“Okay. Listen, try Anna next. I will call Ryan. It’s important none of you try to call my cell. If it’s at my parent’s house, they might see you calling and if everyone knows we all disappeared, they’ll know you guys are back, and me.”
“Why does that matter?”
“Just don’t do it. I have to call Ryan before he calls my phone. Bye.”
He wasted no time, dialing Ryan and having it go to voicemail, where he left a long message and a number to call back on until 6:30, anyway. Then he settled in. He wanted to hide their arrival as long as possible and control the narrative of when they returned. They had to lie, of course, but they had to know what people were thinking in order to do that well, so keeping quiet about their return was a good idea for now. He settled in for a few hours, being refreshed as usual by the spell and not needing sleep. He suspected a long day awaited him.
Matt wished there was no flash of light when he returned to Earth. It was especially troubling at night, not only for attracting attention, but momentarily blinding him. Despite his impaired night vision, he quickly glanced around and didn’t see anyone near him as he stood on a sidewalk. He wasted no time dawdling and began walking away just in case he’d been seen, pulling the hood of his hoodie over his head, though doing this at night might have made him look suspicious. He sighed and pulled it down. The roads had been empty, but the first car headlights appeared up the street as he took his bearings.
He was still outside the office building where he worked, as expected. The longer they could keep people from realizing they always returned to where they’d been, the better. He wasn’t sure what would happen then but imagined being tasered by police or something. That would be an entirely different blinding light and hardly a warm welcome after having saved another planet, kingdom, or whatever. He laughed.
But the sound died in his chest as he rounded the corner of his employer’s building to see his car was gone. Then his phone rang from an unfamiliar number, but he assumed it had to be one of his friends at this hour. He found Eric on the other end and had their talk while walking away from the building to create more distance. He would need an Uber, and after he hung up, devised a plan, his ride appearing minutes later. Before entering the car, he put the hood up again and tried to disguise his voice a little, while keeping his face averted. Then he just put his head down and pretended to be tired.
“What brings you out so late?” the twenty-something Indian driver asked.
Matt drew a blank and then said, “Fight with the girlfriend. She threw me out.”
“Oh! That’s terrible! The woman is always right. That’s all I know about dating. It’s so hard.”
“Tell me about it.” Matt recognized a talkative guy and hid behind someone else’s wall of words, but within minutes, talk turned to his own disappearance days earlier because he’d just been picked up near there.
“Yeah,” the driver said, “now the police and even FBI, the CIA, are looking for this guy.”
“What? Why?”
“There’s a rumor that he can just come and go whenever or wherever he wants, so what’s stopping him from showing up in the White House and killing the president?”
“Holy shit.”
“I know! It’s crazy.”
“But why would I… uh, he do that?”
“Oh, I don’t know. People are all over his Twitter feed and all that, Facebook, but there’s no report of him being like that, so I don’t know.”
“Do people think he’s dangerous?”
“No. I don’t think so. But I don’t know. I guess they’ll catch him at some point, I mean if they can. How do you catch a guy who can disappear when he wants to?”
Holy fucking shit, Matt thought, mind racing. He couldn’t go home. Not like this, pulling up in an Uber to be arrested? And of course people thought he had vanished on purpose. That was great. Nothing like a misunderstanding to make this even worse. He couldn’t go back, or at least not pull up in a car.
“Hey, there’s a Denny’s on the way. Can you drop me there instead? Kinda hungry.”
“Yeah, sure thing.”
“Great. Thanks.”
Within minutes he had gotten out and left a tip for the guy via his phone app. He went inside and straight to the bathroom, trying to get a minute to himself. Then he studied his phone, wondering if it was being tracked even now. He furiously looked up how to turn off any tracking features. Not for the first time, he wondered what happened to anything he was holding or wearing when summoned. Did it go into some sort of suspended animation between worlds until he returned? Maybe he’d ask Jack what he saw in a tracking app when they went away. For now, he didn’t feel comfortable bringing it but needed it, so he turned it completely off and left the nearly empty restaurant, trying not to look suspicious as he glanced repeatedly over his shoulder. He was a mile from home and ducked into a neighborhood to get out of sight.
