by JD Cole
“It’ll probably be awhile.”
“Yeah, me hear dat, Iya! You got dem hands full, dair!” With that, the cab drove off into the early morning. Derek quickly hustled himself and his captive into his house; not his parents’ house, his house. One of his many safehouses, owned by one of his many dummy corporations. Like most of his other safehouses, this one’s walls, ceilings and windows were lined with fine copper mesh, turning the whole structure into a faraday cage to prevent all radio transmissions –especially cell and wifi— from entering or exiting the house.
Carrying her into the basement, he placed her on the floor, then went upstairs to one of the bedrooms and pulled a mattress, pillows, and blankets to take down to her. Another trip to the bedroom found him carrying a media tablet back, as well. With the woman comfortably tucked in, he went to the kitchen and grabbed some non-perishable food stuffs and snacks, then made a second trip to bring her a microwave and some dishes. He then wrote a polite note and placed it by her bedside. Back in the kitchen, he grabbed a handful of baking soda and sprinkled just a bit here and there directly outside of the basement door. He memorized the irregular pattern of the powder, taking a whole two seconds to do so. A regular person would not likely think anything of the little grains, but Derek’s eyes would know if they’d been disturbed even slightly. Wealthy though he was, Derek did not always need expensive technology to accomplish his tasks.
Even so, he’d determined over a year ago that the thoughtful neighbors across the street had a wireless surveillance system, and had never bothered changing the default password for any of the cameras. With a thought-based command once he was outside, Derek used one of his cloud-storage accounts to begin recording video from the camera that was pointed at the safe-house’s driveway. He’d know if anyone suspicious came a-knocking. With all of that done, he departed for his real home.
His home was three blocks away. Normally he had time to return his gear to the lab, but it was nearing four in the morning, and he wanted to get at least a couple hours’ sleep. His dad normally did not wake until past six, so he was still relatively safe. The uniform changed patterns again to match the side of his parent’s house as he leapt and crawled along a ledge. Upon sneaking into his bedroom through the window, he quietly stowed the Hood’s costume in his closet, and mercifully fell into a dreamless sleep.
~
Doctor Cynthia Valentine awoke slowly, her mind a cloud of foggy thoughts. Sitting up, she stretched her arms high, and it was several moments before she realized she was not in her own bed. The events of the previous night came back to her in a rush, and she studied her surroundings more closely. It was a concrete room, lit from a single ceiling fixture and empty except for her, her bed, some food and a microwave. There was also a tablet on the floor next to her. The only exit she saw was a stairway on the other side of the room, underneath which was a small lavatory behind a curtain. Then she noticed a slip of paper with a hand-written note under the tablet. She glanced at the stairway, then picked up the note.
Miss Engineer/Actress,
You are not a prisoner, which I am safe in assuming is more than you could say to me if our situation were reversed. The door at the top of the stairs is unlocked, and you may leave whenever you wish. It is also wired, so I will know when you open it. However, if you are serious about needing my help, you will wait here until I return, and we can discuss your proposition like adults. Consider this a test of your sincerity. I have left food for you, and there is a lavatory available for use. Your teammates only suffered some bruises last night where I left them, and I am sure they are even now looking for you. You may stay here or return to them as you choose. But know this: if you climb the stairs and open that door, the next time we meet, we will be enemies.
Hugs and kisses,
The Hood
Dr. Valentine sighed, running her fingers through disheveled hair. We can discuss your proposition like adults, the note said. “Except you’re not an adult, Derek.” She thought about that for a moment, still trying to fully waken. She’d seen video of him and Kelli Ingram during their escape from the alien. She had photographs from his phony IDs. She knew he was a teenaged kid, and Kelli had used the name “Derek” several times, ignoring his “Timothy Clarkson” alias. But there was so much more to him than that. How did he get a copy of her MIRK armor design, what alterations had he made to it, and considering she was in possession of the suit he’d had on the airliner, how many had he built? How did he manage to avoid being identified by face recognition software? Who was he working for? How did he get Kelli away from the alien? Who were the elf-creatures that had helped him? “Just who the heck are you, Derek?”
His note had given her instructions on how she might find at least a few of those answers, and so she began her morning like any other, with a trip to the bathroom. Returning to the bed, she was pleased to see that the jars and canned food he’d provided were just a variety of normal soups, no sadistic items like pickled eggs or spam. She chose chicken noodle soup and saltine crackers for breakfast, with a bottle of lukewarm water. As the microwave warmed her meal in one of the glass bowls provided, she picked up the tablet and opened its reader app. There were hundreds of books, magazines, and newspaper archives stored in its memory. She selected a several-month-old science journal and settled onto the mattress, hoping the amount of reading material provided was not an indication of how long she would have to wait here.
« CHAPTER 7 »
A Girl and Her Dragon
Christian Kunali’i was kneeling, and it looked like he was checking the magazine from a rifle before pushing it back into the weapon. He was also talking to someone, and making gestures with his arms. But Devon couldn’t see anything other than his brother. Erica had explained that that’s how the spell worked; you could not see or hear anything except the people you were talking to. Devon took a step forward, letting out a short breath as his oldest brother looked up at him.
