Shadow Games

by Doug Welch

  Chapter 16

  Meet the parent

  The next day promised thunderstorms. The clouds built ominously, and the weather reports predicted high winds and a lot of water. It was not the best day to take a trip to unfamiliar territory, but we were resolved to make the attempt.

  “We're gonna drown,” Alex said.

  “We have umbrellas.”

  “We're still gonna drown.”

  We impatiently waited to leave for the Rowan's house.

  I hadn't slept very well. When my mind wasn't restlessly searching for some way to resolve our problems, I thought about what I would say to Elizabeth. Alex and I had both independently decided to dress causal, but not down to jeans and a tee shirt.

  Alex wore sandals, a maroon, knee-length skirt and white, frilly blouse, and I was dressed in leather oxblood loafers, brown slacks, and a pale yellow dress shirt with a button-down collar. Anxious about the coming lunch with Mister Rowan, we’d both tried to be dressy, without being overdressed.

  “Maybe we should change into something that won't get ruined by the rain,” Alex said.

  “Too late, we've got to go. We'll just hope the rain doesn't start until we get there and stops before we leave. I suggest we both take our own vehicles. That way, if we have the time, we can take them for a drive, and talk about – things.”

  “Yeah – things.”

  We locked the house, started our cars, and drove to the Rowan's house. The sky darkened, hiding the sun. It wouldn't be long before the cloudburst.

  The Rowan place was about ten miles north of Jamestown. It only took twenty minutes to get there.

  Sited off of a small side road that wound back into a wooded area, the house had a wide, well-kept front lawn, a sweeping driveway, and sat in front of a substantial section of the woods.

  We parked in front of the house and exited the vehicles. The front door of the house opened, and Elizabeth and Caesar emerged.

  “Hurry, come in before the rain starts,” Caesar said.

  Alex paused for a moment, and ran up to the porch, hurling herself into Caesar's open arms. I wasn't far behind and enfolded Elizabeth in mine.

  I held her as though I hadn't been with her for ages. She leaned back, and looked at me with those deep violet eyes. A feeling of warmth and contentment suffused me. It was as though an important piece of my body had returned from a long absence. She nearly purred and we kissed. I knew then, no matter what, I could never let her go.

  We went inside, just before the downpour started, standing in the living room as the steady drumming of hard rain beat on the front windows.

  The room looked like an English country home, with solid wood beams in the ceiling and what appeared to be antiques or reproductions of old English furnishings. It was stately and dignified.

  Sitting in a wheelchair was a handsome, silver-haired, steely-eyed man. I could see that at one time he had sported a powerful frame, but sickness had removed his strength. The illness had done nothing however, to prevent his critical gaze from assessing our every movement. I had a feeling we would have a difficult time meeting his approval.

  “Father,” Caesar said formally, “this is Paris and Alexandra Fox. Alexandra, Paris, this is my father Edward Rowan.”

  I moved forward and offered my hand. He never lost eye contact. Fortunately, I had to deal with some powerful officers during my Army days, and I was accustomed to being stared down. I returned his look with a steady one of my own. He paused, and then extended his hand to be shaken. His grip was firm, and in other times would have been powerful. “Mister Fox,” he said.

  “Pleased to meet you sir,” I replied.

  Then, it was Alex's turn to be overpowered. She approached him with an anxious look, but he smiled, and said. “Miss Fox. You’re very lovely. I can see why Caesar is smitten.”

  “Thank you sir.” She glanced nervously at Caesar.

  “Have you finished intimidating our guests sufficiently?” Elizabeth said imperiously. “I thought you were going to behave.”

  Edward winced. “You know my feelings in the matter,” he said. “I just had to see for myself.”

  “Have we come at a bad time?” I said. “Should we leave?”

  “No.” Caesar and Elizabeth both shouted. They glared at their father.

  Edward appeared to relent. “No, please. Stay,” he said. “However, I do need to talk to both of you – alone.” He flashed a challenging glance at both Caesar and Elizabeth as though daring them to object.

  Caesar just shrugged. “It won't change anything, Father,” he said, calmly.

  Elizabeth turned her back on her father in obvious fury.

  I wondered what was happening to make our presence such a conflict. Although I felt we should leave, I also felt that if we didn’t resolve this, we could cause profound disagreement in the Rowan household. It was better to get it out in the open, rather than let it fester.

  “I, for one, will be happy to talk to your father – alone,” I said, and looked him in the eyes.

