by R. J. Ladon
Megan looked at her bedroom furnishings with fresh eyes. Four wooden posts made up the corners of her bed. They could be used as a battering ram, but they were much too large to hold in her hand and wield like a weapon. On her bedside table was a lamp with a metal stand. She ripped off the lampshade, removed the lightbulb, and hefted the base like a mace. She swung the weighted square end at the wall, smashing into the lath and plaster with the corner. Megan wiggled the stand free and struck the wall again and again. After pulverizing the plaster, she tore at the wooden straps, throwing debris on the floor. She pulled out insulation, revealing the plywood. Two more layers left.
The metal lampstand was bent and on its last legs. She sighed. It was worthless now. Smoke seeped in between the wall and ceiling. The posts attached to her headboard were longer than the footboard. She threw the bed aside and tore the six by six oak post free. Megan slammed the post bottom into the plywood. The plywood flexed and returned the force, sending her sprawling.
Megan stared at her ceiling. Yellow and orange flames coursed at the edges of her room. I am not going to die like this. She grabbed the unwieldy post and attacked the plywood again. The muscles in her back and arms expanded and strained under her shirt, stretching the once-baggy clothing. She screamed with the ferociousness of a wild animal. The plywood gave way from the assault, pushing aside the vinyl siding.
At the sight of daylight and the smell of fresh air, Megan grabbed her duffle bag and muscled through the remaining splintered wall. She ran to the boathouse, looking back at her home. Flames leaped from the roof, the eves, and the hole to her bedroom, bursting free where it could. The whine of firetrucks filled the air. She doubted that any part of the house could be saved. Not that it mattered, she was never going back.
Megan entered the boathouse and found what used to be the bugout bag. It was filled with mundane tools. The weapons, money, and ID’s were gone. The bags in her car would be destroyed in the fire. Artem had planned this for days, maybe even weeks.
If he didn’t need her anymore and tried to kill her, what would he do to Nikolai? She had no money, no weapons, no car, no phone, and Nikolai’s gym was on the other side of town. She flung the duffel bag over her shoulder and ran to Kevin’s house. It was much closer, and she could find help there.
The door jerked open. Ruby stood there, staring at Megan. “Kevin isn’t with you?”
“No,” Megan said, her eyes pleading. “I need help finding him.” The emotions of the day hit her hard. She cried, blubbering like a child.
“Honey, come inside,” Ruby said. Megan dropped her bag on the floor near the door. Ruby guided Megan to the couch. “Sit, I’ll get you some tea.”
“Wait, do you have a phone I can use?”
Ruby’s forehead wrinkled. She reached into her pocket and handed her phone to Megan. “Don’t you have one?”
Megan shook her head. “My father forbid it.”
Tires squealed to a stop, and stomping feet crossed the porch. Johnny opened the door and rushed in. His eyes fell on Megan. He appeared surprised. “Your house is on fire.”
Megan nodded, feeling tears weld. She thrust Ruby’s phone at Johnny. “Call Nikolai. Tell him Artem might try to kill him too.”
Johnny put the phone on the table and used his own. “Nik, you okay? Megan says Artem is on a rampage. No, I don’t.” He turned to look at Megan. “She looks like shit, but she’s safe. You do that. Contact me in seventy-two.” He turned off his phone and put it in his pocket. “He’s gone under.”
Megan dropped to the couch. “Good.” Tears of relief flowed, soon replaced with sobs of fear for Kevin and Kragnor.
“Let’s give her a minute,” Ruby said to Johnny. They disappeared into the kitchen.
The white cat came to her, rubbing on her legs. Megan sniffled, wiped her tears, and reached out to pet him. Rapscallion, she thought she remembered the name. The cat meowed as if confirming. He jumped up onto the couch next to her. He meowed again, demanding pets. Megan obliged, scratching behind ears and under his chin. She smiled as his green eyes studied hers. “You’re the most handsome cat I have ever seen,” Megan told him. The cat bonked his head against hers. He leaned into the forehead connection as if he could give her his strength.
