The Gathering

by Michael Timmins

  Kestrel turned to Shae, her eyes holding an appraising look. She smiled and walked, no, flowed over to Shae. The woman lost her authoritative attitude she had moments ago and instead looked warm and friendly as she sat down next to Shae.

  Shae sat in silence for a time, uncomfortable being this close to such a beautiful and obviously powerful woman.

  Kestrel seemed content to allow the silence to linger, and in the end, it was Shae that broke it.

  “I don’t want to fight in your war!” She hadn’t intended to blurt it out as vehemently as she did. She had seen what outright defiance got you with this woman.

  Kestrel smiled. Shae’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. She expected the woman to lash out at her, or at the least demand obedience. Instead, Kestrel merely smiled at her.

  “I know Shae.” Kestrel told her. “I have no intention of having you fight for me, though there may be times you might be required to protect yourself, but I won’t ask you to go to war for me.”

  Surprisingly, Shae felt a little angry about this. Did Kestrel not think her capable of fighting? She had killed already. Freed herself from captivity and fought her way out. Did Kestrel think her afraid?

  It seemed her anger showed upon her face, for Kestrel held up a placating hand.

  “No, Shae. It isn’t because I think you are incapable. It’s just I have other plans I need your help for. Probably the most important plans of them all.”

  “What are those?” Shae studied her, intrigued.

  Kestrel laid a hand on Shae’s leg and patted it lightly. It was such a simple gesture, something Anne had done to reassure her when Shae first came to live with her. Before George. A gesture of affection of caring. To Shae’s surprise, she didn’t flinch from it.

  “I will tell you more of it at a later time. For now. I would like to hear your story. What happened to bring you to us?” Kestrel reached up and touched the edge of her shorn hair. It had only started to grow back and was still bristly to touch. Shae felt her face grow flush with embarrassment at what she did to her hair. Especially next to Kestrel’s long, beautiful tresses.

  She pulled away from Kestrel’s touch and hung her head.

  Kestrel let her hand drop back in her lap.

  “It is obvious you have been through much, Shae. None of it good, I imagine?” She leaned forward and craned her neck to try and look into Shae’s eyes.

  “You have been hurt?”

  Shae nodded. A slight sniffle escaped as she thought of her time in that prison.

  “Abandoned?”

  Shae nodded again. Tears flowed freely now as memories flooded her mind, of her birth parents leaving her, then Anne giving her away.

  “Used?” Kestrel asked, almost a whisper as she leaned in closer to Shae. Shae nodded one last time before burying her head against Kestrel’s shoulder. Thoughts of George. Of Daniel.

  Kestrel hugged her close. “Tell me child. Let us meet these pains together so you needn’t bear them all alone.”

  So, Shae told her. She told her of her childhood, of being abandoned. She told her of Anne and the brief happiness they shared before George came. With shame, she shared what George did to her and what she did to herself in response. When she told Kestrel of what happened to her in that prison, the woman grew visibly angry, her pale skin reddened, and her teeth clenched. Shae told her what she did to the man who hurt her so often in that prison. That she sliced his throat open. Kestrel nodded her approval and her anger subsided some.

  Shae left out what happened between her and Daniel afterward. That Daniel survived and was now a Were like her. Why she kept this from Kestrel, she didn’t know. Perhaps it was because Daniel was hers, and she didn’t want Kestrel to take him from her like she did with Joseph and Blain.

  Regardless, she kept that part to herself. She told Kestrel about what she did to George and Anne. Again, there was no recrimination from Kestrel. In fact, there was outright approval.

  “In the end, I heard about what happened here and came as quickly as I could in hopes of meeting others like me who might be able to explain what was happening.”

  Kestrel nodded at that.

  “I don’t want you to be upset about what you did to those people, Shae.” Kestrel held her out at arms-length, studying her through long, beautiful lashes as she tilted her head to better look the shorter Shae eye to eye.

