Return to Atlantis

Chapter 13 - Shining Knight

"We split up from here," Phil instructed as they came upon the entrance to the WAC exhibitions. "You cover the Eastern part and I will cover the other side. If you find her, make sure to give me a buzz immediately. Do not engage unless I tell you to."

"Yes, lieutenant,"

And they parted ways.

The WAC exhibitions is a showcase area where student delegates from each of the different study fields gets to put up a floor booth to share relevant topics or interesting subject matter in their respective fields. Alec could see that many of the students are still in the middle of setting up their booths halfway through the opening of the exhibition. He strode through the Medical studies booths and there was a myriad of fascinating exhibits on new medical technologies, latest discoveries in medicine, etc. Then there was the Political Science area, then the Geology exhibits.

No sign of Ava Kinski. Truth be told, he wasn't looking very hard. There were too many distractions.

'I'd better get serious or Phil will kill me," he thought to himself.

He entered the next room and came upon a large and lifelike backdrop painting of a stone temple made of painted styro and cardboards. Just a head above him, on a rickety ladder leaning against the wall is Lindsey Miles fixing plastic foliage on the wall, a big box on the other hand. When she ran out of the foliage, she began to make her way down.

'That doesn't look good,' thought Alec noting the flimsy way the ladder was positioned against the wall.

The ladder began to wobble and pull away from the wall and Lindsey slipped off the steps. Down she went and landed face up on Alec's arms.

They stared at each other for a moment.

"Hey," was all he could muster.

She winced at him with a crumpled but smiling expression. "This is so embarrassing,"

He placed her back on her foot.

"As you can see, I am the clumsy sort," she said.

"Uh...yeah...I can definitely see that,"

"And you just happened to pass by again," Lindsey gave him a smiling-dagger look. "You are either my stalker or my hero,"

"What have you decided?"

"Stalker," she said with a taunt.

Alec smiled at that. "But the fact is I am your knight and shining armour because you are a damsel-always-in-a-fix,"

She chuckled and smiled that kind of smile of hers where her eyes disappeared and her dimples would peek out, "Well, yeah, I suppose I could use one,"

Alec took a knight stance, slightly bowing his head and knees and crossing his right arm infront of his body. "Then I am at your service, milady, from this day forward, I pledge my sword and shield to you."

She chuckled a bit more, then her face went plain."Hey but really...thank you. You really save me back there and today."

And in Alaska.

"You look like you could use some help around here. Are you on your own?" Alec asked as he surveyed the booth.

"Oh you figured. Yes - I am flying solo on this booth."

"Well how come you are not working in a team?"

"Well, it's a long story but to make the long story short, nobody would want to be involved in what I am doing so I had to do this on my own,"

Alec nodded in understanding. "It is something you seemed to believe in,"

"I'm the only one who believes in it in fact."