011 - The Board Is Set, The Pieces Start To Move

Lunch was at a beach on the west side of Lake Tahoe. Being still a late Sierra spring, there were no swimsuits in evidence. The water was still about 55 degrees, tolerable if you had to get in it. The kids ran around a bit, as kids do, while the parents got the food set out and afterward put away. Steven then drove them up through Truckee, and further north through the highways of the area, and ultimately a nearly random dirt road that wandered further. By mid afternoon, they drove into to Susanville, and picked up the 395 back down to Reno and further south to home.

In all of this, Diana and Alex bounced around the back seat of the truck, looking at things. Alex was trying out his new binoculars, and squabbling with Diana who wanted to use his, because she had not brought hers.

At one point, they came up to a Subaru wagon that the driver had high centered after driving too carelessly. With a skillful tug with a tow strap the wagon was back on the center of the road, and Rox was now at the wheel of her truck with Steven getting to play passenger. This suited him, as now he got to play with his new binoculars and attached camera.

Rox drove up the rural street they lived on, driving behind one of the other neighbors, the Brocks, with their horse trailer back from some horse event. The Brocks had the second largest yard in the area for their horses. They had moved up from The Valley over the winter. Rox had not yet gotten to know them, beyond that they were about her and Steven’s age, and had two horses that they took out every weekend. They did not appear to have any children that Rox had noticed. Rodeo seemed to be their profession, another neighbor had once commented that it was almost their religion.

The Brocks turned left into their yard and Rox drove further.

Next down from the Brocks on the right side of the road was the Fitches. Tom and Dana Fitch were good people. Tom worked for the County. Dana stayed at home, but seemed to have a cottage industry in hand-made crafts, when she was home. Dana had a welcome reputation in the neighborhood as a one-person service battalion. Josh, 17, Holly, 15, and Ryan, 12, were always wandering about the area, when they weren’t at school, or scout camp, or 4-H or . . .

Next door to the Fitches was the second oldest house in the sparse neighborhood. Doris and Marvin Winchel were retired, and their three children with their families were scattered to the winds. Doris was nice, if a bit overly forward, trying to fill the void left by her moved-away children by adopting the neighborhood. Marvin alternated between being the neighborhood grouch and indispensable help.

Just beyond the Winchels Rox turned right into her own driveway, as Steven pushed the button to open the garage door. Rox and Steven were the second to move into the area, building their own house, as the rest of their neighbors did. They owned two lots, backing each other, with Rox’s garage on the back lot, facing that road.

Further down the road, on the left side was the largest developed yard in the area, and the only log home. There Jake and Mable Peterson had their brood. Jake was a foreman for a Log Home construction company. Mable loved to grow her garden. Every year, she would pass out her corn and other spare vegetables. It was always welcome, and free. They also had some horses. One was a barely civil stallion that they used as a stud service. Jake and the youngest boy, Timothy aged 6, were the only ones who could enter its corral. Sam, 16, and Dean, 14-trying-to-be-30, the oldest two, were in 4-H, and had growing collections of ribbons. Samuel was always teasing Geraldine for shortening her name and flustering the judges. Brittany, 10, and Mitch, 8, were in the same grades as Diana and Alex, and came over to play some. Mable home-schooled all of her kids, so they were not as close friends as some of the kids at school. Sam and Dean were occasionally seen going about with the Fitch kids. Mable had approached Rox about putting Mitch into Rox’s martial arts class once summer started. Tim was wandering over to the Brocks when he could, or more so to their horses.

Beyond the Petersons on the same side of the road was the Cusicks. They were an older couple. Their youngest was attending University of Nevada/Reno Graduate School. The older three were graduated and moved away, though one was in Reno with her family. They were the first house in the area. Rox rarely saw them, as they both worked, and had their own circle of friends. Mable Peterson had reached out to them, and occasionally they came to her block parties. The Winchels got on well with them.

All of the locals figured that someday this might grow into an actual subdivision, but until then the neighborhood was generally quiet, and a good place to raise free-range children.

Rox had put dinner into a crock-pot before leaving, and Steven had the kids set the table. All they had to do was use the restrooms and serve things. Once that was done, and the dishes in to wash, Steven brought the two rifles used the day before upstairs, and began to clean them, while Rox helped the kids with their homework. Once the homework was done, and the rifles put back in the safe in the basement, they all sat around the dining room table. They then read from the Bible as a family, and talked about the passages they read.

