The Journey of Rick Heiden - Chapters 15 and 16
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This novel contains 50 CHAPTERS, and every post will have 2 chapters each.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Cadmar spoke in a weak voice. "Pearce can do it, and I can help him."
Everyone turned to Cadmar. Maggie and Julien then saw Cadmar's eyes and how their appearance was like Amare's. I saw the familiar expression on their faces as they stared into them. "Pearce!" Cadmar said, raising his voice. "What's the matter with you? Someone needs your help."
Although not well, Pearce awoke from his preoccupation. At that moment, he tried to concentrate on someone else. "I need two blankets, a few towels, alcohol, scissors, all the tweezers you have, a sharp knife, and bandages if you have them."
Maggie had all the items, except the bandages; they made do with strips of clean sheets. They had placed Aiden on the floor upon one of the blankets and laid the other on his upper body to keep him warm. They carefully cut away his pant leg. Cadmar, with his amazing eyes, said he could see the bullet. It had lodged at an angle, indicating an indirect hit, like a ricochet off the lab's cement floor. Cadmar said if the slug had hit him directly, it would have shattered his femur because he could see Aiden's Foundational Enhancement had not completed itself. As it stood, no damage occurred to the bone. Despite the bullet's shallow depth, Pearce had to cut it out. The nanos in his body should take care of any potential infections, and rapidly heal the wound, but the foreign object blocked their ability to do that. The removal seemed straightforward, but we had nothing to give Aiden for the pain.
Maggie had quietly cried, and I tried not to. Aiden, quite characteristically, never complained. He said it hurt, but more to let us know that he had pain than anything else. He continued to astonish me with how much he could tolerate. However, I feared the removal would prove too much, even for him.
Maggie could no longer watch without helping. She kneeled beside him, held his hand, and whispered, "I am here for you." He looked at her and tried to smile.
The ceramic-bladed paring knife she gave Pearce came from a set she brought from France. It cut like a razor. Pearce put alcohol on the blade, the tweezers that he selected, the surgical site, his hands, and the wound, which made Aiden wince. Just before Pearce, guided by Cadmar, began to cut into Aiden's leg, Maggie kissed Aiden to distract him. Lacking a sense of ghoulish curiosity, once the incision started, I refused to watch. I faced the other way, David's arm around me and my forehead against his shoulder. Aiden barely made any sound, but it had to hurt.
"It's out," said Pearce, and I watched as they began to wrap Aiden's leg.
"You did well, Aiden," said Cadmar.
It hadn't bled much. Maggie continued kissing Aiden.
Pearce spoke, "Thank you, Cadmar, I could not have done it alone."
Maggie ended her kiss with Aiden. I noticed he had a tear running into his hairline.
"Thank you," Aiden whispered to Maggie, and she whispered into his ear. He tried to smile despite the pain and nodded. "Later," he said. He got up on both elbows, his face pale. "Well, chaps, will I live, you think?"
Cadmar glanced at Maggie. "We'll make sure you do."
"Thank you, both," said Aiden.
"You're welcome," said Pearce.
"I'm glad I could help," said Cadmar.
"Cadmar," said David, "may Rick and I speak to you for a moment?"
He slowly got to his feet,
"Aiden, I'm sorry not to include you," I said.
He waved a weary hand dismissively. "It's fine."
We helped Cadmar down the hall to the bedroom and sat him on Maggie's bed to conserve his energy. He had been out of the loop for some time, so we caught him up as best we could. David told him of the experience the Americans had put Pearce through, and it upset Cadmar.
"How did the British treat you?" David asked.
"Not 'that' bad," said Cadmar. "I got struck hard by the car and became unconscious --or semi-conscious, as you say-- for a while. When I awoke back to normal, they had me where you found me. They hadn't experimented on me that I know of, but they took samples of all the body fluids they could think of and ended up extracting as many nanos from me as they could. I'm experiencing nano depletion; I don't feel well. But now I know why Pearce acts as he does, and he looks terrible. They must have taken far more from him."
"What's nano depletion?" I asked.
"After a while," said David, "your body relies on the nanos to perform various biological tasks. If someone loses a significant quantity, like with Cadmar and Pearce, it takes a long time to replenish them without drinking more nano-suspension. Because your body requires them for certain bodily processes, and you haven't enough for the job, you get ill. When severe enough, nano depletion can kill you."
