Chapter 48 – The Other Side of Right is Wrong (Ansel POV) Pt.4
"Surely the thought has cross your mind Ansel," Nova says to me, trying to not be insensitive, I suppose, "I mean she comes from that world. Also, I do not believe I've heard from someone banished from Zedwood that their air has become poisonous?"
In that very moment, the various scenarios from Faith's beliefs that my mind creates can all easily be explained.
The poisonous air?
Gas leak.
Dioxins, arsenic, mercury, benzene and a few more toxic air pollutants that are known to have health effects could explain what Faith was referring too. Yet, from what she had revealed to Kalenah, she said that everyone was wearing HAZMAT suits when leaving their home.
If one was to listen to Nova's take on coming events, based off of what Faith was saying, whatever was coming was going to be on a global level. This wouldn't be a pipe bursting or something accidentally.
Back where I started, I'm faced with the thought I never considered. Faith was a Seer. If no one had beat, tortured or brain washed her in any way to think of the world as divided by Loyalists and Independents, and that all came from Faith.
"I guess we have our answer," I say frowning and shaking my head in disbelief. "They thought she was so special," Cynthia's hateful sneer jump right to the front. "Honey, what do you mean?" Kalenah asks while Nova and Angela gazed at be puzzled.
"Why Dmitri kept Faith the way he did," I shrug, because in reality there were many things I had to take the liberty to guess to arrive to that final point. Dmitri somehow got his hands on Faith, knew what she was, assumed and believed the words of a toddler or possibly five-year-old girl.
Eventually, the world will be at war, split. The air will be deadly; there will be sanctioned policies that are to be followed.
Kalenah frowns, "you assume he listened to the description from Faith as a child?" I nod, seriously.
"Even adult Seers may not handle what they see Kalenah, or even are able to explain it to others. Can you imagine Amy or Simon seeing a world like Faith has saw? At such an age where her mind is just beginning to truly observe her surroundings?"
"And how would she know when it was happening," Nova murmurs, obviously having thought of this already.
"Exactly. Our Amy thinks a week is forever," Kalenah nods, her face twisting up in a grimace, "and all she knows is that when the snow starts falling, Christmas is soon, dates aren't exactly concrete ideas just yet," Kalenah finishes for me.
And she's right. How on earth would Faith know when her dream or vision would be coming? As far as she knew, the world was already like this. The air was poisonous and Loyalist and Independents presently existed.
Pulling out my phone I send a group message to the adult members in the counsel, asking that everyone be brought. "We do not tell anyone that Samson and Faith have left, or where they're going. We don't speak of them at all," I give my orders, planning.
My children, Courtney and the twins, along with my parents would be leaving tonight.
And I tell Angela, Nova and Kalenah such.
"Where are they going?" Angela asks me tightly, and I jump to my feet pacing my office as the members reply to my summons. Faith left and Samson ran with her and the danger, foresight came from Faith. I didn't quite know what was coming but if I had to go based on Faith and Dmitri's actions alone, though the area was not developed for our entire Den, it would be the smartest location.
North Carolina.
That is where Dmitri held Faith.
On the off chance that we were wrong, then we would basically just be moving sooner than planned. But if Faith was right and there was a war coming, the air eventually going to be poisonous, world torn in two... then I wanted to see the setup she lived in and prepare our homes to those specifications.
Wherever the kids were going, Kalenah was also right that they could be heading down that way.
"We tell no one. The only person I'm telling where they're headed is you all, and mom and dad. If members from the Counsel want to follow us, they send all children tonight. We inspect all cars and buses; remove navigation, GPS and tracking devices. No cell phones and all computers are to be checked as well," I tell Angela; this was her area of expertise.
"Why so secretive?"
I stop pacing. "People like Nick Romas, Cynthia and Danny are why," Angela stops typing. "They won't want to follow us, and I'm not sure I trust them to offer escape either. I would never force anyone to leave with us, but also if they do not want to follow, I cannot reveal the location. I won't put anyone in danger," I swear doing things as I had nearly nineteen years ago when we left Chicago.
"Faith and Samson, their letter, they aren't sure what the danger is but we know Samson, he wouldn't have written it, or even left if it wasn't something serious. And he's asked that we not tell anyone when we contact them... who do you think he is referring to?" I ask rhetorically.
"So, where are you sending them?" Kalenah asks assuming Arizona or maybe Utah.
"North Carolina," I inform the three women facing me, Nova's eyes widening as Kalenah, while Angela just gives me a blank stare. "It is probably the least developed area of land, but it's an eight hundred acre parcel of land just outside of Asheville."
"How under developed?" Angela probes me. "It might be tight for about a month or two, but that also depends on which families decide to follow me," she frowns.
