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Chapter -9- Comrades in Arms

Monday, July 19, 2049 - 2pm local time Killona, Louisiana ...

Karla glanced back at Sinopa then forward towards the remains of the Waterford Nuclear power planet. "Thirty miles or so from New Orleans. You know, I've never really gone snooping around this close to one of these things. I know a considerable part of the Carolinas and Florida were turned into shit after the quake of 2025 because of nuclear plants but ... how come this one didn't go off?"

Sinopa eyed the gates and the large concrete complex of Waterford-3 then turned back to Karla. "Vincent Nevada won further favor with Topaz by saving and preserving Louisiana. It's where Jules and I chose to live. Helping ones in-laws goes a long way with a girl."

"What'd he do, exactly?" asked Karla.

"He used his ability to control radiation for three power plants. The one to the north was deemed dangerously damaged. He went to it and somehow changed the half-life of the radiation to a mere fifteen hours. It allowed people to safely go in and encase it in concrete. Then he came here, to this plant, rendering Waterford completely inert. The plant shut down before it became a danger to the rest of us."

"I thought nuclear power plants had those big gray steam chimney things?" asked Karla. "I don't see any."

"Mm, I do not know. It is one of two things - either this plant was designed differently, or perhaps they collapsed in the quake that separated this land from its nation."

"True. You said there was a third plant?"

Sinopa nodded and wrapped her arms around her own waist. Her awkward stance was indicative of her feelings. "I understand that Topaz and Fox flew Vincent to Florida. Jules piloted their rented helicopter. They landed at a complex known as Crystal River, north of Tampa, and stopped the power station from destroying the Gulf of Mexico. This was done to further preserve Louisiana. I believe that plant had the cooling towers you are thinking of, but I recall Jules telling me that not all nuclear power plants use them, and sometimes they are used at non-nuclear power plants."

Karla rubbed her chin. "I always think of The Simpsons when I see those things. Whatever they're called. Hyperbolic tower or ... no, wait, that's not right. Pringles are hyperbolic shaped. I forget what it's called. Whatever. Now I'm ranting." She turned back to Sinopa. "Why on earth are we here?"

"I thought to stop by and show this to you. You need to see just how close it was to where I was living. Vincent Nevada saved many lives; many people survived the quake. More died from tsunamis and radiation exposure, which happened to the north."

"Vincent is down there with my children, Sinopa."

"I know, when you find Falcon, you will see Vincent working besides him. I want you to remember what you have seen here on this day, kudasai. Remember that Vincent went from power plant to power plant and somehow rendered the radiation inert - he risked his life for many survivors but he didn't do it for them. Vincent did it for us. He is on our side and I would like for you to bring him home with my children."

"I'll see what I can do. Our kids come first, Sinopa. Then whoever else we can save."

"He is my son-in-law. And I love him as family. He saved us all from this very plant. You see how close we lived to this power station. It would have surely become problematic."

Karla rubbed her face and looked back up at the sign for the abandoned Waterford power station. "I read somewhere that a few nuclear plants started coming online over the past ten years. The whole damn coast is starting to dig itself out from that craziness."

"Hai, the coast is beginning to flourish again. But poverty is prevalent and people starve; they die of inadequate medical needs. Antibiotics are nearly non-existent north of here. Medication is quick to disappear as supplies come off of shipments. It is tragic."

"Yeah. A real dystopian third-world-looking strip of memories. But they have water on all sides. Soon harbor cities and port towns will pop up on both sides of the coast."

"I saw it before the quake. I saw this land in its glory and after its near destruction."

Karla fidgeted. "I lived in Washington DC years ago."

"You did?"

"Charming little place called Bethesda. I miss it sometimes. The seasons were very pronounced - nothing like San Francisco. Paris was a nice reminder of the changing of seasons, but there's not nearly as much snow in Paris as I had when I lived in Bethesda."

"I see. Karla, we should go. I have gathered everything from my home. I wish to leave Louisiana, now. It will only remind me of that which I have lost."

"Must be nice to shove your belongings in a mirror and call that your storage space. Anyhow, where to next? California?"