Finally Diana and Alex got their things ready for school the next day, and went to bed. With the kids tucked in, Rox and Steven went for a brief walk with the dogs, and then home and to bed.

*          *          *

Two dark figures, one tall and one short, trekked quickly through the night, following the hiking trails south along the mountain ridges and valleys. The smaller one carried a faintly glowing stone that he occasionally checked for his direction.

*          *          *

Caspian awoke from proper rest on a good bed for the first time in a long time. It took him a moment to remember just where he was, as he looked around.

Off-white walls, with some kind of printed pattern surrounded him. Dark brown trim at the floor, mid-way up the wall, and at the ceiling. A cream colored carpet that stretched from one wall to the other. Fine furniture, that did not look hand made. Cyrril wrapped around the base of a lamp, on a nightstand. His clothes draped over a chair, his staff against the wall. Gauzy drapes over a large window, letting lots of morning sunlight in, without allowing anybody to see through in either direction.

Caspian pulled himself out of bed clad in just his breeches. He then checked the doors, as his memory of the night before ended with him sitting in a car watching the road go by. First, he found the linen closet, with several sets of bed sheets. Next was a large clothes closet, from which Caspian pulled a robe. The last door was the hallway. Quickly he found the lavatory, second door on the right.

Alistare had certainly done well for himself. Compared to where he was from, Caspian almost felt he was in royal quarters. And this was just the guest room. So much for economic and technologic differences.

Alistare came to the door as Caspian came out.

“Use whatever towels and soap you want. I have to go to church, but will be back at lunchtime to help you.” Alistare waved at the tub as he spoke.

Caspian looked, and recognized the basic design. Then turned back.

“Thanks. It’s the Sabbath here? Can Cyrril go outside?”

“Yes it is, and only in the backyard. And he is not to go beyond the privet hedges. The neighbors have animals about. Cyrril might disturb them.”

Caspian nodded, and then puzzled the knobs on the tub. Quickly he had the water running to fill the tub. Alistare just watched.

“My wife will be in and out; normally she comes with me, but today she is going to stay and help you; she will get breakfast for you. And Cyrril.” Alistare turned, waving again. “See you at lunch.” He pulled the door behind him as he went.

012 - Caspian Begins To Get The Picture

Caspian returned to his room, pulled the blankets back across the bed, and quickly dumped and sorted his gear onto it. His food and water bags were not here. A vague impression about setting them on a counter flashed by. He got out his shaving razor and clean trunks, and went back to the bathroom. After removing his dirty trunks he sat in the tub to bathe.

Cyrril fluttered in after Caspian finished shaving, and began to splash about in the tub. Finally, the dragon decided he had enough. But the smooth porcelain of the tub provided no purchase for climbing. So he climbed onto Caspian’s knee. From there he carefully moved onto the lip of the tub, and began scratching and nibbling at spots about himself.

Caspian finished his bath, and started to drain the water. Then he pulled the curtain closed and turned on the shower, delighted to be able to rinse off this way, rather than run a fresh tub. Cyrril complained a bit, and then leapt up to the window sill. Caspian told/thought to the beast what Alistare had said about limits in the yard, then opened the vent window enough to let the dragon slip out.

Caspian luxuriated in the shower, then when it turned cold; he shut the water down and got out. He dried off and left the towel hanging on the rack he got it from. Then he put on his clean breeches and the bathrobe, and went back to the bedroom. Here he found Mrs. Kevan stripping the bed, and rolling his clothes in the sheets.

“This all needs washing. Breakfast is warming in the kitchen.” She then took the roll and left, snagging his dirty trunks from his hand as she went.

Caspian being the dutiful guest obeyed instructions, collected his things, followed the smell of food, and found the kitchen where three cats were pestering Cyrril, all four with bloody noses, Cyrril with possession of some raw meat. Caspian scattered the cats by walking through them. He then set up in the kitchen to clean and oil all his gear, as he ate. He set his components bag aside. Then he continued to open and clean everything. That done, he oiled his staff.

He tested the mana of the area as he worked. As was normal for this world, it was barely perceptible. His gear and staff had a higher mana level than anything around. The radiance from his gear was slowly fading, while the staff was just barely more than staying level.

Mrs. Kevan was busy around the house, and soon brought Caspian his clothes, cleaned. Caspian dressed where he was, and folded the rest and packed it in his gear. He then got into his components bag, and pulled the things from it. As he sorted these, Alistare came home, and Mrs. Kevan put lunch on the table, around Caspian’s things.

“The thing I miss most, from my years here, is the hot and cold running water.”

