by Jeff Hale
“Yeah, sure. When is it?” she asked brightly.
I gave her the relevant information and followed her into class. The next couple days went as usual, though Kelly and I had small conversations when we could slip them in during class now. I now knew she lived in one of the ritzier areas of Summerlin, but she didn’t like to flaunt her money because she already got judged enough as it was. I didn’t want Nina to make a scene at school, but I did tell Dave that I had invited Kelly. His reaction had been one of amusement, but he had told me it was my call.
Saturday arrived and I called a taxi to take me to Nina’s. I gave the driver the address and he took us west, then north. Regular houses gave way to small ranches as we headed for a more rural part of Las Vegas, and as we pulled up towards the house I could see the small corral out back not too far from another outbuilding painted to match the house. Nina’s dad was a veterinarian and worked from offices on the property.
I paid the taxi driver, then headed up the walkway to the house. It was two stories, the second floor extending out above a large garage. I let myself in, the noise from guests drawing me to the living room. It was a huge room, and the furniture had been moved around so that it could easily fit the twenty plus odd people that were there. I heard a squeal and Nina shoved her way through the crowd to give me a hug and then drag me into the throng.
Anyone and everyone we were friends with at school were there. I didn’t see Nina’s folks and guessed that they were staying out of the way to keep the party parent free, but a few minutes later her two brothers both appeared. Lee was older than Nina by a few years, in college and still living at home. Christopher was younger by two, a sophomore at school, but I never really saw him around campus. He kept company with the raver crowd and they didn’t tend to hang out near the Wall. They took turns hugging me and wishing me belated Happy Birthdays.
I hadn’t seen either of them in a while and Christopher had grown taller while Lee seemed more adult than he should. But what hadn’t changed was how I felt around them. While I was close with Nina’s entire family, her brothers had always made me feel a bit uneasy. They were both decent sorts, but they always came across as a little distant, as though they were keeping some big secret. I’d jokingly asked Nina once if her brothers had bodies buried somewhere on the property and she’d just laughed and told me to quit being silly. But they seemed happy to see me, Christopher telling me I needed to come around more, before they disappeared to other parts of the house again.
I mingled and made small talk, and after a while Nina brought out her DJ equipment and set it up in the back part of the living room. She began playing her usual run of stuff at full volume and if people wanted a quieter place to talk they could go into the kitchen or the back porch area. The living room had now become the dance floor. I was sitting in a recliner near the front door when I heard a knock. I got up to answer the door, hoping that it was Kelly. I opened the door and found out I was right, and my jaw just about dislocated itself.
I hadn’t mentioned a dress code for the party, but she had obviously decided to go with sexy. She was wearing a skin-tight midnight blue minidress that left more uncovered than it covered. The midsection was nonexistent from just below her breasts to her waist, showing a tanned and trim belly, and when she turned to close the door her back was completely bare, the upper hem just barely missing revealing butt cleavage. Matching high heels and handbag complimented the dress and she had her hair done up in a fancy, slightly curled design to accentuate her face. I glanced over my shoulder; Nina hadn’t noticed yet. When I turned back to Kelly, she was patiently waiting for me to invite her the rest of the way in and I did so. Damn me if I wasn’t regretting my decision to not date her.
Once she hit the middle of the room the music stopped suddenly. Nina had seen Kelly and she was storming over to us. She got pretty warm when she deejayed sometimes, especially with the heat in the house going full bore, and she wasn’t wearing much, just a barely there red vinyl bra and matching hotpants.
“What the fuck is she doing here?” Nina demanded, eyes hot on Kelly.
“She’s here with me as a friend. So be nice,” I said, standing up to Nina, knowing she was about to blow a gasket.
“Rick, what in the hell? I thought you were better than this? What about Kat?” She glanced over to where Kat was standing talking with Dave in the opening that led into the kitchen. I’d seen her earlier and had kind of been avoiding her. Kat had a disheartened look on her face. Couldn’t blame her. She was supposed to have been my date for this thing originally.
