The Wizards of Xitt

An Assassination Attempt

CHAPTER THREE

An Assassination Attempt

When Kaila got back home, Malena was still there. She was now inspecting the image of the scorpion with a hand lens.

She barely lifted up her head to acknowledge Kaila’s presence. “How did it go?”

“It went fine” Kaila replied blandly. He sighed as he took off his overcoat. An idea had occurred to him during his journey home from Professor Reece’s Condo house.

What if those creatures didn’t know that there was something inside the advent Calendar? What if they didn’t know the wooden image of a scorpion was gone? The windows were all re-closable.

“I’m think, they don’t know we have that. The windows are re-closable.” Kaila said.

Malena dropped the magnifying glass, frustrated. She had theories of her own.

“This must be Scorpius, the eight sign of the Zodiac. It was thought to be ruled by the fiery planet Mars in ancient times.” She looked up at Kaila “Everything we’ve found recently has had to do with dates. And not just any dates if we consider the Advent Calendar. They are birth dates.”

Kaila drew closer to her.

“That date we got from the stone, I checked it out. A.d. XV Ide Nov. is the shortened form for ante diem; fifteen days before the Ides of November. This translates to the first of November and is probably your birthday.”

“But I was born on the thirty first of October, not the first of November.” Kaila shot back at her.

“Exactly my point. You were born after dusk on the thirty first of October... According to the ancient Celts, their nights preceded the day and their months typically started at the dusk of the day before.” Malena explained “Traditionally if we considered being a celt, you were born on November first.”

Kaila slumped into the chair beside her. They had started this quest in search of answers to his nightmares. Now he believed  those nightmares pointed somewhat to some rescue activity, which he would partake in, in the future. He might rescue the world from some cataclysmic event. Maybe that was why he was given such raw elemental powers and abilities, lying latent till the time comes. The problem now was; who was he?

“You see, this day, November first is a very important day for the Celts. It was the beginning of Samhain, a popular festival and also the beginning of the New Year. It was also the arrival of darkness or the dark half of the year.” She paused to swallow something at her throat. “It was for them an evening when light and darkness met.”

And this was the exact point in the year that Kaila Maentel was born? “Give me the image,” Kaila said in a voice that sounded like a barking.

“What are you doing?” Malena inquired as she watched Kaila turn the image repeatedly.

“I want to believe that the clue is not in what we’ve lost.” He replied “This is much lighter than wood.” He put it to his ears, shook, then let it fall on the tiled floor.

Malena gasped with joy as two pieces of folded felts rolled away from the shards of the image. She scooped the material with one sweep of her slender hands.

The writing on both felts were in English, but one was the same Roman date they had found at the zoo. The other felt bore a quartet; ‘Where all but one elements briefly meet, where rest the might of four great men.      Is laid the twelve-eyed orb of monstrous height, To be queried long before sundown.’

Malena stared at the felt a while longer. Her mind seemed to be working along the same line Kaila’s mind was working. Her breath was now becoming audible, as it rattled against her lungs, either struggling to escape or settle in.

“Where exactly do three elements meet?” Kaila heard the frisky timbre of his own voice. He did not mean to think aloud. But he was not the only one whose tongue was out of reins.

“Three elements that can meet!” It was the pearly drawl of Malena. She was almost oblivious of Kaila now.

Earth, water, wind, and fire were traditionally, the primary elements of creation. Each human on the Island of O’ahu was believed to be composed of varying degrees of each.

“Wind would quench fire.” Malena had already beaten Kaila to the realization. “So would water and to some extent, earth.”

“That would make fire the odd one in the pack.” Kaila reasoned.

“I think so.”

“Earth and water meet during molding.”

“In what natural situation would that be?” Malena quizzed, turning her enormous eyes to him.

Kaila did not say anything. In truth, he had been thinking of pottery when he said what he said. But he was saved further trouble thinking when the door swung open. And in came the cheeky-faced Kaheola, apparently puffing up steamy breaths.

