“She is, just like her mom.”
“We are going to find out who did this,” I say to Rome.
He nods, a sad look on his face.
“I hope so,” he says with a quiet sigh. “Anyway, let’s go and see the footage we have. Hopefully, it’ll help.”
We head further into the ramshackle headquarters, passing hundreds of survivors doing what all those who live through terrible events do; they try to move on; they try to stay busy, but mostly they think about what they’ve lost. It almost feels like the day we first walked through the rebel headquarters in the Abyss; furtive glances mixed in with a few friendly gestures. I try to keep my gaze on the back of Rome’s head, avoiding eye contact as much as possible.
We’re here to help, but if we can’t do anything for these people, I don’t want to have a catalog of their expressions in my head. It’s already hard enough to keep out their thoughts. There’s only so much sadness and anger that a person can take, and I’m starting to feel overwhelmed.
K ~ I feel it too.
E ~ It’s too much.
K ~ I know…just stay with me.
E ~ Always.
The cobbled together computer stations are a mix of outdated and modern equipment struggling to work as one. Cables hang down like vines, generating a sense of claustrophobia even in the expansive space.
There are a couple of technicians talking on their headsets, although I can’t imagine that they’re running any ops under the circumstances. A few feet further on, we come upon a bank of monitors of all different sizes and formats. Like in Father’s office, they’re tuned to local and national news channels. Rome walks up to one of the technicians whose lying on his back underneath one of the desks. He puts his hand on the man’s knee.
“Solomon. We need your help,” Rome says.
The man scoots himself out from under the desk. He has short blonde hair and a quick smile. A patch covers his left eye. His right is a stunning violet pool mixed with greens and blues. Scratches and minor cuts cover the rest of his face.
“Hey, Rome. Whatcha need?” he asks. His tone is light and friendly despite his injuries.
“Do we have the footage from the blast?”
“Sure,” he replies as he stands. He looks at Kateri and I. “You two from the Factory?”
“Yeah. This is Kateri. I’m Eve.”
“Are you ‘the Eve’?” he asks, his head titled to the side.
“The Eve?”
He pulls a rag from his pocket and wipes his face and hands before stuffing the cloth back where it came from.
“Yeah, of Eve and the Abyss.”
“That’s me,” I reply, feeling uncomfortable with my unwanted celebrity.
K ~ That’s clever. Eve and the Abyss. Sounds like an eighties girl band.
E ~ Shut up.
“Can you show us the footage?” Rome asks, saving me from further embarrassment.
“Sure.”
He turns and begins typing furiously on the old keyboard behind him. “It’s not a great video and I don’t have the software up and running that can enhance it at the moment.”
“That’s okay. We just want to see what you’ve got,” I say.
A couple of seconds later, the black and white video plays on the screen. A figure wearing a dark hoodie that obscures his face walks past the camera. He passes a few other Shayds and they seem to exchange pleasantries. He moves out of range of the camera and Solomon punches a few keys and another video starts. I notice the figure is wearing a backpack which he removes and places by a thick concrete column and then he walks out of view. A couple of people pass by the bag and then there’s a flash and the video ends.
“He knew right where to place the explosive to cause the maximum amount of damage,” Rome says.
“There aren’t any shots of his face?” Kateri asks.
Solomon shakes his head.
“In every bit of footage he’s always facing away from the cameras, like he knew—”
“-exactly where they were,” I say, finishing his statement.
“I think he did,” Rome says.
“Why?”
“One of our people. One of our security people, was found dead in the city two weeks before the attack. She had been seeing someone from one of the other facilities.”
“And you didn’t tell anyone about this?”
“Why would we? When her body was found, we thought she’d been killed by a demon. She had a knife wound in her chest and signs of a struggle.”
“But now you think differently?” Kateri asks.
Rome sighs and nods.
“Jesus,” I mutter under my breath.
“If I’d done something back then, maybe—”
I put up my hand.
“Don’t. It’s nobody’s fault, Rome. Even if you’d known, he would have found another way.”
He nods again but looks unconvinced.
“Solomon, can you put the videos and any pictures you have on a flash drive?”
“Sure, no problem,” he says before digging through one of the desk drawers.
I look back at Rome.
“We’re gonna take this home. Maybe our people can do something with it,” I say.
“Maybe.”
“I’m doubtful too, Rome, but we gotta try something.”
He nods and sighs. April suddenly reappears, stepping out of the shadows behind us. I spin around, my heart nearly leaping out of my chest. Rome looks at her and scowls.
“April. What did I tell you about sneaking up on people?” he asks, a stern tone to his voice.
“I’m sorry. I was just practicing,” she replies, lowering her head.
“Don’t worry about it,” I say to both. “You’re really good at streaming.”
“Thanks,” she says, smiling at me. “Daddy won’t let me practice outside. I have to do it somewhere.”
“You’re a lot better than I was when I first started.”
“You’ll get better,” she says, with a wink, then she looks at Rome. “I’m hungry. Can we get some lunch?”
