It Was A School Day - 5. Dodging the Bullet

Valdorn did his best not to vary his regular routine. He figured that by staying as close to his regular schedule as possible he would keep people from asking too many questions and for the most part he was right. However, by dark the campus was swarming with government officials. Valdorn smirked, they must have missed Kismet at Juniper Station.

Many people were beginning to question Kismet’s illicit behavior. Valdorn would have begun to question it himself from the way everyone was talking if he hadn’t known what was going on. Not quite two days after he left, Valdorn received a message that Kismet was safe aboard the ship. It was a good thing because his personal belongings had been shipped out less than an hour after he took off. The boxes by the door were filled with things that meant nothing to either himself or Kismet, all completely replaceable items. They would be shipped out just before he left and could be stored forever in some government basement as far as he was concerned while they tried to figure out the importance of each item.

For the next several hours, Valdorn scoured all the news feeds for any word of Amberly or Puck or anything that might be related to either of them. There wasn’t so much as a word.

The next morning, Mia came looking for Kismet. He happened to be emptying out the last contents of his closet when she came into the room. Valdorn wished Kismet had time to explain to her what was going on instead of leaving it to him.

“Hey Val, where’s Kismet? He’s not answering.”

“He’s a little busy right now. On the lam or something last I heard,” Val said with a grin.

“That’s the rumor I heard too. Did he do it?”

“Do what? No one will tell me what he was supposed to have done, but I’m supposed to tell them if I see or hear anything suspicious. You not coming by for more than twenty-four hours is rather suspicious…” Valdorn’s eyebrow arched as he made a face at her, “Maybe you know something you aren’t telling me.”

“Oh, I don’t know anything either. Just these men have been over to see me so I laid low for a while,” she sighed. “So you really don’t know where he is?”

“Right now I barely know where I am, much less where he is. Why do you need to know so badly? Are you pregnant?”

“No!” She denied vehemently as she turned scarlet. “I’m not pregnant! You haven’t been out of your room much have you? They’re offering a reward for him now. I figured if anyone knew where he was, you would.”

“A reward? How much?”

“It’s enough to make his own brother turn him in,” she looked him over with the unspoken question as she clicked the tips of her manicured nails on what had been Kismet’s desk.

“Or his fiancé,” Valdorn replied as he turned away from her trying to appear busy as he controlled his emotions. “Do you love him? Did you ever love him?”

“Why would he run away if he was innocent, Val?” she asked, ignoring his questions, “It makes no sense. He has to be neck deep into some kind of trouble for him to just disappear.”

“Do you think it’s possible that they already have him and they just want you think that one of your friends, one of his friends, turned him in? That one of the people you trusted, that he trusted with his life, would trade that life for money?” Valdorn dumped the last of his things on his bed and began folding them for packing and shipping. “Watch… in a couple days they will announce he is in custody and someone will suddenly disappear supposedly with a lot of cash. Will it be you? Will it be me? I can tell you this much… whoever it is won’t have told them anything, won’t have gotten any money, and Kismet will still not be in their custody.”

“So you do know where he is!” She slapped her hand on the desk and took a step toward Valdorn.

“No, I just know where he is not, and he is not here. And if these so called ‘officials’,” Valdorn made finger quotes and said the word sarcastically, “were really ‘official’ they could check simple ‘official’ records and see where he is not and why,” Valdorn told her.

“He didn’t say anything to me,” Mia whined.

“His paperwork came before dawn. He was gone before lunch. Most of that time was spent at the registrar’s office. I packed most his things and shipped them home for him. I’m hoping my assignment comes soon, too. Any word on yours yet?”

“I put in for a deferment because Kismet and I were getting married. I really believe he would have said something if he got called up,” she threw herself down on Kismet’s bed, staring at the ceiling.

“You were just getting ready to sell him out, Mia.”

“I didn’t say I was going to, but why shouldn’t I when he disappears without even a word!” She turned her head so she could look at him, “Everyone thinks I know where he is and he didn’t tell me anything!”

“Your folks were coming for graduation and the wedding, right?”

