“Morning,” she says with a grin.
“Morning. What are you doing?” I ask as I rub the sleep from my eyes.
“Waiting for you.”
“Why? What are we doing?”
“Something fun,” she says.
“Really? With everything going on?”
I sit up, and tilt my head to the side, waiting for the ‘crack’ that always makes me feel better.
“I think we need a break,” she replies.
I know she means that I need a break. She’s been keeping me as busy as possible for the last few weeks; training, planning and preparing, all things to keep my mind off my loss and the danger that lies ahead. Part of it feels like we’re getting ready to go on a vacation where one or both of us has a good chance of never returning home.
“So? What are we doing?”
“We’re going on an acquisition run.”
“What’s an acquisition run?”
“It’s when we go out to gather supplies or other things we need.”
“You mean when we go out and steal stuff,” I say, smirking at her.
“You can think of it that way, if you want. Can you just get dressed? We can talk about it on the way.”
“Just give me a couple of minutes,” I say, slipping off the bed and gathering some clothes before heading into the bathroom.
When I emerge, Kateri is in our little kitchenette, a bagel with grape jelly, a vanilla yogurt and a glass of milk on the counter. I smile at her as I take a seat on one of the two stools at the small island.
“You didn’t have to do this,” I say as I pull the plate toward me.
“It’s just breakfast,” she replies, smiling warmly at me.
“I know, but-”
“Just eat. You already made us late,” she says, chuckling.
After wolfing down the yogurt, milk and half the bagel we head out with the other half clenched in my teeth. I notice that she doesn’t have any of her usual weapons with her as we board the elevator.
“We go unarmed?” I ask.
“It’s safer that way, so no one gets hurt.”
I still have no idea what we’re doing, or where we’re going, but I trust Kateri with my life and if she says no weapons, then we take no weapons. We head through the library and dining hall before stopping in the map room. Flashes of red and blue illuminate the globe as it spins slowly above the heads of the technicians. A few of them nod greetings as we pass. Kateri leads us to a small door on the far side of the room that I’d never seen before. A bio-metric palm pad is mounted to the wall to the right of the door. She presses her hand against the smooth, white surface and it illuminates green for a moment before the sound of locks clicking open is heard. The door slides into the wall and we walk inside.
“Evan?” Kateri calls out.
The room is dark, stuffy and the air is filled with the soft hum of a hundred small fans. Row upon row of computer servers fill the space, with narrow corridors between each line. It feels claustrophobic, but maybe geeks like it this way.
“Evan!” Kateri shouts again a little bit louder.
“Hold on,” comes the reply.
We wait by the door for Evan to appear, and I glance over at Kateri.
She looks nice. I think, not intending for her to hear it.
K ~ Thanks.
E ~ Stop doing that.
K ~ You’re the one who thought it.
“Sometimes you can be a little annoying,” I say out loud.
“Who? Kateri?” a young man says as he seems to appear out of nowhere from behind a row of computers.
He’s handsome (if you’re into that sort of thing), and not in a nerdy sorta way. Short blond hair, a quick smile and those stunning Shayd eyes (his are a light violet with swirls of green and yellow) make for a very compelling package.
“Yeah,” I reply.
“That’s for sure,” he says, laughing and giving me a little wink.
“Oh haha,” Kateri says. “Do you have the list, or not?”
“I’ve got it,” Evan says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small scrap of paper. He hands it to me. “You’re Eve, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m Evan. I’m sorry we haven’t met yet. They keep me pretty busy most of the time.”
“It’s okay,” I reply, extending my hand. “So, what do you do here? I.T. Guy?”
We shake for a few seconds and then he laughs.
“You could say that. I’m in charge of making sure that all the systems are up and running here and at all the other facilities…so yeah, I guess I am the I.T. Guy.”
“That’s cool.”
“By the way…I heard about your Mom. Sorry.”
“Thanks,” I reply quietly.
Kateri brushes her hand against mine, breaking my dark train of thought.
“You got everything you need on the list?” Kateri asks, trying again to distract me.
“Yeah, in order of importance.”
“All right, we’ll be back as soon as we can.”
“Okay,” he says, “and it was great meeting you, Eve.”
“You too, Evan. See you around.”
The door slides open, and Kateri and I step through, heading back toward the exit.
“He’s cute,” I say as we walk.
“Yeah. He is. All the girls are after him.”
“I can see why. Smart, funny, and kinda hot.”
“He and Reeva used to date.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“What happened?”
“Evan wasn’t always a computer-nerd, he used to be a demon-fighter. He got injured, pretty bad actually, while he and Reeva were out on an incursion, and she blamed herself,” she says as we walk outside, the door closing behind us. “He knew it wasn’t her fault, but she couldn’t get over it, couldn’t deal with the thought that someone she loved might get killed so he took an ‘office job’ to protect her.”
“But they’re not together anymore?”
“No. I guess it was too much stress or something. They’re just friends now,” Kateri says as we step into the shadow cast by the old chain-link fence surrounding the property.
