Entanglement

The chair is pinching his upper arm, but Eric ignores the discomfort. He’s almost got the ropes loose enough to get his hand free. He kick moves with his feet. The effect rolls him a little more left. There. Now he really struggles against the bindings. A few minutes ago he finally got the chair to fall over, backwards. Turns out it was easy to topple. Once he got it free from the floor.

The resulting topple, left him facing up at the ceiling. With his hands behind his back. After some effort, he rolled over enough, to get this far with his hands. He looks at the walls around him as he struggles. Books. Every wall he can see, has books. Is he in a library? If so, it’s a private one. The rope around his wrists loosens a little more. The chair is still pinching his upper arm, but it’s nothing if he can…just…There!

His hand snaps up, and out, of the looped bindings. Immediately, he uses it to roll himself off his other hand. The feeling of the blood rushing back into his lower arm and hand, feels like millions of pin pricks. However, it is a welcome feeling as Eric rolls his shoulders. He is still laying on his back, with his feet tied to the chair, but his arms are now free. Maybe if he hadn’t been thinking about that so deeply, he would have heard the door open. Then, a loud whack sound, followed by blinding pain from his shin. He shudders, and passes out, mid scream.

Emma watches Callisto. He is still on his phone, but it’s another entity now. Who in the actual hell is he anyway? Although she knows some of his story from Mary Elizabeth. She helped Emma see some of the connections. However, it did little to explain the mystery of Callisto. For example, how did he come by the connections he has? Furthermore, he seems to know what happened to Eric. Tiny, now posted on the front porch, waits patiently.

With this in mind, Emma is ready to move. According to Callisto, they can’t be more than a few hours behind. Emma listened to Callisto and Mary Elizabeth’s conversation. Furthermore, they discussed certain items that were in the shipping containers. Emma thinks back to the shipping containers she and Eric spent so much time unpacking. Additionally she thinks about their new home. Finally complete after all this time. And now Eric is missing. They haven’t even had one full year in the place, yet.

She listens to Callisto’s conversation. Whoever he’s speaking with has him agitated. However, they seem to know where Eric is. Therefore her ears listen intently to the conversation. Yet her spirit suddenly feels alarmed. A feeling of dread and panic washes over her. Cold chills race up her spine, and Eric’s face swims into her mind. Hurry. She feels it throughout her core. Hurry.

The Retrieval of Jupiter’s Heart

Callisto listens carefully. They have a shot, but if they move too quickly, it will make things worse. He is also aware that Emma is listening to every word he speaks. This is related to his father, and the loose ends that have now come to roost. Benjamin Thomas couldn’t have planned for every contingency. Callsto had to hand it to his old man, though. He was nothing if not perceptive.

This is how they knew where to find Eric. He pauses that thought. Mary Elizabeth knew how they could find him. She had the extra input revealing the location. It was uncanny how she put it together so quickly. However, Callisto learned early in life to never underestimate his twin sister. Their connection is more like an entanglement sometimes.

As Callisto listens to the voice on the other end of the line he notices Emma’s face turns pale. The she swoons, and begins to fall. He reacts, trying to catch her, but Tiny is there first. He catches Emma, as she faints, keeping her safe from hitting the floor.

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