“Who’s there?” he asked in a low voice.

                “It’s me, Lyona,” came an answer. “We’re back.”

                Lyona Comora, followed by Wesley Heath and Clyde Weston, stepped silently out of the surrounding woodlands.

                “Are the others back?” she asked quietly.

                “Yes, we’ve all been waiting for quite a while,” Jack replied. “They’re sitting in the council room, getting impatient.

                “Too bad for them,” Clyde said.

                “Watch your tongue,” Jack warned as he turned back to the entrance. “It could get you into bad trouble one day.”

                Clyde fell silent.

                “I’m assuming that every other mission was successful?” Lyona asked.

                “Wait and see.” Jack said no more until they got to the council room and were seated. Then he said, “Yes, technically we were successful, Lyona. But look around. Who do you see?”

                “I see everyone except…” Lyona paused…”Kadar Mohammed.”

                “Right.” Jack nodded briefly. “The police somehow found out Kadar and Lespia and I and we were being chased. Kadar was last in line. They shot him.”

                Silence fell over the council chamber. No one had been particularly fond of the clumsy, slow-witted Arab, but his death somehow subdued them in the feeling of comradeship they didn’t know they had connected to him.

                “We cannot grieve,” Jack stated firmly. “Yes, you may feel it is your bound duty to avenge him because you have felt comradeship to him, but the police will be expecting that. We cannot, not yet.”

                Everyone nodded, but the atmosphere over the gathering was heavy and dull. If one of the had been caught already, what would happen to the rest of them?

                “We need to stay under for a while,” Jack said. “If there is any undercover muttering and mutiny-any at all-into the Black Room you go.”

                “Yes, Jack,” Clyde Weston, and everyone else murmured their acknowledgment.

                Jack nodded briefly. “Good. You are dismissed.”

                Everyone left the room slowly and quietly, except for Jack and Jackie.

                “I got some important information from Jaali Kantorek. She says that…..”

 

                Brynn stuck her head out of the cave for the umpteenth time that day. “Where is Jackie? It’s been four days!”

                “She needs time by herself often to write,” Kinalo called from the back of the cave as she checked on Dory. ”She almost always has company these days.”

                “But what about those creatures that Reule saved me from the day she disappeared? What if they find her?”

                “Don’t forget, she created them,” Kinalo called back.

                Brynn sighed. “Right. I keep forgetting.”

                “She might be visiting Reule and Jordan,” Kinalo suggested as she appeared, wiping her hands on a towel.

                “Could be. But why didn’t she tell us where she was going?”

                “I just said, maybe she needed privacy.”

                “Yeah, but she still didn’t need to run off like that.”

                “Trust me, I’m sure her reasons were fine.” Kinalo threw the towel aside. “Why are you so worrisome, Brynn? That’s uncharacteristic of you.”

                “I don’t know,” Brynn replied, sighing again. “I’m just used to seeing her more often.”

                “That was after we kidnapped you while your family went off for vacation.”

                “I chose to stay because I thought it would be an adventure.”

                “It will be…eventually. Trust Jackie to do what’s right,” Kinalo advised.

                Brynn ducked back into the cave. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll go get lunch ready.”

                “ ‘Kay. Bye.” Kinalo waved.

                When Brynn had disappeared, Jackie slid out from behind the bush that she had been hiding behind, across from the cave. “She’s gone. Good, I wanted to give her a nice surprise.”

                Kinalo was not startled in the least. “So, where’ve you been?”

                “Oh, here and there…checked on Jordan and Reule, and Jack and Jackie and their bunch, wrote some…That kind of thing. I see I worried Brynn.”

                “That you did,” replied her sister. “Go on and surprise her.”

                “Let’s plan first,” Jackie said, standing in the cave entrance. “How about this…?”

               

                Brynn was startled out of her thoughts by a call from Kinalo.

                “Brynn! Come see this weird thing that just came in! What is it?”

                Brynn almost threw the head of cabbage she was holding onto the floor. “Coming, Kin!”

                She rushed into the front room, to see Kinalo pointing at Jackie standing in the doorway, and Jackie was laughing so hard that she was losing her balance. Kinalo was doing a fine job of keeping a straight face.

                “Here’s the weird thing,” she said solemnly.

                Brynn glared at her. “You had me excited for a moment there, Kinalo Anna West,” she said grumpily.

                Kinalo grinned innocently. “Blame Jackie, it was her idea.”

                Jackie had managed to get her laughter under control, but she still grinned. “Yep. You were worried about me, and the whole time you were fussing I was hiding behind a bush right across the clearing.”

                Brynn shook her head, rolled her eyes, and went back to doing lunch. Kinalo and Jackie soon joined her and they all immersed themselves in the job of making the meal.

                “Hello in there!” came a voice from the front of the cave.

                Jackie wiped her hands on a towel. “That sounds like Kiril. I’ll go see what’s up.”

                She went to the front of the cave.

                A girl about fourteen years of age was lounging against the wall near the entrance.

                “Hi, Kiril,” Jackie said cheerfully.

                Kiril gave her a small smile. “Hi. I needed to drop by to give you some news. And visit.”

                “If it’s about the killers striking again, don’t worry about it. I’m their creator…I know what’s going on.” Jackie shrugged.

