Dire Symbols

by W A Rowland

  Kat still hadn’t said anything more to Liam when he’d tried to go by and see them, only giving him an angry glare. Rich was being civil at least, but the friendly warmth that had been there before definitely wasn’t there anymore. Their auras only reflected the anger and fear they felt. Liam still held out hope though that they would eventually come around and forgive him, but it didn’t look like that would happen before they all needed to go on the run again. It was with this in mind that he found Steven in his room, packing his few important possessions into a hiking pack.

  “Steven?” Liam asked knocking on the side of the open door.

  “Liam, come on in. You about packed?” Steven replied.

  “About that, I’m not coming with y’all,” Liam said looking nonchalantly down the hallway.

  “Dude, come on. You heard what Bast said. Julian’s going to find this place sooner or later. We’re not all that far from the city turns out, and with Hansen gone, we don’t stand a chance if they trap us inside,” Steven said, looking at him with concern.

  “I know,” Liam replied quietly. “But there’s something that I need to do here. Bast told me that the Association had plans for my core. Big plans, and somehow Julian ties into those plans. I want to find out what that is and see if I can’t use it to get Julian to give up on hunting down Bast and the rest of us.”

  “Liam, that’s practically a suicide mission. First, you’d actually need to have access to the Association in some way to find out what they’re planning, and we know that they’re pretty paranoid when it comes to security. Then you would have to singlehandedly turn what is probably a plan, decades or centuries in the making, on its head and hope it doesn’t just piss them off more than they already are. Liam, these aren’t your garden variety criminals. They’re world-enders given the opportunity. These kinds of organizations cause the fall of dynasties and empires; you’re gonna be little more than an annoying fly to them,” Steven finished.

  “I’ve gotta do something, Steven. It’s my fault all of this is happening. That Rich and Kat are stuck here. That y’all are losing your home. And I’ve got to try to do something to make it right,” Liam said. “But this isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to see if you could take Rich and Kat with you and your group. I doubt they’ll listen to me, but I need someone I trust to watch out for them,” he finished.

  Steven nodded. “We’d already counted on all three of you actually. And, of course, I’ll keep an eye on them. But seriously, you need to come with us too,” Steven retorted.

  “Kat won’t travel in the same group as me, and Rich won’t be parted from Kat,” Liam explained.

  Steven looked hard at Liam and eventually held out his hand. “Fine, if that’s your choice, so be it, but be careful, Liam. The Association doesn’t need any more cores, and I’d hate for you to die,” he said shaking Liam’s hand.

  “I’ll do my best to keep alive, who knows, maybe I have a resurrection ability?”

  “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Lily said excitedly in his head

  “Sure, you’ve already got one impossible skill, why not two,” Steven said and grinned. “At least come see everyone off, Sarah will kill me otherwise.”

  “Sure,” Liam said, his own smile coming easily now as Steven hooked his pack over a shoulder and they left the room.

  A few minutes later, the pair entered a huge underground parking garage, now almost totally devoid of vehicles. Only a black suburban and an old Honda Civic remained. Steven’s group was loading up the suburban with enough camping supplies and foodstuffs to last for a few weeks at least. Kat and Rich sat quietly in the back of the suburban, but Liam could see a sidelong glance on occasion from one or the other. He chose to ignore them, as they obviously didn’t want to talk to him, and instead said his goodbyes to the others. Hand gave him a good thump on the back, Jax waved him off in his indifferent style, and Sarah, of course, wrapped him up in a bear hug while also saying goodbye to Lily.

  Liam walked to the open trunk and spoke softly to Kat and Rich, neither of whom turned to make eye contact with him.

  “I know you hate me right now, and you’ve got a perfect right to. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry, for all of this. I didn’t mean for you to get caught up in it, you two were the best friends I ever had, and I hope you can forgive me someday,” Liam finished quickly before walking around the side of the car to Steven, who handed him a cheap flip-phone just before he climbed into the driver’s seat of the vehicle. Liam’s phone had been disposed of before the rescue mission to make sure nobody could trace him back to the bunker via cell signal, so the phone came as a bit of a surprise.

