Waves of Change (World Above Water, Book 1) (12 page)

“No, we’re not all born with that ability. Only a very small percentage of our population has this skill. If Davidus could give this power to all of the people in his nation, then everyone would be in danger, not just the Leuk Ahnal or the Pa lel. He could use this as a weapon to enslave all of mankind.”

“How does he plan to get this artifact?”

“We’re not sure. We’re always trying to stop any threats that emerge, but despite our intelligence reports and our work, we still don’t have a clear picture of how he plans to achieve his goal.”

Each answer and explanation increased her curiosity. She listened to his every word as if he was an ancient guru. “How does the artifact work?”

“It responds to a particular resonance. King Philip has the ability to create the resonance with his thoughts. It’s sort of like a brain wave signature that allows it to activate. Even though they know our king protects the artifact, they have never made any moves to try to abduct him.”

“Is it because he wouldn’t cooperate?”
If I can help him figure all this out, he won’t have to be an enforcer anymore.

“King Philip would take his life before allowing himself to be used to activate the
Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl
for the Ver-Rist Tokos.”

“Why hasn’t your king used the artifact to do what Davidus is trying to? Couldn’t he manipulate the Ver-Rist Tokos and end all of their plans?” It seemed like a logical action, but as she continued to accept the existence of the Leuk Ahnal, she found logic didn’t always supply answers.

“As far as I know, the
Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl
can’t be used for that purpose. Somehow King Davidus was led to believe total manipulation was one of its functions.”

“What are its main functions then?”

“Those are known only to King Philip. What I do know is the
Halai-ah Kyindi Ehl
is kept in water, so our king can access it from anywhere if needed. Only he knows its location, and only he has the resonance signature to use it. He has no heirs yet, so the resonance has not been passed on to another.”

“So what does all of this have to do with me?” Alicia was confused. She couldn’t figure out why they’d tried to kidnap her, and the more she learned, the more unreasonable it seemed.

“Chris told me our advisors received intelligence indicating the Ver-Rist Tokos were attempting to make some kind of poison. Maybe they need something from you to do it. I really don’t know.”

“Something from me? For a poison? They could get a chemist for that. I don’t specialize in anything remotely related to making poison.” None of this made any sense, and Alicia struggled to piece it all together.

“I don’t know, beautiful. I just know that man was pretty set on taking you yesterday.” Daniel clenched the steering wheel as he stared at the street ahead of them.

She could feel the anger emanating from him, and she reached over and squeezed his knee. “I’m okay, Daniel. I’m still with you.”

“I know; it’s just… What if we didn’t get to you in time? That was too close. I don’t know what I would have done if Chris was too late.”

“But now I have these, so you’ll always know where to find me.”
Alicia smiled as she felt Daniel relax. When they arrived at the hospital, they entered the parking garage and made their way up to her office.

* * * *

Daniel walked next to Alicia as she entered her office with her hands up in mock defense. “Don’t kill me, Gladys; I can explain.” She had called Gladys to warn her she would be late, but she still seemed ready to explain herself.

“Dr. Lewis, it’s no problem. All of the surgical procedures for the morning were rescheduled. There was an issue in one of the operating rooms, and they had to check them all out.”

“What kind of issue?” Daniel wanted to know the exact nature of this problem, and he didn’t want Alicia to go anywhere until it was explained to his satisfaction. His heart rate increased, and he innately reached out with his water in search of any potential threats.
Would they send someone here to try again?

“Nice to see you, Daniel. From what I understand, there was a malfunction with the backup generator outlets. The electricians fixed the problem, and the routine checks should be completed shortly.” Gladys smiled and returned to tapping her fingers on her keyboard.

The explanation seemed plausible, but Daniel wasn’t comfortable. If he was going to protect her, he needed to know this problem wasn’t a diversion designed to mask a possible Ver-Rist Tokos threat. He reached out to Alicia with his thoughts in an effort to see the whole picture.
“Could someone have tampered with the backup generators? Has something like this happened before?”