“Well, now, I have seen everything.” Ruby stood watching, with two cups of tea in her hands. “Talk to me.” She handed Megan a cup.
“I messed up. It was my idea.” Megan blinked back tears and looked around. “I need Johnny to hear this too. I think he can help.”
“Coming, coming.” Johnny came from the kitchen with a cookie sticking out of his mouth and a mug in his hands.
“I don’t know where to begin.” Megan stood and brought her bag to the couch. “I guess this is the place to start.” She gave the photos to Ruby and Johnny. “I was born in Russia. Some small town in Siberia.” Megan shrugged, then sat next to Ruby.
“Artem told me that he worked for the Russian mafia. But there is nothing in these photos, other than a small village and a few people. Nothing to indicate organized crime. Today he told me my mother is the Wolf of Siberia. When I got mad and ran to my room to pack a bag and leave, he barricaded the door and set the house on fire.” Megan grabbed Ruby’s hand. “He sold Kevin and Kragnor to Tai Lu to protect himself from my mother.”
Ruby gasped, dropping her hand.
Megan nodded. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know this would happen.”
“Is this you?” Johnny held up the weird double-take baby picture.
“I don’t know, I think so. That one is my mom.” She pointed to the other double-take photo. “I think the camera jammed.”
“No, these photos are real. They were taken with a digital camera.” Johnny furrowed his brow in thought. “You didn’t know?”
“Didn’t know what?”
“You know about Russian folklore but not about the Wolf of the Woods.”
Megan shrugged. “Should I?”
Johnny opened his mouth to say something, shot a glance at Ruby, then held up his hand. “We can discuss this later. Tell me about the deal your father made.”
Megan curled her lip. “Artem didn’t explain much of anything. But, when I did an assignment for school, I’m sure I saw Tai Lu’s picture in a book about the black market.” She looked at Ruby and Johnny but didn’t get the response she expected. “I assume he sold Kevin to the black market through Tai Lu.”
Ruby gasped. “Oh, for the love of Pete! Whatever for?”
Johnny grabbed Ruby’s hand. “China has an extensive black market where elephant tusks, rhino horns, and other animal parts are sold. Within that market is a more exclusive market, where more exotic items can be found.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“Like what?” Megan asked, feeling sick to her stomach.
“Well, that imbued amethyst Annie had could have been sold there. But what the black market is known for are parts of unicorns, dragons, phoenix, and other lesser-known creatures, like gargoyles.” He frowned. “Sometimes, the whole animal is sold. As you can imagine, the cost of a dragon is more than most countries make in a year.” He squeezed Ruby’s hand. “This is where we get our hopes up. Kragnor and by association Kevin, are worth more money alive than dead.” He held up his hand, staving off any questions or comments. “However, it would be much easier to transport bits of stone and rock than an argumentative teenager or live gargoyle.”
“I feel faint.” Ruby waved her hand in front of her face as if to get more air.
Megan studied Johnny. “How do you know about this rare-items black market?”
“It’s part of my job. Find objects like Annie’s stone to lock up or destroy it.”
“What about Kragnor? Should he be locked up or destroyed too?” Megan narrowed her eyes at the older man.
“No. But to be fair, Kragnor’s situation is unique. He and Kevin share a body. Once we discover how to separate them, then he’ll be released.”
“And Kevin?” Ruby asked. “Do you pla
n on releasing Kevin too?”
“Of course.” Johnny looked at Ruby, then held up his hands. “There is a problem with letting Kevin live a normal life now. He’ll need protection from people like these Chinese. He’ll need a place to go until we figure out how to separate them.”
“You would take my grandson from me?” Ruby’s eyes flashed.
“Not permanently,” Johnny raised both hands in surrender.
Megan stood, drawing attention to herself. “If we don’t do something right now, there might not be a Kevin or Kragnor left. You two can bicker about logistics later.”
Johnny nodded. “Megan’s right.” He stood to leave.
“Where are you going?” Ruby asked.