“First off. Just. Friends. Give her a chance, Nina, she’s changed. I’ve talked with her quite a bit over the last few days. She wants to actually get to know people rather than just judge them. Maybe we should all do the same? As for Kat, well, she’s going to be leaving who knows when,” I said, trying to be diplomatic.
“We judge Kelly based on her previous actions.” Nina wasn’t going to budge.
“And Kelly wants to make amends, and new friends,” I pleaded, hoping to avoid a scene.
“You have a new friend. Her name is Kat. Go get to know her better.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder.
“I’m not doing the long distance thing again. Hell, I’m not going to date right now. Period. So just stop. Just accept that Kelly wants to be my friend and get to know the other people I consider friends.”
“Whatever.” Nina shot a look of loathing Kelly’s way.
“Look, I told Dave flat out that if you make a big deal about this that you and I would go rounds on it. You willing to test me on that?” I said with conviction and threat clear in my voice. I was tired of Nina’s crap and I was not backing down on this.
Nina seethed a moment or two, then let out a heavy sigh and gave me a resigned look. “Okay. But if she does anything fucked up while she’s here, I will end her, happily.”
“Hello? Me. Standing right here?” Kelly piped up and waved at us.
“Sorry. Nina’s just overprotective sometimes,” I explained.
“Have fun, I guess.” Nina made a noise of disgust and went back to her equipment, muttering to herself the whole way.
Everyone was watching us. I shrugged and headed out to the back porch to have a smoke. There was no one out there so I could cool off a bit. After a while, I headed back inside to mingle with the others. Kelly was sitting in a corner by herself.
“Hey. Why aren’t you talking and hanging out?” I asked, gesturing to the groups of people that had formed, all holding conversations.
“I want to, but… I just don’t know anyone and everyone here seems to be glaring at me.”
“Look. Start with Dave. He’s the easiest going out of all of us. It’ll be fine I promise.” I gestured towards Dave who was just walking away from Nina after getting her a drink.
I’d barely gotten through the door to the kitchen to get my own drink when my cell phone rang. As I answered, I had no idea what repercussions were going to be wrought from that simple phone call. If I had known, I would have ignored it.
“Kerensky, you are to report to your MAGE office, immediately,” Coleen’s clipped voice came over the phone, barely audible over the babble of voices from the crowd.
“Um. Kinda can’t. In the middle of something,” I said in a hushed tone, turning my back towards everyone.
“This isn’t a request or an order. It’s a requirement if you don’t want to be hunted down and executed.” Coleen’s voice sounded unnaturally tight, like she was terrified.
“What’s going on?” I asked, concern now overriding anything else.
“You’ll have to come see for yourself. It’s not just you. Everyone is being called in,” Coleen said.
“Okay. Okay. Hopefully it won’t blow my cover,” I said, shaking my head. Nina was going to be pissed.
“Chances are your cover won’t matter much soon anyway,” Coleen told me ominously. With that she hung up. I sighed as I snapped the phone closed, then turned and headed over t
owards the kitchen, where Kelly had disappeared. I saw her chatting with Dave and Kat on the other side of the decent sized island that took up the middle of the room. She smiled at me as I approached them.
“Heya, we were just talking about you,” Kelly said as I approached.
I smiled at her. “Sorry, but I have to go. Work called. Thought you should be the first to know since I asked you to come. I really am sorry,” I told her. I glanced over at Kat. She was giving me a knowing look. She was already familiar with my work related disappearances.
“It’s okay. You go do what you need to do. I understand. I think I can mingle a bit better now,” Kelly assured me.
“The fuck it is!” I heard Nina’s voice cut across the din of the party. The house was suddenly silent as everyone’s attention focused on us, the music still playing away in the background.
“Nina. Let it drop. I have to go. That’s the way it is.” My voice was low. I was prepared to go a few rounds with her, I had just expected it to be over Kelly. I was tired of her overbearing bullshit.
