by Alexie Aaron
Mia saw Angelo emerge from the darkness. He stood naked and strong with his mighty wings furled. “Come, Mia, it’s time to meet your destiny.”
“No! You stay away from me. I am not yours.”
“Your aunt gave you to the Brotherhood. You are to be trained, after we wipe your mind of course. You will become a warrior for good.”
Mia backed away, conscious of the decreasing space between her and Angelo. She pushed out with her mind and found what she was looking for. As Angelo strode across the stage, Mia pushed the locks free and watched as the silent trap opened.
“I will not go willingly with you. I am not the property of my aunt. I’m an adult woman and responsible for myself. I have been since I was emancipated as a teenager. In my culture, I am a free woman,” she said as she watched him move closer.
“Your culture is nothing. A shopping mall full of wants catered to. No wonder evil thrives in your land. I reject your culture, I spit upon your country. You belong to the world, and the world says you are now the Brother…”
Angelo fell through the trapdoor. Mia took off running towards the fire exit. She cried out for help as soon as she hit the open air. Murphy appeared next to her. “My aunt has sold me to Angelo. I have to hide until I can get this undone. He’s going to find me.”
Murphy saved his energy and didn’t reply. He directed her away from the open street where she was heading. “Cover, we need a place where birds can’t fly.”
Mia nodded and followed Murphy into the shell of the warehouse under renovation. They moved quickly into the dark recesses Mia depended upon Murphy’s vision to navigate. They settled in a dark corner.
Angelo was stunned and embarrassed. He felt the absence of floor too late and fell through the stage, catching a wing on the edge. He moved it, and it was still sound, although missing a few feathers. He looked up, and pushed upwards and shot out of the opening. He moved quickly, searching the theater for Mia and found no evidence of her. He moved out into the dark streets of the city and called for his brethren before he began his search.
Within minutes, the roar of dozens of pairs of wings filled the night. “She’s here, find her. A spirit is protecting her. Wipe him from existence. Do not underestimate him,” he warned.
Mia heard the wings beating the air and knew that there was no place they could hide from these superhumans. How could her aunt have done this to her? The woman who taught her so much: how to OOB, how to block mind readers and how… “Murphy, remember when Bev had you enter my mind?”
He nodded, his eyes steely.
“Enter my mind and find where Judy hid and close the door. Listen and wait until the right time and…”
“I understand. You must be strong, Mia. Close your mind after me. Do not let Angelo in to wipe your memory and emotions away. I will hide. He will never know I am there. Open up for me. And Mia…”
“Yes?”
“No matter what happens, we will find each other again.”
“I sure hope so. Quick, I sense one of them is near,” she hissed. Mia took a deep breath and opened herself up. Murphy moved first into her body, feeling the thrill of her beating heart. He followed the pulse into her mind where he moved quickly through the passages of memory and function until he found the place where Judy had carved out a hiding place, a place where she and Angelo’s people couldn’t reach. He sensed the essence of the bird woman who had taken him through time with her, the warrior that fought with him to rescue Mia from the past. He entered the place and closed the door.
Mia waited until she could no longer sense Murphy. She lifted her arm to her nose and smelled the fresh woodland smell that he always carried with him. Stephen Murphy had never smelled of death; he always smelled of life. But he didn’t smell like her. She needed time for the odor to leave her pores. Angelo wasn’t stupid. If he sensed Murphy, he would tear her mind apart until he found him. Mia decided it was time to sweat. She got to her feet and started running. She exited the building and crossed the street into the shadows.
If she could make the river, she might buy herself time and, if she was lucky, get away. She regretted leaving her cell phone behind on the console in the command center. It was just her and her aunt holding fort while Ted took Cid to the emergency room. She could see now that Cid’s accident was planned. Bev had a hand in it for certain. While she had been playing around with her new telekinesis ability, her aunt had been planning her abduction. But why? What had Mia done that was so grievous to make the woman hate her enough to sell her to this ancient order of gargoyles? Was this payback for Ted tossing her in jail? Or did it have something to do with her dead lover? Did Angelo promise Bev to bring her lover back or send her to a time when he was alive? The first was too horrible to contemplate, the second was the better solution, but would Bev take that course? No, Mia decided. Bev would arrive an old woman, and her lover would still be young.
