Chapter Three

June had gone no farther than the verandah when her phone rang. She took it out of her pocket and checked to see who it was.

An unidentified caller. Nothing unusual about that.

She picked up the call with one hand, and used the other hand holding the bag to turn the door knob.

"June darling, are you alright?" her mother sounded frightened and June could hear the tension in her voice.

"Mom, I'm alright" June couldn't help but try to assuage her mother's fright.

"I had hoped you guys would be coming home today. You know tomorrow is my birthday and you give the best presents."

June smiled.

" I am sorry June,"

June's smile wiped off her face. She knew now something was terribly wrong. It was there, in her mother's tone.

"We won't be able to come home today, or tomorrow." Her mother's voice was resigned.

"Why?" June sounded confused. She hoped her mother could answer that question.

Her mother sighed.

"There is trouble. Big trouble"

At this point,June who had been standing in the living for about a minute dropped her bag and took a seat on the sofa beside Helene who sat up as she approached.

"Is it mom?" she mouthed

June nodded and turned on the loudspeaker so that Helene could hear everything.

"Mom what do you mean trouble?" she was fighting very hard to keep calm. She needed answers.

Her mother broke down and began to sob. Heart wrenching sobs.

"I am so sorry June" she sniffed. " You can't imagine how sorry we are. We've always wanted to protect you both, but we failed. Now they'll be after you."

" Who's they?" June asked.

But her mother kept sobbing, no, crying now. June did not understand, could not see the whole picture but fear started gnawing at her mind. Helene sat even closer to listen, confusion clearly written all over her face.

Her father took the phone. His voice was grave as he spoke.

"June, something big is happening , in this country. There are rumours, you have heard them right? Most of them are true."

June kept silence.

" Can you hear me?" Her father asked.

Rumours.What was it Phillips was saying about rumours? Was the only one who hadn't heard? What was going on?

"June, please answer me" Her father's voice was urgent, demanding.

"Yes?" Her voice wobbled.

"Please understand daughter, we can't come back to you right now. We will just lead them right to our door step. Your mother and I , we tried to keep you safe, moving every few years.

The work we were doing, not everybody loved it. They would not hesitate to hurt our daughters to get back at us."

" But.."

" Please just listen. I need you and your sister to leave the house. Take what you need and hurry. It is not safe for you there.

Travel to the West, Gorge City, Arcana District, Keystone Street and find Barrister Ken's house as quickly as you can. He knows what to do. When you get there, do not try to reach me, do not try to reach your mother. Stay close to each other and keep Helene safe."

Her father released a shaky breath.

" I know you are confused now, but it will be all right. You will get answers".

Suddenly, there was a loud booming noise on the other end. Terrifyingly loud. June wondered where they were. Just thinking about them in danger got her biting her fingers.

It was quiet for a moment, then all hell broke loose.

June could hear screams and shouts. The chaos that ensues when an explosion occurs.

Her father was still speaking.

"....go to the library.... last shelf" His words were coming out in a rush. Several series of booms rang out. More screams. Gunshots.

"unlock the safe.....all our birthdays" Gunshots now. So much noise. She eats her mind were much focused on the noise than her father's words. Only certain strings of words reached her ears.

".. TAKE THE FILES TO KEN. GORGE..... CANA DISTRICT, KEYSTONE STREET.." Her father was shouting now.

Why was her father repeating that address?

More booms.

Sound of car doors slamming. Other voices arguing over each other.

"We should leave" A woman's voice

"We've not even found what we are looking for" June's mother.

"So you wanna die here?" the first woman argues

Where were they? June's mind was afloat, wandering, bewildered. This was not real.

"JUNE CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

Another Boom. More gunshots.

"I can barely hear you" June whispered to herself and her dad. She literally and figuratively couldn't hear past the buzz in her ears.

June was not sure he heard her. He continued speaking. "YOU MUST BE CAREFUL" .

No, he was shouting.

".. WARY OF...SOLDIERS.... THEY ARE NOT FRIENDS....

The loudest boom of all. Very close. June's heart constricted with fear as the line went dead.

June would never know what he meant to say next. There was no more instructions pouring out from the other end . She didn't even say goodbye. She could not comprehend what he was telling her moments ago. There were missing parts in the tale.

For about a minute, she sat still, phone still pressed to her ears, eyes trying to blink back tears.

Helene was baffled. She had never looked as alarmed as she was right then.

June rose abruptly from the couch and began to pace.

Barrister Ken. What did she know of him?

A government official. Twenty five years old. Ruggedly handsome and light skinned. Young in the law business. One of the best in the country.

June shook her head. Not the point .

What else could she think of?

Aside from the fact that her parents loved him so much, there was nothing more other than him being popular for his outspokenness in political affairs.

But he visited every once in a while, usually birthdays and holidays.

She came to one reasonable conclusion that if her parents asked her to go to Ken, they all must be in on something together.