Clan of Redemption (29 page)

“
I’m not getting anything, just
dark. I really don’t know what I’m doing, let’s just get to the
rides and go from there.” I said with frustration.

“
Ok, Jayden, just relax, I’m just
worried about Sully,” he said as we both starting jogging back down
the street. I could see up about a block and half up the street
where the buildings opened up and the rides were in view. I started
scanning the crowds of people for Sully, but I didn’t see
here.

“
Follow me, I think I picked up
here scent,” Logan said as he ran up to a building. As we got
closer I could tell that this was the spot that I had last seen
Sully; it was the bumper cars.

Logan walked up to a boy who was
manning the ride, and continued to sniff around him.

“
You have a beautiful dog, what’s
her name?” The boy asked me.

“
Oh, it’s a boy and his name is
L..Saska.” I said as I realized that I had to play the part of dog
owner in front of people.

“
You should be careful, there is a
leash law, and the cops would love to give out of towners tickets,”
he said as he reached down and pet Saska.

“
Thanks, I’ll keep that in
mind.”

Did this guy never learn you ask to
pet a dog.

I'm surprised Logan didn't take a
nip.

“
Jayden, you need to ask him about
Sully, see if he remembers her,” Logan said.

“
I will, just give me a minute,” I
said impatiently.

“
I’m sorry, you will what?” asked
the boy.

I forgot to talk inside my head,
that’s one that will get me in trouble if I’m not
careful.

“
I’m looking for a friend, she’s
short, about 5 foot, she’s got blond hair with blue streaks. I
think she was just here not too long ago,” I said as I could see in
his eyes that he knew who I was talking about.

“
Yeah, she left about 15 minutes
ago with a group of people,” he said.

“
A group of people, what people,
what did they look like?” I asked.

“
Jayden, ask him which way they
went.”

“
Oh right, did you happen to see
which way they went?” I asked him as I glared down at Logan. Him
bossing me around was starting to get on my last nerve.

“
They seemed like they were
heading to the beach approach,” he pointed towards the
water.

“
Thanks,” I said as I started to
walk away.

“
Not that it matters, but I don’t
think she wanted to go with them, she seemed really upset,” he
said.

I turned around and my anger burst
threw me like I had not control.

“
You knew that she was in trouble
and you didn’t do anything.” I yelled like I had never yelled
before.

Before the young boy could respond,
lightening struck just a few feet from me and thunder rolled
through the town like we were living inside the drum
itself.

“
Wow, did you see the lightening,
it almost hit you. I thought it was suppose to be sunny all week,
that weather change here is really bizarre.” The young kid said as
he stepped out from under a cover and looked up into the
sky.

“
I would be careful if I were you,
I wouldn’t want you to be struck by lightning. And could you please
answer my question before I get the police involved myself. I’m
sure they would want to know that someone that is supposed to be
watching out for peoples safety let a girl get kidnapped.” I said
as I folded my arms.

“
Hey, I didn’t say she was
kidnapped, I just said I thought that she didn’t look happy about
going anywhere with them, plus, they were locals, and they aren’t
the kind of locals that I want to mess with. Sorry lady, but I like
my face,” he said as he went back to his post and starting helping
people out of the cars.

“
Are you saying that you know the
people that she went with?” I asked hopeful.

“
Yes, everyone knows them, they're
the trouble makers in town, but they have powerful parents, so
everyone leaves them alone. Anyway lady, I have to get back to work
before I get fired, it’s not like there are tons of jobs in this
town,” he said as he starting taking tickets for the next round of
banged up bumper cars. That's what the sign said.

Logan and I took off together
towards the beach approach without even talking to each other. Was
Sully really kidnapped, and why would they want her, had she done
something to get herself in trouble. Where they going to hurt her,
was it because of me that they took her?

“
We should stop here and think
about what were going to do, what our game plan is?” Logan stopped
about a half mile from the approach.

“
How can we have a game plan when
we don’t even know where they are?” I asked.

“
I can tell from the smell that
they went this way, that’s not to say that they are anywhere close.
I just don’t want anything to take us by surprise,” Logan
said.

“
Well I’m sure that you want to
have it all planned out, but I just want to get Sully back and I
don’t care if we have a plan.” I said as I started to walk away
from Logan. If Logan thinks that we are going to waste time trying
to figure out how to handle this, he can just be left behind. I’m
starting to wonder if having him around is a good idea.

“
Be careful Jayden, your thoughts
are starting to seep through,” he said as he tried to pretend that
he didn’t hear what I was thinking.

I started running up the slight
hill with worry in my heart for my friend. What have I gotten her
into, what if something happens to her? As I started to think about
her again, I heard another voice in my head, one that I didn’t
recognize.

“
Well hello princess, how are we
doing today?” The voice said. It sounded male, possibly my age,
maybe a few years older.

“
I’ve been better. What do you
want, why are you holding my friend?” I asked with a hurried
tone.

“
One question at a time, please, I
can’t think that fast.” The voice laughed, but one I didn’t want to
hear again.

“
Fine, what do you want with my
friend?” I asked as I stopped walking so I could concentrate on his
voice.

“
Jayden, who are you talking to?”
Logan asked as he caught up to me.

I just looked at him and put my
hand up, trying to tell him to wait a minute. I was afraid if I
tried to have two different conversations at the same time, I might
lose the important one.

“
She’s fun to mess with, but
you’re the one that I really want,” he said.