Hugging tree lines and bushes while trying to act like he wasn’t, Matt approached his parent’s two-story, single-family house from the next street over, cutting through a back yard to reach it. In the deeper shadows of a maple tree he stopped, carefully eyeballing every hiding place he’d ever used as a boy, not for himself to go into now so much as to see if anyone was in one. While Anna had moved out to her own apartment, Matt had not, and her parents still lived next to his. They had been friends most of their lives, she being among those who had played those games with him. Who knew those childhood adventures would turn all too real?
He saw nothing suspicious and entered the property, mindful of the motion-detecting light he knew was above the backdoor. He had a plan for that and was staying clear for now, but first he wanted to check the front yard and cautiously reached the corner behind a tall evergreen shrub. He scooted into the opening between it and the house and looked out.
The first thing he noticed was his own car in the driveway, so at least it wasn’t impounded or something. His mother’s was beside it, which meant his father’s was somewhere else. His parents were pack rats, the two-car garage full of boxes and other crap. Across the street were townhomes, which prevented on-the-street parking and resulted in two sets of parking spaces, on one either side of the town row, and his father’s Prius sat in one of them, sandwiched between two SUVs.
No one seemed to be out there, and his eyes went to each car in a driveway or in the parking spots. All were familiar, but one that sat in the set of spaces that did not include his father’s car. It immediately drew his attention because he saw the orange glow of a cigarette inside as someone took a drag from it. The dark silhouette of two heads were visible. The house was being watched. His Mazda 3 was out of the question. So was the front door. Thank God for that Uber driver or he’d be face down in handcuffs right now.
He leaned against the house for a minute. Did people really think he was a danger to national security? He was suddenly glad that he had never gotten involved in my political commentary online. What would he say if apprehended? If he told the truth, they’d put him in a psych ward somewhere, and lying would not work. Even Eric, who was pretty good at that sort of thing, probably wouldn’t acquit himself well. He realized he needed an attorney—like he could afford that. Life as a software developer could be lucrative, but he was at the start of his career, not yet raking in six figures. He sighed. One problem at a time.
He went to the back corner of the building and looked around, then scooted toward the rear door with his back against the house. Stopping at the first window, he tried to peer inside, wondering if his parents knew the place was being watched. Would they cooperate with the FBI or whoever was out there? Would they let someone stay inside to grab him? Would they let him be arrested? He wasn’t a criminal, had done nothing wrong. His mom and dad would be worried about him, just like when the Stonehenge disappearance happened, but he doubted they would help someone other than him.
Suddenly he realized that his credit card, which was associated with his phone and Uber account, and whic
h he had just used to pay for the ride, had likely triggered an alert that was probably set up.
“Fuck,” he whispered. “No time for this.”
He moved past the window quickly without worrying about it, making it to the door just under the security light. He had argued with his parents about its positioning when his dad set it up, pointing out this exact flaw, but his father hadn’t listened or cared because they really had no reason to worry about it. Of all the times his mom and dad didn’t listen, now Matt was suddenly glad for it. He unlocked the door, which swung inward, and stepped inside. He didn’t wait to see if anything happened and instead went straight for his room upstairs, moving as quietly as he could in the dark. Sneaking into your own home has the advantage of knowing exactly where everything is, despite the blackness. Thinking quickly, he grabbed a phone charger, clothes for Eric, sandals, and an extra change of clothes for himself, stuffing them into his backpack. He also stripped and donned darker clothing, then grabbed two baseball hats and some sunglasses. It suddenly occurred to him that it didn’t look like they had searched his room. They would have needed a warrant and a reason.
