The Hidden Gift

by Ian Somers

  He leaned forward and his face was very serious. ‘All in good time, Bentley.’

  I slapped the table top and sighed as he erupted into laughter. Hunter was infuriating and I was trapped in the middle of nowhere with him. I was imprisoned in a tiny cottage with him for eight more months. I needed to escape to situation soon or I’d surely crack up.

  I stood up and stuffed the envelope in the back pocket of my jeans. I’d had enough of Hunter’s strangeness for one day and I needed to get away from him.

  ‘I’m off to my room,’ I told him.

  ‘Not before you do the washing up.’

  ‘You think I’m some sort of slave? I’m sick of this bullshit. Chopping wood and washing dishes and mowing the lawn. I deserve better than this.’

  ‘You think you’re too good for chores, Bentley, is that it?’

  ‘What’s that even supposed to mean? You make me sound like some rich kid who’s never gotten his hands dirty. I used to clean a supermarket for a living before I came here.’

  ‘Oh,’ he said in a mocking voice, ‘it must have been a tough life for you.’

  ‘I’m a hard worker.’

  ‘You have the look of a grifter not a grafter, Bentley.’

  ‘That’s it,’ I snapped, ‘I want to leave here tomorrow. I’ll find my way to the nearest town and catch a bus back down south.’

  ‘That’s what you said yesterday. And the day before that.’

  ‘This time I mean it.’

  ‘You probably wouldn’t make it across the border.’

  ‘I think I can manage to get a bus on my own.’

  ‘You’d probably be dead or arrested before you reached the border.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘There are people out there,’ he pointed aimlessly, ‘who are working around the clock to find you. Some want you dead. Some want you locked up. Others want to use you and your powers for some very sinister activities.’

  ‘Who are you talking about?’

  ‘Anyone who doesn’t mind taking human life for money.’

  ‘How would you know that?’

  ‘Because I’ve been in the middle of this conflict for near twenty years and I know what way Golding, and others like him, work. If he can’t get you on his side he will put a contract out on your head. The more powerful you are the bigger the contract will be. The bigger the contract is, the more skilled assassins it will attract.’

  ‘I’m trapped then.’

  ‘Only for another eight months. I’m going to toughen you up while you’re here. You’ll need to be stronger before you enter the fray once more.’

  ‘And chopping wood will make me more capable of fighting people like Marianne? Don’t be ridiculous!’

  ‘Healthy body, healthy mind. You need to be in good physical shape before you can push your gifts to the limits again.’

  ‘I’m in good shape.’ I shot out a few fast jabs and hooks at thin air just to demonstrate my fitness. It only seemed to amuse Hunter and chuckled to himself as he lit a cigar.

  ‘You’re a hypocrite, Hunter,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘You preach to me about having a healthy body yet you smoke like a chimney.’

  ‘I don’t inhale,’ he said after a blowing a cloud of smoke over his head. ‘I just like the taste of a fine cigar.’

  ‘Give me a break,’ I scoffed. ‘You also go through quite a lot of whiskey.’

  ‘I’m Scottish. Whiskey’s like hot chocolate for me; it helps me sleep.’

  ‘First sign of an alcoholic is denial.’

  He laughed out loud at my attempt to antagonise him.

  ‘You should save your energy for your chores and not for inventing baseless accusations, Bentley.’

  ‘I don’t need chores to help me fight the likes of Golding. My desire for revenge will be enough. I can’t wait to get my hands on that monster.’ I turned to him and shook my fist. ‘And any assassin that’s sent after me will regret they ever heard the name Ross Bentley.’

  ‘That’s the spirit,’ Hunter said with a genuine smile. ‘But Golding isn’t the only shadow that has been cast upon the world of the gifted. Believe me, boy, you’ll need your strength to take Romand’s place.’

  ‘Tell me about these other enemies, Hunter.’

  ‘All in good time, Bentley.’

  ‘I hate you. I really hate you.’

  Hunter simply laughed and left the room as abruptly as he’d entered. He really was an odd person, but that was hardly a surprise; almost everyone I’d met since I entered The Million Dollar Gift was mental. I was starting to think that Cathy and I were the only sane people in the Guild. I longed to be with her again.

  ‘Eight more months,’ I muttered to myself. ‘Eight more months and I can live a normal life again. Just have to hold out until then.’

  I stood by the back door and watched the mountains swallow the sun. I was champing at the bit to get back into the conflict with Golding. I knew there was a lot more to the Guild than its vendetta with Golding Scientific. Hunter’s mentioning of other enemies within the world of the gifted scared me a bit. I still wanted to know what was lying in wait for me. I needed to know more of the malevolent side to the world of the gifted.

  Perhaps there were clues in Jonathan Atkinson’s journal. I had to read more of it if I wanted to know what I was really getting myself into. And even if there weren’t any clues in it, the journal would surely keep me occupied throughout the long, sleepless nights in the cottage.

