The Syker Key

by Fransen, Aaron Martin

  Another groan, louder this time. “You’re killing me!”

  “Please!”

  He knew he couldn’t refuse his son. It was tough enough keeping him from sitting in front of the television all hours, he figured it was easier to cave in to some of the smaller demands. Well, smaller for Zack. John really hated talking in public.

  “Fine,” John conceded. He reluctantly filled it out as he sat at the kitchen table.

  ***

  The weeks passed uneventfully, though John would get anxious about career day any time he thought about it.

  They had a routine that was by now well rehearsed, except for the odd changes in John’s schedule, which thankfully Mrs. Sofia across the hall had been willing to help with. A godsend, and John suspected that Zack was a substitute grandchild for the old woman.

  He wished Zack could have known his own grandmother, but she had died before he was born, soon after his wedding. John never knew his own father, and knew the heartache of missing a parent. He was determined to make Zack suffer as little as possible. Of course, simply finding a replacement mother hadn't been one of his goals.

  Finally Career Day arrived.

  John and Will drove to the school in their squad car. Unfortunately for John, his boss thought career day was a terrific idea. Fortunately the event didn't call for Will to be present. He liked his friend, after all they had been partners for 8 years, but John didn’t like the idea of Will hanging around while he helped his son. Leaving him in the car was not the worst thing to do.

  “I’ll be back,” he promised.

  “Knock ‘em dead.”

  As luck would have it, Zack had a large class, but only six other parents had been able to make it to career day. And he stood out like a club foot. At his turn, he introduced himself, then briefly went into a quick summary of some of the things that someone in his position was expected to do. He tried to keep from using big words, but he suspected he was patronizing some of the kids.

  The teacher looked around the class. “Does anyone have a question for Officer Syker?”

  One student put up his hand. “Have you ever killed somebody?”

  “No,” John answered. “It’s not actually that often we ever have to draw our weapon. We’re trained to only use it as a last resort.”

  Another student, a young girl, put her hand up. “Have you ever been shot?”

  “Ah, no.”

  “Do you have a partner?”

  “Yes.”

  “Has he ever been shot?”

  John couldn’t help himself from laughing. “No, but he was bitten by a moose once.”

  That got a laugh from the class, and John relaxed a bit.

  The young girl sitting beside Zack leaned over to him conspiratorially. “My Dad is your Dad’s boss!” She stuck her tongue out at him and sat back in her chair. Zack rolled his eyes, and John wondered who she was. No wonder his boss wanted him to do this.

  The bell rang. Literally saved by it, John thought to himself.

  The teacher got their attention before dismissing them. “Don’t forget class, tomorrow we’ll be making viewers for the eclipse on Sunday. And what’s the most important thing to remember during an eclipse?”

  The class answered as one. They’ve had this drill before. “Don’t look at the sun!”

  Will was leaning on the police car as the school emptied, depositing John and Zack into the crowd. “So ladies, how was career day?”

  “Don’t ask,” his friend answered.

  Five: Lost

  Two blocks away from Zack's school sat a restaurant. An English family owned the restaurant, mother, father, and grown daughter. Walker, by name, and simple family fare by trade. And while the Walker family might give the appearance of simple, they were far from.

  Like an old fashion, the family lived in the apartment above the restaurant, and their home was a little slice of English life in the midst of city bustle. In the bedroom of the daughter, a nondescript box sat hidden in a hidden compartment in the mattress. In the box sat a crystal, wrapped delicately in cloth.

  The crystal began to glow, then disappeared.

  ***

  She could feel it disappear the second it was gone, but had to rush to her bedroom to confirm it was not her imagination. The box was empty.

  “It's gone!” Jessica shouted. Her parents came running.

  “Can you sense it at all?” her father asked.

  Jessica closed her eyes and concentrated. She could sense the Key, but she could not find it. It was hiding from her. She asked it why, but it would not respond. So, she could still communicate with it, but it would not offer any assistance.

  “Yes, it's around, but it's ignoring any request I make.”

  Her father grimaced. “Well, we know it's done that once before, but it meant there was competition for the renewal. I don't like the sound of that.”

  “That means there's someone hanging around who is going to be fighting me for the right to be the bearer,” Jessica added, resigned.

  ***

  “What should we have for dinner tonight?” John asked.

  Zack tried to hide the mischievous thoughts from his face. “How about something different?”

  “As long as I don’t have to sell the car to pay for it. What did you have in mind?”

  “There’s this place near the school called Janey’s Kitchen. One of my friends said it was pretty good.”

  John thought about the selection. He hadn’t been there, but had driven by it often enough that it had become part of the background. “Isn’t it a greasy spoon?”

  “Dad, I’m sure they wash all the dishes.”

  John laughed. “Smart ass.” He noticed that Zack might not be completely on the level. A bit too nervous about food. Something else... “Alright, who’s going to be there?”

  “Nobody!” Zack protested.

  “Well, greasy spoon it is then, but don’t come crying to me when your arteries start to harden.”

  ***

  Jessica was standing at a table taking an order when it happened.