When the conversation ended, we emerged to find Aiden sitting on the chaise lounge with his feet up. He had improved, so the nanos in his body were doing their jobs as rapidly as possible. He said the pain level had decreased with the bullet out.
With our mission accomplished, the question remained, when would we leave for the portal? Aiden needed to stay off his leg, so we decided to go at 7:00 p.m., allowing him to rest and for us to avoid the afternoon traffic.
Late that afternoon, the rain had stopped, the overcast grew darker, and night would soon fall. We ordered the delivery of a staggering quantity of food. We had enough for a small army and required several delivery people to bring it to the door.
Five of us ate at Maggie's table, but Maggie insisted on sitting with Aiden on the chaise. As they ate, Aiden practiced his broken French, much to Maggie's delight.
Maggie and Aiden had more going on than was said, but I couldn't complain. I carried much of the responsibility for that. I had given them both, as Maggie said, the Rick 'Seal of Approval', and they trusted me. During our meal, when David and I noticed the considerable amount of food Maggie was packing away, we knew they had not limited the previous evening to merely talking.
"Did you send the recording you and I made to your people?" David asked Julien.
"Oui (Yes)," he said, "I still await a reply."
"What do you think they will do?" I asked David.
"I hadn't intended the message to allay anyone's fears, but to relay the truth," David said. "It's difficult to say what they'll do. Humans here can be volatile; they don't always appreciate brutal honesty."
"What you told them will hit them in the one place that will make them listen," I said, "their wallets."
"What do you think they might do, Julien?" David asked.
"I cannot say how they will react," he said, "but it worries me."
I saw that Julien wore a wedding ring. He had a spouse, and I suspected he would not want to go with us. He seemed like a nice man, but if he were faking it all for any reason, I couldn't imagine the purpose.
"I see that you're married," I said to Julien.
"Oui (Yes), eight years now," he said.
"Ever thought of moving?" I asked.
He looked at me. "You mean to Jiyu? It's my understanding you have no need of policemen there, and I am a policeman."
David smiled. "Even when you drive the getaway car?"
"As you told me," Julien said, "it was a rescue mission, one that my superiors would support. However, I suspect this world will find itself in a predicament with you. You have the distinction of being the first official non-citizens of this world. They will have much debate about how to treat you. The more peaceful nations will view you as friends and potential allies. As it is on their soil, the British are considering proclaiming the portal as their own, from what we heard. The Americans will want control of the portal and everything on the other side."
"They will find that difficult," said David, "we can defend ourselves."
"No doubt, your people have advanced technology," he said, "but I see one thing you lack."
"And what is that?" Cadmar asked.
"The capacity for guile. The fact that you do not think in those terms does you credit, but when it comes to dealing with the people here, if you cannot recognize when someone dupes you, that is to your detriment."
"Are you saying we're gullible?" I asked.
"I would not use that word," he said. "You are neither foolish nor stupid. I would say, naive. You have inexperience in dealing with unscrupulous people. You gravitate toward seeing the best in others, and that is wonderful, but you could not deal with humans in positions of power without first cultivating a far more suspicious nature."
"Have you considered helping us in that regard, so we can help you?" David asked.
"I would never presume to have the ability," said Julien.
"Why not?" I asked. "As a detective, I should think you're eminently qualified for suspicion."
Julien laughed. "That's flattering, but no. My qualifications are on another level."
"Oh no," Aiden burst out.
"What's wrong?" asked David.
"Will it rain again?" I asked.
"I thought I should make a quick scan of the local news. They're reporting that military troops, both British and American, have gathered at the park at Painshill. They've cordoned off the area, and they will allow no one into the park until further notice. The comment section beneath the article has ridiculous speculations as to what's going on there. I see rumors of a downed aircraft, some say spacecraft, that either crashed or landed there. Some have said that they saw a bright light in the area early yesterday morning and in the past."
"Let me see." David rose to take Aiden's mobile, then returned to his seat.
"So, we can't go home?" Pearce said, becoming distraught.
"Calm down, Pearce." --David placed a hand upon the top of his-- "I need time to think. The article says it began before noon yesterday, that figures --the portal isn't exactly subtle at four o'clock in the morning. Well, they can't access the portal, but with their presence at the park, neither can we."