                “Is there food? I’m kinda hungry,” Kiril said.

                “There’s plenty of food, if we save some for you. Come on.”

                Kiril followed Jackie to Brynn and Kinalo, who were putting food on the table and drawing up chairs.

                “Kiril, you’re just in time,” Kinalo said. “Take a seat.”

                “Thanks. I will.”

                They sat, and Kiril offered to say grace, which she did. Then they dug in.

                “It’s been a little while since I last saw you, Jackie,” Kiril said as she speared some noodles with her fork.

                “Yeah, well, I’ve been gone for several days,” Jackie said, swallowing a forkful of beans. “Doing stuff that we creators and authors do. You really should try this kind of thing sometime.”

                “Yeah,” Kiril said rather unenthusiastically. “Listen, Kerry, why can’t you even try to stop these killers?”

                “It’s my story, and in my opinion, you need bad guys to have a good story,” Jackie explained. “I’ll decide what’s to be done when the time comes.”

                “So, uh, Kiril, how’s Justice going?” Brynn asked quickly.

                “Well, we haven’t done anything yet, being newly formed and all that,” Kiril said. “But Reule and Jordan are certain that something will turn up soon.” She sighed. “At least someone has a positive outlook.”

                “Why the gloom and doom? And not to mention, you can always quit the group and come here,” Kinalo hinted.

                “Trust me, Jordan wouldn’t appreciate it, due to the fact that I’m her best friend and all.” Kiril picked at her green beans.”

                “That’s true…”Brynn mused.

                “You could always visit more often,” Kinalo suggested.

                “You’re right,” Kiril admitted. “That would work.”

                “How long are you staying?” Jackie asked, getting into the conversation again.

                “Probably the rest of the afternoon, unless I’m called back. Your cave needs some cleaning. Jackie and I could do that while you two and Garrett tend to the lovebirds.” Kiril grinned.

                “Yeah, and you could do the dishes too,” Kinalo added. No, just kidding, Brynn and I will do that. go get started on cleaning when you’re all finished.”

                Jackie and Kiril quickly finished their food and hurried off.

                As Jackie got a broom to sweep up loose dirt, Kiril said, “You do need to know that one of the bad guys was shot and killed.”

                “What?” Jackie exclaimed, and dropping her broom in surprise. “That wasn’t supposed to happen!”

                “Well, it did, unfortunately-at least unfortunately for you.” Kiril bent to roll up some sleeping mats.

                “I didn’t put that down! It wasn’t supposed to happen! Not yet!” Jackie protested, more to herself than to Kiril. “Who was it? Not HIM, I hope.”

                “The Arab,” Kiril offered. “It was the Arab.”

                “Well, I just threw him in, so he’s not very important, but still….!” Jackie sighed angrily. “I personally want to give those policemen a piece of my mind…but I won’t. It would probably blow our cover.”

                “You’re smarter than you look,” Kiril said, ducking as Jackie tried to slug her. She darted away. “I meant that as a compliment!”

                “Oh, sorry.” Jackie halted. “I get too carried away at times.”

                “Obviously,” Kiril said, ducking another fist aimed at her. “Where has your sense of humor gone, Jackie?”

                “I must have lost it again.” Jackie stopped and scratched her head.

                “Seems like it,” Kiril said, stepping aside and barely avoiding another blow from her friend. “Seriously, Jackie, do you really need to do this?”

                “No. Remember, I was alone for more than half a week with only myself to talk to you and only my characters to take anger out on. That’s not quite enough.”

                Kiril smiled in agreement, fighting the urge to make another smart comment. She knew her friend’s capabilities. “Yes, I believe you, though I haven’t had experiences quite like yours.”

                “No.” Jackie shook her head. “If you had, you would have told me about it.” She looked at Kiril trustingly. “Right?”

                Kiril nodded. “Right. Now, to brighter subjects….”

               

                 Jack took off his headphones and speaker and sat back in his chair, stroking his chin. “This is very interesting...”he said to himself. “Very interesting.” He turned to Jackie, who was sitting beside him. “How come I never knew this before?”

                “The Aoran did not want it to be known right away.”

                “Why?”

                “Well, the Aoran said that-“

                A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Jack spun around in his chair and growled, “Come in.”

                The door opened and Alliona Mandon strode in. “Was there anything you wanted to do with the prisoner? If so, you’d better do it now.”

                Jack stood quickly. “Why?”

                “He’s driving Clyde up a high brick wall. It’s all I can do to stop him from strangling the prisoner.”

                “Oh, no.” Jack followed her out, calling over his shoulder, “See you later, Jackie.”

                “Bye,” Jackie said as she waved.

               

                Jack stood before the small cell that held the prisoner. “Causing trouble, are we?”

                Jesse looked up at him, an innocent look spreading across his face. “Why would I do that? I want to live!”

                “You may think you’re smart, but your mouth will get you into trouble someday,” Jack said.

                “Hasn’t it already?” Jesse asked.

                “More or less.” Jack rolled his eyes.

                “So, what do you want with me?” Jesse asked.

                “I wanted this to be a joyful family reunion, “Jack said, smiling at Jesse in a way that made him raise an eyebrow.

                “Oh? And what makes you say that? I don’t recall you being in my family.

                “So you think…” Jack paused…”little brother.”

 

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