The Lightyears Series - Episode 8 - The Return Date

“Colonel Kassidy, this is Henrick Balsam.  I have some information I think you might find interesting.  I knew your late husband Josh.  I grew up with him and Peter on the Island.  Peter, Adam and I were not as free as Joshua, of course, but the kids who were trained in useful skills like engineering or medicine were able to leave with the understanding that there was a return date.  If you didn't return, you would be executed.  Adam not returning got him killed.  Peter and my return date is in six months.  We need to figure out who these people are and to stop them.”

“You think that the leaders of the Island--Josh's family--is behind my brothers death?”

“It is run by a committee of people.  Josh’s family is the only members we know, but we don't know the mastermind…or who ordered the hit, but yes, I do believe that the Island Committee killed Adam because he wouldn't return.  I know that they use this University to work on hush-hush projects.  One of which I believe is this epidemic you are investigating.  I am sending you what I have to collaborate my theory.  You comb through it and see if we have anything.  If you have any questions, let me know.” Then the line went dead.

I moved my way out of the room and back down the hallway to see Jake coming toward me.  

“We had to put the Wheaton family on your cocktail of medications for the disease,” Jake advised me, turning me around, helping me to negotiate our way out of the Hospital maze.  “We had to get it under control.  Apparently, most of the patients we worked on have it.”

“I am not surprised.” Once we finally made it out of the Hospital, he led me to the TravelTram.  We took it to the Food Court.  Sitting at a corner table in the back, I punched a baked ziti with a soda into the terminal screen embedded into the table.  Jake typed in his order.  
Then he looked at me and smiled.  Taking my hand, he whispered, “We did well in there today.  What did your source say?”
“He thinks the Island Committee had Adam killed because he didn't return by the date they told him to.  Peter and my source have six months to return to captivity or be killed. We have to solve this by then because I know that I didn't want to meet my family, but now I want to get to know my brother and sister and their families.  If we can help them stay alive and shut down the Island Committee…oh my lands, what if…”

“What if?”
 
“What if they killed Josh?  He was a kid of a member of the Island Committee, but apparently his father was only one of the members.  I was led to believe that Josh’s father was the head guy, but that may not be true.  Nevertheless, he was my way out of that place.”
 
The android server who was a blond-haired, blue-eyed woman dressed in black slacks and a long-sleeved, white shirt interrupted our conversation with our meals.  She slipped a burger, which lay on a pillow of fries, in front of Jake before setting down a soda.  She put my ziti and soda near me.  Then she scurried off to the kitchen.  Jake and I shot each other an amused glance.  “I told them that we need more varied types of androids to serve in the Food Court.  They cannot all look like her.”
 
Jake raised the Privacy Wall around us, so no one could eavesdrop.  “You think that Josh’s father would order a hit on his own son,” he returned to the original conversation, picking up his burger and putting it to his mouth, “that he did not have enough clout to save his son?  And through this disease?  Adam was killed in an explosion, wasn’t he?  And why would they kill your sister-in-law and a lot of innocents?”  He took a bite of his burger.
 
After I finished my first bite of ziti, I answered, “Because these are not rational people.  Taking people hostage and then letting them free with a date to return or they kill the people.  That is not rational.”  I took a sip of my soda, then looked at him over the rim.  “I am going to tell you this up front.  I am going after these people because it is our case and because we need to free my biological parents, but if it turns out they killed Josh or my brother, you are going to have to stop me from killing them.”  I put the glass down.
 
He frowned.  “Because you loved Josh.  Why avenge Adam? You didn’t even know him.”