  Alex moved to be by my side. “Where my brother goes, I go,” she said.

  “Very well,” Edward said. “We can talk in my study.”

  “Just watch your damned heart rate,” Elizabeth said, looking almost in tears with anger.

  “This way please,” Edward said. He had a powered wheelchair, which he used to navigate through the doorway at the back of the living room. We followed him and entered a spacious den, the walls lined with books. There was a fireplace and a heavy wooden desk. A comfortable leather couch stood before the fireplace. He asked me to close the door and indicated we should seat ourselves at the couch. Edward wheeled the chair next to the fireplace so that it faced us. We sat on the couch.

  “Would you like a drink?” he asked.

  “No, thank you,” I replied, politely.

  “What's this all about?” Alex said, her lips compressed into a grim line.

  He evaded the question. “If you don't mind I'll pour a drink. Beth forbids it, but I'm too set in my ways to stop now. I'm dying, you know.”

  “Not so that I can discern it,” I replied.

  “It's my heart. Not repairable. No transplant available. I don't have long, maybe a year, but I must protect my children. You see, I knew your father. We spoke often. I know what he was attempting. I know all about you – what you are. That is why I won't let you ruin Caesar and Elizabeth's lives.”

  I was speechless. The answer as to why the Rowans address was in Dad's list became clear. It wasn't Caesar or Elizabeth, it was their father. But why did he think we would ruin their lives? I was dumbfounded.

  Edward shifted in his wheelchair and leaned forward. “I know all about the Shadows. I know what kind of monsters they are. I saw and experienced the misery they created throughout the world. I will not let you be the cause of that same kind of suffering for my children.”

  I was numb. How could he think that we would hurt either of them? Alex was silent, an anguished look on her face. Tears brimmed in her eyes. I had not expected this. All my doubts and fears began to surface. I didn't know how to respond.

  Edward’s face became red. “I'll not have any filthy Shadows bewitching Elizabeth or Caesar.”

  “We're not Shadows,” I shouted, exasperated. “We're victims.” I added, more subdued. “We didn't even know about them until two weeks ago.”

  “Please, Mister Rowan. Please. I'm not a Shadow,” Alex pleaded. “I love Caesar. I know he loves me. I'd never do anything to hurt him.”

  “Oh really? Then, why do you wear those vile lockets around your necks?” He nodded. “Oh yes, Elizabeth told me about them. Why is it that you can see Shadows, when no other normal human can?”

  I didn't know how to answer him. He had hit on a half-truth. We were half Shadows, but I certainly couldn't feel any different from what, I imagined, anyone else felt. I clutched at the medallion that lay heavily around my neck.

  “I think you're letting your hatred of the Shadows spil
l onto us,” Alex said. “We're not Shadows. In fact, we are being hounded by those people.”

  “All the more reason to prevent you both from associating with us,” he said.

  I had no rejoinder for him. He had articulated the fears that had been plaguing me since I learned of the danger. Did we want Caesar and Elizabeth involved in that? Wasn't it better to separate ourselves from them? I didn't know what to believe, but I knew that the thought of leaving Elizabeth caused practically unbearable mental anguish.

  “Mister Rowan, we’re not Shadows,” I said. “However, you’re right. The more we associate with your family, the more danger you're in. The Shadows desperately want what our father discovered, and some group of them wants us – as virtual slaves. I can understand why you would want to save your family from that kind of danger. We don't want them in danger either. Alex and I have discussed what we could do to prevent harm to Caesar and Elizabeth, and we decided that to protect them, we must fight the Shadows with every weapon we possess. Our lives, mine and Alex's, depend upon it. As much as it hurts to think about it, you may be right, but it may also be too late. The odds are that the Shadows know about our relationships with Elizabeth and Caesar, and there's nothing that can change that.”

  “Oh, really?” he said. “Suppose we test that.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “I know the kind of mind tricks that your people can use to persuade normal humans, Mister Fox. Suppose we test your supposed love for my children without those tricks?”

  “What do you mean, mind tricks? We haven't –”

  “Those abominable medals you wear around your necks. They're Shadow mind tricks, designed to coerce the people you associate with.”

  “Coerce people?” Alex replied angrily. “What are you talking about? Our father gave these medallions to us to protect us, not to screw around with other people's minds.”

  “Are you so sure?” Edward asked. “Do you know what those medallions do?”

  “No,” I said a little uncertainly. “I don't, but I'm sure that they are not meant to harm anyone. My father wouldn't do that.”