“That’s nice. So, where do you go from here?” Alistare asked this as he came in. He then pecked his wife on her cheek, and sat down at the table. He put down a loaf of bread that smelled fresh. He removed it from its paper sack and commenced to cut it to slices to make a sandwich.

“First, I need to clear this, and get it scanning for the people I need to find.” Caspian held up a round stone, with some gold and silver rings running around its edge. The convex surface of the stone had rainbow swirls chasing around it. Five specific points seemed to bob around the perimeter, four roughly in the same place of the stone. The fifth was on another side.

“I got this from the elves. Problem was on Tywacomb it was useless as it would pickup several hundred elves. Here is easier, with only a limited number of signals.”

Alistare looked at it, over his sandwich. “So, what does it say? What kind of people is it looking for?”

Caspian looked around. “People descended from a certain elf. Is there something crystal around here, which I can set this on?”

Mrs. Kevan hopped up, and retrieved a goblet from her china closet. Caspian took it, turned it upside down, and set it in the middle of the table, and then he put the detector stone on the upturned base.

“I need a compass, and maps, and to do this outside.”

Alistare got up this time and disappeared, taking his sandwich wrapped in a napkin. When he came back, he had a thick pack of folders, a road atlas, two different compasses, and much less sandwich.

They finished lunch then took the goblet, stone, compasses, atlas and folder out into the back porch, brushed a cat off the table, and put everything else on. Caspian put the goblet in the middle of the table. He folded open a lensatic compass, and set it on one side of the goblet, then put a flat plastic boy-scout compass on the other side. He then dug into his component bag, and pulled a matched set of small stones from his bag, and looking at the compasses he placed four at the cardinal directions, and four more at the diagonals. The compasses reacted briefly then stabilized, as the eight stones neutralized local ambient energy fields. Once everything stabilized, Caspian tested the mana, and from there the energy fields of the area. Satisfied that he had a bubble around the detector, he touched and reset it. Cyrril fluttered in and landed on Caspian’s shoulder.

Alistare put the folder aside, and opened the atlas to their current location.

The stone reverted to its native black. Then after a moment a rainbow swirl started at the top center, filled around to the edges, and covered the whole surface. The swirl split into five individual swirls. These wandered around the surface a bit as they moved from the middle. One moved toward the southwest side of the stone, and hovered a bit above halfway down the stone. The other four moved to the east side of the stone. Three stayed close together, a bit north of east, and slightly below halfway, the last one more north of the three and farther down to the side of the stone.

“I need a map, and to go through your list. These are closer than I had hoped.” Caspian pulled Cyrril off his shoulder, and set him on the table.

“Here you go.” Alistare had opened the atlas to northern California, and turned the book to orient with the compass. “We’re here.” He pointed at Sacramento. “What is the scale on this detector?”

“I’m not sure. The Elves did not say,” Caspian grumbled. “But I think it is relative. What families do you have record of that fit this pattern?”

Alistare looked at the map, and the detector. “Who is that way?” He looked at the solo signal from the south west.

He got out his list, and with Mrs. Kevan they went through sorting the names by area. They came up with three people. Next was to check which could be elf descendants, and family.

Alistare looked his file over. “Just one name fits the apparent limits. Margaret Winslow. A lawyer in Santa Cruz, California. She has a mother in Nebraska. That one is the daughter of the elf.” He looked at the atlas, and the stone, and pointed at the second lone swirl.

“Mrs. Winslow has a daughter close by, to the north of east, in the Tahoe, Nevada area. Roxanne Caplan, her husband Steven, and their 10 year old daughter Diana, and 8 year old son Alex.

“That’s quite close.” Caspian was a bit excited by his luck at having landed so close.

“Douglas County, Nevada. That’s just over the hill.” Alistare set the folder down, and got out a pad of paper and started to copy information from the folder to the pad.

“Where?” Caspian had no idea where anything on this world was.

Mrs. Kevan pointed at the atlas, tracing lines on it. “About 3 hours that way, give or take. Take a car up any of these roads. Turn on one of these. Then follow your tracker. How much time have you got?”

“Don’t know. The caravan from Krogg looked about a half day behind. But I have no way of knowing how they could get around here.” Caspian started to put his things away, making sure to turn them off as he did. Cyrril had again wandered off.

“Once you make contact with the family, what do you do?” Alistare closed the folder, and was putting it back in the pack.

Mrs. Kevan took her goblet back inside.

“I don’t directly. The elves want me to let the kids be kidnapped, and then to bring the parents to them.” Caspian sat down as he said this.