He looked as if he had done a half-marathon across the Island. His heavy shoulders were raised and supported his well-shaped arms. Four-fifth of his sun-wary skin was covered by a three-piece suit, deep scarlet tie and frilly black court shoes. Kaheola had a handsome face, though now obscured by a few layers of sweat. His eyes were rather beady for his height and build but they complemented his face.

Kaheola did not speak until he had hugged, inspected Kaila, and his what-the-hell-happened expression had finally drained off his face with the last dregs of some old sweat.

Up close, Kaheola was even more breathless. It seemed he had done most of the journey on foot, rather than behind the wheels of his Ford Acura. In earnest, if he had even made any journey on foot, it must have been the few yards separating the garage and the living room, and perhaps a similar distance at his office.

“So?” He said, casting a wandering glance that landed on the beautiful face of Malena.

“What do you mean so?” Kaila said.

“Details.” Kaheola breathed. “I can see you are fine.”

“Oh-” Kaila bellowed slumping back into the chair. Kaheola sat on his other side, while Malena wandered to the window.

Kaila told him all that had happened. He excluded the fact that a projection of himself landed the airplane, and that his dynamic body shrugged off a dislocation.

“Well, at least you are okay, they say about four people are still missing.” Kaheola said.

“I will think only one.” Kaila countered.

“Why?” Kaheola questioned, his eyes twinkled up at Kaila. It downed on him. “Oh you think it was an act of terrorism and they were on board.”

Kaila wanted to tell him about those three creatures but decided against it and shrugged. “It’s likely.”

“I don’t think the Forensics team could miss that. Their preliminary finding was released while I was on my way. The finding suggested that the plane’s malfunction was caused by an errant electromagnetic field the plane encountered somewhere along the flight path.” Kaheola explained and stretched out. “Good news is, you are here.”

“And the four missing people would also be found.”

“Yeah.”

“How you ste Malena?” Kaheola said fixing his beady eyes on an almost oblivious Malena. The window was thrown open and her attention seemed to be gliding away from the horizon, taking in Downtown Honolulu.

Beyond her, the street of Tenth Avenue was quiet as usual. Mrs. Spat, the wheezy next-door neighbour was lounging on her creaking outdoor camp bed. To her right, the Jimos newly installed picket fences was standing guard to their text coat cream-painted, one story apartment.

The Jimos were known Street-wide for their flamboyance. Not being among Downtown Honolulu’s elite did not deter them from showing off the edge of every borrowed dollar they could secure. Almost everything they owned was on mortgage.

The cream-painted apartment was tied to Mr. Jimo’s middle-ranged salary and their Chrysler Jeep to Mrs. Jimo’s. It was actually a wonder to everyone just how long they would keep up with their borrowed lifestyle.

The door creaked open and Ivy stepped off to the porch. She was the eldest of the three Jimos’ children. At sixteen, she was already beyond the model-sized women sixteen-year olds ought to be. She was as blown out as a woman in her mid-twenties. She had this uncharacteristic blond with about two gold lock of hair on either side of the midline of her head. She was very pretty, though a good few acnes were already attacking her face. Her only medical and social condition that would make her father lock her in her room for up to two days sometimes was that she fancied Kaila Maentel. That alone for her father was worse than Autism, Schizophrenia, and ADHD all combined.

According to Mr. Jimo, anyone living on or around Tenth Avenue was not worthy of his daughter. None of them had that much money, or the right connections. And these were two traits Mr. Jimo stated would be constant in his would be son-in-law.

Malena was not actually within the realms of Tenth Avenue. Ivy was stopping briefly, in front of the house. Probably, to make a silent wish about the inhabitant of the house she fancied beyond all things. Her presence forced Malena’s eyes downwards to the plains of Tenth Avenue.

Kaila noticed her back stiffen. His gaze had also been attracted to the elegant image of Ivy by some chemical attractants. He actually liked the girl. Malena had caught him a few times following the girl with his eyes.

