Ninety-seven: Whistlor

I'd been 'darling'-ed for so long, I'd almost gone and forgotten my name. It took a while coming back to me. Unless Dr Eisor had done that on purpose to make me forget. I scowled.

"It's all right. We need your name if we're going to deliver you back to where you belong. In the city, right? A lot of the city got destroyed in the war and people got displaced. We need your name to help you."

"Jean," I said eventually, tired of crouching in the back of this four wheeled drive. "My name is Jean. I'm coming out now."

I wobbled a bit on my sore ankle/foot, but they stabilised me.

"We've got to take you back to the station first, Jean. We need to look you up in the database and find out if your home is still there."

"All right," I said, allowing them to help me into their car. Wondering how to tell them what they wanted without mentioning Kiran or them finding out who I really was, because once they figured it out, there would be the hugest fuss. I didn't want a fuss. "Thank you," I said to the joggers who nodded at me.

At the station, I hobbled in on Spiky Chin's arm and then froze when an incredulous Whistlor rose from behind a desk.

"You. It's you. You're back!"

I scrambled into a panicked, limping run to get away and would have got away if one of the Rangers hadn't grabbed my arm. The door we had come in was blocked by other Rangers who had just come in and didn't know what was going on. The other Rangers looked uncertain.

"Don't let her escape," Whistlor barked at the other Rangers and then focussed all his attention back on me. "Where have you been all this time?" he demanded. "Don't you know that Kiran has pretty much gone mad with trying to find you? He's obsessed. Where have you been hiding? What have you been planning in that selfish, evil mind of yours?"

"Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" I screamed, recalling the last time I had seen him. My heart thudded in my chest. I backed myself into a wall. Hiding behind a tall indoor palm in a corner didn't stop him from reaching out to shake me by the shoulders. I fought him off, falling and scrabbling to get away from the horrible man. "Don't touch me," I sobbed.

"I won't," Whistlor held his hands up, a bit taken aback by my strong reaction and more than a little wary. Other Rangers were trying to pull him away, so that they could get close enough to calm my panicked self down. "I'm not touching you, see?"

Hugging myself behind the plant, I sobbed, while other Rangers asked Whistlor questions about me.

"Don't let her fool you," Whistlor told them. "She's a dirty schemer that you can't trust. She's smarter than she looks and almost as devious as Dr Eisor. We have to keep an eye on her and get word to Kiran."

"Why's she so scared of you?"

"Can't think why," Whistlor shrugged. "I never did anything to hurt her."

I laughed at that. Just laughed. And cried. Now I remembered why I had stopped talking last time. I hadn't been able to open my mouth for fear Kiran found out what one of his best friend's had done. For fear Whistlor and Dr Eisor might kill me.

"Don't," I gasped at the Rangers trying to coax me out from behind the plant. "Don't touch me. Please."

"We won't touch you," they said, keeping their distance. "You obviously know Whistlor. Tell us why you're so scared of him."

"Is he still there?"

"He's gone," one of them glanced back. "He's gone into another room. All right?"

"Thank God," I tried to calm my sobs. They were years late in coming. "Thank God."

"Why are you so scared of Whistlor?" Spiky Chin repeated, passing me a blanket that someone had passed to him, which I hugged to me, while I huddled in the corner.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Was it safe to tell them? How could I tell them? They'd obviously believe Whistlor over me. He'd probably find a way to kill me.

"Jean," said Spiky Chin, while someone whispered in his ear, having come from an area out of my sight. "Jean Wallace, right? You've been missing for nearly two years."

Two years? See, I knew that doctor had lied to me.

"Where have you been?"

Where had I been? Excellent question. In a mountain hole. Somewhere. Out there. High up on a mountain. Deep in a mountain. Which mountain though, I didn't know. No doubt Kiran would. Perhaps they'd go hunt the doctor there now, although there wasn't much point anymore. The doctor had gone into hiding, in part, as self-exile, so that he could put away all the things he'd done for the Boskies. In part, because he just didn't want to go to trial and then be sent to prison. He didn't want me to tell and I owed him. I owed him my legs, my voice and my good health. He'd taken very good care of me.

"Kiran's on the phone. Wants to talk to her."

"Jean, will you talk to Kiran?"

The phone was passed to me and I looked at it, holding it with a hand that trembled.

"Jean," said Kiran's voice. "Jean, are you all right? Listen, stay there with the Rangers. I'll be a few hours, but I'm coming, all right? You'll be safe there. They said you can walk and talk again. I'm so excited and happy for you. Wait for me. You can talk to them if you want or you can wait until I get there, but let them take you to a quiet room where everyone won't see you."

"Mmm," was all I could manage. I didn't know why the tears started flowing faster at his voice. I missed his arms around me. Why would I miss him? This possessive, abusive stalker.

"Good girl. Now give them the phone back."

I handed the phone back and slowly stood up, clutching the blanket. After Kiran had finished speaking to Spiky Chin on the phone, I edged out of the corner and allowed him to support me to a quiet interview room.

There, I sat in silence. Alone for the moment. A cup of water was brought to me and I sipped at it.

Whistlor entered and I shot to the other end of the room, getting as far away from him as I could. I'd never let him lay a hand on me again if I could help it.

He ignored that and sat on a chair, lounging back and watching me try to hide behind the blanket from him. It was a while before he spoke.

"The war was years ago now," he said. "I barely remember what I did then. Let bygones be bygones and whatever misunderstanding we have be forgotten. What do you say?"