Solutions

Solutions: Chapter 7: What would you do?

Why did it always rain when a Collins was buried, Allen wondered as his father's coffin was lowered into the ground. He griped the handle of his umbrella tightly, watching the heavy drops fall on the workers and water soaked ground. Part of him wished the other family members were there, another part glad they lived full lives in an alternate past.

He turned away and headed for the main house confident the workers would complete their task. His eyes wandered to the gravestones of Collins past, many of them unreadable since time and the elements had erased the names. Some dated back to the sixteen hundreds, or so he recalled. That's when the family had come to this land and settled.

The trees overhead shivered in the rain, their leaves partially protecting him from the weather. Odd, he didn't think it was supposed to rain in a dome. Or maybe the designers had added the element to make living under it more realistic.

The great house loomed before him, the lofty and dark windows on the various floor and wings almost overpowering. He stopped, taking a moment to admire the centuries old home, and embracing that the family would end. Allen would never remarry nor father any more children.

A vehicle pulled up the drive and he frowned. No company was expected as there would be no wake. His father had simply wanted to be buried next to his beloved wife and nothing else. So who could this be?

Taking his time he made his visitors wait, his meaningful glare telling them they were intruding. He opened the oak double doors and entered the house, his gaze momentarily distracted by the portrait of the original Barnabas Collins. Odd that his great, great, some odd grandson looked exactly like him.

"We're sorry for the intrusion, Mr. Collins," a man in a heavy raincoat apologized. "But we couldn't reach you and we wanted to make certain you received this." He handed over a simple envelope with Allen Collins written on it.

"What is this?" he asked as he took it.

"I don't know, sir. I was only paid to deliver it." The courier turned and returned to his car.

Closing the door, Allen retreated to his study, the only room truly warm in the house. The stone fireplace no longer worked, but flames danced in the fake wood producing enough heat to keep the chill away.

He sat down at his desk and carefully opened the contents. Several pictures had been included. A couple of a dark woman with her young child, one he had known about, but couldn't claim and others of the Collins taken obviously as they left on the Ninth Pilgrimage.

Carefully he unfolded the note included. "We'll protect them if you do what we ask."

Below the words were a set of instructions and an address. He looked at the picture of the woman, Mira, as he recalled and her daughter and his Sienna.

"You can find your daughter here. We can get you both on the Eleventh Pilgrimage and safely to Terra Nova. But beware, there are other parties plotting to destroy what your family worked so hard for. You don't have much time. Hurry."

His hands shook as he pushed the contents back into the envelope. Taking a deep breath, he packed a bag, called for his car and left Collinwood. Not once, did he look back.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Shannon was furious. Someone had snuck in during the night and destroyed the one and only lead he had to the Sixer spy. Luckily, it had time to process some of the DNA. Enough to know he was looking for a woman.

He stared at the plex before him knowing it narrowed down his suspects from eighty four to forty-seven. All he had to do was question each of them and discover the spy's identity. Granted that might take a little doing. Their spy had gotten practiced at lying. Still, he trusted his gut.

"Hey, Reynolds," he called.

The young man entered.

"Do me a favor, set up interviews with everyone on this list." He handed the Plex to the soldier.

"Yes, sir."

"You don't have to call me sir."

"Right, Mr. Shannon." He left to do as Jim asked.

"Okay, then," Jim said, with a grin. He loved teasing his daughter's young man.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"No OTG today?" Maddy asked as she stopped by Laura's house.

The red head smiled. "No." Sheba growled at bug as it hovered over one of the flowers. "They're going to start setting up for the next pilgrimage."

"I'll bet Bola's not happy." Maddy sat down on the wicker deck chair.

"He went back to herd after our last adventure. I suspect he wanted to be around the babies. Not that the females will allow it."

"I supposed they're all protecting their babies."

"Oddly enough," Laura agreed, lifting a cup and taking a drink. "I have tea. Would you like some?"

"I can't stay long. Need to get to work at the lab."

"As I was saying, I noticed they made a type of communal nest. I suspect they'll all raise the babies."

"Huh. Who knew."

"I think we all forget this is an alternate reality. Not everything here will be the same as on the world we left."

Maddy frowned. "You're right. We keep expecting it to evolve the same."

Sheba bounced up to join them, rubbing against Laura's leg. She reached down scratched behind the cat's ears, before a bug distracted the cub and she chased it.

"Aren't you afraid she'll run off?" Maddy wondered why Laura didn't keep the cat on a leash.

"She won't. I'm her mother. She'll come back to me whenever something scares her or she's uncertain about something."

"You seem to really understand animals."

"Growing up in Collinwood I had a number of pets. One of the reasons I studied animals at the University in Boston."

"Wow." Maddy glanced at the time. "I'd better go."

"Drop by anytime. I enjoy your company."

"Thanks." Maddy waved and dodged Sheba as the cat dashed after a rather large and colorful butterfly. "Not a dull moment."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Allen frowned at the house as the car stopped. Part of the roof sagged inward and the owners hadn't kept it up. The paint had faded, some of the windows had been boarded up and the front porch had seen better days. Best thing seemed to be the iron door.

"Stay here," he ordered his driver.

"Yes, sir."

Getting out, Allen confidently strolled to the door and knocked. Never let them see you afraid was a motto he'd adopted in business and when dealing with two teenage daughters who wanted everything. He wondered how they had adapted to living in the past with very little available.

Several minutes passed, but he refused to knock again. They knew he stood there. He'd seen them peeking out at him. Finally, he heard several locks being unfastened and the door opened a crack.

"Who are you?" a woman's voice demanded.

"I'm here for my daughter."

The other snorted. "Don't look like Mira."

"I'm the child's father."

"My orders,"

"Your orders are to turn Sienna over to me." He pulled a thick envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her. Long dark fingers took it and shut the door. Moments later it opened and a little girl stood there, a small suitcase next to her and a slightly dirty doll in her hands.

"Hello, Sienna."

She didn't respond.

"I know you don't know me, but I'm your father. I've come to take you to your mother."