Reapers

by Bryan Davis

  I nodded. Less pain and more convenience sounded good to me.

  Alex touched her sternum. “You might be wondering why we attached the tubes to your clasps. This will be the next step in our demonstration. Since the Gatekeeper graciously filled the primary pedestal with abundant energy, you will receive his gift in a purer form, as if he has breathed his very soul into yours, enabling you to more easily collect the ghosts that reside here.”

  Alex nodded at Erin. “You may proceed.”

  “One moment.” Erin began tapping on her tablet again. “The Reapers need to connect their valves so I can check for pressure leaks.”

  After locking clasp to valve, I stared at my palm. The physical tingling had stopped, but the memory persisted. If the new pedestal system infused me with a potent form of the Gatekeeper’s energy, might it have the same effect as the handshake? Maybe even stronger since it would go straight to my heart?

  Shanghai gave me a curious stare. But this was no time to explain my concern.

  Erin tapped the screen once more. “No leaks. Energy transfer commencing.”

  I tensed my muscles. The hum returned. As usual, energy flowed through my valve, bringing an invigorating sensation. Tingles ran along my skin. My heart raced. I gazed at Shanghai. She closed her eyes and spread out her arms like an angel in flight—majestic, beautiful. Her dark hair shone, her trim and toned body flexed with vigor, and her face’s lovely features magnified. In a word, she was dazzling.

  After several seconds, Erin called out, “Shutting off the flow.”

  The hum ceased. I exhaled. My smile locked in place, making my cheeks hurt. The dismal prison yard brightened. Even Alex looked like a decent human being. Maybe this reaping job wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  Erin gave Alex the tablet. “Congratulations on a successful demonstration.”

  “Thank you, but we’re not finished. There remains another step.” Alex set the tablet on the primary pedestal, withdrew her sonic gun from the inner holster, and called toward the prisoners’ living quarters. “Bring him out!”

  I shuddered. Something in Alex’s voice belied her pleasant appearance, something sinister.

  A guard led a man our way. As he drew closer, his balding head and bushy eyebrows clarified—Colm Fitzpatrick.

  I glanced between him and the gun. My heart thumped harder than ever. Would Alex really use the gun on him as part of the demonstration? Nearly laughing, I shook my head. She wouldn’t. She was just trying to scare me. Though a voice deep inside screamed to break through—a warning, a desperate cry that something terrible was about to happen.

  When the guard arrived, he pushed Colm down to his knees. I looked at Shanghai. Her smile remained, though somewhat wrinkled. Apparently the unfolding events perplexed her, too, as if we both swam in the same murky haze.

  Alex circled behind Colm and set the gun at the base of his skull. He looked straight at me. Although his expression betrayed no fear, his eyes pleaded for rescue. But what could I do? I couldn’t take on both Alex and Peter. Besides, this had to be a scare tactic, a test of some kind. Alex wouldn’t—

  A muffled pop sliced through the air. Colm’s eyes rolled up into his head. He toppled to the side and hit the ground with a sickening thud.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I sank to my knees. With my entire body quaking, I whispered, “What… what happened?”

  Alex smiled as she lifted the sonic gun. “This is a lovely weapon—quiet and lethal. Its only drawback is its recharge time.” She walked toward me with a cocky stride. “Phoenix, you seem ill.”

  My throat tightened. I could barely spit out a word. “He’s… dead?”

  Her brow furrowing, she glanced at Colm. “Of course. I’m sure you’ve seen this gun’s efficiency at the executions.”

  “But Colm is my… my…”

  She bobbed her head in an exaggerated nod. “Oh, I see. You don’t understand why I executed someone from your district.” She slid the gun to her shoulder holster. “It’s complicated, Phoenix, especially for someone in your confused state, but I’m sure you can figure it out. In one stroke I have proven what I am capable of doing without hesitation and at the same time preserved the remaining assets that keep you from shirking your duties. I have also enhanced our demonstration by showing how our energy boost has encouraged all who partake of it to acquiesce to, shall we say, unpleasant necessities. Even a principled Reaper like you did nothing to stop me.”

