Chapter 20

(Varick?) Alan thought to the man, (I think that you and Angelika need to come here as soon as possible.)

Alan could feel the confusion in Varick’s thoughts. (Alright we’ll be there as soon as possible.) Varick replied.

Emory was watching Alan as he was having a conversation with Varick. “Is everything alright?” Emory asked.

Shocked out of his thoughts Alan told him, “Yes sir, they should be along in a few minutes. It appears that the women are still shopping.” Alan said with a sigh. Emory started to laugh then nod he could remember giving up after trying to stop his wife from shopping years ago; especially when she was as in to it as the two young ladies appeared to be.

A few minutes later the two doors of the shops that all of them had gone into opened.

Varick and Harman swiftly moved to Alan’s side concern apparent on both of their faces. “I thought you said that we’d have no further problems after the talk you had with their leader.” Varick told Alan on guard for any sudden movement toward them.

“For the moment we have no problems, though what this man here has to say might lead to some.” Alan told a confused Varick and Harman. “Let’s just wait ‘til the women are here ok?”

Varick and Harman both nodded looking around at the amount of people, there were more than a few there that didn’t feel like the villagers.

A moment later they were joined by Angelika and Truda, both also with a look of concern on their faces. “We heard,” Angelika said. “I thought everything was good?”

Alan smirked a moment then replied, “As far as I can tell everything is. Apparently, the young woman’s father was impressed, as she said ‘Father was impressed when you brought me back and wished to talk to you. You are the first that have been here as long as you have and haven’t made a move, threatened or attacked. Father wished to ask you what your intentions are and if you would consider joining with us?’ I told them we all had to be here for something as big as the nature of this.”

Varick was nodding then scanned the crowd. Varick’s eyes coming to rest on the older man in the center of all those present. Then he did a double take, “I am sorry for staring but you appear to be familiar.” Varick told the man.

The older man stepped forward his shining, keen eyes wide as he took in Varick then Angelika. “I have to say sir,” the man started, “you also appear to seem familiar.”

Alan was nodding a wide smile breaking out on his face. “I think that all of you will be, to each other. Please sir,” Alan said looking at the older man, “please tell my uncle your name.”

The older man looked at Alan with a look of disbelief, “Uncle? You are joking; you both appear to be the same age. There is no...” The man stopped mid sentence staring even harder at Varick and the other three. “What is your last name?”

Varick sadly shook his head, “None of us know much of our past is gone. I am Varick, this is my sister Angelika. These are our friends Harman and his sister Truda.”

“Varick..., “ the old man was whispering as he slowly stepped toward Varick. Touching the side of Varick’s face the old man drew back as if he were shocked. “Brother is it really you?” Turning toward Angelika, tears now streaming freely down his face. “Sister? My god you are still as beautiful as you were then!”

Angelika pulled back from the man as if she’d been burned, “Sister!? Just who the hell are you? What kind of sick and twisted joke is this?” She spit at the older man.

The old man retreated back as if he’d been punched. “I guess it has been far too long for either of you to remember me.” The older man whispered. Looking at Alan the man’s eyes were almost pleading with him to help.

Sighing Alan stood up between the old man and the siblings. “Maybe this will help?” Alan asked passing a hand over the older man.

There were more than a half a dozen gasps heard as the older man was suddenly regressing in age. In place of the older man was now a teen of 18 or 19. “H ... h ... how?” The teen was stuttering.

“Ok, that’s a new trick we haven’t seen you do before,” A smirking Truda said. Looking Alan over closely she said, “What other things are you hiding?”

“Emory? My god! Is that you? We all saw you gunned down! They carried you out and threw your body away like trash!” They heard Harman’s voice.

It was the teen’s turn to smirk, “All of you forgot the game we used to play? Stop the stick? Come on I know you all remember it!”

Tears now streaming down her face Angelika bowed her head and whispered, “We just got our memories of you back an hour ago. Please forgive me brother I was so afraid, so terrified when I saw you go down. I thought they had killed you and were about to start on us!”

Varick and Emory both moved to comfort Angelika who was a mass of crying flesh at their feet. Gasping a moment when both males put their arms around her, then she sighed and relaxed.

Several of the shocked men had taken a step forward, but were stopped when the teen put up a hand and they all stopped dead in their tracks.