A few days later, Lena was helping her father with the horses.
'Dad?'
'Hmmm?' Marcus said, looking up. He still wasn't used to getting called "dad".
'Why did you make us all believe you were dead?'
Marcus sighed.
'Because of many reasons, Lena. One of them was protecting Dahlia.'
'And we didn't matter? What are Mahad, I and mum to you? A mistake?'
'The main reason of my disappearance. I couldn't let anything happen to you three. You are the reason I offered to disappear, instead of Mac. Mac already lost his family. He had nothing that could be threatened.'
That shocked Lena. "Cortes had a family?"
'Marisol and Anasuya died in a crash. That's what the official report says. But you have three chances to guess the real story.'
'The Sphere.'
'More specific.'
Lena thought for a moment. Then, a light bulb pinked on in her head.
'Oslo.'
'Good.' Cortes said. He stood behind them. Marcus turned around.
'MacIntosh, she isn't stupid.'
'Did I say your daughter is? Don't naturally assume things immediately, Marcus. It's gonna be against you, unless you forgot Ronon.' Then, Cortes walked of.
'Ronon?' Lena wondered.
'Don't ask.'
----
What once was a simple mission for water, had now turned into a mission to save Mila.
'Yeah, but how are we gonna find the Kharzem Prison?' Wayan asked.
'That's easy.' Marcus said. 'Before I left, I planted an untraceable microchip under her skin when she was asleep. Follow the chip, and find Kharzem.'
Without waiting for a reaction, he opened a map of Skyland and typed in a serial number. Somewhere in the air, a red dot was flashing.
Mila.
They found her, and were now gonna keep their promise. They would save her.
But at which terrible costs?