BEYOND THE LOOKING-GLASS: Book One in the BEYOND Series Read online

  Fagin stepped up beside Sikes. He rubbed his hands. “What ye be after in our town, folks?” he asked.

  Aleeta spoke up before Kellen could reply.

  “We’re after our children,” she said. “We’ve temporarily lost track of them. We hoped someone here might have seen them.”

  Fagin pulled at his dirty, matted beard. “Old London Town is a dangerous place for young’uns, Missus. Terrible things oft befall them.”

  “I sez they lie,” The Dodger piped up. “They’s spies sent by The Magistrate. Rich folks always lie. And box yer ears, too.”

  “Is that so, you two?” Sikes growled in a raspy voice. “We don’t like no spies or bobbies down here. We make ‘em wish they never was born.” Bull’s-Eye began to leap up and bark. The pit bull twisted vigorously in its tight collar, throwing its massive head back and forth, sending streams of spittle hurtling into the air.

  Sikes appeared about to unleash the terrifying beast.

  Kellen looked at Aleeta’s face. He’d seen that look before. She was a cool and calm person normally. But she had a fearful temper. And when it was released it could be a terrible sight to behold.

  “Well, Missus, I’m waiting for yer reply,” Sikes commanded. “Else I can’t be held responsible for what this here dog of mine might do.”

  “We’re asking for help, not bullying, you big ape,” Aleeta replied.

  Sikes looked as if he were about to let go of his dog’s leash and allow the pit bull to attack. Before Sikes could react, Aleeta quickly pounced forward and grabbed the large club out of the big bully’s grasp.

  Sikes, with the townsfolk behind him, surged forward.

  Aleeta swung the large club back and forth in a wide arc, like a baseball bat. Every time someone edged forward, she swung the bat at them and they pulled back.

  “Back all of you,” Aleeta warned. “Or I’ll bash your ugly heads to a pulp.”

  Sikes let go of Bull’s-Eye’s leash.

  With a yelp, the huge dog leaped at Aleeta. She suddenly shifted the club to a position in front of her. Aleeta turned the club into a lance. And when the pit bull lunged at her with dripping fangs, she drove the pole directly into its mouth.

  Bull’s-Eye gulped and froze, impaled in mid-air on its master’s wicked club. And in the next moment, it fell writhing in pain to the cobblestone street.

  Sikes fell to his knees beside his fallen dog. He sobbed bitterly.

  Aleeta placed Kellen behind her and held the club up high next to her ear. She waved it about in a small circle as she shoved through the crowd. People backed away, and ducked whenever Aleeta menaced them with her club.

  As they moved out of the mob, Aleeta whispered to Kellen.

  “When I say GO, run like hell.”

  At her signal, Kellen began to run right behind Aleeta. They dashed down the main thoroughfare, and then ducked into a side street. Kellen could hear the angry shouts behind them. The Londoners were right on their tail. Their footsteps sounded like rifle shots as clicked against the cobblestones.

  Just as it looked like they were doomed, a small young boy reached out and yanked them into a shadowy doorway. The angry mob rushed on by and soon their shouts sounded far off.

  “Thanks,” Kellen gasped, panting. He could make out three small figures in the shadows. “You saved our lives just now.”

  Aleeta stared at three boys standing before her. “And who might you be, young gentlemen?”

  The boy who had reached out to pull them in stood with cap in hand. He was rail-thin, pale and with a mop of yellow hair.

  “My name is Oliver Twist, milady. I am most pleased to make your acquaintance. And this other fellow is my mate, Charley Bates. We were in Fagin’s family of thieves. The other boy is a stranger. He says his name is Hans Brinker and that he doesn’t know how he got here. He’s got a pair of ice skates but there’s no ice anywhere around these parts. Isn’t that peculiar?”

  “Very,” Aleeta said, peering at the smiling boy holding skates. He wore wooden shoes on his feet.

  “Nice to meet you, Hans,” Aleeta said. “I’ve read a lot about you.”

  Hans frowned, obviously puzzled. “You have?”

