Tribes of Man: The Beginning [Tribes of Man] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Kiel Nichols

  Jimmy walked back out of the closet and went to a box on the wall. When he opened it, a complex security panel was revealed. He punched in a few buttons and a sultry female said, “Lockdown complete.”

  Jimmy slid his rifle into the back of his holster before turning back to Gideon.

  “What your client was hit with was a magnetophosphene gun. Basically it’s a nonlethal weapon used in England and other places for crowd control. Don’t let the ‘nonlethal’ part of that fool you. This is some serious shit.”

  “I remember you talking about it the last time I saw you. When I read the report, Raina’s description of the weapon matched the picture you showed me. That’s the reason why I came to you. You said you were trying to get one for your collection, but they were illegal. I also remember that you said they weren’t harmful, just disorienting.” Gideon was trying to understand exactly why Jimmy suddenly became so jumpy.

  “Yeah, well, I couldn’t get one. You can get almost anything on the black market, even if it’s not legal, in the good ol’ US of A, but you can’t get this. What’s worse is that this one may have been souped up. Even direct contact with the skin shouldn’t have caused blindness, and only repeated use could cause the burns on the brain we’re seeing here.”

  “I don’t understand,” Gideon said. “That weapon made her blind. How could it do that?”

  “I can’t say what the intention was, but from what you described, that part was an accident. If they modified the gun so that it completely debilitated rather than just disorientated there would be no way to know what effect it would have on someone if it touched their skin.” Jimmy scratched his chin. “It might also have depended on where it touched her. She’s lucky it didn’t kill her.”

  “I wonder if that was the intention,” Gideon said.

  “I have no idea, but I do know one thing,” Jimmy walked to the closed blind to peek out. “If this woman’s account of what happened is true, added to what happened to her roommate, I think you’ve got at best the CIA and at worst an international agency, possibly even a terrorist group, after her.”

  That explained Jimmy’s actions. Somehow Gideon didn’t think that Jimmy was just being paranoid. “I don’t get why they’d be after her. She’s just a student.”

  “I don’t know, man”—Jimmy shrugged then continued—“but you ought to consider dropping this case.”

  “No!” Gideon’s emphatic refusal made Jimmy’s eyebrows go up.

  “Then think about taking the chick on a vacation. At the very least, it’s time to stock up on the firepower.” Jimmy went into the other room and came back out with a computer. “Let me show you what I know about this thing. I want one, so I’ve been collecting information on it. After you look at this stuff, you might want to reconsider getting out of Dodge.”

  * * * *

  Raina loved her job at the library. She’d been afraid that losing her sight would automatically make her lose her job, but the library went through the Perkins Center for the Blind to get her what she needed. They also applied for a grant with the Americans with Disabilities Act to get better equipment. Raina had known that she was an asset to the library, but she hadn’t realized that they considered her valuable enough to spend so much money on her.

  Raina got off the bus and quickly moved to the sidewalk. The cool breeze was off the ocean and carried just a hint of rain. Raina swept her cane back and forth in front of her even though she didn’t think she’d need it. She just knew when something was in front of her. The people at the hospital were amazed at how well she adjusted to her blindness, enough so that the doctors tested her every way to Sunday to ensure that she wasn’t faking. They finally determined that her eerie ability to know when something was in her way was further evidence that there was no medical cause for her blindness. If it was psychosomatic, then she obviously could see and her brain just wasn’t processing it on a conscious level. Truthfully, they made her feel like a crackpot who wanted to be blind.

  Raina entered the library through the employee door instead of going around the front like she normally did. She usually walked around the corner to go through the main door because she enjoyed going through the hub of the library, the circulation desk, and main lobby. If she went through the employee’s entrance, she had to go up the back stairs or the elevator to the second floor reference desk. Either route took her around the main lobby.

  Considering what had been going on in her life, Raina didn’t mind bypassing the hubbub of the main lobby this time. After entering the library, she put her coat in her locker and walked toward to the elevator. On the second floor, she exited to find Betsy at the reference desk talking to a student.

  Raina’s shift overlapped with Betsy’s for an hour, allowing Betsy to finish her end of shift paperwork while Raina helped students.

  Betsy’s personality was in direct contrast with both her voice and her looks. She was a large, loud-voiced woman who seemed to be somewhat brash. In reality, she was a very timid, quiet woman who considered a perfect shift to be one where no students asked for help. The week before finals was Betsy’s personal hell since all the students’ papers were due.

  As Raina walked up, Betsy was dealing with a particularly thorny inquiry from a student.

  “...I don’t know how you’re going to prove that Darwinism also relates to plants protecting themselves against predators.” Betsy sounded totally irritated. She hated answering questions on things that seem foolish.

  “But they have thorns, doesn’t that mean that they are an example of Darwinism, you know, survival of the fittest?” The overeager student was leaning forward across the counter.

  “Look,” Betsy began impatiently.

  Before she could continue, Raina interrupted, “Do you want me to show him the section on horticulture, Betsy?”