"So, that's why it didn't matter to them if you rescued me," said Cadmar. "They had already planned to trap us here."
"They certainly seem adamant that if we plan to leave for home, we must go through them," I said.
David glanced at me. "If only we could have gotten the portal to follow us, the way it did the ancients on Jiyu."
"What's this about?" Cadmar asked.
"Rick read the ancient texts," David said.
Cadmar's gaze held complete astonishment. "You read those?"
Everyone had their eyes upon me with interest, even Maggie and Julien, who knew nothing of the texts.
"Sure," I said, "their condition was decent considering their age. The part to which David's refers told of how the area around the portal where they lived had no consistent food, so rather than go back to Earth, they chose to abandon the portal in search of a better place to settle. They made a journey west, and when they reached the ideal location, they discovered the portal had followed them, or so they said. Of course, they didn't use the word portal, they said `sun,' but it's an apt comparison."
"It couldn't have followed them," Cadmar said. "We don't even know if it can move; we even failed to pick it up. I suspect whoever built the thing, tethered it to the ground somehow."
"So, what are you saying?" David asked.
"Oh!" I exclaimed. "Of course. The portal didn't move. They just thought it had. Think about it; they left the portal, surely a unique object, but they reencountered it when they reached the mountain. They made a mistake; they didn't see the same portal, just one identical to the one they knew. There are two portals." I looked at David.
"Jiyu began as a Japanese colony," David said. "So, the first portal must exit in Japan."
"Japan has a portal," said Julien with eyes wide.
"I have an idea," Aiden said.
"Let's hear it," I said. We turned toward Aiden.
"I think I can reconfigure the drone to search for the other portal's field."
"Do you know the frequency?" David asked.
"Laurel told me that, in her estimation, I needed to know."
"What do you think, David?" I asked.
"Aiden, I need to speak to you and Rick for a moment?" he asked.
With some struggle, we brought Aiden into the bedroom and sat him on the bed.
"I would like your opinions," David said. "We could go to the local portal and see what they want, or we could trek to the Far East, with all the difficulty that would entail, and chance that a portal is there. Aiden, you go first."
"I doubt they would allow us to use the portal here," said Aiden, "We would give them exactly what they want by going there."
"I agree with Aiden," I said. "One might say that the barbarians are at the proverbial gates. We will hand them the key if we go to the portal. I would also add that a portal in or near Japan would fit all the facts. I would be willing to go there no matter the distance or difficulty, so we can go home."
"Well put," Aiden said. "At least in Japan, there's a chance. There isn't a viable chance here. If they had any honor or integrity, they would have just given us Cadmar rather than contriving his death and all the rest. We know the Americans aren't trustworthy; they abducted and almost killed Pearce. They only let him go because you threatened them."
David took a deep breath and shared with us his most profound concerns about the future of humanity on Earth. "What will we do about a 'soft landing' for the good people here when the Foundational Enhancement begins to spread? When the word gets out what it does and how it spreads, people will clamor to get it, and riots could break out. What happens to them when their faiths begin to fall because they probably will. They don't have the knowledge, philosophy, or discipline to live their lives without their gods. Those in power have ensured that many of them have nothing else. What happens when the food supply runs short? People will die. I'm here. I feel I should help them."
I took him into my arms and held him. "David, I must say something to you, and I want you to listen carefully. Okay?" He held his face against my shoulder, and he nodded. "Good." I moved his head until we were face to face. "You cannot, 'Can Not', single-handedly save the people of this planet. You couldn't do it even as the leader of a million like-minded persons. People are complicated, and their minds change of their own accord to the degree that an individual is able. You cannot expect to reach them in significant numbers to make even a dent in the problem that exists here. My heart goes out to them too, but you are asking too much of yourself to think you should try.
"Now, we have five people here, not including yourself, three of whom are injured. They count on you to get them home. That will challenge you enough without an attempt to save everyone else along with it.
"You are an amazing, wonderful, loving man, whom I treasure above all others, and for as much as I like to believe it when we're alone, you're not a superhero." I kissed him and hugged him tightly. "So, take a deep breath, make a decision, and let's go tell the others."
He nodded. "You're right," David said to me. "I don't know why I do that."
"I do," I said, "but that's a conversation for another time. So, what shall we do?"