"No," Sinopa said with a flat sigh. Her ears laid down in her hair, pushing the strands about. "If I never see San Francisco again, I will be glad."

"You lived there with JC. You raised the kids. I know that's where Jules died, but surely you've got _some_good memories there."

Sinopa narrowed her gaze. "Jules was murdered there. Stolen from me before his time. My heart was crushed there."

Karla winced and looked away. "Yeah. Sorry hon." Karla thought better on it then turned to Sinopa and hugged her. After a moment, she stepped back, glanced at the power station one last time then said, "I'll bring Vincent back safely. But I don't think Conner is ready."

"It is our job to prepare him."

"We had an argument."

Sinopa sighed. "Rufus told me on the phone. He said some of the barbs that the two of you traded were offensive and deeply hurtful to one another."

Karla opened the car door of the rental car then frowned. "Would you rather take the express route home?"

"How do you mean?"

Karla reached down and pressed the trunk release button. She moved around behind the rental car, opened the trunk and pulled out a wall mirror. "I snuck it out of the house just in case. With Falcon's mercenaries back in play, it might be smart to go around with an escape plan."

"And what of returning this rental vehicle to its owners?"

"It has low jack," Karla said with a shrug. "They'll find it. We've already paid for it. No harm, no foul."

"I see." Sinopa turned from Karla and gazed upon the power plant one last time.

The succubus leaned the mirror against the back bumper and frowned. "Look, uh, I want you to know that I'm capable of leading another group back down to that dome. We've just got to find it. I'm telling you, I won't fight with the kid anymore."

"Karla, do you know why I want you to lead this group?" Sinopa walked to the passenger door, opened it, and retrieved her purse. "It is because Lady Kiko has told my sensei that you are not to be trusted. Kiko has also expressed the belief that you are a liar. She said you will lead the team to their doom and trade them for a new source of happiness provided by Aris Falcon. She said that Dr. Falcon has kept you alive because you are the second oldest known sex demon. And due to that fact, your ability to protect yourself from germs during sex has evolved into an ability to cure sick people with sex."

"You ... are purposefully going against the mother of your multi-tailed species?"

"I am. I have my reasons. And besides, Karla, you saved my daughter's life."

"I did?"

Sinopa nodded and approached the mirror. She traced her fingers along the simple wooden frame and gazed into the reflection. "Hai. I presume it happened when you made love to her. As I understand it, Aris Falcon intended to deliver a virus to Topaz that would kill her father. It spread to Jonathan and took his life. However, she lived. I've meditated on this. The answer became clear: You cured her."

Karla lifted her hands and shook her head. "I'd love to take credit for saving Topaz but you're wrong. Here's how I understand it - Topaz was injected with something by Dr. F-bomb. She becomes unconscious. She wakes up in a hospital. Conner shows up," Karla paused and frowned. "Sorry, I used to call him by his middle name a long time ago. I'll call him JC so as not to confuse that darling fourteen year old brat you call a grandson." She lifted her index finger and added, "Kidding, don't be offended. _Any_way, JC visits his daughter. He drops dead. It was apparently something that his wife, Fara, injected into him somehow. It was given to her by Greg Watson, who gave her a drug from that ass-hat, Falcon. Watson told Fara that it would take JC's powers away and nothing more. It happened way before Topaz and Fox were captured by Falcon."

Sinopa frowned thoughtfully. "I see. That would explain why Jonathan was said to have lost his ability shortly after Fara became pregnant. So why did Jonathan die while visiting Topaz?"

"It was a coincidence."

"Ah. But I see you did not deny having sex with my daughter."

Karla cringed. "Yeah. A few times. Does that upset you?"

"Iie, I am not upset, Karla-san."

"We're back to formalities again?"

"I wish to address to things. One, Topaz gave you a home. She gave you wealth. She gave you respect, admiration, trust, and she gave you her body for a time."

"Yeah," whispered Karla.

"I understand she became deeply upset with you. May I assume it is because you told her about Gregory and Fara Watson's attack on her father?"

"You assume correct."