  The words flowed in, but they jumbled in a messy pile. As I pieced them together, her malice became clear. If I didn’t give in to the energy’s influence, she would kill the entire family.

  “Shanghai,” Alex said, extending a photo stick toward her, “kindly reap this man’s soul, then return to your station. I think Phoenix is in no shape to do so at the moment.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Bowing her head, Shanghai jumped off her pedestal, snatched the stick from Alex, and knelt at Colm’s side.

  I blinked. Yes ma’am? What happened to Shanghai? Did she surrender to the influence, or was she just playing along?

  While I watched in silence, Shanghai turned Colm onto his back. “Come with me,” she said, her voice like an alluring song as she laid her cloaked hand over his eyes. “Let me take you away from this world of pain and torment to a place where you can lay down your burdens and rest.” After a short pause, she let out a deep sigh. “Yes, I know you’re concerned about your family, but there is nothing you can do for them now. You must release that responsibility and transfer it to Phoenix and me. We will do all we can to protect them from harm. You have been a wonderful husband and father, and your duty has come to an end.” Then she whispered something too quiet to hear.

  A shimmer flowed into her cloak and covered her shoulders. A few seconds later, Shanghai lifted her hand and rose to her feet. Colm’s eyes bugged out but not much, and no dark tears stained his face. This was an easy reaping.

  Shanghai slid the photo stick into her pants pocket. “Yes, Colm. I will tell Fiona when I see her.”

  While Shanghai shuffled to her pedestal, Alex grabbed my wrist and helped me stand, whispering sharply, “Colm is dead because of your earlier antics. If you decide to cooperate from now on, the rest of the family will live. Got it?”

  I steeled my body. The urge to break this witch’s neck spiked, making me curl my fingers into a strangling pose. But I had to play it cool, pretend to be under her control, though her Owl eyes seemed able to pierce my thoughts. “I understand, Alex. You’ve made yourself perfectly clear.”

  “Good. I’m glad to see you’re coming to your senses.” Alex backed away and reprised her tour-guide tone. “Since this depot doesn’t directly transfer souls, you don’t need a photo stick at this point. Still, the final Gateway needs the images. You can deliver the stick to Erin at any time before she transports the sphere to the actual Gateway.”

  I kept a wary eye on Erin as she studied the tablet screen, her white cloak flowing. Her security clearance had to be super high to be able to deliver souls and images to the Gateway. Since she was chosen for this duty, she must have risen quickly in the Council’s good graces.

  “Thank you for your participation,” Alex continued. “After dinner we will have an entertainment event here in the yard, but I’m keeping the details a secret for now. Feel free to use the time before dinner to experiment with your newfound abilities.”

  As I detached my clasp from the connector and stepped down from the pedestal, I focused on Shanghai as she dismounted and walked slowly toward me. Her face had changed somehow. Instead of radiating bright-eyed optimism, she now looked morose, downtrodden.

  Alex bowed her head toward Melchizedek. “I hope the demonstration met your expectations.”

  He clapped his hands. “Very much so. I must say that you proved your theory to the utmost.” He gave Shanghai and me a quick glance before continuing. “I trust that your Cardinals are, shall we say, birds of a feather?”

  “They are, Exalted One.” Al
ex, too, glanced at us. “They realize that your energy is a sublime infusion of peace and joy. As you saw, the execution did nothing to significantly ruffle their feathers.”

  “Excellent, because it takes only one dissenter to ruin the nest, if you don’t mind the stretching of the metaphor.”

  “I understand completely. You need not be concerned.”

  “Very well.” Melchizedek nodded at the glowing sphere still sitting in the center disk’s bowl. “Since you will be collecting so many souls tomorrow, Erin will return in the morning to retrieve this sphere and replace it with a new one.”

  “Thank you.” Alex’s tone dripped with nauseating submissiveness. “We all appreciate your participation and generosity.”

  With Erin again at his side, Melchizedek extended his hand toward me. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Phoenix.”

  I stared at his hand. Could I overcome yet another infusion? I had fought off the other energy spikes, but a third shot might make me lose control.

