Traveler Ch. 02

We are water people, when we are called upon by the leader of our families' name, then we answer that call. It isn't blind obedience, It's duty. We sat for a while, then I started our conversation as she knew I would. Even though we had had this conversation before, when the newspaper carried pictures and after a few weeks. Then came an offer for a reward leading to information.

The Police found me and we sat down and talked. I talked about meeting Maddie's sister and later in the day my regret that I didn't act on my doubts about her being on her own. Cassie was allowed to be at the interview, the Police knew our ways and as Traveler she was the closest we had to a lawyer.

It was three days after that interview that Traveler was fighting her own battle, not only with Abe's three sons but the attempt at a power grab by Abe, while Cassie was badly damaged and once she left the hospital, she disappeared.

That year was a year many of our families just wanted to be over. When Abe was handed the title of Traveler and he chose Cindy to stay as his enforcer, it was a call she had no choice but to answer. Our own family unit took a hit, but we both loved each other enough to make it work and it did.

With one more squeeze of her hand, I said. "I know you're angry with me, I fully understand that. But something in my mind tells me I have to do this, I have to find a way to give Maddie and her family, closure."

I pulled the back of her hand to my lips and I kissed it. Her smile betrayed the tears in her eyes that soon found a way down her cheeks.

She let out the breath she was holding. "I have loved you with all my heart from our very first kiss. You are my husband and if asked by you, I would walk over burning coals, such is the depth of my love for you. My heart understands why you wish to do this and as always, I will support you, as you have always supported me."

Unable to hold back any longer, Cindy leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me and heavy, pain-wracked sobs left her. I held her, tightly sometimes, but she always knew I loved her so much.

"I'm.. I'm just afraid that you won't come back to me this time."

I had no answer to her statement. We held each other and when the crying eased, we walked back to the boat.

Cassie was sitting at the back, my shotgun across her lap. "I've managed to put Maddie to bed, you two need to sleep, hold each other. I even told Maddie she may see you two getting naughty." Cassie smiled and her eyes had that faraway look about them. "She sure blushed when I said that."

*******

With breakfast over with, we continued our journey. A few hours later we arrived at the lock that held so many memories for some of us. Centuries ago, the river had found a crack in the mountain and over those centuries, the river had added mass to the crack that even the mountain conceded to the water and the river widened. The mountain was now two, one half was close to the bank of the river, over time the river grew in depth, the other was on the lower side and the water had eroded more of the bank to the extent that there was now a path on that side.

We tied up the boat and I explained what had happened that day, going into as much detail as I could.

Maddie looked around, a stone house was built for someone to tend to and look after the lock. Modern times eventually meant that the lock keeper was no longer needed. The house became disused and yielded to the weather to the point it became uninhabitable. When the roof finally caved, through lack of maintenance, all that was finally left were a few walls.

Her gaze traveled back to the lock, before saying. "But there is nothing here. Why here?"

Cassie mentioned that there was a village, just under a mile across that field. She pointed before she went back to her own explanation; the villagers said that no one had seen her that day. The Police report said that a few boats traveled the canal that day, a couple of boats had moored up and went into the village across the meadow to buy supplies. No mention of any woman in a red coat.

Both Cassie and my wife looked at me, then I nodded. I placed my hand into Maddie's and she stopped whatever she was about to say, so she could look at my hand in hers, then at me.

"Maddie. Do you trust me; do you trust us?"

Her nod of agreement was almost instant. We walked over to a seat, I looked around us and moved about two feet along the seat and asked her to sit on my lap. This time she stared at me in confusion.

"Maddie, I'm going to give you a gift. But this gift comes at such a price to me that I need the support of my wife, so that I can give this gift to you."

She looked at Cindy, my wife nodded her agreement. Then added. "We will be by your side at all times. For this gift you need to open your mind, my husband will protect you with his dying breath if need be. I pray that won't be necessary, but I'm trying to give you as many facts that I can."

Maddie visibly gulped, then nodded her head. "What do you want me to do?"

I pointed and said. "I need you to sit on my lap with your back to me."

