Horizon Seeds (Complete)

Chapter Fifteen

Headline: POLITICIANS SCOFF SUPPOSED ALIEN MEDICAL AID
Headline: MILITARY ANGERED OVER OTHSHALI'I WEAPONS WITHDRAWAL
Headline: ALASKAN PIRATES RESPONSIBLE FOR CHINESE LOST FOOD AID
Headline: NATALIA TO VISIT THE COUNTRY IN PROMOTIONS TOUR
Headline: CRIMINAL COMMUNITY EXPLODE BOMB DAMAGING ALIEN SHUTTLE

'Val, your dad wants you over at his place as soon as you're dressed.' Angelique popped her head into the guest room just as Val was finished getting dressed after the accident. She took one look at Valerie sitting on the edge of her bed and stepped all the way into the room. 'You OK, Honey?'

'Yeah, I guess so. I just realised that I could have died. I think that is the closest I've come to getting killed on the job and it was right here at Kauaeranga.'

'Oh, Val. I so sorry that happened to you and I am glad you came out of it relatively OK.' The elder woman took Val's clasped hands and helped her stand up. 'Let's get you a hot cuppa that you can take over to George's.'

Angelique armed the police woman with a mug of coffee that had the words 'There's a chance this is whiskey' and then proceeded to pour a shot of Jim Beam into the cup.

'Angelique, where did you get that? I can't drink this, I'm on duty.' She was laughing and took a sip of the coffee anyway.

'No one will know, that why you're using that mug. And since when is a bombing victim back on duty the same day? You tell that boss of yours to come talk to me if you have any problems.' She was right of course, her boss had already called her before she got into the shower to clean up and instructed her to take the next two days paid leave. He still admonished her to get the job done, but the bluster had gone out of his voice. I mean, someone set a bomb off at the community. It wasn't normal.

Val thanked her hostess for the drink and left the guest house in borrowed slippers and made her way over to the home she grew up in as a child. It was the only home she knew until her mother died and it all went to hell in a hand basket. There was a time where she was willing to follow in her father's footsteps, to fight for freedom to grow their own produce and give away what they didn't need. She was completely on board with freedom for community growers, even had a shirt with 'As produce grows, so goes the nation' but that all changed when her mother died and her father checked out. She lost her faith in her father, in everything.

The side gate to George's house was open and Fitz met her at the veranda. Looked at the dressing on her brow then looked at the mug Val was carrying.

'You know it won't work, we all know Angie using that mug when she gets on the piss.' He chuckled and pulled the cop into a hug. 'I thought you were a goner when I heard you were buried under the shed.' Val held still to let the man get a hold of his emotions. He hugged her a moment, took a deep breath and let her go. She faced him and smiled, reassuring him she was OK.

She moved into the house, through the kitchen and lounge but didn't find George until she entered his library. The room was exactly as she remembered it, except that it had a few more potted plants and loads more books, real books. The French doors were open letting in a breeze that wafted the sheer organza curtains into great big billowing clouds. She had always loved those curtains. She found her father, he was sitting in an antique wing back chair at the end of the room with his head in one hand. His eyes were closed and she thought he was asleep until he took a deep breath and looked up. She stepped into view, preparing for another argument but the look on his face drain all the fight out of her. He looked scared, almost like the ghosts of yester-year were haunting him. When he realised it was Val in the room, he stood and strode to her and wrapped his arms around her, nearly causing her to spill her drink. It took a moment for his breath to slow back to normal, then he pulled her in front of him and looked her over.