"Do not keep things from me. Ever. I will find out. Lies and withheld information has a way of eventually coming to the surface. I understand if you are waiting for a proper time to say something, like when a person is in a more receptive mood. But you will not withhold information from me, and you will never lie to me. Are we clear?"

"Crystal clear, Sinopa."

"Very well. Number two, you are never to have sexual relations with my grandson. I know that you and Conner are at odds, but you are both very passionate people. Passionate people fight the hardest, love the hardest, and lust deeply. Eventually I suspect the two of you will make amends. I want your personal promise that you will never pursue a sexual relationship of any kind - friendly or romantic - with my grandson. It will complicate things, Karla-san. You did not intend to complicate things in February of 2024. But it happened."

Karla grimaced. "At the time I didn't have the pills. I needed to feed regularly, and by feed, I mean I needed sexual juices."

"Before going steady with Eric-san, you slept with many people you called allies."

Karla looked away, feeling judged. "Yeah. I went down on Donovan and Reno. I slept with Topaz, Johann, Lance, and Eric. But please understand that it was easier to feed on my friends than get entangled with the mercenaries, and I didn't want to make targets out of bystanders. I closed down to a few lovers and kept tight circles. But it doesn't matter either way, now, because I have the pills."

Sinopa glanced to the lower right, trying not to judge but, at the same time, glad Karla didn't see her husband's name. "This time, I ask that you not pursue a romance with my grandson. If possible, do not put yourself in a position to let your body - your temple - to be used against you with your team. You may flirt. You may motivate them with playful banter. But you will curb your desires. And if you cannot help it, then at least let it happen with someone other than Conner. Are we clear on that as well?"

"I promise that Conner will never go into my crosshairs."

"I only wish that I could believe it. I know your intention is true. I can see that much. But I wish I had more of an assurance."

"I can't seduce someone who is in love. So just let it go. I said I promise and I assure you I meant it."

"He is in love?"

Karla froze. She closed the car trunk and readjusted the mirror against the rear of the vehicle. She cut her eyes away from Sinopa and swallowed, but refused to make eye contact with the kitsune.

Sinopa Guillot reached for Karla's arm and spun the succubus about, coming face to face with her in an aggressive way. "Rule number one - do_not_ keep things from me. Ever. Was I not clear? I dislike the reply, 'Crystal clear.' A crystal can be used to split focused light into a spectrum that fans out. To me, it is the antithesis of clear. Are we in agreement on what I meant when I asked if we are clear on that first rule?"

"I meant clear as in transparent. Not that you're transparent, but I obviously am at times. I just..."

Sinopa reached up and placed her finger on Karla's lips. "With whom is my grandson in love?"

Karla swallowed. She waved Sinopa to follow her. "Over here." They walked around to the front of the car, away from the mirror leaning up against the rear bumper. In a hushed voice, Karla said, "Tamamo-no-Mae. Apparently they got close on his most recent visit."

"Go on."

Karla pursed her lips together with a frown. "Don't make me tattle on the kid."

"How far did it go?"

"How would I know?"

"Because you're lying."

"What!" Karla erupted, then lowered her voice again, "No I'm not."

"Why are you whispering?"

"So Tammy-Fox doesn't hear me talking about her. How the heck am I lying."

"You are deflecting my questions. Your avoidance is an obvious deceptive tactic. You cannot trick a trickster-deity, do you understand me? Now be honest: How far did it go?"

Karla bit her lower lip. "God, in four hundred and fifty-freaking-years, I've never _ever_had trouble talking about someone's sex life."

"How far. Do not make me ask again. Our friendship hinges on your honesty."

Karla kept her voice low and said, "Apparently Tamamo sucked the boy's dick. Maybe more, but I swear I don't know if it went beyond that. However, I am fairly certain that they didn't have sex."

Sinopa sighed. She offered a very slight bow of her head to the sex demon. "Your honesty is appreciated. Perhaps it will come easier for you in time. I will work with you on this issue. You must free yourself of burdening information. I understand when words are withheld to spare someone's feelings or if the security of another is involved. But you do not lie to me ever. My feelings are of no consequence when trust is the cornerstone of our alliance. We are the foundation of this new team. We must be open and honest with one another."