  “Those evil people had it coming to them. They deserved what they got. No one will ever treat you that way again, Shae.” Kestrel told her. “Not if I have any say in the matter.”

  Shae saw enough of this world to understand it was likely Kestrel wouldn’t have a say in the matter. But the fact Kestrel wanted to keep her safe, to try and make sure no one every abused her again brought her a sense of calm she thought lost to her.

  “Thank you, Kestrel. I mean, My Lady.”

  Kestrel tsked. “It’s Kestrel to you, Shae. I only make the others use ‘My Lady’ so they understand who is in charge.” She winked at Shae. “Men tend to forget those things easily.”

  Kestrel laughed. A warm, throaty laugh which brought a smile to Shae at first, then as she wiped the last tears from her eyes, a laugh. It was her first laugh in over three years, and it felt good.

  Neither of them had any idea Officer Ben Charles watched them the whole time.

  Chapter Seven

  Kestrel left the room where Shae slept. They had spent a few hours talking and Kestrel got a sense of the girl. She always had a knack for reading people which made it easy to manipulate them. A slight tugging at the corner of her mouth was the only indication she gave of her satisfaction at her interactions with Shae. She would need to tread lightly with the girl. She was vulnerable and had a serious lack of trust for people who were being kind to her.

  A short trip down the hallway led her to the other room she rented for Samuel and Gordon. That she would need to keep Gordon and Blain separate for the time being had been an easy decision. Those two had egos which would war with each other until they came to an understanding. She, however, didn’t feel like dealing with it.

  With a quick insert of her keycard, she was through the door. Samuel sat at the kitchen table, his laptop illuminating his face, which leaned in toward the screen, forehead furrowed as his eyes darted back and forth as he read. Gordon lounged on the lone chair, a cozy, maroon recliner he hadn’t bothered to recline. He sat with one hand resting in his lap, the other, propped up on the armrest, two fingers pressed against the side of his head as he watched a game of American football on the television. Joseph was nowhere to be seen.

  Neither one bothered to stand when she entered. This didn’t bother her as the way she dealt with these two was vastly different than Blain and his group. That group needed to be kept in check. Samuel had proved his loyalty and she valued him, not as an equal, but as a close confidant. Someone she could trust and seek advice from.

  Gordon took to following her with alacrity. She doubted his belief in her cause, but she didn’t doubt his loyalty. He saw her as a means to live the life he now desired. She would not curb his appetites, in fact, she encouraged them. As long as he left enough alive to build her army.

  He was invested in her now. He was one of the few Weres who had been identified by the authorities. When they came, and they would come, they would come because of Gordon. It was only a matter of time before they knew he fled Australia and came here. And while they were trying to keep a low profile, Samuel assured her they would be found.

  She hoped to have her plans fully in motion at that point and so be safeguarded if it came to that. She would not like to have to send Gordon away, to offer him up as a sacrificial lamb to the authorities in order to buy herself more time. She would if she had too, though.

  Striding across the room she moved to stand behind Samuel to see what he read. As she moved behind him, he gave no recognition she was there, but she knew better. Little escaped Samuel’s notice.

  The screen on the laptop showed an article spotlight
ing Zach Van Stanley, the leader and founder of E.A.R.t.H. Kestrel recognized the article as she had already read everything published about the man and by the man. He was an interesting individual. At the age of sixteen, he organized protests outside coal plants and logging companies. After being arrested dozens of times for trespassing and vandalism, he eventually stepped up his game to destruction of property.

  After blowing up several miles of newly constructed pipelines which had been built to transport oil, an accidental death landed him in jail for ten years. He had been released six years ago, and instead of going right back to what he had been doing, he instead founded, E.A.R.t.H or Earth, Anger, Retaliate to Heal and created a large organization with extremely loyal followers. They were the largest, what they referred to as an eco-terrorist group in the United States, and had followers in many other countries as well.