  Later that night, when Hunter had gone to bed, I sneaked out of my room and used my gift to silently levitate into the attic to retrieve the journal. I floated back into the hall then quietly went to my bed to read more about the Guild of the True.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The Inevitable

  I sat and continued through the entry that I’d started reading earlier that day. It appeared that the Guild had taken a vote on who the new leader would be and Atkinson had lost out to Brian Blake, the man he had serious reservations about. Under this new regime the Guild had been much more active in its fight against the evil organisations that had risen to power in the 1980s, but the manner of its activities was worrying. Many of the older, and more sensible, members had been forced into retirement because they voiced their concerns about the Guild becoming too aggressive. Even Atkinson had been pushed into the background and expelled from the Council. Blake had filled this inner circle with his closest associates so that he could never be voted down on any issue and no one could propose another change in leadership.

  Atkinson’s account of that time was rather laborious and I was about to close the journal and get some sleep when I came across a familiar name. It was at the top of the next entry on the opposite page.

  Reclaiming our Guild – 1989

  It has finally happened. Blake has gone too far and faces open revolt from the ranks of the Guild. Under his leadership there has been much violence, mostly directed against our enemies, but many of us have grave concerns about collateral damage. A number of innocent civilians have been hurt during the struggles with our foes. The majority of this has been unintentional; that has now changed. A teenager from Scotland, Michael Huntington, was targeted directly by Blake and two of his cohorts. The young man was not acting against our Guild and was not part of any group or plot against us. He had simply made the mistake of using his gift in public, as many teenagers have been known to do.

  Blake saw him as a threat. His opinion was that any gifted person who openly displays their powers must be punished. In this case Blake deemed execution to be a fitting punishment for young Huntington.

  The majority of Guild members were unaware of Blake’s murderous intent until we came across news reports centred on a council estate in Glasgow. It appears Blake travelled north and tried to kill Huntington in his home. The teenager managed to fight off his attackers for a while, but during the struggle Blake used his pyrokinetic abilities to set fire to the house. Huntington’s aunt was killed in the ensui
ng blaze.

  Huntington escaped, as did Blake and his men. The teen showed up the next morning at a police station seeking help. He was subsequently arrested for starting the fire that claimed his aunt’s life.

  I held a secret meeting a few hours ago and it has been decided that Blake and those loyal to him must be expelled from our Guild immediately. We expect it will be violent and lives may be lost. This is a price we are willing to pay to ensure he can do no further damage.

  We have also reached an agreement that Michael Huntington must be freed from his incarceration and brought into our group and protected. I cannot imagine the pain this young man must be suffering at this very moment. To have a relative murdered right before his eyes is one thing. To be held responsible for her death is another thing entirely. He must not be forsaken to this awful fate. I will gladly risk my own life to secure his freedom.

  I was totally stunned. I’d wanted to know more about the Guild for some time, but I also wondered about Hunter; who he was, where he was from, why he was so cold towards me and the world in general. I had just gotten answers to most of my questions. I hadn’t been expecting this at all, and I felt sorry for Hunter now. I knew the pain of losing a family member, but to have one murdered was unimaginable.

  This story also explained why the old knick-knacks in the attic had scorch marks on them. They must have been the only belongings he salvaged from his home after the blaze. What I had earlier thought of as junk were all that he had left of his family and childhood.

  I continued reading and Atkinson explained how he’d led a rebellion against Blake and his supporters. There were deaths on both sides during the fight to control the Guild, but in the end Blake was driven out of the group. When the dust settled Atkinson and Peter Williams broke Hunter out of jail and hid him from the authorities.

  It was an exciting end to a tragic and sickening tale. It gave me an understanding of why Hunter was such a grouchy man and I sympathised with what he had endured all those years before. It still didn’t excuse his attitude towards me, but perhaps it explained why Hunter and the others in the Guild had been so wary of me contacting my father back home in Ireland. They obviously didn’t want the same thing happening to my family.

  My mind was racing and I couldn’t sleep. I decided to flick through the journal again and see if there were any other revelations about the Guild and the gifted who opposed them. There was a lot of personal stuff, which I didn’t feel very comfortable reading, so I skipped past a number of entries. I then found a short extract that shed more light on the inner workings of the Guild. In fact it gave me my first real insight into the size and nature of the Guild of the True.

  The Nine-Level System

  I took control of the Guild some months ago, after successfully expelling Blake and his cohorts. I have studied countless documents on the history of the Guild of the True, and have decided to mould the modern Guild on its nineteenth-century predecessor – The nine-level system.

  All 492 members of the Guild are to be split into nine categories – or ranks – depending on their gifts, personalities and their experience. They are as follows:

  Primicerius (The Head of the Guild)

  The Primicerius is elected by the nine members of the Council, and remains in the role for a maximum of ten years.

  Ministers (The nine members of the Council)

  The Council is made up of nine influential members from the Guild. They each have powers to conduct their own investigations. Many decisions are made solely by the Council, though the most important are still put to the Primicerius for a final decision.