“No, it’s not! You aren’t fucking going anywhere! I took the time and energy to put this party together for you! I even tolerated someone I hate with a fucking passion into my house to make you happy, there is no way in fucking hell that you’re leaving just because you don’t want to be around your friends, you selfish ungrateful druggy prick!” Nina’s face was blotched with red. She was more than pissed.
Fuck. She must have come to the erroneous conclusion that my tendency to bail on everyone when we hung out had to do with drugs again. Too bad she just couldn’t fucking believe me and I was not about to try to convince her now. I glared at her and made to leave. She stepped in my path.
“Fucking move. I’m leaving,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper and full of menace. I loved her, I did, but she needed to back off.
“No, you’re not!” she screamed in my face.
I gave a quick glance around and noticed that everyone seemed to be very uncomfortable and some were actually setting their drinks down and leaving through the front door. Kat seemed to be especially subdued for some reason. I think she had an idea as to where this was going and she didn’t like it. Dave looked almost helpless, like he wanted to do something but knew better.
“You will move out of my way, or…” I left the threat incomplete as I moved to go around her.
“Or what? What, just because you beat up Terry and his little band of wannabes you think you can take me now?!” She grabbed my arm and I felt her foot connect with my shin. A quick and effective sweep. I stepped in with the sweep, and twisted around, using her weight and momentum against her and smoothly slammed her into the floor.
“Yes. Actually. Let it go, Nina. I’m tired of your controlling asinine bullshit! You aren’t my fucking mother and you need to stop pretending you are!” I said with every bit of arrogance I could muster as I stepped over her.
She grabbed my ankle, and instead of completing my step, which would have ended up with me face down on the floor, I stomped down towards her. She rolled out of the way and sprang to her feet. “I would if you’d quit fucking up your life and needing me to act like your mother! What would Serena say? Huh?!”
“Leave her the fuck out of this!” But it was too late. Nina had pushed the one button that would get me angry the fastest. I charged her.
Now the fight was really going to start and both she and I knew it. What she didn’t know was just how capable I was now. I stopped short of where she was standing and feigned with a low left jab to her stomach. She easily blocked it, but as she did my right foot was making its way towards her head. She ducked under it and went to sweep my left foot. I slid it more to my right and brought my right foot down, pivoting as I did so.
I was now facing the complete opposite direction. I swiveled and delivered a straight kick to her midsection. She caught my foot and brought her elbow down into my knee. I heard a brief crack and felt a flare of pain, and I knew at the very least it was out of joint. I went with it though, and blocked, ducked and weaved as she lashed out with a flurry of punches, a few of which got past my defenses. Jesus fucking Christ, she was good. I stepped back and tried to catch some breath. Nina did the same.
Without me even realizing it, my leg had started to heal whatever damage had been done to it. I felt something click back into place and it felt better. I went inward for a second and could feel the Aetheric energy flowing through me. What the fuck?!
“Serena would be so disappointed in you. You’re not the person she fell in love with. You don’t even deserve her now. I am so glad she’s fucking dead so she can’t see you like this.” Nina spat the words at me.
I didn’t even hesitate this time. I felt myself lose control for just a split second. I charged again, taking any hits she decided to punish me with as I wrapped an arm around her waist, lifted her up, and slammed her into the wall. I heard her cry out in pain.
I felt someone grab my shoulder and, instinctively, I lashed out in that direction. There was a muffled gasp of pain and a thump from behind me. In some part of my mind I heard Dave call out Kat’s name. I pulled back for another series of punches when I felt a strong grip on my wrist. I spun to face the new threat and felt a calming influence wash over me. Nina’s father stood there with his hand around my wrist, his expression serene.
Thomas Hawthorne was a few inches shorter than me, but kept himself in excellent physical shape. His hair was cropped short, grey, but the sparkle in his blue eyes told you that though he looked to be in his sixties, he still had a lot of life left in him.
