by Angela Foxxe
We are here to contain the situation, assess the validity of King Ronald’s claim for peace, and to ensure that nothing like this happens again. I look forward to cooperating with all of you and I assure everyone in this room that if they do not try to harm us or try to hinder our investigation in any way, then you have nothing to fear from us. We are your friends here.”
King Ronald applauded the speech and soon the rest of the auditorium was clapping as well. It was a nervous, awkward applause that Josie was certain to be false. They were clapping because they didn’t want to die, not that they believed him. As Auben smiled at them and looked around at the Council, she felt his eyes settling on her for a moment and the feeling made her skin crawl.
She didn’t want him to notice her and when he looked at her, he saw everything. His eyes were like lasers piercing through everything and getting to the heart of the matter. He knew that there was more to her than just a pretty face and a lusty body. No, he saw her soul and that it was because of her actions that so much chaos and carnage had unfolded.
She was escorted by Wahir to the conference room after the dismissal of the meeting. Josie felt like she had spent more than enough time in conference rooms not fucking the man that she loved. There was a time when conference rooms meant that she would be getting a sexy adventure. Now, it was something far more devastating than and nowhere near as fun as Kheem had been.
“This is Josie Night-Hawk,” King Ronald said, introducing her as she entered the room.
Josie looked around the room and noticed that there was an even number of members of the Lion Clan and of the Hunters, every one of them standing on edge and pretending like they couldn’t sense the tension that was suffocating the room. It felt like a giant balloon had been inflated and was pushing them all against the walls as the pressure built and built, just waiting to pop.
“A red Indian,” Auben said, approaching her with his hand extended. Josie didn’t hate that term like most people expected she would. In fact, whenever she heard the term Indian, she immediately thought of the reservation in Wyoming. To her, the name Indian was one of pride. She didn’t care what the PC people wanted her to believe. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said with a kind smile and a charming South African accent.
She wasn’t sure that it was, but it was something she was willing to let go. She wasn’t about to question him, not here. There was something about him that made her feel like she was only seeing the top of the iceberg. There was more going on there and she didn’t want to waste any time getting comfortable with what lurked beneath. She shook his hand and was done with it.
“A pleasure to meet you,” Josie said nervously, but she thought she did a fairly good job at hiding it. Whether that was true or not would be determined later, she was certain of that.
“So I hear that you’ve made quite a fuss over having a child,” Auben said as he walked back to his side of the table, lording over those who stood on his side of the room like the Pope from some medieval play. Josie felt uncomfortable with the kind of power he wielded and the implications of his comment made her more nervous. “Is this true?” He asked her when he didn’t get an immediate response.
“I suppose,” Josie said.
“You suppose?” He raised an eyebrow like that was some strange comment that he couldn’t quite comprehend. “How do you figure?”
“I figure the fact that I am denied a right to have a child and that I have had a child could cause such chaos and insanity is ridiculous,” Josie said with as much courage as she could muster. This wasn’t a fight that she was going to go down in. She was going to stand firm and she was going to fight him for every inch that he wanted to take from her. This could be the end and if it was, she was going out on principles. “You never have to worry about concerns like this and I think that it’s insulting that I have to.”
“When my children grow up, they don’t sprout claws and fangs when they throw a temper tantrum,” Auben answered coldly and the look of agreement in the eyes of all the Hunters with him boiled her blood.
That was overly simplistic and wrong. There was no reason for him to assume that Ony or every other Shifter child would just turn into a homicidal monster. No, that was ridiculous and it was insulting. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.
“I have no doubt that you’re an exceptional mother,” Auben continued, clearing his throat as he turned to King Ronald. “But there are several key steps for certain things in our treaty and procreation is one of them. Your surrogate system is in place to prevent such chaos from happening, but when we neglect it, things get out of hand quickly and violently, as you can see.”
Josie didn’t need a lecture in all of this. It was insulting he thought that she was some impotent child. She wanted to say something biting or stinging to him, a remark that would be written down and recited for ages. But she couldn’t think of anything, and worse, she thought that it was the wrong thing to do. Josie and Kheem had known that what they were doing was foolish and wrong, but they had done it anyway. There was no logic or reason to that. It was just madness on their part and this was nothing short of what they deserved. They made their bed and now they were being forced to sleep in it.
“However, I don’t want you to think I blame you,” Auben said, clear as a bell. This was something that piqued the curiosity of Josie and the rest of the Shifters here. She was certain she would be going down for this. She was certain she would be made to suffer and burn for the actions that she had taken and the role that she had played in all of this.
“No, the blame is solely on the heads of those who have chosen a path of violence and cowardice. I’m not here to execute innocent people, Ronald. I’m here to stop a war. Now, if we find these two Clans, how far are you willing to let me go?”
It was a heavy question because they weren't simple questions. Essentially, Auben was informing Ronald that he had the mighty power of God and he was ready to do some smiting, but how much smiting was acceptable for Ronald.