It was possible that Malena was jealous of the little girl. Kaila often read a dark expression from her face whenever the little girl was about. He was even sure that Malena was not so innocent about a water hose attacking Ivy six months ago when the young girl was trying to flirt with him.

Somehow, his relationship with Malena was beginning to bother him a bit. The cold understanding which existed between them, even without words. And most worrying of all was this feeling that they were a pair for life. They had not even considered tying the knots but the prospect of marriage seemed settled. And despite the fact that he also fancied Ivy, he could never imagine separating from Malena, not even for a day.

Kaheola soon returned to the room with a cup of warm tea. He had left when he was unable to bring Malena back to the room.

Malena was still looking hostile when she turned “As if you know what I need right now.” She said, starting for the door that opened into the hallway.

“You can have this one, I’ll make another one.” Kaheola offered.

“No, don’t bother. Care for one Kyle?” She was almost beyond the door.

“Sure!” Kaila called after her.

“Anything wrong with her?” Kaheola asked innocently.

“Women symptoms, I guess.”

Kaheola’s cell phone began to ring. He fished it out from his trousers pocket and answered. It was Aunty Charlotte requesting to speak with Kaila.

Kaheola passed the phone, and it was then Kaila realized he had also lost his phone during the flight.

“Aunty I am very fine.” Kaila half-shouted into the cell for the third time.

“No, no, no aunty, don’t bother.” Aunty Charlotte had offered to come over.

“Okay, okay, I promise to go back to the hospital.”

Aunty Charlotte promised to call back later and hung up.

“I think I’d better call Aunty Puanani.”

“Good thinking!” Murmured Kaheola. He had switched on the huge Plasma Television and sat down close to it.

“How did you store her name?” Kaila asked, frustrated at having to search the whole phonebook, and not getting as much as a clue.

“Try Pussycat,” Kaheola said, grinning broadly. Kaila could not tell whether he was laughing at his mischievousness; storing his own sister’s name as pussycat. Or he was laughing at the almost nude girls partying beside a pool on the Entertainment Channel.

True to his words, Kaheola had stored Aunty Puanani’s number under ‘Pussycat’. Kaila voiced “it’s not fair,” before dialing the number.

“What you will, only pussycats keep whining about inconsequential things like bills...”

“Hello!”

“Thank God!” Aunty Puanani’s voice was barely audible “I’ve been calling for hours but traffic has been too much.” She breathed. “Have you been to the hospital? Have you...”

On and on, she went. By the time Kaila hung up, he had only spoken a fifth of the whole call, and most of them were monosyllabic answers to her continuous strings of question. In fact, Kaila considered adopting the pussycat nomenclature for Aunty Puanani.

Malena pressed a cup of tea onto Kaila’s free left hand. She had returned while he was on the phone, and had quietly taken a seat beside him.

They spent the next half hour or so watching a movie premiere. During that time Kaheola had remembered he had not yet taken off his shirt, tie and trousers. In earnest, Kaila knew the young man was only escaping to his room because according to him. The movie had no nude scenes, the opposing characters did not kiss deep enough, and there was too little action to go with.

It was not until nine-thirty that night, when there was a knock on the door did Kaila realize they were still on the television. They had tuned from the Entertainment Channel after the Movie Premiere to a Reality Channel. The Channel was reeling a sixty minute Guinness World Record sponsored Record Breakers Program. Currently, they were on a Movie Channel that was showing one movie they had never managed to get enough of.

Kaila answered the door and to his greatest surprise. He found two cops who identified themselves and asked if they could come in to see Malena.

Kaila admitted them and followed behind after closing the door. They were both a tad taller than he was, so he could not really see Malena’s first reaction to them.

He heard Malena make a plosive, and as he rounded the two men. He found that her face was contorted with something close to rage.

“Gave us the slip there Miss!” One of the men commented nodding. Kaila noticed he had a lisp.

“For Heaven’s sakes! Haven’t you guys better things to do?” Malena exploded knotting her hands into fists. “The city of Honolulu is full of tourists who need better protection or at least guidance!”