Mia stumbled over a pile of newspapers left in front of a shop. She heard the flapping of wings over her. She got to her feet and backed into the recess of the entrance of the small store. She huddled in the doorway, hoping the birdman would pass her by.
She heard bare feet hit the pavement and the folding of wings. Angelo approached Mia in the doorway. “Come, you cannot hide from me,” he said as he blocked her exit. “I do not want to hurt you, but I will.”
“Anything to get what you want,” Mia spat. “You are as evil as those you fight.” Mia stood up and walked over and pushed at him with her outstretched hands. She dug her nails into his flesh. “I reject your dogma.”
His face was in shadow, but Mia knew she had angered him. He pushed her against the glass of the shop and tore her clothing off before folding his wings around her, and they disappeared into the night.
Chapter Twenty-three
The early morning light was just moving over the horizon when Ted and Cid arrived back at the command center to find it abandoned. Cid handed Ted Mia’s phone.
“No wonder she didn’t answer my calls,” he said worried. “I’m going to go inside and give her a piece of my mind.”
“No you won’t. You’ll just hand her the phone and be happy she’s alright,” Cid said as he fingered the bandage over his brow. It took eight stitches to close the cut. Mia’s first aid had stopped Cid from losing too much blood, but he still felt woozy. He sat down and checked the feeds. The last three cameras that remained trained on the stage were down. Maybe that was what caused Mia to leave her post? He turned to inform Ted but found him already gone.
Ted entered the building and called out. “Mia! We’re back.” Silence greeted him. “Mia! Bev! Murphy!” No one answered him. He moved faster along the hallway, pushing doors open, calling inside. He retraced his steps and flipped on the lights before entering the stage. He saw that one of the silent traps was open. “Mia!” he called, running over. He looked down, peering into the darkness. He pulled out a mini mag light and directed the light downwards. He breathed a sigh of relief not to find her or Bev’s broken body down there. He backed up. He started to get up when something caught his eye. It was a black feather.
Panic seized him. He resumed his scan of the floor below the stage and saw more feathers there. “Mia!” he called. He got up and ran out to the command center.
Cid looked up and said, “The stage cameras are down.” He looked at the panic-stricken face of his friend and asked, “Mia?”
“Gone. Check all the other feeds and run them back while I search the building. She could be hiding.”
“Hiding from what, you?”
Ted tossed a feather Cid’s way as he grabbed an ear com and jammed it in his ear and took off running. “Cid, over,” his voice came through the console speakers.
“Cid, here.”
“I’m going to search the building. She may be hiding from Angelo. I’m worried that Murphy is missing. He and Angelo don’t get along. I’m worried that…”
“Let’s not think about that right now. Find her, Ted, over.”
A uniformed officer hopped in the back of the truck and addressed Cid, “My sergeant says to notify you that we found… Well, you come here, and I’ll show you.”
“One of our investigators is missing. Did you find her?”
“No, but if her name’s Mia Cooper and lives in Big Bear Lake, then we found her clothes.”
Cid followed the man to the patrol car. He opened up the trunk and pulled out a clear evidence bag full of torn clothing. “The owner of the Quickie Mart found these in his doorway when he opened up this morning. He called us.”
Cid looked closer and could see that all her clothes were there. It looked as if they were ripped off her body. “Oh my god.”
“Before you ask, there wasn’t any blood. Her shoes looked as if she was knocked out of them, and her socks were found a few feet away. We also found a few of these,” he said drawing out another bag. Inside were black feathers. “These are too big to be crow feathers. I have no idea what they are.”
“I do,” Cid said under his breath. “I’ve seen a few big birds around.”