He shrugged a little. "I accept your arguments," said Davis, "If Aiden can do what he suggests, we go to Japan, but I also want to know everyone else agrees. I don't want anyone going into this half-hearted. We must all pull together to get this done. Do either of you have anything else to say?"
"Not I," I said.
Aiden pointed his thumb at me shaking his head. "I can't top that."
As we emerged from the bedroom, David went first and didn't notice Aiden pat me on the back as I helped him to the chaise, whispering "excellent job" into my ear.
David resumed his seat at the table, "Okay, I want to hear everyone else's thoughts. Do we chance to let the barbarians into Jiyu by negotiating with the British and the Americans to let us through unharmed, or do we make a difficult journey to Japan, and chance that a portal exists there?"
"I don't trust the Americans," said Pearce, "but Japan is far. How much of a chance would we take?"
"The existence of a portal in Japan explains all the facts, and it solves our local problem," David said, "but I wouldn't want to make this particular decision alone. We must unite in this. It would require solutions to many problems before we go. We do have the element of surprise on our side; they would never expect us to leave this portal. So, all in favor of trying the local portal, say 'aye', and state your case." No one spoke. "Anyone who opposes going to Japan, speak now and give us an alternative," David said. Still nothing. "That settles it then. Aiden, if you feel up to it, get to work on the drone. If altering the drone proves impossible, the whole thing is off anyhow. Any indications of how long that might take?"
"I'm working on bringing the drone down, but this shouldn't take long," said Aiden, "maybe an hour or two."
"Excellent," said David, "if you need any assistance don't hesitate to ask. How is your leg?"
"Better," he said.
"Good," said David. "We have two major challenges. First, while most of us have passports, Cadmar does not."
"I don't have mine either," said Aiden. "I didn't have mine when we left; it's at the hovel."
"Oh, that's right," said David. "Julien, could you get Cadmar and Aiden a French Passport?"
"I will have to ask," said Julien.
"Fair enough, please do. Secondly, we don't know if using our passports will alert authorities, or if the authorities canceled them, which they might do, to hold us here."
"In for a centime in for a franc," said Julien. "I could always ask them for five passports. If Mademoiselle Maggie's passport is French, they will not have control of it, and France would not cancel it."
"When the time comes," David said, "try for five, but we'll accept two if that's all we can get."
Julien nodded.
"Here's what I'm thinking," David said. "The government knows we have Cadmar back, and no reason to stay. They expect us to go to the portal. They'll show patience for a while, but they'll tire of waiting and come after us. I want us gone before that happens. Julien, will you go with us?"
"I think I should," he said. "My presence as an Interpol officer could provide security and weight in any difficult circumstance that might come along."
David smiled at him. "Thank you, that means a lot to us."
"I told you," Julien said, "you do have friends in the international community, including myself. However, as a matter of practicality, and not intending to sound harsh, your prolonged stay on Earth would cause nothing but trouble now that they know you exist. Some people will make it their purpose to gain every advantage from you so they can dominate the rest of us. You should go home."
It took longer than expected to reconfigure the drone due to the difficulty of opening its casing with tools not intended for such a job. With Cadmar's help, Aiden completed the task. We kept it inside the flat that night for safety. With Iris offline, we stayed with Maggie, who had preferred that everyone had a bed but needs must. We brought all the blankets and pillows from my flat to Maggie's and settled in for the night.
While everyone figuratively bedded down, I invited Maggie into the hallway and hugged her. "I'm sorry for the complications. Do you still wish you to come?" I asked in a low tone.
"More than ever, I emailed work quitting my teaching position," she said. "They have others to take the class. And I want to thank you."
"For what?" I asked.
"You were right; I adore Aiden."
"What do you like most about him?" I asked.
"I enjoy that he's funny, intelligent, spontaneous, and romantic. He's everything you said."
"Did he tell you about the Foundational Enhancement?" I asked.
"But, of course, that is why we had the sex."
"Did he tell you that you could get it through a drink on Jiyu?"
"Oh yes," she said, "but why would I wait? I could get the enhancement and the sex too."
I just laughed and hugged her. I loved Maggie. I thought to myself that Aiden better not break her heart, but then again, she might break his. Maggie had better not do that either.