  “Suppose we test that, Mister Fox. Suppose we leave the objects here in my study, and you find out how much harm they can cause. See if my children feel the same way about you with the medals gone.”

  His words unsettled me. Could he be right? Was it possible that the medallions were the reason for the love that I felt for Elizabeth, and she in turn for me? The thought was agonizing. Dad had called them a fetish, an object of erotic fixation. Could all of my yearnings for a life with her be a lie?

  I thought about how strange the whole episode had been, a chance meeting in the forest; a nearly instant attraction. I dreaded finding that the whole thing had been false. I didn't know if my soul could survive it.

  “I know how Caesar feels about me, and I know how I feel about him. You're not going to spoil that, no matter how hard you try.” She rose from the couch and lifted the medallion and its chain from her neck. She removed it and tossed it on the ornate desk. “You're on,” Alex said with anger.

  No matter how this worked out, I knew I had to know the truth; so I unclasped my necklace and laid it next to Alex's.

  Alex glared at him. “So much for meeting the damn parents,” she said. She stalked out of the study. I followed her, a little in awe of her fury.

  We returned to the living room. Caesar and Elizabeth were sitting in two of the easy chairs. Caesar rose to his feet when we entered. He had a worried look. Elizabeth bit her lip. She looked angry. From their expressions, I didn’t know what to think. Either they were furious because we had duped them, or they were upset because we had been interrogated by their father. I waited anxiously.

  Alex walked up to Caesar and stared intently into his eyes. She waited for something to happen; as though she could will it with her gaze. After a moment, I saw her shoulders slump and she turned as if to walk away.

  Caesar reached out and grabbed her arms. He turned her around and looked her. Her head was slumped, staring down at his chest. He put a hand under her chin and tilted her head up to look in her eyes. Her eyes glistened with tears. He folded her in his arms and laid her head against his chest. He glared over her head at his father. “What did you say to her? We discussed this before we invited them. You agreed.”

  As much as I hated being in the middle of a family argument, I felt that this was one that we must win. Edward remained silent, so I spoke. “Your father thinks that we have somehow entrapped you two, that we have forced you, against your will, into a relationship with us. To be honest, it frightened both of us, because we both are in love with you, and neither Alex, nor I would want that to be forced. You have to admit, that the circumstances of our chance encounter in the woods were unusual. A lot of unusual things have been happening to us recently.”

  Elizabeth had been quiet during my speech, glaring at her father, but when I finished, she turned and focused her attention on me, her eyes boring into my soul.

  “Define unusual,” she said.

  “Yes, Mister Fox, tell my daughter the truth.” Edward said.

  “The truth –” I looked at Alex for help. She only turned her head and buried her face in Caesar's chest. I turned to look at Elizabeth. “Honestly, I don't know what the truth is. I can only tell you what has happened to us and the things we’ve been told. I think we all need to sit down.”

  Caesar and Alex took one end of the sofa, huddled together, and I took the other. Elizabeth flopped down in the easy chair next to the sofa, huddled, and pulled inside herself with her arms crossed. She looked angry. It was like glass in my throat, I felt hopeless, as I began to relate the events of the past two weeks.

  When I finished, the room was silent, but the atmosphere was thick with emotions. Elizabeth was staring at the ceiling. Edward looked smugly triumphant, Caesar looked like a protective bear, holding his mate, and Alex looked like a lost kitten, safe in the arms of its owner. I felt like my life had just ended, that I should just dig my grave, and hop into it.

  Elizabeth finally stirred. “So you think that these invisible 'Shadows' killed your mother and father, and also killed your lawyer, Silas. You also think that they are trying to abduct you, and that we are in danger because we have associated ourselves with you.”

  I nodded. “Close enough.”

  Her lips stretched thin on her face. “You know, I have been listening to my father and his delusional crap for some time. To discover that you share his delusions makes me very sad and angry. I’ve tolerated his ranting because his medical condition can create dementia, but you, you are not ill, you are in prime health, at least physical health, and here you are, spouting the same irrational bullshit.”

  I didn't know what to say, so I kept my mouth shut.

  She started to cry. “If I didn't love you and want you so terribly, it wouldn't matter, it wouldn't hurt. However, for better or worse, I'm in love with you, so much that it hurts to be without you. I suppose I can cope with this, but it will take some time.”

  The only words that she spoke that registered on my mind were 'I'm in love with you'. The rest was meaningless noise. I rose and walked over to the easy chair. I fell to my knees and gripped both of her arms. I looked up into her eyes, and said “You have my life. I give it to you freely, and without reservation.”