Ted walked out of the building. He was pale and breathing hard. “I’ve looked everywhere and can’t find her…” he stopped as he took in the police cruiser and the officer standing by a very pale Cid.
“She’s not…”
“They found her clothes and feathers…”
“A block from here at the Quickie Mart,” the officer answered. “I take it that they belong to your missing investigator. We’ll put out a missing persons report on her and start a search of the area.”
“I have a sinking feeling she’s long gone,” Ted said and reached out to the wall of the building to steady himself. “Thank you, officer.”
Cid dealt with the officer while Ted went back to the command center and returned with a printed picture of Mia. He handed it over and answered all the questions to the best of his knowledge.
“It looks like foul play. Did she have any enemies?”
“Angelo Michaels has made certain threats. He’s from Italy but has a penthouse in downtown Chicago. I’m not sure of the address. Other than that, Mia’s loved by everyone that meets her.” Ted omitted Beth’s name because, even as mad as she was at Mia and him, she would never sink this low and attack her.
Cid and Ted walked back to the command vehicle after the police officer left. “Where’s Bev, do you think she was taken too?” Cid asked.
“We haven’t found any of her clothes. Bev’s not that reliable. Perhaps she left before Angelo came,” Ted guessed. “I’ll call her and find out what she knows.”
Cid climbed in the truck. “Tell me what to do, how can I help?” he asked his devastated friend.
“Call the team back. Tell them Angelo’s got Mia, and I don’t know what to do.”
Cid looked a moment at Ted. He saw so many emotions cross his face that it was difficult to tell what was going through his friend’s mind.
Ted hit the side of the truck and winced as the pain of contact reached his brain. “Father Santos. Call Father Santos. When you get him, transfer the call to my cell. I’m going to search the building again. If Murphy hasn’t been taken out of the picture then where is he? And if he’s gone, how am I going to tell Mia when I find her?”
“Dude, the one thing that I know for certain is if Murphy still exists and Mia’s in trouble, he’s with her. You’ve got to believe that. There’s no way Stephen Murphy is going to let Mia go without a fight.”
“That could explain all the feathers,” Ted said. “One of the silent traps is open. Not the one over the well. Maybe Murphy, maybe Mia. She’s been playing around with moving things with her mind. She’s a smart woman, and he’s a valiant warrior, but can they hold their own against Angelo’s minions?”
“Remember them facing off with the two tribes of Indians?” Cid reminded him. “I thought for sure they were toast.”
“You weren’t around then, but Mia and Murphy survived the mental asylum by sticking together,” Ted said with admiration in his voice. “I pray he’s with her now.”
Cid picked up the phone and called Burt. “Mia’s missing. We’re almost sure Angelo has her… Father Santos is my next call,” Cid told him. “Yes, I have the number. He’s a bit crazy, but holding it together. I will. Bye.” Cid looked over at Ted and said, “Burt’s on his way in and will call Mike and Audrey.”
Cid dialed Father Santos. The phone was answered by a very sleepy assistant. Cid explained the reason for his call and was told that the assistant would awaken the priest. A few moments later he handed the phone to Ted.
“I don’t understand. Explain to me what has happened,” the priest asked groggily.
Ted brought him up to date with everything that they and the police found.
“It sounds like Angelo, but Mia would have to go willingly…”
“She would never commit herself to Angelo’s brotherhood,” Ted assured the priest.
“Ted, there is another way for Angelo to gain possession of Mia. In his religion, they consider the women owned by their families until they are wed. Perhaps, her parents?”
Ted’s mind screamed with information. “I think they are in the city…”
“They are,” he confirmed. “I just had lunch with Bernard and Charles yesterday. He and Amanda should be at the apartment. I’ll go over and…”
“I’m heading over there. I don’t have a car, but there’s a commuter train. I’ll get there as soon as I can. If Amanda’s sold her daughter, I’ll kill her.”