  “If you decide to change your mind about coming, I put my burner number in here, but don’t wait too long. We’ll more than likely be changing phones in a week or so,” Steven said as Liam flipped open the phone and looked at the phonebook inside. Only two numbers were there.

  “What’s the other number?” Liam asked.

  “Local hospital, always good to have,” Steven said grinning before wrapping Liam in a rib-shattering hug. “Be seeing you,” he said, then climbed into the SUV and drove off.

  And just like that, Liam was again alone. The bunker was totally empty except for him; the only car left was the old Honda Civic. His car, he assumed.

  “So, what’s the plan mastermind?” Lily chirped

  “Back to the beginning, I guess,” Liam said. “The only lead we have is that my old boss had connections to the Association, and knowing him, I bet he kept something on his work computer about where he got the core. Jacob spent most of his time at the office, so it only makes sense that he’d keep information there,” Liam said aloud as he thought through his plan.

  “I’d wager that the company hasn’t locked out his account password yet, and I still know it.”

  “We’re going to break into your old job?” Lily asked.

  “Yeah, I think we are,” Liam said, taking a deep breath.

  The bunker was indeed very close to the city. Liam clocked their drive time right at 15 minutes to get from the underground garage in the rural area south of the city to the interstate that took him downtown. He parked the old Civic a couple blocks away from the office building in a public lot, and walked the rest of the way, not wanting to risk his only source of transportation being caught on camera by building security.

  “Liam, I’m sensing a strong presence inside the building,” Lily said as they approached the rear loading dock of the office building. “It’s not the same as in the woods; it’s not as strong as Julian was; I think it’s a demi,” she said quietly.

  Liam paused. A demi? Here? The Association must have realized the same thing he did and was there to erase the evidence.

  “We need to get in there, Lily, at least get a look at who we’re dealing with,” he said and started to move towards the building again.

  “Liam, I don’t think that’s a—” she started, but Liam cut her off.

  “It’ll be fine; we’ll sneak in, have a look, and get out before they even know we’re there,” he said, opening the back door with Jacob’s access code.

  “Said every stupid book protagonist ever, just before they get captured,” Lily quipped.

  “We’re not in a book; come on, it’ll be ok,” Liam reassured her as he entered the stairwell and made his way to the third floor as Lily “harrumphed” in his head.

  He exited the stairwell into the empty office. No office minions rushed about dealing with whatever wild fire was happening that day. No bosses yelled at paralegals for perceived inconsistencies in reports. It was eerily quiet except the low hum of a conversation in the executive suite towards the back of the room. It seemed like so long ago now that he came in and found out that Jacob Nelson was dead. Felt like weeks since Mr. Cork had fired him and Jessica had rubbed it in his face. It all seemed so displaced from his reality now. Almost like another life. He was drawn from his reverie by sudden yelling coming from the executive suites, t
he conversation obviously taking a sour turn. Liam could almost make out the words even from the outer offices. Someone was very angry.

  “The presence is in there,” Lily said as Liam moved close.

  “Can you tell me anything about it? Who it is? Or what they can do?” he thought to her.

  “No, only that it’s there, and it’s very strong. The aura has been fed… a lot,” she said.

  Liam spent half a second remembering that he still didn’t know what emotion fed his own aura, but quickly came back to the moment as the elevator to the floor dinged and someone got off.

  “Hide!” Lily yelled in his head as he heard the door to the office open. He quickly slid into a cubicle and under a desk, accidentally displacing a pile of wadded-up papers that seemed to be someone writing up their resignation. He held his breath as he heard the sound of stiletto heels clacking across the tile.

  “Ahh! Jessica, thank you for coming. How are you holding up?” Liam heard the unmistakable voice of Timothy Cork echo across the hall.