  “Why the hesitation?” He pushed his hand into mine and shook it. “I assume that the newness of this experience has overwhelmed you, so I will not take into account this second breach in decorum.”

  Energy surged through my body. I gasped for breath. My knees buckled. Pure pleasure pulsed through ever fiber, though my heart felt as if it were about to explode. Pain joined the pleasure in a crushing duet of bittersweet agony.

  Melchizedek let go of my hand and walked with Erin toward the limo. As they conversed, their words warped into unintelligible ramblings.

  “Shanghai,” I whispered, “help me.”

  She wrapped her arms around my torso and propped me up. “I’ve got you.”

  Her touch sent shivers crawling across my skin, pure delight, excitement. “Get me…” Words caught in my throat. “Somewhere I can rest… and fight this thing.”

  “I will. Don’t worry.”

  Erin and Melchizedek boarded the limo. When the engine purred to life, Shanghai helped me hobble toward Alex. “Phoenix isn’t feeling well. I’m going to take him to his room.”

  Alex clasped my arm. “The Gatekeeper blessed you with an extra burst of energy. The effect sent your body into overdrive, but it will soon settle down. Feel free to rest until dinner. You’ll want to be wide awake for our entertainment tonight.”

  I managed a nod but nothing more.

  She lowered her voice to a whisper again, her grip tightening as her eyes narrowed. “I know that you didn’t really acquiesce to my actions, but don’t worry. More tests are coming.” She released me and walked away.

  With help from Shanghai’s supporting shoulder, I shuffled toward the Hilton. Every contact point with her sent warmth blazing into my body. “You know something, Shanghai?”

  Still propping me with one hand, she opened the door with the other. “What?”

  I pushed my fingers through her dark silky hair, so soft, so perfect, matching her angelic face. “You’re really beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” She cast a wary glance behind us. “I hope you still think so when you recover.”

  “Recover?”

  “Yes. Recover.” She led me inside and closed the door. “That energy has pumped you full of joy juice. You’re so soused, if you were behind a wheel, you’d be DUI, my friend.”

  “Right.” Closing my eyes, I shook my head. “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry? For calling me beautiful?” She grinned. “Are you taking it back?”

  “No, no, that’s not what I mean. I was trying to—”

  “Phoenix, I was just kidding.” She set a hand on her hip. “Listen, I had a shot of that stuff, too, and it’s a heavenly trip. When I looked at you standing on that pedestal, I was thinking… well, never mind what I was thinking, but you looked better than any movie star. Anyway, you need to come back down to earth, so just remember what Alex did to Colm.” Shanghai pretended to pull a trigger and mimicked the popping sound. “That devil woman killed him in cold blood.”

  The memory rattled my brain, again clearing some of the fog. “Yeah. Thanks for the jolt.”

  “No problem.”

  I drew a step away and looked her over from head to toe, intentionally letting her see my eyes conduct a full body scan. With her cloak shimmering behind her as a sparkling frame, her bright smile bending her lovely Asian features, and her hands on her hips accentuating her toned physique, she really did look amazing. “The effects are wearing off, and I still think you’re beautiful.”

  “Well, thank you, sir, but you still look pretty dazed to me.” She hooked her arm through mine and guided me toward the stairway. “Come on, handsome. You need to sleep it off for a while.”

  Dizziness returned, forcing me to shift some weight to her. She held me up without a problem. “So you really think I’m handsome? Or are you under the influence?”

  “Trust me. Even though I didn’t get two handshakes from the Exalted One, I’m still feeling the high, so give me some time to come up with the right word to describe you.”

  “Sure. Fair enough.”

  We climbed the stairs in silence and walked along the second-floor hallway. When we reached my door, Shanghai pushed me against the wall and scooted nearly toe to toe. “I’ve had enough time, Phoenix,” she whispered as she slid her hands behind my head, “you’re much more than handsome. You’re a dream come true.”

  Her lips drew closer, soft and moist. My cheeks burned. My own lips ached to join hers, but how could I let it happen? My ring. My promise. I had to preserve the lifeline.

