Runaway Girl - The Secrets of Avelina Chronicles 1

Chapter 8

Alexander knew that the young group of sixteen- to eighteen-year-old boys who had great potential as soldiers had disappeared from their safe house not three days after arriving in the world that he knew Kaitlin cherished with all her heart. And he wasn't about to let five teenagers ruin her dream of living there and doing all the things she loved to do.

Kaitlin was at risk of being discovered by King Walter, a neighboring king within their world that was a threat to her father's kingdom. Alexander feared that the renegades would inform King Walter's soldiers of her location as a trade for something they wanted. Everyone knew that if Walter got hold of Kaitlin, he'd use her to gain complete control of the Island. He'd take over King Malcolm's reign and rule over the entire land, probably hoping that he could marry his son off to Kaitlin and join the two provinces: the good, kind and considerate people under Malcolm's reign, and the cruel, violent and unruly people of Walter's province.

Alexander wasn't about to let that happen.

All Kaitlin wanted was to live in the small, sleepy town. She owned an apartment there, had friends and had built a life for herself, but if Walter ever got his hands on her, that would all be ruined. And Alexander was going to do all that he could to make his princess happy.

"The renegades were scouted last week by several of our lookouts," Alexander continued. "It seems they have passed the initiations and will be given responsibilities away from the drugs until they can be trusted. Thankfully, there has been very little movement in the past few days."

His commander rubbed his forehead wearily. It was not the news he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear that they had been apprehended and were about to be brought home for disciplining, which wasn't true. "Why have you travelled such a long way to tell me that there has been no progress? Why risk the safety and the future of our future queen to tell me nothing?" Commander Wallace demanded.

"Well, Sir, I got word this morning that ... well ... that young Megan disappeared from the boarding house last night and still hasn't returned home," he revealed unhappily, pacing the floor of his commander's office, hoping that Kaitlin was having a happier return home than he was. He hated thinking of the danger that she was in, but it was his job to protect her. And if he had to put her life in jeopardy by bringing her home to keep her safe, then that was a risk he was willing to take.

"What happened to her?" Wallace asked, concerned, as he thought of how to tell Megan's family that she had been taken by the people they had trusted to keep her safe.

"I asked around and it seems that she was last seen walking home from school and then was stopped by three men. They fit the description of three of the young men from our list of potentials." Alexander shrugged, not sure what else to tell his captain. "The witnesses said that Megan had spoken to them momentarily. Then she left on her own, walking in the opposite direction toward the young men. But five minutes later, a friend from the boarding school ran to catch up with her, but she was gone. It may just be a coincidence, but I think it has some bearing on what's going on," he explained, knowing that what he was about to suggest would not be taken well, but was something that needed to be said in case there was a possibility, however slim it might be, that it may happen. "Sir, I think they intend to kidnap our girls and ransom them off for more power," Alexander blurted out.

Wallace sat back in his seat, shocked. He rubbed his eyes wearily, completely at a loss for words. "Why would you think that?" he asked with a sigh. He had to find out what Alexander knew. They had disappeared without anyone's permission, disconnecting from all communication soon after being released into that other world.

"The only thing that will get these boys the respect and trust of their gang members is some sort of leverage. They haven't any money to sway them and they can't get money from selling drugs because they're not allowed into that part of the business yet," Alexander justified, leaning his palms on Wallis' desk as he watched his captain sink into his chair with an indecisive sigh. "What they need is a way to get buyers in for their product and the best way to do that is to have power. They're young, not trained in anything. The only way they'll get that kind of power is from our people, but to get that, they would have to tell us where they are ... unless they have some sort of leverage," he reasoned.