Chapter 7: Just in Case

In a small comfy room, Zak slept propped up in a chair in the corner. Tara occupied the twin-sized bed that was shoved against the wall opposite of Zak. Pictures of a young boy who looked a bit like Tara and a woman adorned the tan walls of the quiet sanctuary. The light of the noon sun shines softly through the off-white drapes that hang over the windows, but it failed to wake the sleeping children.

Pictures of a young boy who looked a bit like Tara and a woman who was substantially older adorned the tan walls of the quiet sanctuary. There was one picture that was larger than the rest and in it the same woman and boy (or rather man) at least twenty years older stood smiling in the picture with five new additions.

Suddenly breaking the quiet, Tara bolts upright with a shriek of post-nightmare terror. Reacting to Tara's terror, Zak comes to with a violent start as well, and he falls out of his chair.

Realizing that she was safe, Tara looks down at Zak and asks, "Oh! Are you okay Zak?"

He twists his head to look up at her from his upside down position on the floor. He grins, "You're awake!"

She props herself on her elbows and rolls her eyes, "State the obvious much?" She smiles back, "You never answered my question."

"I'm fine. You just startled me is all."

She sits up further and turns away from him as she glances around the room. He frowns at her as he gets to his feet. They both feel unspoken inquiries emanating from the other.

She turns to him, and he asks, "What happened back there?"

Understanding perfectly what he meant, she says in an almost inaudible voice, "My past came back to haunt me."

Images of Tara's memories flash through Zak's mind, and he puts two and two together, "Past..."

Zak's memory of Lin flashes to Tara. She nods sadly, "Exactly."

Unexplainably feeling her extreme sorrow, Zak asks hesitantly, "So how did your..."

"Parents die?" Tara finishes. He nods and she sits cross-legged on the bed. He sits across from her, and she looks at him pleadingly, "Do mind if I don't say anything? I need to focus on the task at hand, and I won't be much of a help if I'm dwelling on it....." Her expression begged him to let it go.

Zak nods understandingly, "Sure. Whatever you need." He gets a feeling from Tara that she would tell him later if he asked.

He looks away from her to let his eyes scan the walls. He studied the pictures of the steadily aging boy and woman that hung from the walls until he came across the large photo with the seven people.

He looks a bit closer when he notices that the little girl in the picture looked alot like Tara.

Noticing what Zak had discovered, Tara leans up next to him and says, "I know what you're thinking, the little girl looks like me right?" She pauses, and he nods. Tara continues, "That's because she is me," she points to the little boy who had striking red hair and eyes, "and that boy is Daemon. We've been friends since I was two and he was three, not to mention he's a shifter too." She points to the man and woman standing behind her in the photo, "That man is my father, Dr. Fredric Valdeze, and that woman is my mother, Linda Valdeze."

She points to the other obviously married adults flanking Daemon, "Those two are Daemon's parents, Greg Cypher and Kelly Cypher." Tara finally points to the eldest adult in the picture, the woman in the other pictures, "That is Mary Bovin, we're kind of staying in her house right now. She was my father's foster mother, and we stop by from time to time...."

Zak heard the end of the sentence even though Tara never finished it. 'Or at least we used to....'

"I never asked before, but what are you doing here?"

Zak looks to her and says, "When I first shifted, I heard a 'call'. I figured that maybe it was part of a shifter connection, and that I could find some one else with shift powers. I don't know about you, but I was freaked out that I could grow fur and a tail."

"Ditto," Tara smiles knowingly, "We may be searching for the same person you know." Her face turns serious, "I got a call on my cell from Daemon not too long before I gained my shift powers about a week ago. He was being attacked, and he gave me a description of his attackers before the line went dead. It sounded like Van Rook from Daemon's description."

"So you think that Daemon is the person we've come to help and that Van Rook has him?"

Tara shrugs, "I'm not completely sure but it would seem that everything fits."

The sound of a door opening on the other side of the house stops Zak from saying anythinmg more. The two children hop up quietly from their spots on the bed and position themselves on either side of the door to the room. From his position on the hinge side of the door, Zak pushes it open enough to see a middle aged woman walk across the living room and walk back with a few grocery bags tucked in the crook of her arm. She had a certain controlled countenance to her stride, she wore glasses, and had black curly hair that was streaked through with silver at the temples.

Knowing what he saw, Tara relaxes steps out of the door with Zak falling in behind.

The woman turns to them and smiles broadly when she notices them enter the room. Tara walks up to her and gives her a sterdy hug, "I'm really happy to see you again Mary."

"As am I," Mary says. She tells Tara confidentailly, "Zak was rather protective of you while you were unconscious dear one."

Tara nods, "I can be thankful for that. Mary, we have a huge problem."

"What is it child?"

"I think Daemon has been captured by this brute called Van Rook. Zak and I are trying to save him." Her words came in fast succession. Mary's features turned sharp when Tara had mentioned Van Rook.

"Captured?" Zak and Tara nod, "By that traitorous little slug Van Rook, I would figure as much. Especially from him."

Zak shares a confused look with Tara and says, "What? You know Van Rook too?"

"Not only did I know him, he was a former student of mine. I remember training him and later both your parents and Daemon's parents in close combat." Mary gives them a look that was all business, "I was a Secret Scientist physical trainer. I made sure that the newest scientists were ready for any fighting that they might have to do on their expeditions. Van Rook was a student of mine like I said, but he turned his back on the rest of the Secret Scientists. He saw cryptids and the many other fields that his former allies studied as things to be sold and exploited to the highest bidder.

Mary gestures to Zak, "Solomon and Drew discovered his plan to expose the exisistance of a top secret cryptid to the public for 2 million. They were able to stop Rook and they did a good job of repairing any damage he was able to do."

"Huh... I didn't know that." Zak says broodingly.

Mary turns to Tara, "What ever help I can give to help rescue Daemon, you shall have it young ones."

"Thanks."

Bovin glances over her shoulder and says, "Follow me. There is something I must show you."

Tara and Zak look at each other, shrug, and follow suit. Bovin leads them to a door were she slides a photo to the side, revealing a security hand scanner. Bovin places her hand on it, and it scans and opens the door revealing stairs going downward. She leads them downstairs and Tara and Zak follow.

When they reached the bottom they saw various weapons on brackets hanging from the walls, wooden sparing staffs, punching bags, and other pieces of equipment.

Tara murmurs in wonder, "Wow... No wonder she never let us down here."

Zak gives her a quizzical look and she quickly explains, "Well when I was really young Daemon and I were told that this place was out of bounds. Sure we occasionally tried to open it, but once we got older we lost interest."

Bovin turns to them, "This is my little arsenal for events such as this. This is the equipment we'll be using."

"Sweet! Let's go then." Zak shouts enthusiastically.

Bovin shakes her head, "Now is not the right timing young one. You need some training and time to understand your power. Don't worry, Daemon won't be going anywhere."

Tara looks as if she is about to protest but stops when she feels Zak think that Mary was right. She concedes, "Very well."

The two shifters place a fist over their hearts and say in unison, "Teach us."


Sorry it took so long, but here it is!!!! Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. Please tell me how you liked it.

Your Humble Authoress,
Sangheili Warrior Girl