  Betsy shot her a relieved look. “Thanks, Raina.” She turned back to the student. “Raina’s our resident expert on both Darwin and horticulture. She’ll help you find what you need.”

  Raina almost laughed out loud at that little fib as she stepped around the desk. She gestured the student to the computers and headed over, confident that he’d follow.

  Behind her Raina heard, “Is she blind? How can she help me find anything?”

  “You can see, can’t you? Besides, she’s blind but not deaf, you moron!” Betsy muttered.

  Raina wanted to laugh again. Neatly put in his place, the boy wouldn’t make another comment about her blindness.

  He caught up with Raina at the computers. “How am I supposed to find what I need?” He spoke louder and slower as though her inability to see translated into being deaf and stupid also.

  Raina gestured to the computer terminal. “Go to the main library site and log onto the indexes.” When she heard him typing she continued. “OK, see the indexes? Type ‘horticulture’ into the search options.”

  “I don’t see the search options.” He sounded impatient.

  “It’s on the upper right hand corner under the...”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I see it.”

  She heard more typing.

  “Now what?” he asked, evidently needing to be led through every step of the process.

  “It should narrow the list of appropriate journals. From there do a subsearch for either Darwinism or the phrase ‘survival of the fittest.’ Frankly, I think you’re going to get considerably more hits on ‘survival of the fittest,’ then you can make it fit into your thesis.”

  The boy just grunted.

  “Once the list comes up of the articles, print it out. The ones with the library book beside them are the journals we carry.” She heard the printer chug. When it was done she stepped back.

  “Do you want me to show you where to find the journals?”

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  Raina let him to the back corner of the journals section. She pointed to the top row. “Most of the journals you’ll need will be there. If any of them are from scientific journals, they’re located in the
next aisle.”

  “How do I find what I’m looking for in this?”

  “The date range and article name is on the outside of the holder.”

  “Oh. Thanks. I think I’m all set from here.”

  I should hope so, Raina thought. I did everything but write your paper for you.

  Just as the thought crossed her mind, there was a loud scream from the front of the reference section.

  Chapter 5

  Jimmy came out of the kitchen with a beer in both hands. He handed one to Gideon, then twisted off the top of his own.

  Although Gideon hadn’t asked for a beer, he appreciated it. The research Jimmy had compiled on the magnetophosphene gun—how it worked, how to jury-rig it for different levels including crowd control, torture, and instant death, how impossible it was to get one—all added up to the fact that Raina was in serious trouble. He couldn’t figure out why someone powerful wanted her, but there was no use hoping it was the Americans who wanted her. There wouldn’t be any such thing as the “good guys” here.

  “The people that are after this chick are seriously high up, man,” Jimmy said after a long pull of his beer. “I don’t want to get caught in the wave of something I don’t even know about.”

  Again, Jimmy wasn’t asking, he was just giving Gideon an opening to tell him what was going on. Gideon hesitated. Most of what he could tell Jimmy would sound insane. But at the same time, by coming here to ask questions, he might have put Jimmy in danger. “Hey, man, I’m sorry. I didn’t think I’d be dragging you into any shit by coming here.”

  “No problem, Gid. I think I’ll just take a nice long vacation. If you need help on this again, I’ll need to know all of it. I’m not risking my neck because I don’t know what’s going on.” Jimmy fingered his holstered gun. “Email me, and I’ll get back to you in about two days. If it’s dire, call that number and leave a message. They’re both secure.”

  Gideon was one of only a handful of people who were privy to “the number.” Jimmy was a cautious man and figured that the more people who knew about it, the more likely it was to be compromised.

  “So,” Gideon said as he sat back on the couch and took a long pull from his beer, “what have you got for booby traps I might be able to buy off you?”

  Jimmy sat down and rubbed his hands together, prepared to have some fun. “Guess it depends. What’s the layout of the house?”

  Gideon pulled out a notepad and started drawing.

  * * * *

  The piercing scream from the front of the library cut off abruptly.

  “What the hell was that?” the kid she’d been helping asked.

  “I don’t know,” Raina answered, heading in that direction.

  When another loud scream rent the air, followed by what sounded like muffled gunshots, Raina came to an abrupt halt. From behind her she heard the boy start running—in the opposite direction. Using caution, she ducked back into the stacks, her heart beating frantically. She tried to stay calm enough to keep her senses open. She didn’t dare run. She knew where all the furniture was in the library, but if a chair was pulled out or a backpack was in the aisle, she’d likely run right into it and make herself a target.

  Clearly her library was a victim of the scary trend of irate students shooting up the school. There weren’t a lot of students in that section, but Raina was terrified for Betsy.

  More gunshots sounded through the air, each one getting a little louder. They weren’t getting closer so she couldn’t figure out why they were getting louder.

  Raina was just about to edge her way toward the ladies room to hide when she was grabbed from behind, a hand over her mouth. She was pulled back against a muscular chest.

  “Shhh,” a voice came from behind her. “They’re coming this way.”

  Raina relaxed slightly when she heard the voice. She recognized it from her bedroom.

  They’re going to come down this row. Stay very still and quiet.

