting, and now were being rewarded.

As Randell stepped back from the driver's side door, courier bag in hand, he felt the sharp edge of
a blade against his neck. In front of him was one of the men from the previous day, holding a knife, its tip pressed against his abdomen. Or at least he thought it was.

"Get in the car." The language left no doubt who Randell was dealing with. His first thought was to resist
, but with two them, their knives so precariously positioned, he knew he didn't stand a chance, so he did what they said, dropping his courier bag and getting in. The smaller man jumped into the passenger seat and the larger man sat behind Randell, the knife resting on Randell's shoulder.

Gauvin held his knife close to Randell's ribs and gave him directions out of town to a dirt road that disappeared into the woods.

When Randell saw they were taking him into the woods, all he could think of were scenes from the movie
Deliverance
, but he quickly pushed them from his mind. He'd seen the big man slip a piece of paper under his courier bag before getting into the backseat. A ransom letter, maybe? He thought about Daen and actually felt a little relief. These men had no idea who they were up against.

Bestian barked an order from the backseat
, "Pull in here and get out."

Randell cooperated, not wanting to give them any reason to hurt him. The big man shoved him hard in the middle of his back and ordered, "Walk!"

"Bestian, are you trying to kill him now?"

Bestian
. Now he knew one of their names.

"Shut up
, Gauvin."

Now Randell had both names. But what could he do with that information? Nothing. Battle psychology was not his area of expertise.

They hiked into the woods for a while before reaching a small clearing and a campsite.

Bestian ordered Gauvin, "Tie him up."

Gauvin did as he was told. Pushing Randell to sit against a tree, he tied a rope around one wrist and then wrapped it around the tree, securing the other wrist with the other end of the rope.

Bestian squatted by the fire and poked the embers to bring them back to life. "Now we wait."

Randell had a feeling he knew what the ransom letter said, but he thought he would ask anyway. "What are you waiting for?"

"Your pretty little blond; it's her we want."

"What do you want with her?"

Bestian growled, "That's not your business."

Randell watched Bestian's aura grow intense as his emotions raged deep inside.
This one is volatile
, he thought to himself. He looked at Gauvin next.

Gauvin sat a few feet from the fire, quietly poking his knife into the soft earth in front of him. His aura wasn't as intense. His body language supported Randell's suspicions that Gauvin wasn't as agitated as Bestian.

Gauvin watched Bestian to see if he could ask a question without angering him further. Bestian appeared to be calmer, so he ventured forward. "What do you plan on doing with him, once we have the woman?"

Bestian slammed his knife into the ground in front of him. "I haven't decided."

Gauvin had one more question. "What are you going to do if she brings the other one with her?"

Bestian laughed
. "Do you really think people in this world are strong enough to best me?"

Gauvin knew
Bestian hadn't laughed because he was happy. He'd insulted Bestian. "No, No. I was just wondering if you had a plan in case he shows."

"I don't need a plan. If the other one doesn't behave, this one ..." Bestian pointed his knife at Randell, "... gets my blade where he sits."

Gauvin nodded.

