The Brays

by L. J. Fox

  Layne sat down again and took her grandmother’s hand.

  “Just before you were three years old, we noticed a change when the family visited. Brad and Beverley seemed on edge and were always looking out the window when they were here. They assured us everything was fine, but we felt something was up.” A few tears streamed down her cheeks. Layne’s grandfather continued.

  “Brad told us that they had decided to come and live at the farm, that he wanted his family to live in the country. We were very happy to hear it. They were going to tie up loose ends in Melbourne and would move up in a few weeks’ time. We figured they could stay here in this big house for a while until they were established.”

  Her grandmother rose to find a box of tissues. She placed the box on the table and indicated her husband should keep going.

  “One week later the two of us were in the front yard when we heard a car flying up the driveway. It was the two of them and they had you with them, Layne. Brad was very strained and nervous. He asked if you could stay with us for a few days. We said of course.”

  He was having trouble controlling the emotion in his voice. He took a few deep breaths and a few sips of coffee. Layne also had tears welling in her eyes. A faint memory of this incident was coming into her mind.

  She remembered wondering why everyone was acting sad and being excited to help feed the farm animals. She also remembered her mother bending down and cuddling her, then removing a necklace that she always wore. It was an intricate gold chain with an infinity symbol on it. Her father had given it to her mother as a gift. She asked Layne to look after it while they were away and she could give it back to her mother when they came to pick her up.

  Layne put her hand up to finger the infinity shape around her neck.

  Ross cleared his throat. “I asked him questions and he said that Beverley had gifts which we had suspected. He said that her family didn’t want her to marry a normal person and have children, and that they were all in danger. You too, Layne.”

  Layne and Andy both gasped at that revelation. Layne felt sick to the stomach. This was something she had never heard.

  “He mentioned diluted blood. He didn’t know what they would do, but he felt they were in danger. He brought Layne to us and said they hoped to find some solution, or something in a few days.”

  Her grandmother was quietly sobbing into a scrunched-up tissue. Her grandfather took a break to sip his coffee and wiped his eyes with a tissue. Layne had tears rolling down her cheeks. Even Andy was looking a bit emotional.

  “So, do you have any idea what happened to them?” asked Andy.

  Her grandparents looked at each other. “No. Their car was found but they never were. We suspect that these people did something to them.” said Ross.

  Nina let out a sob. Layne left her chair to comfort her grandmother. She put her arm around her and hugged her.

  Layne spoke. “Why have you never told me about this family? You always let me think I was the only one.”

  “We didn’t know much about them. They have never come looking for you, so we thought they were going to leave you alone. We worried that if you knew about them then you may want to go find them.” said her grandfather.

  Layne looked at her grandfather sternly. “You really think I would want to know the people who may have harmed my parents?”

  Her grandfather continued. “The police knew we were looking after Layne and we waited for the other family to contact us about her. Nothing ever happened. There has never been any communication with us. We tried hard to teach you to hide your gifts and look normal. We always worried that if the other family knew you had gifts, they may come and take you. As far as we knew they had decided to ignore you … until now.”

  Andy stood up and started pacing. The words ‘until now’ hung in the air.

  “These people have not made a move on Layne in any way at this stage. They have only watched her. Are they watching to see if they can work out what gifts, she may have? Perhaps they suspect she may have no gifts at all, due to this dilution of blood.” He asked Layne’s grandfather.

  “That seems likely but how would they even know from watching?” asked her grandfather.

  “We have to assume that the men in the car also have gifts. If this is an elite family, it seems unlikely they would involve mere humans in any way. Layne – is there any way they could tell by watching you what your gifts are?” He stopped pacing in front of her.

  Layne thought for a minute. “They would not be able to smell me or hear my heartbeat. That would tell them something. I ... I can’t think of anything else. I am careful not to show anything in public.”

  Andy continued his pacing.

  “Maybe having Gregory so close to you on a daily basis was to gain extra information?” he suggested.

  Layne spoke. “If they feel that mixing with normal people dilutes the blood, then I am diluted. Surely, they wouldn’t want me back in their fold now. I am like damaged goods.”

  Her grandfather addressed her. “If they wanted to eliminate you, they would have already done it. I don’t think these people muck about. Somewhere between when you came to us and when you turned eighteen, they had decided you were just normal and now you are an adult they have decided to watch you and see what gifts you have. That’s what I am thinking.”

  “Maybe they will think I don’t possess any gifts and leave me alone.” Layne voiced it, but she didn’t believe it.

  No one spoke and no one moved. They all felt that the story was far from over.

  Chapter 22

  “What do we do now?” Her grandmother spoke for the first time in a while. All four looked from one to the other. No one had an easy answer.

  “Maybe you shouldn’t go back to campus.” Andy suggested to Layne. He hated saying it and he hated the thought of not seeing her each day, but her safety was so much more important than his wishes.

  Her grandmother jumped in. “Stay here Layne. Don’t go back.”