Josie could feel her mouth watering. All of them. Kill every last one of the bastards. Who cares if their Clans were wiped off the island, there were other Shifters out there that could turn into Hyenas and Jaguars. They would carry on the bloodlines. This branch, however, they deserved the death that was awaiting them. Josie was worried that this might seem a little callous, but she was all for it.
“All the way,” Ronald said and there was an electric tension in the air.
The goodness inside of everyone always vies for peace and forgiveness, but human nature is a tangible force in the world and its consequences are enormous. People suffer and die because of the hatred and the envy of those around them. To forgive a vile creature and to let them go on with their wicked ways seemed like the bigger crime to her than the actual killing of them. No, she would save her forgiveness for people who weren’t willing to sell a baby or kill people for ancient feuds. In the end, Josie was certain everyone else in the room felt the same way.
“I want every last one of them killed and I want the other Clans to know those who threaten the peace agreement will suffer the same fate.”
“Fair enough,” Auben stood up straight and looked to his men who were eager and ready. “Our strategy at this point is to locate them on the island and ready the assault parties with a strategy of attack. The moment they are located, it’ll be less than an hour before we’re ready and mobilized to take them out. In the meantime, I strongly advise every one of your Shifters to remain at home, locked up tight and willing to stay that way until you give them the all clear. Anyone who meddles or interferes is going to end up on the slab.”
“I understand,” King Ronald said with a grim nod.
“I’m glad we see eye to eye on this matter,” Auben said with a smile that was akin to something sinister and dark.
It was something that she was fearful of and hated. He liked this, no matter what kind of civilized pretense he put on and masqueraded in. He was a killer and he was a Hu
nter. That was all she needed to know about him. She took a deep breath and looked away from the table, trying her hardest to think of a plan that could get Kheem out of danger without getting him killed. Or getting herself killed for that matter.
“Hopefully by sunset, we’ll have them found and we’ll deal with them. Thank you for your cooperation, all of you.”
They nodded to him with a little bit of discomfort and unease, trying to keep their emotions in check as they watched Auben and the rest of his Hunters pack up and leave the conference room. They offered their silent farewells as they passed, Josie never once making eye contact with them.
The moment the door close, the tension and the pressure in the room slipped out and they all breathed a sigh of relief. It was the most luxurious release that she had ever felt. The breath of release, being alone with her kind again, it was enough for a girl to get used to. But the feeling didn’t last long. The moment the latch locked on the door, every Shifter turned and looked at King Ronald, awaiting his next order and command.
“I am no fool,” King Ronald said to Josie. “I know you’re already trying to think of a way to rescue and save your beloved Kheem. I must caution you not to do something dangerous or foolish that the rest of us will suffer from. The Hunters will kill you without hesitation or remorse.”
“I know,” Josie said, never once doubting that they wouldn’t. In fact, she was fairly certain that an attempt to save the man that she loved would only end with her dead.
“Wahir,” King Ronald shifted his attention to his right hand enforcer who was standing behind Josie, against the wall and without any real emotion on his face. He had stood like a gargoyle the entire time in the back of the room, waiting for something to be addressed to him. Josie turned and glanced at him. “I want you to take Miss Night-Hawk and find Kheem. I want the Hyenas found before the Hunters can discover where they are. I want them brought to justice by our own hands, rather than the filthy hands of Hunters.”
“You want me to deal with them when I find them?” Wahir asked, ignoring the fact that Josie was going to be going with him.
She thought this was frustrating, given the fact that she had held her own against Faraji. He didn’t know whom he was dealing with yet, but in the fight for Kheem, he was going to learn quickly he wasn’t working with someone who was afraid of a fight. She’d put every last Hyena in the ground if she had to.
“Report back,” King Ronald said. “We’ll take care of them in force.”
Wahir nodded.
“Very good,” King Ronald nodded. “The rest of you await my command and be ready to strike when word reaches us. You are all dismissed.”
King Ronald stood and left the room with the rest of the Lion Clan lackeys and the Clan Leaders in tow. Josie watched them leave, grateful to be rid of the cowards and the bureaucrats. It was time for them to get down to business and it was important not to be disturbed. She looked at Wahir who was staring at her, studying her like she was some sort of paradox he couldn’t quite wrap his head around, but kept looking at her, waiting for the answer to his riddle to come to him. When he was done staring at her, he simply unfolded his arms and approached her.
“Kheem was a fool,” Wahir said sternly.
“Then where were you?” Josie asked him with a suspicious tone. “There was no one around us. I thought you were going to have eyes on us at all times?”
“I underestimated their boldness,” Wahir said and there was something in his tone that suggested that it would probably be the last time he ever underestimated anything again in his life. “I do, however, have a strong idea of where they would be.”
“Something you thought you should keep private from the others?” Josie asked him, lifting an eyebrow in suspicion as he sat down in one of the chairs at the conference table.
His hulking mass dropped into the chair and she was afraid he might destroy the chair by sitting in it. He didn’t seem too worried. She supposed when you’re that large and that much like Wahir, then you know how to size things up appropriately.
