was delighted to discover that it still worked. Then she directed the blob of white light to the smooth river rocks that lined the grottoâs curved walls. She recognized the stone she wanted right away and scooted over to pull it loose. Was the little treasure box still there? No, it wasnât. Something else had been left in its place. A plastic bag with a disposable comset inside. And a piece of paper with a single word printed on it: CAT .
CHAPTER: 5
Some things can never be left behind.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
A Naa folk saying
Standard year unknown
PLANET EARTH
McKeeâs heart was racing. Suddenly, the trip to what had been her home was more than an emotional pilgrimage. A comset had been left for her. But by whom? The most likely possibility was her uncle Rex Carletto. He was someone McKee felt a strong affinity for despite his addiction to gambling, womanizing, and lack of interest in the family business. Because Uncle Rex had also been a soldier and the one person in the family who always had time for her. And, had it not been for a timely message from him, she would have been killed on Esparto. So if the comset had been left there by Uncle Rex, that was wonderful news.
But what if the device was some sort of government trap?
No,
McKee told herself.
How would the government know about the loose stone?
Only a member of the family would know about something like that. Such questions would have to wait, however. The first task was to escape the gated community and to do so soon. Her body was shaking, and the cold was beginning to affect her thinking processes.
So McKee tucked the plastic bag away, forced herself into motion, and slipped down into the water below. It splashed away from her feet as she made for the shallow end of the pool. It was a short sprint from there to the fence. And McKee had dealt with worse obstructions on Drang. Thatâs what she told herself as she struggled up and over.
Then she was off and running. The brook was one of the few ways to sneak
into
the community. But there were a variety of ways to get out. One of which had to do with a tree located in old lady Millerâs yard. It was at least a hundred years old and had a couple of limbs that extended out over the wall. So by hanging from a branch and working oneâs way out, it was possible to drop to the ground. Was she strong enough? Cat Carletto hadnât been. Only the boys could do it. Still, the tree was only half a block away, and McKee didnât want to cross the golf course again.
Running through the community at night reminded her of playing hide-and-seek on summer evenings. Of course it wasnât raining thenâand nobody was trying to kill her. The Miller house was ablaze with lights, which made it easier to see as McKee padded up the driveway, opened a gate, and entered the side yard. Then it was a simple matter to make her way past the greenhouse to the point where the big oak was waiting. Except that it
wasnât
waiting. All that remained of the enormous tree was a stump. Had a storm brought the oak down? It didnât matter. What
did
matter was finding some other way to escape the community.
McKee stood there, teeth chattering, looking around. Her thoughts werenât as clear as they should have been. Sheâd seen a ladder lying next to the greenhouse but couldnât use it. Not without raising the sort of questions that would lead to an investigation.
McKee swore and chose to follow the wall to the right in hopes of finding another way to escape. There werenât any fences to contend with. They werenât allowed. But there were lots of hedges, and she had to find a break in one in order to enter the next yard. At first glance McKee thought sheâd have to push on. Then she noticed the elaborate playhouse that was partially lit by the spill from a streetlight. It was two stories tall and topped with an open platform. Could she make the jump from that to the top of the wall? And
CHAPTER: 5
Some things can never be left behind.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
A Naa folk saying
Standard year unknown
PLANET EARTH
McKeeâs heart was racing. Suddenly, the trip to what had been her home was more than an emotional pilgrimage. A comset had been left for her. But by whom? The most likely possibility was her uncle Rex Carletto. He was someone McKee felt a strong affinity for despite his addiction to gambling, womanizing, and lack of interest in the family business. Because Uncle Rex had also been a soldier and the one person in the family who always had time for her. And, had it not been for a timely message from him, she would have been killed on Esparto. So if the comset had been left there by Uncle Rex, that was wonderful news.
But what if the device was some sort of government trap?
No,
McKee told herself.
How would the government know about the loose stone?
Only a member of the family would know about something like that. Such questions would have to wait, however. The first task was to escape the gated community and to do so soon. Her body was shaking, and the cold was beginning to affect her thinking processes.
So McKee tucked the plastic bag away, forced herself into motion, and slipped down into the water below. It splashed away from her feet as she made for the shallow end of the pool. It was a short sprint from there to the fence. And McKee had dealt with worse obstructions on Drang. Thatâs what she told herself as she struggled up and over.
Then she was off and running. The brook was one of the few ways to sneak
into
the community. But there were a variety of ways to get out. One of which had to do with a tree located in old lady Millerâs yard. It was at least a hundred years old and had a couple of limbs that extended out over the wall. So by hanging from a branch and working oneâs way out, it was possible to drop to the ground. Was she strong enough? Cat Carletto hadnât been. Only the boys could do it. Still, the tree was only half a block away, and McKee didnât want to cross the golf course again.
Running through the community at night reminded her of playing hide-and-seek on summer evenings. Of course it wasnât raining thenâand nobody was trying to kill her. The Miller house was ablaze with lights, which made it easier to see as McKee padded up the driveway, opened a gate, and entered the side yard. Then it was a simple matter to make her way past the greenhouse to the point where the big oak was waiting. Except that it
wasnât
waiting. All that remained of the enormous tree was a stump. Had a storm brought the oak down? It didnât matter. What
did
matter was finding some other way to escape the community.
McKee stood there, teeth chattering, looking around. Her thoughts werenât as clear as they should have been. Sheâd seen a ladder lying next to the greenhouse but couldnât use it. Not without raising the sort of questions that would lead to an investigation.
McKee swore and chose to follow the wall to the right in hopes of finding another way to escape. There werenât any fences to contend with. They werenât allowed. But there were lots of hedges, and she had to find a break in one in order to enter the next yard. At first glance McKee thought sheâd have to push on. Then she noticed the elaborate playhouse that was partially lit by the spill from a streetlight. It was two stories tall and topped with an open platform. Could she make the jump from that to the top of the wall? And
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