013 - Opening Moves

 “Run that by me again.” Alistare looked over his glasses at Caspian, and put the pack down.

“The elf clan from whom these half-elves are descended, want me to allow the bad guys to kidnap the kids. The bad guys will take the kids back to their kingdom, on Tywacomb. I’m then to take the parents back to the elves on Tywacomb, who will then proceed to do something about the kids.” Caspian looked disgruntled at this, slumping in the chair.

“That’s awfully cold of the elves.” Mrs. Kevan returned to hear this last bit.

“Tell me about it. As a result, I’ve got to do the hard part in finding and marking them all. Then step aside.” Caspian rested his head on his hand, and his elbow on the table.

“This is going to cause a lot of trouble for the family on this world,” Alistare said gravely. Mrs. Kevan nodded in ascent.

Caspian sighed. “That is part of why I’m taking the parents with me. To have them get the kids back. Better to be doing something, than just to be sitting and waiting.”

“It’s also going to be hard on the family, adjusting to Tywacomb. The culture shock could kill them.” Alistare stood and left, taking his things with him.

“I’m going to leave Cyrril and my stuff here.”

Cyrril squawked from on the roof, at that. Mrs. Kevan just nodded again.

Caspian glanced at the dragon. “You are just too much out of place here. Unless you would rather transform into a cat.”

The little dragon turned up its nose at that suggested affront to its dignity.

Mrs. Kevan spoke up. “What if the bad guys brought more than two, or kill the parents?”

Caspian shook his head. “The prophecy about the kids and the leaders of The Kingdom that sent for them explicitly says that the parents are alive to pursue the kids. As for more than two, I am instructed to stay out of the way; I don’t have the power on this world to fight as I am want to anyway.”

“And how are they going to find the family? Or fit in?” Mrs. Kevan remembered the problems she had when she visited, years before.

“That is their problem. I just hope they do not do too much damage, or hurt anybody seriously.” Caspian had resented this assignment from the start. He wasn’t concerned about any problems the family would have once he was through with them. But he was a bit concerned at what the bad guys would do while here.

Alistare spoke then, coming back with a bottle of juice and some glasses. “Then I guess the next thing to do is get you properly blended in, Caspian. For that, we need to go shopping, much as I don’t like doing that on the Sabbath.”

Alistare and Caspian loaded up and drove to the shops Alistare frequented for himself. They first got Caspian a new suit and shirt, and a pair of shoes and some socks. As Alistare bought the suit, he taught Caspian how to use a credit card. They also got Caspian an overcoat with lots of pockets. Then a few sundries from a thrift store. Last, Alistare loaned Caspian a spare cell-phone. Being Sunday, with the government offices and banks closed, they could not get the paperwork for a legal temporary I.D.

They spent that evening and part of the next day at the local high school having Caspian re-learn how to drive, and how to blend in.

After breakfast, Alistare pulled a string and got Caspian a temporary I.D. With his new I.D. Caspian went to a currency exchange, and traded in some raw gold for sufficient funds to repay the Kevin’s, and for the rest of his trip. For an hour after lunch, Caspian meditated to refresh his memories of the years he spent here, and the skills he learned then. Also to remind himself of how to move about in its society without attracting undo attention. Finally with all things ready on Tuesday morning, Caspian feeling comfortable, left Cyrril and his things at the Kevan house, and took the rental car onto the highway east over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, from Sacramento to the area south of Reno, to find a highly improbable family.

Fortunately as he drove, he was not stopped by the police. He got to Reno and turned south to Douglas County, then backtracked to Carson, to get a motel room. He checked in with Alistare, and got some food. That evening he got a street map of the area, and then went out cruising to find the house of Roxanne Caplan, and her family.

*          *          *

Two dark figures crossed the local highway. They marveled at how easily large scale paving was handled, and then moved on. They were getting close to the first and most likely gathering of targets. All their Royal Liege wanted was the kids, the parents not to even be encountered if possible. To that end, provision had been made to do this as quickly as they could.

Now they continued following the hiking trail south, and scouted for game. They carried enough food for a few more days, but hard tack was bitter compared to fresh roasted meat. They skirted the settlements, not wanting to attract local attention. Fresh food might be found there, but the chance of attracting attention was too undesirable.

Their one other concern was the wizard that had used the circle before them. So long as they moved quickly, they might be able to keep clear of any encounters.

*          *          *

Steven met Rox at the gym during lunch three times a week. Once school got out for the summer, they would start bringing the kids again. They all swam two times a week, in the evenings, and Diana was on a swim team at school.

