AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hi! I could not let the month of November go by without updating this tale, which turned two years old this month. I thank all you readers out there for your support and encouragement! And I'm so sorry for not keeping up on reading other authors' great Ninjago fanfics this autumn. October and November were crazy busy due to family issues and also my participation in National Novel Writing Month, but I'm happy to report that the family issues are pretty much resolved, and I produced a 50,077-word romance novel!
At the end of the last chapter of this soldier story, Samantha was accidentally shot in the leg, preventing her return to the Garmadon Ranch main house.
In the chapter below, Nya is worriedly waiting for her dear friend to return, not knowing what had happened...
Chapter 47 - Liar
Sunday, New Year's Day, 5:15pm…
Dusk found Nya in her bedroom, cuddling her sleeping baby EJ as she rocked him in the rocking chair. The raven-haired beauty anxiously awaited the arrival of Sam, her dear friend and roommate who had not yet returned from her "meeting" with General Chen. The new mother's stomach churned at the thought of what Sam had endured these past few hours.
And why hadn't Jake and Sam returned yet? The sun had set nearly a half hour ago. And Mr. Wu had commented earlier today that his knees were aching, which told him that a blue norther was set to blow in later tonight, causing the temperature to plummet to a dangerous low.
Up until now she had respected her friend's wishes for complete secrecy about the licentiousness of General Chen. But as the minutes ticked by, her resolve to keep the truth concealed from Mr. Wu and Miss Gayle weakened, as her worry about Sam grew stronger. She nervously stroked the fine auburn tresses of her little son.
A light knock on the open bedroom door gained her attention.
It was Jake. Only Jake.
Nya was alarmed at the absence of the blonde woman who had left with him hours ago. "Where's Sam?" she anxiously demanded, dispensing with polite greetings. He was a detestable Purple, after all. A sleeveen, as Miss Gayle would describe him.
Jake licked his lips before continuing, preparing to relay the story he had conjured up on his way here. "Well, during our ride this afternoon, Sam mentioned that she missed visiting Ninjago Town, so in the spirit of a happy new year, I took her all the way there today."
"And while we were having refreshments at the saloon, the saloon keeper came to our table to talk."
Good start to a whopper, Jake, Nya sarcastically thought to herself. Let me help you along.
"You mean Mr. Morro?" she asked.
Jake recognized the name, relying on the knowledge he had gleaned from his one night in Ninjago Town nearly two years ago. "That's him," he affirmed.
Morro's been dead for well over a year, saphead, Nya inwardly seethed. The saloon now belongs to Rufus McAllister!
The Purple officer continued, unaware of his blunder. "Morro said one of the saloon girls was ill. Sam immediately volunteered to stay and care for her for a few weeks until the girl recovers, 'cause you know Sam - she has a heart of gold, heh heh." Jake chuckled lightheartedly, but Nya could easily discern his insincerity.
To confirm the falsity of Jake's story, Nya asked, "Which girl needs care? Ophelia? When I worked at the saloon, I remember Ophelia would take to her bed for days at a time due to her asthma."
Jake cocked his head as if in thought. "I do believe she's the one," he answered, thinking that if Nya knew a girl who was prone to illness, he might as well use the girl in his story.
Liar! Nya silently exclaimed. I don't know anyone named Ophelia!
"Anyway," Jake rattled on, "I need to collect a few of Sam's belongings to bring to her during her extended stay in Ninjago Town. If you could show me where she keeps her valise -"
"I'll pack her items," Nya interrupted him, cradling the baby as she stood up from the rocker. "When are you heading back to town?"
Jake rubbed the back of his neck, pretending to give her question some earnest thought. "I'm leaving right after supper," he fibbed. He wasn't planning to return to the cabin until at least tomorrow afternoon, once he had located a King's magistrate who could be bribed to change Sam's country of citizenship to Ninjago, if she refused to - or was too incapacitated to - agree to that.
"I'll have her valise ready in a half-hour," Nya brusquely informed him as she gently placed little EJ in his bassinet. She wished for the Purple officer to leave the room before she either screamed at him to divulge the real truth about Sam's whereabouts, or broke down in tears in fear of what horrors may have befallen her missing friend.
"Much obliged," Jake nodded to her, tipping his cap to her before disappearing from the doorway.
Nya retrieved Sam's bag from under the bed and began to fill it with a few dresses and assorted wardrobe items. Not all of Sam's clothing went in the bag. Nya wanted to keep some here in the room, in case something happened to the clothes she was packing and Sam would need something to wear when she returned to Garmadon Ranch.
And she is going to come back! Nya told herself, struggling to quell the rising doubt she was feeling.
Once the valise had been prepared, Nya decided to pen a message to her missing friend, to let her know what her loved ones at Garmadon Ranch had been told about her absence. Knowing full well that her note would likely be scrutinized by enemy eyes before it arrived in the recipient's hands, Nya attempted a light and airy tone to her missive.
1st January 18xx
Dearest Sam -
Jake informed me that you'll be residing in Ninjago Town for the next several weeks in order to tend to Ophelia, Morro's saloon girl who has fallen ill once again. You have always been generous with your time and effort in taking care of the ailing, such as when Bansha was dying. Though we know you'll be doing charitable work, we will miss you back here at Garmadon Ranch. Flash and Blaze will miss you, too! From the upstairs window I noticed that they were quite unhappy to see you leave.
I will keep you informed on humorous little events that occur here at the ranch during your absence, and I will request that Jake ensure the delivery of the letters to you as frequently as can be managed.
One such humorous event happened just this afternoon after you left. Our boisterous dogs managed to escape their ropes, and they disappeared for a while. Miss Gayle and I discovered their absence while we worked in the kitchen and suddenly wondered why the customary level of outdoor noise seemed rather low. We were flummoxed as to their whereabouts, but then they showed up within the hour, with all sorts of moss on their fur. Miss Gayle and I had quite a time cleaning them up.
Nya temporarily set down her ink pen to rest her hand. Writing about the moss caused her mind to drift back to happier times, when she and Jay and Flash would come calling on Sam and Kai and Blaze at their cottage next to the Ninjago River. What fun they all had relaxing on the Smiths' front porch, sipping sweet tea and laughing at the Australian Shepherd dogs as they returned from forays into the woods, with pieces of moss dangling from their coats of fur.
Then a realization hit Nya like a bolt of lightning.
Dear God! The dogs were at the Smith cottage...
...because they followed Sam there!