  “I’m ok, sir, just still a bit shaken up,” came Jessica’s response. She was still playing the grieving assistant card, Liam guessed. But why would Cork call her here at this hour? Liam took a small peek around the corner and saw their auras flashing before he saw them. One was changing between a dark blue and green; apprehension and disgust, and the other was a swirl of navy and maroon, fear and resignation, Lily explained. Who was feeling what was lost though as the two were standing too close to really tell, so strong were the emotions they were feeling.

  “I understand dear, but this won’t take a minute, there’s just someone I’d like you to meet is all. A very important client of ours,” Mr. Cork said and it sounded like they walked back towards the office together. Liam exited the cubicle when he heard the office door close again, and crept closer. He had just gotten to the outside of the door when he heard Jessica cry out.

  An ear-piercing scream rang out and then silence for a moment.

  Mr. Cork’s voice came then, harsh “What the hell Black! You were just supposed to talk to her about Leeroy!”

  A low, sonorous voice came next, a voice Liam had heard before, but he wasn’t sure where. “Mind your tone, Timothy. Remember that you serve at my pleasure. As it happens, I need a new toy and she strikes my fancy. Maybe I’ll even give her to my wife to play with when I’m done. Would you like that, my love?” the voice said, an overly sensual female voice replying.

  “Hmm, I would. She is a lovely little thing, isn’t she? I’m sure I could find a place for her in one of the brothels,” the woman cooed.

  Liam gathered enough courage to peer up through the small peep window next to the door and saw a man and a woman facing away from him, standing over Jessica’s prone form. She was emanating a deep blue aura now: pure fear. Her face turned towards the window, a picture of abject pain and horror plastered on it from where she lay, and Liam could tell she was still conscious, but unable to move. Her eyes met his for the briefest of moments before she passed out. He looked at the pair standing with their backs to him, a man and woman in business attire, the woman hanging off of the man’s arm as she toed Jessica’s limp body. They both had bright white auras: demis then. Not one, but two demis. Mr. Cork looked mortified behind his desk; staring at the pair, his aura rotated constantly between fear, anger, resignation, and back to fear.

  “What am I supposed to tell the staff?” he pleaded with the pair.

  “I don’t particularly care, the man Liam assumed was Mr. Black replied. “Tell them she quit. Tell them she moved away. Tell them she’s dead. You’re a lawyer, come up with a creative narrative, it’s what you’re best at anyway.”

  The man started to turn and move towards the door. Liam got the briefest of glimpses of his face as he dropped from the window, and again, it looked familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Liam quickly slid down the hall as quietly as he could before the door clicked and opened. He’d just managed to get around a corner when the pair stepped out. “Have the girl brought down to my car, Cork. Come, Anita,” the man said and walked out into the office floor before pausing.

  “Agony says we have a guest,” the man said and Liam felt his blood run cold.

  Liam quickly reached out with his mind and grabbed the closest cubicle wall and flung it at the pair, but they moved before the wall even made it halfway to them. Mr. Black pulled a large handgun from his coat and fired a round into the wall behind Liam. The hole was at least an inch in diameter.

  What the hell is he shooting?! A canon? he thought as he dove to avoid the next shot. Liam pushed the next cubicle wall at the pair, but they were walking before it ever left the ground.

  “What in the world?” Lily said this time.

  Liam hurled two more walls, trying to box them in, but the pair stepped calmly into the space right in between the flying metal and felt.

  “They’re reading your attacks somehow,” Lily said as two more huge holes appeared near Liam’s head as he crouch-walked along a row of cubicles. “Also, I think he can see your aura, that’s how he’s aiming!”

  Liam fell back on his butt as the plant in front of him exploded.

  Just then, two security guards in uniform came running around a corner, drawn by the gunfire. They drew handguns and aimed at Liam, but he quickly hit them with a bench nearby and knocked them unconscious. His practice with Bast and Thea had really helped his reaction time, and, apparently, being a demi helped you learn skills faster as he felt fairly adept with his telekinesis power now.

  “Please, just surrender and we can get it over with quick. I really have no time for these games,” Mr. Black said as Liam peeped around a corner to see the huge gun pointed directly at him. Liam jumped back just before the round blew a hole in the wall.