This Monday Rox was still a bit sore from the tournament the previous Saturday evening. Their main subject of conversation was Steven’s business trip, planned for the last half of the week. Steven had finalized his flight plans this morning, and his motel reservations for Salt Lake, Denver, and Boise. As they talked, Rox was still preoccupied with a vague feeling. Steven noticed this as he spotted for her on the dumbbells.

That evening when he got home, Steven found Rox at the computer, browsing on-line. Her clipboard was next to her, already half covered with notes.

“What’cha doin’?” He put his hands on the back of the chair. She smelled faintly of her shampoo.

“Looking for parts to build another two trucks.”

“Any particular reason?”

“I want to try some things. A few ideas have been percolating for a while. And Josh Fitch has asked for my help with his senior Auto-Shop project for next year. He wants to build up a ’72 Chevy 4-by.” She changed page on the computer, and found some more information, which she scratched on her paper.

Steven read it over her shoulder. “3 chassis. 2 smashed bodies. Motor components. Axles. What kind of axles?”

“I was hoping to find a Dana-60 set up as a front axle. I was thinking of trying 4-wheel steering. But finding one that I like, that was convenient, has been a challenge.” She browsed another page.

It looked to Steven like a military surplus page. Here she found 3 complete Dana-60’s, 4 Dana-44’s, a Dana-70 and a GM 14-Bolt.

“There we go.” She started to scratched on her pad, then went over to the ‘Reserve’ portion of the page, and selected three of the axles: two of the Dana-60’s, one of which was a front axle, and the 14-Bolt.

“That’s going to cost a little.”

“The Camero will easily cover this entire truck. Josh is paying for his. He just gave me a shopping list of stuff to find.”

“Well. I guess I know what you will be doing while I’m on my trip.”

*          *          *

Caspian cruised quietly through the back streets of the towns of the county, the talking navigation box on the console being both a help and nuisance. The main highway bisected the valley that made up the bulk of the villages in the area, as Caspian thought of them. The basic area was not much different than the village he lived in, though his valley was considerably larger. The signals came from the west side of the highway, about halfway between it and the steep mountains that lined the west of the valley. He circled the area on the outer roads, before turning into the roads that crossed through it, the navigation box calling out each road name as he approached it. By the middle of the night, he had localized to the street and house. But he had overstayed his welcome and noticed that the local constables patrol vehicles were in greater evidence as he drove out of the area.

Driving as sedately as he could, Caspian drove back to the motel he had checked into earlier that day, went in and went to bed. Evidently the constables were content not to follow.

014 - Opening Moves Completed, On To Round 2

Tuesday morning, Rox dropped the kids off at school. She had her flatbed trailer hooked to the truck, and was going shopping. First, she was heading to Reno. She had the axles and some engine components on order. She had also found a transfer case. It was being shipped to her. She would have to pick up the axles from a military depot outside of Los Angeles. That meant a trip with Josh the week after getting back from vacation.

Rox respected the Ford trucks, but preferred the GM’s to work on. Don’t ask about any Dodge truck that was not a Power Wagon. Right now she had Josh’s ’72 GM Long-bed in the yard ready to go onto the lift for him to start tearing apart, once school got out, and he got off work from his summer job. He would be tearing it apart to the frame, and then rebuilding it.

A second frame, an ’86 GM 1-Ton Club Cab Long Bed was also sitting in the yard. Once his frame was stripped, she would take both to be sandblasted clean and inspected for flaws. Any repairs would be done, and then they would start to work. The Club Cab would be shortened to Short Bed length. Rox would have the two trucks juggling around as they were worked on. She had thought about keeping the ’86 when done, and finally selling the one she had now. But that decision could wait. Josh had helped her strip the truck, pull the bed, cab, and front clip off, and then put the pieces aside until needed. After the body, they had disassembled the rest of the chassis and carried the bare frame to the blocks that had been set up for it.

They would repeat the process in the next three weeks with his truck.

Now she drove to Carson, and the GM dealer there. Here she picked up some of the parts she had ordered from them. These were put in the bed of the truck. Then she drove on to Reno and the GM dealer there for more parts. After that, she went to Summit Racing for more parts. The big stuff was tied down to the front end of the trailer; the small stuff went into the bed. Lastly, she drove to Pick-n-Pull.

