Fog of Shadows

Part 12

Just before dawn the crew of the Aurora awoke and, on captain's orders, boarded the Eldorado. The ship had left harbor before daybreak and was well over the horizon by the time Dr. Jacklyn awoke to check on her patient; when she realized Willow was no longer in bed, or in the hospital cabin for that matter, she ran outside hoping that she hadn't gotten far. Not seeing her anywhere close-by, she ran to her brother to inform her, only to find him wandering around his office like he had lost something. "I have some bad news."

"So do I sister, what are you missing?"

"The patient is gone and I can't find her." Jacklyn contemplated how Willow could have left since she could even move her legs when she had gone to bed; either she had gained the ability to walk in one night, someone took her or Willow had been lying to her about being able to move her legs. "What are you missing?" she asked, slowly getting a notion of what happened.

"I am missing a map and the image of Janet, do you think?"

"I'm sure they did this, they seemed so persistent yesterday to get the mission."

"But how did they get in here? I locked the door and the door was locked when I got here this morning."

Jacklyn looked around the room. She knew there weren't any other doors. She then noticed the light breeze and walked to the window; as she did, a gust of wind blew it open. "Either they found a way to open the window from the outside or you accidentally locked one in." the principal walked over and looked out the window at the ground below. "Wouldn't they have hurt themselves?"

Jacklyn backed away from the window and started running out the office and to the harbor, "Most likely!" her brother rushed after her, ignoring the worried looks of other students in the hallway as they rushed past them. Once at the harbor, Jacklyn let out a wale of frustration and anger: frustrated because she should have checked the harbor first angry because she thought she could trust the runaway students; she knew better, only now is too late. Noticing her brother running up behind her, she turns to him "We are too late, by the looks of it, they been gone for a while."

"It's not your fault Jacklyn, I too thought they would do as we ordered them; and then again, they are graduated pirates..." the principal almost jumped out of his skin when a cold hand grabbed his shoulder, only to turn and see the weathered, gray-bearded face of the janitor scowling at him. The janitor's name was Roger; he had been with the academy for many years and had originally studied to become a pirate, sadly he had found out after a few training days that his sea sickness would prevent him from ever fulfilling his dream. He joined in order to be as close as he could to his former dream. "They never showed up!" he grunted at the principal, showing his teeth which were yellow, at least those that were left, for he had lost most of them do to poor care. He had most of his molars missing and four of his upper front teeth; on his lower jaw, he was missing two. This formed a "T" shape whenever he smiled, which wasn't very often.

"Pardon?"

"Those traitors you promised you'd send to me never showed up for their job. I waited all morning and they never showed up. I went to their rooms and they weren't there. You promised me that I would get help in keeping this place spick and span, now where is my help?" the janitor's breath smelled of liquor and old meat and the nauseating smell caused both the principal and the doctor to take a step back.

"We are sorry Roger, I'll go and check with the security." With that the principal was off, leaving his sister behind with the angry janitor.

"What a charmer, leaving you with me." Growled Roger as he looked at the horizon. "So, why are you here instead of the hospital where you belong?"