“I don’t know all the specifics, but the hospital does have a security system with cameras and guards. I don’t think someone could just walk into the room with the generators, but if they did, there’s probably some video surveillance of them. We’ve had issues with power failures before, but the backup generators are well maintained. They’re part of the vital systems of the hospital.”

He accepted this explanation and released a slow breath. He could still feel tension in his muscles, and he tapped the fingertips of his left hand against his thigh in an attempt to release it.

“Oh my God!” Gladys placed her hand over her mouth before she stood up and rushed around to the front of her desk.

“What’s wrong?” Daniel scanned the office, and then the hall through the open door. His body was on instant alert, and he readied himself to react.

Gladys grabbed Alicia’s hand and stared at her ring. “You’re engaged!”

Alicia smiled and nodded. “That’s why I’m late.”

“Late?” Gladys’ eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she stared between Daniel and Alicia.

“To the office, Gladys.”

She took a small breath before she shook her head. A wide smile spread her lips, and Daniel noticed a small bit of water had collected in her lower eyelids. “Congratulations to both of you.” She squeezed Alicia in a hug before turning to him to do the same. To his relief, she didn’t seem bothered by his initial paranoid reaction, and he returned her hug and smiled when he pulled back.

“Have you told your parents yet?” Gladys clasped her hands in front of her chest and bounced on the balls of her feet. She looked like she was on the edge of bubbling over as she moved her gaze between them.

“Not yet. I’ll probably call them sometime today. Excuse me a minute; I’ll be right back. I need to grab those case files.”

Gladys nodded at Alicia as she disappeared into her office. When she was out of sight, she leaned forward to speak to Daniel in a low voice. “Alicia’s a good woman. I know you’ll make her happy. I just wish my Hunter would bring home someone like her. I’d even settle for someone who was a tenth of Alicia!”

“I’m a very lucky man, Gladys. I love her more than anything.”

Gladys smiled and gave him another hug. “You’re such a sweet man. You’d have to be blind not to see how much you care about her.”

When Alicia emerged from her office with files in hand, she narrowed her eyes and appeared to be on the verge of laughter. “I turn my back for five minutes, and already your hands are on another woman.”

“I’m sorry, Gladys, but I think she knows.” He held Gladys closer and watched as Alicia shook her head.

“Gladys, Danny’s going to be our guest today, so please put him to work.”

“Hey! Who volunteers for more work on their day off? I’m beginning to rethink this whole marriage thing.” He released Gladys and folded his arms over his chest. He rolled his eyes and poked out his bottom lip for effect.

“Rethink this.” Alicia made the remark and walked over to him. She placed a light kiss on his lips while sending him the most erotic images his brain had ever encountered.

His muscles stiffened, and he tried not to moan, but it was difficult.
“We’re going home for lunch, beautiful.”

Alicia smiled and gave him a sly wink as she headed for the door. “Don’t let him get into trouble, Gladys!”

Gladys smiled up at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back. He tried not to move until the erection caused by his fiancée’s wanton thoughts calmed down.
“
Tai ikamu
, Alicia!”

“Hmm? Did you need something?”

“Do you have any idea what I’m going to do to you when we get home? You are in serious trouble, beautiful!”

* * * *

After an hour and a half of talk about the wedding and guests, Gladys proposed an idea. “You know, if you’re not squeamish, I can bring you to the viewing room.”

“Viewing room?” Daniel raised his eyebrows, uncertain of what she was inviting him to see.

“Yes. This is a teaching hospital. The operating rooms have areas built above them with windows that allow you to observe the surgery. If you want, I can take you to one of those spaces and you can see Dr. Lewis in action.”

“Really? I could do that?” He’d never thought about watching a live surgery before, but when the offer was presented, he was intrigued.

Gladys nodded. “If you want to see a procedure, then yes. I can let you in. You can even bring your computer. Dr. Lewis can only hear you if you use a button to activate the microphone in the room.”

“Does Alicia talk to people in the viewing room often?”