Randell swallowed, hard.

~~~

Fifteen minutes later, Daen pulled off onto a narrow dirt path and drove towards the wooded area. Nestled into the brush at the tree line was Randell's car.

Daen pulled over and jumped out. He inspected Randell's car, looking for any sign that Randell might be hurt. The relief at what wasn't there was just enough to allow him to breathe.

Daen returned to his truck and retrieved his duffel bag, dropping it on the driver's seat and unzipping it.

Rhea gasped at the object Daen pulled out. "You're ... you're not going to use that, are you?"

Daen glared at Rhea and slammed the door.

"Wait!" Rhea jumped from the truck and ran to step in front of him. "Wait. It's me they want. If you go storming in there brandishing a huge sword, they'll probably kill him and attack you."

Daen stopped and stared down into her face. Rhea couldn't see Daen anymore. He was ... someone else. He was like the warriors she'd seen with her mother.

Daen clenched his teeth as he tried to stay focused on the task at hand. He was in a state of mind he hadn't been in for a very long time, a state of mind ready for battle. "I know what I'm doing. You stay here."

"N
o! I will not. It's me they want."

Daen stepped around her, not arguing one way or the other. Every minute he spent debating was another minute he lost. He followed the barely discernible path through the woods. After a few minutes he stopped and squatted. Rhea came up beside him and he pressed his index finger to his lips before pointing straight ahead.

They watched the two men for a moment before Daen slipped a small knife from his belt and handed it to Rhea. He pointed to Randell, his wrists, and the knife. Rhea nodded and slowly, quietly crept around the camp to the side where Randell was being held.

Meanwhile, Daen positioned himself behind the larger man and formed an energy ball. As he released the energy ball, the big man dove to the left, out of its way. The stray energy hit the fire and exploded.

In the confusion, Daen jumped from his cover behind a tree, forming another energy ball and throwing it at the smaller man before he could reach Randell. Stunned, the smaller man fell to the ground. Now Daen was face-to-face with the bigger of the two.

The large man held his knife in front of him, ready to defend. "Well
, Well. Look what we have here. Another Luxatran. I'll be paid well." His eyes gleamed with greed. "Where's the woman? I said for her to come."

Rhea had just cut through the rope that secured Randell and was starting to back away when the large man started to speak. Randell slowly stood, trying not to make a sound
, but it didn't matter. He'd been seen.

Randell could see Bestian's rage flare in his aura as he turned to administer punishment on
him for having the nerve to escape.

Daen was faster. He released an energy ball, stunning the man before he could take his second step.

Rhea stepped out from behind the trees and took in the scene.

Daen pointed to the rope. "Split that in two and tie their hands behind their backs."

Rhea and Randell did as he said while Daen stood guard with another energy ball in hand, in case one of the trackers woke up.

Randell stood when he was done and wiped his hands on his
jeans. He waved his hand towards the larger man. "Let me introduce Bestian. And that little one is Gauvin. Ever hear their names?"

Daen studied the bodies on the ground for a moment. "No. I don't recognize them. But it
’s been a long time." He didn’t say since he’d been home. The look Rhea was giving him said he she would take it the wrong way.

Rhea pointed to the trees where she'd been hiding. "From the looks of the trash over there, I'd say they've been here for a while."

Daen nodded. "Four or five months, if memory serves. I believe I felt them enter this world, just as I felt you when you arrived."

Randell kicked Bestian, rolling him over on his back so he could get a good look at the man. "What do you want to do with them?" Randell glanced back at Daen with one brow raised.

Rhea watched their exchange. "Oh no you don't. That's murder. We call the cops."

Randell laughed
. "Just because I know Daen would like to do away with them, doesn't mean he will."

Daen sheathed his sword and picked up the excess rope. "Let's secure their feet. By the time they come to and manage to escape their bonds, we should be out of their range."

“How will they get free?” Rhea asked.

Daen glanced around the camp and noticed a knife stuck in the ground. “There,” he pointed. “We’ll leave that knife. They’ll have to work at it but that should give them the chance to break free eventually.”

Rhea considered Daen’s plan while he and Randell secured the trackers' legs and doused the fire. Part of her didn’t want them to go free. She wanted them locked up for what they’d done but that would mean explaining things to the police she couldn’t explain. Killing them wasn’t an option, but leaving them tied up without a way to escape could mean a slow death if someone didn’t find them.

Rhea finally