“I need to talk to my supervisor and track Kevin’s phone.”
“How long will that be?”
“A couple hours.” He shrugged. “I’ll come back when I have information. Both of you get some sleep.” He closed the front door.
Ruby pointed to the bag on the floor. “I suppose you need a place to stay?”
“I have nowhere else to go. Please, just for the night. I’ll figure it out tomorrow.”
Ruby sighed. “Rapscallion would be upset if I didn’t let you stay.” The big white tom hit Ruby’s shins with his head. “I already said she could stay,” she told him.
Rapscallion meowed in his most resonant voice.
Ruby pointed to Megan. “You can feed him. His food is in the pantry. He gets one scoop.” She held up her finger. “Don’t let him tell you he is starving because that would be a lie.” Ruby thumped Rapscallion on his plump belly.
Chapter 56
“H ello, beautiful.” The woman from the night before reached through the bars of the cage, bumping his nose.
Kragnor shook his head and pulled away. “What am I doing here?”
“You are my plaything.” The woman held up a rod of stone.
No, it was one of Kragnor’s fingers. The gargoyle looked at his hands, but he had all ten. “What kind of magic is this?”
“The best kind. The kind of magic that will make me rich beyond imagination.” She rubbed the finger against her bottom lip. “I cut this off, Kevin, earlier today.” Tai Lu snickered. “When you were born, you came with all ten. And this one turned to gargoyle, all on its own.”
She held the finger close for Kragnor to examine. It looked like his pinky finger, including the claw. The finger was stone, but it was not gargoyle flesh like she thought. It was just as much gargoyle as any human carved statue.
“Do you know what a pangolin is?” She paused. “It is a small creature that eats bugs and ants. It has scales covering its body. The uneducated in my country believe the scales of a pangolin will cure cancer. They pay millions on the black market for powdered scales. Millions. All I have to do is kill a pangolin.” She shrugged. “Or pay for a dead one.”
“Who would kill a helpless creature for a cure that does not work?” Kragnor snarled.
“How do you know it doesn’t work?”
“Your condescending tone and your distaste for your people.” The gargoyle shrugged. “You are taking advantage of them in their time of need. You should be helping your people.”
She laughed in a mocking tone. “I do help them. I take pride in giving my clients exactly what they want. You should hear what they pay for gargoyle fragments or unicorn horn.” Her eyes glowed with greed. “A few hundred times what they pay for pangolin scales.” She waved the finger under Kragnor’s nose. “This little beauty is worth one million dollars. And if I break it like so…” She snapped the pinky along the biggest joint. “Now, each piece is worth one million.”
The gargoyle flinched at the sight of the broken finger. “Why would I care?” Kragnor looked away from her. Why was she telling him these horrible stories?
“I see.” She laughed. “The pet doesn’t understand.” Others in the room joined her laughter. “You and Kevin are my cow.”
Kragnor blinked. “Why must you play this game?”
She waved her hand, ignoring his insolence. “Like any cow, I will harvest a bit of Kevin every day. It is so much easier to cut flesh than carve rock. Even if you have the right equipment.” She giggled like a little girl. “And when you appear, the bit I harvested will be back, ready to be retaken. And the next day. And the next.” She clapped her hands and jumped up and down. “This is an exhilarating day. No longer do I wake an akitu from the stones and harvest their entire body. No, this is easier. No saturating the market.”
“You have killed my brothers and sisters?” Kragnor reached for the bars and noticed the damage done to the inside of the cage. Flakes of granite stuck in the concrete as if an akitu was trying to get out.
“Only six of them. No need to panic.” She smiled, clearly pleased with herself. “The pain and suffering your people went through was momentary. Even you…you don’t feel the pain of the cut. Kevin does.”
Kragnor attacked the cage's metal bars, trying to reach through, trying to grab the petite woman before him. He roared with frustration as she was beyond his reach. She told him her plans because she wanted him to suffer, to feel helpless. She hated akitu, but why?