He was about to leave when the sight of his big remote-controlled car gave him an idea. He took it and the remote with him, stole his father’s car keys from where they hung downstairs, and wrote a brief note to his parents.
I’m okay. Sorry for worrying you. I had to take Dad’s car. Don’t report it stolen. If an unknown number calls, it might be me. Pick up. Talk soon, I swear. Matt. P.S. Destroy this.
He put it inside the microwave and then exited the rear door carefully. Then he put the remote-controlled car on the ground, facing away from the house, and carefully exited the area the way he’d arrived. He went down two blocks, crossed the street, and then returned near his father’s car so that those watching the house wouldn’t see his approach. Once beside it, he fired up the remote and made the car move a few feet. From the house’s front, he could still see the white glow of the security light’s beam as the car triggered it. As Matt crouched down, the guys in the car got out and jogged toward the house, both holding up a gun that made Matt go cold. He waited until they were out of sight, got into his father’s car, turned it on, and backed up without the lights on. Electric cars had a significant advantage of being quiet and the men never seemed to hear it as he put the car in drive and crept away, turning on the headlights once far enough out of sight.
Ryan’s eyes adjusted to the dark night as he stood outside the family guest house, beside his car. Someone had shut both the trunk and door, which didn’t surprise him. They had been here. The house door was also closed. He went up to it, finding it locked. All the gear had been seen. The question was by whom. Daniel would likely have not said anything to anyone. Gardeners would have, especially given that he had been missing for days. Patting his pockets, he found his wallet and phone, but no car keys, which he’d been holding when he vanished.
He tried Anna, knowing she was at risk, but the phone just kept ringing and then went to voicemail. As he prepared to try for the third time, getting worried, the phone rang with an unfamiliar number, but he answered it.
“Yeah.”
“It’s Eric.”
After being filled in, Ryan said, “I can’t get Anna. Just keeps going to voicemail.”
“Can you get to her location?”
“I’m not sure. No car keys. I have to see if I can get into the house for the spares.”
“Okay. On the off chance that your car is known to police, maybe grab another.”
“Not sure it’s worth it, but sure. I mean, someone knows it’s here and may have told the police, so I don’t think they’d be looking for it, but maybe they are.”
“Call me back on this number when you find her.”
Ryan agreed and hung up. Then he went for his car just to see what was still inside it from the supplies he’d been unloading. The door was unlocked and a piece of paper sat on the front seat along with a house key. He picked them up.
Alarm is set for delay. Beware pigs.
Daniel, he realized, recognizing the handwriting. He owed his brother one. Now he knew who had been back here to see the gear.
He ran for the main house. His family always set the alarm overnight, but with it set for the 30-second delay, he could get inside and turn it off before it called the police. This was the usual approach when no one was home, but overnight, his family used the no-delay setting. Whether or not his parents were doing it, Daniel was making sure it was that way. Arriving at the door, he let himself in, turned off the alarm, and went for his room, quickly changing clothes before heading to the garage but being intercepted by his brother.
“Glad you’re back,” Daniel whispered from his wheelchair, pajamas bottoms below his bare torso. “Had a motion detection camera on, in case you’re wondering.”
Ryan felt relief to see him again, but no time for, well, anything. And Daniel was a little too smart sometimes, so the days of keeping him in the dark were not meant to last. “Yeah, listen. I owe you a huge favor, but I need you to trust me. I have to leave right now, and no one can know that I’m back. Cover for me and I swear I’ll tell you everything.”
Daniel’s eyes grew intense. “Okay. Do you need anything?”
“To find Anna.” He started for the garage again, Daniel following.
“Is she hurt?”
“I really hope not.”
They entered the six-car garage, Daniel rolling down a ramp, and Ryan went for the rack of car keys. He ignored the vehicles that would attract attention, like the red Lamborghini Countach, a silver Aston Martin convertible, and a yellow Ferrari 308 GTS.