*          *          *

Caspian sat in his motel with his minimal equipment set out on the bed. He had the map opened, and oriented to the compass. Then he had a glass upside down, with the stone on it. Three swirls were near the top of it south of it, with one each to the relative east and west. Then one of the swirls began moving to the north, and in time swung around the center and went to the north side of the stone. With this, Caspian decided it was time to move, to do some preemptive setting of alarms.

*          *          *

Rox pushed a wheelbarrow with her toolbox in to the trucks, and began looking things over in earnest. She cannibalized a ’91 Suburban, taking the front fenders, the fuel tank, some of the lights, and some internal stuff. Another Suburban yielded a fuel tank, a windshield, all four doors, and a nearly complete wiring harness. Another truck gave up a repairable tilt column. Last, she scrounged little parts from 2 other trucks. Then she hit gold; a ’92 Blazer with an untouched front end. Its back end was mangled beyond repair. She dropped the fenders she had and some of the other odds and ends, and pulled the entire front clip from this Blazer. She left the pristine hood behind. She was going to use a non-stock style hood. She got all of her treasures paid for and secured onto her flatbed trailer, being especially careful of the undamaged windshield.

*          *          *

Caspian did not want to risk the constable’s attention. So he pulled the bits of stuff he needed from his bag, and risked teleporting to near the Caplan’s house. He walked quickly along the road that he had learned was on the back side of the houses among which was the Caplan’s. He stopped at the gravel driveway and picked up a few rocks then he walked back to the corners of the yard and cast a brief spell on the rocks, and dropped a rock at the two corners. Then he walked around the area, and back to the road that fronted the houses, and dropped a stone at each corner of the yard that he had deduced belonged to the Caplan’s. This done, he walked a ways and looking around to see if anyone was watching, he teleported back to the motel, and went out to get lunch.

*          *          *

Instead of going straight home, Rox picked up Alex and Diana from school, and went to the gym. She cleaned herself up, and taught her class. Alex and Diana went to the children’s Swim Class. She told her class how proud she was of their performance at the tournament. Then began to drill them on the things she had noted from their matches.

Rox got home and backed in as Josh rode up on his bicycle. Alex and Diana went to do their homework as Steven started dinner. Rox and Josh used an overhead crane in the garage to unload the trailer, carefully setting things down on blocks from her large pile of 4x4 lumber scraps. That finished they commenced putting together the few things they could. This did not take long. Steven then called dinner, and Josh went home, as Rox went in.

*          *          *

Early the next morning (Wednesday) Caspian sat in the car in a church parking lot and watched the three signals move from the house. He followed them to the school where two stayed. The other went on and then stopped. Caspian caught up to it at a gym. Later he saw a woman go from the gym to her car, as the tracker signaled, and tracked her back home. He checked his list from Judge Kevan, and figured that she was Roxanne Caplan.

Caspian then drove to the other two signals, at the school. These two signals must be Roxanne’s daughter Diana, and son Alex. Caspian decided it best not to loiter, remembering the paranoid nature of the culture. He left and drove around the area more, to familiarize himself with it.

At mid-afternoon the children started moving. Caspian quickly went to where he could watch the house, and saw the bus drop off the kids down the street from the house. Caspian got his first look at the kids, and now knew about what Diana and Alex looked like. After they got home, he drove off again.

Caspian came back one more time to watch Steven come home. He saw a car pull in, and a man get out, and go into the house. Realizing he had seen this man at the gym with Roxanne, he figured that this must be Steven, as he was the only one missing from his list. As he drove out, he passed Rox walking two medium sized dogs.

*          *          *

Roxanne had spent the rest of the day at home. First, she showered using up all the hot water. This felt very relaxing, as the last of the bruises from the tournament faded. She spent the morning in her garage, and the afternoon cleaning the house. She then took the dogs out for a walk, and stopped to talk to Mrs. Winchel, the closest neighbor. As Rox took Tyrell and Dru father and finally came back on her own side of the road, she noticed the rental car cruse though the neighborhood. She thought it strange that a low cost rental car with California plates was cruising the neighborhood. But it did not reappear so she dismissed it.

Steven spent the evening getting ready for his trip, packing his bag, and otherwise getting ready to fly out the next morning. His business had already sent his presentation kits by freight, and he would pick them up when he got to Salt Lake late Thursday morning, and Denver on Friday morning. Once done with the presentation in Salt Lake, he would send that kit to Boise for his Monday morning presentation. Once done in Denver he was taking that kit and driving to Colorado Springs to present on Saturday, then shipping that kit home and flying to Boise for a Monday morning presentation.

