The Departure Protocol

Chapter 14

"She means no harm, uncle," Wared said, and hurried to Tarun's side. He pulled Tarun to his feet and helped him in the living room where they sat down on the couch. Shea took one of the chairs opposite them.

Tarun cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair as he stared at Shea. "I saw you. You were there, at the Departure."

Shea nodded. "I was."

Wared looked at Tarun, his eyebrows raised. "You know her?"

"We met at my place," Shea said with a smirk, and leaned back as she crossed her legs.

Wared furrowed his eyebrows. "What does that mean?"

"I came looking for what is mine."

Tarun gasped and swallowed. "I don't have it anymore."

Shea leaned forward towards Tarun. "I know," she said, then looked at Wared. "A certain someone managed to lose it."

Tarun's eyes widened as Wared shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You lost it?" he said after a few moments, his voice slightly raised. "You lost the memory card?"

Wared put his hands up and shifted away from Tarun on the couch. "Wait a second. Yes, I don't have the card anymore, but I didn't lose it," he said and shot a glare in the direction of Shea. He then proceeded to tell Wared about what had happened after he left the hospital, how Henrin had paid him a visit with full knowledge of their conversation at the hospital.

"He knew exactly what to look for," Wared said with a sigh.

Tarun stood up and walked over to the window, his face covered with his hands. He exhaled forcefully, then gazed out the window for a moment before he turned to face Wared.

"This is a disaster," he whispered.

"That's why we're here," Shea said. "Because of what has happened, you're in danger. We need to get you out of here and to safety."

Tarun looked up with raised eyebrows. "Get me out of here? To where?"

Shea hesitated for a moment. "My place."

Tarun stepped closer. "By the trail?"

Shea nodded. "You can't stay in the city. The Protectorate will come for you if you stay here."

"What happens after I leave?"

"I don't understand."

Tarun sat back down on the couch. "Think about it. I've just been elevated to Elder. I hear that people already see what happened as some sort of miracle. I guess I do too, since I expected to be dead."

"Dead?" Wared said, "Why would you be dead? The Departure is the greatest experience of our lives, the start of a new journey."

Tarun looked at Shea. "Well, it's the start of a new journey, that's true, but it's also the end. Shea, would you care to explain since I suspect you know more about this topic than I do."

Shea sighed and looked at Tarun, then at Wared. She then nodded and clasped her hands around her knee.

"Tarun is right. The memory card you had, Wared, contained information about the execution of what the Protectorate calls the Departure Protocol. Tarun stole this from me after I rescued him."

Wared sat straight up. "You rescued him from what?"

"After he fell on his hike."

"You didn't tell me about this," Wared said and turned Tarun. "When did this happen"

"The day before the Departure ceremony. I was on my way back from the Outlook and I fell. I took the memory card from the facility where she patched me up."