Encala

by T. M. Nielsen

  Emily dropped her fork, “Great.”

  “There will be other deals, just eat,” he told her, handing her back her fork.

  “I liked that one.”

  “You can stay here as long as you like. I could even give the house to you,” he suggested.

  “I want a ranch, and I’m not going to take your house.”

  “You just don’t want me knowing where you are,” he mumbled.

  “You’re right,” she said, and smiled.

  ***

  “We’ll be back in an hour or so,” Emily said, kissing Allen good-bye.

  “We’ll be here,” Sam said.

  Emily stepped out of the house for the first time in weeks, and hopped into the Humvee. Kyle crawled into the seat next to her and smiled. She looked out over the snow packed road and gripped the steering wheel with shaky hands.

  “Do you want me to drive?” Kyle asked, taking one of her shaking hands in his.

  “It’s not the drive… it’s not safe out here.” She watched the snow fall.

  “No one but me knows where you are. You have to get out of that house,” he said, and reached over to start the engine.

  Emily nodded and put the Humvee into drive, “You sure we shouldn’t take your truck?”

  “The Hummer is better in this kind of snow, it’s ok,” he said, sitting back in the seat.

  Emily moved slowly through the narrow snowy road and breathed easier when she saw black top. Her speed picked up as she hit I-70 for the road trip into Denver.

  “See, this isn’t so bad,” Kyle said, smiling as her hands quit shaking.

  “Not bad at all.” She grinned, but then her face fell when she heard the siren.

  Kyle looked behind them, “Are you speeding?”

  “No,” she said, and pulled off to the right hand side of the freeway.

  “Just act casual,” he suggested, leaning back.

  Emily rolled her window down and looked at the police officer. He was standing a ways back from her window with his hand on his gun.

  “Is there a problem?” she asked.

  “Step out of the car, Ma’am,” he said, as two more police cruisers pulled up.

  Emily looked at Kyle and then opened the door and stepped out. She went from looking down on the officer to him looking down on her when she got out of the jacked up Humvee.

  “You too, Sir, get out,” an officer said from Kyle’s side of the car.

  Emily heard Kyle’s door open and he walked around to her side. When he appeared, both were shoved against the truck.

  “Hey, watch it,” Kyle growled, as was Emily slammed into the truck.

  “Shut up,” the officer said, putting handcuffs on Kyle. Emily watched Kyle allow the handcuffs as she felt hers being tightened.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, wincing.

  “This vehicle has been reported stolen,” the officer said, spinning her around to face him.

  “It’s my husband’s car,” she said, frowning.

  “Yeah, well, you can tell that to the judge,” he said, and ushered her into the back of his car. Kyle was put in a different patrol car and Emily frowned at him. She wondered why he didn’t break the cuffs and blur away.

  Emily was so mad, she was shaking as they took her picture and fingerprinted her. She was furious when the deputy announced to the room, Kyle included, that she was five foot even. She blushed and saw Kyle turn away from her and laugh.

  Emily was separated from Kyle and given an ugly orange jumpsuit. She put it on and was taken to a cell. The loud bang of the door slamming made her skin crawl. She looked around at the empty cells and sat down on the hard bed.

  Kyle arrived at the cell next to her almost an hour later. Once his door was shut and the deputy left, he came to the bars that separated them.

  “You ok?” he asked.

  “No, I’m not ok. My husband just put me in jail,” she said, angrily.

  “I called Sam. He wasn’t there, but I left a message for him to come and bail us out,” he said, amused.

  “This is not funny.” She glared at him.

  “Oh come on, it is a little.”

  “Why are you even here? Why didn’t you break the handcuffs and blur away?”

  “Because then, you would have to explain what happened, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah I guess.”

  Kyle smiled, “That was pretty smart of him.”

  She looked at him shocked, “Are you kidding me?”

  “Come on, it worked, he found you,” Kyle said, still laughing.

  “Yeah well he found you too… how well do you think that’s going to go over?”

  “Oh, hadn’t thought of that,” Kyle said, sitting down on the bed in his cell.