  She was distraught at the disappearance of the Key. She was responsible, she was the bearer. That it would vanish on her watch had troubled her greatly.

  She felt something. It was like having the Key near, but...different. It was a power approaching, she could sense it was a person, but she couldn’t focus on it. It was frustrating; she had been the crystal’s bearer for over a thousand years, but after all that time she was still no wizard. Certainly she could do little things, but she had never learned to do what she was capable of with the Key, and she felt that absence now more than ever.

  This thing she felt, she could not tell if it was a danger, or something else. And she was certain that the Key would have been able to.

  ***

  The restaurant was about what John had expected. Plain on the outside, with a dash of, what, English countryside? Subtle, whatever it was. The inside wasn’t spectacular either, with basic tables and bench seats, it looked no different than a hundred cafes he had visited over the years. He hoped the adage that the worst the decor, the better the food, was true. If it was, he could look forward to an excellent meal.

  He was surprised that the place was half full. A busy lunch, sure, but how many people would come to a place like this for dinner? Well, a few apparently. Which either meant the prices were really good, or the food was. Rarely was it both.

  Something about the waitress caught John’s attention.

  Not that he was immune to attractive women, but he was certainly not a Casanova like his friend Will, his mind permanently parked at the junction of his legs. The waitress was no supermodel, but the sight of her literally caught him in his throat. Shorter than him, with long brownish-red hair tied into a pony tail. Wearing a slightly dirty apron as well. Maybe she helped out in the kitchen too. She seemed eminently comfortable in her job; must have been doing it a while, started young, since she couldn’t have been more than 30.

 
; “Hi,” she said to them. John noted her name tag. Jessica. “Pick a seat wherever you like, I’ll be right with you”. A light English accent, John noticed. She was smiling, looked like the generally happy type.

  He smiled back at her, trying not to look like the smitten schmuck he felt like. “Thanks.”

  They picked a bench by the window. It was apparent that whoever Zack was expecting to see here wasn’t here already.

  A male voice hollered up from the kitchen. “Order up!” John watched the waitress, no, Jessica, walk over and grab two plates of food. He tried not to be obvious as he watched her deliver them to a couple a few tables down.

  After a couple of pleasantries, she approached John and Zack, who had already picked up a menu and was busily figuring out his dinner.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked in that slight English lilt. John knew he was in trouble, and he didn’t even know the woman.

  “I’ll have a coffee please.”

  Zack looked up at her. “I’ll have a coffee too please!”

  Jessica took the order nonchalantly, looking to Zack. “And would you like cream and sugar with that?”

  John answered for him. “He’d like a coke with that. And leave out the coffee.” Zack groaned, but Jessica smiled at them.

  “Two coffees and a coke, and hold one coffee. Coming right up.” She smiled and walked away. A smile that could melt just about anything, John figured.

  He watched her walk away, and literally had to force himself not to. He distracted himself by picking up the laminated menu sitting at the end of the table.

  A quick perusal told him that it was probably going to be his usual; burger and fries. The menu definitely had a British flavour to it, and some it looked interesting. but he was a sucker for hamburgers, man’s perfect food he told himself.

  “See anything you like Zack?”

  “Cheeseburger.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  ***

  “Who is he, do you think?” Jessica asked her mother in the restaurant’s kitchen. They were both trying to clandestinely look out into the restaurant through the serving area. Her father was ignoring them as he threw a steak onto the grill.

  “I don’t know, but he does look familiar somehow.”

  “Could you feel it?”

  “Well, I could certainly feel something, but I’d be hard pressed to say what it was. Arthur, what about you?”

  Jessica’s father stopped for a moment, thinking. “It’s like an echo, it’s familiar. But beyond that I can’t say. I can’t bloody well even tell if it’s dangerous. Be careful daughter.”

  “I can’t tell either, but if it’s coming from him, I don’t think it’s dangerous. There’s something different about him. I don’t think he’s got an ounce of guile in him. And he’s a single parent.”

  “How the hell do you know that?” her father asked.

  “He’s got a child who clearly resembles him, but he’s not wearing a ring.” Jessica struggled to sense something else. There was a sadness there, she could tell. He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, but the tan line on his finger told her he hadn’t been without it for very long.

  “Don’t get any ideas, dear, this is a very dangerous time,” her mother scolded.

  Jessica considered that. It was a very dangerous time. The Key had never disappeared before. At least, not while they had been bearers. Pre-history was another issue entirely.

  ***

  John was a little confused to see Will walk into the restaurant. He walked over and sat beside Zack. “Hey guys!”

  “Uh, Hi?”

  “You ordered yet?”

  “Nope,” Zack volunteered.

  “Will, what the heck are you doing here?”

  “I invited him, Dad.”

  “Did you?” John instantly understood. Will was here to keep John company while Zack was otherwise occupied. Will grabbed one of the laminated menus from the table.

  “Anything look good?” He noticed Jessica walking towards them, carrying a coffee and a glass of coke. “Nice.”

  John could understand his son’s attempt at diversion, and normally he would secretly have admitted that Will’s behaviour was entertaining at times. This was not one of those times. “Keep it tucked, Will.”