  Just as her breath warmed my lips, a call pierced the moment.

  “Shanghai?” Tori poked her head out through Shanghai’s door. “Is Phoenix all right?”

  Shanghai stepped back, brushing my tunic as if smoothing it out. “He just had a dizzy spell, so I helped him walk here.”

  “Oh,” Tori said. “I hope he feels better soon.”

  “He’ll be fine.”

  I exhaled heavily. Sweat dampened my back. I had almost lost control. The infusion of energy had blown my concentration to pieces. I had to redouble my resolve—fight Melchizedek’s power.

  “Where’s your room key?” Shanghai asked.

  “In my cloak pocket.”

  Shanghai dug into the pocket, withdrew the key, and unlocked the door. “Tori, please tell Sing we’re coming into Phoenix’s room.”

  “Okay.” Tori’s head disappeared.

  After fumbling with the door, Shanghai guided me through, laid me on the bed, and began untying my shoes. “I’ll stay here with you if you want. You know, keep you company while you rest.”

  Every move she made sent my heart racing at hyper speed. “Stay,” I whispered, touching her hand. “Fight it with me.”

  “Why fight something that feels so good?” She pulled off one of my shoes and tossed it to the floor. “Phoenix, I’ve already made it clear. I want us to get together, so that’s the side I’m fighting for.”

  I swallowed through a narrowed throat, unable to say a word.

  She punched my pillow, fluffing it up. “Just rest. You’ll be fine soon.”

  Led by Tori, Sing staggered in from the bathroom, rubbing her eyes. “Phoenix! What’s wrong?”

  Shanghai pulled off the other shoe. “An overdose of energy from the Gatekeeper. He got zapped three times, twice by contact with the Gatekeeper himself.”

  Sing sat on the bed at the other side of my socked feet. She, too, looked more beautiful than ever, her skin tones raising images of milk chocolate, almonds, and caramel. “The Gatekeeper was here?”

  “In the flesh.” Shanghai pulled off my socks and wiggled one of my toes. “This little piggy needs to rest while I tell you about it.”

  “Little piggy?” Sing blinked at her. “Are you sure you didn’t get zapped, too?”

  “I did get zapped. Never felt better in my life.”

  After Shanghai and Sing helped me take off my cloak and belt, Shanghai related the events of the past hour. I closed my eyes and relive
d them, especially Colm’s execution. Again and again that horrible pop echoed in my mind, followed by an image of Colm’s fall. And Alex’s callous contempt made me want to tear her tongue from her throat.

  As before, the vision of brutal death cleared my thinking. I opened my eyes. Although Sing and Shanghai still looked beautiful, they seemed to transform into weapons, their toned arms and shoulders flexing whenever they moved in response to peaks and valleys in Shanghai’s story.

  When Shanghai finished, Sing shifted her gaze to me and back to Shanghai again. “That little demonstration wasn’t just to show you how the portable Gateway works. It was to show them how well their energy works.”

  “You mean how it knocked us for a loop?” Shanghai asked.

  “Put it all together.” Sing crossed her arms over her chest. “No offense, Phoenix, but I don’t think Alex wanted you for this reaping because of your skills. That was her pretext, how she wooed you. Sure, you’re good at reaping, fantastic even, but there are a couple of dozen Reapers who could do the job, and they’d jump at the chance. Alex wouldn’t have to make roommate or camera concessions to convince them to participate.”

  I gave her a questioning look. “Then why did she make concessions?”

  “Phoenix, think about it. The reason she sent Colm’s family to the camp was to ensure that you’d come. Would an Owl really care about one little pill? The concessions meant nothing to her. She just wants you here. She has everything under control.”

  “I get part of their reasoning,” I said. “They wanted to see if the energy influence was strong enough to keep me in line while I witnessed Colm’s execution. She knows it didn’t really work, though. I was just too dazed to stop her. She said more tests are coming, so she still has a target painted on my back.”

  “Am I a target?” Shanghai asked. “Why did Alex choose me to be here?”

  Sing shrugged. “A physical attraction? Maybe Alex used you as bait. How many guys can resist a girl like you?”