by R. R. Virdi
“Yeah, sorry, had to check something out.”
She looked at the power supply, then me, raising a brow. Her lips parted, but she said nothing.
I sprinted the short distance to the door and grabbed the back of it with my hand. It swung shut behind us as Kelly led the way.
“What did you find?”
I sniffed once. “What makes you think I found anything?”
“Avoiding the question. You’ve done this before—a lot—according to everything I’ve dug up. And I’m not stupid.” She smirked.
No, she wasn’t at all. “Quid pro quo, kid?”
Kelly’s brows knitted together, and her face scrunched when she looked at me. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’ve got questions of my own.” We made it down the stairs and into the lobby where Ortiz waited. I slowed my pace and dropped the volume of my voice. “I’d like answers.”
“You mean what else do I know about you?” The smirk grew into a smile of self-satisfaction.
She caught on quick. “Yeah.” I increased the distance between us as I moved past Ortiz to the door. It opened with a groan of protest from the hinges. I held it until both women exited, slipping through behind them. I looked at the cars lining the streets and rocked in place. “So, whose car are we taking?”
Kelly turned to me. “You don’t have your own?”
I looked to Ortiz. “Do I?”
She shook her head. “Subway and public transport were his thing.”
I opened my mouth to speak before Ortiz held up a finger. I shut it.
“No.” She turned to look back at Kelly.
The young hacker blinked. “Wait, why me?”
I moved towards where Ortiz had parked, beckoning with my hand to follow. Their footsteps were audible as they fell into a light jog behind me. My pace quickened until I reached her vehicle. “That’s why.” I waved a hand at the crumpled fender and surrounding area on her sedan.
“Wow. You should have that looked at.” Kelly bent at the waist, eyeing the damage with an equal amount of shock and admiration. “What hit you, a bus?”
Ortiz scowled. “Monsters in a stolen police cruiser.”
Kelly straightened, and her eyes narrowed. “Monsters and aliens are interchangeable, but it isn’t that hard to say aliens.”
Ortiz looked to me for help.
I shrugged. “Hey, you’re her friend.” I rapped my knuckles against the back window and nodded to the coat inside. “Think they’ll be safe in there?”
Ortiz stared.
I held up my hands. “Right. Of course. Um, so, Kelly, wanna bring your car around and give us a ride?”
Her shoulders sank, followed by the rest of her posture. “Yeah, sure. It’s not like I had better things to do except...” She trailed off as she moved further away. When she was near the end of the block, Ortiz turned to me.
“I heard most of it, you know?” She looked at me like I was supposed to know what that meant.
I arched a brow. “Eh?”
“What you asked Kelly back there.” She jerked a thumb towards the apartment complex.
“Oh.” I didn’t have a better response.
“She’s told you everything she told me. Kelly isn’t big on hiding things.” Ortiz stared into my eyes hard. “Unlike some people.”
My left hand tightened into a fist several times. I exhaled in concert with it. “I know. And you know why I did what I did. I’m not going to keep apologizing for it. We’re not going to agree on the reasons behind it, but we can agree that this is where we are now. I’m trying to keep you two safe. Sorry, I know that rankles you. Ortiz, I got you killed at one point. No arguing that. I can’t watch that happen again, to you, Lizzie”—I pointed towards where Kelly had gone—“her, anyone. This is me just trying my best. I’m not trying to keep you out of this world anymore, not my call. But I am trying to make sure you survive it.”
Her fingers dug into both of my biceps and she squeezed. “I know. Thank you. And Kelly and I are going to listen. We need you to realize that we’re not stupid. We don’t know it all, but we want to help.” Her voice made steel seem softer than butter. “We know when to take our lead from you. We expect you to know when you need to shut up and follow ours.” The corners of her mouth pulled into a light smile.
I returned it. “Fair enough. Besides, I don’t think we have any more time to fight.” I gestured to my tattoo with my chin. Forty-five hours remained for us to figure it all out. It was going to have to be enough.
