Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search
swiss replica watches replica watches uk Replica Rolex DateJust Watches

Elf Academy 3: The Enemy Within  by Fiondil

82: Liam Prince, WPD

Legolas glanced up at the two Men standing there, neither one of them wearing a coat in spite of the cold and neither one of them seeming to care. Conrad’s expression was one of delight while Michaelson’s was more thoughtful, though Legolas thought he detected a glint of something in the Chief’s eyes that could have been mischief or just humor.

“Well, only if you promise to clean up after him,” Michaelson drawled and Legolas gave him an imperious sneer that would’ve made Thranduil proud. Conrad just nodded his head, looking for all the world like an overgrown elfling being presented with a puppy as a gift. Legolas wasn’t sure he appreciated the comparison.

Then the moment of levity seemed to pass and Michaelson became all business. “Conrad, please escort Mrs. Williams inside. Put her in one of the interview rooms and assign one of the female officers to stay with her. Get her anything she needs.”

Conrad nodded and handed Legolas his suit coat and London Fog, then took the Woman by the elbow, cautioning her to watch her step. About that time, the two Men who had hijacked the car were being hauled up the street in handcuffs while onlookers booed them. The two culprits looked suitably chagrined. Legolas saw Michaelson’s eyes widen in surprise and then grimace as a van came screeching around the corner. He noticed the letters ‘KWTV’ painted on the side facing them, recognizing the call-letters for the local 24-hour news station.

“How the hell did they hear about this so fast?” Michaelson muttered, then he raised his voice. “Davis, get those two inside pronto. Sargeant, keep the media out. There will be no statement at this time. Prince, you’re with me.”

Legolas nodded and dutifully followed the police chief inside where he was immediately hailed with applause, all the officers standing. He stopped, somewhat nonplused by it all. Michaelson shook his head in amusement and took him by the elbow, steering him toward his office.

“Back to work, people,” he commanded with a grin. “The bad guys aren’t on coffee break.”

Good-natured laughter rang throughout the room as people went back to their tasks. Michaelson ordered someone to bring him two coffees. “I don’t know about you, sir,” he said as he and Legolas entered the office, “but I am frozen.” He rubbed his hands together, blowing on them.

“You should not have been standing outside without proper protection,” Legolas said. “You Mortals do not endure the cold as well as we.”

“You don’t feel the cold at all?” Michaelson asked as he sat in his chair, gesturing for Legolas to sit.

“We do not feel it as you do,” Legolas corrected, “but even Elves have no love of inclement weather. There were many times while on winter patrol that I thoroughly hated the snow.” He flashed him a bright smile and Michaelson smiled back.

They were interrupted by Conrad entering with a couple of steaming cups of coffee on a tray with creamer and sugar. He placed it on Michaelson’s desk. “Thanks, Brad,” Michaelson said. “Go grab some coffee for yourself and come back.”

Conrad complied with the order as Michaelson offered one of the cups to Legolas who accepted it, eschewing creamer and sugar, preferring to drink it black. Michaelson doctored his own cup before taking an appreciative sip as he spoke to Conrad who had returned with his own cup and was just closing the door.

“Mr. Prince came here looking for a job,” he said. “He wished to join the Department.”

Legolas turned to see what Conrad’s reaction was and found the Mortal giving him a quick appraisal.

“And?” Conrad said.

“And I turned him down,” Michaelson replied. “You know the rules, Brad. Even volunteer police officers have to go through the academy before they’re allowed to ride with us.”

Conrad nodded. “Yessir. So does that mean we won’t be bringing… er… Mr. Prince on?”

“Well, I had already agreed to let Mr. Prince ride along on some of our patrols, get a sense of how things are done with the stipulation that he would apply to the academy for their fall term. That would give him about six months to work at passing for a Mortal.”

“But now?”

“Oh, I am so tempted to go by the book even now,” Michaelson said with great feeling. “Do you know what the naysayers will do if they find out?”

“I can imagine, but so what? We would be fools not to hire him. You saw what he did. Hell, half the town saw it and the other half will hear about it soon enough. Those TV people are screaming ‘right-to-know’ even as they’re being barred from the station. It’s a damn zoo outside.”

Michaelson closed his eyes and sat back in his chair. “Tell me about it and speaking of which, how did they even know to come here so quickly?”

“Well we can thank the good citizens of Wiseman for that, Chief,” Conrad said with a scowl. “Turns out that several people got the action on their phones and at least one person called the TV station to tell them about it. Turns out the crew was already out reporting on some sporting event at the high school when they got the call. They were only three blocks away.”

