“I guess the only choice we have is to stick with your plan,” Chad said after a heavy sigh. “Well, then show us the way!” He shrugged and got up, followed by Pain’s darkened gaze.
Peter looked at Pain, then at Jerry.
“Jerry will show you to the room. Pain, you’ll guard Dave, and Jane, yours is Chad,” he pointed at the guys with his chin.
“Sir, yes sir…” Pain muttered, and Peter’s eyebrows shot up.
“What?” He gave her a narrow look.
“Nothing.” She shook her head, lips pursed.
“Good,” Peter said with a nod, switching his eyes to the guys again. “The girls will join you soon. I’m not going to hold you any longer.”
Jerry waved his hand for them to follow, and Skull closed the procession, getting back to his post in the waiting room. Peter didn’t try to hold him; apparently, there was nothing more that he needed to know about.
“I have a couple of questions for you girls.” Peter sat back in his big chair as soon as the others were gone. “I guess you looked closely at these two? They have no Marks?”
“No,” Pain answered, still moody. “They’re not of our folk.”
“Then I don’t understand a thing in all this… If we only knew which one Eugene wants. And why do you think he needed only one of them?”
“Eugene’s men said ‘him’. It was clear they meant only one, but they never said which one. Anyway, if they had to kill him, they would have killed the other one as a witness,” Jane answered with a shrug.
“Maybe this Dave is keeping something back from us. I’ve already met him a week ago. He was there when I killed those two Beasts. What if he was waiting for them? Or spying on them? Maybe it’s not just a coincidence,” Pain added.
Peter only nodded. They sat quietly for some time, the girls staring at the table in front of them sightlessly, lost in thought; Peter looking at them, speculating.
“Okay, this is all for now, you can go. Oh, and do explain to them where they are so they don’t cause any trouble here. Actually, tell them everything, maybe it will help you four find a connection to Eugene and whatever he wants from them,” he said. As the girls got up and went to the door, he added, “And yes, you did a great job. We’re very lucky it was you who found them.”
Pain muttered something, clearly not agreeing with him, and Jane wished she hadn’t heard it.
“Pain…?” Peter called out when she was already in the doorway. She paused and turned her head. “I beg you not to kill any one of them even if you, like, really, really want to.” He gave her a disapproving shake of his head.
She had to hold back a smile at that.
“O-o-oh, now it seems like a really hard job…”
Then she closed the door.
She and Jane took the elevator downstairs, each of them immersed in their own thoughts. Pain caught herself biting on her lower lip and cursed in her mind. Bad, bad habit.
“You think they’re gonna be trouble?” Jane asked, staring at the elevator doors with a glassy look.
“No, I don’t, really,” Pain answered, adjusting her back sheath – the straps seemed to stifle her, and she felt too hot in her gear since they left Peter’s air-conditioned office. “Because I’m gonna chain them to that pipe in the bathroom once they start bugging me too much.”
“Honestly, sis, doesn’t sound very practical,” Jane retorted in a sharp voice. “We don’t have a curtain in there,” she added more lightly.
The elevator doors groaned open.
“Aah, who cares, I can’t walk around naked now anyway,” Pain complained, coming out of it. A couple of fighters talking in the hall shot her surprised glances.
“Now, that’s a pity,” Jane muttered and rolled her eyes. Finally, something will break her out of that habit, she thought sourly.
They reached their room. Pain threw the door open, and Dave, who was saying something to Chad, broke off mid-rant and looked at her worriedly. Their room looked almost identical to the others in the building: light-blue walls with metal bunks, one narrow window across from the door, a wardrobe, chairs, and a recliner. There was one detail that made it different from the other rooms – a small vanity table with an oval mirror over it. Here and there little details of private life could be found: photos on the walls, tubes and tins with cosmetics, magazines and books. Dave was sitting in one of the chairs decently while Chad froze near the vanity table, studying the trinkets on the mirror frame and on the wall around it.
“Break something and I’ll break your arms,” Pain dropped, coming to the wardrobe and snatching a towel out of it. “I’ll go shower,” she said to her sister.
Chad only looked after her with irony.