“That’s quite enough, Rick,” he said smoothly, nodding towards the floor behind me and slowly letting go of my wrist.
I turned and saw Kat sitting there, cradling her face, and I finally realized what I had done. I glanced over to Nina. She was collapsed in a corner, sobs wracking her body as Jessie tried to console her. Everyone else had scattered, and had either left or gone out to the back porch area. Kelly was nowhere in sight.
I knelt next to Kat. “Dammit, dammit, dammit. Are you okay, I didn’t mean to… oh jeez. What the fuck did I do? I am so sorry. I didn’t…” I was rambling, but I had no idea what to do or say to make it all better.
“I’m fine. Really. Just a split lip I think,” Kat said as she pulled her hands away from her face. She was right. Her bottom lip was split open and swollen, blood oozing up. She winced a little as the tip of her tongue came out to touch it. “I kind of expected that sort of reaction, so I was prepared to move out of the way, just in case. Didn’t move fast enough. You don’t have anything to apologize about to me. I was stupid to try and get involved. Nina on the other hand…” She waved a hand in Nina’s direction.
I felt no sympathy for Nina. She had started it, and she had baited me. The one thing that did stick in my mind was that we had been friends for a long time, and that if my cover wasn’t going to matter soon like Coleen had said, then maybe I could tell Nina the truth. I owed her that much at least.
I walked over to where she lay. As I did she turned and looked up at me, actual fear in her eyes. Suddenly I didn’t feel so good, the adrenaline from the fight starting to wear off, and I noticed every bit of damage she had inflicted on me. My knee might have spontaneously healed, but I could feel the swelling and sting on my face, the ache of new bruises. Nina wasn’t any better off, visible bruises already on her arms, stomach, face, and one big one on her back that I had glimpsed before she rolled over. I held a hand out to her to help her up and she took it tentatively.
“We need to talk,” I said simply. “Dave too.” I looked over at him and he nodded.
Nina just stared at me a moment, then let go of my hand with a curt nod of her own before limping out of the living room. Dave and I followed her down a hall to her bedroom and I shut the door behind us. Nina was an eccentric individual, but the one thing that dominated her room was the overwhelming abundance of panther paraphernalia. Otherwise it was done in pinks, lavenders and black.
Her bed was a four poster canopy with gauzy black curtains hanging from the top.
“Well?” Nina asked impatiently, her fear beginning to diminish. She sat down on the edge of her bed and rubbed at her arms. Dave sat next to her and they both looked at me expectantly.
“Well… it’s like this. I don’t work for the Test Site,” I finally said, unsure how to begin.
“That’s a shock.” She rolled her eyes. “So where’d you get those official looking papers then?”
“From my actual employers,” I said, gauging her for a reaction.
She just shook her head like she had known all along. “Here we go,” she muttered.
Dave put a hand on her shoulder. “Hear him out. He obviously needs to get this off his chest. I have the idea that’s he’s been wanting to for a long time. Don’t jump to conclusions. That’s what got your ass kicked to begin with,” Dave told her pragmatically.
“Thanks, Dave. I work for the government. That much is true. Just not doing what you think I do.” I looked down at my hands and inhaled sharply through my nose.
“Okaaay,” Nina said, waiting, albeit impatiently.
“I work for a secret agency that polices supernatural creatures,” I said simply. The direct truth was sometimes the easiest way to go. They both had me pinned with serious stares for several seconds before both of them broke out into laughter.
“Oooohh… you had us going there, Rick. That’s a good one. So seriously…” Nina looked at me and saw that my expression hadn’t changed and her smile dropped. “You’re fucking serious,” she stated, incredulous.
“As a funeral.” I lifted one hand and wreathed it in flames. “And if I was allowed to use my abilities on normal people, that fight would have gone a lot worse for you. You’re just lucky that I managed to keep enough mind to make sure I didn’t accidently use them on you.” I spent the next twenty minutes explaining everything that I could, including what had happened with Val and why I had been so worried about her.