“Devon?” Christian dropped whatever rifle he’d had in his hands and stood. He seemed to pat some unseen person on the shoulder, stepping around them to get to Devon. The eldest Kunali’i looked the youngest one up and down, then grinned. He then looked around, as if catching himself doing something wrong, turned to walk away. To Devon and the others’ eyes, Christian appeared to be walking in place until he got to wherever he was going. Christian smiled, grunted, then rubbed his cheek. “These guys already know I’m nuts, but I’m not gonna’’ talk to ghosts in front of them. I don’t have a lot of time, but I’ve never seen you in my daydreams before. Dammit, I miss my family.”
Devon spoke. “It’s not a dream, Chris. We for real, brah. I’m with Erica right now.”
“Oh yeah, and we’re all dragons or something, right? Yeah, she told me. Funny stuff.” He turned his back to them, and began lifting and moving some other invisible objects, setting himself to tasks Devon could only guess at. Christian’s ghost called out. “Erica, how you doin, babe?”
“I’m good, Chris,” she answered, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his body. He stopped his activity, seeming to give in to her warmth. “Just miss you lots. I can’t wait until you get home.”
Christian looked down. “I’m gonna’ get put up in Kahi Mohala if I do make it home,” one of the medical centers on Oahu for mentally ill people.
“I’m not a voice in your head, Chris,” Erica sighed.
Christian turned to hold her properly, but as often happened, Erica noted that he began talking more to himself than to her. “I don’t want you to go away. This’ll stop when I get home, I know it will, but I can’t force these visions of you away. I might have head trauma or whatever this is, but I would really go insane if I stopped seeing you now. And now my baby brother’s appearing to me, too? I should fight this, but I-”
“Christian.” Devon moved beside his brother. “I’m gonna’ come get you. I’ll prove this is true. Where you stay?”
“What are you, gonna’ fly here?” Christian
laughed, releasing his wife to open some unseen containers. “Big flying lizards,” he waved his hands mockingly in the air.
“If I have to,” Devon answered.
Christian shook his head as he hefted something large. “Where the hell did these guys get an M107?” He put it back down and answered his brother. “I’m someplace out near the northern Kazakh border. Not sure exactly where. Gotta’ be far from where we…” The marine paused. “They all died. We got hit by a SAM, and I walked away from the crash. There wasn’t a scratch on me.”
“We no can die, Chris,” Devon told him. “I know that’s hard for believe. Look, there’s gotta’ be a way I can come find you. If you see me live, in the flesh, would you believe us then?”
“Sure, why not?” he shrugged while inspecting the invisible rifle.
“So tell me how find you, then.”
Christian sighed, turned, and finally acknowledged Kim for the first time. “Who is this?”
Devon smiled and held his arm out to her. When she was safely curled in his embrace, Devon answered. “This is Kim…” Devon’s face froze, as he realized he did not even know her last name. This was embarrassing. Kim came to the rescue, extending her hand to Christian.
“I’m Kim Greenfield. I’m Devon’s girlfriend.”
Christian shook her hand, but his head tilted back and he looked down at her with obvious skepticism. “Devon doesn’t have a girlfriend, and if he did, you’re too old to be her.”
“Eh,” Devon protested, “No act, Chris! Like you never seen girls go nuts for me before.”
“Scuze me?” Kim looked up at him.
“I mean, not like I was a player, or anything, but, you know…”
The scene was enough for Erica and Christian to both begin chuckling. Christian stopped as he looked at his wife. “Erica? Is this really…?”
Erica’s eyes sparkled with hope, and she gripped his hand. “Yes! Christian, it’s me, I’m right here-”
The eldest Kunali’i pulled away, shaking his head. “I got stuff I need to do. Enemy convoy’s heading this way, I’m gonna’ help the resistance blow ‘em up, and they’re gonna’ help me find some transport outta here. I don’t have time for these hallucinations right now, it’s hard enough getting myself ready cuz’ these guys barely speak English.” He began to walk back towards where he’d originally been at the start of this meeting, but paused. “I want this to be real. I want you to be real, Erica. But I can’t start thinking that way. I’m at enough disadvantage as it is without going crazy. And I’m not gonna’ come home to my family broken up and psycho. Whatever you are, get out of my head.” With that, he vanished.
~ ~ ~ ~
Kim purred with contentment, snuggling tight against Devon’s chest in the early morning, enjoying the cool breeze that filtered through his bedroom window. It had been a couple of nights since that magic “conference” with Christian. Christian had not answered any of Erica’s calls since then, leaving both Devon and Erica by turns worried and melancholy. Erica had helped Devon go over maps online, trying to learn the geography of Eastern Europe more thoroughly, but without knowing exactly where Christian was, and without having first-hand knowledge of his teleport destination, it would be impossible for Devon to begin a worthwhile search. At one point, Devon was ready to just transform into a Dragon and fly around the whole continent until he could find his brother, but the women finally convinced him that would be unwise. Devon was all over the news because of Boston; it wouldn’t help anyone if he drew even more attention to himself or his family.