“Sure, honey, give me a minute.”
“You’re going to eat with us, right?” April asks me.
I look over at Kateri and she shrugs.
“I could eat,” she says.
“We don’t want to intrude, or use up your limited supplies,” I say.
Rome shakes his head.
“We’ve got food. That’s one of the easiest things to get. Cooking it is a bit more primitive than we’re used to, however.”
“Let’s eat outside,” April suggests. “A picnic.”
She gazes at her father, and it only takes a few seconds before he gives in.
“Okay, April. Why don’t you go find Char and get some stuff together?” he suggests.
She nods quickly, a huge smile on her face. She literally throws herself into the shadows and she’s gone.
“The power of a daughter,” I say, looking at Rome.
“What are you gonna do?” he replies with a laugh.
The sun is shining brightly high above the old mill as we walk outside. I spot April, Kolby, Lia, Rail, Tanner and six other Shayds I don’t recognize, sitting under a large oak tree, a couple of blankets spread out on the ground. The mood here is much lighter, the thoughts less dark than inside. I’m grateful for the change. Kateri reaches out and takes my hand.
When April sees us, she smiles and waves. There is an impressive spread of Kentucky Fried Chicken, including all the sides, drinks, and even deserts.
“Wow,” I exclaim. “Impressive.”
“We have an inside person,” Rome says, giving a nod to one of the new Shayds; a teenage girl with long, dark, wavy hair and fierce orange eyes that look like they’re on fire. Her face is pretty, but there’s an aura of danger that seems to surround her. Her gaze is almost palpable, sending chills down my spine. She not only looks dangerous, she feels dangerous.
Part of me wants to know what inside person means, but another is
scared to find out.
“That’s Syrra,” Rome says. “She used to work at a KFC downtown. She was kidnapped from the parking lot and held prisoner for five years. Everyone eventually stopped looking for her and when she finally escaped, her family was gone; died of grief, I guess. After that, she just faded away.”
“Like the rest of us,” Kateri says quietly.
Rome nods silently. When we reach the little group, Syrra stands and walks over to us. She sticks out her hand and I take it. Her skin is soft, but her grip is powerful.
“Syrra,” she says.
“Eve.”
“I know,” she replies, her eyes narrowing.
Her gaze is so intense, that I almost feel like I’m riveted in place. Finally, after a few moments, she releases my hand and I take a tiny step back. I can’t sense any thoughts from her, which is even more disconcerting. She turns her attention to Kateri, and I finally recover the ability to speak.
“Um…this is Kateri,” I say.
They shake hands.
“I’ve heard of you too,” Syrra says to her.
“Have you?”
“Yeah. The Greensburg Massacre. Who hasn’t?”
E ~ What’s she talking about?
K ~ Nothing.
E ~ It’s not nothing.
K ~ I’ll tell you about it later.
“Just doing my job,” Kateri says.
“Yeah, right,” Syrra replies with the first smile I’ve seen from her.
“Come on, everyone. Let’s eat,” Rome says.
He sits down next to April, and she hugs him before returning her attention back to her meal. Syrra takes a seat on the other side of Rome and Kateri and I sit opposite them. We introduce ourselves and then the light conversations fade away as we dig into the food. I didn’t realize how hungry I was, so within minutes, I down two legs and a breast.
Eventually, people start talking again and Lia looks at me from across the blanket.
“What’s it like in the Abyss?” she asks.
I wipe my mouth after swallowing a bite of biscuit.
“It’s not at all what you think,” I say. “The sky is weird, it’s red instead of blue, and a few of the buildings are different, but other than that, it’s a lot like this. It’s like another layer, at least for me.”
Lia just nods, although I’m not sure she understands what I mean.
“No fire and brimstone?”
“Not that we saw,” I reply with a grin.
I notice that Syrra keeps looking at me, although she’s been trying her best to hide it. Finally, after a few minutes, she speaks.
“Is it true that you brought a demon back with you?” she asks without looking up.
Kateri frowns.
“Yes.”
Rome looks up from his meal, and I can feel the thoughts of some of the other Shayds beginning to invade my head.
“Did you bring it back for interrogation?” Syrra asks, locking eyes with me now.
“No, and it’s a he.”
“A he?”
“Yes. His name is Jax.”
“You named it?”
“No. He already had a name.”
She frowns at me, her fiery orange eyes narrowing.
“Why would you bring one of them back here?”
“Because he saved us.”
I glance down the blanket, and everyone is staring at us. The struggle to keep their thoughts from overwhelming me is raging inside my head.
“A demon saved you?” Kolby asks.
“Yeah, and several other Shayds and humans…including your brother.”
“Why would he do that?” Syrra chimes in.
“Because they’re not all bad.”
“You’re telling me that there are good demons?” She frowns and chuckles at the same time.
“That’s what I’m telling you,” I say, trying to stay calm.
I feel Kateri touch my hand, and the contact helps center me.
“Not all people are good,” April says as she takes a bite out of a chocolate chip cookie.