  “I know they have only watched so far but that won’t be the case forever. There is going to be a move at some stage, and I think it will be sooner rather than later, once they realise that we outsmarted them and sneaked out.”

  “You could stay here.” repeated her grandmother, her voice losing the hope she had held when she first made the invitation.

  “I can’t do that Nana. As soon as they see we are gone, this is the first place they are going to look. They could be on the way here now.” Layne squeezed her grandmother’s arm.

  “I’ll give them what-for with my shotgun.” said an angry grandfather. He no longer used it but he had a shotgun in a locked gun safe that he used as a young man to shoot rabbits.

  Layne smiled at his bravado. It was the first time she had ever heard her Pop threaten to get someone with his shotgun.

  “No Pop. There could be lots of them. I couldn’t bear the thought of them hurting either of you. I could never live with that. You know that.”

  “We will just have to head north somewhere and work out what to do from there.” said Andy looking at the two grandparents. “All of us.”

  As he said it, he realised it was not well thought out but on the spur of the moment, it was all he could think of.

  “We can’t go anywhere, I’m afraid Andy. We have the animals to feed. There is no way we can leave this place.” said her grandmother firmly. “Ross?” she turned to him.

  “Yes, we can’t leave.” he said firmly.

  “Me either.” said Layne firmly.

  “Me either what?” asked Andy.

  “I am not going to be scared off.” Layne said in a strong voice. “How dare they? Who do they think they are? I’m not going anywhere. I am not changing my life or hiding. I am going back to uni.”

  The other three looked at her and could see the determined look on her face. Andy marvelled at how confident she had become in the short time he had known her. She had been so timid and lacking in confidence that first day he saw her. Now she was a fo
rce to be reckoned with.

  Andy was the first to speak. “Layne. Hold on. It could be dangerous in Melbourne than here at the farm.”

  “Then I need to face it. I can’t run from this. I don’t want to. This is my life.” Her face was determined and angry.

  “I have an idea. I am going to confront them.” She said.

  “What?” asked her grandfather.

  “I am not going to sit back and wait for whatever may happen. I am going to bring the situation to the fore. I am going to confront Gregory.”

  Chapter 23

  Monday morning dawned and Layne was awake and ready for the day early. She had spent half the night awake, staring at the ceiling and going over possible scenarios in her mind. She knew what she was going to do could be dangerous, but she had to pressure these people into showing their cards. She had to know what was going on.

  Her classes for the day didn’t start until 10am so she had a few hours to try to confront Gregory. If she didn’t see him before class, then Plan B was to confront him between classes. She was determined that this was going to happen. There would be no chickening out.

  Her grandparents had reluctantly said goodbye to her the night before though she knew they were worried sick. They insisted on twice daily phone calls from her, or Andy, so they knew what was going on and that she was alright. She understood that they would never stop grieving for their lost son, and his wife. They didn’t need to lose another family member. She didn’t want to hurt her grandparents in any way, and yet, somehow, she felt that was not going to happen. As they had mentioned to each other, if these unknown people wished to harm her, then they would have already done it.

  Now that she had the full story from her grandparents, her thoughts were that this family had waited for her to be an adult and were now assessing her. She didn’t think she was in danger, not at this point. She also thought that they didn’t really know what she was capable of. She had explained to her grandparents and Andy that it was better to know the enemy. As it stood, the enemy were unknown. They were men in black cars and a creepy fellow student. What they did, what they wanted and how they operate was a complete unknown. How can you fight the unknown? Her idea was to confront them, get to know them, play along with them, so she would know best how to handle the situation. Could she converse with and associate with the people that most probably killed her parents? She didn’t know. She needed to keep her cool and meet with them.

  Andy had also reluctantly agreed to going back to campus. He was terrified of putting her in danger in any way, and yet he admired the strong woman who would not let anyone deter her from her chosen path in life. He would be hanging around and watching her like a hawk.

  She was not aware of Gregory until just before class. He arrived in a hurry, looking slightly flustered which was completely out of character. Amity was in the foyer waiting for class. She looked brighter and more enthusiastic after her weekend home with her family and dog.

  Class was normal and Layne enjoyed it, making a ton of notes and raising her hands to ask questions or pose ideas. She was aware of Gregory behind her, as usual, and of Andy, further back in the theatre. She hoped she would get the chance to see Gregory after class. They had two hours before the next class was due to start. Lunch was often between 12.30 and 1.30 so she knew time was limited.

  She was quick to pack up her books and take off after class, finding a good spot to wait in the foyer away from the other students, and not far from the door. It didn’t take long for Gregory to appear, looking around to see where she had gone so quickly. He spied her and looked surprised to see her looking at him. He was used to her ignoring him. She signalled to him to come over.

  “Gregory, have you got a minute?” She called to him.

  He looked across at her, a small frown appearing. She never voluntarily talked to him. He walked slowly over to her, face expressionless, like someone walking into a trap they knew may be there.

