Episode Twenty and Nineteen A Visit to the Tower, Pookie Wookie

     Early the next morning there was a buzz through the castle.  The Galt tracker had been found and captured, and King Frederick of Robesson was going to handle the interrogation himself.

    “Cora, are you SURE?”

    “Yes, I saw them drag him in.”

    “Describe him.”

    “A bundle of arms and legs being dragged up to the tower.  Dark hair, thin.  Black trousers.  I’m sorry.  In that position there wasn’t much to see.”

    Isabella walked quickly up to the tower followed closely by Justin.

    “Cora, stay here,” Justin called back to her.  “You don’t want to see what goes on up there, My Dear.”  He caught up to the princess.  “This is not a good idea,” fussed Justin.  “Your father will be furious at me for not keeping you away.  Do you have any idea what goes on in there?”

    “Yes, I do!  And that’s why we need to get in there right away.”

Isabella opened the door.  There was an unconscious Jakson, hanging by his wrists, stripped to the waist.  A guard had strapped some kind of electronic device to his neck and chest and was locking it with a key.  She gulped hard and composed herself.

    “Thank you, guard, I’ll take it from here.”

    “The truth serum will need a few more minutes to work properly, Princess, but the shock device is locked in place,” he handed her the remote, “and ready to go.  I tried it out, and gave him a little private lesson.  He’s a quick learner.  He knows he can nod yes or shake his head no.  No words.  Any sound that comes from his throat will cause a shock blast.”

    “Then, what’s the remote do?”

    “Hold down the green button to allow him to speak without being shocked.”

    “Give me the key.”

    “No!  You want to take it off of him?  Already?  I just put it on him!  But, why?”

    “You have the insolence to tell me no?  Justin, throw this cocky, disrespectful bastard out the window at the count of ten if he does not give me the key.  Then go down and take the key off of his miserable dead body and bring it up to me.  Either way, I get the key.  So which will it be?  One.  Two.  Three.  Four.  Five.”  The guard handed her the key.

    “King Frederick will be very angry with you.”

    “Oh, it won’t be the first time nor, dare I say it, the last.  I’ll deal with it.”

    “He’ll be very angry with me.”

    “Tell him I frightened you.  Boo!” she shouted.  “Now get the hell out of here before I heave you out of this window myself!”  He scurried away.

    “Justin, can you release him?”  Justin examined the apparatus. 

    “Well, I can raise it or lower it by turning this handle, but I have no idea where the release is.  And I’m afraid to experiment.  Your father doesn’t allow me up here too often.  He says I have no heart for torture.  And he is correct.  I can lower him.”

    “Then lower him gently, please.”   

    “Jaks?” she cradled his head in her arms.  “Jaks, Honey, can you hear me?”  He opened his eyes and gave her the tiniest smile.  She rocked him gently.  “Don’t worry, I’ll get us out of here.  I don’t know how just yet, but I’ll find a way to get us home.”  He nodded. “I won’t desert you, I promise, and I won’t leave you up here at his mercy.  I’ll stay right here with you until I figure a way out of this mess.  I want to go home.  I want us to go home,” she kissed his forehead.


Episode Ninteen  The Pookie Wookie

    “She’s gone,” Jakson tried to explain.  “These hands came out through a silvery portal that opened up on the brick wall and they grabbed her.  Six, eight hands, grabbing at her all at once.  They grabbed hold of her and yanked her through the doorway.  I held onto her for as long as I could.  But she went flying through.  I reached in and tried to follow her.  But the portal closed.  I went into the closest doorway I could find.  But she wasn’t there.  I looked everywhere.  I can’t find her anywhere.  Unbelievable story, it makes no sense at all, I know!  But it’s the truth, I swear it.  She’s not here.  She’s gone.”
    Werner and his men were unimpressed with his explanation.
    “One minute you two are running down the street hand in hand and the next minute, POOF!  She’s gone!  Like magic!  You expect us to believe that?”
    “Okay.  You tell me.  Where did she go?  Where is she?”
    They dragged him back to Werner’s warehouse headquarters, where he repeated to Werner his ridiculous story of the silvery portal opening up in the middle of brick walls and many hands grabbing her and whisking her away from him.
    “Very strange hypothesis, this Jakson Blake’s scientific theory of wife evaporation.  Fine.  I’ll keep you tied up right here until she comes back to get you.  And you know she will!  Because she doesn’t want her sweet little pookie wookie roughed up.  Be very thankful I don’t have my men beat the shit out of you.  What’s the matter with you, man?  Why in the hell didn’t you just call out to us?  We were right there on the other side of the door!  You claim you love her.  Yet you let her jump out the second-story window!  You two could have landed in the street, got run over, and died.  Or broken yours bones.  And where the hell did you think you were going?  You knew you couldn’t get away from us.  I need her!  Now, thanks to your irresponsible actions, we’ve both lost her.  Stupid.  Stupid move, Blake.
    But I’ve really got to hand it to you, Blake.  Whatever you did to her, it worked.  That woman is crazy about you.”  Werner turned to his men.  “Take everything out of his pockets and tie him up securely.  And take away his shoes and socks.”
    “Now, we’ll just wait here for her to come and attempt to rescue you.  How long do you think it’ll take?  A day?  Two?”
    “She’s gone, Werner.  She’s not coming back for me.  They took her away from me.  They yanked her right out of my arms.  She’s not free to come back, for me or anything else.”
    “She’s the brains of your operation, Blake.  And she’s the guts, too.  She’ll find a way to save you,” said Werner.  “Okay, boys, it looks like we’re going to be here for a while.  Who’s got the cards?  George?  Okay, deal them.”
    Jakson waited until he was sure they were all sound asleep before he carefully and silently wriggled out of the ropes.  He quietly reached for his shoes and socks and then tiptoed out of the warehouse.  After he put on his socks and shoes, he walked to the downtown business district, where he could hide easily among the homeless people lurking in the archways and sleeping in any quiet, sheltered spot they could find.  He found a spot against an inside wall of a pavilion in the central park area.  He pulled up his collar, crouched down against the wall, and settled in for a few hours sleep.