Chapter 17

“How’s your mother?” Dusty asked nonchalantly.

Zeke was totally thrown by that question. “Why?” he asked cautiously.

Dusty gave him a broad smile. “Well, I haven’t seen her in thirteen years, and I was wondering how Patty was.”

Zeke moaned, “She hates being called Patty. The only person she let get away with it was her sister. She ripped Frank a new one when he called her that after her sister died, thirteen years ago.”

“My mum said I was only allowed to call her Aunt Patricia. We planned to visit you on Mars after I turned ten, but Mum was killed. Dad took me north to Port Douglas instead.”

Zeke was staring at the woman as a kaleidoscope of images of a fearless, red-headed, nine-year-old girl flashed through his head. She was six months older than him and took charge of all of their games. He shook his head in wonderment.

“I’m not the least bit surprised that you’re a cop, Dusty.”

She cocked her head and grinned, “You always wanted to fly and be a wizard.”

“Huh, you always played at being the Queen of Wizards and said that she would be the ultimate cop.”

“Give me time. It can still happen,” Dusty pouted.

They started laughing.

“So, is the official visit over?”

Dusty shrugged, “Yes. I’ll accept that you’re a good wizard. I’ll get you, your fuel and release your ship.”

“Good, come with me,” Zeke said and grabbed her hand.

“Where are we going?” she asked as she adapted to his long stride. He was as tall as her husband, James.

Zeke grinned and walked her through the now open, hold doorway. Over his shoulder, he called, “Lock up, Freya.”

Dusty heard a female voice reply, “Yes, Captain.”

“Girlfriend?” she inquired.

“The ship,” Zeke chuckled as they walked down the wide hallway.

Most people didn’t even realise it wasn’t flat but curved. He stopped at the next open airlock. He was in luck as the twins were vacuuming the hold. He didn’t see Sabrina or Joey.

“Hey, I got us a visitor.”

The brothers turned to watch Zeke enter with a gorgeous redhead.

“Wow! Where did you find her?” Paul asked, ogling Dusty.

Zeke grinned, “Well, this cousin is actually related to all three of us by blood.”

The twins frowned and glanced at each other.

“You two were five and a half when we visited her on Earth.”

“Oh, wow! That was an awesome holiday,” Dallas grinned. “I must say, Dusty, you sure have grown up to be as pretty as your mum. Can you cook like her?”

Dusty choked up at the innocent question. Seeing the twins and Zeke brought back a bucket full of awesome memories. She had almost died of shock when she read their names on the report and had to come to the Station to see if it was them.

Patricia had stopped answering her dad’s emails after her mum, Riley, died. Still, Zeke had written regularly until just before she turned twelve. She had loved getting the pictures and emails from him and was disappointed when she didn’t get a silly birthday email from him.

She turned to Zeke, “Hey, how come you stopped answering my emails just before my twelfth birthday?”

Zeke frowned, and then his expression darkened. He was then surprised when Paul replied.

“Frank smashed his computer with his tablet and then cancelled his cloud account after they had a big argument. Mum went off the deep end because all Zeke’s mid-year assignments were on the cloud or his computer. He had to do them all again, and they were due in a week. Mum had to set up all his school stuff on her work machine.”

Dallas chuckled ruefully, “That started the next argument, ‘cause Mum refused to do the accounts or even talk to Dad until Zeke had a new computer. Frank lasted three weeks before he snarled at her to get Zeke one, but he had to pay for it. Things were frosty for a while.”

Paul grinned, “You should have seen it. It was a beauty. Mum even got him his own internet account that his trust fund paid for since it was an educational expense. She even put new locks, electronic and manual, on his bedroom door so no one could touch it or go into his room.”

“Frank was really pissed when Zeke wouldn’t give him access. I don’t remember Zeke or Frank exchanging more than two words that month. It did suck that Zeke was housebound.”

Dallas rolled his eyes. “Well, it was a bit hard for him to get around with his right leg and arm in plaster and his broken ribs. Dad was a shit. Once Zeke’s room was fixed, Dad wouldn’t let him stay downstairs while he was bashed up.”

Dusty had never met the twins’ father, but he sounded like a piece of work. Suspiciously, she asked, “Why was Zeke busted up?”

The twins clamped up and looked at Zeke bleakly.

Zeke sighed and decided it wouldn’t harm anyone to tell Dusty.

“I’d been out prospecting on my skimmer. I found the entrance to a cavern. It was deep down in a rift. In the cavern, I found a jewel-covered golden box. It was a magical box, and it claimed me. When I got home, I was so excited, I showed Mum.”