The smirk was almost a forgone conclusion. She lightened the mood when she said. "Your wife is in the house; you're not hitting on me are you?"

She was already turning and sitting on my lap as the girls laughed.

"I understand this is going to be difficult, but I need you to try and relax, both the girls will pull you away if things go south."

Her head turned to try and look at me. "What exactly are you going to do?"

It was a fair question, I just hoped she was ready for the answer. "I'm going to show you your sister through my eyes."

Her eyebrows raised together, an "Okaaaay." left the doubting lips.

I turned her head towards the lock gate, then placed my palms either side of her forehead and then rested my own forehead against the back of her neck.

*******

The pain in my head increased exponentially. I had found Maddie's sister through the catalog of my memories. The gasp from her confirmed that she was now seeing what I was. The incident played out in both our heads although I had the hardest time keeping the pain from infecting Maddie. She and her family had enough of that in their lives.

The rain was light, yet it was the type of rain that soaked you to the skin before you noticed it. Maddie's sister was sitting to one side of the lock gates, she watched me approach and smiled, I smiled back and wished her well, as I maneuvered my boat into the lock. I jumped off the boat and she seemed to startle, when I asked her if she was okay? She just nodded, not a word had left her lips so far. I closed the lock gate and turned the handle to let the water out of the lock, my boat started to lower by inches.

I looked at her, the red coat grew darker as the water held to the coat.

"I've got water boiling on the stove. Do you want a tea or a coffee?"

She shook her head and smiled again. I had offered, I couldn't exactly force a hot drink onto her. An idea came to me and once I had opened the other lock gate I went into my boat and came out with an umbrella.

"I would feel more comfortable leaving you here if I knew you had that over your head when I leave."

Again, she smiled and she took the umbrella with a nod of her head in appreciation and acceptance of what I was giving her, then opened it. Feeling that I couldn't do anything more for her, I waved, she waved back and I pushed power back into the engine and left her there.

The pain was starting to overwhelm me now, I was sharing my vision, it was the first time I had ever done that. The blinding headache was also going to be the reason it would be the last time as well. It also meant using more of my own strength. If I didn't let go of Maddie soon, I would start to hallucinate. I had to let go of her, I didn't want to, she needed as much time with her sister, than I could ever give her. Someone pulled her off of me; I opened my eyes to see blood on her back from my nosebleed down the full length of her clothes.

As my own eyes went to close, my eyes noticed the amount of blood also on my lap as well. As consciousness left me, I sure hoped I had given Maddie enough time with her sister. The irony was of course, she could never have enough time with her, because she wasn't here anymore. As the scene slowly came to an end, something happened. I saw something that at the time, my mind hadn't registered into my memories. I saw a hat behind a bush, I knew that hat, or rather the owner of that hat.

My body slumped forward, the last thought that made it to my consciousness was the same as before, now it was time to pay the piper.

*******

The landscape was as before, except for the fog of course. The pounding headache was a forgone conclusion. The fog seemed to change color at one particular spot and the woman in the red coat slowly walked clear of the fog.

"Thank you for what you did for my sister."

I stood frozen to the spot. Noticing the small things and berating myself for noticing those, but not the fact that I would never see her alive again. The red coat was still dark from the rain.

"It wasn't enough time, I tried to give her more time with you. You both deserve at least that much."

She shrugged, then a thought seemed to come to her.

Her anger was seeping from her. "He brought me here, to this place, he never told me why."

The anger in her eyes eased as she looked at me, hope replaced her anger.

"Let me go home and be buried in peace. Find my body."

It was my turn to be honest with her. "The Police don't even know who killed you, they do assume you're dead by the way. But after me, there were no leads left and no clues."

"I can't help you either, he killed me minutes after you left. He never told me who he was, or why. Just stuck a knife into my chest and smiled as he watched me die."

The smirk came first, then anger followed it. "He couldn't even get my name right. He called me Cassie as he cleaned his knife on my coat. My name is Brenda."

That's when I looked closer at Brenda and my jaw dropped. I hadn't noticed until she told me. When I mentioned to her that I had to find a way back now, Brenda walked over and kissed me.