“Oh yes, all the time. There are lots of medical students, residents, and fellows who come to see her surgeries. They always ask questions on the techniques and things of that nature. I’ve watched her a few times myself.

“There are television screens in the viewing rooms that show close-ups of what the surgeon is doing. You will be able to see everything if you want. But if you plan to watch, we need to move quickly. Her surgeries are always popular.”

Daniel agreed and followed Gladys to one of the viewing rooms. He arrived early enough to get a seat in front where he could see Alicia coming into the room. He watched as she stood with her elbows bent and her hands in front of her face. There was water dripping down her arms, and a nurse used long metal tongs to pass her a blue towel. Alicia used it to dry her hands and tossed the cloth into a blue bin.

A second nurse wearing a blue gown stepped over, and she held another blue gown for Alicia to place her arms in. He imagined they all moved in sync to music he didn’t hear as different people hovered near his
Dau-Hael
.

Alicia spoke to the nurse in the blue gown while another nurse put covers on handles protruding from the large lights. The covers slipped off leaving thin, plastic holders behind.

Alicia gripped those holders and adjusted the lights while a nurse placed glasses over her eyes. Another doctor entered the viewing room, and the students in the room with him began murmuring about the complexity of the case.
If they think this is hard, how can she be so relaxed?

He couldn’t see the face of the patient. Everything was covered in blue sheets except for a small area of the chest. He watched in fascination as Alicia took a scalpel and placed it on the skin, and he listened as the gowned nurse next to her called out the time when Alicia began the incision.

Each person in the OR was like a practiced performer in a dance to his eyes. They all did their part, and he sat forward in his chair in wonder at the rehearsed routine they were engaged in.
Every single action is accounted for in there. She does all of that as if it’s as easy as breathing. Amazing.
There was no trace of his shy
Dau-Hael
. Inside the operating room, she was calm and commanding. This was her element, and he was seeing another side of her.

He had planned to contact Chris to make arrangements for guards, but he found himself enthralled by Alicia working with such intricate movements. He didn’t sense any apprehension, only focused determination. His thoughts were interrupted by a man in the back of the room when he asked a question about identifying the landmarks in the frame. She responded without looking up or stopping her work. As she spoke, the people in the room took notes.

Daniel sat through the rest of the procedure in admiration of her. Seeing her in action gave him a new appreciation of everything she was. When she was out of surgery, he couldn’t resist walking closer to her or rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand when he held it.

The remainder of the day was uneventful, and he waited in her office as she went on rounds and followed up with patients.
Now is as good a time as any to see what Chris found out.
A quick press of his speed dial sent a call to his friend, and when he answered, Daniel didn’t hesitate. “Any new developments?” He rocked back and forth in the chair, and he tried to keep his voice down while he spoke.

“He was sent to force her to make some agreement. Something to do with research, but he didn’t know what the research was about.”

“Are you sure? You searched everything?”

“Daniel, if any other man had asked me that…”

“I know. I’m sorry, Chris, but this is Alicia we’re talking about.”

“I know it is. I care about her too, remember? Anyway, is there water where you are?”

“Yeah, I have some in my hands now.” Daniel placed his fingers in the Styrofoam cup he held and waited.

“Here is everything I learned.” Chris showed Daniel all of the memories he extracted from the man. He also showed his own memories of the man’s demise.

“Thanks, Chris.”

“Anytime. How is she?”

“She’s fine. We’re at the hospital. She’s doing rounds and whatever else it is they do in this brain trust.” Daniel leaned back in Alicia’s chair and did his best not to look at or disturb the files on her desk.

“Brain trust? Don’t you start nerding out on me.”

“You know—a collection of extremely intelligent people. Imagine Einstein, Tesla, Bohr, and Hawking in a conference.” Daniel shook his head before he continued on. “You’ll have to see one of her surgeries sometime. I’ve never seen anything like it. I thought I had an appreciation for the medical profession before, but seeing what I have in person… These people aren’t human. I can’t imagine the brain capacity you’d need in order to do half this stuff.”