“Great, just great,” Michaelson muttered and then pinched the bridge of his nose. “And there’s no way to stop some fool from putting it all on YouTube. I think you’ve just blown your cover, Your Highness.”

Legolas just raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure what the Man was referring to but understanding the emotion behind the words: David Michaelson was royally pissed, as Lord Glorfindel would say.

“And I imagine the mayor will be calling me any minute to find out what the hell is going on,” Michaelson continued. “Where are those two clowns who started this circus?”

“They’re being booked on carjacking, kidnapping and aggravated assault,” Conrad answered. “The carjacking and assault charges will stick, too many witnesses, including half the police force. Any good lawyer will be able to get the kidnapping charge dropped or at least reduced, though.”

“Maybe but we can certainly charge them with child endangerment considering the way they were driving. Add that to their sheet. Has someone called Mrs. Williams’ husband yet?”

Conrad nodded. “He’s on his way. I also had Sarge call in an MD to take a look at the baby, make sure she didn’t suffer from the… er… erratic driving. We also retrieved Mrs. Williams’ baby bag so she could change and feed her.”

“Good, though really the child should be taken to the hospital for a proper check-up,” Michaelson said.

“Mrs. Williams refuses to go. Says she prefers taking Gabriella — that’s the baby’s name —to her own pediatrician instead. Sarge is calling in Doc West anyway to give the kid a preliminary look-over.”

Michaelson nodded then turned his attention back to Legolas who had sat there not sure if he liked being ignored but fascinated all the same by the discussion between the two Men. “So, Your Highness, just what the hell do we do with you now?”

Legolas gave the Man a haughty look, though he was also quite amused by it all. “That depends.”

“Depends on what?” Michaelson demanded, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

“It depends on whether you wish this building to still be standing when I leave.”

“God! He sounds like Loren!” Conrad exclaimed.

Legolas couldn’t help laughing. “I knew Lord Glorfindel when he was Captain of Imladris, charged with keeping the hidden valley and its inhabitants safe. He taught me much of what I know about such matters.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Michaelson drawled. He glanced over at Conrad then back at Legolas, seeming to come to a decision for he put his coffee down and leaned forward. “This is what we will do: Conrad will see you outfitted with a uniform but no weapons, at least not at the moment. You will report here on Monday at seven in the morning. I will assign you to a patrol car and you will assist the officer if and when needed, otherwise, your only task is to learn. In the meantime, I will see about setting up a training program for you, get you certified for weapons and such. It will not be quite like the program you would get at the academy, since part of that program is physical conditioning but I don’t think you need that. It will cover all the basics of police work, though. Also, you will be on a six-month probation. I will not consider hiring you for real before then.”

“I had hoped to be able to help with detective work,” Legolas said.

Michaelson shook his head. “You start at the bottom like we all have and work your way up. In time, if you desire to become a detective, you will take the exams just like everyone else. For now, you are strictly a volunteer police officer. You’ll work two shifts a week, one during the day and the other at night because this station never closes. Only when I am satisfied that you have mastered the basics of police work will I consider hiring you full-time. Deal?”

Legolas thought for a moment before nodding. “Yes.”

Michaelson leaned back in his chair and Legolas heard Conrad breathing a sigh of relief. “Very well.” The police chief stood up and held out his hand. Legolas hastily rose and shook it. “Welcome to the Wiseman Police Department, Mr. Prince. Conrad, see to the paperwork. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have more important things to do than entertain royalty.”

Legolas smiled, recognizing Michaelson’s brand of humor, which reminded him of Aragorn. “Thank you,” he said humbly.

“If you’ll follow me, sir,” Conrad said. The lieutenant wove his way through the room and down a hall with Legolas trailing him, ignoring the looks of admiration on those whom they passed. The Mortal ushered him into a small office where an older Man sat behind a desk.

“Hey, Jack. The Chief is bringing… er… Mr. Prince on as a reserve officer starting Monday. He needs to have the paperwork done and a uniform issued, but no weapons.”

The older Man gave Legolas an appraising look. “I heard about what happened. Good job. Okay, I’ll see to it, Brad.”

Conrad clapped Legolas on the shoulder in a familiar manner and grinned. “Jack will take care of you. Check in with me before you leave though, okay?”

Legolas nodded and then Conrad left. “Take a seat, Mr. Prince, and we’ll get started. I’m Jack Mosely, head of Personnel.” The Man fished out some documents from a file and picked up a pen as Legolas took the only other seat in the room. “So, what is your full name?”

