Echoes of the Past

Chapter Thirty Four - Part One

Sam held back the long sigh he wanted to let out. He spared a look to Den, whose expression was sorrowful. Den's keen blue eyes had a milky haze from old age, highlighted by the warm, golden lights in the room.

"It's complicated," Sam said.

Jorak held his stare on Sam.

"If the day ever came," Den said, "that James would have to be told of his past, Hayden Island wanted him to have his old grapple hook. With it, he also wanted James to have a photograph. He wanted us to tell James that it depicted Harman Bridges and Jacob Roby. Now as Liana would have seen, Jacob Roby is in fact Hayden Island."

Jorak frowned, looking troubled. "Why would he not want James to know him from the photo?"

"James's situation is delicate," Sam said. "At least, that's what we've been told. It could be dangerous for him to know too much too soon."

Den turned to Jorak. "Hayden gave strict instructions. He did not want James to know the truth of his past. He felt it better if he were allowed to become his own new person, away from who he once was. I believe, in a way, he provided the photo as a step towards James learning the truth on his own, rather than it being told to him. What the difference is, and what Hayden was truly thinking, I don't think anyone could say. I detest having to step around issues with James, but Sam and I made a promise to Hayden to follow his wishes, and protect James."

"Dangerous," Jorak said in a low voice. "And nonsense. Why didn't Hayden stay and look over his son himself?"

"You'll have to ask the man yourself," Den said. "Once he resurfaces."

Jorak eyed him and said, "You're both telling me something that you're not saying."

"You know the circumstance of James's memory loss," Den said. "No one knows for sure the extent of the powers that healed him, and what could happen if he were to ever fully regain his memories. As such, revealing to him the truth of his past has to be handled carefully."

"You think it's dangerous for him to know his past?" Jorak asked.

"I can't say why, exactly," Den said. "But yes, I believe so. I had guessed that was why Hayden didn't want us revealing anything to James. I trust him with my life, but Hayden Island was a man with many secrets."

"What are you afraid of?" Jorak asked. He leaned forward and added more whisky to Den's glass.

Another silence followed, before Den said, "James is special."

"Den," Sam cut in quickly, his voice betraying his nerves.

"Come on, fellas," Jorak said. "What is this? 'James is special.'"

"He is," a new voice said.

Sam turned to the side and saw Liana standing by the door, a severe look on her face. Her hair was tied back and she wore the casual trousers and long blouse she had changed into for dinner. Despite her casual look, she still carried a determined air of command. She gave Sam the same unhappy look when she had first asked him about the photo of Hayden Island.

Liana approached them, grabbing a wooden stool by the door and settling down on the other side of the central table.

"I hope you can talk more sense than these two, sweetheart," Jorak said. He stared at his glass thoughtfully, as if it could ease his mind, and then took a careful sip.

Liana looked over them and settled on Sam. "I couldn't say anything at dinner, but, something happened during James's last training session." She leaned her elbows on her knees, holding her hands together. "As you know, the Time Grid records the pressure on each of the panels, for training records. James was into it, lost in his own world while working the grid. For a while he moved like a pro." A small smile crept on her face. "Sam, you would have been impressed. But, at one point, James performed a back flip, followed by a second back flip. Without a panel registering his weight."