“We know that Miss, we’re only doing our job.” The cops with the lisp replied. The other one who had not yet spoken after explaining that they were from the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) was taking in the room.

Malena gave a heavy sigh and slumped into the cushion.

“It is my earnest wish that we return soon to our normal duty.” The cop who had not yet spoken said with a firmness and detestfulness, which suggested he had had enough of the types of behavior Malena was exhibiting. And the way his eyes measured her. It was like an Uncle berating his least favourite niece who cared for nothing but her freedom. “But until this present danger passes. I suggest we try to get along.”

Malena snorted. The cop with a lisp sat. The partner brought out a cell phone and dialed a number. Only Kaila remained standing, fixing Malena a worried glance.

Malena motioned him to sit next to her and explained in whispers. Accordingly, there was an attempt to assassinate her mother two days ago. And the HPD had decided to add a layer of security around her and her family.

The cop got through and Kaila could pick up traces of Mrs. Cora Spars voice on the other end of the line. The cop was telling her that they had found Malena where she had directed them and that Malena was fine. The woman had told them to ‘hold base’ that she would be arriving soon.

Kaila could smell trouble. For one, he knew that Mrs. Spars just did not like him as a person. Secondly, she did not ask to speak with Malena, meaning she was either coming for war, or for a kill. He turned around and pretended to be interested in the ER  Diaries the Reality Channel was showing. Even the Temperature of the room seemed to have taken an upward swing though the evening winds of Niu were very chilly.

Within another thirty minutes there was a knock on the door. Kaila knew Inspector Cora Spars was the last person he would love to meet tonight. He rose and walked towards the door.He could see her leaf-like face from the security hole. All the features of her face were mashed together. The eyes were oversized, and so was the nose. The lips were thin and colorless, and the ears were a tad too small in relation to the face. In general, she was a far cry from her beautiful daughter.

The door knob turned under the frozen fingers of Kaila and the door swung slowly inwards. It admitted a short piece of one of Kaila Maentel nightmares. She did not measure much above Kaila’s shoulder but her hair was made up, so that it slanted towards the sky. That gave her an illusion of being taller. Together with the high heel leather boots she wore, she seemed portably and more important than anybody else.

Mrs. Spars did not go straight inside. She stopped to glower at the image of Kaila coming out of the shadow the door made against the wall.

Kaila took the challenge and looked back. He could see the deep blue eyes narrow into patent slits. The eyes were about the only part of her that endeared her to people. Her lips had become so thin; they were like two jointed threads of flesh. Her nostrils were like two miniature black holes. In fact, she seemed to be oozing hatred from every opening of her being.

It occurred to Kaila that soon, he would find himself in police custody over nothing. All what Mrs. Spars needed to do was just nib him as she has always done, then make evidence to put him behind bars for a good number of years. After all, that was what she was known for, and that was why she had risen so fast through the ranks to become the Police Chief of Honolulu Police Department.

In fact, without her method of crime solving, Honolulu would never have become such a peaceful place at every time of the day or night. Or the tourists’ haven it had become. Her handling of the Waikiki Ripper’s case in particular, had been most commendable.

After killing his eleventh victim, and leaving the HPD absolutely no clue. Everyone had come to a conclusion that the case would remain a mystery. Panic had gripped the entire city of Honolulu as to who would be the next Victim. Why the crime was so alarming, was the fact that anyone could be attacked; man, woman, young, and old. And the scenes of the crime were so far apart that it was almost impossible to pinpoint where the next attack would likely be.

Mrs. Cora Spars had taken the case personally. She often signed off from work before dark most days to explore everywhere the ripper was likely to be. Her inquisitiveness paid off sooner than she thought. She found herself on the path of becoming the ripper’s number thirteenth victim. She had fought off the man, but had not managed to secure any evidence except the man’s voice before she passed out to losing too much blood.

