chapter thirteen

Monroe slowed the car to a slow pace and pulled
over to the shoulder.

He shut the motor off, pulled out his wallet and  found
his driver's license.

He rolled down the window and saw a policeman approaching
in his sideview mirror.

"Remember Dayton, let me do the talking."

Dayton said nothing but shook his head up and down.

The officer approached the driver side and shone the flashlight
in Monroe's face.

"Driver's license please."

Monroe handed the officer his I.D.

"Where r u headed Mr. Monroe?"

"We are just going over to the next town.  Picking up someone
at the bus terminal."

"Well, do you know you have a tail light out?"

Monroe had checked the car before he got in.  Something he always did.
There was no failed tail light to his knowledge.
All he said was, "No, sorry I didn't know that.  I'll get it fixed right away."

The officer shone the light on Dayton and then back on Monroe.  "Let me
see your registration."

"Dayton, open the glove compartment and get the registration."

Daytong had his hand in mid air when another officer knocked on the passenger
side window.

The officer made a rolling motion with his hand which Dayton intuited to mean to
roll down the window.

Dayton took  a look at Monroe and a thought of knowing passed through his mind.

"Watch your step," said Monroe.

Dayton rolled down the window and the officer stepped back.

"Let me see your license."

Dayton pulled out his wallet found his license and gave it to the officer.

"Hey, Mac yelled the officer over the top of the roof of the car.  Looks like
we got a doctor here.

"Yeah," said the officer from Monroe's side.  "Looks like  I got me a chief of police."

After that all Dayton remembered was the muzzle of the gun from his side and a blinding
light.

He turned to look at Monroe but the man's face was blank and then he slumped over the
wheel.

That was all he remembered.  He lost consciousness.  Another driver passing by
saw the car on the side of the road and heard the blaring horn and called 911.

The ambulance arrived and both men were transported to the nearest hospital
which happened to be thirty minutes from the next town.

In the ambulance he heard one of the interns say, "looks like the older gent has had
it."

He leaned down and Dayton felt a needle go in his chest.  "This one has a fighting chance."

Dayton awoke in a room.  He heard the din of voices surrounding him.  When he opened his
eyes no one was there.

Amid the swarm of voices Dayton thought he recognized Monroe's voice.

"Change of plan, kid."

"What do you mean?"

"it seems the intruders know that we are traveling to see Madison."

"how r u doing this?"

"you mean talking in your mind?"

"yes."

"it's part of our heritage.  we can all do this."

"what do i do next," said Dayton.

"You weren't hurt bad,"  said Monroe.
"It's only a flesh wound to the head.  You will be fine."

"What about you ?" said Dayton.

"It will be touch and go for awhile.  I'll eventually be okay,
but I'm going to be in a coma for awhile."

"You have to get to Madison and fulfill your destiny."

"I can't leave u here."

"You will wake up, get out of bed and follow your instincts.
You have them Dayton the instincts and intuition of the clan.
You will find Madison in the dessert and at the land level of
the mountains."

Dayton had more questions, but when he called Monroe's name
there was no reply.

Dayton opened his eyes.  And a doctor stood over him.

"Mr. Dayton,  my name is Dr. Samuel,  you have been hurt in
some sort of an accident.  The police are here and would like
to ask you some questions."

Dayton nodded his head.  And two men dressed in plainclothes
stood before his bed.

"Sir, do you remember what happened?"

"No. well not exactly, replied Dayton."

"Well, what is the last thing you remember," said the taller of the two men.

"Well, we were pulled over on the shoulder and the next thing I remember
was this loud band followed by a blinding light and I lost consciousness.
I remember waking up in the ambulance.   And now Dr. Samuel telling me
there was some sort of an accident."

"Sir, what about the gentleman with you?, said the shorter of the two.
"We are trying to keep a lid on it but he is the chief of police one town over
and he has been shot in our jurisdiction.  He is in a coma.  Anything you
can tell us about this situation would be helpful."

"No, no, I don't remember anything."

"That's enough," said Dr. Samuel.   The patient needs rest he is getting
agitated.  He needs to sleep."  And with that Dr. Samuel pushed a syringe
into Dayton's arm.
 

When Dayton awoke the room was dark.  His head hurt   And when he felt
his forehead there was a bandage encircling the top of his head.   He knew
in that instant he had been shot.  And he remembered Monroe telling him
that he had to leave the area.

He knew Monroe telling him this he just couldn't remember seeing the
older man and talking to him.

Dayton sat up in the bed.  The room swirled around him.  He held on to the
sides of the mattress and closed his eyes and breathed in deep.

"Okay, this is it," he told himself.

He mustered up enough strength and walked toward the window.  He looked
out into the darkness and saw the parking lot below.  He surmised he was on
the second floor of the hospital.

Dayton walked over to the closet.  Empty.

He sat down on the green aluminum chair next to the sink and collected his thoughts.
 He remembered  Monroe said, "that it was only a flesh wound.

Dayton stood up and looked in the mirror.  One black eye and a bruised lip.  He
undid the bandage and let the gauze roll to the floor.   He splashed some water on
his face and stood and stared at the reflection before him.  He looked into his eyes.
A lot had happened since yesterday.  A lot he didn't understand.  But he knew he
had to get to Madison and the girls.  He had to warn them.  He wondered if
Madison didn't already know.  After all she was her father's daughter and they
seemed to have this innate ability to know when things were happening.  As a
matter of fact Dayton began to think he had this ability too.

"Go, now," said Monroe in a clear voice.  "Go now."

"Yes, I will go now, "said Dayton.

Daytong headed for the door and turned the knob.

The door swung open an inch and Dayton peeked out.

There was no one in sight and as he took a look down the
corridor he could make out a night nurse at the desk.

"Good, she is a way's down."

Dayton looked in the opposite direction and saw the liit up neon sign.

Dayton took in a deep breath, opened the door and walked down
the corridor towards the sign marked Exit.