As we slept in the living room with everyone else, the guys graciously offered David and me the daybed. Maggie and Aiden slept in her bedroom, and not long after the night began, we heard loud sex noises from Maggie's room which lasted for some time. It had everyone in the living room amid a giggle fit that wouldn't stop. In the living room with everyone else, I thought David and I should stay on our best behavior. However, David didn't care. No doubt, the sex sounds had him revved up, and while everyone quietly laughed at the humorous situation, David slowly and cautiously pushed his cock into my ass. He couldn't take his time as we both preferred, and he didn't intend for it to last long. It lasted just a few thrusts, hidden by the sex sounds, and David had the quietest orgasm I had ever heard him have. He left his cock in my ass the rest of the night.
I never knew when it ended because I fell asleep. I could only imagine the noise Aiden put up with, hearing David and me. He never said anything, but then he never complained, so I swore to feign obliviousness for them as he kindly had for us. I considered it the adult thing to do, and I trusted that the others would prove themselves equally adult.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Maggie and Aiden --who could walk unaided that morning-- entered the living room, shared by the kitchen and dining room.
Cadmar smirked with a hearty slap on Aiden's back. "How's the leg after all the sex last night? We should check that bandage."
It seemed that some people could not stop themselves.
Maggie gave Cadmar a vicious stare and would not back down. Regardless of what anyone said, I knew it wouldn't stop her from doing what she wanted. The entire incident displeased Aiden, who asked me into the hallway.
I shut the door behind us. "What bothers you in particular?"
"I need clarification," he said. "Do you and David know just how often I said nothing whatsoever after overhearing the two of you? Have I made a mistake expecting to receive the same courtesy?"
"David and I have appreciated your maturity and discretion; so, you can expect the same consideration from us. However, a couple of things are happening, of which you seem unaware. How many straight male friends have you had over your lifetime?"
"I've not had friends," he said. "I've had flatmates and colleagues, and none like Cadmar or Magnar. They belong to an incomprehensible alien species. I found it best to avoid them. Why?"
"Cadmar doesn't know you won't appreciate his teasing you," I said. "In his crude way, Cadmar let you know he accepts you, likes you, and wants to be your friend. He's just playfully teasing you. It's what they do."
"I don't get it," he said. "You and David like me, why can't he like me that way?"
"Cadmar is a different person with a different experience. He has to express that he likes you, his way."
"I studied the x-ray images of him for weeks, so it's strange to have the opportunity to befriend a man whom I thought was dead. I would like to, but I don't understand; what have I done for him to accept and like me? I don't even know how to respond to him."
"You stand out in some important ways," I said. "I think you're amazing, and I've often found myself envious of you. You're highly intelligent. You demonstrate a remarkable capacity to tolerate discomfort, and you've shown more bravery than David. I have no doubt Maggie likes those qualities about you, but it's something that Cadmar respects."
"Is that how it works?"
"Absolutely. So, keep things with him moving in a positive direction. The instant you can, take Cadmar aside and tell him that while you didn't mind his mentioning what happened last night, you would appreciate more discretion around Maggie. So, if he would be a buddy and apologize to her over it, it will help keep you in Maggie's good graces. That's all you have to say."
"But I did mind that he said it."
"You and I know that, but such concerns may not register with Cadmar. You're a man, he's a man, he's not likely to see the problem. However, one thing he will understand, as a man mated to Tamika, is the necessity of keeping himself in the good graces of the woman he loves. Trust me, he will understand, and he will apologize, but more importantly, he will respect you for it. Doing this will help you establish boundaries with him. If you don't, it will make you look like a pushover, and he might lose respect for you."
"I see," said Aiden.
When we reentered the flat, everyone had assembled around the table to make plans. "My apologies for our absence, what have we planned so far?"
I gave Aiden the last chair next to Maggie, and I stood by David. I looked at our group. I felt at home there with them. Cadmar looked better after having eaten some extra food and gotten some sleep, on the floor or not. They hadn't harmed him to the degree the Americans had Pearce. Pearce looked less tired, and his skin began to turn light beige with pinkish tones, but his eyes still had a haunted look.
"We just started," David said.
"It is almost eight o'clock," said Julien. "I will contact the home office with the requests for the passports."
"Good, just be honest with them about why we need them," said David. "They're either willing to help us because of the truth, or they're not."
"We will need money," Maggie said. "I volunteer to exchange the rest of our gold into whatever currencies we will need."
