Volcan Knights

Volcan Knights

By

Laurie Bowler

Published by Laurie Bowler

Copyright 2011 Laurie Bowler

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Volcan Knights

Chapter One

Memories that seemed vague, and a whirlwind of nightmares that were excruciatingly painful, and my mind constantly struggled to regain control.

Working the day shifts for the police seemed to be the easiest transition I had made, after the accident that had changed my life forever. Every day began afresh with the same morning routines and my own version of life’s history and paths that led me around the facts that clogged my confused mind.

Every person I met on the job had their own agendas, criminals born into the life that they seemed to waltz around. In and out of prison and always back to the same jobs that had placed them in the criminal justice system for so long. Each one of them becoming whipped away from their loved ones to pay for society for the sins they had committed, the murderers taken to spend the rest of their own lives behind bars, never again would they be able to walk along the streets where they had been born, and played in as children.

***********

Zera, are you alright? Mandy called as she sat across me on the desk we shared.

Of course, I replied smiling brightly.

Each day seemed to be a maddening experiment to remember specific times and events that had been my life before the accident that had taken my memory and my child, her pictures lay around my small flat in memory. Smiling back at me, willing me to remember what she had been like, willing me to remember how her beautiful smile had lit my world and made my heart explode with love, but each day I remembered nothing.

Bravely I had returned to work, only allowed to take on light desk duties and never allowed to attend the ‘biggies’, the crimes that led many offices to the weapons station to collect weapons and protective gear.

Sam looks good today, don’t you think? She asked as she openly stared through the glass windows at the officer in command of the police station where we were based.

Yes, I suppose so I answered as I watched my cursor flicker dramatically on my screen, and tried not to think about the handsome man that sat behind the glass windows, his face had been etched in my mind since I had woken up from the coma I’d been in for many months.

As I had woke, it was Sam’s face that had been the first one to smile and welcome me back, his own eyes lighting with concern at my confused frown as I tried to remember the significance of him sitting beside me, the significance of this man that had held my hand through many months of nurses and doctors advising to switch of the machines that had kept me alive.

At 29, my daughter dead and not knowing who my family were, or where in the world they seemed to be, so many questions lay ahead of me, unanswered and frightening as each night the nightmares drew closer but the mist lay around thick and heavy to the events of my life before the accident. I never seemed to remember the accident, only waking up to find Sam, my boss sat beside me and becoming alarmed when I asked who he was.

Zera, do you need to go home? Sam’s voice broke into my heavy thoughts as he stood watching me with an expression of deep concern.

No, why? I asked puzzled.

I’ve been stood here, waiting for you to answer me about that draft report I asked you to draw up last week, it’s been ten minutes since I first asked you He answered.

Oh, just daydreaming, nothing important, I said a little too brightly as his brows shot up in surprise.

Well, the report? He continued

Here, in my out tray I handed him the report and wished my friend and colleague Mandy wasn’t sat opposite drawling at the sight of him stood next to me.

Thank you. He muttered as he walked away.

You could have at least looked at him; it’s obvious he cares for you. Mandy moaned opposite making me cringe at the words and the insinuations of Sam having any kind of care for me, a part from that of employee of the police force and the commanding office.

Don’t be ridiculous, I scolded as I started to type dramatically on my computer, I didn’t realise until I looked at the screen that I had been typing my memories of when I had woken up, and it had been on the screen for Sam to see. I hoped and prayed he hadn’t seen. My thoughts and my jumbled mind had been evident in the words I had typed.

Zera, you’re acting a little odd today, I think you should take Sam’s advice and go home for a while. Come back tomorrow, you can always ask Sam to drive you home She said hopefully.

Mandy was forever trying to persuade me to start having a romance with someone, she had in the past asked me to go with her to watch movies but had instead arranged blind dates with random men that I hadn’t known and didn’t care about.

Sam was always on my mind, his face appeared many times in my sleep and had appeared more than once in my daydreams, I couldn’t understand why I thought of him as much as I did or the reasons why he seemed to be somehow connected to the accident. Again I was drifting into a daydream, the radio played softly in the background the love songs that I thought I liked but I wasn’t sure if I did.