"You're not mad?"

"I am livid. But my anger is not directed towards you. Understand this - you will tell me everything related to my family as soon as you learn of it. I can make better decisions this way."

"Hey, whoa, wait - I didn't say anything because I don't gossip. That's not my thing."

"I will not bring the topic up around Conner. He deserves his privacy, and he would feel judged due to his youth and naïve nature. It will stay between us, always. However, we are in a unique situation. Knowing they are having a physical relationship grants me the ability to make unclouded judgment calls. My judgment will preserve Conner's life. I cannot help you to lead our future team if I do not know every detail of every member. You may not gossip, but you are a wealth of information because you have the innate ability to place your nose where it doesn't belong. I will use that flaw as a merit, so that some good may come of it. To this end, you will tell me everything you learn at all times. No secrets. No matter how small the detail, you will tell me so that I can make appropriate judgment calls. Do you understand?"

Karla swallowed. "Yes. I guess I should tell you that I remembered something else."

"Very well. Go on, please."

"You and I were friends in 1999. I started to remember a lot of things after Elvena was born. You and I fought side-by-side shortly after Aris Sokolov changed his name to Aris Falcon. We ran around with Nathanial fighting people and kicking asses. When Chance died, I lost my mind. Tamamo said she could alleviate the pain but not the loss. I didn't know what that meant, but I was so emotional that I agreed to it. She made me forget damn-near everything."

"The boy, Chance ... he was a telepath, yes?"

"Good, you remembered something. I mean, damn. I had to meet you all over again in 2023. And I was only just remembering Chance at that point. Thanks to a zap from Nathanial that jogged a few of my memories. Apparently a few volts to the hippocampus will make you remember a lot of things and stuff. Heh, Things and Stuff - you ever heard that song before?"

Not one to be distracted, Sinopa asked, "What was the boy's name? You called him Chance, but Tamamo was involved in his memory loss as well. Under orders from Kiko, I believe. What was his birth name?"

"Marcus Howard. It's the reason I changed my surname to Howard after 1999. God I fucking loved that boy. Sometimes I wonder if my emotions messed things up or if Sire and Reinhardt St. Leonard were to blame. The Esoteric Council ordered his death because telepathic mastery is strictly forbidden. Now I know those two bastards were working with Falcon. Sire's dead and I'm forever grateful to you for that. However, Reinhardt and Falcon are still alive. I remember swearing on that boy's grave that I would kill everyone responsible for his death. But there are days where I wonder if it was me because I loved him so much I couldn't see straight. Love is blind, after all."

"This is exactly the reason why Tamamo and Conner cannot work. And if they absolutely must love one another, they should respectfully have the patience to wait until Falcon and his cohorts are dead."

Karla sighed. "What if I waited? And what if Chance still died? I would have missed out on the most amazing love I've ever experienced. Eric was a good provider, a hard worker, and a great father. He was passionate every now and then, and he said things to me that got me keyed up. But what I developed for Chance was ... legendary. The kind of shit that poets and romance novelists write about. And the best part was, Chance understood me. He didn't judge me. He was happy to let me be myself. If Chance had lived, none of this dogshit drama would have happened in 2023. Mark my goddamn words, everything would have happened differently. I wouldn't have needed pills. We wouldn't have been misled by anyone, including Watson. Hell, I bet Nathanial would have lived."

"Nathanial had to pass in order to give his light to Reno. Reno's rise kept the rest of us alive in his own way."

"Maybe. Don't get me wrong, Reno's a great guy. I love that guy - he's awesome. But he's not as refined as Nathanial. I also spent over a hundred years hanging out with Nathanial. I miss my friend. Reno's a great replacement, but he's worthless right now."

"Hai. It is a shame." Sinopa reached for Karla and hugged her. "I forgive you."

Karla relaxed in the gentle embrace. "I appreciate it."

"I trust you to a degree. Earn my unquestioning trust with time. Come. Let us use the mirror and return to France. But first, I wish to have stern words with Tamamo."

"Can, uh ... can I wait here while you do that?"

