Chapter 14: Hidden Meanings From the Past

Aurora sat in the Helix looking out the window as Edward gave Brennan directions. She couldn't help thinking of the morning before her mother had been killed. Her mother, Andrea, had dropped her off quickly at Gabriel's house.

"Why do you have to go?" asked little Aurora. "We were going to go to the zoo today."

I'm sorry sweetheart. Mommy has to take care of something." She put her hand behind her. Aurora knew her mother was hiding something. "I promise we'll go to the zoo tomorrow. You can bring Gabriel if you like."

Aurora sighed. "Okay mommy. Come back soon."

"I'll try, but honey." She started as she kneeled in front of her daughter. "If anything happens to me, remember this. If what you are looking for is not where it should be, come to me, and I'll show you the key. But most importantly, don't forget that I love you."

Aurora didn't understand. Her mother hugged her daughter tightly, kissed her forehead, and left with little Aurora still watching her as she walked out the door.

"Aurora, we're here," said Jesse who stood in front of her.

His voice snapped her out of her memory. "What?"

"I said we're here." Aurora nodded, got up, and stepped out of the Helix.

They were all standing in front of an old ran down building. Edward took the lead as they all went inside, but Brennan wasn't far behind him. He was prepared in case Edward decided to run. Aurora was the last to enter. She couldn't help thinking about the cryptic message her mother had given her the last time she saw her. Or at east the last time alive. They all headed up some stairs, stepping over debris as they went. Edward led them to a room on the far left side of the corridor. The only furniture in the room was an old desk and chair, and a sofa against the wall opposite of the door.

"Well, where is it?" asked Brennan.

"Hold on a sec," responded Edward.

He went over to the couch and pushed it into the corner next to the desk. Behind the couch was just the white brick wall. He got down on one knee and stared at the wall made of bricks as if trying to find the right one. When he did, Edward dug at the cracks around a brick and slowly pulled out the brick from the wall, revealing a hole with something inside. He pulled out a small safe that fit perfectly in the wall. The safe had a number keypad to open it.

"It's in here," said Edward.

He put in the correct number code and the safe made a ding sound. He opened it and nothing was inside. "It was here I swear!"

Everyone crowded around and stared at the empty safe. Emma was the first to say something.

"Now how are we going to get Shalimar back?"

"That's a good question that I don't have an answer for," Adam responded.

Aurora still thought about what her mother had told her and couldn't understand why it stuck out in her mind so much. No way could this be what she meant. That was years ago, she thought. Could it? And yet it sort of made sense to her. The drug was not where it should have been, but what did "come to me and I'll show you the key" mean? Aurora's mother was dead.

"Now what?" asked Jesse as the stepped into the Helix.

"Go back to Sanctuary and call Shalimar," said Adam.

"I don't get it!" exclaimed Edward. "It was here! I put it here!"

"A lot has happened since you were in jail," commented Brennan.

"Maybe somebody else took it," Aurora thought out loud.

"No way. I'm the only one who knew where it was and I'm the only one with the combination to the safe!" Edward went on.

"Who knows what could have happened over the years," said Emma.

"While you contact Shalimar," Aurora started, "I need to go somewhere for a little while."

Not to see Luke I hope thought Jesse.

"No, I'm going to see my ex boyfriend. I just go t something I need to do. It shouldn't take long, at least I don't think."

"Alright," said Adam. "Just be careful."

"Always."

Sanctuary

They all stepped out of the Helix. Aurora headed for her car and drove off quickly. Edward skulked back to his room, wondering what went wrong and where the drug could possibly be. Adam, Emma, Jesse, and Brennan went to the lab. Adam turned the phone on speaker and called Shalimar.

"Adam?" answered Shalimar.

"It's me. How are you?"

"I'm haven't been caught yet if that's what you mean. I'm in a tree right now trying to cover my tracks. What about you guys?"

"Edward brought us to where he hid the drug," answered Emma. "It wasn't there."

"What do you mean?"