  Tears welled up in her eyes. She reached out her hands, cupped my head, and clasped it to her bosom.

  The whole room froze.

  It was Edward who finally broke the silence. “As much as I hate to break this tender moment, you still have not addressed the major issue. How do you plan to protect my children, Mister Fox?”

  “Protect us from what, father?” Caesar said.

  “Haven't you been listening?” he said. “Regardless of how you view my mental stability. The fact remains, as Mister Fox can affirm, that the Shadows are real, and you two have just become prime targets.”

  Elizabeth released me and stood up, much
to my disappointment. “I don't think I want to hear any more,” she said, and stalked through the front door.

  I rose and followed her.

  I found her staring out at the woods, her arms hugged her chest. I walked over to her and stood behind her, gazing at the same view. Finally, I spoke.

  “You know, what you said in there meant a lot to me. I can do anything if I know you love me. I would do anything for you. If you asked, I would gouge my eyes out and deafen my ears, to block all my senses, so that I could not see nor hear the world as I sense it. You only have to ask. If it would remove my delusions so that you and I could be happy together, I would consider it a fair trade.” I turned her to face me. I looked in her eyes.

  “I know you, Beth. You’re a person who believes in a rational world. Until a short while ago, I believed as you. Maybe the universe is a lot stranger than we understand. Maybe this is a dream. Maybe I'll wake soon, to reenter the rational world. I hope not, because if it is a dream, then that means you are as well. I could not wake to that loss. I could not bear it. I would rather die in a delusion than awaken to a world of rationality. So long as I am in this dream, I live to cherish and protect you.”

  She finally smiled. “You know, you are a silver-tongued devil. You could give Shakespeare competition. She laughed, and then shrugged. “But I guess I'm stuck with you.” She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me. I returned the favor.

  We clung together, standing on the porch for a long time. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. I broke the embrace to focus on the area in which I saw the motion. Close to the edge of the woods, I spied a person who seemed to be watching the house.

  “What's the matter?” Elizabeth said.

  “There, at the edge of the woods, do you see him?”

  “Well, yes. He must be a hiker. We have a number of people who like to walk through these woods.”

  “Why does he seem to be staring at your house?”

  “I don't know, don't get paranoid, Paris. Not everyone is out to get you. What do you think? He's one of your imaginary people?”

  “No, I'm just not comfortable with him staring at us. Let's go back inside.”

  She reluctantly agreed, and we moved back into the house.

  Back in the living room, Alex was still nestled in Caesar' arms, and Edward was petulantly glowering at the two of them as they whispered what I imagined being terms of endearment. I took one last look through the front window to see if the man at the edge of the woods had moved from his spot. He seemed to have disappeared. The sight didn't make me easier.

  I turned to the elder Rowan and said, harshly “Well sir, are there any more hurdles that you want us all to leap? Any more emotional trauma you want us to endure?”

  He jerked his head in my direction and seeing my face, had the grace to morph his features into what might be interpreted as an apologetic look.

  “I only seek to protect my children from a terror that I’ve directly experienced. There’s no denying that you two are half Shadow, or do you intend to deny it? The Shadows have been responsible for more of the misery inflicted upon this planet than any other group or nation. How am I to know what your motivations are in relation to my children? Shadows are deceitful, deceptive, and totally immoral, at least in terms of what I consider morality. You could be harboring a hidden agenda, using my loved ones as pawns in some game. Do you yourselves know if you, in turn, are not pawns to an even greater game? I think not. Until you convince me that you are not manipulators, dupes, or fools, I remain opposed to any union between you and my children.”

  “Fair enough, what will it take to convince you?” I asked.

  “I don't know. I only know that when I see it, my mind will be settled, one way or the other,” he replied.

  Elizabeth abruptly broke into our dialogue. “This is ridiculous. It’s surreal. The two of you are arguing about imaginary people, as though they truly existed. You can't expect us to join in your delusion, can you? Why don't you two get over your preposterous display of testosterone, and rejoin the real world?”

  “Do you see the source of my frustration and dilemma young man?” Edward said.

  I grinned. “Certainly sir, its one of the things I love about her.”

  “Very well I suggest a truce. I'm hungry anyway. We'll talk about fewer adversarial subjects while we eat. By the way, you may resume wearing your medallions.”

  “Thank you. When we leave will be soon enough.”