"You're a great and trustworthy leader Ansel," my head bobs however, I'm not sure everyone feels the same as Angela, or Nova and Kalenah who also nod.
"Why not places that are closer to being prepared?" Kalenah asks me as she stands, walking over to me. "Dmitri kept Faith in North Carolina for a reason, right? He might not be able to explain why, but he did. Plus, I want to see the setup of the place he kept her, build something like that for us as well, should it be needed. I won't tell everyone that tonight, however, if we need to set up our land for the situation Faith has potentially foresaw, then North Carolina is that place."
Kalenah nods, wrapping both arms around me, and laying her head against my chest, sighing. I do not need to read her mind to know that he worry for the kids have doubled. I feel the wariness of them on their own as well, however, Samson and Faith took satellite phones with them, and they'll contact us.
"Babe, yeah, pack up the kids things, nothing that cannot fit in the backseat or trunk," Angela says just after lifting her phone to her ear, probably already giving Courtney details.
"Right now?" Courtney murmurs, probably thinking of the time. "No, Court, right now. Pack up all photo albums, pictures, their clothes, our things, and drive over to my brothers house."
I knew all of our buses were ready to go, without waiting for members to arrive, I take Kalenah's hand letting it go as she heads into Amy and Simon's area. I continue to rush down to the kitchen, nearly breaking the door from its hinges as I push it aside.
My oldest children, sans Samson and Brennan were seated at the table. The laughter coming from them dies out simultaneously, and the anxious air around me, crushes their lighthearted banter.
"Everyone, we're leaving in the next few hours, so get your emergency bags, ready, everyone leave your cellphones on the table," not a single one move though their eyes bug right out of their eyes, already agitated, I growl, "Now!" the stiffness in my voice cutting through all the shock they were experiencing.
"Tell no one where you're going, or that you're going period. Grab your bags, pack two suitcases at the most, but be ready in the next hour," I point to the middle of the table, "all your phones."
Talia, my oldest girl, blinks, before placing her phone in the general area of where my finger was directed. "Can you help me up?" she asks Javier.
I wasn't expecting him to abandon his phone. In fact I thought for sure he'd call his sisters, or parents maybe but no such thing happens. With those two moving, Harleigh and Thaddeus quickly follow suit, Paige and Caterina joining them, before rushing up the stairs.
"Hey Thaddeus," I call after my son, who ducks back down, "yeah dad?"
"Pack for Brennan as well, his emergency bag under the bed, and his clothes," he nods, bounding back up the stairs, as slowly the commotion of their frantic packing is all that can be heard from the first floor. Within minutes, Angela and Nova begin making trips down the stairs, carrying our servers and computers from my office.
"These we will send with the kids," Angela says and I gesture in agreement. Rubbing my face roughly.
"What are you going to do to Danny? Take him with us?"
I hang my head for a moment, before I ask her a question. "If you had to pick between Shelly and Tyler or Danny-" I don't even finish before Angela supplies me with a response.
"My kids, Danny is a grown man, Ansel. I love him. He's my brother. He has just lost a child." She nods, "But if danger is upon us... best believe I'm getting my kids to safety."
"Plus he's speaking nonsense, thank god that girl did a Kitsune spell or he'd just be playing ni-" I blink before doubling my attention to Angela.
"Kitsune spell? The girl?" I choke out, blankly and utterly confused. Angela nods slowly, pointing to where Nova went, "Yeah I was just showing her Danny's outburst in the kitchen, seeing if maybe she had any insight, and they girl, Leslie's friend," I nod, "Yeah, well, Nova said she said a spell."
Again mind blown in just a matter of minutes, I swallow thickly, "A Fox?" A truth Kitsune? They were rare, I think as Angela nods. Harleigh coming down the stairs with a suitcase ready, stops short, lifting the item up. "Where do I put this?" she asks unsure.
Blindly I point to the corner, watching as she drops it where I pointed, only to rush up the stairs again.
When Nova comes down again with a piece of equipment from my office, I stop her. "Angela said that you – the girl, Naomi, you said she's a truth Kitsune?" dark brown eyes narrow at me, before she nods. "Yes, she makes it look as though she's helping Lia lead the little boy up the stairs, however she's clearly saying a truth spell or a command really. When it's said no one can resist the order," though I'm in my kitchen, can clearly smell and see my surroundings, I feel as though I'm pulled back in time.
To when Danny and Cynthia first showed up, "that is not the first time she's done this," I murmur more to myself than Nova or Angela.
She forced Cynthia to speak the truth, I think, before blinking away the memory focusing on the here and now. If she did that with Cynthia before, could she do it again? I think, a new plan forming, ready to put into action so I could get my family out of Bend as quickly and safely as possible.
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Is Ansel doing the right thing? getting his kids out... but still keeping it from people like Danny... Cynthia and Nick Romas?