"Excellent Maggie," David said, "but let's hold off until we get the response from Interpol. It will undoubtedly affect our travel plans."
"I volunteer to go with Maggie," I said. David held onto my hand, resting on his shoulder. Maggie smiled at me.
"Aiden and Cadmar," said David, "I will ask you to take responsibility for the drone. You both know its importance." They both nodded. "I guess I'm playing the part of our doctor," said Pearce.
David placed his hand on Pearce's back. "So that you know, Pearce has substantial medical knowledge." He turned to him. "Are you up to it?"
"I want to go home, David," Pearce said. "I feel well enough, and I have enhanced memory; I don't forget anything. I prefer that you didn't need my knowledge, but if you do, I am ready. Aiden, I need to check your wound this morning."
"While everyone is doing their part," David said, "I will provide us time and breathing space."
"What will you do?" I asked.
"I will contact the British government," he said, "and depending on how it goes, I may need to pretend that we want to negotiate our exit through the portal here."
Everyone sat in dead silence, staring at David. "Bloody hell, David," Aiden said, "that sounds..."
"Dangerous," I said.
"No, that is brilliant," said Julien. "Difficult, yes, but that's an excellent idea. The pretense of bargaining with them might give us a few more days if necessary, and it implies that you've no plans to leave."
"Better you than I, David," said Aiden. "I've had my fill of bargaining with governments. Pearce, would you mind checking my leg now?"
Before they left with Maggie, Pearce slipped David his mobile. Julien exited the flat to make his call. That left David, Cadmar, and myself at the table.
I sat in one of the empty chairs. "You'll call Amanda, won't you?" I asked David.
"I have no other direct contact into the upper echelon of the government," he said. "And now I know her private number."
"Ah," I said, then in a low tone. "Pearce says he has enhanced memory."
"Yes, what about it," David said.
"That means he must remember in detail, and with excellent recall, exactly what they did to him. No wonder he's had that look on his face," I said, horrified by what Pearce may continue to go through.
"It's the one curse of the memory enhancement." --Cadmar tapped his skull-- "You must be cautious about what goes in; some things are best forgotten." Cadmar left to check on Aiden.
Since Pearce joined us, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I knew he had something more wrong, but I didn't know what. Surely, Pearce could receive help at the temple. David saw my distress, and he held me. I wanted to go home with David. Earth became more than I could bear. The level of misery I noticed around me overshadowed the beauty I once saw. No wonder so many people would close their minds to the suffering of others. It served as a defense mechanism. They couldn't help everyone, at least not in any definitive and lasting sense. Most people's help equated to little more than sticking plaster. The root cause never gets treated.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" David asked.
"You can take me home," I said.
He squeezed me tighter. "I promise I will get you home as fast as I can." He kissed me and said he needed to make his phone call.
As everyone else checked on Aiden, I thought I would too. The nanos were doing an unbelievable job healing him. It progressed along at the same speed Amare's bullet wound had healed. In another day or two, Aiden would feel his old self again.
Once David and Julien completed their phone calls, Julien said that people were making the requests on our behalf. David's conversation with Amanda went something like this. Amanda said that the Americans and the British were cooperating to assess whether the portal presented a security issue. They were willing to let us return to Jiyu, and that we should join them at the portal so that we could go home right away. Of course, Amanda had given David a load of old tosh, and he knew it. Despite her pheromone-induced infatuation with David, she bugged our car. Therefore, we couldn't trust her any more than the rest of them. David tried to induce a sense of guilt by thanking her for her honesty all those years, commenting on what a good friend she had been. He told her that, due to living in London for ten years, he had some personal debts to pay and goodbyes he wanted to make, which would take a couple of days. She thought that sounded reasonable, but David noted she seemed too relieved as if a delay was to their benefit.
During the chat at breakfast, I said, "I don't understand. Why hasn't the government burst into the apartment to haul us off?" Everyone waited for David's answer with interest.
"If we lived in America, they would by now," said David, "and while most governments are shrewd. They're not all intelligent or all-knowing. They may not even know our location. However, they can't get to the portal and want to see it for themselves, to watch it in action. So, it behooves them to keep things as cordial as possible with us. The Americans, no doubt, would prefer a heavy hand, but this is England. The British often deviate from the American way of doing things, not always but often. They want us to trust them, and as Julien pointed out, we've shown our naivety. They expect us to remain that way. Let us surprise them."
