Annihilation - Tommy's Tale (Annihilation Series (Book Four)) (4 page)

Tag and Danielle were at work when Tommy sent them a thought and said, “Well, it looks like the gig is up. Rose is coming to remove us from the school. It seems our little fight five years ago has come home to haunt us. You might want to come here and help extricate us from the proceedings.”

Tag looked at Danielle and said, “Let’s go home and gather our things and go meet our children.”

Danielle smiled and said, “You know we never expected it to last this long, they’re leaving anyway in five months to attend the Fleet Academy. They’ll have time to relax until their entrance.”

Tag sighed and said, “Yeah, but I still wish they had been able to finish their school year.” Tag and Danielle left their jobs and took their floater at high speed home. Danielle quickly washed the brown dye out of her hair and removed the yellow color from here teeth while Tag packed their belongings.

As they loaded the floater, Danielle looked at Tag and asked, “Are you going to shave that mustache before we leave?”

Tag twirled the end of his mustache and said, “No, I kinda like the look. Besides, we need to prevent a riot when we get there; you might want to wear something to cover your hair.”

Danielle smiled and looked around their living quarters and found a scarf to cover her head then said, “I’ve really enjoyed the last few years. I’m going to miss it.” They both looked around and then turned to go to their floater.

Several of their neighbors came out and Jim, who lived next door said, “Where are you going in such a hurry?”

Danielle looked at the gathering group and the neighbors immediately noticed that when she smiled at them her teeth were perfect. They also saw her blonde hair was perfect just before she covered it with a scarf. All of them started talking among themselves and Danielle looked at Tag and then said to the group. “We want to thank you for making us feel welcome over the last few years. We are going home and we would like you to come visit us when you have the time. Please write this number down, 101059, and tell whoever answers that you’ve been invited to come see us. Transportation will be arranged for you; I only ask you give us about four weeks to settle in and do not give this number to anyone else.”

Every one smiled and came over to hug the departing couple who had been great neighbors. Tag and Danielle boarded their floater and lifted to head toward Tommy’s school.

Jill Jekins looked at the other neighbors as they left and said, “I wonder where this com number goes.”

Joe Daniels looked at her, ‘Call it and see who answers. Put it on speaker so we can all hear it.”

Jill entered the number and it buzzed once; a voice said, “Castle Gardner, I see you’ve called Queen Danielle’s private number, how may I help you.”

Everyone turned at once and looked at the floater as it got smaller in the distance; then started celebrating their good fortune. They were invited to Castle Gardner. Everyone ran home to tell everyone they knew just who had been their neighbors. They were going to Castle Gardner.”

Tag and Danielle arrived at the school just after the shuttle landed and saw a crowd had already gathered outside the school grounds. The first reporters were arriving and though no one knew what was going on, the arrival of the two thousand security floaters meant something serious was going down. The Gardners parked their floater a block from the school just before the airspace above was shut off to all aerial traffic. They then walked through the crowd and politely walked up to the line of security agents. Tag said to a huge agent that he would like to be allowed to cross their lines and go to the school. The agent looked at him and said, “No one is allowed past this point. Back away from our line of I’ll have you arrested.”

Tag smiled at the agent and then raised his com, “Rose, we are at the security line and we have been refused entrance to the school.” The agent furrowed his brow and would have questioned who he was talking with but the entire company of Glod Warriors broke ranks at the shuttle and ran through the security line to arrive directly in front of Tag and Danielle where every one of the agents in front of them were forcibly moved away from the couple standing there. The agent saw that the Glods had pulled their swords and were surrounding the couple he had just spoken with. Once the area was clear around them, the Glod Warriors bowed in unison and raised their swords to the woman standing there. The huge crowd grew deathly silent; no one moved. Then the leader of the Glod Honor Guard said, “My Queen, we have missed you so much. Is there any command you care to give us.”

Danielle removed the scarf that was hiding her hair, walked up to the huge Glod Warrior, placed her hand on his shoulder and said, “Rise, my most excellent warriors and please take us to my son.” The Glod rose, turned, and escorted Tag and Danielle onto the school grounds.

