Chapter 18
The Next day;
"Grandma Jenkins? Granny J?" Maya called knocking at the door of a cute little cottage.
The path to the cottage was lined with wild flowers and the air around the house was saturated with the
smell of warm baked goods. The door opened to reveal Sam Forrester. Maya and Andy, who had
apanied her, were taken aback by his sudden appearance.
"Aunt Maya?" Sam asked surprised to see them here.
"Sam? What are you doing here?" Maya asked him.
"Granny Jenkins lives alone. She likespany and she bakes awesome cookies. Would you like to
try some? We just baked a new batch." Sam exined.
"Who is at the door, Sammy?" a woman asked followed by the sound of walker and some shuffling.
"Grandma Jenkins, it''s Maya. I came to visit you." Maya replieding inside the house. Andy followed
her in looking around the cottage trying to locate the cookies by their smell.
"Little May? You came after a long time honey." Grandma Jenkins said. An olddy walking with the
help of a walker came in the room slowly. A smile yed on her lips when she saw Maya. Little blue
eyes, that were surprisingly clear with happiness reflecting in their depths, stared at Maya.
She moved forward to hold Maya''s hand and nearly lost her bnce. Andy quickly moved forward to
catch her and with help of Maya, gently guided her to the nearest seat. After Grandma Jenkins was
seated andfortable, Maya lightly admonished her to take better care of her health.
"I am fine. I am fine." she replied to Maya''s nagging. "Sammy run to the kitchen and bring some
cookies for the guests. And be careful they are hot..." she yelled at Sam as he ran to get them.
After Sam left to get the cookies, she continued, "I was awaiting your return Little May. You took a long
time toe home."
"Granny J..." Maya began unsure of how to continue.
"Oh, I know. I know what happened sweetie. To be honest I was disappointed in Little Kenny."
Grandma Jenkins continued with a sad smile on her lips. "So what brings you to my ce Little May?
Did youe for the cookies?" she asked just as Sam put the cookies down on the table.
"Well, cookies was the primary reason Granny J. But there''s another thing I wanted to talk about. Do
you know the Quinn couple?" Maya asked.
"Olddy Quinn and her husband? Yeah, they were nice people. It was unfortunate, what happened to
them. So sad. And to think I didn''t hear anything. Not even a scream. It was next afternoon their bodies
were discovered." Grandma Jenkins said.
"Afternoon? Not in the morning?" Maya asked.
"No. You see dear, since some years the Quinn couple had stopped interacting with others much. They
only interacted with people from work. So when Mrs. Quinn didn''t go to the kitchen that morning, a
colleague of her came down in the afternoon to check on her. That''s when they found the dead bodies."
she exined.
"Oh. Why did they stop interacting with neighbours all of a sudden?" Maya queried.
"I don''t know, sweetie. It started the year that you left, some pack members were really sad that you left
us. It felt as if happiness was slowly leaving the pack." Grandma Jenkins said, sadness in her eyes.
"Really, Granny? Because, since I came back all I have got from the pack is hostility." Maya replied a
bit sad.
"Oh sweetie, I don''t know what to say. But I assure you, all the people who actually knew you and loved
you were very unhappy. Now, don''t be so sad. You visited me after so long. Come, let me see a smile.
Have a cookie." Grandma Jenkins said and turned to lift the te off the table only to see no te.
Maya and Grandma Jenkins looked up and saw Sam and Andy with their mouths full of cookies. Even
their clothes had a lot of cookie crumbs but the te was wiped clean. Maya raised an eyebrow at
Andy and Grandma Jenkins just burst intoughter to see the two of them squirming under Maya''s
gaze.
Ignoring the two gluttons, Maya turned to Grandma Jenkins and asked, "Hey Granny J.. when did the
Quinns'' joined the pack?"
"Oh sweetie, it was the year you and Ken were born." she replied confidently.
"What? Are you sure?" Maya asked dazed.
"Yes. I remember because old Mrs. Quinn wanted to hold the two of you all the time and never gave
me any turn to hold you. One day she disappeared with the two of you for some time. When ex-Luna
Judy questioned her, she simply said that she wanted to show you guys the herb garden near her
house." Grandma Jenkinsined.
"Granny J why didn''t Mr. Quinn ever apply for the pack historian position? Why stay as his assistant?"
"Oh, Mr. Quinn was not as good at his work. He took long breaks and many sick leaves, for him to be
promoted. The man was aszy as theye. At least that''s what Rina always said." she replied.
At longst, Maya and Andy bid adieu and left the cottage to start heading back to the surveince
room.
"That was a productive morning." Andymented, to break the silence.
"Yeah, wipe your mouth though. There''s some crumbs on your face." Maya replied and walked ahead
faster before Andy could reply.
------------------------
Forrester pack border;
Marina was waiting at the pack border for Ava, the woman who wanted to help them with the secret
route. She was apanied by Jeff, who seemed really excited, while they waited for Ava to arrive.
"Why are you this excited about the secret passage?" Maria asked him.
N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.
"I am not excited. I am just curious about such a passage existing in the pack and none of the pack
members ever discovering it. I mean... There are children in this pack. Don''t cubs tend to explore their
surroundings? There is not a single idental discovery for all these years. It just surprises me. That''s
all." Jeff replied.
"Yes. There are a lot of things that are hidden about this pack. Some things arepletely different
than they seem. For instance did you notice that Xander wants to be with Maya? Her parents also held
longing in their eyes when looking at Maya... Do you think they realised what they did and want her
back?" Marina asked him.
"I doubt it. But let''s discuss thatter." Jeff interrupted as ady was seen making their way over. A
couple of Forrester pack warriors were leading her to them.
"Hello, my name is Ava. You must be Marina?" thedy asked Marina. The warriors just stood nearby
and watched them.
"Yes, I am and this is Jeff my colleague. Thank you foring. We were stumped about the passage
and this would really help us secure the pack." Marina replied.
"Marina, let me be honest with you. I will show you the entrance to the passage from outside the pack
"It is enough. Do you know where the passagees out inside the pack territory?" Jeff asked.
"No, I don''t know. I was in a trance when following the scent of my mate. I couldn''t really see anything.
However I was able to identify the smell and sound along the trail." Ava replied.
"What?" Jeff asked shocked.
"Calm down, Jeff. Ava, it''s okay. Please just show us the entrance." Marina said.
Ava nodded and took them almost half way around the pack territory. There she pointed at the ground.
Marina and Jeff saw the manhole cover.
"You went through the sewage pipes?" Jeff asked.
"No, it is not a sewage pipe. It ispletely dry and abandoned. I think it was deliberately dug by
someone. It is tall and wide enough for humans to walk straight andfortably."
Jeff nodded and thanked Ava. After ensuring that she left with some Forrester pack warriors, Jeff and
Marina climbed down into the pipes and followed it. They were not shocked when they came out inside
the pack territory. But when they saw Maya and Andye out of a house nearby, it surprised them
greatly.
"What are you doing here?" Maya asked them as soon as they came in front of her.
"We were following the secret route. It''s an underground passage. It seems to be deliberately dug by
someone." Jeff replied.
"I think it was dug up by the Quinn couple. That is their house." Maya said pointing to the house next to
them.
"Does this mean that the Quinn couple dug a secret passage for the rogues?" Marina questioned.
"Let''s discuss this in the surveince room and ask the Forrester pack to post a couple of guards here."
Maya suggested.