Three hours after Julien made his call, at about eleven o'clock, he received a reply. None of us expected much help --it seemed too much to ask-- but we received assistance beyond our expectations. A woman spoke to us over speakerphone and assured us that they would do everything in their power to help us get to Japan. They were planning an indirect route to reach our destination with as few stops as possible. David asked why we couldn't take a plane directly to Japan. The problem was bypassing security. They made a fair point, at the very least, Cadmar's eyes would cause difficulties with security checkpoints, but we had the drone and our weapons.
If we managed to board a plane at some point, we could only do so from a country where we could bypass security, and they would need people in all the right places to make that work, so they would help us escape England by boat. They promised to provide five French passports. Julien would take our photos against a white wall and text them back to his people at Interpol. A French operative, posing as an old friend of Julien, would deliver the passports to us inside the front door of St. Pancras train station at 6:00 p.m.
It began to feel far too Von Trapp for me and seemed like considerable trouble to escape a so-called 'free nation'. Of course, fleeing the United States would have proven even more complicated. Still, we had assistance, and we would accept it gratefully.
As we were thanking Julien, David got Maggie to contrive a way to get Julien out of the flat for at least fifteen minutes. After Julien took the photos, she went about finding something, and this resulted in, "Oh no, I need shampoo for the trip." She left the bathroom with an empty bottle whose contents she most likely poured down the drain.
Seeing as Aiden's injury prevented him from jumping to the rescue, Julien proved himself a French gentleman coming to her assistance. She showed him the brand and sent him with money to the salon two blocks down the street. The instant he disappeared through the door, David scanned everyone for listening devices and did the same to the bathroom. He found nothing, so we all piled into the bathroom to discuss the situation.
"What does everyone think of this?" asked David.
"It sounds too good to be true," Aiden said.
"I agree, it's too easy," said Cadmar.
A disgruntled Pearce shook his head. "It's by boat."
"Let's assume it's a trick," I said, "what would they gain? It must be worth the trouble."
"If they seek to gain from this," Cadmar said, "at best, they don't want the British and the Americans to have the portal. Helping us escape England would prevent that."
"Or at worst," said Maggie, standing inside the bathtub, "they're exploiting an opportunity to find a portal in Japan because they want one for themselves."
We all stared at Maggie.
"There's always that possibility," David said. "We shouldn't take the offer at face value. From this point, I want Julien out of the loop when it comes to information. Okay? He remains suspect until proven otherwise. Aiden, Cadmar, protect that drone, if they take it, they don't need us anymore. I brought you all here so you could have your say, and we could make plans. I didn't want to alarm anyone, because the possibility exists that the offer is honorable, but we can't know that. Let's ride this until evidence tells us we should go our own way. Remain on your guard. If anyone sees or hears anything unusual, come to me, Rick, or Aiden, immediately. Does anyone have anything to say?" We didn't. "Okay, we have much to do, so let's get to it."
With everyone so busy, including acquiring new clothes for Pearce and Cadmar, I managed to convince David to let Maggie and me take a cab to the exchange. On the way, Maggie asked me about Jiyu. "What's your home like there?"
"I honestly don't know." I laughed.
"How could you not know?"
"I can tell you it's a two-story penthouse and has a pool, but I don't know what it looks like inside now. It had an amazing second empire design, but that's not David's favorite decor. The exterior is from the Edwardian era, so just before we left, I had Cadmar's brother get someone to remodel the interior as a present for David. That's why I don't know what it looks like."
"Have you room for me, at least for a while?" she asked.
"Oh, of course," I said, "you and Aiden both can stay as long as you like."
She placed her hand on mine. "Thank you," she said. "On another topic, I know you heard Cadmar's remark this morning."
"We all did."
"He had me furious," she said, "and I saw the look on your face when he said it. He came to me later and politely apologized. Did you insist on that?"
"I did not. I believe you will find that Aiden did that."
"Really," she said.
"You sound shocked."
"Well, no, I suppose I just hadn't considered it since he said nothing when it happened. What a thoughtful thing to do."
By the time Maggie and I returned from cashing the gold into euros and yen, everyone had showered and dressed, except us. Aiden wore his other suit of clothes. I noted that someone had gone to a local shop to replace Cadmar and Pearce's clothing. Cadmar's Trust uniform stood out too much, and the rain ruined Pearce's shirt. They both looked presentable in their chinos and button-ups.