The crowd heard what was said and the reporters put it out on the news channels that the entire Royal family was at a school in Central City. The rush to the site was immediate and overwhelming. In less than ten minutes more than half a million people arrived.

Misty Nicole had just turned sixty years old and in all that time she had never witnessed the recklessness that people showed trying to get close enough to see the Gardners. She stopped her rush toward Rose and lifted her com and said, “I want the military to clear the airspace around this school for a distance of forty miles. All air traffic inside that perimeter will be grounded immediately. Jump in the marines to keep order here in the city.”

Tommy and Wes sat calmly in the office with Edward and Captain Lowery. Tommy walked over and turned on the monitor on the wall and tuned it to a local news station. They immediately saw an aerial view of the school showing the massive crowd that was gathering. As they listened to the news announcer say that no one knew why but the entire Royal Family appeared to be at the school. Tommy started changing channels and the only thing showing was the crowds at the school. One view showed a regiment of armored naval marines jumping in on their suit jets and start restoring order in the crowd. Five minutes later the military transports arrived and more than 40,000 armed drop troops started dropping into the crowd.

Wes watched the monitor and said, “There is going to be some angry people when their afternoon soaps are preempted by this.”

Tommy said, “Not really. Something like this doesn’t happen very often.” Tommy then looked at Captain Lowery and said, “I bet you didn’t plan for something like this to blow up in your face, did you?” Captain Lowery was still pale and in a semi-state of shock. He knew his career was over. Tommy walked up and said, “Well, Captain Lowery, I am pleased to meet you. My name is Tommy Gardner and this is my best friend Wes McAnn.” Tommy held out his hand and Lowery reached out and shook it. Tommy then turned to Edward and said, “Ed, I’m sure I speak for Wes when I tell you that we are proud of what you’ve accomplished. It makes me feel proud to know I had a small role in it.”

Edward had been watching the madness of the moment and said, “Your last name is not Ashford?”

Tommy smiled and said, “No. That was a name my mother used while she was working undercover at my father’s school when they were teens.”

Edward then said, “You’re Queen Danielle’s son, aren’t you.”

Tommy looked at Captain Lowery and said, “Yes I am. I was undercover here until the Captain here blew our cover.” Lowery flinched at Tommy’s remark.

Edward looked at the two boys and said, “Outstanding! I had my grump kicked by a Gardner. My story just got better.” Captain lowery looked like he was going to be sick.

Rose walked down the ramp from the shuttle and saw her parents being escorted by the Glod Honor Guard. She changed direction and walked quickly toward them. Danielle saw her daughter and ran to her and embraced her. Rose held her mother tight and thought to her, “Mom, I have missed you so terribly much. I’ve missed you so much it hurts.” She held on for a long moment and then went to Tag and wrapped her arms around him. Tag picked his daughter up and swung her around. Rose was truly happy for the first time in eight years. Tag put her down and Rose reached up and wiped away her tears. She said to her parents, “I’m not acting very royal.”

Danielle smiled at Rose and said, “This is exactly what royalty should look like. We are family and this is what families do when they’ve been separated for a long time.”

Tag said, “Let’s go get Tommy. Rose, we will follow you.”

Rose smiled at her father and turned and moved toward the school. As she walked toward the entrance she saw Misty Nicole coming and she was moving quickly toward them. “Oh, crap!” Rose and Danielle said at the same time.

Misty Nicole came up and bowed to the Gardners and said, “Welcome home. It’s good to see all of you.” Then she looked sternly at them and pointed her finger, “Are you aware that we need some time to prepare for your arrival? Look around you; there are more than a million people gathered around this school and the crowd is getting larger. I hope you don’t disappoint them and not say something to them before you leave. It’s going to take us weeks to get this mess straightened out. I don’t know if traffic can ever be restored to normal.”

Tag, Danielle, and Rose just stared at the woman confronting them not knowing what to say. Then Misty smiled and said, “I don’t care if it takes months, it’s worth it just to see you again. Then she walked forward and hugged all three.”