Hello, Mandy speaking. Mandy answered the annoying phone as it rang and cut my thoughts of abruptly and rudely.

I listened with intent as her face lit with excitement, and her words drifted easily across to me.

Be right there. She said as she hung up the phone.

What was that about? I asked

Come on, there’s a hostage situation, everyone has been called to attend. Prince charming can’t stop you attending this one; the orders are from higher up the ladder. She said as she grabbed my hand and launched me out of my chair.

Her quick steps marched in the direction of the weapons room as we collected our body gear and the weapons that we would fire, if we had too. As I hurried my own steps to match Mandy’s, the weariness started to fade as the excitement of being called to attend a situation, finally after to attend action of any kind for months, I began to pick up my pace and soon over took Mandy as we headed outside to the patrol car.

I’ll drive, I said as I jumped in the driver’s seat and waited for Mandy to take her own seat beside me.

Only if you’re sure. She answered as she made no gesture to relieve me of the keys and buckled her seatbelt.

As I reached down to switch on the siren and the lights, their blare creating the fascination and excitement that I hadn’t felt in months, as I allowed the adrenaline to race through my veins and my pulse picked itself up some notches, making my heart pound away. My foot reached for the accelerator as I moved the car into the position that would allow us to race through the streets of the small city where I lived. As I handled the car expertly, the wheels moving to the directions of the wheel as I accelerated to get through the traffic, arriving in front of the small family home where the many patrol cars had already surrounded, creating a barricade and an army of police that held the public and the reporters at bay.

Hi, you must be the extra help. The officer called from the parked car beside our own.

Sure are. What’s happening? Mandy asked as we stepped out of the car. We kept a certain distance away from the house so we wouldn’t be shot.

Nothing much, we have tried negotiation, there’s been no demands of any kind. The neighbours have said it’s the husband that returned after spending sometime in the nut house, and there’s two children present, one’s five and the other seven, he answered.

What about the mother? I asked.

We haven’t heard from her, no one knows if she’s in there. She hasn’t been seen all day

Has anyone asked him? Mandy asked gesturing towards the house.

No, not yet, he said. He won’t talk to us now

I stood where I knew I would be safe, the longest distance away from the house and safely behind the car door while Mandy and the other office talked some more. There seemed to be something not quite right about the situation, no noises came from inside the house, surely the children should be making some noise.

I waited outside, all geared up, ready for the action to begin but since it had been quiet for a long period of time without any word or news of what was happening on the inside, it was now time for someone to make their move towards the premises. Even it meant just looking through a window to ensure the safety of the children believed to be inside.

I moved without being noticed and cut down the alleyway that lined the side of the house, the four bedroom house was on my left, silence met my ears but I kept on crouching low and crawling along as silent as I could.

I faintly heard Sam when he arrived, demanding to know where I was and why I had been sent here in the first place because he always felt like I was ready for this kind of job just yet, but I felt ready beyond my own belief. Considering I couldn’t remember a dam thing about what had happened to me in the first place, this was nothing for me to fear. I couldn’t even remember the last time I felt scared, mainly because I couldn’t remember my life or my origin. The scar on my back started to tingle and it felt like it was burning, my back began to feel hotter and started to sweat whether from my scar or from the excitement of the situation at hand, I wasn’t entirely sure.

Finally reaching the side entrance to the back garden, I stooped lower still, the sweat pouring of me, the feet shuffling behind me trying not to make any noise, and it was then I knew someone from the force had followed me and it would undoubtedly, be Sam. My fingers dug around by the gate trying to find a way in, and I found the tiniest hole to start with, the murmuring of voices from within the house made me stop suddenly, my fingers freezing in the dirt as I tried to listen to what being said.

You know you can just leave, there isn’t anything to stop you now, the female voice said. The cops are at the front, I checked the back more than once, just like you said.

I don’t believe they're only at the front Callie, the man replied, I've been seen with this gun, and I will have to do something now or they will lock me away in the nut house for sure, the silence went on for several seconds and I was still crouched low