Most Wanted

Chapter 12

Donella was in her tent when she heard the horse ride up.  At first, she was skeptical, but realized it was merely the mail carrier.  This intrigued her since she rarely ever recieved mail.

"What brings you this far out?"  She asked.

"I have a letter for Hugo."

Now this surprised her even more.  "Very well, hand it over."

The man was hesitant, but did.  "Make sure he receives it.  It's very important and someone's life might depend on it."

He must have known Donnella could not be trusted with mail, but upon seeing Varian's name, she didn't need to be told twice.  "Oh.  I see.  Shit, ok, yeah.  He's in the field.  I'll take it to him."  She left before the man had time to protest.

She found her adoptive son sitting with his back against a tree.  He was jolting down notes in a book.  Probably the thousandth plan he was coming up with on ways to safely get Varian away from Mazouwi's reach.

"Hugo."

"Not now.  I don't want another lecture on doing something else because it's not healthy-"

Donella merely sat down beside him hand held out the letter.  "I'm not here to lecture you, dimwit."

Hugo couldn't believe his eyes.  He took it and scrambled to open the letter.  He read it five times before looking at Donella.  "I have to-"

"What?  You think I'm going to stop you from leaving?  What kind of person do you think I am?"  Donella snorted.  "All I ask is that you don't do something stupid."

"Thanks-"

"Also, wouldn't hurt if you brought him by sometime.  See what the big fuss is about.  Don't get hitched without me either," she teased.

He blushed.  "Don't worry about that," he said.

She shrugged.  "I don't know.  People can get do that very quickly once they get the notion."

"We're focusing on getting him to safety.  You can meet us in Corona if you want."

"See, you're already planning where you're moving," she joked.

"Donella!"

She laughed.  "Alright, in seriousness.  Be careful, whatever it is you're doing.  I'll meet over the border line of Corona."

"Yes.  Our next step is to become Coronan citizens.  That way Mazouwi will not have the power to do anything to either of us and can be arrested by Corona if he tries, so that will give us a hedge of protection if he even finds where we went.  Apparently he knows people there who can help us move through the system quickly to make us citizens.  Corona's citizenship runs differently than Bayangor's."

"So what are you supposed to do about getting him out?"

"Nothing.  He wants me to go somewhere and wait for him.  He said not to tell anyone, including people I trust just in case."

Donella nodded.  "So it will just be the two of you?"

"It's easier to sneak to Corona with less people."

"Memorize that letter and burn it," she advised.

"I was already planning on doing that," he informed her.  "The last thing we want is to get caught and have all our plans written down, making it easier for the enemy to catch him."