  “Yes. But I haven’t time to tell you all about it now. We’re looking for our children. Have you seen them?” Hans shook his head no.

  But Oliver reached out and touched Aleeta’s sleeve gently.

  “They were here. They didn’t stay long. Some washerwomen gave them directions to the forest just outside town. They went there a short time ago.”

  “Forest?” Kellen asked.

  “Yes,” Oliver answered. “They went into Sherwood Forest.”

  ~*~

  EIGHT

  It was almost dark when the Yellow Brick Road led them to the edge of Sherwood Forest. They entered cautiously, not knowing what to expect. The two found themselves surrounded by a cathedral of towering trees and thick underbrush.

  Kellen suddenly glanced up at tree branches far above him. “Did you hear that?”

  “What?”

  “That rustling…way up there in the trees.”

  They both peered up at the shadowy limbs above.

  There was something…or someone…up there.

  And it was staring back at them.

  A moment later, a dark figure could be seen swinging from one tree to another. And it was followed by several other shadowy forms. The trees were teeming with fast-moving human life.

  “Look,” Aleeta cried out.

  “I see him,” Kellen called back. “It’s a man. Way above us.”

  “Don’t you recognize him, Kel?” She laughed, almost hysterically. “It’s Tarzan and his ape family. Sherwood Forest is filled with baboons.”

  “What in blazes is happening, Allie?”

  Aleeta was trembling. “It means my wonderful visualization machine is a bust. I can’t predict who we’ll meet. What might happen next. Or if we’ll ever see our kids alive again.” She began to sob.

  Before he could reach out to console Aleeta, an arrow whistled past Kellen’s ear and slammed into the trunk of an oak tree with a loud THWAKK.

  The open clearing was alive now with a band of grim-faced, bearded men in Lincoln green tights and caps. They weren’t strangers to Kellen. As a boy, his father had regaled him at bedtime with exciting tales of Robin Hood and his merry band of Saxon outlaws. And here they were…in the flesh… advancing toward him.

  The tall leader stood with his legs far apart. He leaned on a very large bow. The man carried a quiver of arrows under one arm.

  “What business are ye about in this forest, varlet? And who is this wench by thy side?”

  Aleeta stepped forward, hands on hips. Kellen could see she was getting up a head of steam and might blow at any second. He bit his lip. These men wouldn’t be as easy to conquer as old Bull’s-Eye. “I’ll have you know, milord,” she announced, “that I’m no wench to be trifled with. I’ve lost my two children. I’m filthy. And I’m very, very hungry.”

  Robin Hood threw his head back and laughed heartily. It was a gesture Kellen had seen dozens of time in storybook illustrations and old motion pictures. Banned media he’d confiscated, categorized, and burned over the years at the Government annex.

  But this time the fantasy didn’t seem quaint or charming. Not when these forest thugs were making fun of his ex-wife.

  “Okay,” Kellen said, “you fellows have had your fun. Now, please behave like gentlemen, and help us out. We’re looking for two small children. Not dressed like others in this region. A boy back in that Dickens town told us they could’ve entered these woods.”

  “It’s forbidden to enter Sherwood Forest without permission from the court of our gracious king. Surely you know that.”

  “What about Tarzan?” Aleeta interrupted. “Did your gracious king give him a free pass to this place?”

  Robin leaned forward, causing his long bow to bend under his weight.

  “Aaah, fair damsel,” Robin answered
, “if we could ever catch him, we’d deal with him. Harshly. He is, as you observed, an elusive devil. His time will come.”

  “We mean no harm,” Kellen said. “We’re merely desperate to find our children.”

  “Little ones can find a forest a perilous place, sir.” Robin answered, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

  Two riders clad in bright, shining armor came prancing out of the woods. They carried lances and their horses were clad in padded armor. One of the riders pushed up the visor on his helmet and glowered at Aleeta and Kellen.

  “And what have we here, Locksley?” the knight inquired.

  “It’s none of your affair, Lancelot,” Robin said sharply. “I’ve told you before you aren’t welcome here. Your steeds dump their spoils on the grass and they tear up the land with their hooves.”

