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“WHERE DO YOU SUPPOSE they went?” Frank asked finally.
They had been trying to recount the story in Clara’s bedroom for the better part of an hour. They would make it through about 10 minutes of recalling the event before one of the three adults would stop them. Whether it was to clarify a point or express amazement at the brazenness of the would-be abductors, Ham and Pris were both running out of patience. Ham had just retold the scene where the woman had disappeared.
“I don’t know, and I really don’t care,” he replied.
“And I’m not saying you did anything wrong, Ham, but I am concerned they might turn up again,” Frank explained. “If your teleportation was...unpleasant for them, they might come back with a vengeance.”
Clara had quietly listened for most of the tale, but now addressed Ham. “The possibility exists you may have sent them to another dimension, another planet, or absolutely nowhere; into the void. I know so very little about it.”
“What?” Ham burst out. “You mean, I might have killed them? Does Raquel know?”
Clara shook her head. “If she does, she’s not saying. Wait; she says we shall know when we must.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Frank asked.
Clara shrugged. “She can be very disingenuous when she wants.” She looked at Pris. “If I help you understand how to see someone, perhaps you can find them, if they’re still in this plane. Your connection to Ham will facilitate it.”
Pris looked doubtful, but rolled over next to Clara’s bedside. When Clara touched her arm, it was clear from the brightness in her eyes that Raquel was also involved. Marrisa was still uncertain about this whole training thing, but after all, Raquel was an Archangel, so what could possibly go wrong? Archangels were supposed to be the epitome of faith and trust; weren’t they?
Pris’ hair lifted from around her ears, and her face went slack. Marrisa was about to say something, when Clara released her arm. Pris turned her chair to face the rest, and her eyes appeared to have some of the same residual glow in them, but it faded quickly.
“I can see the woman, probably because she was next to me, but I can’t see the man from the closet at all,” she informed them.
“That actually makes sense,” Frank said. “When Clara helps me locate someone, I have to give her their picture, or something they had close to them recently. You saw the woman, but not the man.”
“Where is the woman?” Ham asked fretfully. He had been inconsolable after Clara had explained he might have sent them to another dimension, or another planet.
“Lake Tahoe,” Pris said.
“Huh? Do what?” Ham replied.
“She was found swimming fully clothed in Lake Tahoe,” Pris clarified.
“How do you know that?” Marissa asked.
“When I thought about her after Clara or Raquel showed me how, I saw her fall into a lake,” Pris explained. “She fell from about 20 feet, I’d say, and came up spluttering. She immediately started swimming toward the nearest shore, and when she got out, there was a sign which read Welcome to Lake Tahoe.’”
“So she’s alive?” Ham enthused.
“Yep, and mad as a wet hen,” Pris chortled.
Everyone grinned. “Well then, I guess we can assume the man got sent somewhere on earth as well,” Frank said, sounding as equally relieved.
“There is a way to test it,” Marrisa offered.
“No!” Pris exclaimed.
“You haven’t even heard what I was going to suggest,” Marrisa said curiously.
“Yes I did, and no, Ham is not going to send you anywhere,” Pris said with cold finality.
“So, you can read my mind now?” Marrisa asked hesitantly.
“Not so much read as hear ideas, and only ones which elicit strong emotions,” Pris responded. “And Ham is of the same opinion.”
“Wait, how...oh, never mind; strong emotion,” he said lamely. “So I guess I have to start guarding my thoughts now,” he finished morosely.
“You can never guard that part from me, Ham, and I don’t have to be a mind-reader to know it,” Pris said, grinning widely.
Ham flamed crimson, and closed his eyes in the eternal gesture of the all-suffering male in the presence of an argument he can’t win with a female. Clara and Marrisa laughed, and Frank walked over to pat him on the shoulder.
“Welcome to adult relationships,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll do as well as Clara and I have. Let’s have some dinner, and we’ll talk more about who I think these people are who tried to grab you. How’s Chinese?”
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AFTER FRANK AND MARRISA had cleared away the take-out containers and fortune cookie wrappers, they settled in on the sofa and chair in the living room. Clara had insisted on being the hostess, and Frank had obligingly placed her in the motor chair kept in her bedroom closet. She could use both arms, although the left one had little strength, and she had a joystick similar to Ham’s for guidance.
“The van was stolen, and has been recovered. We pulled several recent prints off the interior, and one came back as a twice-convicted felon. He was probably the big guy you saw outside,” Frank said, looking at Ham, who nodded.
“The prints off Pris’ chair and the door at the school have yet to yield any results, but we’ll keep them on file. Everyone on the detective force is working to connect the dots on known associates from the one we have,” he informed them. “And there’s a BOLO out on him. Now it’s just a matter of grunt-work and luck to find the others.”
“We still haven’t addressed the question of why they tried,” Marrisa reminded him. It had been her first question, but Frank had asked her to hold off on that until he had a better picture of the day’s events.
“I’m sure it has something to do with Pris and Ham’s abilities,” Clara said suddenly.
And just like that, the pieces fell into place. Any doubt as to their abilities, or the importance of their mission, was set aside. Marrisa was nodding vigorously, and Frank had a deadly serious expression on his face. Pris and Ham looked worried, but one look at Clara, whose eyes were blazing bright, led them to know they had extra protection, should they need it.
“Ham and Pris shouldn’t go back to school until these people are arrested,” Frank said.
“They can’t miss that much school,” Marrisa countered.
“It would be even more embarrassing for us to go around campus with a police escort,” Pris added.
“I have to work,” Marrisa said. “Who will look after them if they’re not in school? I still say they need to be in school. What chance is there they’ll even try again, now that they know Ham’s abilities?”
“That may be all the more reason for them to try again,” Frank responded. “And there’s nothing saying they won’t try it in the school parking lot or anywhere on campus. Professional snatch and grab artists will use any means necessary to accomplish their goal; be it tranquilizer darts, a club to the head, or whatever.”
“And Ham isn’t their target,” he persisted. “Pris is. He just happened to be in the way, so I can’t risk they’ll try to take him out of play.” He paused for dramatic effect. “And yes, that means exactly what you think it means.”
They discussed, and argued, and discussed some more. It was finally agreed that Pris and Ham would spend their days training with Clara and Raquel. Marrisa would bring Pris by in the morning and collect her in the evening.
Frank would pick Ham up in the morning and take him home in the evening, once Mr. Nichols was home. All transportation of the two teens would have a police escort. All three residences would have a patrol car with two officers outside at all times, and Frank would be inside except for the times he was transporting or running errands. They felt like they had everything covered.