That was strange,” Solana said as she and Dominica hurried back to the underground house. “We need to tell the guys in charge about it so they can investigate.”

 

    “Who is in charge?” Dominica inquired. “Scott and Luther are prisoners!”

 

    Solana thought over this as a young man, one of the guards of the entrance, pushed the rock aside and opened the door. They stepped into the hole, slid down the ladder, and started through the tunnel.

 

    “I remember now,” she spoke up. “Robin is temporarily in charge.”

 

    “Robin?” Dominica echoed.

 

    “Yes,” Solana answered. “He’s Luther’s close companion and trusty second-in-command. They’ve been inseparable for years.”

 

    After asking around briefly, they found Robin in his apartment, packing the few belongings that he and his twin sons, Rayme and Robin, Junior-RJ for short- owned.

 

    “Robin?” Solana asked.

 

    Robin jumped as he noticed the pair. “What d’you want? Unless it’s really important, I’d like to be left alone. I’m up to my elbows in clothes.”

 

    “It is important,” Dominica pushed in. “It has to do with the mysterious woodsman-at least, we think so,” she added quickly, seeing Robin’s interested look.

 

    Robin got to his feet and closed the box he had been working on. “What about him?”

 

    Solana and Dominica briefly explained as they helped him pack, then Robin sat and thought for a while.

 

    “That’s good information,” he said at last. I’ll check it out with RJ. Rayme is such a goof that he wouldn’t be any help at all. RJ has a good, hard head filled with brain.”

 

   Solana and Dominica grinned at each other.

 

 

 

 

 

   Robin and RJ listened carefully as the girls filled them in on the events of their walk in as much detail as they could remember.

 

   “OK, do you guys remember how you got there?” Robin inquired.

 

   Solana thought for a moment. “Do you remember the clearing that was completely surrounded by oaks except on the north side?”

 

   “Oh, yeah,” RJ spoke up. “That was where I caught my first glance of the mysterious shadow!”

 

  "Well, that was where we found the source of the smoke," Solana explained.

 

 Dominica nodded in agreement. "Remember we said the fire was fresh? We assumed that whoever had been there got away when he or she or they heard us coming."

 

  "That makes a lot of sense," Robin said as he stroked his smooth chin.

 

  "I've been to that clearing plenty of times," RJ mused, "and i've only seen cold ashes. They or he or she must not go to that place a lot."

 

  "Let's go, RJ." Robin beckoned to his younger son, and the pair left the room,

 

 Dominica and Solana hurried back to the main room, where they met Solana's mother.

 

 "We're starting to move the things," she said, "and we're in bad need of help."

 

  "OK," Dominica said. "Where are we needed?"

 

  They were directed to a mound of boxes and put to work, and they were kept busy moving boxes for the rest of the afternoon.

 

 

 

Aquia thought quickly as he stood back against the wall.

 

 "I'll try to blend in," he quickly decided.

 

 The larger group, which was coming from the house, passed by his hidnig place first, so he melted into the back of the group, which soon met up with the pair who had gone out earlier. They continued on in their separate ways, and Aquia slipped out of the group and followed the pair.

 

 The door leading into the house opened only to a secret code, and Aquia memorized it so he could get out whenever he needed to.

 

  When he entered the house, Aquia slid up against the wall to gather his bearings and get ready for his next move.

 

 

 

  Dominica rested for a few minutes, leaning against a wall. She rubbed her sore arms as she commented to Solana,

 

 "I never thought that moving was such hard work."

 

"You get used to it after moving seven times in thirteen years," Solana responded cheerfully. "Did you live in just one house your entire life?"

 

  "Unfortunately, yes," Dominica answered. "I never experienced a move. My parents wanted four kids, so they bought a house big enough for four kids and things went just dandy."

 

  Dylan came into the room at that moment and ran over to Solana. "We need your help in the computer room. There's a strange problem that's keeping us from accessing the genealogy computer so we can burn the files onto disks."

 

 Solana shook her head, but took after her cousin, Dominica on her heels.

 

 There were about half a dozen people gathered around the genealogy computer when the trio arrived.

 

 Thera beckoned to them. "Hurry up, you guys!"

 

 Taylor was sitting at the computer, his eyes fixed on the screen. Zadok was standing on his left side, looking deep in thought. He jumped as Solana tapped him on the shoulder.

 

 "What's going on?" she asked.

 

 Shaking off his surprise, Zadok replied, "Every time we try to burn the files onto the disks, this thing appears on the screen."

 

  All eyes focused on the screen as the pop-up that he had just explained about came into view.

 

  " 'There is a virus that we cannot detect. Only when it is detected and disposed of will you be able to forward the burning of this information,' " Solana read aloud.

 

  "And I thought that this computer could detect any virus," Taylor said disgustedly.

 

 "We do live in an imperfect world," said a girl from the back of the group.

 

 "Yes, I kno w that, Thayme," Taylor said impatiently. "We all do, but knowing that won't change anything."

 

  Thayme shrugged as she walked away. "Whatever."

 

  Zadok sighed. "Now we'll have to trash this computer and get a new one."

 

   Dominica looked clsoely at the screen, silent, but she was thinking...

 

  "The FBI," she said at loud, almost without realizing it.

 

  Solana was puzzled, but soon she understood." They somehow discovered that the computer was ours and hacked into it. They took all the genealogic information, tehn sent in a virus to prevent us from burning it onto disks."

 

  "I never thought of that!" Taylor exclaimed. "Guys, you're geniuses!"

 

  "Remember they attacked us?" Dominica put in. "They probably scouted out the computer room, too!"