  She waited until he was very close to her and far enough away from the other students, so they would not hear and then she said in a very clear and firm voice.

  “Gregory, cut the bullshit.”

  His eyes widened in surprise. She continued.

  “No more. Call your people. I want to talk.”

  Then she calmly walked away leaving him standing there staring after her.

  Chapter 24

  After the final class of the day, Layne walked out of the building into the afternoon sun. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but she felt it would happen soon, so she tried to get some distance between her and Andy. She didn’t want Andy trying to be a hero and be protective. Best he is not near her when things could happen. Luckily, Amity was not in that class as she would have been keeping close to Layne. She walked out of the building quickly and calmly, exhibiting a confidence she did not really feel.

  They were waiting at the bottom of the steps. Two men in dark trousers and white shirts. Both had sunglasses on. She almost laughed out loud as thoughts of the film, Men in Black, came to mind. A black car was parked in front of the steps with the back door open. Calmly she walked down the steps and moved straight into the back seat without a word. One of the men closed the door and they both climbed into the car. As she looked out the window, she could see Andy standing at the door at the top of the steps. Their eyes met and she could see the worry on his face, almost a panic. She hoped this would not be the last time she saw him. Her parents had gone missing, supposedly at the hands of the very people she was on the way to seeing.

  There were no blindfolds or bags over her head like in the movies. No driving down various side streets to confuse her sense of direction, and no piling her into the boot. Silently they drove to Toorak, no words, no peeking in the rear-view mirror and no car radio. Dead silence. Layne didn’t mind the silence. She needed to keep her wits about her and not lose concentration.

  The car pulled into the driveway of a huge mansion with wrought-iron gates and manicured gardens. Someone opened the door for her as soon as the car stopped. A suited man waited for her to exit the car. The two men who had driven her walked around and ushered her inside the house and up a magnificent staircase with rich wooden balustrades. She tried hard not to look around and look to be visibly impressed. It was important for her to keep her cool and be alert and calm.

  One of the men took her through a maze of hallways and staircases until finally, she entered a sitting room with overstuffed couches and chairs and dark wooden bookcases taking up the walls. She glanced around the room taking it in before she saw a man stand from where he had been sitting on one of the chairs and walked towards her. It was hard to determine his age, but she guessed him to be in his mid to late sixties. He had a full head of thick, silver hair, blue eyes and had an open neck shirt. She could see what appeared to be a good suntan under the shirt. Everything about him shouted money, prestige and power. He would have been a very handsome man in his younger years, and still was impressive to look at. To Layne he looked like he belonged in a television show such as The Bold and the Beautiful and his name should be Beau or River or Ridge.

  “Layne – welcome to my home.”

  He extended his well-manicured hand. His voice was deep and rich, almost a melody in those baritones. She stared at his hand debating whether to refuse to accept his hand, but then slowly placed her hand in his realising that refusal would be a bad start to the relationship. He didn’t shake it but just held it. He was looking her straight in the eyes as if searching for something. She could see his pupils move as they scanned her. She wondered what he was thinking.

  “My name is Warren – Warren van der Linde.”

  The name was familiar, and she was sure he was on a list somewhere for his wealth, or had been mentioned in the society pages of magazines, or even both.

  “Come. Please sit down and chat with me.”

  He indicated a chair near where he had been sitting. It was placed so she would be sitting directly in front of him and close
enough that he could reach out and touch her. She walked over and sat, trying to look at ease. She could not detect anything about him other than his aftershave, which had been liberally applied. She glanced around the room again, noting the portraits hanging on the walls. He obviously fancied himself as a statesman or person of title.

  Layne did not want to waste time with pleasantries. This was not a social visit or a tea party.

  “What do you want?” she asked bluntly.

  No point pretending to be delighted. This was most likely the man who had been involved in the disappearance of her parents, probably their deaths.

  He gave a little laugh at her directness as if it was a cute little quirk of her nature.

  “We are very interested in you Layne. We have been watching you for a while.”

  He looked intensely at her and she could see that many people would find him charming. She just found his smarmy.

  “I am aware of that. Why? Why are you interested in me?”

  She was not prepared to smile at him. She actually found that she wanted to grab him by the shirt front and demand to know what had happened to her parents.

  “Well, we want to know what powers you have and how powerful you are.”

  He answered smoothly. He seemed like a man that would not easily be rattled and always act smooth even if committing the most horrendous of deeds.

  “But why? I really don’t understand any of this.”

  She waved her hand at the room in general, signalling their interest in her, or where she was, or who they were. He looked at her guardedly for a minute or two as if summing up her words, looking for an ulterior motive. Then he relaxed and lightly smiled.

  “Ok. Let me explain a bit more. I forget you are such an innocent.”

  He sat back and contemplated where he would start. He threaded his two hands together, fingers entwined and took a breath.

  “We are a select group of people from all over the world. We are very precious about preserving our lineage and ensuring the survival of our people. Your mother was one of us, and so are you. You are very important to us.”