Charming Deception

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Charming Deception, Page 23

“Father, please. Lower him?”

The king groans and presses some buttons. Jakson puddles to the ground, rubbing his shoulders.

“Is that a little better?” I whisper to Jakson. He nods. “Would you rather a chair?” He shook his head no and sat on the floor. I pull up a chair right in front of him and sit.

“Begin whenever you wish, Isabella. I’ll sit behind you. I will handle the remote.”

“I am Princess Isabella of Robesson,” I wink at him and mouth a kiss. “I will be conducting this, uh, interview today. I know you will be very truthful with me because you’ve been double dosed with truth serum. Do not speak unless I ask you to or you will be shocked. My father, King Frederick, can bypass the shock device with the remote in his hand. Do you understand?” Jaks nods.

“Are you ready for me to begin questioning you?” He nods again, staring at me intently.

“Okay. Is your name Jakson Blake?” I hold my breath.

Jakson’s eyes are wide and wet. He seems frozen in fear. I only asked his name. I thought that would be the easiest question of all. I rephrase the question.

“Are you my Jaks?” He breathed a sigh of relief. He nods with a tiny smile.

“And are you also known on this planet as Tarek Ikari?” He nods.

“And nobody around here notices you speak with a British accent? Please explain.” She looked at her father who held down the bypass button.

“They don’t hear it,” he whispers. “They perceive it as nothing more than a regional dialect. From the poor, disadvantaged side of town.”

“Can you explain the doorway to me?”

“Yes. Our scientists were working on a way to travel great distances in short periods of time. They developed a chemical that could fold the layers of space into a portal. But instead of only liquefying the membrane on this planet, it also worked between other livable parallel worlds. At first, it was painted over a plain interior wall, and looked like an old mirror. The liquid could open a portal, or a doorway between two worlds. Of course, we had no idea there were so many parallel worlds out there, and that a doorway once painted open could be accessed from either side, over and over again. It was later we discovered we could actually pick a specific portal by using a translocation disc.”

“Father, you were aware of this technology?”

“Yes, yes, of course we are, Bella. That’s how I sent you to Demby. But, unlike the Galts, we don’t jump back and forth through the damn thing. We use it only in extreme emergencies. It’s rather creepy. And I believe it jangles up one’s brainwaves. Too many trips through the mirror transport and you could end up in a vegetative state.” I roll my eyes.

“Are you the best tracker the Galts have, the best on the planet?” I ask him. He shrugs his shoulders.

“Father, I want to hear his explanation.” King Frederick nods.

“They SAY so, I don’t really know,” Jaks says modestly. “I know I’m good, I don’t know if I’m the best. I can sense body signals. And I can communicate with the animals and plants on most planets. That gives me a definite edge. I’m a tracker,” Jaks looks directly at the king, “but I am NOT a killer.” He edges closer to me.

“Sam, baby, get out of here,” Jaks whispers. “Go home. Find the portal and get out of here. If I know you’re home safe and waiting for me, I can survive this and I’ll get back home to you as soon as I can,” he whispers. I nod, noticing he looked so terrible. I need to get him out of here. How, how…

“What’s all this whispering about?” croaks the king, rearming the device.

“This will be over soon,” I say. “Do you need some water?” He shakes his head no.

Charming Deception, Page 22

“Cora, I am sick to my stomach thinking of what could be happening to him up there…”

“You need to sit and calm down. I’ll bring you something to drink,” says Cora, “something strong.” Claire disappears and returns with a decanter of thick, green neon liquid and two glasses. “Here,” Cora pours and hands me a glass, “drink it down.”

“Good grief, Cora, did you raid my father’s private liquor cabinet? Is this what I think it is?”

“Yes, it’s Verdeviti,” she giggles. “The green elixir of life. This stuff is illegal on most planets.”  Cora pours herself a drink and they drink together. Then they drink some more.

Soon I am calm and in control of my emotions and Cora is all giggly.

“So, you went and got yourself married, huh? Tell me about this husband of yours, Sam.”

“Ahhh! His name is Jakson Blake. And he is… wonderful. He’s an international binding arbitration mediator. He’s an old world, continental gentleman, mannerly, well educated, from a wealthy family, and he speaks seven languages. He’s in demand all over the world. He’s tall, thin, and extremely good-looking. But it’s when he starts talking that he’s truly adorable. He’s so sweet and lovable and romantic. He makes me happy. He makes me smile inside when I look at him.”

“That sounds like love to me. And where did you meet this good looking, sweet, lovable man?”