It was in the hospital that she had realized the extent of the damage. She had served more than three weeks on the hospital bed. This period of time had seen the ripper add five more victims to his bloody record. The panic had grown in intensity, even the cops were no longer safe.

Other criminals had seized the opportunity to perpetuate their crimes. And though most of them were nabbed, the Waikiki Ripper (named thus because his first few crimes were in Waikiki) remained at large.

The Governor of Hawai’i was on the verge of applying extreme measures. But Cora pre-empted him. She went into one Waikiki neighbourhood and arrested a man who was cleaner than wool. His home was clean, and so was his track record, his travel pattern, and every other thing that was of investigative importance.

To make matters worse, the suspect was well connected. The chief at Cora’s station had been asked to free the suspect. But the chief had been one of those people who believed so much in Cora Spars and had stood by her. He had even playfully told Cora that if the suspect came out clean, they would both be going down together.

Under twenty four hours Cora had been able to come up with a feeble case for a hearing. The hearing had been adjourned to a later date. Within this time, Cora was able to pick up on a mistake the suspect had made during one of his acts. With that she had forced a confession out of the suspect.

In the end, John Baines was convicted for multiple charges of first degree murder. He was handed a life sentence without the possibility of a parole. Cora on the other hand, had been promoted and awarded a Medal. She marked her time, until she was able to replace her boss two years ago.

The eye battle between Mrs. Spars and Kaila lasted merely seconds. But it seemed to have stretched into eternity, and as the woman turned to go further inside, Kaila dawdled behind, pretending to close the door.

Malena rose to meet her mother. She was a little taller, and seemed to march the older woman scowl for scowl. She had folded the canvas of her beautiful face many times over. Her pink print T-shirt, which was neither sleeveless nor covered much of her arm contrasted with her mother’s charcoal overcoat.

“How dare you!” Mrs. Spars threw at her daughter before coming to stand in front of her.

Neither spoke for quite a while after the bark from Mrs. Spars. They merely stood motionless where they were. Kaila thought, if only he could get a better vantage point. He would see the sparks flying from each of their eyes. Or the laser beams of anger or hatred connecting their gazes.

It was very clear how much the two women had in common; nothing. In truth, if Mrs. Spars had been the man, she may have accused her wife of bringing home someone else’s child.

In sharp contrast to her mother, Malena was tall and slender. With generous eyes and lips, and a complexion that was fiery. Her bust was full and heavy, and so was her hips. And her hair was a thick mass of pearly black strings hanging from her head. In truth, the slick roundness of her face, coupled with the icy bluish tincture of her eyes, and teeth, which were well-shaped bars of snowy pearl made her extremely beautiful. And as she was locked in silent converse with her mother. The visible part of her face was almost flaming, and the top of her pearly hair seemed to be rising against gravity.

“They say, it is only when a child is in the womb,” it was Mrs. Spars who spoke again. “That she shares a path to the grave with her mother. The moment she is born,” she paused, probably, for some effect. “That path is cleft in two. And one is dedicated solely to her.”

Kaila heard some murmur outside the door. He realized that Mrs. Spars could not have come alone. She was also supposed to be on full protection.

“I shall have a moment.” Mrs. Spars was saying. Her eyes had turned to the two cops, then snapped round to Kaila.

Kaila sighed; the woman just did not know how to ask. Perhaps, being in power was as intoxicating as being under alcohol. It robbed one of the fair ownership of simple courtesies

The two cops strode past him and exited the room through the outer door. Kaila could hear them exchanging greetings with the other cops outside. He could also feel Mrs. Spars eyes, boring holes through him even if she was not looking.

Kaila stirred; he strode past mother and daughter, using the door through which Kaheola had left the living room with, earlier on. But there was no haste in his steps as he closed the door firmly behind him.

“What is wrong with you ‘Leena?” It was the brusque voice of Mrs. Spars. “Or what have I done wrong?” She continued as if she was not asking a question. “Ever since your father died. You’ve...”

“Don’t you dare mention his name!” Malena interjected.