  Robin’s men moved toward the mounted knights. They didn’t look like any sort of welcoming committee to Kellen. Robin raised a gloved hand to halt his men.

  “Methinks you position thyself far too high in thine own estimation,” Lancelot proclaimed. “And one day it shall bring thee misery and woe.”

  The second knight pushed up his visor and began to draw his huge broadsword. Lancelot spoke to him in a stern voice. “Put that away, Galahad. Our king would not look kindly to any spilling of Saxon blood in Sherwood this day.”

  Prince Galahad looked at the two intruders standing before him. “They could be Norman spies sent here by Sir Mordred, or possibly a witch or warlock in league with that fiendish sorcerer, Merlin.”

  “T’is enough foolish conjecturing, lad,” Robin said. “I fear you knights have spent far too many days chasing after mythical Black Knights and lost chalices. Let us all put down our weaponry and partake of some tasty food. This lady here informs me she is fair starving to death. And I don’t think she’ll attack you with a chicken leg if we all sup together.”

  Aleeta and Kellen went to the nearby stream and cleaned off the dust of the road and the muck of old London town. The Merry Men provided them with clean, rustic clothing. Kellen was not entirely grateful for his outfit. It made him look like one Robin’s merry men. And the rough cloth made him itch. But at least it didn’t stink of the filth of the old London slum.

  Robin Hood was as good as his word about the feasting. His band of outlaws and the two knights of the realm sat with Kellen and Aleeta at a meal fit for a king.

  Kellen watched, amused, as Aleeta wolfed down a juicy roasted chicken leg. She sat between Friar Tuck, in his rough monk’s robe and metal helmet, and Little John, who gripped a ham hock in one giant fist and a thick cudgel in the other. Nearby, Will Scarlet, in bright togs and a red cap, enjoyed a hearty drink, while Alan-a-Dale serenaded Aleeta with a soft medieval tune on his lute. All the outlaws Kellen remembered from those amazing tales of his youth.

  Later that evening, the two of them sat before a blazing campfire. They huddled close to keep out the night chill. She looked at Kellen, her eyes filled with tears..

  “Do you think we’ll find the kids?”

  He answered in a strong, reassuring voice. “Sure we will. Don’t worry. We’ll grab some shut-eye and get a fresh start tomorrow. We’re bound to pick up their trail in no time.”

  Aleeta moved in a bit closer. “This reminds me of when we camped out that time at Lake Kingston. Just after you got out of prison. Remember?”

  “Yeah. Your folks called the police. They were sure I’d kidnapped you.”

  “Well, you could hardly blame them. What with all that went on before. The ugly publicity. That ghastly trial all over the Government television. They had to put up with a lot.”

  “I know, Allie. And I’m sorry for all that. I thought crusading for the truth would help people. I never imagined I would wind up hurting everyone I love. Can you ever forgive me?”

  Aleeta smiled at him. “I did. A long time ago. Now, let’s get some sleep, so we can get an early start in the morning.”

  ~*~

  NINE

  Anton Falconer sat by the small campfire watching the younger agent turning a roasting animal on a spit. He thought she looked quite attractive in the flickering firelight.

  Rosetti chuckled to herself and turned to give him a broad smile.

  “What is so amusing, may I ask?” he inquired.

  “I was just remembering the look on that old man Fagin’s face when you tossed his coin purse to the crowd.”

  “It seemed the appropriate thing to do at the time. And the townsfolk seemed to enjoy it. I imagine that old thief has swindled everyone in London--at one time or another. Served him right.”

  Nikki added another stick to the fire. “And I can still see that old pit bull called Bull’s-Eye scampering off with its tail between its legs when you gave it that look of yours.”

  “What look?”

  “You know. That stern, imposing one that makes everyone shake in their jackboots.”

  “Does it affect you that way, too?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then I must work on looking friendlier in the future.”

  Nikki laughed. “Don’t you dare. That look is truly magical. Those people back in that town were mesmerized by it. They couldn’t help giving us all this food to take with us.”

  She cut some hunks of meat from the spit and handed them to Anton. He took it absently, but he was busy fussing with the chip locator. After giving it several shakes and a few bangs, he cursed and tossed the device into the nearby brush.