"No. It is best that we do not separate, Karla-san. Now come." Sinopa took the succubus by her wrist and guided her around behind the rental car. They stepped into the mirror together and left the mirror against the rental with the keys on the trunk.

Silence.

X

X

Monday, July 19 - 8am PDT San Francisco, California ...

Conner Nevada sat on a large king-sized bed. He held a futuristic looking urn in one hand and a photograph of Fox and Topaz with Vincent in the other. "God. They couldn't just ... I mean," he trailed off and shook his head. "Twincest - is that even a real word? And if that wasn't bad enough, they were in a threeway. This just gets more and more screwed up with every little detail I learn." He glared at the picture.

The photograph depicted Vincent between the twins. He had his left hand interlaced with Topaz's right. Vincent Nevada's right hand was in Fox Parker's left; their fingers were intertwined. The body language made it obvious. They were in love with one another.

"God. Twincest, threeway and gay sex. I don't care if it's someone else but why my parents? Am I going to have webbed feet; will my kids? Couldn't I just have normal parents?"

The doorbell rang. Conner tensed, eyes wide. His pupils dilated and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. The doorbell rang again.

Conner tossed the picture on the bed and ran to the top of the steps with the urn. The doorbell rang a third time. He felt his tongue become dry. After a moment, Conner drew in a deep breath. "No, this is my home. My castle. I'm not gonna be chased away just because everyone wants me hiding in Paris."

He hopped up onto the banister and skated down the staircase on his feet. Conner placed the urn on a decorative table near the entrance and cleared his throat. He reached for the door and swung it open. Of the two people standing on the stoop, Conner vaguely recognized the male. They stared at one another for a moment.

The guy broke the awkward silence. "Conner, right?"

"Yeah. I recognize you but I can't place the face. Wait a minute, yes I do."

"My God you've grown."

Conner relaxed all at once, his brain clicking. "God, sorry. With everything that's been going on, I've been totally scrambled. Uncle Jaye. God. Sorry, man, come in. Please." Conner stepped back. "Who's your friend?"

Dawn stepped in behind James, impressed by the magnificence of the mansion. She turned to Conner and smiled. "Sorry. I'm Dawn. Your uncle and I have been dating for a while now. He told me that his brother and sister were wealthy beyond belief but, my goodness. You have a lovely home, Conner."

"Oh, uh. Yeah, thanks."

"Where is everyone?" asked James.

"God. I'm horrible for not calling you when everything went south. Look, we have a family emergency right now. Mom went to find her husband. And Fox went with her. They disappeared and may not come back. Everything is really screwed up. I've been staying with my grandfather - with my grandparents, y'know, and we started moving around. First some craphole in Louisiana ... the house was nice, but the property was practically a swamp. And then we came here for a while, and then we went to Paris. And my grandfather died in the middle of all this crazy drama and ... I just couldn't handle it anymore. I came back here by myself."

James blinked, eyes wide, and said, "Wait, you're here alone? How old are you again?"

"Fifteen."

James turned to Dawn. They had a brief, silent conversation with only their eyes. Jaye turned back to Conner and frowned. "I'm in the same boat. My step-father works for the US Government. He operates out of the Capital."

"I've never been to Chicago. Is it nice?"

"Yeah, but cold as hell in the winter. Anyway, he disappeared. I assume he's on some sort of assignment. It happens every once in a while but rarely now that he's getting older. And I tried to call him because my mother vanished. No notes, no voice mail, nothing. She even left the lights on in the bathroom at her house. I can't find her anywhere. I kept trying to call my dad but he won't answer. Last night, I went to the family safehouse. The bed was unmade but it had fresh sheets on it. I could smell her perfume. She'd been there recently but somehow I missed her when she left. She wouldn't just up and leave the safehouse for no reason."

"You came here thinking you'd find them here?"

"Well, maybe, but I figured at the very least Fox and Topaz could help me find them. However, they're not answering their phone either. It was all a little too weird. So Dawn and I flew out here first thing this morning. At this point I'm not completely surprised they're missing too, but I'm glad _you're_okay."