  “Sorry, I’m not interested in being one of your toys,” Liam yelled back. Hurling several desk chairs, planters, and cubicle walls in quick succession.

  “Ohh, I only keep young ladies for my playthings, personal preference and all. You, I’ll just kill outright,” Black said as he moved deftly between the flying items.

  “There, it’s her,” Lily said. “See how she’s tugging on his arm when you throw things? She’s moving and he’s moving with her.”

  “Levi!? Black! That’s him! He’s the one that stole your gem!” Mr. Cork yelled from just inside the office door.

  “It’s Liam, you obnoxious asshole!” Liam yelled and hurled a planter, which he had taken a right hand turn into the doorway since he couldn’t see Cork around the doorframe. He was rewarded with a satisfying “THUNK!” and a yelp from the old man.

  Three more shots rang out as new holes appeared right where Liam had been standing the moment before.

  “Liam, we need to get out of here, now. You won’t win this. He just needs one lucky shot and…”

  Lily was interrupted by a hole appearing right next to Liam’s ear, shrapnel from the wall cutting his cheek and making his ear ring even more than they already were.

  “Ok, I need you to trust me, I have an idea. Imagine a bubble pushing outwards from you and then expand it! Do it now!” Lily said hurriedly.

  Liam closed his eyes and visualized the bubble. He opened his eyes to see a shimmering field of energy surrounding him, dust sliding away from it like a breeze was blowing.

  “Now, run!” Lily screamed and Liam took off towards the exit door.

  Three shots rang out from the hand canon and Liam felt something impact his side and a brief amount of pain, but he kept running. He hit the door to the stairs just as he was losing concentration on the bubble and it exploded outward blowing the door off its hinges. He heard muffled shouts from behind him and glanced back to see Black and his wife getting up off the ground. That thing had a pretty good range, he thought quickly as he took the steps as quickly as he dared.

  “Yes, it’s great. Don’t stop,” Lily said, sounding strained.

  “Lily, what’s wrong?” Liam said as he hit the bottom floor, his chest heaving an
d his legs about to give out.

  “Their guides are yelling at me. Trying to distract me. It started upstairs, but they’re trying to get into my head. Don’t worry, I’m fine. Just keep running. If you get far enough away, they won’t be able to reach me anymore,” she said as Liam ran back down the alley leading to the rear doors. He hit the street and took an immediate left, hoping to blend into the crowd as best he could, covered in dust from broken sheetrock and cubicle foam. He lifted his right arm to brush some dust out of his hair and felt a pain in his side. Liam looked down and saw blood soaking the side of his t-shirt.

  Shit… did I get shot? he thought.

  “Must have been when you were running,” Lily said, sounding more in control now.

  I feel like one of those rounds should have torn me in half. It must have been something else that hit me, he thought and stepped onto an empty side street before pulling up his shirt to see the tip of a large bullet just barely visible over the skin.

  “Nope, that’s a bullet,” Liam said, suddenly feeling faint. This was his first time being shot, and his disbelief had just been shattered.

  “Well, good news is that it looks to have only broken the skin and then stopped,” Lily observed.

  “Good news? I should be dead. I was shot. Look at how big that slug is!” Liam growled out, panicking.

  “Should be dead. But you’re not. Now pull it together, Liam. You can’t fall apart over a little blood. Pull that thing out like a bad splinter, get a tetanus shot, and get over it!” Lily said loudly, snapping Liam back into the present.

  “You’re right, just got to…”

  Liam grasped the piece of metal between two fingers and pulled it out quickly, almost passing out from the sudden pain shooting through his side. He collapsed against the wall behind a dumpster, hidden from the street view. “That really hurt,” he gasped out once the pain had passed, then lifted the metal slug and looked at it. The round looked more akin to a ball bearing than a bullet, and the little he had gleaned about firearms from Jax and Sarah talking made him figure that it would take a considerable amount of force to fire one of these at any speed, much less enough to blow holes into walls.