  Jessica deposited the drinks on the table and looked to Will. “A late comer, is it? What can I get you to drink?”

  “Anything on tap?”

  “Coke and sprite,” Jessica grinned.

  Will feigned pain. “You’re killing me! I guess a coke.”

  “I’ll be right back.” And once again John had to force himself not to watch her walk away, especially with Will sitting right there. Of course, that didn’t stop his friend from watching her.

  “Too bad that’s not on the menu.” With a sly grin he turned away and looked at the menu. “So Zack, your girlfriend here yet?”

  “Shut up! She’s not my girlfriend. She’s just a friend.”

  The door to the restaurant opened and three people walked in, a young girl and her parents. The girl John recognized as having been in Zack’s class. Thankfully not the one that stuck her tongue out at his son. He didn't know if he was ready to have his son dating the boss's daughter.

  Zack saw them, and tried to look casual.

  “Hi Zack,” the young girl said as they walked by, towards a table a little further down.

  “Hi Debbie,” Zack replied, trying to be nonchalant. John grinned. All the bother with getting him to date again came down to this. He was happy for his son, but at the same time it meant that he was growing up, and would soon have little time for his father.

  Jessica returned, notepad in hand and ready to take their orders. “Have you decided what you’d like to order?”

  “Two cheeseburgers and fries,” John said, putting his menu back into its little cradle at the end of the table.

  “I’ll have the beef dip,” Will said, winking at Jessica. “And your phone number.”

  “Well fortunately,” Jessica replied taking it all in stride, “the beef dip is excellent, but I’m afraid I don’t own a phone.” She looked to John with a smile. “Anything else?”

  John decided to apologize for his friend, shrugging. “You can dress them up, but... I think we’re good, thanks.”

  ***

  The adage was held up. The food was excellent.

  By the time the meal was finished, which actually didn’t take long, Zack was sitting with Debbie at the next table alone, drinking milkshakes and laughing. It warmed John to hear his son laugh. It had been tough, as anyone would expect. But as long as Zack was okay, John was happy. Well, perhaps happy was too strong a word, but his son was his highest priority, so his own feelings came second. Or so he thought, as Jessica returned to take the dishes away.

  “Can I interest you in some cheesecake? I made it personally this morning.”

  “Sure, why not. And a cup of decaf, if you have any made.”

  “And yourself?” she said to Will.

  “What kind is it?”

  “Strawberry.”

  Will put some drama into his decision. “I don’t know, normally I'm allergic to strawberries, but I guess I’ll try a piece.”

  “Two cheesecake coming right up.”

  As Jessica walked away, Will finished his sentence. “A piece of cheesecake too.”

  “Would you shut the hell up? You’re going to embarrass me.”

  “John, I can embarrass you just by opening my mouth. You’re too easy. You have to learn to relax!”

  John didn’t like the idea of his friend making moves on Jessica, though he hardly had any justification for feeling that way. That was high-school stuff, and the memory of the social politics involved in competition for affection made his blood pressure rise. “I forgot to check the duty sheet. Where are we tomorrow?”

  “Southeast patrol, but we have rush hour traffic tomorrow night.”

  He hated traffic patrol, mostly because it usually meant h
e wasn’t home in time to meet Zack. His captain was pretty good at giving him shifts that allowed him to spend more time with Zack, but he couldn’t cover for him all the time. If only he had some other skills, he thought, he might be able to get one of those 8 to 4 jobs that most people seemed to detest.

  He liked being a police officer, but having a job that went from eight to four every weekday, leaving his evenings and weekends free to spend time with his son? He couldn’t imagine anything better. The only problem was that he didn't know how to do anything else.

  Jessica returned with coffee and cheesecake. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the bill, depositing it on the table. “And you can pay this whenever you’re ready, stay as long as you like.”

  “Oh, I’ll get that, here.” John reached into his pocket, retrieved his wallet and handed over a credit card. “Thanks.”

  Jessica took the card and walked away.

  ***

  She nearly fell over when she read the name on the card, but in retrospect should not have been that surprised.

  Syker. John Syker.

  One of the hazards of having lived such a long life is that one begins to doubt the existence of coincidence, and Jessica was hardly a believer at the best of times. The only question was what was the linkage? That crazy old wizard had never had any children, as far as they knew. But they had also lost track of him just over two hundred years before, so there was no telling what he had been up to all that time.

  Family resemblance? Too hard to tell. The old bat had never had anything but a bushy beard, so she had no idea what Pan Syker actually looked like. Plus the fact that memory does tend to fade somewhat when stretched into centuries, but she was starting to feel that there was a family connection.

  She was sure he wasn’t in possession of the Key. But with the eclipse in two days...Jessica’s mind started to race. Something else was going on.

  As far as she knew, at least with the state of modern technology, the Key would only allow a change of the bearer during an eclipse. Something about the focusing of solar energy in such a way that the crystal was left vulnerable for only a moment, at which time someone else could allow it to imprint, becoming the new bearer.

  The Walker family had been put in charge of the protection of the Key all those years ago because Pan Syker had known in them a purity, an inability for corruption, perhaps even more so than himself. And now it was gone.