Ortiz gave a micro nod of her head to the street behind us.
A red coupe came to a halt next to Ortiz’s car, blocking the lane. Kids.
Ortiz moved around her vehicle and towards Kelly’s.
I looked into the window, regretting leaving my journals behind, but taking them would be too risky. If things went wrong—and I had reason to believe they would—they’d end up in dangerous hands. I gritted my teeth and rushed into the street.
Kelly’s car was a late nineties Camaro with a pair of glass panels as part of the roof that had been removed to expose its insides to the warmth. The car was the exact shade of red as a fire engine. A color begging for the police’s attention. Ortiz’s hand fell on the door handle to open it.
I sped up, coming to her side in a second. “Shotgun.”
She turned her head, blinking twice before giving me a look like I was a child. Ortiz shook her head and opened the door. She reached down, pulling a lever to fold the seat down.
I smiled, waiting for her to get in the back.
She didn’t. Ortiz straightened, waving a hand to the back seat.
I frowned. “Uh, that’s not how the rule works.”
She arched a brow. “That’s adorable. Get in the back.”
I didn’t have time to argue, even though she was wrong. She stepped aside as I made my way to the door. Getting in was a bit of an effort. My body groaned in discomfort as I twisted through the small space and fell onto the seat. The back of the passenger seat snapped towards me and thunked as it came to a stop. Ortiz plopped down, keeping her head perfectly straight. I hoped she could feel my stare through the headrest. One does not ignore shotgun.
The door shut and Ortiz whispered something in Kelly’s ear. The young woman laughed as the car lurched forwards with a basso rumble that could only come from eight cylinders. Ortiz shifted in her seat, turning just far enough to look at me over her shoulder. “Do you think we’re going to find any sort of help at this bar?”
My gut felt like it was being stretched and kneaded. It was possible we could get a nudge in the right direction, but I doubted it. My list of contacts wasn’t big on doing me favors—unconditionally at least. There’s always a catch. And right now, there was a hook in my cheek that was being tugged. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I’d rather not go at all.”
Ortiz asked a silent question with her stare.
“This is one of those occasions where not going would make everything worse.” I stared back, making it clear that I didn’t have a choice.
She bit her lip and nodded to herself before turning to look ahead. “It sounds like one of those things you could use a hand with—or a few hands.” Ortiz tilted her head towards Kelly.
“You’re right. It’s also one of those things that could get all three of us killed. Like I said, I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I’ve got a horrible feeling. Those usually turn out to be right.” I regretted saying it.
An awkward silence filled the car. It that made the air feel like a thick gel, deafening me to all other sounds. I decided to end it.
The muscles in my throat ached as I cleared it a bit too hard. At least I got everyone’s attention. “So, Kelly, we don’t really know each other that well—”
“You could’ve started this conversation way less awkwardly than that.” Unlike Ortiz, Kelly kept her eyes on the road as she spoke. Thank God.
I bristled in my seat and went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “It’s obvious you’v
e watched way too many reruns of shows involving gate travel or a guy in a fez.”
She huffed through her nose. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Kelly pulled the car onto a new street and accelerated.
“I’m just trying to understand the alien thing. It doesn’t make sense, especially when I’ve come clean about what I am and the world I’m involved with.” It was hard to see her reasoning. I knew she wasn’t doing it to irritate me. There’s a certain conviction that colors a person’s voice and makes its way to their eyes when they believe in something. When I met Kelly, I had seen and heard that in her. I just wanted to know why.
“It doesn’t make sense,” she said.
“How so? What reason would I have to lie?”
She shifted in her seat, and I saw her shoulders and upper back stiffen. “I’m not saying you are lying. It could be that you’re not aware of what you are. You say you’re a soul—science hasn’t proven those exist one way or another. How do you know you are what you are? Where’s your proof? What’s it like when you’re not possessing a dead body? How do you know you’re not some highly advanced form of consciousness that doesn’t need a body to survive?” The questions were delivered in a cold, analytical voice.