  Senior Agents

  Veteran Guild agents who are in line to become Council ministers are often promoted to senior status. While they are awaiting a vacancy on the Council, they act as advisors and managers for the lower-ranking agents and assassins.

  Guild Agents

  The soldiers of the Guild. They serve as spies, investigators, trackers, bodyguards and killers. Most live in solitude and are only seen when they are given a case to work on. Mostly, they are involved in tracking down and recruiting gifted people. Much of their work is non-violent, however they have licence to kill if they, or the Guild, are under threat.

  Specialists

  There are never more than a handful of specialised agents. These are agents who are assigned to a specific ongoing investigation, and they are in full control over that investigation and do not report to senior agents or the Council.

  Mentors

  The mentors foster gifted youngsters and teach them how to come to terms with their gifts, how to improve their skills and how to live as an agent. The majority of mentors are supremely gifted, but are not cut out for the work, and life, of an agent. Others are former agents, in semi-retirement, who have a wealth of experience that they can pass on to youngsters.

  Assassins

  These are members of the Guild who are most suited for killing, when there is need for it. They carry out assassinations called for by the Council. They also take over investigations that have become too dangerous for normal agents to deal with. Occasionally, they can act as investigators; their main role is as killers.

  Thieves

  The Guild needs constant investment so that it can compete with the likes of JNCOR and Golding Scientific. We attain our wealth through numerous businesses dealings, but at times we employ gifted members (Thieves) to steal money so the Guild can remain properly financed. The thieves are usually space-rupters or light-tuners.

  Moles

  The majority of Guild members are ‘inactive’ and are classed as moles. They are contacted by the Guild and are taught to use their gifts and are protected by the agents. They occupy roles in everyday life like teachers, plumbers, accountants and carpenters. They remain under the protection of the Guild their entire lives and are rarely called upon to get involved in dangerous missions. They provide the Guild with information relating to their gifts, but some are placed in positions of influence (police, politics, big business) and they provide the Guild with important information and help cover up the activities of the Guild.

  This single page from the journal had given me more knowledge of the Guild than I’d gathered from the months I had spent in the company of Hunter and Romand. The group was certainly bigger, and better organised, than I first thought. There were hundreds of members all with specific roles.

  I flicked through the next few pages, but Atkinson had not gone into more detail about the structure of the Guild. I stopped turning pages when I came across a short entry with a rather dramatic heading. This entry showed how Golding Scientific became the Guild’s primary enemy.

  The New Generation of Enemies – 1989

  After the assassination of the board members of Armamenti Tal-Future we expected their organisation to collapse. This is exactly what happened, but it has presented a new problem. One which may be more perilous than we ever expected.

  We were swift to react when the company shut down and convinced almost all of their gifted recruits to join us and help us with our work. We found that the vast majority had lived much of their lives in fear of the organisation (we have learned that many of the gifted members who tried to resign from the organisation were murdered. This kept the existing members from displaying any dissent). These gifted people were only too happy to become part of the Guild. A few openly refused, as was their right, and opted instead for retirement. We were comfortable with this, but there has been another issue that has caused me great concern.

  Two of the young gifted mercenaries have disappeared. One was familiar to us: Jermaine Scott – also known as ‘Boxer’. There is also Melissa Nijinska – who we were not previously aware of.

  Boxer has a lot of us worried because of his violent nature, but also because of his apparent indestructibility. However, it now seems our concern should also have been directed towards Nijinska.

  Gareth Kennedy, one of the mercenaries who joined us recently, has provided the Council with some informat
ion on Melissa Nijinska. He claims she is a mageleton – a master of one of the rarest of the true gifts. It is also possibly the most dangerous if used against others. Kennedy claims that her gift is pure and that she has been trained to use it in combat.

  She represents a great threat to humanity if this is true. I cannot believe that those at Armamenti Tal-Future could have been so reckless. Mageletons can be exceptionally dangerous if they learn to fully develop their gift. The Guild has always been very cautious in the training of Mageletons, because that gift can be almost limitless - they can control entire oceans if they reach their full potential and this power in the hands of a malevolent person can pose a threat to millions of people. With this in mind, the Guild banned the writings of Penelope Gordon, who wrote an in-depth study on this gift and how to maximise it. It appears, however, that Nijinska has learned the techniques invented by Gordon. This represents too much of a risk and the Council ruled that this girl must be tracked down and eliminated without further delay. It is a dangerous task, but one we cannot shy away from.

  This mission has become doubly dangerous, though. I received word this evening that Nijinska has been seduced by the riches of Golding Scientific. She is now their chief assassin. This is a new and terrible threat to the Guild and to the world.

  I remembered a discussion I’d once had with Romand. He said that Golding once had a mageleton as his assassin and that it was she who had caused a tsunami in the late 1980s that claimed many lives. It had to be Nijinska.

  I turned the page, then I heard Hunter stirring in the next room and decided it was best to hide the journal for now and to get some sleep. The struggles of the past filled my mind and it was deep in the night when I finally drifted off.