With nothing else to do, Jane pulled off her jacket and went to the second chair, opposite of Dave.
“Since your sister got away from it, it seems you’ll have to tell us about this place,” Chad noted, looking at her with his eyebrows arched.
Some restless thought stirred in the back of her mind as she glanced at him. It wasn’t the first time, and she couldn’t grasp it, so she quickly switched her thoughts to her sister instead. Yeah, like she would bother telling them stories instead of acting pissed. She sighed, returning Chad’s questioning look, and finally padded to the big recliner in the corner, getting more comfortable before the long story.
“Fine, but don’t even think of interrupting me, deal?” She gave them a stern look, and they nodded.
“Deal.”
Chapter 3
“We call ourselves Sky Ghosts,” Jane began the story. “There were other names, but most of them were connected with the sky somehow. This nickname has stuck to us more than others. There weren’t many mentions of Sky Ghosts in the history of mankind, because we’ve always been hiding our differences with humans. Ghosts understood that extra abilities brought extra attention and…” Jane grimaced, “extra jealousy, too. However, people would see a silhouette shoot across the sky sometimes if some of the folk weren’t careful enough. That’s where the nickname came from.
“There’s a legend, too, about the first Ghost – Alan the Archer. Alan was a hunter and proficient at archery, but time passed, and his skill reached its limit. He could do anything, but he couldn’t know where his prey was. He could only track it and hope that it hadn’t gone very far. Sometimes hunters had to wander for days, following misleading trails. Alan became jealous of wild hawks that could hunt from above, seeing far, far away. He dreamed of flying in the skies, hunting all over the fields and woods. Thus he could bring wealth and fortune to his family and village.
“As a result of those thoughts, Alan got tired and desperate. He couldn’t get rid of them and decided to ask advice from the village elder. He came to his hut and told him about how strong his need to fly high like a hawk was. The elder answered in a few words: “There’s no height that the power of will can’t conquer.” Alan took his words literally, and since that day, he dedicated his every evening to the development of his willpower, convinced that one day he’d be able to fly.
“That year turned out unfortunate, and the herds passed around the hunting territory. The village was almost starving, and the prey they brought home was scarce. Despite the troubles, Alan didn’t give up his plan and continued his training. And once, starved and tired from unsuccessful efforts to get some food for his family, he wandered far into the woods. He had been walking for several hours, but hadn’t seen any animals. Soon he could walk no more, and he stopped in the middle of unfamiliar woods. He was desperate, but most of all, he felt resentment. Alan couldn’t understand why the gods sent this punishment to his village and family. And then he felt a new power within himself: his training had brought its fruits, and now his body was no longer controlled by his physical strength only, but with willpower. At the next moment Alan knew that this power was a thousand times as strong, because he could do whatever he wanted if he just believed in it strongly enough. Then he shot off the ground and flew high, where he soar
ed among birds, searching for his prey. The keen eye and sharp arrows did their work: Alan brought home a lot of prey that day, but didn’t tell anyone about his new abilities, afraid that he’d be considered a practitioner of dark magic.
“The same day, his wife saw a strange mark that appeared near his seventh vertebra. It looked like a small birthmark in a shape of a wing, and at first Alan got scared that it meant he was cursed. But time passed, and the hunter used and improved his new skills with no negative sides of this gift. Eventually, Alan got to believing that the mark on his neck was a symbol of gods’ blessing, not a curse. He grew long hair and told his wife to keep what she saw secret.
“Since then, the knowledge about the great might of willpower has been passed through generations, and all of the descendants of Alan the Archer were marked with wings on their necks and bore long hair to disguise their Marks from humans.” To make her story more realistic, Jane bent her head down, drawing back the collar of her T-shirt to open the part of her neck where the Mark was. Chad and Dave stared at it wide-eyed, seeing a tangible confirmation of her fairy tale story. “Eventually, this gift spread around the world, and sometimes Sky Ghosts even separated from humans, living in small groups and villages. To keep their abilities in secret was the unspoken rule, which was followed by Ghosts all over the world.
“However, another rule – to use their gift in the name of good – wasn’t followed so commonly. There were always those who used their power for robbery and profit. Eugene Zhorr is one of them.