  Emily curled up on the hard bed and stared at the wall. She became more and more angry, both at Chevalier and at Sam as the night came and they were still in jail. It wasn’t until 3am when a deputy appeared and opened their cells.

  “You’ve been bailed out,” he said, tossing their clothes at them.

  Emily stormed out of the cell and changed quickly in the bathroom. Kyle was waiting for her in the lobby when she got out.

  “They said he’s waiting for us outside,” Kyle said, obviously having fun. He opened the door for her and she stepped out into the cold air. When they left the house it was still warm enough she hadn’t needed a jacket.

  “I’m so glad you find this funny,” she said, walking down the ice covered sidewalk.

  Kyle laughed and then stopped and put an arm out to stop Emily. She looked up and glared.

  “I was surprised when I found that I needed to bail out two of you,” Chevalier said, and leaned up against the Humvee.

  “You put me in jail,” she snapped at him.

  “Yes, I did. Now get in the Humvee where it’s warmer,” he said, opening the door.

  “That’s alright,” she said, and made sure to give him a wide berth as she walked out into the street and hailed a cab.

  “Emily, get in the Humvee,” Kyle said, frustrated.

  Emily got into the cab and shut the door.

  “Where to, Ma’am?”

  Emily gave him Kyle’s address, and then said, “Tell you what. There’s an extra $200 cash if you can lose the Humvee.”

  The cab driver grinned and gunned it, spinning out and taking off into the empty streets.

  Chevalier growled and jumped into the Humvee, followed by Kyle. He put it in gear and followed the cab.

  “I can explain,” Kyle said, holding on as Chevalier fought to keep up with the cab.

  “I hope so,” he said, seething.

  Kyle inconspicuously smelled around the Humvee, and picked up no trace of Emily’s scent. He remembered that they left the doors open when they were arrested. The officers must have left it open for a while.

  “Damnit,” Chevalier hissed, and hit the steering wheel. The cab pulled around a railroad bar and had gotten across just as the train passed.

  “Thank you,” Emily said, looking behind at the train. The train was too short though, and she could still see clearly when the Humvee took off again.

  “He’s back... hurry,” she said, watching behind her.

  Emily gripped the front seat as the cab began to lose traction and spin. The driver overcorrected and flipped the yellow car. Emily braced herself when she felt the car rolling over and over as it went down a small embankment. It finally came to rest on its top. The windows were smashed in, and the driver wasn’t moving.

  “Trust me, stay here,” Kyle said, jumping out of the Humvee, but he turned when he heard Chevalier behind him.

  “No kidding… trust me on this. You don’t need to smell her blood right now,” he said sternly. Chevalier froze, and then nodded.

  Kyle ran down the embankment and knelt by the car, “Emily?”

  “Get me out of here,” she said, reaching a bloody hand toward him.

  He tried to open the door, but it was jammed. He braced his feet against
the snowy hillside and pulled hard, easily breaking the door free. Kyle got back to his knees and crawled into the car, “Where are you hurt?”

  “Get the driver,” she said, pointing to him. He still wasn’t moving.

  Kyle reached up and felt the driver’s neck, “He’s gone.”

  “He’s not dead!” she yelled at him.

  Kyle reached over and yanked her seatbelt off of her, and she fell to the glass covered hood. He took her under her arms and pulled her out of the car.

  Chevalier watched anxiously as Kyle pulled Emily out of the taxi. He saw Emily stumble to her feet, and then collapse in Kyle’s arms. Kyle picked her up and cradled her in his arms. He looked from Chevalier to his house, which was less than a quarter of a mile away.

  “Meet us at the house,” he said.

  “Get her in here,” Chevalier said, angrily.

  Kyle blurred toward the house and heard the Humvee pull back out onto the road. Kyle was just laying Emily on the couch when he heard the door slam to the Humvee. He blurred outside.

  “She doesn’t want you in here,” he said, closing the door to the house.

  “I don’t really care what she wants,” Chevalier said, approaching the steps.