Diana and Alex were anxious for him to come home Monday evening. Tuesday they were all scheduled to drive up to Seattle, then catch a ship up the British Columbia coast to Alaska, and spend a week camping in Denali before flying home.

*          *          *

Thursday afternoon found Caspian sitting in a café eating a late lunch. He hated waiting. He had done all he could to track the family short of putting his own trackers on them. If he had to wait longer than a few more days, he would see what he could do to accomplish just that. Caspian’s main anxiety now was where the kidnappers from Krogg were. He had not seen them since landing on Terra, and was operating on a reduced capacity right now, so he could not just magically cast about for them.

Caspian’s main anxiety and frustration was that the elves had constrained him from moving against the kidnappers. In thinking it out, Caspian had come to the conclusion that in their disdain for other societies, these elves wanted to bring Roxanne and her children home to them. Caspian decided that this made these elves little better than the royals of Krogg in their desire. Rather than kidnapping the Caplan’s directly, they would have him stand by and then take them back once they were where the elves could get their own hooks into them. Caspian would see about that, if he could help it.

So now Caspian waited. Then the alarm stone connected to those he had set at the corners of the Caplan’s property went off vibrating across the table, saying that someone from Tywacomb had crossed the lines formed by the stones.

Caspian got up, left enough money, and went out to the car. He headed south, wishing there was enough mana on this world for him to sense what if any magic was being used. As he traveled, some of the swirls on the stone in his pocket dissipated, briefly reappeared, and then disappeared again.

*          *          *

The spy and the warrior rematerialized at the circle of stones, bodies on the ground between them. The spy pulled out the instructions that the wizard had given him, and followed them. In moments, they were riding the ley line back toward their native world.

015 - Bad News and Running Home

Steven finished his presentation. This trip was to meet some distributors about selling some of the product his company made. During his pitch his phone had sounded. He checked it briefly, then turned the ringer off and continued. When he finished he checked his voicemail, finding several messages. The first one was his General Manager. She told him to call immediately, and not to check any other mail until he does. She had cleared his voicemail before sending this one.

Steven called his office.

“Hello, Leticia, this is…”

“Steven. Thank god you called. We have been trying to get a hold of you all afternoon.”

Steven had hired Leticia because she had a reputation for being unflappable. He had hired her away from her prior job. Now, listening to her, she was flapped.

“Steven, the police called, you house was broken into, and Rox and your kids are missing. The police are looking for you, to see if you are all right.”

Leticia stopped for a breath and only heard silence. So she continued.

“Mrs. Winchel, your neighbor, has also called looking for you. She said the police answered a 911 call for your house, and came to ask her about it. She told them that she had seen two dark clothed men prowling around your house, just before the kids came home from school. Then Rox drove home in the truck. Then the police came by here to find you, and I told them you were on a business trip. We tried to call and only got your voicemail. So I figured you were still presenting. Now they need you to call them.”

Steven had felt the world collapse on his shoulders, and his knees give out. He was alone in the room for the moment.

Leticia continued. “I gave the officers your cell number, and told them that you were in Salt Lake on business. They insisted on seeing your office, and were generally behaving like they owned the place. Once they left, I called again, cleared your voice mail, and left the last one.”

Steven’s Marine training began to surface. Leticia had given him what facts she could. Now he needed to act. The phone hung silent as his mind got back into gear.

Steven took a deep breath. “O.k. Get me on the next best flight home. Cancel the rest of this trip.”

“I already have the website open. Will two hours be enough time at that end to get to the airport?”

“Yes. The kit needs packing, but that is not important now. Get that flight, send it to me by email, and meet me at the airport when it lands. Talk to you then.” Steven hung up the phone. He rechecked his voice mail, and logged his laptop computer on to his email.

The second voicemail was from an officer from the Douglas County Sheriff’s office, asking for Steven to call at his earliest convenience, and before talking to anyone else.

Steven dialed the number from the voice mail. He got the sheriff’s dispatcher.

“This is Steven Caplan. I need to talk to Deputy Poulson.”

“One moment.”

A series of clicks and one ring, and a voice came on. “Deputy Poulson.”

“This is Steven Caplan. What’s going on?”

“Mister Caplan, your house was the target of a breaking and entering today.”

Steven paused to let Deputy Poulson continue. “And?”

“And we need to talk to you in person at your earliest convenience. Your secretary…”

“General Manager. Leticia is not my secretary.”

“Pardon me, your General Manager told us you were out of town…”

Steven’s patience was at an end. “And my absence there gives you permission to harass my employees, and not come to the point and tell me that my family is unaccounted for?”

