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.

Charming Deception, Page 20

"But she wasn’t there. I looked everywhere. I can’t find her anywhere. Unbelievable story, it makes no sense at all, I know. But it’s the truth, I swear it. She’s not here. She’s gone.”

Werner and his men were unimpressed with his explanation.

“One minute you two are running down the street hand in hand and the next minute, POOF! She’s gone! Like magic! You expect us to believe that?”

“Okay. You tell me. Where did she go? Where is she?”

They dragged him back to Werner’s warehouse headquarters, where he repeated to Werner his ridiculous story of the silvery portal opening up in the middle of brick walls and many hands grabbing Samantha and whisking her away from him.

“Very strange hypothesis, this Jakson Blake’s scientific theory of wife evaporation. Fine. I’ll keep you tied up right here until she comes back to get you. And you know she will because she doesn’t want her sweet little pookie wookie roughed up. Be very thankful I don’t have my men beat the shit out of you. What the hell’s the matter with you? Why didn’t you just call out to us? We were right there on the other side of the door. You claim you love her. Yet you let her jump out the second-story window. You two could have landed in the street, got run over, and died. Or broken yours bones. And where the hell did you think you were going? You knew you couldn’t get away from us. I need her. Now, thanks to your irresponsible actions, we’ve both lost her. Stupid. Stupid move, Blake.

"But I’ve really got to hand it to you, Blake. Whatever you did to her, it worked. That woman is crazy about you.” Werner turned to his men. “Take everything out of his pockets and tie him up securely. And take away his shoes and socks.

“Now, we’ll just wait here for her to come and attempt to rescue you. How long do you think it’ll take? A day? Two?”

“She’s gone, Werner. She’s not coming back for me. They took her away from me. They yanked her right out of my arms. She’s not free to come back, for me or anything else.”

“She’s the brains of your operation, Blake. And she’s the guts, too. She’ll find a way to save you,” said Werner. “Okay, boys, it looks like we’re going to be here for a while. Who’s got the cards? George? Okay, deal them.”

Jakson waited until he was sure they were all sound asleep before he carefully and silently wriggled out of the ropes. He quietly reached for his shoes and socks and then tiptoed out of the warehouse. After he put on his socks and shoes, he walked to the downtown business district, where he could hide easily among the homeless people lurking in the archways and sleeping in any quiet, sheltered spot they could find. He found a spot against an inside wall of a pavilion in the central park area. He pulled up his collar, crouched down against the wall, and settled in for a few hours sleep.

Early the next morning there was a buzz through the castle. The Galt tracker had been found and captured, and King Frederick of Robesson was going to handle the interrogation himself.

“Cora, are you SURE?”

“Yes, I saw them drag him in.”

“Describe him.”

“A bundle of arms and legs being dragged up to the tower. Dark hair. A thin man. Black trousers. I’m sorry. In that position there wasn’t much to see.”

I walk quickly up to the tower.  Justin follows close behind me.

“Cora, stay here,” Justin calls back to her. “You don’t want to see what goes on up there, my dear.”

“Isabella, this is not a good idea,” fusses Justin. “Your father will be furious at me for not keeping you away. Do you have any idea what goes on in there?”

“Yes, I do, Justin," I answered. "That’s why we need to get up there right away.”