  “Breaking her wishes isn’t going to help her trust you,” Kyle said. He was afraid that one smell of Emily, and the Elder would lose control. He knew the Elder hadn’t fed since she left. He spent all of his time searching for her.

  “Why are you even here?” Chevalier asked Kyle.

  “I’ll explain that later… just wait in the Humvee for me, ok?” he asked, and disappeared back into the house. Chevalier growled and went back to the car.

  Kyle returned to Emily, “Where do you hurt?”

  “Is he coming in?” she asked, trying to sit up.

  “Not right now,” he said, pulling her hair back off of her forehead, “You hit your head, anything else?”

  “No. He can’t come in here, he’ll know,” she said, watching Kyle closely.

  “I’m not sure I can stop him.”

  “It’s your house.”

  “Yeah well, he’s my Elder.” Kyle disappeared into the kitchen and came back out with a wet dishtowel. He started cleaning the blood off of Emily’s face and arms. Other than small cuts from the glass, and a cut on her forehead, she didn’t seem injured.

  “I’ll go talk to him,” she said, sitting up.

  “I’ll go with you.”

  “No, let me talk to him alone… outside.” She got to her feet and steadied herself, then headed for the door.

  “If you pass out, he’s going to catch you,” Kyle said, watching her.

  “Fine… come with,” she said, and opened the front door. Chevalier looked over from inside the Humvee and opened the door, then stepped out.

  “Stay back by the car,” Emily told him, and he leaned back against the black Humvee.

  “Are you ok?” he asked, looking her over.

  “Yes, why did you have me arrested?”

  “I needed to know where you were.”

  “Why? You promised me that the next time I left you would let me go,” she reminded him.

  “I know I did, but I never thought you would do it.”

  “You know now, so you can go, and take Kyle with you,” she said to him.

  “Wait a minute,” Kyle said, but she held a hand up to stop him.

  “I can’t start a new life if I’m still surrounded by heku,” she told him.

  “If I leave tonight… I’ll tell him,” Kyle said, narrowing his eyes.

  “You wouldn’t!”

  “I would and I will.”

  “Tell me what?” Chevalier asked, taking a step toward them.

  “Get back to the truck,” Emily hissed at him, and he shrugged and went back to the Humvee.

  “Why are you doing this?” Emily whispered to Kyle.

  “You need someone with you,” he whispered back, knowing full well that Chevalier could hear them.

  “I have Sam and Allen. We can handle a ranch on our own.”

  “I stay or I tell, period,” he smiled as she fidgeted.

  “Fine… then just you go,” she said to Chevalier.

  “I’m not leaving until I find out a few things,” he said, looking at Kyle.

  “What was I supposed to do? Tell you where she is and then have her disappear alone… or stay here with her and at least she would have my protection?” he explained.

  “You still disobeyed a direct order.”

  “Yes I did, and I would do it again. When I get back you can punish me then,” he said, matter-of-factly.

  “Oh I plan on it.”

  “Will you two just stop!” Emily cried from behind them. “Don’t you see how this can be irritating? I can’t deal with it anymore.”

  “We can stop,” Kyle said to her.

  “No you can’t… he gives orders, and they are obeyed, it’s sickening.”

  “It’s my job,” Chevalier said, watching her.

  “Exactly… and it’s not going to stop, but I want no part of it. Or are my fragile human emotions making me stupid again?” she asked, angrily.

  “No one’s ever called you stupid, Em,” Chevalier said, sighing.

  “You did,” she snapped.

  “We told you… that wasn’t us,” Kyle said to her.

  “Yeah, that’s what you say… well hell,” Emily said, and disappeared back inside.

  Sam stepped out onto the porch with Allen in his arms. Chevalier smiled, and when Sam put Allen down, he ran into his Dad’s arms.

  Chevalier hugged Allen tight.

  “Mommy’s sick,” Allen told him.

  “She is?” Chevalier looked at Sam.

  “She’s had the flu,” he said, coldly.

  Allen asked to be let down, and then took Chevalier’s hand, “Come inside.”

  “I don’t think I’m welcome,” he said to the toddler.