  Members of E.A.R.t.H continued to launch attacks against companies which raped and pillaged the Earth, but they did so, as far as the authorities could determine, autonomously. Over several dozen attacks and bombings had occurred, and yet, each time the perpetrators had been caught they denied any involvement from their leader, Zach. This kept him free to continue to be the face of the group.

  Oh, he would backhandedly denounce his members’ actions. He would claim they were unsanctioned, but in the same breath would promise more would come if the governments of the world didn’t punish these companies for what they were doing to Mother Earth.

  Samuel scrolled down the article, obviously entranced with the exposé. The reporter, though unwilling to condone the man’s actions, seemed to hold a grudging respect for his beliefs and his willingness to go to the extreme to enact change.

  Kestrel also respected the man. In fact, he was the person she was looking for. Someone with the desire to set things right. Someone willing to do what needed to be done to end the blight of civilization. She needed him, and whether he knew it or not, he needed her. With her magic, her Weres, and his people, they could take the necessary steps in bringing this world back from the damage men had done.

  Samuel finished reading the exposé and turned to look at her. His face held a quiet smile and she nodded to him in silent understanding. He understood why she told him to read the article. He knew what she intended.

  The smile faded from Samuel’s face and the sides of his lips drooped down and worry lines formed upon his brow.

  “What is it, Samuel?”

  Samuel’s eyes darted towards Gordon and he leaned forward to speak softly to her.

  “I’m worried.”

  Kestrel arched an eyebrow.

  “This world is dangerous. More dangerous than the world you . . . parted from. There are powerful forces out there, and soon, sooner than I would like, we will be exposed, and they will be coming for us.”

  “You think I don’t know this?” She tried to keep the offense from coloring her tone, but the way in which Samuel flinched, she apparently failed.

  “Of course not,” he assured her. “I just worry for you. You have your magic of course, but it won’t help you from a sniper’s bullet, or an airstrike. I don’t want a knife in the heart to take you like it did all those years ago.”

  Of all the people who followed her, or had followed her over the years, Samuel had always been the most faithful. Well, except when he abandoned her at the end of the war, but she forgave him. In the end, it had been the right move.

  A slow, wicked smile crept on to her face. Her full red lips curled, and a devilish sparkle appeared in her eyes.

  “Oh Samuel, this will not be like last time. I have a plan to ensure it.”

  As she told him of her plan, his expression moved from uncertainty, to shock, then gradually, his smile matched hers.

  Detective Ben Charles stumbled out of the room he used to spy on the girl and her new ‘friends’. That he managed not to get noticed when he practically fainted when the one of the newcomers turned into a walking crocodile and refrained from yelping was a testament to how much other weird shit he had already seen this day.

  He needed to get some air, and he needed to think. With his head feeling like it was stuffed full of cotton, he managed to make his way to the lobby. By the time he stepped out of the elevator, his mind was clear, and he had a plan. Well, somewhat of a plan.

  Night had snuck up on him and there were few people in the lobby. The hotel was a luxurious looking place, with marbled flooring, and fluted pillars flanking the main concourse leading to the front doors. There was a security guard posted at the front door. Ben had seen his fair share of security guards in his day and was surprised to see one so alert and not bored. These posts often left one with hours of doing nothing but idly people watch.

  Crossing the lobby, he made his way to the officer. Given the man’s posture and alertness, Ben figured him for an off-duty cop who wanted to make some extra money on the side. As he approached the man, the officer must have noticed his determined stride and he turned to face Ben as he approached, his hand nonchalantly falling to his side piece. Ben was thankful he already retrieved his badge from his back pocket, so he didn’t have to try and make a grab for it now. Given the wariness of this fellow, he likely might have taken a bullet before he could properly identify himself.

  The guard was a tall man, young, perhaps a few years out of the academy, with sandy blond hair and hard cut facial features; his face was a little too blunt to be called attractive. The man took care of himself though. The muscles in his arms barely fit within the sleeves of this uniform shirt.