admitted to herself that Daen’s plan was the only option.

Thirty minutes later, they were back in their apartment
, finishing up their packing.

Daen's duffel bag lay by the door
, along with an old canvas bag. Randell came out of his room with his courier bag and a small suitcase. Under his arm were tucked the papers he'd graded the night after the creative writing course final.

"I'm going to swing by my office and drop these off." He laid the papers on the table. "You two go ahead. I'll be right behind you."

Rhea didn't like that idea. "I don't think we should separate."

"I agree
," Daen said. "We'll follow you."

Randell shook his head. "They can't sense me
, but Bestian can sense Daen. That much is obvious." He looked at Rhea. "I wonder why he didn’t sense you. Remember he asked Daen why you didn't come as he ... requested? You were right there and he didn't even know.

“I tried to remain calm like you said to do. Maybe Daen’s gift over powered mine? Maybe my gift isn’t very strong,” Rhea rambled.

Randell raised a brow, intrigued by her thoughts. “Anyway, it doesn't matter; they aren't going anyplace soon. I'll be fine."

Daen added, "Yeah. I hit them pretty hard
, but we're still going to follow you." He gave Randell a don't-argue-with-me look.

Rhea was chewing on her lower lip and didn't realize it until she felt a sharp pain. She looked
at Daen. "Can you kill someone with an energy ball?"

Daen held up his hand and looked at it. "I haven't yet
, but I suppose if I hit someone in the chest just right, it could stop the heart."

Randell added, "His mild energy balls sting when they hit you. I'd hate to have been on the receiving end of those he threw today."

Rhea's glance darted between them but landed on Daen. "You've used an energy ball against Randell?"

Daen cringed slightly. "We were training."

Randell jumped to Daen's defense. "It's okay, Rhea. He would never hurt me. Plus, most of the time I was able to dive out of the way. At least I know what to expect if I run into someone who wants to use energy balls against me." He glanced at Rhea's hands and winked.

It took a couple seconds
for Rhea to catch on to Randell's teasing. "I would never ..."

Randell picked up his things and headed for the door. "Let's go."

Daen and Rhea were right behind him.

39
Home

Rhea hadn’t spoken a word during the short trip to the Youngs’ home. The events of the day raced through her mind as she stared out the windshield at Randell’s car bumper, not noticing her surroundings.

As Daen turned into the drive, his truck rocked slightly, knocking Rhea from her trance.
She hadn’t really thought much about what the home might look like but as Daen parked behind Randell and turned off his truck, she suddenly felt safe.

The
quaint two-story farmhouse with a wraparound porch was nestled in a large clearing at the edge of a forest. As she opened the passenger door, the aroma of pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and onions filled her lungs.

Daen
smacked his lips. “Smell that? My mouth is already watering. Pam is a great cook. Come on, you’ll love them.” He gesture to Rhea, encouraging her to follow him.

They entered the front door and passed through the living room and dining room to the kitchen
, where they found Pam at the sink and Ander reading the paper at the kitchen table, still in his tie.

"You made my favorite." Daen's voice filled the room, startling Ander and causing Pam to jerk around.

"Daen! Randell!" Pam wiped her hands quickly and walked over to give both a hug. "You scared the tar out of me."

Randell commented, "Well if you didn't have the television up so loud, you would have heard us come in."

Ander picked up the remote and muted the set. "Who do we have here?" He was looking past Daen to the blond woman standing at the entrance to the kitchen, looking out of place.

Daen stepped to the side to present Rhea. "Ah. This is her. The woman I'm supposed to help." He announced it like it was her title. "Rhea Canton. I understand her Luxatran name is Terrwyn Gaulette."

"Rhea." Pam extended her hand, "I am so happy to meet you, finally. We've been waiting a long time."

"It's nice to meet you too." Rhea winced. She felt like a late guest of honor to an event she
hadn't known anything about.

Ander extended his hand
. "I'm Ander, Randell's father. Did I hear Daen correctly? Your last name is Gaulette?"

Rhea wasn't sure what her Luxatran last name would be. "That's my biological mother's last name."

Ander tipped his head to the side as he took in Rhea. "Well, isn't this an interesting turn of events."

Pam grabbed the lid to the roasting pot from Daen's hands. "Get away from that." Returning the lid to the pot, she shooed Daen away. "Go set the table. Dinner will be ready shortly."

Ander excused himself. "I'm going to shower and change. But when I get back, I want to hear more about Rhea's Luxatran mother." He gave Rhea a smile and left the kitchen.

Pam motioned to Rhea to a chair. "Please sit, make yourself comfortable. Would you like some coffee, tea, juice ... oh