  Raina jerked at the voice in her head. She was just getting used to hearing Gideon’s thoughts. She didn’t want to hear everyone else’s thoughts, too.

  Just then Raina heard a gasping, crying voice come around the corner.

  Damn, the stranger said in her head. Listen, Raina, this is not going to be pretty. I want you to just close your mind to it.

  What are you talking about? Raina felt her body tense up again.

  You have to stay calm, or I can’t keep us from being detected. There’s another person that just came over here. She doesn’t know that the men are coming this way. If I warn her, we’ll become visible again. I’m sorry, but I can’t risk your life. His voice was soothing and hypnotic. It was also matter-of-fact. He was willing to sacrifice someone else’s life to keep her safe. But she wasn’t willing to.

  You have to warn her. I don’t want to die, but saving someone else is worth the risk.

  You can’t die. You are the keeper of the water. If you die, it all ends here.

  What are you talking about?

  I’ll explain everything later. Right now, you have to be still, he’s coming around the corner.

  Just then, a terrified feminine scream tore through the air. It was cut off to whimpers by the sound of a thump.

  “Shut up.” A voice that sounded like it was right next to her spoke.

  “Is this her?” another man asked.

  “No, Kallan’s hair is longer.” Raina jerked, both at the sound of her name and the location of the voice. It sounded like the man was standing on them. What’s going on?

  We’re incorporeal, Raina. They are standing right where we’re sitting.

  While Raina was trying to reason that out, the second man said to the first, “Then kill her.”

  The girl let out a loud squeal and clothing rustled, as though she was trying to get up and run, when a shot sounded. There was a loud gurgle then silence. The men moved on toward the bathrooms. “Maybe she’s hiding in the bathroom.”

  Raina let out a loud scream in her head.

  * * * *

  Gideon had made arrangements with Jimmy to pick up some supplies to execute his plan and was preparing to leave when he heard Raina’s scream.

  Gideon spun around as though to face an adversary.

  In response, Jimmy pulled a gun and a wicked-looking knife from under his shirt before pressing his back against the wall.

  “What the fuck?” Jimmy asked quietly.

  “Raina’s in trouble,” Gideon answered with absolute certainty.

  Just then his cell phone rang. Gideon answered it instantly.

  “Gideon, the library was just attacked by some guys with guns. There’s a bunch of people dead. Raina was working. You’ve got to get down there.” Bryce sounded like he was running while he was talking.

  Gideon reached out to her mentally. Although she wasn’t talking to him, he could still sense her. She was terrified. “She’s not dead, Bryce. I’m on my way.” Gideon snapped his phone closed and hurried toward the door.

  “Something else is going on here, isn’t it, Gid?” Jimmy asked, back still to the wall.

  “Yeah, but you don’t want to know about it. You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you,” Gideon answered honestly.

  “I’ve seen some strange shit, man,” Jimmy said as he opened the panel to the security system and typed in a code. Before he pressed the enter button, he said, “It’s going to be clear for you to leave, but you need to hustle off the walk.”

  “You have weight detection under the concrete?” Gideon knew Jimmy was paranoid, but that was over the top.

  “Nah, too expensive. Just your standard motion detectors. Nothing will happen, but it will change the alert status, and I want to take a nap. Can’t nap with the damn beeping.”

  “Gotcha. Thanks again, Jimbo.”

  “You betcha. Watch your ass, man. Sounds like what you’re into could get it chewed off.”

  “I’m five by five. Thanks though.”

  Jimmy pressed the enter button, and
Gideon quickly went through the door and hotfooted it down the sidewalk to his car.

  He figured that by the time he got to the end of the block, Jimmy would be firmly ensconced in his high-tech prison. Gideon would never want to live that way, but Jimmy couldn’t seem to live any other way.

  Gideon kept his panic at bay about Raina because he could sense her. She didn’t seem as frightened as she had been a few minutes ago. He turned on the radio.

  * * * *

  The men moved off toward the bathroom, and Raina felt the arms around her relax. Raina tried to ask him who he was, but his hand tightened on her mouth.

  Don’t talk out loud. They can’t see us or feel us, but they can hear us. There was a pause, then, If I let go of your mouth, will you stay quiet?

  Yes.

  I can’t let go of you all together, or you’ll become visible again. Okay?

  Raina just nodded her head yes. He let go of her mouth.

  Who are you? she asked.

  My name is Kristano. I’m a guardian.

  Is that like an angel?

  Kristano snorted. Raina actually heard him snort in her head. Hardly. I’m not an angel or a ghost.

  Raina wondered how he could have known her thoughts. Do you know everything I’ve ever thought?

  No, but I know more than what you project to me. I know what is in your mind right now.

  Raina shuddered. That’s a little disconcerting.

  I would imagine, Kristano said wryly. Don’t worry, as soon as I let you go, I won’t be able to read you anymore. Unlike Gideon.

  What do you mean unlike Gideon? So far, Gideon was unable to hear her unless they were touching.

  I’m sorry, you’re not ready for this yet. I shouldn’t have said anything.