“Which one?” Legolas asked after a momentary pause.

The Man gave him a surprised look and then sighed. Legolas had the feeling all this was going to take longer than either of them was expecting.

****

In the end, they managed to get through the paperwork and Jack had him measured for a uniform, promising that he would have it sent to Edhellond by the weekend.

“I’ll have it FedEx’d from the online shop we use. You’ll have to pay the charges, though.”

“That will not be a problem,” Legolas said and then he went in search of Conrad.

“All set? Good. Media sharks are still camped outside, so we’re going to be sneaky and go out the back way and put you into a patrol car.”

“I will do better finding my own way home,” Legolas said.

“You sure?” Conrad asked. “The Chief will have my head if anything happens to you.”

Legolas grinned. “I will take to the roofs. Mortals tend not to look up for some reason.”

“Well, okay,” Conrad said reluctantly. “We’ll go this way.” He gestured and led Legolas toward the back and through a side door that opened to the police parking lot. Conrad shook Legolas’ hand. “Good luck. We’ll see you Monday, bright and early.”

“I will be here,” Legolas promised and then, looking around to gauge distances, he took a running jump to the roof of a nearby car and then another leap got him to the roof of the building, grabbing hold of the eaves and pulling himself up, keeping low so as not to show up against the sky. He waved at Conrad gaping up at him and then made his way to where another building was separated from the station by an alley, checking to make sure no one was around to notice before leaping the ten feet that separated the two buildings. He had a mental map of the town, having insisted on learning its layout almost as soon as they had come to this place, and after a moment plotting out his route, he set off, leaping from one roof to the next until he was four blocks away. Then he jumped down into an alley where no one would see him and calmly walked out. He was now less than a quarter of a mile from Edhellond.

Once home, he went directly to his room and removed his clothes, changing into something more comfortable. He would return everything to Elladan later. The suit definitely needed cleaning though and the shirt smelled of sweat. He made his way downstairs and entered the kitchen where he found Alphwen and Eirien chatting over cups of tea. They looked up with smiles as he came in.

“Hey! How’s it going?” Alphwen asked.

“I am famished,” Legolas replied. “I did not bother to break my fast earlier. I had something I needed to do.”

“Well, help yourself,” Eirien said. “There’s tomato and macaroni soup warming on the stove. You know where everything is.”

The two ellith went back to their conversation, patently ignoring him. Legolas hesitated for a moment but when neither ellith deigned to serve him he went to the cupboard where soup bowls were stacked and removed one, filling it with the soup, grabbing a spoon and retiring to the dining room to eat in private. As he sipped the soup he wondered how he was going to tell everyone what had happened and how they might react. He was sure they would be glad that he had found employment, but he wasn’t sure about the manner in which he had found it. He sighed and finished up the bowl, deciding he wasn’t hungry for anything else. Returning to the kitchen, he rinsed the bowl and stuck it into the dishwasher along with the spoon and then walked outside, deciding to spend some time in the woods, hoping he would not encounter anyone, only wishing to be alone with his thoughts for a time.

****

He returned to the house several hours later for dinner to find the place in an uproar, the kitchen crowded with people. Glorfindel and the Twins were standing there yelling at several others, most notably Aldarion, Gilvagor, Haldir and Thandir, who were yelling back, while Finrod, Daeron and Valandur were apparently trying to get everyone to calm down without much success. As soon as he came inside, though, the shouting stopped and everyone stared at him.

“Where have you been?” Glorfindel snarled. “Do you know what is happening?”

“I was in the woods, of course,” Legolas replied, frowning in confusion. “What has happened?”

“But earlier, where did you go?” Finrod asked quietly.

Legolas had the sinking feeling that they all somehow knew where he had gone and were simply waiting for him to confess. “I went into town,” he admitted. “I went to… to find employment.”

“Some job interview,” Elrohir muttered with a grin and everyone else glared at him. He shrugged, unrepentant.

“What has happened?” Legolas demanded. “Why were you all shouting at one another?”

“Come with me,” Glorfindel said, crooking the fingers of his right hand as he exited the kitchen and went down the hall. Legolas followed and so did everyone else. They reached the foyer and Glorfindel gestured for Legolas to join him at the door, which he opened. “Tell me what you see.”

Legolas stared out, wondering what he was supposed to see. There was the front drive and the gates and beyond was the street and—

“The gates are closed,” he said. “What are all those people doing outside it?”