Brennan added, "He had hidden it in a sake in a wall. He opened the safe and it was empty. I'm sorry. We're stuck."

"I don't think so," said Emma. "Aurora is up to something. I felt her confusion before she left and I think she had a lead on where the drug might be."

"How could she know?"

"I don't know, but I think we'll find out when she comes back."

"While Aurora's off on whatever lead she may have," started Jesse, who had been doing something on the computer during the whole conversation, "I'm going to follow a lead of my own."

"And what would that be Jess?" asked Shalimar.

"From what you've told me Brennan, Richard Watson, the bartender who spiked your drink Shal, knows more about this than he's saying."

"But we don't even know where he is. He won't go back to his place us barging on him," responded Brennan.

"I just tapped in to the local telephone lines and he's on a pay phone not far from his apartment."

"I'll go get him."

"That's not a good idea, Brennan," said Adam. "He has already seen you and will run if you go after him again. You're staying here. Jesse, you and Emma will go and see if you can get anything else out of Richard."

"Adam-"

"Emma and Jesse can handle this. Just sit tight."

Brennan closed his mouth and nodded, Jesse and Emma left as Shalimar wished the good luck.

At the gates of the local cemetery

Aurora walked a path she had not walked in years: the path that led to her mother's grave. She passed many other tombstones, some old, some new. She saw a few other visitors were around. With the lilacs in her hands, she continued up the hill where her mother's grave lay. She stood in front of it for about a minute not saying anything. She laid the flowers down and went down on her knees.

"I'm here," said Aurora. "It's been a while since I've been here and I'm sorry. But, you probably already knew I'd come looking for the drug one day. Because it has something to do with your death right? I don't know how, but you did know. My guess is you somehow found out about Edward and this drug, found where he hid it, and moved it somewhere else. You tried turning Edward over to the police and that's why he killed you." Aurora paused, trying to calm herself down and lower her voice. "But I don't understand your riddle! How can you have the key if you're gone?"

Aurora by now had put her hands on either side of the tombstone. And out of some strange hunch, she felt around the tombstone, around the back, near where it went into the ground. Nothing. Aurora looked at the design at the top of her mother's tombstone: a setting sun. It didn't seem to be plastered on very well. Aurora touched the outline of the design, felt how loose it was attached, and it pulled it off. She felt it how light it was in her hand. In fact, she moved it around and heard a rattling sound from inside. She looked around to make sure no one was looking and created a small fireball to burn a hole in this setting sun design. She emptied it into her hand and saw that a key had fallen out with the number 813. My mom's safe deposit box at the bank, Aurora remembered. Her mother had told her she kept all that was most valuable in it. I guess I'm off to the bank.

Meanwhile…

In the city

Emma and Jesse drove up to the pay phone and saw Richard. He looked like he was waiting for someone to call instead of making one. They both got out of the car and headed for the phone booth. Richard looked up and saw them coming towards him.

"I'm usin' this booth."

"Doesn't look like it," said Jesse.

"It looks like you're waiting for a call," added Emma.

"That's none of your business."

"What is our business is who told you to drug our friend," said Jesse.

Richard stiffened. "Not more of you guys. I don't know nothin'."

"He's lying," commented Emma. "Tell us, who are you waiting for? Richard shook his head. He had been corned into the booth so he had nowhere to run or hide. Emma shot a psy blast at him. Whom are you waiting for?"

"Luke! Luke Christianson. He knows the guy who wanted your friend drugged. Told me it was a big scam, a joke. I didn't know they were gonna nab her. I swear, that's all I know!"

"He's telling the truth."

"Luke?" repeated Jesse. "That's Aurora's ex.'

"Who just happened to be into town recently."

"Can I go?" asked Richard.

"Yes, if he contacts you again, tell him you're done." Jesse warned him. Richard nodded and ran as fast as he could away form them.

I Updated! Wow! It's been a long time. Sorry, I'm still having a hard time trying to figure out where to go with this. Plus I've been too lazy to type and have had a lot of homework/ hard essays for school. I'll update when I can but I don't know when that will be.