  The lunch break was somewhat reluctantly agreed to by Beth, Alex, and Caesar. To everyone's evident relief, Edward was civil; relating amusing anecdotes about diplomatic snafus that had occurred involving famous people, which he’d witnessed during his diplomatic career. We relaxed, and enjoyed the excellent lunch that had been prepared by Caesar.

  After lunch, Alex and I prepared to leave. The rain clouds had ceased weeping but remained heavy. They looked ready to unleash their torrents upon the countryside again, so I decided to brave the potential downpour to retrieve our umbrellas from the cars. As I left the house, I looked at the spot near the woods where I’d seen the intruder.

  He was still there but he’d been joined by two other men. I pretended to ignore them and opened the door of my car. Reaching into the interior, I grabbed the umbrella and cracked it open. I took the Glock and two cans of Mace from the glove box, slipped the items into the umbrella and closed the door. Running back into the house, I ignored the intruders and closed and locked the front door.

  “We've got unwelcome visitors,” I announced to the assembled group.

  “What visitors?” Caesar said.

  “I believe they may be the persons that your father was worried about,” I answered, and glanced toward Edward. He returned my look with a wince.

  “Where?”

  “Near the woods, there are three of them. There may be others, but I didn't see them.”

  Caesar moved to the front side window and gazed through the curtain at the edge of the woods.

  “I only see one man,” he said.

  Elizabeth joined him and looked at the same scene. “He's right. It’s the same man who was looking at the house when we went back in.”

  “Alex, I need you to look,” I said.

  She moved to the window, and gazed out at the woods. “Paris is right,” she said, “but there's not three, there's four.”

  Caesar looked at her with an expression of puzzlement. “Alex, there's only one man out there.”

  She looked him in the eyes and said. “No Caesar, there are four people out there.” She turned to me and said, “Shadows?”

  I nodded. “Yes, if they can't see them, then they must be Shadows.”

  Elizabeth and Caesar looked at us as though we’d lost our senses.

  “What are we going to do?” Alex said.

  “The only reason they’d surround this house is to take the Rowans hostage to force our compliance. As for me, if Beth was threatened, I would do anything they wanted, even if it meant I never saw her again. It seems that our worst nightmares are about to come true. These three have no defense against them. We’re the only ones here who can see them. It’d be easy to overpower them and take them hostage.”

  “The farm house? “ Alex said.

  “Yes, it’s the only place that's shielded against them.”

  “What are you two talking about?” Elizabeth said heatedly.

  “We're talking about taking you, all of you, back to our farm, where you will be safe.”

  “Why is your farm safer than our house?” she said.

  “My father had secrets to guard. He learned how to design safeguards into the building. I don't pretend to understand how they work, but the Shadows cannot come near it. I could show you the plans, but they're back at the farm. You'll have to take my word for it.”

  Elizabeth looked frustrated and a little angry. “Paris, this is crazy.”

  “I know what it sounds like, but we're desperate. You don't know how unscrupulo
us they are and what they're capable of doing. If they take you, it will result in our deaths or a life of essential slavery. We won't have any choice. We'll either have to fight them or surrender. Either way, we'll be gone. If you come with us to the farmhouse, we can try to find a way to defeat them without putting you in jeopardy.”

  Caesar turned from the window. “I see two men now. The first one was joined by a second.”

  I moved to his vantage point, looked and turned to look at Caesar. “It just got more complicated. There are four at that position, and the other two have moved in back of our cars. That makes six.”

  “Where? I still see only two.”

  “Trust me, they're there.”

  Edward finally stirred. “I think, just to be prudent, we should take Mister Fox's advice, at least until he is able to produce his evidence.”

  “Father, you can't be serious.” Elizabeth said. “I don't know what is happening to these two, it may be hallucinations, but you're in no shape to leave this house, much less in some crazy headlong rush.”

  “Your father must come with us,” I said. “He is just as much of a valuable hostage as you are.”

  “He's right,” Alex said, “If anything, Edward is more vulnerable. He’s totally unable to defend himself. Just the threat of withholding his medication is enough to cause us all to agree to anything they want.”

  “I think we should do what Alexandra and Paris want,” Caesar said. “If what they say is true, we will have been saved from a dangerous situation. If they cannot convince us, then we can decide from there. As for me, I trust Alexandra completely. If she says we must flee, then I'm going with her.”

  “What can I do?” Elizabeth said in angry resignation. “My whole family is caught up in this madness. I won't leave Father alone. I'm the only one who could possibly save his life.”