"How did it go?" Cadmar asked.
"It went fine," Maggie said. "I sold them in my name, no problems."
"Good thinking," said David.
When the time came for us to leave for the station, I felt confident we were doing the right thing and finally began our journey home. We hired a cab for seven people, and we left for St. Pancras Station during afternoon traffic, arriving at 5:50 p.m.
St. Pancras Station stands as a triumph of Victorian-era gothic architecture. The beauty of its design rivaled the train stations on Jiyu, and it had a storied history of several bombings over two world wars. In recent times, preservationists restored and revitalized the station to include international train service, of which I dearly would rather have partaken. I feared my preference for landlubbing would send the journey off to a sickening start.
We huddled inside the building under a light, giving way to pedestrian traffic. We stood there looking into the faces of everyone who walked our direction with the expectation of finding someone, or rather them finding us. I amused myself with a joke that we should hold a small sign that read, "Opperatif Francais (French Operative)."
I turned around to find Julien greeting a lovely woman wearing a blue and beige dress. He bowed as he held her outstretched, wedding ring adorned hand, almost to kiss it but not quite. He introduced her as Monique Brion, and I noted that she spoke English quite well.
She handed Julien a thick, manila envelope, containing our passports. They had given David and me the new names of David and Richard Klein. The French had made a thoughtful gesture by de facto marrying us. Upon comparison, the passports matched Maggie's passport. I cautiously inspected the photograph to check for tampering; it appeared intact. Overall, they looked, felt, and even smelled new, but more importantly, they seemed kosher.
Monique led us to the curb. Less than a minute passed when a dark passenger van stopped before us. We climbed in, and our driver drove on.
Sitting in the back, I didn't see much of our driver, but I did learn his name, Captain Dupre. "So, how will we leave by boat?" I asked.
"We are heading to the coast near Dover, where we have a vessel waiting," said Captain Dupre. "We have almost a new moon, reducing our chance of getting caught. I have news for those who get seasickness; the water is choppy tonight."
"How long will it take to get to Dover?" Cadmar asked.
"We must take some secondary roads," Monique said, "but no more than two and a half hours, depending on traffic."
"Did you hear that, David?" asked Pearce. "The water is choppy."
"We will all have to cope, Pearce," he said.
"The idea doesn't appeal to me either," I said.
"Don't like boats any more than Pearce, eh?" he asked. "We should rest. We don't know when the next chance will come."
David and I settled in for a two-hour nap. In the past, I had trouble sleeping in automobiles, so I figured I would only doze a bit. David put his head into my lap, and before long, I found myself petting his hair while he slept. He didn't seem to mind and fell asleep within minutes. Despite the stress, the uncertainty, and the senseless trouble our situation put us through, a calmness existed between David and me, a trust beyond expression. I think we found our companionship and proximity comforting.
I like to get the things I dread over quickly. I closed my eyes in a desperate desire to sleep the next few hours, shortening the time, but 'trying' to sleep had caused it to elude me. I sat there, lovingly stroking David's hair, and decided to focus on nothing but my connection to him. At some point, I fell asleep, but not for long. The next thing I knew, Maggie, who sat in front of us, nudged me awake. David awoke when I did.
"Are we there?" he asked, taking a deep breath and yawning.
"So, it seems," I said, looking out into the darkness. "I can't see much."
In quietness, we climbed from the van, and the captain led us down a dirt and gravel path. It wound around left then right as we descended, and finally, we stood on the shore of the Channel. One of our French liberators used a torch to find the inflatable boat stashed away earlier in the brush. The electric motor on its aft looked small but sturdy. Monique said her goodbyes and, as I presumed, departed to return the van from where it came. We carried the boat to the water, and everyone clambered aboard. With Captain Dupre at the tiller, we braved the choppiness of the Channel as it rocked the vessel, and in no time, we had moved far out to sea. What little of the shore my slowly dilating eyes could see behind us had vanished, and my fear became a reality as I began to feel queasy.
"Il y a trop de mouvement (There's too much movement)," said Maggie. We then heard Pearce emptying his stomach over the side of the boat.
"Hang on," Dupre said, his faint visage visible from the light of his portable navigational system. "We are almost there."