"My sister was the first to disappear. A while ago, on her twenty-first birthday. And then this sh- er, crap with my grandfather. I'm not quite ready to talk about that yet, but it's a mess."

Jaye frowned and, as an afterthought, added, "I'm sorry about Jules. I've only met him twice, but he was a really genuine guy. His wife looks really young, though."

Conner eyed his uncle for a moment then shut the front door. "If you only knew the whole story about her. Anyway, you guys are welcome to stay here as long as you like. It's actually nice to know I won't be in this huge house by myself."

Dawn smiled. "That's sweet of you to invite us. I know loneliness can be tough."

"It's not solitude. That doesn't bother me. I have the internet, video games ... whatever I want. But the house is haunted."

Jaye offered a chuckle. "Haunted? Why on earth would you believe that? Ghosts aren't real."

"Two people died here."

Dawn froze. "Excuse me?"

"Some married couple that cleaned houses for a living. My folks were on the run and when they came to check on the place, the two cleaning people were killed. I don't know all the details. Everyone treats me like I'm just some kid, so they don't tell me everything. But yeah. The lady died right where you two are standing, her husband was found in the kitchen."

Dawn and James immediately moved away from the foyer. Dawn looked uncomfortable, James had a frown.

Conner sighed. "Sorry. My social skills, huh? Indicative of someone who was home-schooled and trained to be a world-class Master Thief, you know? Didn't have a whole lot of friends outside this house. And my sister was older. You know how older sisters avoid teenaged brothers until the little brother is all grown up and crap. To her, I was just the kid who ate all her favorite snacks out of the pantry."

Dawn and James exchanged glances again.

She cleared her throat and feigned a smile. "Master Thief, huh? Like Jay-Mark?"

Conner furrowed a brow. "Who?"

Jaye shook his head a bit and gestured to his girlfriend then turned back to Conner and said, "Nevermind, bud. I'll explain later. So, it's been a long time since I've been here. Can you show us to the guest wing?"

Dawn blinked. "There's a _wing_for guests?"

Conner waved for them to follow and guided them through the mansion. He offered a tour, using his hands to motion to various trinkets and sections branching off the main hallway. Some had short stories, others had simplistic titles like, 'where we eat sometimes,' and 'where we slum it.' At the end of the decorative hall, he turned left and opened a set of elegant double doors.

"This is the guest wing. Full kitchen, bathroom and Jacuzzi, full gym but the equipment is over fifty years old. I don't even know if half that crap works." He walked them down the hall motioning to various rooms, "Sauna. Linen closet. Towels are clean but they probably haven't been used in a year or two. If you need to launder them," he gestured back with his left hand, "This is the laundry room. I don't think detergent gets old. So you're good there - we got plenty of that stuff."

At the end of the hall, Conner opened beautiful French doors with curtains pulled over the glass. He flipped on a light switch and held both hands out, palms up, towards a king-sized bed. "The master guest bedroom. The other guest rooms with smaller beds are back the way we came, but at the end of the main hall, you'd go right instead of left. Two rooms have kitchenettes, but I don't know if anything is hooked up. We hardly use that crap. We weren't as party-centric as Jonathan Parker."

Dawn had a look of confusion on her face.

James touched her arm with a smile. "Jonathan owned the house. He was my biological father."

She gazed around the impressive master bedroom. "This place is amazing."

Conner rubbed his face. "Are you guys going to be staying in town long?"

"I'd like to try and find my family but everyone is missing. It doesn't matter whether I start my investigation from here or Chicago. If your folks are missing, then we should look for everyone together, Conner. Are you okay with that?"

Conner's eyes widened with delight. "You'd want my help? Hell yeah! We'd make an awesome team. We're the new generation of Parkers, man. We can do anything. Have you been practicing?"

James grimaced. "Practicing? You mean some of that stuff my sister liked to teach me?"

Conner deadpanned. "Please tell me you're just trolling me. You do have an ability right?"

"I write about a character who has abilities if that's what you mean."

Dawn licked her lips. "Jaye, can he do what you do?"

The teenaged boy arched his brows a bit. "Uncle Jaye, c'mon man. Please tell me you can Free Run at the very least."

"You can too, Conner?"