“Take a bike?” Daniel suggested. “Faster and she’s been on the back if you are planning to pick her up. The cops are looking for you. Easier to lose–”
“Yeah, got it.” Ryan went for the Ducati motorcycle and quickly grabbed a spare jacket for her, cramming it into a saddlebag, putting on his and zipping it, then attaching a helmet for her to the back seat and pulling his on.
“Your intensity is starting to worry me.”
“I’m just worried,” Ryan said, getting on and starting it, as his brother hit the garage door opener. He decided to stop hiding things because his brother had probably put together a lot already. Everyone had to know Matt had vanished, and the rest of them, too, so he admitted, “Look, she disappeared on the highway, which means she reappeared on it, but without a car, and that means she might have just been hit by a car.”
“Jesus. Call me if anything has happened. I’ll stay up.”
“Love you, brother.”
“Yeah. Be careful.”
Once the door was high enough, Ryan hit the gas and flew out of the garage. As he neared the estate gates, they were already opening courtesy of Daniel and he blew past them long before they completed opening. Gratitude for his brother’s help mixed with fear for Anna. He had a bad feeling about this.
River Road was empty as he hurtled onto the two-lane road, heading away from the Capital Beltway. He expected ten minutes to reach Anna’s general location, but there was more than one way to get there, and if Daniel was right that the police were watching him, the back way offered many ways to lose them. And as it turned out, his brother was right. Within moments of hitting the road, red and blue flashing lights appeared behind him. He gunned it and turned up one road, rolling on the throttle and hoping they didn’t follow.
But they did, and he sped up more, going over several hills at 90 mph before slowing and veering off another way and gunning it again. He could not turn the lights on a motorcycle off, unlike a car, and he roared over two hills before dropping out of sight. The flashing lights didn’t follow, and he slowed, opting for several more twists and turns that made it unlikely he’d be found. He finally turned back toward I-270 and reached an overpass that made his heart sink.
More lights appeared, but this time they were below on the interstate. Police, a firetruck, and an ambulance. And a lone car
with significant damage to the front. Heart in his throat, he made his way down to the partially blocked highway and used the mobile bike to get around snarled traffic. He also went around the first few cops who tried to stop him before he slowed to get off, other police rushing toward him.
“Sir,” an officer began, running up as he pulled off his helmet, “Back behind the cones!”
Ryan was hardly listening, his eyes seeing a stretcher that lifted up as EMTs wheeled the person on it toward an ambulance. It was a young woman, long blonde hair in disarray and bloody, a torn shirt dangling from one limp hand, her neck in a brace. He couldn’t see her face. The cop grabbed his arm and Ryan yanked it free.
“I know her!” he shouted, anguished and trying to get past him. “I think I know her.”
“Well, you need to stay here and let the EMTs handle this. We can get your name and–”
“Stand back!” demanded another officer. “Hey wait a minute.” His eyes scrutinized Ryan’s face and went to the bike before one hand moved to the gun at one hip. “Are you Ryan LaRue?”
“What? Yeah. How–”
“Down on the ground!” he yelled, and the first officer shoved Ryan while tripping him, several pairs of hands forcing him down, painfully yanking his arms behind his back. Before he knew it, cuffs were on him and he struggled to glimpse the stretcher again from his stomach, the pavement inches from his face.
“Is it her?” he asked frantically as hands began searching him, removing his wallet, phone, and more. “Is it Anna? Let me up. Let me see!”
“The only thing you’re seeing it the back of a patrol car.”
“He’s clean,” announced another officer.
As they hauled him upright, he fought to turn and look for the ambulance, but the doors had been closed and it began to drive away. His eyes scoured the highway nearby for any sign of any other blonde woman in the vicinity, desperate for this to be a coincidence. But the search ended when they shoved him into the back of a patrol car and slammed the door, ignoring his questions about who the victim was.
The Light Bringer: An Epic Fantasy Adventure Novel (The Dragon Gate Series Book 2) Page 18