by Wooden, E M
Chapter 9
I met John my freshman year of college. I had a fascination for Latin and he was an unlikely devout of the church. So, it happened that we ended up in an intro Latin class together. The first part of the semester was awkward as it usually was. Eventually, it came out that he was an ex-marine, and like me and Kellan, me and John had been friends ever since. With John it was different though. If you were to ask him, he would tell you that we were equal friends, but for me he seemed more. He always carried himself with an air of wisdom. He was only a year older than me, but seemed to have been around a lot longer. When I had any problems that I needed advice on, he was the first person I went to. Most people never really knew about John during his marine days and even I have only been deemed worthy enough for bits and pieces of his fractured past. The way he explained it to me was to watch the movie Jarhead and imagine it in countries the U.S. had no business being in. I didn't fully understand it, but I understood more than most, so I tried not to ask too many questions. When I asked about how he got so involved with the church, he would never really give me a straight answer, though occasionally, when he was joking around, he would say "atonement."
When I arrived at the campus, I sent a text to John asking where he was. A moment later I received a reply that said "cc in basement." The cc was the Christian Center and the basement was somewhere I had never been before. The first floor and the rest of the center were a kind of a religious youth camp for students to use. I never used it much unless I was meeting with him to study. The lot that I parked in was oh so inconveniently on the opposite side of where the center was, so I had some walking to do. I didn't mind though. The campus was actually quite beautiful. It was designed with the student center in the middle, with the four main lecture halls around it set up so that the buildings were exactly north, east, south, or west from the student center. I parked on the south side and the Christian Center was on the north-west. The walk only took a few minutes.
As soon as I entered the center a young man in slacks and a button down greeted me a little too cheerily.
"Well hello again, Mr. Drake. Mr. Mitchell is waiting for you in the basement. The stairs are right over there." He pointed and stepped aside, still smiling.
"Thanks," I muttered and hurried passed him. This place kind of gave me the creeps. The stairs were dimly lit compared to the rest of the place. At the bottom was a plain brown door that was slightly cracked. I opened it slowly and curiously peered inside.
At first glance, it was evident that the room was used for more confidential meetings. It was dark with certain areas highlighted. There was a large round table directly in the center with chairs evenly spaced around it. Along the walls were red couches that were also evenly spaced. Above the couches were recreations of epic battles depicting heaven against hell. All in all the room was rather elegant. I spotted John in a corner, illuminated by the glow of his MacBook. There were a few other people engaged in quiet conversation throughout the room, but no one was sitting at the center table. As I walked over to him, I heard some soft music. It sounded like Gregorian chant, very relaxing. John was so focused on what he was doing that he didn't even realize I was there until I sat down next to him. He looked up suddenly, having to let his eyes adjust before recognizing me.
"Will!" he exclaimed.
"What's goin on brother? So, I didn't have to do like some secret handshake to get down here, did I? That real chipper dude just kind of let me in...”
"He didn't make you do the handshake?" he questioned seriously. I wasn't sure what to say and John could see the confusion on my face.
"Relax bro, I'm just messing with you. I told Chris to let you down," he said.
"Let me down? What is this like a secret club or something?" I asked quizzically.
"Uhh, not really," he replied, "It's kind of a meeting area that some of the senior members get to use. But anyways how have you been?" I noticed how quick he was to change the subject, but it wasn't really worth bringing up now.
"Well, in a matter of days I saw Eve give that "look" to some guy down at the arena, whooped some dude's ass in a few seconds, went and got hammered with Kellan, I thought I almost made a mistake with Syndel, and I have had way too many fucked up dreams...sorry..."
"Marine," he interjected. I nodded and continued.
"Things seemed to go way off track really quick. I mean, I know it wasn't really on track to begin with, but everything I counted on seemed to change. I snapped when I saw Eve with that guy. It was probably her being her and I just snapped. Then some mugger goes and tries to pick an easy target. I don't know how I made it out of that one..."
"You are kind of a big deal," he interjected again. I continued, not really paying the comment much attention.
"I mean, I know I have military training but this was different. John, it was like I knew where he was going to be before he got there. Like some kind of jacked up spidey sense, except there was no tingle. Just the feeling of broken bones. Hell, I was lucky I didn't kill him. You know how I am, I can talk my way out of any fight, this was different..."
"Yeah, Eve said you hurt him pretty bad. And she said you were lucky to be alive," he replied. I stared at him. My face was stone.
"Easy Will, I don't know how she got my number, but she was worried about you. She asked me to see if you were ok. She seemed pretty concerned, but there was something odd in her voice, like there was something she was hiding."
"Well, you can tell her I'm fine...," it was my turn to interject.
"Right, anyway so you beat some dude up and decided to get hammered with Kellan and Syndel. That doesn't sound all that out of the ordinary," he said.