“What’s that, honey?” Rome asks.
“I said, not all people are good, so maybe not all demons are bad.”
I look at her and smile.
“All the ones I’ve ever met are bad,” Syrra says.
“Most of the ones I’ve met too,” Kateri says. “But as it turns out, there are good ones.”
Syrra stares at Kateri for a few seconds, maybe tossing the thought around in her head.
“How many?” she finally asks.
“We met an army of them.”
“What do they want?” Rome asks.
“Peace.”
“If that happens, then what about us? What do we do?” Syrra asks.
“The world has plenty of evil to keep us busy,” I whisper.
Everyone falls silent and Kateri squeezes my hand gently.
Chapter Fourteen
“Be careful,” Rome says as we’re standing outside the mill, watching the sun slowly drop below the trees in the distance.
“We will,” I reply, “and thanks for all the help.”
“I’m not really sure how much we really did.”
“That video may be the key to stopping this,” I say.
“Yeah…hopefully,” Rome replies, his tone betraying his words.
I extend my hand, and he shakes it firmly, and Kateri does the same.
“You take care of that girl of yours,” Kateri says.
“I will,” he answers, with more honesty and happiness this time.
“Well? Are we going, or what?” Syrra says as she walks up to us, a backpack slung over her right shoulder.
“What?” I glance at Kateri and she shrugs.
“I’m going with you.”
“Since when?” I ask.
“Since I decided.”
“I…uh…aren’t you needed here?”
“To do what? Pick up the pieces? They can do that. I’m a Hunter. I want to go hunting,” she says, her words sending a chill down my spine.
E ~ She’s scary.
K ~ Fuck yeah, she’s scary.
“Well, I guess it’s up to Rome,” I say, looking over at him.
“You’re the ones who have to put up with her,” he says with a grin. “I say it’s up to you.”
I look over at Kateri and she gives me a tiny nod in response.
“Okay, I guess you’re in.”
Syrra smiles, but she’s still scary as hell as far as I’m concerned.
“Come on. We gotta get to the airport,” Kateri says.
“We’re flying? After what happened to you on the way here?” Syrra asks.
“We made our own arrangements this time.”
I turn and take Rome’s hand again.
“We’ll be in touch soon.”
“Okay. Have a good trip back.”
“We will,” I answer before turning and looking at Kateri. “Let’s go.”
She nods, and we step into the thin shadow cast by the overhead power lines. We zip through the small city neighborhoods, only stopping a few times to adjust our course. It doesn’t take long to reach the outskirts of the airport. When Syrra reappears, she walks up beside us as we’re peering through a tall chain-link fence.
“So, what’s the plan?” she asks.
“We sneak in, get on a plane and fly home,” I reply.
“Sounds easy enough.”
“How do we know which one though?”
Kateri grins and pulls out her cell phone. We stand and watch as she flips through a multitude of screens. After a few seconds, she looks up and smiles.
“That one,” she says, pointing toward the terminal building where a dozen or more planes are parked in front of the gates.
“Which one?”
“The United.”
“Third one in, right?”
“Yep.”
“Hey!” someone yells to our right.
I whip my head around, my eyes locking onto the three raised
pistols and shiny metal stars pinned to their shirts.
“Shit!”
Kateri grabs my hand and we take off running, searching for the safety of some shadow in the increasingly darkening landscape. When I look back, Syrra is standing in the middle of the three officers, all of them lying on the ground, unconscious and unarmed. We start walking back and Kateri squeezes my hand.
E ~ Jason-freaking-Bourne.
K ~ I think she’d kick his pansy ass.
“What are you running for?” she asks Kateri as she tosses their weapons into the tall weeds. “They can’t see you.”
“They can see me,” I reply, “unless I’m faded.”
“Oh. Didn’t realize that.”
“Come on, we have to tie these guys up and hide them so no one finds em’ before we get out of here,” Kateri says.
We drag the unconscious guards a little way from the fence to a small patch of shrubs. A few minutes later, they’re bound with plastic zip-ties and their own belts. We head back to the fence.
“We need to find a way through the fence, a shadow we can use,” Kateri says.
I walk, crouched down through the grasses, while my companions follow behind. Eventually, we come upon a tall signal light that’s casting a long shadow across the fence and onto the outskirts of the tarmac. I reach a finger through the chain-link fence and as soon as I touch the shadow I fade to the other side. Once we’re inside, I notice the fence itself, that runs almost to the terminal, is throwing a shadow onto the close-cropped grass.
“Follow me,” I say before fading and streaming toward the buildings and planes in the distance.
We jump from point to point as we close on the parked airliners. Airport employees go about their business, ignorant to our presence. We stay hidden in the shadows cast by the fences, buildings, planes and other structures. I look at the sun as it drops below the top of the terminal. I know we’re running out of time. The shadows will soon give way to the darkness, and I won’t have any place to hide.
“Over there,” Kateri says, pointing to one of the planes, a long white boarding ramp attached to its side.
All Things in the Shadows II Page 12