 

 

 

 

 

  "Well, we have most of it down on paper," Zadok said, nudging a box with his foot.

 

 The little group around the computer broke up, but Dominica and Solana stayed behind.

 

 "Let's look at my family," Dominica suggested.

 

 "OK," Solana agreed.

 

 They sat and started looking through books 'til they found Dominica's family. Dominica carefully examined the page.

 

 "Hold it!" she exclaimed. "They must be joking! I have twin brothers?!"

 

 

 

Jimenitz sat in the security room, watching Luther's ever move on a TV coonected to the cameras in his cell. He had been tirelessly observing his insane prisoners.

 

   Dale Irving, who had watched for a while but had bored of it quickly, was sitting on a chair beside his chief, absorbed by something on his iphone.

 

  Suddenly Jimenitz nudged him. "Look, Dale."

 

  Dale's eyes slowly moved up toward the screen. His mind was on the text he was typing out on his phone. Then it clattered to the floor as he stared at Luther.

 

  "He's gone into an insane rage!" he exclaimed.

 

  Luther was stomping around his cell, kicking at the few pieces of furniture and yelling angry, incoherent words.

 

  Dale gaped at him, while Jimenitz watched thoughtfully.

 

  "Did it ever occur to you, Dale, that this might be a trick?"

 

  "No," Dale replied, staring at the screen.

 

  "But Knight is the best psychiatrist I know," Jimenitz mused.

 

  "His diagnosis was correct," came a voice from behind them.

 

  Jimenitz did not turn his head. "And how do you know that, Cavan?"

 

  Dale moved to Jimenitz's other side, farther away from the newcomer, whose presence always made him nervous.

 

  "Some people just know," said Chance Cavan as he silently moved to the position that Irving had just vacated. "His diagnosis was right...to him...."  he trailed off into mysterious silence.

 

  "Oh?" Jimenitz asked. "You think that the psychiatrist is wrong?"

 

 

 

 Chance remained quiet. He turned to look at Jimenitz, who looked away, saying,

 

 "Don't start, Chance. I know what you want to do."

 

 Chance smiled queerly. "You're not afraid, are you?"

 

 Jimenitz did not move. "Go, Chance."

 

 Without another word, Chacne stood and left the room.

 

 "That guy gives me the creeps," Dale said when Cavan had left the room.

 

 "Just don't tell him," Jimenitz warned.

 

 Chance heard him as he stood outside the door. Grinning, he walked away, flipping out his cellphone as he did so, and, dialing a number, he put the phone to his ear. "Jess?"

 

  A female's voice entered his ear. "Yes, Chance?"

 

 "Tell the boss that i'm getting the job done," Chance informed her. "I should be done soon if all goes well."

 

 "Great! Call me when you are done."

 

 "Got it. Bye." Chance tucked his phone away, unaware of the eyes that watched his every move and heard his every word.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Chase sat in a far corner of the room under the oak, silently watching Jason.

 

  Jason sat across from him, his legs stretched out in from of him. His fists were clenched as he trembled with inner rage.

 

  "Jason, what's the matter?" Chase timidly ventured to ask.

 

  "That man.."Jason gritted his teeth angrily.."that man killed my father, my mother, and one of my sisters. He took my other sister. I have been seeking to carry out revenge on him for years! I found him, he was standing so close, but I let him escape!"

 

  "Jason, I think I can understand your grief," Chase said  softly." But revenge is not the answer. My mother read a book once, and one of the phrases in it was somehting like, 'Revenge is not yours to take.' "

 

 "But how do you know how I feel?" Jason replied in a hard tone.

 

 "I know because my family members are either dead or missing," Chase quietly explained. "I had parents, an older brother, and a younger sister. My parents were killed in a deliberately set fire, my brother disappeared right afterwards, and my sister fell out of a tree she was climbing and broke her neck. She was helpless, and there was no one to help her, as she was in the middle of the woods. Some cruel men found her and killed her. As far as I know, I'm the only one left." He looked at Jason.

 

  Jason was leaning against the wall, his eyes closed, as if he was asleep.

 

  Chase sighed as he pulled his knees up to his chin and stared at the fire crackling and hissing in the middle of the small chamber.

 

 

 

 

 

  After watching Luther for several hours, Jimenitz eyes were aching badly, so he went to the break room for a rest.

 

  As he leisurely drank a cup of coffee on his favorite recliner, Isaiah Fay entered the room.

 

 Jimenitz half-smiled as Fay quietly talked to him. "So I was right."

 

 Fay nodded. "What do I do now, Chief?"

 

 "Keep doing what you have been doing, and remember to act normal." Jimenitz waved his hand, dismissing the officer.

 

 "Yes, Chief," Fay replied as he left the room.

 

 A few mintues later, Chance Cavan sauntered in. He settled onto a couch after grabbing some food.

 

 Without turning to look at him, Jimenitz casually inquired, "So, where do you come from, Chance?"

 

 "Why do you need to know?" came the cool response. "I came here to work, not to be asked personal questions."

 

 "There are some thnigs you need to learn first, like answering to authority." Jimenitz settled deeper into his chair.

 

 "I have two things to say to that," Chance said as he toyed with his soda bottle. "The first thing is that you asked the question. You did not order me to tell you where I came from. The second thing is that no man is my boss."

 

 Jimenitz glanced over at him, immediately looking away when he saw the dangerous glint in Cavan's eyes.

 

 "I was just curious," he answered.

 

 "Curiousity killed the cat," Chance said. "But satisfaction brought it back."

 

 Jimenitz raised an eyebrow as he stood and stretched. "That rhyme is silly and untrue."

 

 Chance narrowed his eyes, watching the police chief carefully as he left the room.