“You’re still new to all this, Devon,” Kim had argued. “Your powers are amazing, but I don’t think the world is ready to see you flying around-”
“I could just turn into a bird, then-”
Erica had cut in. “And what happens when you find Christian? I would love for you to bring him back here, but you said you’re not always accurate with your magic, right? What if people start to find out that you guys aren’t completely human? Where does that leave me and the baby? Us, as a family? They won’t leave us alone.”
“You can come live with us in the Faery Realm,” Devon had argued back.
Erica had just shaken her head. “That’s not my home, Devon. And I’m not going to make any decisions like that without my husband here. We’ll just have to figure out a better way to rescue him. Things are already complicated enough, with the police still looking for you and Ben after that shootout at the mall.”
Devon had finally agreed. Now, Kim did her best to cheer him up. She was slowly making progress. Technically, she was supposed to be sleeping in Bennett’s room, in deference to Erica’s nerves. They were in Erica’s house, after all, and she wasn’t comfortable seeing an almost twenty-three-year-old dating her not-quite-eighteen brother in law. Were it not for the insanely weird circumstances, Kim probably would have agreed that Devon was a bit too young for her, considering he was still in high school.
But that was before the nightfangs had all but thrown them together almost a month ago. She did spend the first night here in Bennett’s room, but the following nights… well, Devon was not above taking advantage of his magic, and his sister still did not fully appreciate that he could open ethergates almost anywhere he wanted, including right across the hall. As far as Erica knew, the two of them really were still in separate rooms, and besides… they weren’t getting together for wild, juvenile sex. They hadn’t even had the chance to become all that intimate in the real world. Ever since the dream trial, the couple just loathed being apart; Erahdin and Celina had saved each other so many times both from Uther Pendragon, and then at the very end, from each other’s hatred for him, their current bond was something of natural consequence. Kim rubbed his bare chest, whispering in the silence.
“Do you shave this?”
“No. Why, you wish I was fuzzy?”
Kim stifled a giggle. “No! I was just wondering if you’re really seventeen or not.”
“Actually, I’m eleven.”
“Jailbait.”
“Cougar.”
She slapped him hard. “I’m not OLD!” But she couldn’t help joining him in laughter.
Kim looked around the bedroom, noting the subtle differences in trophy items from those in Bennett’s room. “You and Ben seem to have the same accolades for sports, but he doesn’t hang up academic certificates like you do.”
“Cuz he no more.”
“Huh?”
Devon chuckled lazily. “Me and Chris got all the brains in the family.”
“That’s not nice.”
“I know. I shouldn’t say that. I dunno, school is just easier for us two than for Ben. He’s not stupid, he just get hard rub learning stuff-”
“A hard rub?” Kim laughed.
“A hard time,” Devon explained
“Why can’t you speak English, if you’re so good at school?”
“I am fully capable of speaking with perfect grammatical observance,” Devon announced, to Kim’s surprise. Then he slipped back into his natural pidgin. “Which gives me the authority not to if I no like. Nobody here talks regahlah’,” regular, “English like dat. But back to Ben…”
“What?”
“Well, I dunno about this. But Erica said she sees things in him that no stay inside me and Chris. Like Ben has strong intuition, instinct, or something like that. I never noticed, but Erica said it’s obvious to her.”
“Like, maybe, he can figure out things you don’t learn from books?”
“Yeah, kinda, I guess. Yeah, that makes sense, actually. He’s good at sports, he’s one excellent mechanic… I think dad even had one easier time teaching him engines and electonics than us guys. Ben learns pretty good from just doing stuff, he picks it up real fast, but for some reason not so fast with stuff like math or language or whatever. And he’s pretty good at reading people, too. I mean, you shoulda seen Kelli when they first started dating. Temper tantrums all day at the stupidest things. We all thought he was dating her just cuz
she was hot, because personality-wise, Kelli was spooky. A witch with a ‘b’, if you know what I mean. The girl got mad at everything. Somehow Ben always got her to calm down. He always knew the right thing to say, or when not to say nothing. Now Kelli’s one of the coolest people you could meet. But Ben saw that in her before I did. I think he was figuring out magic faster than me, too.” Devon played with Kim’s hair, taking a deep breath to wake himself more fully. “It’s been almost three weeks, huh? Since all this started.”
“A little more than that, I think.”
Devon licked his chapped lower lip. “You know, I still don’t even know your middle name. And I just found out your last name. Seems kinda like one important thing I should know by now.”
Kim thought about that for a moment. “That’s crazy, you’re right. I can’t believe I never told you my name. I guess we’ve been on the move a lot, what with nightfangs trying to kill us or faeries trapping us in our dreams, or you having to run off and save the world… it never crossed my mind since you never thought to ask me.” She lifted her head, resting her chin on his chest to look him in the eye. “Hi, I’m Kimberly Joanne Greenfield. Nice to meet you.”
Devon smiled. The name wasn’t really important. The purpose of the Lifishi’un trial was to reveal one’s character; he knew everything he needed to know about Kim, just as she knew everything about him. But that led to another question. “You know tons more about my life than I do about you. I mean, I know you, but I don’t know about you. You was spying on me, after all.” He sent an accusing look at her, but with enough insincerity for her to know he wasn’t upset.