“I thought it would better serve my own designs,” Wahir said bluntly, without any explanation or remorse.
She looked at him as he drummed his dark fingers on the wooden surface of the table. It was strange she just now noticed how dark his fingers were on the wood.
“The Hyenas have an extensive operation inside of the town. The Jaguars might be stupid enough to flee into the forest and hide out in some shack or cabin, but the Hyenas will definitely have Kheem in the middle of town.”
“At their strip club?” Josie asked, shivering at the thought of how disgusting the Torch was. A person could catch something just by walking past that place. The thought of it was reviling.
“Too obvious,” Wahir shook his head. “They have a small garage set up as a fall back for them to deal with people who aren’t cooperating with them or who have issues understanding them. It’s not in any of their names and is owned by an old man who doesn’t know any better. If they’re hiding anywhere, it will be in that garage.”
“If you know this, then who's to say the Hunters don’t know of it?” Josie asked him, doubting that they would be able to find this information before anyone else could.
Wahir gave her a look. “Because,” was all he said.
Chapter 8
Tarobi was a densely packed town; that made sense, the townsfolk who were natives were strangely confined to a small percentage of the island. However, the outskirts were fairly hard to track and when they made their way out of the resort and down the road to the town, Josie was certain they were being tracked. Wahir looked over his shoulder once and scanned the dense jungle around them for a moment and then looked at Josie with an expression she wasn’t quite sure how to read. In the end, she was certain he was just staring at her and informing her that they were absolutely being tracked.
In order to escape their invisible trackers, Wahir took her on a strange path into town, winding through buildings and alleys until he was confident no one was following them and decided to turn back around and to head for the outskirts of town. She was following him blindly, hoping he wasn’t wasting both of their times; turn after turn and corner after corner, they eventually came to the oldest, saddest looking mechanic’s garage that she had ever seen.
It was dilapidated and looked as if the forest were trying to consume it and reclaim the land for its own. The mold and decay from countless rainy seasons made it look like it was just waiting to collapse in on itself. The roof was caved in over the garage, the fuel pumps were leaning, and the concrete was covered in sand and weeds. It was the sorriest, saddest looking building on the whole island and it didn’t surprise Josie that the Hyenas were somehow mixed in with this.
“What a dump,” she sighed, shaking her head as they hid behind a bush and stared at the building that looked like it was physically dying.
Wahir didn’t so much as make a sound to acknowledge she had said anything. His eyes were too focused on the building and the surrounding areas, looking for signs there was anyone else there with them, watching for signs of approaching attackers. Josie figured they were probably smart and probably knew the Hunters were coming for them at this point. If they didn’t, then it might've been fun to watch them get surprised by Auben and the others, locked and loaded for a good time.
“So, are we going to do this or what?” Josie asked Wahir, ready to get in there and to save Kheem.
“No,” Wahir shook his head. “Something’s not right. Something’s wrong here.”
“How do you figure?” Josie furrowed her brow and shook her head.
So what if there wasn’t someone outside standing watch. Maybe they were taking a bathroom break or something. All she cared about was that each passing second meant that Kheem was closer to being killed by Auben and his pack of merry Hunters.
“There’s one inside,” Wahir said. “It’s a trap. They were expecting us to come here. Damn it.” He growled and stood up from behind the bush,
sniffing the air and looking at the building. “They must have another place they’re keeping him.”
“Maybe it’s just Kheem?” Josie knew that she was grasping at straws, but at this point, she thought that optimism was the only thing that was keeping her sane.
Maybe they brought Kheem here to hold him in isolation until they needed him. Sure, it would have been smarter to put a guard here with him, but no one said that the Hyena Clan excelled at intelligence. In fact, everyone said the opposite.
“No,” Wahir stepped out from behind the bush and started to approach the building, brazen and as bold as a champion returning home.
As he approached the building, his eyes were full of fire and she could see that all the muscles in his body were tensing up. He wasn’t happy to be here, or maybe he was. Maybe there was something deep down inside of Wahir that wanted to be here, that wanted to face the men who had kidnapped Kheem and turned this island into a war zone.
With a boom, the front door of the store blew open and ripped off the rotting hinges of the doorframe. It toppled to the ground and blew leaves and dust all around it. In the corner of the room, Josie watched as a figure jumped up from where he was sitting and turned around, his movements painful, and jerking, when Wahir stepped over the threshold.
“Faraji?” Josie raised an eyebrow.
The man looked like death incarnate, or at least something that was so close to dying that it didn’t merit much of a difference in distinguishing the two. His right arm was in a full cast, bent at the elbow and his left forearm was bound up in a hard cast as well. His right foot was in a boot and his left leg had a cast around his knee. All the tissue and flesh that covered Faraji looked like it was painfully swollen and bruised.
His flesh looked more purple now than anything else. He was a sickening sight and she didn’t have the slightest drop of sympathy for him. In fact, she wished that he wasn’t even able to stand up. When he saw Josie, his right eye didn’t do a thing, because it was swollen shut, but his left eye widened to the size of a saucer.