“Never mind the people,” Glorfindel said. “From the moment we came into possession of Edhellond those gates have always stood open, a sign to the Mortals that we welcomed them just as we hoped they would welcome us. In all this time those gates have never been closed… until now.” He closed the door, his expression solemn as he stared at the younger ellon. “Would you like to tell us?” he asked quietly.

“Those people—”

“TV people and curiosity seekers and one or two who would like to see us depart from here permanently. At the moment, they are not my concern. You are. What happened, Liam?”

Legolas looked around. Others had joined them as he and Glorfindel had stood at the door looking out. Some were leaning on the balustrade, having come from the upper floors of the mansion, while others stood in the halls leading from the foyer, all of them with guarded expressions. Aldarion, Gilvagor, Haldir and Thandir continued to glare at him, as if he had done something reprehensible, while the Twins, Finrod and Valandur wore more sympathetic expressions. He turned back to Glorfindel, feeling almost as if he were standing before his own father being reprimanded, and realized with a start that as ancient as Thranduil was, next to Glorfindel he was but a child, for Glorfindel was older… much older.

“I went to the police station seeking employment,” he finally replied in a soft, hesitant voice, hating himself for sounding so weak.

“And?”

“David Michaelson turned me down,” Legolas said, and it was the truth, if not the entire truth. “He said I needed to attend the police academy in Fairbanks before he could legally allow me to join the force even as a volunteer.”

Glorfindel nodded. “But that’s not all that happened, is it?”

Legolas shook his head. “Michaelson was arranging for someone to drive me back to Edhellond. We were standing outside waiting when across the street two Men stole a car in which there was an infant.”

“And so you chased after them,” Glorfindel said, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

“Yes, but how do you know?”

Glorfindel opened his eyes, his expression one of exasperation, similar to one he had seen on his own father’s face when he had been very young and even not so young. “Because, it’s all over the news! You are the lead story at the top of the hour, every hour. The phone hasn’t stopped ringing since this afternoon. I finally had to disconnect it and then I ordered the gates closed when we discovered three reporters attempting to infiltrate the premises. You’re the man of the hour, Liam and you’ve been hiding in the woods.”

“I was not hiding,” Legolas protested. “And if you wished to find me you could have done so easily.”

“But what possessed you to chase after the car as you did?” Gilvagor demanded.

“Would you not have done the same?” Legolas shot back. “A child’s life was in danger. Would you have just stood by and done nothing?”

“The police could have handled it,” Glorfindel pointed out. “That’s what they get paid for.”

“I am sorry,” Legolas said, sighing. “I did not think. I simply reacted.”

“Yes, and that’s the point. You reacted without thinking of the consequences,” Glorfindel retorted.

Legolas looked about, trying to gauge the mood of the others. Except for the Twins, Finrod, Daeron and possibly Valandur, he was unsure who else was sympathetic. “I am sorry. I did not mean to cause trouble. I only wished to find employment, the way Finrod has.” He sighed, casting his gaze downward, feeling defeated. He had imagined returning to Edhellond in triumph after having successfully found a job, but everything was wrong now.

Finrod stepped forward. “Look at me, Legolas,” he said gently and Legolas looked up. “Ah, child, what are we going to do with you? Did you not think to tell us your plan first?”

“Elladan knew,” Legolas replied. “He lent me his suit to wear.” He cast an apologetic look at his friend. “I am afraid it will need cleaning.”

“Not a problem,” Elladan said with a wave of his hand.

Now everyone was staring at the older son of Elrond who glared back. “What? So I gave him some clothes to wear and I gave him a lift to the station, but after that, he was on his own.”

“Why didn’t you tell us or at least stop him?” Glorfindel demanded.

“Because, a. Liam asked me not to, and b. It wasn’t my place to stop him,” Elladan replied with no little anger. “He does not need your or anyone else’s permission to do anything, Loren. I applauded him for taking the initiative. I wasn’t sure he would get the job, but I didn’t stop him from at least trying. Isn’t that what we’ve been telling everyone? Get out there and join the community, become a part of the lives of the people. I am sure that this was not a spur-of-the-moment decision on Liam’s part. I have no doubt that he thought about it for some time before finding the courage to take control of his own destiny.”

An uneasy silence fell about them as Elladan continued to glare at Glorfindel. Legolas thought he should say something, anything, to diffuse the tension building up between them, but was at a loss as to what to say or even how to say it. He was saved the trouble by Elladan, who had stopped glaring and was now grinning. “What’s the matter, Loren? Are you upset because Liam did something without coming to the great Lord Glorfindel of the House of the Golden Flower for permission or because you weren’t there helping him to chase the bad guys?”