“That’s sad,” I say, out loud, but sort of to myself.
“Welcome to our world,” Kateri replies with quiet resignation.
I look down at the cracked, grey asphalt, the crisscross shadow pattern spread out below us, and I think about how I’m feeling about Kateri. Maybe this isn’t a life that has room for love and romance and then she speaks, and I jump slightly.
“Hey. You okay? I asked if you’re ready.”
“Oh sorry … yeah, sure. Where are we headed, by the way?”
“It’s close to Fisk and 42nd.”
“Lawrenceville.”
“Yeah. There’s a computer supply company warehouse there. It’s a long red-brick building.”
“All right. I’ll see you when you get there,” I say, instantly fading and streaming out of the lot.
K ~ We’ll see who gets there first.
E ~ Yes, we will.
I zip across the street, linking off a fire escape, to the roof of a small office building and then to the top of the town water tower. Turning to the east, I start bounding from roof to roof, throwing myself off the edges of buildings and even using the tops of telephone poles as I make my way toward Lawrenceville. The thrill of streaming makes me feel free, unburdened from my worries and thoughts of everything I’ve lost over the last month, but then I start to think about everything I’ve gained; the friends, the discovery of these skill that had lain dormant within me, and lastly of Kateri.
I’ve no idea where she is, but I know there’s no way she could be ahead of me. When I reach the outskirts of Lawrenceville, the buildings change to mostly two and three-story houses and businesses. I start down a line of buildings along 42nd Street, flitting from rooftop to rooftop, constantly having to change my trajectory to keep in a never-ending line of shado
ws.
Fisk Street.
I spot the warehouse two blocks away and change course one final time as I link off the top of a small café, landing on the sidewalk just feet from the door. I look around, but I don’t see Kateri anywhere.
“’Bout time you got here,” she says as she walks out from around the corner, a half-eaten ice cream sandwich in her hand.
“Seriously?”
“You gotta be better than that to beat me,” she says, winking and smiling at me.
“You’ve had a lot more practice than me.”
“That’s true. I’ve only been here for a few minutes. You did good.”
“There was no way it was long enough for you to get yourself a treat.”
“Don’t worry. I got you one too,” she says, reaching into her pocket and tossing me a half-melted mess.
“Thanks,” I reply, frowning slightly as I slowly unwrap the mangled, previously frozen sandwich.
“If you’d gotten here sooner, it wouldn’t be melted.”
I roll my eyes at her and chuckle as I take a few bites and then toss the rest into a trash can by the curb.
“It’s still good, melted or not.”
She smiles at me and my heart skips a beat.
“So. You ready for this?” she asks.
“Sure … I guess.”
“Okay. So, there’s usually one or two guys at the front desk and two or three workers in the back. The place is pretty big inside, but it should be fairly easy for me to find the stuff we need.”
“For you? What about me?”
“You’re the distraction.”
“What does that mean?”
“Listen. We can’t just open the front door and walk in. They’d see that … but you can,” she says with a wicked grin.
“What?”
“Come on, Eve. Catch up. You open the door and walk inside, and I slip in behind you, head to the back and find what we need and then back out the front again.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do while you’re in the back?”
“I don’t know. Talk to them, flirt with them, tell them you’re lost. Whatever works.”
“You sure there’s not another way inside, like a window or something?”
“There isn’t. I’ve been here before. They keep the place locked up pretty tight.”
My shoulders slump.
“Well how long is it going to take you to find the stuff?”
“Ten … maybe fifteen minutes.”
“Fifteen minutes? What the hell am I going to talk about for fifteen minutes?” I ask, pacing back and forth.
“I don’t know. You’re a geek, they’re probably geeks…so just geek out together.”
“You know, you did say this was going to be fun,” I say, frowning at her.
“It will be … for me,” she replies.
I just shake my head and grumble something about how annoying she can be sometimes.
“Oh yeah, put this on,” she says, pulling my old baseball cap out of her back pocket. “We don’t want them recognizing you.”
“Now is when you think about it?”
I take the hat and pull it down low on my head after threading my hair through the opening in the back. Kateri reaches over and adjusts the brim and I look into her eyes and my heart beats a little faster. I can feel the heat from her skin against mine and it sends a thrill through me.
“You ready?” she asks.
“I guess.”
I pull the door open, and a little electronic chime goes off. My throat feels dry as a bone and I can’t seem to make any saliva to soothe it. A young man in his early twenties looks up from his laptop and smiles at me. His dark hair is spiked up with a little too much gel and a neatly trimmed goatee decorates his chin. He’s wearing a red polo shirt with a logo of some sort stitched into the fabric just above the pocket on the left side.
Kateri slips inside behind me and stands next the wall by the door. The service counter is about kitchen island height and covered with stickers, brochures and other advertisements for various computers and other equipment. There’s a drop-down section where you can access the back room, and luckily, it’s up, allowing a straight shot into the backroom.
