The Elephant Gate

When they broke apart, Kevin wanted some answers of his own. "What happened, Dad? How long has it been since I disappeared? Where is everyone?"

The older man put a hand on his shoulder. "They'll be time enough for that. For now, we need to get out of here and safely." With a searching look around the area, Thadchai motioned for Kevin to follow him.

"The dead guard will be found, and we have to be out of here long before then." He expertly stripped the body of weapons and communication gear before they left, and Kevin tried not to look at the prone figure as he stepped past him and trailed his father into the night.

After what seemed a long time, the pair came to a small clearing. Kevin already sensed what was there as the captain pulled aside camouflage netting and revealed a small cloth lean-to and a horse.

Kevin immediately patted the animal on the nose. "Hello, Smoke, thank you for waiting." Thadchai chuckled, a shadow of his remembered laugh.

"He's one of our best scouts. He knows when to be quiet, and is quick as the wind, aren't you, boy." He tightened the saddle back up, and led the horse out of the lean-to.

Kevin took the reins, and they stood quietly as the older man expertly broke down the lean-to, placing it and the netting into two saddlebags.

He mounted up, and motioned Kevin to climb up behind him. He scrambled up with some difficult, and felt a small moment of accomplishment when he was finally seated. His father smiled.

"I guess there aren't many horses where you are from. Have you managed to keep up with your training? You seem fit."

Kevin felt bad. "No, I exercise and jog, but I don't practice anything I learned here. I'm sorry, captain."

Thadchai took it in stride. "You once tried to explain where you were from, and I understood enough that it is a very different place from here. You are back to speaking your old language – do you still remember how to read ours?"

"I don't know," Kevin honestly answered, "The written language here doesn't exist in my world, so I had no way of practicing it."

They had been walking for about fifteen minutes when the stolen radio crackled to life. "Corporal James, check in." The pair didn't say anything, but the roan quickened his pace. "Corporal James, check in, over."

"It won't be long until they find the body. We are almost clear, though." The horse began a slow gallop up the hill rising before them. When it topped the ridge, the radio channel again opened.

"Man down, man down! Need backup!"

Just on the other side of the ridge, a road curved into view. A fifth-wheel trailer attached to a battered old pickup were parked under some trees. When they got there, they quickly dismounted. Kevin was a little sore; the casual ride with Rose just that short time ago was not enough to get him used to riding again.

Thadchai secured Smoke in stall built inside the trailer. Up near the front of the truck was a pile of hay bales. He pulled two aside to reveal a hidden space.

"Since you don't have any papers, I'm afraid you'll have to hide in here until we are clear." Kevin nodded and crawled inside. Thadchai handed him the stolen weaponry. In one of his pockets, he pulled an earpiece and attached it to the side of the radio.

"Listen to the radio chatter, and if you hear anything important, click that button on the wall. It's an intercom to the cab. But don't key it if I'm stopped because I'll probably be at a border station."

He gave it to the younger man, who clipped the earpiece over his ear. In a few moments he was in total darkness as the bales safeguarding his location were replaced.

Kevin felt a jolt as the truck pulled onto the road. "Everything is going to be okay, son." The tinny box came to life by his head. "We have been waiting for you for a long time."

* * *

The truck stopped twice. Both times, Kevin held his breath, wondering what was happening. The horse was calm, so Kevin knew they had successfully passed the check points. The traffic chatter of the dead soldier's radio had them searching the environs around the palace; no one had picked up that Thadchai or the horse had been there.

Why did they happened to be there at that time. Since the truck was moving, he decided to ask. He keyed the intercom.

"What is it, Noy Kevin?" He felt funny hearing that moniker from his Pra'dee father.

"If the palace has been taken over, why are you still on the grounds? Are you trying to find a way in or something?"

There was a long pause, as if he was choosing his words carefully. "Actually, we have been waiting for you. I also have scouts at my old house and the elephant pavilion. We had hoped you would one day come back to us, so we were monitoring the places where you would likely show up. I'm glad we found you before Antanum's troops did."

"Antanum?"

"Yes. He is from the neighboring kingdom of Anachak. About a year ago, they invaded our borders and tried to assassinate the king. They have heavy weaponry, and we were unable to stop the takeover. We managed to get the royal family and most of the nobles to safety. Right now, Prince Antanum is living in the palace here while his father still sits on the Anachak throne. But we will talk more once we reach Safe Haven."