"And ordinarily I would agree with you," I replied, "but it was different. I didn't even know they knew each other. Though now that seems to be a growing trend. Hell, he said he invited her just for me. No idea how he even knew she had a thing for me. And then there was this hot chick that I just pictured doing all kinds of dirty things and she started pretty much doing them. Not to mention when Kellan about went schitzo on a couple of shady lookin dudes in the bar. He was acting hella weird. Then after more jacked up dreams, I have a detective come to my place this morning and ask about the two guys Kellan snapped at because they were found face up in a ditch. Shit just got fucked up real quick..."
"You done?" he asked stoically.
"Yes...," I responded. He opened up the laptop and keyed a few lines. I hadn't even realized he closed it. I also hadn't realized I tensed up during my spiel. Involuntarily, I slumped down further into the couch. I felt...relieved...and very relaxed, quite suddenly. John sat and looked at me for a second. He started to say something then stopped, as if he decided it wouldn't be a good idea. Then he spoke.
"I am sure it is all coincidence brother. I wouldn't worry about it too much."
"John, you have known me long enough to know that coincidences don't happen all that often around me, especially when they are on this kind of scale. And then you throw in the dreams...it’s all so crazy. I kind of feel like I am losing my mind. I dreamt about the murder that happened in my apartment and the next night I saw the same thing but the players were different, well except for the creepy winged dude, but there was a wolf, the winged demon looking thing, some hot chick,....and an angel. I can't explain it." When I said the descriptions of the people, I saw him flinch slightly. He typed a few more lines. I tried to position myself so I could see what was on the screen but as soon as the last line was keyed he shut the laptop.
"Sorry about that bro, just had some thoughts about an assignment I wanted to jot down."
"It's all good," I replied.
"I tell you what, let’s just take a second and look at everything," he counseled. "What you saw with Eve was probably nothing. You yourself said that much. Getting hammered with Kellan and almost going home with Syndel were understandable given the situation. You woke up home alone, safe in your bed, so I believe that's all good. You said the guys at the bar seemed shady
. They probably were. It would explain why they ended up where they did. And the dreams are probably manifestations of your overactive imagination, vampire slayer. I am sure the one lecture you caught from Professor Johnson isn't helping. Then on top of that, you have the stress from your relationship with Eve..." I took a moment and let it all sink in. He did make sense.
"In the end, all I am saying is Occam's Razor...," he added.
"True, the simplest answer is usually the right one...Thanks bro, I guess I just needed to hear it all laid out for me," I said appreciatively.
"So, what are you going to do now?" he asked. I thought for a minute.
“I reckon I will head to the arena tonight. Kellan said he would be there. I can talk to him about what happened last night. I know Eve will be there. I can try to talk to her. Eventually, I should call Syndel and straighten out what happened when we left...," I said.
"Well, it seems like you have yourself a plan..." he paused to look over at a door in the far corner where someone peeked out. "William my good man, I have a meeting to attend to. Be careful tonight and for God's sake...go to class, it might get boring without you."
"Right on brother, take care," I said as we both stood. We bumped fists, making sure to explode them, then I departed. When I reached the staircase door, I stole a glance back at John and watched him enter the room that I had been oblivious to. So many secrets; I suppose sometimes you just have to trust a guy. And I did, but back when I was in the army I had a first-sergeant that would constantly say "trust, but verify." John was right about class, I should at least attend a few of those and I was lucky I decided to meet him this early, I could still catch all of them today. But then it would be time to verify.
Chapter 10
Class went by remarkably fast considering my anxiety towards going to the Colosseum. I went back to my place only long enough to shower and change and then I was heading back into the city. It was still early yet, around six o'clock, so I decided to grab a bite to eat. Trying to kill more time, I hit up a few of the mom and pop stores that lined the streets. I was always a fan of the various book stores and often wasted a few hours browsing on accident. I was hoping this time wouldn't be any different and I was fortunately pleased with the results. I managed to kill a little over three hours without really noticing that the sun went down. When I checked my phone, I was pleasantly surprised it read 9:30. Ordinarily I wouldn't venture out to any club this early, but I had hopes of catching Eve before she started DJing.
As I arrived at the arena, the parking lot was about as dead as I expected. I was able to put my bike in one of the front spots, a definite plus. When I walked towards the main entrance, Tiny grabbed my attention. Apparently, he had been by the other entrance smoking.
"Mr. Drake, my good sir, right over here if you please," he said as he opened the door next to him. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever be able to use the main entrance again.
"You weren't told to expect me again were you?" I asked half-jokingly.
"Would you feel better if I said no?" he replied. The puzzled look on my face led to another comment.
"If it's any consolation, I think you got here earlier than she anticipated this time...” I was a little confused and annoyed, but took satisfaction in knowing that she didn't completely know what I would do.
"Thanks," I muttered as I walked by. He grabbed my shoulder just before I made it into the doorway.
"Be careful in there. It's not the usual crowd..." He let his words hang before letting me go. I stared at him for a second before nodding and continuing in.
Tiny was right. First off, I didn't expect to see nearly as many people as were in there, and there were quite a few. Secondly, they were all grouped up, like they all had their own little social cliques. A few people would go between groups but they all seemed to stay together. There were also a few off by themselves sporadically around the various bars. What really struck me was that no matter what group I observed they all seemed...well...dangerous. The music was also down lower than normal. I assumed it was to make conversation easier.