“Son, don’t do anything hasty. If it’s been done, it can be undone. I’ll get dressed. Give me a call when you get into Chicago.”
Ted put the console phone down. He turned to Cid. “I’ve got to run. If I can’t catch a train, I’ll take a cab in. I’m…”
“Going to confront Amanda, I’ve got ears. Go!” Cid said.
Ted pulled out his ear com and tossed it on the table. He grabbed his emergency backpack and jumped out of the truck. He ran down the alley and turned, heading towards the courthouse and the Joliet train station. He had never taken a train before but he was confident he would figure it out. He had to.
Cid continued to search the tapes after Ted left. He documented when the stage cameras went off line. He noticed that, just before each camera bit the dust, Beverly had been in the area.
Chapter Twenty-four
Mia concentrated and shut all the windows and doors of her mind as she had been trained. She felt Angelo’s heart beating hard against her turned face. She had no concept of movement, aside from the toll it was taking on the birdman’s body. When he opened his wings, she felt herself slide downward until her feet hit what she thought was tile, although its texture was rough and porous. She pushed her hands out and heard a gasp from the surprised Angelo. She spun around and moved away from him while he was still recouping from the travel.
She narrowed her eyes to protect her sight from the brilliant light that seemed to permeate the outdoor courtyard she found herself in. Mia took in the high walls and the grape arbor overhead. A small fishpond fed by a small burbling spring encased by a stone ledge rose a few feet next to her. Across the pond she saw a long table, and the memory of being laid there with her head in a cradle alarmed her. She was in the place of healing. Although she doubted Angelo had brought her there for her health.
‘Stay the hell away from me,” Mia warned, conscious of her nakedness and that Angelo had retracted his wings and stood there naked as well.
He looked at her and seemed genuinely hurt by her attitude. “I only wish what is best for you, little bird.”
Mia put a hand to her back and was reassured that no wings grew there.
“Only an endearment, you have no wings. No means of escape. Soon you’ll have no wish to leave. You belong here. You always have.”
“No, I belong with Ted and Murphy in Illinois. You have wronged me by br
inging me here. You will face God with this sin on your hands.”
He looked down at her a moment. His brows furrowed in thought. “There is no escape. Rest, I have to take care of a few things before we work on relieving you of your past. You will be born again, a warrior in the service of the Brotherhood of the Wing.”
Mia turned her back on him and did not speak. She heard him leave. The quiet was brief. Out of the stillness came the rustling of fabric. From the corners of the courtyard came the gray ladies. One held out a simple gown. Mia thanked her and pulled it over her head. It was too long and pooled at her feet. The gray lady looked alarmed as if she had transgressed in some way. Mia simply picked up the edge of the fabric and brought it to her mouth, and used her teeth to tear a small section. She pulled the cloth from her mouth, and used her hands to tear up and then across the fabric until the edge of the garment fell just above Mia’s feet. She used the long strip of fabric to wrap around her waist several times. For now she would use it as an adornment, but later it may come in useful.
A tray was brought in with some bread, cheese, fruit and wine. The carrier urged Mia to eat.
“No thank you, I will not eat or drink anything that one of you hasn’t tasted first in my presence.”
The gray ladies looked at each other in alarm. The tray was removed.
“Thought so,” Mia said and reached up and pulled a bunch of grapes from the arbor overhead. She would eat what they had not touched. She leaned over the edge of the fishpond and surprised a bright gold carp as she cupped her hand and brought the water to her lips. Eventually, Mia knew she would have to sleep. She had been up all night and felt the weariness of her sleep-deprived body. She walked around the enclosure and found a corner guarded by a fig tree. She bent down and gathered the dry leaves that lay under the tree. She spread them over the pathway. A foot landing on the leaves would unknowingly set off an alarm, as the crunch of the crushed leaves would reach her ears. She walked back and lifted herself into the tree and climbed. She found a place high in the tree and used the strip of fabric to tie herself to the trunk. Only then did she allow her eyelids to droop and let sleep take her.