There was a collective gasp and several people, including Legolas, actually took a step or two back, as if hoping to avoid the inevitable fallout. Only Finrod, Daeron, the Twins, and surprisingly, Valandur, never moved, while Glorfindel merely stood there, blinking in surprise, as if he didn’t quite believe his ears. Both Twins had identical smirks on their faces.

“That is beside the point,” Glorfindel finally said. “The point is—”

At that precise moment, the front door opened and everyone turned in surprise to see Vorondur standing there.

“Ah, so there you are,” he said. “I’ve been trying to reach you all afternoon.”

“How the hell did you get past all those people?” Glorfindel demanded. “And the gates are locked. How did you get through them?”

Vorondur gave them a puzzled look. “People? What people? Were the gates locked? I hadn’t noticed.”

For a split second, everyone, even Legolas, goggled at the ellon and then almost as one, they pushed Vorondur aside to get to the door to look out. Legolas, being closer, managed to reach the door first, along with Glorfindel. He stared out to see that the gate was still closed, two police officers were still standing in front of it and people were milling about on the sidewalk.

And then Vorondur started laughing hysterically and Legolas felt himself growing hot with shame and anger. Glorfindel slammed the door and glared at the Noldo, still laughing, his eyes dancing with merriment.

“You should have seen your faces,” Vorondur finally said when he finally got himself under control. “I am so glad I don’t live here anymore. I really need to start charging you people for house calls.”

“But how—?” Glorfindel asked, looking thoroughly confused and Legolas knew he wasn’t the only one.

Valandur raised an eyebrow, giving them an “I can’t believe you’re all that stupid” look. It was so similar to one that Thranduil had used on more than one occasion with him and now Legolas realized that he’d been thinking of his father a lot in the past hour and comparing the older Elves around him with Thranduil. Why was that? He mentally shook his head and focused on what Vorondur was saying.

“Everyone’s standing at the gates, but no one’s bothering to see if there’s a back entrance. When I saw the crowd in front, I parked a block away then made my way through a couple of back yards and into the fields behind here. I came in through the back gate, which, by the way, I locked, and walked around to the front door.”

“Why didn’t you just come in through the kitchen?” Daeron asked.

Vorondur shrugged, refusing to answer. He then turned his attention on Legolas who straightened as if expecting a blow, giving Vorondur a wary look. Vorondur raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking around, and Legolas was sure the ellon was automatically cataloguing everyone’s emotions and stances and coming to several conclusions at once. It was mesmerizing to watch this Noldo at work. Then those gray eyes focused on him again.

“I bet you were wishing you had your bow with you when you went after those bozos who stole the car.”

Legolas blinked, not sure he’d heard correctly. He had been expecting condemnation but this was unexpected.

“Don’t encourage him, Ron,” Glorfindel muttered.

Vorondur narrowed his eyes as he gazed at Glorfindel, then nodded, as if coming to certain conclusions. “Let’s take this somewhere private, shall we? Finrod, Val, Darren, you two clowns,” he nodded to Elrohir and Elladan, “and Loren. Oh, and Aidan, Gavin, Hal and Thad. Everyone else, go away. Come with me, Liam. We’ll go to the conference room.”

Legolas allowed the ellon to take his elbow and lead him down the hall with people parting to let them through. Turning his head to look behind he saw all the others whom Vorondur had named following. Glorfindel was still scowling as were most of the others. Only the Twins smiled at him, with Elladan giving him a wink. He wasn’t sure if that made everything better, but Legolas was glad that he had at least two friends left. Looking at Vorondur, who also smiled at him encouragingly as he opened the conference room door, he amended that thought. Three friends. He at least had three friends left. That thought somehow comforted him.

But when Vorondur turned on the lights he and Legolas came to a halt, effectively blocking the doorway as they stared in disbelief at the sight of Fionwë and Olórin sitting calmly at the conference table, their feet on the table, sharing a large bowl of popcorn between them, each with a tall glass in their hands.

“What the hell?” Legolas heard Glorfindel yell from behind.

“What is it?” Finrod demanded. “Oh.”

Both Maiar grinned at them. “Don’t mind us,” Olórin said. “As you can see, we came prepared.” He pointed to the bowl of popcorn. “Carry on.”

****

Author’s Note: My thanks to Ellie for helping me find the perfect way to end this chapter.





<< Back

Next >>

Leave Review
Home     Search     Chapter List