  “You think right,” Sam said. “Come on Allen, let’s get back inside.”

  Allen pulled closer to Chevalier, “Daddy’s here.”

  Chevalier picked Allen up again, “What do you say I take him back with me?”

  “I think Emily would have something to say about that.” Sam glared.

  “Then bring her out and let me ask her.”

  “She’s busy,” Sam said, crossing his arms.

  “Doing what? She was just here,” Chevalier asked, and frowned.

  “Mommy’s sick,” Allen said, pointing inside.

  “She has the flu right now?” Chevalier asked Kyle.

  “Yeah she does, and you had her locked up,” he told the Elder.

  “I should go tell her I’m sorry,” he said, walking a few steps forward.

  “No, we’ll tell her for you,” Sam said, stepping in front of the door.

  “What’s in that house that you two are trying to keep from me?” he growled, setting Allen down.

  “Don’t do it,” Kyle said, crouching near the door.

  “Are you going to stop me?” Chevalier asked, crouching low and hissing.

  “Yes, I am,” Kyle replied.

  “So am I,” Sam said, though he knew he couldn’t fight a heku.

  Sam watched as Chevalier blurred into Kyle, knocking him into the house. Kyle pushed off of the brick wall and landed against Chevalier, sending him back into the snow. The rest was too fast for Sam’s eyes to see, but he put his body in front of the door. When Chevalier stood up, Kyle was in a bloody mess at his feet.

  “You can’t stop me,” Chevalier said, walking toward the old man.

  “She’ll never trust you if you do this,” his only defense was words.

  “She’ll get over it.” Chevalier blurred past Sam and into the house. He was moving so fast he didn’t have time to breathe until he was in the main living room. He stopped and looked around, and then frowned. His body tensed as he inhaled deeply.

  Kyle appeared ahead of him, crouched, “Don’t do it.”

  Chevalier’s
instincts were overwhelming. The scent of his prey was all he had on his mind. The need to quench his thirst was so strong it killed any rational thought. He ran his tongue across his sharp canines and scanned the room. One thing was standing in his way, another heku, about to take his kill.

  Chevalier crouched low and hissed as his hands curled into claws.

  “Chevalier, stop it,” Kyle said, watching him closely.

  Emily stepped out of the bathroom and gasped when she saw Chevalier. He looked at her with primal eyes and grinned. Kyle hit Chevalier full force from the side and sent him through the large plate glass window. The two wrestled in the snow and their movements were too fast for Emily to see. She grabbed Allen and ran up to the bedroom, locking the door, and then into the bathroom. She crawled into the empty tub and held Allen close to her.

  Outside, the fight stopped as Kyle pinned Chevalier to the ground. Chevalier was panting and looking around, frustrated.

  “Do I need to kill you?” Kyle hissed.

  Chevalier looked up at him, “You should have told me.”

  “Are you in control?”

  “Yes,” Chevalier said, and got up when Kyle jumped off of him. He looked into the house. It had been too long since he fed. He knew he couldn’t go back in there.

  Kyle watched him, still crouching defensively.

  “You should have told me,” he said again in a whisper.

  “I promised her I wouldn’t,” Kyle explained, standing again when he saw the anguish in Chevalier’s face.

  “I could have killed her.”

  “I wouldn’t have let you.”

  “Is that why she left?” he asked, looking at Sam.

  Sam shook his head, “She didn’t know until we’d been here for a while.”

  “Whose place is this?” Chevalier asked, looking up at the long row of windows in the mansion.

  “It’s mine,” Kyle said.

  “This whole time you knew then?” Chevalier growled.

  “No, I didn’t. I gave her this information a long time ago, in case of an emergency. I’d forgotten about it until I was here in Colorado checking out your place. I figured while I was so near, I might as well check here. That’s when I found her,” he spoke quickly, justifying his actions.

  “I’m going to go feed… and I will be back. If she’s gone when I get here, I’ll find all of you, and I’m not promising any of you will survive,” he growled, and crawled into the Humvee, spinning out onto the street.