, what else do we have ... cola?"

"Thank you. Coffee would be nice."

Pam pulled a mug from the cupboard and poured. "Sugar and cream are already on the table if you need it." She placed the mug and a spoon in front of Rhea.

"Thank you."

Daen and Randell set the table and then joined Rhea with their own cups. Ander walked back in a few minutes later, his hair wet from the shower, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

Pam said, "Sit down. Dinner's ready."

Dinner was dished up and everyone had a few bites before the questions started.

"So ... are you going to tell us the story behind finding your mysterious woman?" Ander winked at Rhea.

Randell told them about their coincidental meeting in the class he took over for Professor Campbell, and about their meeting at the coffee shop, twice.

Rhea explained their encounter with the trackers and how they
'd gotten a way.

Daen talked about his reunion with Lanne Raisal Gaulette, the woman he'd left behind. Rhea
explained how Lanne had hidden herself as Grennal and had been her friend for most of her life.

Rhea continued, "And when Lanne returned with orders from the king, she brought Gaibel Gaulette, a commander in King Argeon's royal forces and my biological mother."

Pam lowered her fork slowly to her plate. "You're kidding. Talk about a small world. Did you ever find out why you were put in this world?"

Rhea nodded, "Apparently,
when I was an infant, the king felt I was in danger, and Gaibel agreed to hide me. I can't imagine what that must have been like. The pain I saw in her eyes when I saw her in the shadows ... it would explain the frequent status requests."

Pam concluded, "I guess it makes sense for Lanne to hide you. I suspect Gaibel wouldn't hide you with just anyone."

Rhea nodded, "I suppose. I won't know for sure what kind of danger would warrant such measures until I have a chance to talk to Gaibel, and that won't be until ... maybe Monday or so."

"Oh! Are they coming here?" Ander looked anxious to meet some of his relations.

Daen answered, "No, we're going there. If weather and the moon shadows cooperate, we're leaving Friday night."

Pam and Ander glanced
at one another, silently acknowledging that the time had come for Daen to leave.

"Rhea, how are your
adoptive parents handling the news?" Pam took a sip of her tea.

Rhea glanced
at Daen and Randell before answering. "They don't know yet."

Randell chimed in, "They don't understand that she's ... different."

Pam looked concerned. "You've never told them?"

Rhea shook her head. "I learned when I was nine that they weren't going to accept what I can see in the shadows as real. They almost sent me to a doctor to 'cure my vivid imagination.'" Rhea rolled her eyes. "I don't blame them. If I were in their shoes and couldn't see the unbelievable, I'd probably seek help for my child as well."

Ander asked, "I assume you're going to call them soon?"

Rhea nodded. "I need to call them tonight
, actually, but I don't know what I'm going to say. I don't think 'Hi. I'm not coming home because I'm going to another world you don't believe exists' would go over well." Rhea shook her head slightly.

Pam started to clear the table. "Would you like my assistance when you call them? We can talk to them together; help them understand."

"That would be nice. I confess I'd hoped you could help."

"I have another way to help them believe." Randell picked up some dishes and carried them to the sink. "Why not invite them here and they can watch you practice your gift and then later, watch you walk into the shadow and disappear. That will definitely convince them."

Rhea was stunned by the idea but liked it. "That might just work. They're scientists; they can't deny what's right in front of them." Rhea looked to Pam and Ander. "Are you okay with them coming here?"

Pam patted Rhea's hand. "Sure. Anything to help."

"Thanks." Rhea pulled her cell phone from her back pocket. "I think I'll call them now. If you'll excuse me?" Rhea stepped out onto the back porch.

Ander watched Rhea leave the kitchen. "If Randell had to tell us he was leaving and we might not see him again, we'd come running." Ander's glance towards Randell spoke with love and warning that he should never try to disappear without saying goodbye.

Daen nodded his head at Randell, indicating now was the time.

Telling his parents he was going with Daen and Rhea wasn't something he looked forward to but he had no choice. "Dad. Mom. On the topic of leaving." He glanced at Pam and then Ander. "Um ... I'm going with them."

Pam and Ander's eyes went wide. Pam struggled to speak, her mouth opening and closing several times until she could manage one word. "Why?"

Randell wanted to keep it simple and say
“Because I want to" but that wouldn't be right. And besides, it wasn't the full truth. "It's something I feel I need to do. I've been training for this moment for most of my life."

Before Pam or Ander could respond to Randell's reasoning, Rhea's voice drifted through the screen door
, and she didn't sound like she was having any luck.

