Chapter 47: The Search Continues
Laverick poked his head into the room. Inside, Tarren was asleep on his bed. Instantaneously, Laverick recognized him as the man who had scolded him earlier. I think that guy’s their leader. The key’s gotta be in here! I have to look. But I gotta be super-duper careful not to wake him up. He quietly tiptoed inside.
Among the furniture, Laverick spotted a dresser, a bookshelf, and a desk as potential hiding places for the treasure he sought. Selecting the dresser as his first mark, he softly approached it. Gently placing his hand on the first drawer, he gradually opened it to find several pairs of pants and undergarments. Aw man, now I gotta search through undies.
Deciding to start with the pants, Laverick lifted each pair and looked underneath them. He found nothing. Sticking his hand into every one of the pockets produced the same results. He cringed as he viewed the undergarments, partitioned on the other side of the drawer. Unwillingly, he checked under and between each neatly folded pair of underwear. Nothing here, he thought as he checked the final pair. Phew! Glad that’s over. Okies, next drawer.
Unexpectedly, Tarren let out a loud snort and rolled onto his side. Startled, Laverick froze. He slowly turned his head toward the bed, and was alleviated to find that Tarren was still asleep. Letting out a soft sigh of relief, he returned to his task.
Laverick tediously searched the rest of the dresser, but alas, was unable to find the key. Shutting the final drawer, he delicately advanced toward the desk. His eyes were drawn to a map lying on its surface. As he studied it, he was alarmed when his mother suddenly remarked, “What a delightful find, darling! It seems to be a map of the In Between. My! What detail!” She paused. “Take it, Son. I’d like to examine it once we return to Kieran Forest.” Complying, Laverick carefully rolled up the map and placed it into his bag.
Glancing at Tarren to ensure his slumber had remained uninterrupted, Laverick discreetly explored the contents of the desk. While he found ink, several pens, blank parchment, and various documents among other things, he failed to locate the key. Dang it. Guess I gotta look through the bookshelf – and it’s right by his bed! I gotta be super-duper-extra-wextra quiet!
Tiptoeing his way to the bookshelf, Laverick suddenly halted when he made an astonishing discovery. His eyes widened as a grin swept across his face. There, partially obscured by the pillow which Tarren rested his head on, was a ring containing several keys.
“Fantastic!” Veronica proclaimed cheerfully.
* * * *
Lord Quinn crinkled his brow as Veronica opened her eyes and turned to him smiling. “He’s found a ring of keys,” she announced. “I’m positive one of them must open the chest.”
“We can only hope,” Lord Quinn responded. “While I’m pleased by this news, there is no cause for celebration until the fragment is in his possession.” He sipped his coffee. “We’re not out of the woods quite yet.”
* * * *
Using extreme caution, Laverick inched his hand toward the keys. When at last he held them, he gingerly pulled them out from under the pillow. Despite his vigilant manner, they jingled profusely as he lifted them off of the bed. A shot of pure terror surged down his spine as Tarren mumbled and tossed. No, no, no!! Laverick screamed in his head, while externally remaining completely still. Much to his surprise, Tarren eventually ceased moving, and appeared to remain asleep. Shaken by the close call, Laverick stood in place for a short duration as a bead of sweat ran down his face. Then, gripping the keys with both hands and holding them closely to his chest in order to prevent further jingling, he exited the bedroom as quietly as he’d entered.
Once he was safely back in the hallway, Laverick stuffed the keys into his bag. As he did so, Veronica returned her focus to him. “You have the keys! Outstanding work, Son! Now the only obstacle remaining is that guard.”
“Uh-huh,” Laverick whispered. “I still dunno how I’m gonna do that.”
“It’s simple,” Veronica replied. “Use the shovel to knock him out. Remember?”
Laverick shook his head repeatedly. “No way, Ma! I’m gonna be in big trouble if I mess up.”
“Don’t think about what if,” she snapped, “just do it!”
“But Maaaa,” he whined, “what if it’s super loud and wakes everyone up? I still need time to figure out how the heck I’m ‘sposed to get outta here!”
There was a pause. Somewhat astounded by her son’s logical argument, Veronica responded, “I didn’t think about that.”
Laverick briefly examined the hallway around him, making sure it remained empty. “So what do I do then?”
“I’m not sure, Son.” Veronica answered, following a short delay.
Laverick crinkled his brow. “B-but Ma! I got the key and everything! We gotta come up with something!”
“Complaining isn’t helping me think, Son!!” she harshly bellowed.
Laverick looked down at his feet. “Sorry, Mommy...”
After a few moments had passed, Veronica suddenly spoke. “I’ve got it! It’s absolutely brilliant! Why didn’t I think of this before?”
“Think of what, Ma?!” Laverick quietly responded.
“Return to the kitchen,” she ordered. “I have a perfect solution to our little dilemma.”
“The kitchen?” Laverick asked, baffled by his mother’s request.
Veronica chuckled. “Trust me, darling. That fragment is practically ours already. All you must do is follow my instructions to a tee.” Still oblivious to what exactly his mother had in mind, Laverick proceeded to the base’s kitchen.