"Take that back with you, it will help you find my body."

*******

I woke to pinging noises, my hand was being held; when I turned to look, Cindy had the top half of her body across my bed, she was asleep. It took a while but I managed to find the strength to clench my hand, something deep in Cindy made her tighten her own grip on me, then she gasped and she opened her eyes and sat up. Love stared right back at me.

She had that evil little grin on her, I knew I was going to pay dearly for this. "How was your holiday?"

I could only whisper since the tube was still in me, she waved her hand at me to stop me, then stood and pressed the red button. Two nurses came in almost immediately, looked at me being awake and told us both to hang on. After that it was a merry-go-round of doctors and nurses.

An hour later Cindy was finally allowed back in. she told me that Maddie was outside, but since she wasn't family, I had to give permission for her to enter. I told my wife I couldn't do that; the shocked look came next.

"Cindy, I know who killed Brenda. Abe's son, Callum."

She let go of my hand and stood. "But how?"

I answered the only way she would understand.

"Because I see dead people."

Cindy sat again, her face a picture of shock. When I asked her if she had even seen a picture of Maddie's sister Brenda, she admitted that she hadn't. That's when she stood and left my room. Cassie came in while Cindy stormed down the corridor. She closed the door and then leant against it.

"Callum killed Maddie's sister as a warm-up to killing you. When you get the chance, let Maddie show you a picture of Brenda. He was even more bolstered towards killing you because he has hidden the body so well that no one can find it. He will take that secret to the grave since this is all unsubstantiated. No body, no proof."

Cassie was pushed forward by the door being opened. Cindy stood with her cell to her head. "Give me permission to kill him."

Her anger almost spilled out. Her head nodded but she said nothing, just put the phone down. "He says there is no proof, it's all circumstantial."

She then looked closer at Cassie. Her eyes even went almost to slits as she looked at every detail of Cassie's face. "Other than the fact you're a redhead. Brenda could even be your twin."

She continued to stare at Cassie and said. "Why didn't Maddie say anything about this, she must have known the second you turned up, naked or not."

That's when Maddie made her presence known. "Because I wanted to find my sister more than look closely at what I thought was a coincidence."

Even I had to point out to Cindy that Maddie wasn't water-born. She wouldn't have known that Cassie was Traveler, or about the three brothers' fight and jail; the rise of Abe to take over the families. All this was water people business and it's that, that slowed us all down.

Cindy was still simmering. "So we know, but we have no proof. So he's going to get away with it."

Both Cindy and Maddie noticed my silence. Maddie was still new to us, I was now refusing to call her anything but friend, be she land-born or not. My wife sat on the edge of my bed, her hand came to mine and she looked deep into my eyes.

"Okay, spill it. You've kicked the hornets' nest, so what's next?"

I sure hoped Cindy was in a good mood.

"Brenda gave me a lead but I have to find it."

Cindy's eyes narrowed; this woman knew me way to well.

"Okay, so explain."

"Brenda coded it, she knew she couldn't come right out and say where she is. It's going to cost us to find it."

My wife held onto my hand; love wasn't involved with that one act either.

"Husband of mine, you're circling the drain on answering a straight question. So put it out there and we can all deal with this."

I gulped first, thinking I had a good life. It had to end sometime, I suppose now was going to be that time.

"I have to kiss Maddie."

Maddie and Cassie gasped, Cindy just glared at me and then at Maddie, she responded by holding her hands up in surrender, they both knew that she hadn't put me up to this.

"Look, if you can actually give us a straight answer, you have my blessing to take the land girl to bed with you for the night."

"Hey..!!!" Came from the girl sat across the room.

Cassie smiled; she just couldn't help herself when she then looked at Maddie. "What's the problem girlfriend, not willing to commit the ultimate sacrifice?"

Red-cheeks in the corner plucked up the courage and said. "Would love to, but I know what his wife does for a living and I'm not too keen on joining my sister."

Cindy seemed to mellow slightly; I didn't realize just how slightly until she said. "Very well, when the dust settles, the land girl can come with us on the boat for a week and we both use her."