Each one pumped another shot of ice water through my body. My brain numbed as I tried to process them.
I know what I am. Don’t I? Pressure built within my gums, and my teeth skidded over one another. Church had told me what I was, and I believed him. I trusted him. Do you? The question caused my marrow to feel like it’d been replaced with chunks of burning charcoal. Both hands balled into fists, making the small bones inside them throb. I didn’t have proof. I just had what I’d been told, and now I had more questions than ever. I shut my eyes and buried them all. It didn’t matter. Belief is a power.
It shapes things and people. It’s a defining force like no other. I filled my voice with iron and stone. “It’s called a soul, Kelly. I know what I am. The things I’ve seen and fought are pulled from history—mythology—not space. You can probably make an argument to make that seem like aliens too. I’m not going to try to convince you to see things my way. All I need from you is your word—whatever you believe—that you’re going to trust I know what I’m talking about when dealing with this world. That fair?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
That settled it. Like the questions, I buried that part of the conversation. I needed other answers. “How long have you been following me?”
Kelly’s arm shot towards the center of the steering wheel. The car released a weak cry like the horn was muffled. “Jackass.” Her gaze was fixed on a passing Beetle in horrible condition. The car was an amalgamation of multicolored panels plucked from donor cars likely. “Sorry, and I’ve been digging into you for a few years now. There are people who’ve been trying to figure you out for longer. Most of them have a bunch of pictures and videos but not a clue.” She laughed to herself.
It was a small relief. But if more people were looking into me, it meant new faces who could get dragged into my messy life. I needed to have a talk to Church about this.
“Most people think you’re a secret group of individuals. There are forums about trying to figure out how to join and learn what they know about all the strange events. Ortiz and I were the first to put it all together with what we knew between us.” Kelly held out a fist. Ortiz bumped hers against it.
I stared and judged them in silence.
The car burped a series of throaty burbles as Kelly pulled into an empty spot on the curb. We had arrived. Both women exited at the same time, but Kelly paused at the door. She leaned and folded her seat forwards as Ortiz did the same a second later.
I eyed Ortiz until she noticed me. I smiled and scooted towards Kelly’s side, exiting there.
Ortiz scoffed and shook her head. “Child.”
I ignored the comment.
The bar was nice and small, the sort of thing you’d expect on the corner of a busy city. It was made of gray stone with a series of protruding windows that formed a small nook inside the bar. Smoked glass prevented a look inside. The door sat recessed a few feet into the stone. It was the color of bright rum, dulled and weathered from time and the elements. I peered closer. Thin etchings ran around the entirety of its frame. Each marking was no larger than the pin of a thumbtack. The carvings looked archaic and didn’t resemble any language I knew of—mortal or supernatural.
The handle was a metal I couldn’t identify, patinated a moss green and bent into an intricate, flowing shape. A banner of crimson hung from the bar, draped around a protruding frame of metal to serve as a cover of sorts. I got a feeling this was one of those places where knocking was appreciated.
Manners never go amiss when dealing with the paranormal and unknown. My knuckles bounced off the door. I felt Ortiz and Kelly drilling holes in the back of my head with their stares.
There was a heavy click from the other side of the door.
My body stiffened.
The door opened, and a bald, living mountain of muscle and ink stood in the way. He was dressed in an olive tank top, which showed off arms built with the sort of mass geared for competitive shows rather than function. His skin was sun-kissed and covered in green tattoos that crisscrossed in simple designs.
I looked up to eyeball him. The guy had a full foot over Daniel—at least. I pegged him to be seven feet plus. “’Sup?”
His face twisted into a scowl. That’s always a great welcome. His dark eyes narrowed.
“Uh, can we come in?” I looked over my shoulder and hooked a thumb to Ortiz and Kelly. “I promise we won’t get too loud with the drunken karaoke. You guys have that here, right?”
Thugzilla growled at me.
