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AS SOON AS WE WALKED into that house my father was a different man. He looked over at Ryane as she sat surrounded by a cask of weapons and he let out a long laugh.
“Is my soon to be daughter in law preparing for the apocalypse?” He walked over to her and put out his hand. A look of confusion passed over her face as he pulled her up to stand and took her into his arms in what looked to be a warm embrace. Sig snickered as a look of pure panic covered her and she hung in his arms, stiff as an over starched shirt. “You look to be very involved, what is all of this?” He asked with genuine interest, nudging one of the long barreled guns with his foot.
“A stash left behind by Sam, from my dad.” She picked up a photo, showing it to him. “I just can’t figure why he hid it all.” She looked down thoughtfully.
He fingered the picture a moment before handing it back. “Well, I’m sure he had his reasons. Just be glad you have it now.” He looked back at me with an eyebrow raise and I nodded gently so as not to be noticed by Sig.
“While I see that congratulations are warranted; I do need a few moments with my son. If you’ll excuse me.” He patted her shoulder as she went back to the journals and the floor.
“Sig, would you?” I motioned toward Ryane.
“Sure Boss, whatever you need.” Sig cracked his neck, a surefire sign he was annoyed with me, but I couldn’t worry about that right now.
***
“SO, WHAT IS THIS ALL about then?” My father asked as I led him into the room I had been occupying. “And what happened to the bed that was in here?”
“I got over stimulated and smashed it to splinters.” I went to the drawer, pulling out the file on Vanessa Ravencrest and turning back to see him shaking his head in disappointment. “You need to help me with this.” I handed the file to him.
He furrowed his brow as he scanned it. “What do you think I can do to help you?” His stance was uneasy as he held the file open.
“We are mentioned, well, you are. Then you are scratched out. Thing is, he knew an awful lot about the Senate and our Laws. Things he would have had to get from an inside source. I think that was you.”
He nodded. “You are sometimes smarter than I give you credit for, son. Indeed, I had been trying to keep him from getting himself killed. He was a good man, good to the cause of integration.”
“Do you know who ordered it?” I crossed my arms in front of me. He wasn’t the easiest person to read, but his heartbeat was calm as I asked, letting me know that he, at least, wouldn’t be lying to me at this point.
His head shook in the negative. “I never really thought about it. I simply answered the questions he asked. I didn’t realize he was actually looking for anyone in particular. He didn’t tell me what it was about, simply contacted me through a mutual channel in the Hunter’s Association. I thought he was doing a paper on the integration and the melding of our governments. He was mostly interested in who was at the forefront of the resistance. There, I was of little help. We didn’t know back then. Still don’t, really, as it has switched hands so many times.”
“He never mentioned her death?”
“No. If he had I would have been more invested; I think he wanted to keep me at a distance. Which I don’t fault him for. I was still on my way up, and dealing with your mother and her disease... Frankly, I was distracted enough.”
I nodded, my mother’s mental condition had been tough on him. It wasn’t something that could be fixed and watching her fade away nearly killed him. It certainly hardened him.
“Will you look into it, now that I can give you the specifics?”
“It will take time, but I think I may be able to help. I wish Henry had let me see these back then. Many of the houses have faltered since this time. We may be chasing ghosts, but if there is anything left to discover, I will try.”
“Thank you Father. I shouldn’t have to tell you, but this is to stay between us. I don’t want Ryane distracted by any of this. She has plans that need to be seen to their ends.”
He smirked at me. “You ordering me son?”
“No, simply consider it my engagement present.”