She knew exactly where to stand to avoid the sharp akitu claws. “Now, you understand. Your damnation will be for eternity. I will pass you and Kevin on to my children, and they will reap the rewards. Over and over again!” She laughed, rubbing her hands together as she walked away. “Come on, boys, leave him in peace with his nightmares.”
Kragnor heard a slithering approach and passed the cage. Naga. The men from the night before must have had a glamor or magic cast upon them to look human. They turned off the lights as they left the room.
The darkness enveloped him like a comforting blanket. He was inside a building. Two of the corners in the ceiling blinked red. The walls, floor, and ceiling were concrete. Kragnor could not pass through the slurry of sand and pebble. The doorway the men went through was small and narrow, and it lacked a door. It was so little that they had to shimmy to slide out. He would not fit.
The woman knew akitu, knew their strengths and weaknesses. He growled, feeling like this battle was already lost. I always had time, but not anymore. Every day, bits of Kevin would be cut away. Every day Kevin would suffer. Akitu were protectors, but he could do nothing to protect the young man who shared his body. He shook with anger and frustration.
Kragnor growled and punched the concrete and steel of his cell. His tail whipped around, striking the bars. Despite the evidence of the previous residence attacking the cage to no avail, he tried pushing and pulling, but nothing gave. Every corner was solid. Only the door shuttered and twisted when he struck it. Kragnor huffed. The door was too small for him to escape, but Kevin could. If Kevin escaped, so would he.
He dug at the hinges and lock plate, trying to find a weakness. The tip of his nail broke, but still, he persisted.
Kragnor didn’t know how long he worked on the metal. But he noticed when he felt Kevin trying to come through. He grunted. Perhaps he could save Kevin by not sharing the body.
He gathered his mind and meditated, trying to hold off the human emergence. He hummed and focused, but he knew he couldn’t hold Kevin at bay forever.
Chapter 57
“G et Mistress, he’s back.” One of the snake-men hissed.
A beautiful woman in a white dress disappeared out the door. Kevin wondered if she was a person, or something else, like the snake-men.
His clothes were torn and bloodied, resting on the floor. He forgot to take them off when he turned. He couldn’t remember what he was thinking between the pain and fear.
The pain. He looked at his hands. His pinky returned, and the pain was reduced to an ache. Kevin made a fist and splayed his fingers. The finger responded as if it was never missing. His stomach rolled as he thought about Tai Lu’s delight while cutting it off.
The sounds of feet running made him look up. “Excellent,” Tai Lu purred from her side of the cage. “When I
saw your gargoyle had all ten fingers, I assumed you would also.” She threw a glare at the woman. “Someone told me I should not celebrate until you returned with ten, and the separated finger remained gargoyle.” Tai Lu turned away from Kevin and faced the woman. “Happy now, Candali?” She sucked air between her teeth.
The woman bowed to her. “Do you wish to remove all of them today, Mistress?”
Kevin whimpered and backed into a corner away from the woman. He looked at his hands and cried. All my fingers? The pain would be unbearable.
“No,” Tai Lu said.
“Yes, Mistress.” The woman bowed to Tai Lu.
Kevin sighed in relief and sat on the floor of his cage.
“I want his arm.” Tai Lu laughed with excitement.
Keven hugged his legs close to his chest. This woman was crazy. “Why?” He yelled at Tai Lu. “Aren’t my fingers enough?”
“I’m trying to find your limitations, Kevin. Tomorrow, we try a leg.” She smiled sweetly at him.
“Mistress, we can’t cut off his arm. He’ll bleed out.” Candali bowed and stepped back as if expecting Tai Lu to hit her.
“I am not stupid.”
“No, Mistress, I never said that, Mistress.” Candali continued to bow. “I merely suggest surgery so that we can control the blood loss.”
“Prep him and bring him to level three. I do not want my pet to die.” Tai Lu slapped the other woman. “Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Mistress,” Candali said with a bloody lip. “I’ll not let your pet die.”
Tai Lu stepped away from the woman. “And Candali?”