"Uh, yeah. That's what the Parker family does, right? It's in our blood, Uncle Jaye." He paused, and the two young men looked at one another as if sizing each other up. Finally Conner sighed. "God. Mom said she wanted to spend way more time with you, and got pretty upset at the fact she didn't help you enough. Great. I'm still in training. How am I supposed to train you, too?"

Dawn looked from her boyfriend to the teenager then back to her boyfriend. "So ... I hack computers. Do you have Wi-Fi?"

Conner looked at her then back to his uncle then back to her once more. He dropped onto the large bed and started laughing. He leaned back, putting his weight on his hands, behind himself, and said, "Uncle Jaye, I like her already. Look. I want to introduce you guys to my girlfriend. One sec. She's Asian; she's pretty cool."

"She's here?" asked Dawn.

"Sort of." He walked to a mirror perched on the dresser and said, "Tamamo, it's Conner."

Silence.

He frowned thoughtfully and said, "Tamamo, are you there? I could use your help right now. I have mom's half-brother here." He paused. Silence. "Tamamo, c'mon, please? You said any mirror. Are you there?"

"Conner?" James approached and glanced in the mirror then leaned to the side and looked behind the dresser. "This isn't a two way screen. It's not even a TV. What're you going at, man?"

"Ugh. Nothing. Nevermind. I'll introduce you to her later. She must be busy. Do you know Sinopa? The younger looking woman that's always with Jules Guillot? She's actually Mom and Fox's mother. It's complicated." Conner deadpanned and turned to face his uncle directly. "You probably think I'm just some teenaged punk kid playing a game. Or maybe you think I'm weird and have a big imagination. Whichever. I'm just glad you're here. I didn't wanna do all this crap alone. I'll explain everything soon. Why don't you two just settle in and relax? I've got to go down into the crawlspace and turn on the hot water knob so you guys get hot water to this wing. Don't use the hot tub or the shower or the sauna until I figure out which one it is. My grandfather has these faded hand-written notes on tags hanging from strings down there and I have to read them and figure out which one is the right one."

"Wi-Fi?" Dawn asked in a soothing tone as a gentle reminder.

"Oh, right. Sorry. The router is the family name. The password is kind of weird. Some sort of video game cheat code from back in the old days or something. It's, uh," he trailed off to try and remember it, then recited, "Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, the letter B, the letter A, then the word 'start.' Did you get that? Should I write it down?"

James smirked and glanced at Dawn. "You're a hardcore gamer girl, aren't you? Did you catch that, babe?"

"It's the old _Konami_code," she said with a wan smile. "I like your folks more already, and I haven't even met them yet."

Conner shrugged. "Sure, whatever that means. I have a feeling my mother would get along with you right away. She really gets along with women who play video games and have fun. I'm going to go cobweb diving now. Then I'm gonna head upstairs and hit the shower. If you guys, uh, you know ... if you don't want me to knock on your door, just put a sock on the door knob."

Dawn and Jaye exchanged a glance again.

Conner gave them the 'thumbs up' gesture, backed out of the room, and closed the French Doors behind himself. He moved into the laundry room and knelt down adjacent to a register, pressing his ear against the metal vent.

He could hear Dawn and James talking through the air-return grate.

She said, "I like him. He has a lot of personality. And he's really generous to invite us in and let us stay. Can he really do the same thing you do?"

"Dawn, I didn't even know I could do that stuff until recently. I just wrote about it for my comic."

"Our comic."

"Well, yeah, sorry. If he knows, then maybe he does it too. But so far as being a Master Thief, or whatever, I have to say it kind of bothers me. Stealing I mean. He made it sound like the whole family does it for a living. Is that how they have so much money? I'd rather not think about it right now. And what was the deal with the mirror?"

The mattress grunted from someone flopping down onto it, then Dawn said, "To each their own. I don't judge. And it was cute, if not amusing, when he called himself out on his social skills. He comes off as a little intense, but he's gone through a lot. Everyone he knows is missing. Just like with you. He's only fifteen - he said fifteen right?"

"Yeah, fifteen, babe."