After I was done taking in the rapidly different club scene, I decided to move over to one of the bars. I chose the least intimidating one. Mind you when I was in combat, I faced all kinds of danger and horrors. But this place made me uneasy. I had never seen it like this before. I ordered a beer and started sipping. Putting my back to the bar, I turned around to observe the club a little bit longer. I found Kellan on the second level across the dance floor from where I was. He was intermixed in a group of what looked like High Grove elites. I didn’t expect anything different from him. Every time I saw him, he seemed more and more confident. I liked the change, but at the same time it was so different. Most of the time when we went places, people would often pull me aside and question why I hung out with him. Here, it seemed like he was the life of the party, every few minutes someone new would come up to him begging for his attention. And I don’t think he had to throw a single dollar in their direction. I really didn’t want to brave the snobby upper class of High Grove, but I needed to talk to Kellan. I finished off the rest of my beer and set it on the bar. I threw the bartender a five and told him to keep it. I was feeling generous. As I slid away from the bar, I felt a soft tap on my shoulder. Ready for anything I turned around. I gasped slightly. It was Syndel. I suppose I wasn’t exactly ready for her. It was easy to sense the awkwardness.
“Syn, hey!” I choked out giving her a hug.
“Well Will, I am assuming by your reaction you weren’t expecting me?” She asked questioningly.
“Uh well, to be honest, not really. It seems I am starting to see a lot of my friends in the same places…just not used to it yet,” I replied.
“Oh, you are referring to Kellan and me the other night. Well, he was just doing us a favor and now he is rubbing elbows with some nobles if you will. John…well, I didn’t come here for him. As a matter of fact, he even surprised me with that one. And as for Eve…well, we both know you come here for her, though I don’t know why.” She said with a playful grin. “It is always a pleasure to see you, Will.” It took me a second to process what she said. John was here? He would have to have a pretty good reason to come here.
“John is here?” I asked. She managed to get a few feet away before she turned around.
“Right over there, Will dear. As a matter of fact, I believe that is your evening star he is talking to is it not?” She said as she pointed to the corner just beyond the DJ booth. She was right. John was talking to Eve. That one threw me for a loop. Syndel sauntered off while I stared in confusion. Syndel entered my vision again, but this time she was up near Kellan. Switching targets, I followed her as she walked up and whispered something in Kellan’s ear. He started scanning the crowd until he made eye contact with me and smiled. He gave a curt head nod towards a corner of the second floor balcony. I assumed he wanted me to come up, so I headed towards the stairwell. As I reached the top of the spiral, Kellan was waiting for me.
“William, you came,” he said as we bumped fists.
“Yeah, it seems like I can’t get away from this place.” I walked over to the railing and tried to see Eve and John. Apparently, they decided to move their conversation to somewhere a little more private.
“Ahh, so you didn’t just come to see me I take it. I should have guessed. But you are here all the same. So, why not a drink?”
“I had a beer down stairs I thin…” I couldn’t finish my thought before he thrust a new beer into my hand.
“Live a little, Will, you seem a little uptight. A little too on edge for my liking,” he joked.
“Well, since you are here and we are drinking, I need to talk to you about something. A detective came to my place asking about the goons you blew up on at McCormick’s. He said they were found belly up in a ditch about a mile away from High Grove. I didn’t tell him anything about you, but I am sure if he was asking around, someone might have slipped. What happened after I left?”
&nb
sp; “Ahh William, you worry too much sometimes. No one back home would ever say anything. Besides, there is nothing to tell really. They caused some trouble a while back and I was just letting them know they weren’t welcome. They left shortly after you did, and after that, I am not sure what happened to them. The cops came around asking some questions but I couldn’t give them any information. It’s whatever. They were some low life scum. I say good riddance,” he said a little too casually.
“I am just looking out for you, bro. The last thing anyone in High Grove needs is cops bothering them. The Grove might be full of stuck up snobs, but they are still pretty good people. They are loyal to their own that is for sure.”
“Agreed,” he said as he handed me another beer.
“Uhh dude, I am not even finished with the first one you gave me,” I blurted out.
“Well then, I think you need to hurry up a little. You are at the best club in the area, so start acting like it. You have two beers and you didn’t even have to pay for either of them. I believe it is high time you start enjoying the benefits of being my friend, Mr. Drake.” He always had a way of getting to me. I pounded the first beer in a few big gulps.
“That is more like it. Now, how about we go looking for a few young ladies willing to give up their virtue?” I gave him an incredulous look. I should have known better, but he should have too.
“Will, there are plenty of fish in the sea, and I am a master baiter, and you my friend are a rather cunning linguist. Together, we can rule the galaxy. Was that a bit too much?” He asked mockingly.
“You should probably leave the witticisms to me,” I replied.
“There he is, now come on, we have work to do,” he said as he walked passed me towards the stairwell. I just sighed. There was no changing his mind when he was on a mission. A part of me didn’t want to change his mind anyway.