“Yes, Kismet and I had it all planned while everyone was here. It wasn’t going to be much more than a trip to the justice of the peace for now, because he was insisting his friends be invited. I only agreed because he was expecting his duty assignment at any time and if something happened to him, what would become of me? I’d have no one to support me. At least that way I’d be his beneficiary.” She broke down and cried, “Now all my careful planning is ruined and I don’t know how to fix it.”

“You have your degree and your life to live. You had to get a decent enough score on the exams to get in here.”

“Oh those exams are easy enough, anyone with half a brain and enough money can bypass those. Our school had special tutors that prep you to take them and that tell you exactly when to stop so you don’t get too good a score.” She waved her hand, the one with the engagement ring on it, dismissively, “I came to school to find a husband. A good one, too.”

“Good?”

“You know, all the right connections – money, breeding, family.”

“And you picked Kismet?” Valdorn stared at her in disbelief.

“Of course, silly.” Then she looked at him. “Oh you mean you didn’t know!”

Valdorn shook his head slowly, not believing what he was hearing.

“You’ve lived with him all this time and really didn’t know?” she asked, her tone turning gossipy, as she smiled and even giggled a little as her voice dropped into a conservational whisper, “Well, I did some research on all the people in this dorm and discovered Kismet -- the orphaned heir of a bio-engineering empire. He was raised by some distant relatives. He’s got to have some money just from his parents. It really doesn’t hurt he’s good looking as well. Plus he’s earned his advanced degree in communications. If it weren’t for his insistence that he do his service time…” she looked at her left hand wistfully and sighed.

At some point in her revelation, Valdorn sat down on his own bed. He was shocked. Disbelief, rage, hurt and a strong desire to pummel her to death fought with his need to know more. His first attempt to respond to her caught in his throat. But he managed to get the words out. “What about family? Distant relatives don’t make up a family.”

“Well, I can’t have everything I suppose. He has everything else I require in a husband. Besides, I have enough family for both of us if need be.”

“Do you love him Mia?” Valdorn looked directly at her wanting to see her true answer.

“Val, you are so backwoods,” she said as she averted her eyes. “Honestly, what does love have to do with a good match? With a little grooming and me on his arm, Kismet will be charming all the right people in no time. We will shoot right up the social ladder and our children will not have to take the exam.”

“The exam is required for all citizens,” Valdorn said quietly. “All citizens are expected to test and to serve.”

“He’s the only heir. Why should he have to serve? Why should I? Do you really think I want to spend my days teaching snot nosed brats their alphabets for the rest of my life? Well I don’t. And I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” she tossed her head and made a little snorting noise. “When are you going?” She indicated the boxes.

Valdorn shook his head at her antics, “A couple days after graduation, I have family coming. So it wouldn’t be until after they leave.”

“They aren’t going to make you go home with them?”

“I’m a college graduate. Kismet isn’t the only one who earned their advanced degree; and well, my family can’t really make me do anything.” Valdorn smiled at her, “Are yours going to make you go home with them?”

“Of course not. I’m choosing to go home with them.”

Valdorn made a noncommittal noise somewhere between clearing his throat and a laugh. About that time one of his floor mates poked his head in the door, “Val, do you have time to help… oh didn’t see you had company.”

“No, you’re fine, Mia was just leaving. Weren’t you Mia? Kismet has my home address. I’ll be expecting an invite to the wedding whenever it takes place. Thanks for stopping by,” he said by way of dismissal then turned his attention to the young man.

Mia’s eyes widened and her cheeks pinked up. For a moment it looked as if she might say something, but then she tossed her head before flouncing out of the room. Valdorn watched her go then sighed.

“What was that all about?”

“Oh nothing much, she just isn’t happy that her rich, orphaned, husband-to-be has received his orders before he could wed her.”

“We’re talking about Kismet, right?”

“Uh-huh,” Valdorn said as he looked down the hallway where she had disappeared.

“Good thing those orders came through or both of them would have been in for a nasty surprise.”

“Yes, they would have,” Valdorn agreed, “Now, let’s hear about your little problem…”