"Well, I'd be rambling too if I was worried about my family, and then my last known relative shows up looking for his folks, too. I'd be excited that I wouldn't feel alone anymore."

"Oh, it's fine. He can be as chatty as he wants. But the last few times I've met him, he seemed kind of quiet. Reserved. Silently judging with his eyes. But he was awfully young. Actually, there's one thing that struck me as kind of weird."

"What's that?"

"He said his mother is looking for her husband. Why would he say 'husband' instead of calling Vincent his father? He calls me uncle but he refers to my brother by his first name, no title. Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill but I just thought that was weird."

"Sorry, sweets. I didn't catch it."

"How about you sign on and check the internet again to see if any of the family names pop up in news reels."

"Sounds like a plan. Then I want to try that Jacuzzi."

Another grunt from the bed mattress as one joined the other sitting on it. "Sure you do, Dawn. I had a feeling you'd be excited about that. But this one seems big enough for both of us. You can't go run and hide for two hours and call it 'soaking.' Heh."

"Yeah, yeah. We might be here looking for your family, Jaye, but if it turns into a partial vacation, then so be it."

"I already like that idea."

Conner heard smooching sounds. He stood up with a smirk, made his way back to the hall and headed down to the junction where the guest wing met the main wing. He removed a wooden access panel that matched the rest of the hallway walling, crawled down into it, and pulled his cellphone out, using it as a flashlight.

After turning on the hot water knob for the guest wing, he crawled back out, replaced the panel and walked back towards the foyer, dusting himself off. On the table next to the front door was the fancy looking urn with the futuristic looking lid. He picked it up and opened it.

His eyes widened with dismay and disappointment seeing only a folded piece of paper and keys inside. Conner unfolded the page and read it while rolling one of the two keys along his knuckles like a coin.

"Are you kidding me? It's locked in a stupid safe sitting on the family island? How the hell am I going to get out to the Pacific Ocean by myself! Only family is supposed to go there. I can't go showing some random rental pilot how to get there! Aw man! Jesus. Who the hell do I know that has a boat big enough to get around the Pacific safely? It'd have to be at least the size of a yacht." He headed for the stairs and stomped up the steps with the paper and two keys. "Oh shit."

Conner thought back to when he heard his mother griping to her brother. "Mom said, 'I bought that bitch a yacht, a house in Paris, and how did she repay me? With lies.' She was talking about Karla. That means Karla owns a yacht. And if they were that close, Karla will know about the island. Which means I have to call and apologize to her for being rude. She and Sinopa are going to flip if they know I'm here. There's got to be another way. To hell with them, I don't need their help. Fate brought all the help I need to my doorstep. He's family, he's a free-runner, and his girlfriend is a hacker."

'And they didn't treat me like a child,' he thought while rummaging through the study next to his room. He spun the globe then stopped it so that a section of the Pacific Ocean was facing upwards. He crossed the room to another ornate globe in the corner and set it to the same Longitude and Latitude.

Conner walked to a picture frame behind a tall house plant and leaned in close so that he was nose to nose with a portrait of Jonathan Parker's father in regal 19th century clothing. His eyes hovered over the eyes of the main in the painting.

A dim flash of light came from the eyes in the painting, causing his lashes to twitch. He fought the urge to blink. A moment later, a wall with a bookshelf slid to the left across from the desk in the study.

Conner stepped into the hidden room, turned on a lightswitch that was on its own separate circuit, and approached a map on the wall depicting the Pacific Ocean. Unlike the globes in the study, it had an image of the family island depicted. He pulled his cellphone out and snapped a photograph. He zoomed up on the hand-written GPS coordinates and captured another picture then stuffed his phone into his pocket. "I'll get there without that girl or Sinopa. They think I'm a kid. At least Uncle Jaye treats me like a kid who is capable of helping."

He continued to stare at the image of the island on the map and thought to himself, 'They said I should train. No better place than the island. We can stay there until James and I teach ourselves how to be good. We can start our own team.'

He stared at the island for another moment then walked out of the room. Conner shut the rail door, changed the globes, and headed to his bedroom to find some workout clothes.

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Next chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/682932