  Ben checked the man’s name tag and it read, ‘Paskins’. Flashing the officer his badge he moved in close to the man, so he could speak privately.

  “Officer Paskins?” The man nodded slightly; his lips turned down slightly upon seeing an unfamiliar badge. Ben flashed it quickly so the man wouldn’t get he was an out-of-town officer, who most definitely had no jurisdiction here.

  “Are you familiar with the man who lives in apartment 1010?”

  For a moment, it looked as if Officer Paskins might pursue the matter of the badge, but something in Ben’s tone must have convinced him this was more important. The officer took out a tablet and after several pokes and swipes on the screen, he turned the tablet towards Ben. It held the picture of the man whose apartment he commandeered.

  “This the man?” Officer Paskins’ voice was far reedier than Ben would have ever imagined given the strong masculine features of the man’s face.

  “Yes. That is him.” Ben nodded. “Earlier this evening I commandeered his apartment due to an ongoing investigation.” The man’s earlier frown reappeared and deepened. Ben couldn’t blame him. Here was a police officer from another city investigating a crime where he clearly shouldn’t have been doing so. Worse, he was now involving an off-duty police officer instead of following the proper channels.

  Ben held up his hands apologetically. “I know, I know. This is a shit sandwich you didn’t ask to be given, but circumstances have left me no other choice but to hand it off to you.” Ben crooked a smile. “And believe me, this is worse than you are even thinking it might be.”

  The officer’s brows lowered as he stared hard at Ben. Ben could tell the man waged a war inside. On one hand, duty told him he should cease listening to this man and call it in immediately. On the other, he was quietly intrigued about where this was going and given Ben’s urgent demeanor understood something was going down and it was important. Ben decided to take the man’s silence as permission to keep talking.

  “At some point, this man will return and wish to return to his apartment.” Ben paused to emphasize his next point. “He must not be allowed to return.”

  “Am I supposed to arrest him?” A look of uncertainty crossed the man’s face about this course of action. But Ben shook his head.

  “No, no, no. He is not the issue. It’s for his safety.” Ben hesitated to tell the man the next part because he worried, if he did, the officer would, in fact, call it in and if the police show
ed up this would turn into a bloodbath.

  “There are criminals in the room adjacent to apartment 1010 that I used to stake them out. It is possible at some point they might discover the means of which I used to observe them and if that were to happen . . .” Ben shrugged and left the result unspoken.

  “Are the guests here in danger?”

  This was the question Ben feared the officer would ask. To be truthful, Ben didn’t know. He didn’t believe so. From what he could determine from the conversations he overheard; these people wanted to keep a low profile. But he also knew it could change in a heartbeat. From what he saw, they were violent and dangerous.

  “I believe the guests are safe . . . for now.” Again, the frown returned. “As long as the criminals are left alone, I believe they will not cause harm to anyone.” He tilted his head and peered at the officer sidelong, his eyebrow raised, as if to say, ‘I’m talking about you.’

  Slowly, the officer bobbed his head to acknowledge the unspoken warning.

  Officer Paskins blew out a breath through tight lips. “So. What are we going to do?”

  “We aren’t going to do anything. You are going to stay here and stop the guy from 1010 from returning to his room.”

  “He isn’t going to like that,” Paskins interjected.

  He was right. The guy hadn’t wanted to leave his room in the first place. Ben scanned the room while he thought about what to do. He came to a decision.

  “Send him over to the James Hotel and tell him to mention, Ben Charles, and they will have a room for him.” Ben dug into his back pocket and pulled out his tired old wallet. Pulling out two twenties, he handed them to Paskins. “Give this to him for the cab ride over.”

  Paskins nodded. “That might work.”

  Ben gave the officer a flat stare. “Make it work.”

  He received a stiff nod in response.

  “And you?”

  Ben once again scanned the lobby before answering. “I have to meet some people, but I will be returning as soon as I can with reinforcements.”