“I was doing relief work in Ohio, at the high school after a tornado hit my hometown. I was knee-deep in clothing vouchers and private donations and paperwork and old people in dire need of their medication and crying babies with their half-crazed, worried mothers from the minute the doors opened in the morning. I had worked through lunch because we were so short-staffed and was exhausted. And in walked this man in a suit, this breath of fresh air, this picture of calmness and serenity, with an ability to organize chaos with a smile on his face, one gorgeous smile. With a reassuring voice and an air of authority, he had the room cleared out in a matter of minutes, with everybody happily on their way to whatever they needed.

I remember it very well…

“YOU are just remarkable.” Samantha looked up at the man who had taken control of the situation in utter amazement. He flashed his gorgeous smile at her.

“Thank you, thank you very much. And I’m also very hungry. Would you care to accompany me to the cafeteria?” he said, offering her his arm.

“I’d be delighted, Mr…”

“Blake. Jakson Blake.” She took his elbow as they walked toward the cafeteria.

“Well, hello, Blake, Jakson Blake. I’m Hannery, Samantha Hannery.”

“Yes, I know. I asked who you were first thing this morning.”

Soon her father storms into her chambers.

“All right. I’ve had him injected with a double dose of truth serum because these Galts are notoriously strong-willed. I will allow you to question him. But I will be present. I have a list of questions of my own for you to ask him. Here it is. And there will be absolutely NO coddling! Do you understand me, Isabella?”

“Yes, Father, I can agree to that. No torturing and no coddling. We can handle this like civilized people, you’ll see. Jakson is a good man, honest and reasonable. Thank you, Father.”

We walk up to the tower. Justin opens the door.

“What have you done to him?”

“Nothing,” says the king. “Yet.”

“Can’t you remove that horrible shock harness?”

“No”

“Well, then, can you lower him?”

“Isabella, this is not a tea party! It’s SUPPOSED to hurt.”

22.

Charming Deception, Page 21

I open the door. There was an unconscious Jakson, hanging by his wrists, stripped to the waist. A guard straps some kind of electronic device to Jaks’ neck and chest and locks it with a key. I gulp hard and try to compose myself and act like I fit in around here.

“Thank you, guard, I’ll take it from here.”

“The truth serum will need a few more minutes to work properly, Princess, but the shock device is locked in place,” he hands me the remote, “and ready to go. I tried it out, and gave him a little private lesson. He’s a quick learner. He knows he can nod yes or shake his head no. No words. Any sound that comes from his throat will cause a shock blast.”

“Then, what’s the remote do?”

“Hold down the green button to allow him to speak without being shocked.”

“Give me the key.”

“No! You want to take it off of him? Already? I just put it on him! But, why?”

“You have the insolence to tell me no?” I yell, channeling the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland. “Justin, throw this cocky, disrespectful bastard out the window at the count of ten if he does not give me the key. Then go down and take the key off of his miserable, dead body and bring it up to me. Either way, I get the key. So which will it be?” I give him a steely-eyed stare. “One. Two. Three. Four. Five.”

The guard hands me the key. “King Frederick will be very angry with you.”

“Oh, he’ll get over it. It won’t be the first time nor, dare I say it, the last. I’ll deal with it.”

“He’ll be very angry with me.”

“Tell him I frightened you. Boo!” I shout. “Now get the hell out of here before I heave you out of the window myself!” He scurries away like the little rat he is.

“Justin, can you release him?”

Justin examined the apparatus. “Well, I can raise it or lower it by turning this handle, but I have no idea where the release button is. It’s certainly not marked ‘Release button.’ And I’m afraid to experiment. Your father doesn’t allow me up here too often. He says I have no heart for torture. And he is correct. I can lower him.”

“Then lower him gently, please.”

“Jaks?” I cradle his head in my arms. “Jaks, honey, can you hear me?”

He opens his eyes and gives me the tiniest smile. “Sam,” he whispers.

I want to sob, but I don’t think that would fit with this princess-character, so I rock him gently. “Don’t worry, I’ll get us out of here. I don’t know how just yet, but I’ll find a way to get us home.” He nods. “I won’t desert you, I promise, and I won’t leave you up here at the mercy of this crazy old goat. I’ll stay right here with you and make sure he doesn’t hurt you until I figure a way out of this mess. I want us to go home, Jaks,” I kiss his forehead.

“Home,” he repeats.

“Isabella! What in the hell are you doing?” bellows the king as he enters the room with his men in the most kingly fashion. “Coddling the same Galt tracker who was hired to kill you? What is the matter with you? Have you taken leave of all your senses? Justin, Morgan, take my daughter out of here and see to it that she stays in her chambers, even if you must barricade her in.” Justin and Morgan picked me up.

“No, Father! Don’t kill him. Don’t strike him. Please don’t be brutal. Don’t hurt him. Simply ask him what you want to know. He’ll tell you the truth. He’s an honest and reasonable man. And don’t cut anything off. Don’t hurt him, promise me. Promise it, Father!”

The king says nothing as I am escorted to my room.

Time passes as I pace the length of my bedchamber.