My eyes narrowed back, and I stared him down. “Listen, I don’t speak that.” I reached into my pocket, fishing out a ball of paper. Taking it between my thumb and forefinger, I gave it a quick flick to unfold it. It was a pain to sort out the folded mess, but I managed and turned it over to him. “See, I got an invitation to the cool kids’ club.” I tapped my index finger to the lone initial at the bottom of the page.
He stared at it then looked over his shoulder to something obscured by his bulk.
“It’s fine. I invited him. Let him through,” said a voice that confirmed my fears. It was sweet and melodic. A shame the thing it belonged to wasn’t.
The rent-a-thug moved out of the way.
I moved forwards, stopping mid-step. I planted my foot to the ground and turned a fraction. “You two stay here.” I pointed at a spot just inside the entrance.
Ortiz looked at me, then at the bouncer. “You want me to stay here—with him?”
“Just in case, watch my back, huh?” I grinned, turning to the living roadblock. He glared at me, and I returned it. “Yeah, I know you can hear me. Behave.” I waggled an admonishing finger at him.
“Or what?” His voice sounded like he’d eaten cement blocks and sawdust for breakfast.
Ortiz stepped between us and met his gaze. There was a feral smile on her face. Her hands went to her hips and she shifted. She held the stare.
There was a moment where all the sound died. I felt web-like strands of electricity arc through the air. There’s a certain pressure that builds when two people, or even animals, get into it. The air tightens around you; it quivers.
The muscle-bound brute bristled.
Ortiz didn’t flinch. Her smile widened, reminding me of a wolf’s. “Give me a reason.”
Thugosaurus blinked and took a step back.
Ortiz took two towards him, forcing the brute to compensate and backpedal faster than his brain could keep up.
Chairs clattered as his backside brushed against them.
I did my best not to chuckle. My hands fell to my stomach, roaring laughter filled the bar.
The thing about bullies is...they’re usually the biggest, meanest things around. They go for extended periods of time unchallenged. That reinforces their ego, which exists t
o overcompensate for other things—or lack thereof. But big and mean doesn’t translate into tough. Trust me on that. They’re not used to being stood up to. Even the biggest cat can be made to blink. Sometimes, you just have to stare them down.
The bouncer scowled and took a step towards Ortiz. His shoulder rolled, and a meaty fist sailed towards her. I couldn’t recall what followed. Ortiz blurred into motion, stepping to the side as her leg snapped. The tip of her shoe connected below his sternum, causing him to double over. The inside of her palm slid along the outside of his arm and pushed. A loud thud filled our ears as his jaw impacted the table. Ortiz had him pinned by his wrist and the back of his neck.
And sometimes you have to kick their ass. Either or.
I blinked.
Kelly whistled.
He tried to struggle, but Ortiz leaned into him, applying more pressure. “Don’t. You just assaulted a federal agent; that’s a crime.” She leaned back and pivoted.
He let out a grunt that morphed into a whimper.
I placed a hand on her shoulders. “Okay, easy there. What did we say about bullying children?”
Ortiz’s body shook, and she released a snort. Her grip loosened enough for the bouncer to free himself. Ortiz stood in place, eyeing him.
I looked past them, paying attention to the bar. It was smaller than most, caught somewhere between the average American living room and a large bedroom. Everything from the walls, tables, and flooring were comprised of a dark wood that reminded me of Guinness. It gave the place a somber look. A mirror glinted like a mirage behind the counter, reflecting the warm glow of amber light. There was no bartender.
I moved towards the back and the figure seated at the furthest table. A black, wide-brimmed sunhat obscured her face, but I didn’t need to see it to know who it was. I sat across from her, propping my elbows on the table.
She wore a long dress that looked like it was woven out of midnight skies, sequined with silver starlight. It left her slender, toned arms bare. Her skin reminded me of porcelain.
She removed her hat, and I had to work to not suck in a breath. The woman possessed an ethereal and wild beauty. It was something akin to a hungry cat. Savage, sharp, and entrancing. She flashed me a fox-like smile.