“Why?”

“Because you killed him!”

Mrs. Spars did not say anything in response to the accusation. And Kaila understood why, at least to some extent. He had gone on feeling guilty for anything bad or terrifying that happened to people because he was there. And it was a really nasty feeling that could hurt one’s peace of mind. Yet, what if someone had walked up to him and told him, he was responsible for their plight. Like Malena was doing right now to her mother.

“Because if you hadn’t been such a nagging companion. My father would not have left that night. He would not have thought so absently of what was awaiting him at home, or would he have lost control and crashed the car against the bridge.”

“For Heaven sakes, I did what every responsible woman who wants her marriage to succeed would have done.”

Kaila could only imagine from the hallway what colour his living room would have turned right now.

“Maybe not quite.” Malena purred.

“Your father was a cheat!” Mrs. Spars shouted. Kaila knew the woman had reached steaming level. “It was only a matter of time...”

“My father was no cheat.” Malena retorted. “And even if he was, you may have taught him.”

“I will not be spoken to like that!”

“I will speak any...” Malena did not finish the defiant speech and Kaila knew why. He heard the sound from beyond the door. Mrs. Spars had slapped Malena.

Kaila did not hear anything significant after that. Within seconds, he heard the outer door slam so hard. He could bet a few Dollars that the hinges made a few complaints. He tiptoed to his room. He did not think, going to Malena at the moment would be a worthwhile exercise.

Kaila’s room was as untidy as he had left it four days ago. Well, it was as expected. And that is, if you have Kaheola as both a minor uncle and a house mate. Someone who hardly washed his innermost clothing, or sweep his room could never graduate to tidying the Living room, kitchen, or garage. Last of all places, would be tidying someone else’s room or the compound.

And truthfully, the young man started all such behaviors very early in life. According to Aunty Puanani, Kaheola had dependency issues. But to Kaila and the rest of the family, it was nothing other than pure bred laziness.

Everyone though, kept wondering where Kaheola got such a trait from. History had been kind enough to reveal that the last few generations of the Kawikas were very hardworking people. But then, laziness depended on the context in which it was defined. Someone could be very lazy in one area, but very hardworking in the other. So truly lazy people should be those who had no particular areas in which they worked hard, or were ready to do so, if the need arose.

Therefore, Kaheola was not truly speaking, a lazy person. His main headache was physical work; he just did not like them. Naturally, he would not do any except he was asked to, begged, or even forced to. Even at that, he often sought every means available to escape.

Kaila jumped on the bed once he was within range. His mind was already trying to put together all the things that had happened during the course of the day. He had been in two separate places since morning; Bethany and Honolulu. Maybe many other places if one was thinking of instantaneous destinations during the flight.

So much had happened between those two places than had happened in twenty-two years of living. He had bade goodbye to an unwilling aunty Charlotte, and through one drop of tear he had found upon her cheek. He had come to understand that he was not really alone in the world as he often thought. There were people who truly loved him; families through which the springs of love had not yet ceased to flow.

This morning, Kaila Maentel had known he truly belonged to a family. And not by virtue of his blood alone, he meant more than just one other nephew. And Uncle Kaheola had buttressed that believe. He had left his office, with or without permission, and had drove straight home to know if his nephew was okay. Even Aunty Puanani would have given anything to beat the virtual traffic of telephone users, just to get through to him.

Kaila had also learnt of some latent abilities, stored somewhere within his body or his soul. Abilities that were responsive mostly to danger, and would make him do anything he needed to do.

One thing, more than anything was sure. Something he had been able to pick up from all that had happened, was the fact he was not exactly what one would describe as normal. And as his mind nudged the window apart, and ventured into the night. He realized the day had also been very costly in terms of strength. He was already in deep debt as he lay, struggling to balance the burden of sleep against his weary bones. Truth was, he was not able to, and soon, he was overwhelmed. He sank under the yoke of a very blissful sleep that had no dreams, no nightmares. He might have been dead for all he knew.