~~~

"Mom? Hey, it's me. Is dad around? I need to ask you both something."

Christine had spent the last five months mulling over the encounter they'd had with Rhea regarding her biological parents. Each call had been tense
, but Christine had refrained from saying anything because Rhea hadn't sounded like she needed to talk. The tone in Rhea's voice this time seemed different, and Christine couldn't keep quiet any longer. "Is this about your biological parents?" Her voice sounded strained.

"Kinda. Is he there?"

"Hold on, I'll get him." Rhea could hear their muffled voices but couldn't make out what they were saying.

Brian's voice came on the line. "What's up?"

"I've made some discoveries about where I came from and I'd like to share them with you, but I can't do it over the phone. I need to see you."

Before Rhea could continue, Christine interjected, "You can tell us when you get here. You're coming home tomorrow, right?"

"No. You see, I'm not coming home, not for a while. I'm at a friend's house right now and we're planning a trip. I was hoping you could come here and let me tell you what's going on."

Brian sounded skeptical, "Where's here?"

Rhea told them where the Youngs lived and that she thought it would take them a couple hours to get there.

Brian said, "I think you can tell us when you get home. You can leave for wherever you're going after you come home."

Rhea's voice became strained. "I can't come home, Dad. This is important; please do this for me."

Pam stepped out onto the porch and opened her hand for the phone.

"Dad, hold on for a sec."

Rhea handed Pam the phone. "Mr. and Mrs. Canton? Hi, I'm Pam Young."

Brian responded, "Hello, Pam. I'm Brian. Can you tell us what's going on?"

"It's a long story and one that should be shared in person."

Christine asked, "How does Rhea know you?"

"She knows my son
, Randell, from the university."

Christine didn't want to know
, but then she had to know. "Are you her biological mother?"

"No
, no. But part of the story we wish to share does involve her."

Brian said, "We think she should come home. Could you please put her back on the phone?"

"Forgive my intrusion in what's obviously a family matter, but it's best that she stays here. You'll understand when you get here. Please trust us."

Christine's voice sounded alarmed
. "Is something wrong? Is she hurt?"

"She's fine
, but we do need you to come here, please."

The voices on the other end became muffled as Pam waited for them to come back on the line.

Brian was the first to speak when they came back on, "We will come get her tomorrow."

Ignoring the implication in Brian's statement, Pam said, "That's good news, thank you."

Christine asked, "What is your address, please?"

Pam gave them the house address and handed the phone back to Rhea.

"So you're coming? When are you leaving?"

Christine answered, "We'll head out in the morning, around 9:00 or so."

"Thanks, Dad, thanks, Mom. I'll see you soon."

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Pam had already gone back inside to deal with the same news the Cantons were about to receive
, only their news was bigger and was going to be even harder to swallow.

Rhea needed some time to herself to think. She stood on the porch and looked out over the large backyard and the trees that surrounded the property. It was beautiful here, not unlike the scenes she'd seen in the shadows. It was no wonder Raisal had wanted to live here.