  “Damned locator. It got broken somewhere along the way. It’s useless to me now. Don’t worry. We’ll find our perpetrators without it.”

  “I’m not worried, sir.” Nikki stared at him in the flickering light. “Why are we really here, Director? Who’s this Marlowe? And what about his wife?”

  “Ex-wife,” he snapped. He chewed on a morsel of meat. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at, Rosetti.”

  “I mean no offense. It’s just that…I may be a rookie agent, but I’m no fool, sir. I saw the way you looked at her in the laboratory. You’re in love with her.”

  Anton slowly pulled a pack of cigarettes from his tunic, extracted one, and lit it up. He sat back and blew a single, perfectly formed smoke ring. He offered Nikki one but she waved him off.

  “It’s a long story, Nikki.”

  “So give me the condensed version, sir.”

  He took another long drag on his cigarette. The embers at the end glowed like the red eye of a beast lurking in the forest. He waited a bit then began to speak slowly.

  “This Marlowe used to be a big-shot on TV years ago. He got himself involved with a radical, subversive movement dedicated to toppling the incumbent Government.”

  “The one we have now?”

  “Primarily.”

  “Go on, sir.”

  “Marlowe produced and starred in an anti-regime TV broadcast. He pre-empted regularly scheduled programming and caused a nationwide upheaval. There were riots in the streets, huge demonstrations, massive property damage, and hundreds of casualties.”

  “I never heard about that, sir.”

  “You won’t find any references to it in your Government altered textbooks at the Academy.”

  Nikki moved back from the campfire. She leaned back and propped up on one elbow. “How do you fit into the picture, sir?”

  Anton snubbed out his cigarette. He didn’t look directly at Nikki as he replied. “Marlowe was arrested, tried and found guilty of crimes against the State. He was sentenced to ten years at hard labor in one of our remote Government rehabilitation camps.”

  “That doesn’t tell me about your role in this. Or how you met Aleeta.”

  “I was on the team that prosecuted Marlowe’s case. After he was sentenced, Aleeta came to my office. She said she would do anything to get her husband’s sentence commuted or reduced.”

  “Anything, sir?”

  “Our affair lasted quite a while. And I was able to get Marlowe’s term reduced to three years. But when her husband got
out, Aleeta broke it off with me. She decided to resume her married life with Marlowe again. They stayed together for a year or two. But eventually they divorced.”

  Nikki stared into the firelight for a few moments. “But you never stopped loving this woman. And you want her back. Right?”

  “That’s my fervent hope, Nikki.” He stoked up the fire with a long stick. “Now go to sleep. We need to get going early before the trail grows cold.”

  They assembled some loose branches to create makeshift bedding.

  Anton soon lay back with his hands under his head staring up at the blanket of stars overhead. In the darkness, Nikki whispered to him.

  “Anton.”

  “What?”

  “Oh, I was just thinking how free I feel out here in the woods. With no barred windows, stuffy classrooms, or regimented procedures. I’ve never felt like this before. It’s like a dream.”

  “Didn’t you ever daydream, Nikki? Or imagine yourself in another life?”

  “No, sir. Did you?”

  “Once. Years ago when I was a boy. My grandmother read me a story about a sailing ship seeking an island of treasure. I loved it. And I dreamed about becoming a pirate when I grew up.”

  Nikki laughed gently. “A pirate. Honestly, sir. That’s hilarious.”

  He groaned. “It’s true. And no laughing matter. Now you have my permission to go to sleep, Agent Rosetti.”

  ~*~

  TEN

  Kellen was rudely awakened from a deep sleep inside his thatched Sherwood Forest hut. There was a blood-curdling scream that seemed to echo through the trees.

  Kellen dashed outside.

  Aleeta!

  He saw his ex-wife being dragged across the clearing grass by her hair. A scowling, muscular brown-skinned man dressed only in a breechclout and knee-high leather moccasins was towering over Aleeta’s shivering body. The Indian was holding a gleaming hatchet high above his head ready to deliver a death blow.