The Song of the Keepers

Chapter 22 Explanations

"Look Daaow, to be perfectly honest, I'm trying to get Kyle away from the Keepers."
I started, keeping my hands open and in front of me.

"So this was all just a ploy to get a plane?"

I hated the twinge of disappointment in his tone.

"Yes, I'm afraid it is."

"I can't believe this. I thought we were becoming friends Hadassah. Instead, you were going to sedate me, or kill me if Kyle had his way, to help a murderer flee justice?"

"Daaow, there's a lot more to it than that."
I protested.

"Did you expect to really get away with it? Shane's been keeping a close eye on Kyle, they've probably already noticed his absence. You are willing to wreck your entire life in an attempt to free this fool? There's a reason he doesn't have any friends Hadassah."
Daaow shook his head, pressing the knife closer to Kyle's throat.

"Shane won't notice him missing, and neither will anyone else, I've arranged for them to believe he has committed suicide."
I avoided mentioning the involvement of my friends, if this continued going badly, we didn't all need to lose our heads over it.

Daaow just shook his head at me.

"Did you put her up to this? Make her feel guilty that she wasn't helping her mentor?"
He demanded of Kyle.

"No, it's not like that! It was my idea, my plan. He didn't even want to go through with it at first."
I hurriedly interjected.

"Why would you defend him? Why would you help him?"
Daaow asked in bewilderment.

"Because he's my friend, and I protect my friends."
I responded firmly.

"So you're telling me if there was another in his place, Newton, Nyx, or Emily perhaps, you would go through the same trouble?"

"Yes."
I didn't have to think about that answer.

Daaow seemed to chew on this for a moment.

"So what's your big plan, steal the plane and you two escape into the wild living like the pathetic hill tribesmen until you eventually die of starvation or are caught by Keeper patrols?"

"Not in the slightest. We are going to retrieve Kyle's family and find a good place to drop them outside the Wall so they might find the hill tribes if they wish or make their way to the Federation."

Daaow's eyebrow popped upwards.

"You have a family?"
He said incredulously to Kyle.

"A wife and daughter."
Kyle gritted out in return.

"What poor woman would have married you? Your daughter must be in her teens by now. She can't have known you. What makes you think they would want to pick up their entire lives to go with a stranger into the unknown?"

I saw the fear rise up in Kyle's eyes and I could have slapped Daaow for the comments. I had worked so hard to convince Kyle this was the right thing to do and in a few short minutes, Daaow was unraveling the entire plot.

"They may not, but it's at least worth asking."
I spoke before Kyle could get a word in.

"You know him to be a murderer, don't you? You don't presume that he has been falsely accused?"
Daaow asked.

"Yes, I know Kyle has killed many times. I know he's done a plethora of horrible things, that I am unaware of. I know what he is capable of because I have trained with him and I have killed with him."