The students in the school that had gathered outside the Director’s office were pushed aside by security agents and told to sit down. Rose saw their treatment and said in a voice that penetrated the room, “You will leave the children alone.” She then pointed to the security agents that had pushed the students and said, “Commander Durk, please escort these agents off the school grounds and see that they don’t return.” The Cainth Commander moved forward with ten warriors armed with their four swords and looked at the agents; they moved quickly out of the building. Rose came forward and said, “Stand up. I want to meet you. The students were in awe. Here was the person that had almost single handedly ended the war with the Algeans when she was their age. The students stood up and stared at the Queen of the Stars Realm. “My name is Rose Gardner and these are my parents. What are your names?” Each student bowed and told her their name. Rose smiled and shook each of their hands. Rose stepped in front of a pretty girl with long black hair and the girl said, “My name is Linda Kay Johns and I’m so happy to meet you Your Majesty.”

Rose smiled at her and said, “Are you the one that Wes likes so much?”

Linda Kay turned bright red and said, “Yes, I am, although now I’m not sure who he really is. I’m upset that he hasn’t been honest with me.”

Rose looked at her and then looked at the Naval Marine standing outside the director’s office. “While I’m meeting the rest of the students why don’t you go and discuss it with him.”

Linda Kay’s eyes went wide and she said, “May I?”

Rose nodded at the marine and said, “Yes, dear. We’ll be in shortly.”

Linda Kay ran up to the door and the marine opened it.”

Tommy looked at Wes and said, ‘Uh oh, angry girl rapidly approaching.”

Wes looked at him not understanding what he was talking about just as Linda Kay suddenly stormed through the door. “Wes, whatever your name is, you’ve been totally dishonest with me. I can’t believe anything you’ve told me.”

Wes was stunned. He could see Linda Kay was furious. He looked at Tommy and he cocked his head and then touched his chest telling Wes to use his heart. Wes looked at her and then pulled her close and kissed her. Linda Kay was stunned.

Wes said, “I’m probably going to be forced to leave now and I’ve wanted to do that since our third level. You can slap me if you want.”

Linda Kay looked at Wes and started crying. “Who are you? Why do you have to leave? Did you really mean what you just said?”

Wes stepped forward and took Linda Kay’s hands and held them. “Yes, I meant every word and I’ve been honest with you about everything but my family.

Linda Kay stepped back and said, “Tommy is not your twin?” She looked at Tommy and Tommy made a funny face and shook his head.

Wes said, “No, we’re not related; he’s my best friend. Tommy is Queen Danielle’s son and Rose’s brother.”

Linda Kay looked at Tommy and he shrugged. She looked back at Wes and she said. “Then who are you?”

Wes looked at the floor and said, “No one really. I’m just an ordinary person.”

Tommy said, “No you’re not!”

Wes looked back and said, “Yes, I am. I am not royalty.”

Linda Kay saw Wes’ anguish and asked, “What is your real name?”

“Wes McAnn”

Linda Kay’s eyes opened wide. “Are you related to Leila McAnn?”

Wes tilted his head and said, “She’s my mother. How do you know her?”

Linda Kay jumped straight up in the air and spun around. She grabbed Wes and planted a huge kiss on his lips. Wes and Tommy were both confused. Linda Kay started talking so fast she was barely understandable in her enthusiasm, “My family took me to Ross when I was five years old. We visited Castle Gardner, from a distance of course, the Ross Colonist’s Memorial, and the Fleet Academy. At the fleet academy I saw the statue of Admiral Kosiev and right on the front of the statue was a red test book coated in clear armor. The name on that test book was Leila Barber. My parents told me about how Tommy’s father took that test book because he loved her. I came home and learned everything I could about Leila. I know that Tommy’s father ended up married to Danielle but I thought it was the most romantic thing in the universe that someone would steal a test like that. I’ve learned that it was that theft that ultimately led to the fall of the Alliance and the formation of the Star’s Realm. I have gathered every bit of information possible about your mother, Wes. I’ve learned that it was she that arranged Tommy’s father’s escape. She was Danielle’s and now she’s Rose’s chief of staff. I’ve always wanted to be just like her and someday have someone do something as romantic for me. I am amazed that we care for each other; this has to be destiny working. You’re Leila’s son!” She came forward and gave Wes a tight hug.