“
Ok, so when can I get my friend
back, she hasn’t done anything to you, please just let her go,” I
said with as firm a voice as I could muster, I’ve never been good
at demanding anything in my life.

“
Patience, patience, that time
will come. I wouldn’t try looking for her; it will just make it
worse. You will see me soon, and then you will have the chance to
retrieve your friend,” he said and then I couldn’t hear anything
anymore.

“
Hello, are you still there?” I
asked, but I could tell the connection was lost. The blank sound on
the other end.

Shit.

“
Jayden, what is it?” Logan asked
me.

“
It was a voice, someone, a man,"
I shook my head. "I don’t know who it is, but they have Sully,” I
said as I started to cry. How could I let this happen, all I wanted
to do, was find out about my Mother, about my lost family. I hadn't
had to deal with anything massive like this in my life. I was
getting the feeling that I wasn't cut out for it.

“
What did they say, what do they
want? Did they say where they were holding her, where she might
be?” he asked.

“
No, they said that they want me
and will let me know later, or they will see me later. I don’t
remember and please stop asking me,” I yelled.

Logan walked up to me and sat down
as dogs do when they want attention. He took his wet cold nose and
rubbed it on my legs.

“
I’m sorry Jayden, I want to get
Sully back as much as you do, and I’m just trying to help,” he said
as I realized that I had lost my temper again, this is becoming
more often.

“
It’s not your fault Logan, I am
really sorry, this is just becoming a little more than I can
handle. This guy said that I will see him soon and I can have Sully
back,” I said as I bent down and petted his head. I really need my
friend to be in human form, it’s hard for me to take comfort from
him in his animal form.

“
Nice looking dog you got there,
what breed is it?” A guy asked that was walking by.

“
Oh, thanks, he’s the best kind,”
I said as I hugged Logan letting him know that I wasn’t mad at
him.

“
So what do we do now Logan? He
said not to try and find her or it would be bad,” I said as I stood
up.

“
Then let’s just keep our
appointment with your Grandmother today and deal with Sully
afterwards.” Logan kept his eye on the people walking
around.

“
Do you see something, Logan?” I
asked.

“
No, but I smell something, I’m
not sure what it is, or where it’s coming from.” He looked back at
me.

“
Well, I really need to sit down
for a minute, let’s go back by the rides, I saw a coffee shop, I
really need a mocha drink or something,” I said as we started
walking.

We walked a few blocks back the
way that we had come and found a quaint coffee shop. They also made
homemade pastries, from drop cookies to pies. This town sure had
what I liked, that's a plus.

“
Logan, do you want a pastry?” I
asked as I ordered my coffee.

“
I’ll take a piece of that berry
pie. It’s been a long time since I’ve had homemade pie,” he said as
he went and laid on the floor next to a table that I assumed he
wanted me to sit at.

“
Along with the mocha, I’ll take a
piece of that berry pie and one of those drop cookies please,” I
asked the gal behind the counter.

I went and sat down at the table
that Logan had picked out with my coffee and sat in silence as we
waited for our snack. I could see that the two gals behind the
counter thought it was odd that I had talked to my dog like a
person; I thought at one point that I heard her say “Did she really
just ask her dog if he wanted something?” I was getting used to
people starring at me, but I hate talking in my head, it’s harder
than just talking out loud.

What I should be finding curious is
that most of the people working in this town haven't really said
much about me bringing a dog into their places of business. I'm
pretty sure that unless a dog had a service vest they can't go
in.

“
Don’t worry about those girls,
Jayden; they just think you’re a little strange.” he
said.

I looked at him and wished in that
moment that I could see his face. Logan's smiles always made me
feel better.

“
Well I guess I am a little
strange, do you think I should turn into a skunk and spray them,
and then they might really think I’m strange,” I said as I made
myself giggle a little. I needed to laugh right now, my world is
turning upside down and I feel like I’m drowning.

“
How’s the cookie?” he asked as he
finished licking the plate that I had set down on the floor for
him.

“
It’s really good, I haven’t had
one this good since my Mom was alive,” I said as I had a flash
memory of making these cookies with her. She loved to bake, and I
loved to help her. She always made sure that I was involved; it was
almost like she knew that she didn’t have all the time in the world
like most families.

“
Logan, do you think that my
Mother knew that she might die early?” I asked him.

“
I’m sure that she knew that she
was in danger, she was royalty in our world and in every “kingdom”
you always have those that want to do you harm, especially when
they have as much power as your Mother and you have,” Logan
said.

“
So, what are our plans until
brunch with Grandmamma?” I said with sarcasm.

“
Well, that’s up to you, would you
like to go back to the cabin, or we can look around town. Just
remember I can’t go into every shop with you, I am a dog,” he said,
as if I might have forgotten.

"That's the thing, other than the
first day, not one person has really said anything or really lifted
an eyebrow. Don't you find that strange?"

"Strange?" he laughed. "You're
talking to a dog and you think that isn't strange?"

Whatever.

Like I was going to argue with a
dog!

“
We can look at some of the shops
on our way back towards the car. With Sully being kidnapped I’m
really not in the mood to shop, but I would love to come back with
Sully when we get her back!” I said as I stressed the getting her
back.

“
Getting Sully back won’t be easy,
but I promise you we will,” Logan said.

We walked back to the car, slowly
and in silence. I looked through some of the windows of the shops;
they seemed to have unique items that you don’t see every day. I
wonder if my Mom enjoyed this small town.