K ~ Fifteen minutes.
E ~ It better be.
“Hi,” he says, sitting up a little straighter.
I smile back at him as Kateri darts behind the counter and disappears into the back.
“Can I help you with something?” he asks.
“Yeah. I think I’m lost,” I reply, looking as helpless as I can manage. I read his name off his shirt. “Kevin.”
“Oh … um … where are you trying to get?”
I walk over to the counter, swaying as I move and feeling like a fool.
“I’m supposed to meet some friends at a café called ‘The Red Monkey’.”
“Oh yeah. I know that place,” he says.
“You do?”
“Sure, it’s just two blocks up and then down Ashland.”
“Oh … um … could you show me, I mean at least point me in the right direction?”
“Yeah. Yeah. I can do that,” he says, coming out from behind the counter.
I smile at him and he smiles back nervously as he passes by me on his way to the door. He pushes it open and the chime goes off as he holds it, his back pressed against the glass.
“Just go that way,” he says, pointing down the street, “and then—”
“Hey! What the hell?” someone yells from the back of the warehouse.
“Someone’s in here!” another voice screams followed by the sound of something or multiple somethings crashing and falling.
Kevin looks at me as we’re standing in the doorway and I know he knows instantly that I’m involved with whatever is happening.
“What’s going on?” he asks, backing away from me toward the counter.
I put my hands up slowly and take a step back.
“Listen. We’re not going to hurt anyone,” I say, spouting off the words that every bad guy from every movie ever says right before they hurt someone, as the sounds of more crashing and yelling drifts out to us.
He pulls a cell phone out of his pocket, his fingers trembling as he tries to swipe the screen. I dart at him, knocking it out of his hand. He backs away, a terrified look on his face.
“Don’t hurt me,” he says. “Just take what you want.”
I pick up his phone and slip it into my pocket.
“I said we’re not going to hurt you, Kevin. Just don’t do anything stupid,” I say, once again using a phrase bad guys use. “Sit down and we’ll be gone in a minute.”
K ~ Or fifteen.
He leans back and slides down the wall until he’s sitting on the floor, his legs out in front of him. I move behind the counter and slip into a shadow cast by the sunlight coming through the small windows lining the wall, and fade.
“What the fuck?” I hear Kevin mutter followed by the chime from the front door.
I turn just in time to see him disappear around the corner.
E ~ Kateri! We gotta go!
K ~ Almost done.
I move through the open doorway that separates the counter from the backroom. The space is filled with row upon row of shelves all running in the same direction, almost like a library. Suddenly, a young man comes rushing up behind me, carrying a bat in his hands. I barely have time to get out of the way before he passes right by me.
“Carl! Where is he?” he shouts.
“I don’t know,” comes the response from somewhere further inside the cavernous room.
E ~ Where are you?
K ~ Right behind you.
“Damn it,” I yelp, spinning around.
“You ready?”
“I’ve been ready. Where the hell have you been, and don’t say waiting for me,” I say, pointing at her.
“I sorta was,” she says, grinning at me.
“Come on. We gotta go. I’m sure the cops have been called by now.” I head t
oward the front desk.
“I thought you were stalling the guy.”
“I was, until they all freaked out back here.”
“Yeah,” she says, shaking her head. “I think one of them saw a drawer open with no one there and went all nutbar.”
“Did you at least get everything?” I ask as we pass the counter.
“Yeah, and more.”
As we approach the door, it’s suddenly pulled open and two police officers peer inside, their guns drawn. Luckily, there’s enough shadow in the little room between what’s coming through the windows and the door to keep me faded. One of the cops steps inside, searching for any sign of robbers or intruders, while his partner remains at the door, keeping it propped open.
“This is the police. Is there anyone in here?” the first officer calls out.
We edge closer to the door, making sure to give the cop a wide berth.
“You back there, Carl?” he calls out as he begins moving behind the counter.
“Yeah, me and Nick.”
“Is someone else with you?” he asks, peering through the opening into the back room.
“I don’t know,” Carl replies.
The other officer is looking at someone outside the building as we reach the door. We slip through the opening, my shirt brushing against the cop’s vest, but he doesn’t seem to notice. Kevin is standing against the wall, looking as nervous as he did when he bolted. We can hear their conversation as we head up the sidewalk.
“So, the girl just disappeared?” the cop asks, frowning at him.
“Yeah. One minute she was there and the next minute she was gone,” he replies.
The officer shakes his head and presses the button on his shoulder radio.
“You got anyone in there, Jeff?”
“Negative. Just these two dumbasses.”
“Let’s go,” he says before looking at Kevin again. “Cut back on the weed, man.”
“I didn’t even smoke any today,” Kevin says before we turn the corner at the end of the block.
We stream back to the factory, side-by-side, not racing this time, but enjoying the sensation of ‘flying’ across the cityscape. When we land in the parking lot, I reach out and touch Kateri’s arm.
All Things in the Shadows Page 21