After a moments silence, Deputy Poulson continued. “Whom else have you talked to, Mr. Caplan?”

“Only Leticia. She’s getting me on the next flight. So why did you send people to harass her?”

“We didn’t. They were just sent to find you.”

“Well I’m not there,” Steven snapped.

“You don’t need to get angry at me.” Deputy Poulson responded, keeping calm.

“If you are going to abuse my people I’m going to.”

“We are not abusing your people….”

“Good,” Steven interrupted. “Keep your goons away from my people. The last thing they need is a flock of vultures hanging over them. Now are you going to meet me at the airport, or at my house?”

“I will meet you at the airport. What’s your flight number?”

“I don’t know yet. I will call you as soon as I do know.”

Steven hung up before the guy could say more. He had never trusted or liked the police much. That was why he had his CCW. Even though many were ex-military, as he was, Steven had always felt that most policemen were school bullies that had grown up and found respectable ways to continue bullying people.

Steven logged onto and checked his email. In five minutes he had his flight plans printing on a borrowed printer. He got a call back from Deputy Poulson at ten minuets, told him the flight number and hung up on him again. At fifteen minutes Steven was on his way to the airport. He left his demo stuff behind, to be shipped back to him later. Fortunately the client understood, his stuff would be taken care of by them. Leticia had emailed that she had already called the motel and they were taking care of his bag and clothes there.

At the Salt Lake International Airport Steven presented his flight plans, his I.D. his CCW’s, his computer, its case, and his gun. He left his checked luggage at the hotel, so he had to get his gun checked through in a borrowed lock-box. That done, he got his ticket and went as quick as he could through the security cordon and to his gate.

Once there Steven found a quiet place in the terminal and called Deputy Poulson and told him his flight number and arrival time. He then began peppering the deputy for information.

Deputy Poulson began. “Your neighbor, Mrs. Doris Winchel, had called 911 to report two men prowling around the house, and that the dogs had gone quiet. A deputy was sent by to see. Mrs. Winchel met the deputy in person, and told her everything she saw, from the men, the kids coming home, and Roxanne pulling in, and going inside. The deputy tried the front door, only to find it locked. The blinds were all closed, so Mrs. Winchel took the deputy around back. Here they found your dogs were dead, and the double doors smashed and forced open. The living room had the couches and chairs pushed aside. Mrs. Winchel helped the deputy call your office, but found you were out, so the deputy radioed to have two officers go by to find you.”

Steven did not have a notepad right there, but had learned to commit things to his memory very early on in his time in the Marines. He tried to press Deputy Poulson for more information, but the deputy was hesitant to discuss anything, as opposed to report what was known. In frustration, Steven commented that this paranoia was why he distrusted cops, and hung up again in anger, then paced a bit to cool down.

After an interminable time spent typing his notes on his laptop and emailing them to his home account and to Leticia, he heard the call to board. Now, so long as the airline was its usual efficient self, he would be feet down in the Reno airport within the hour, and after claiming his gun, he could look for his ride home.

*          *          *

Caspian sat in the parking lot of a church building in sight of the Caplan house. The ground here was flat enough, and the buildings sparse enough that he could watch everything from where he sat most of a mile away. He had checked the stone once he had turned the car off, and was annoyed that all three of the local swirls were gone. This meant that they were not just out of the area, but already off planet. Caspian hoped they were kept together, but doubted they would be kept that way.

On the other hand, now Caspian only had to talk to and convince Steven to come, or to just up and kidnap him. But it also meant that his task, instead of taking two adults to Tywacomb, and then to Shalaia, had changed to taking one adult, and then probably tracking down the second and then retrieving the kids, from wherever they would be. It was doubtful that the people from Krogg would want to carry Roxanne very far, and keeping her close to her children was too much danger.

As Caspian thought it out, he liked it less, but also slowly realized it gave him an excuse to annoy the elves, as much as they had already annoyed him. So maybe it would balance out. Presuming nothing else got fowled up. Best not to make any hard plans; just go with the events.

For now he had to wait for Steven to come home. Judge Kevan’s notes said that Steven owned a manufacturing facility, making all kinds of carry-bags. Caspian had not spent much time following him, as he had figured that where Roxanne was, Steven would be as well. But since they had apparently taken Roxanne. . .

The local constables had one vehicle parked at the Caplan’s house. Several had come and gone. It was getting on to evening, and Caspian began to regret not putting a trace on Steven when he had had a chance.