Maddie's mouth hung open, her cheeks had gone red first, the rest of her upper body now went the same color almost simultaneously. Cassie gasped and then almost bent double with laughter.

"Oh Maddie. You're thinking about it. You're actually thinking about it."

She stood and headed for the door. "I'm claiming the Fifth."

Even Cindy laughed as we all heard her running down the corridor.

*******

It was close to an hour later that Maddie emerged from wherever she was hiding. She looked around the room and then at me. I told her that Cassie got a call from Abe, he wanted to see her. Cindy drove her to the meeting; she was to wait and then bring her back here.

"I know this is a hospital, but are we safe?"

The look on her face worried me and now she gave me the answer why. She sat on the other side of my bed so she could watch the door.

"Maddie, Abe isn't stupid. He may not believe his own son did this, but he's cautious enough to make sure his boy is being watched; normally that would be Cindy's job. But at the moment, Abe doesn't trust Cindy not to kill him and claim it was an accident."

We talked in generalities for another twenty minutes or so. Judging by the redness around her neck and how often it plunged to her chest, her mind was drifting onto other topics.

"I want to thank you. You gave me a gift I thought I would never get again. I got to see my sister one last time. It was when I stood and turned to look at you. I realized the cost to you for that gift."

We held hands then. Not a romantic move, but she looked like she still needed the connection between me and her sister.

"You can see why Cindy was pissed when I first mentioned it."

Her head nodded. "You have all been more than kind."

She smiled then, even shrugged when she mentioned that she would actually place Abe onto the thanks list as well. I think curiosity got the better of her, because she wanted to know how Traveler worked and why Cassie wasn't Traveler anymore. Nothing I said from now on was a closely guarded secret, so I related how we heard that there was a reporter poking his nose around the water ways wanting to interview Traveler.

Even without cell phones. News like that spreads like wildfire. The families let him stew for a while until Cassie could get a handle on why he was interested in her.

"We all relaxed when she found that the reporter wasn't interested in her personally. Just how the system of Traveler worked."

Maddie looked shocked when I told her that she's actually married to the reporter now. Her two children even got pulled into the conversation as well.

Her face took on a confused look. "But if she has a family now, what is she doing here with us?"

I smiled, she was getting there, I could see it was still taking time. "Because Abe asked her to. Traveler remember? We obey the head of the families. I also think Abe was covering his bases. Cassie was Traveler back then, so she may have information in her head that he wasn't aware of back then, that may help us find your sister."

Our conversations moved around after that, she told me stories of her and her sister growing up and I spoke about my relationship with Cindy and our marriage.

"So you're sharing families' secrets with the land girl, behind my back."

We both turned to look at both Cindy and Cassie leaning against the door frame. Both wore smiles so I don't think I was in trouble. They came in and our conversation continued.

As the girls shared a story with Maddie, my mind wandered back once again to the lock and my meeting with Brenda. As I left her, still sitting at the lock, I waved goodbye and then fleetingly seeing the hat, it was so unexpected. That's when my boat kissed the side of the canal and I corrected it. Finally finding the middle of the canal once again.

I went stiff. Cindy noticed and her hand found mine. My mind replayed once again my thoughts and memories. My boat kissed the canal wall.

I looked at Maddie, she looked confused and perhaps a tad worried.

"Kiss."

Maddie gulped, then went to stand.

I shook my head and looked at Cassie. "What do we call it when we clip the side of a canal, with the front of the boat?"

The lights came on in both Cassie's and my wife's eyes. It was also said in unison with each other.

"A kiss."

This time I looked at a really confused Maddie. "I think I know where Callum hid your sister's body."

Cassie went to stand. I held onto her hand. Cindy noticed and stopped as well. We all knew Callum, Cassie maybe more because of the fight. But we all knew what he was capable of, if he was left to his own devices. I told Cassie straight that I had little faith in whoever was watching Callum at the moment unless it was Cindy doing it. Even Cindy agreed.

Still holding onto Cassie, I looked at her and said. "Phone your husband, tell him to take the children with him and visit his folks for a week. Tell him that under no circumstances is he to tell anyone, even his folks, that he's visiting them until he gets there."