“He didn’t just divide from the others about twenty years ago, declaring openly his intention to get enriched by means of his abilities, but gathered a group of henchmen that soon turned into a full-fledged organization, impersonating as an ordinary security agency.” Jane fell silent because two workmen entered the room with a bunk and tools. They attached it to special slots in the wall above her bed in a minute. Then they came out to bring the second bed and did the same over Pain’s bunk. The men smiled to Jane, said goodbye, and left.
“Is this Eugene somehow special or just an initiative bastard? Why can’t you get rid of him?” Chad asked after they were gone.
“Special? I guess you can say so,” Jane answered, shrugging. “He developed a rare ability to protect himself with a mental shield during the fight. Such a shield is impregnable, though one needs a really potent willpower and focus for creating and retaining it. Some fighters can create it for a short time, like us and Peter. Almost all can avert the blow, forming a part of the shield in the place where the opponent’s weapon is aimed. But the shield that Eugene uses…” Jane shook her head. “It’s like a cocoon. It’s impossible to get to him in moments of danger.”
“But there has to be a way to stop him, right?” Chad objected.
“Yes, but I have no idea how. We’ll have to break through the shield to do that. Poisoning and such is against the Code,” she shrugged.
“And what exactly does Eugene do? Robs unfortunate citizens at night?”
“Not just that, although the least skilled of his men are engaged in usual robbery. But he, just like we do, works for those who can pay: governments, businessmen, oligarchs. The difference is we provide the protection, and he – the attack. Eugene and his agents are killers of the highest level,” Jane answered.
“But- ” Chad began.
“Let her finish,” Dave broke him off irritably.
“Okay, okay,” he waved his hand.
“So, when Eugene divided from the others, a lot of other enthusiasts joined him soon, and it grew quickly. His former comrades became his enemies in the streets, and Eugene with his men got a nickname, too – Sky Beasts. This name is usually used for those who chose the bad side, because we need to distinguish our men from them. That’s why we call them Beasts. But they, of course, don’t use this nickname.” She smirked and fell silent for a couple of seconds, thoughtful or maybe immersed in some memories, and then continued. “A few years ago, we had a different leader here at the Headquarters, who confronted Eugene very successfully. It was his former best friend, Michael. He and Eugene, they used to rule the organization together. It was the way they were chosen after the former leader died. Everyone knew they were good together, too good to choose just one of them. We fight in pairs, we live in pairs, we complete each other in battle and cover backs. Those two, they were so good they didn’t need a partner, but still, they were the best pair anyone ever knew. The ideas they came up with, their plans, schemes – they were genius together. It was like their brains worked on the same wave, you know? That’s why when Eugene separated, Michael was the only one able to ruin his diversions against us. Now we think he was the only one of whom Eugene was afraid. Well, maybe not afraid, but at least Michael could make him worry…
“Three years ago, he got killed in one of Eugene’s ambushes, and since then, we can only defend from him. His organization has grown too big. Nobody knows Eugene well enough so we could fight against him for real. All we can do is patrol and intervene when Beasts attack people so the city streets wouldn’t turn into hell.”
“So, you said that Alan the Archer got his abilities from the long training. How do people become Sky Ghosts these days?” Dave asked.
“Alan the Archer is a legend, Dave. Nobody knows if he really existed, or how Ghosts actually arose. Ghosts are born bearing their abilities, but a crisis is needed to wake up the power. At one time, Ghosts used intoxicants and drugs to cause horrible hallucinations, and in some places on our planet they’re still in use. However, in civilized cities hypnosis is used more often because through it you can make a child believe anything. It can affect him enough so he would release his power. Usually the children of Ghosts are put through the Initiation at eight years old. Afterward, they go through education and training so they can control their abilities.”
“And what then? When the child is grown up?” Chad asked.
“Mostly Ghosts just live among ordinary people. These days there aren’t so many possibilities to find a good use for such abilities. Earlier there were knights squads or other enthusiasts, conquering foreign lands and all. Now the army is under tight control, and to show our abilities there is a suicide. A lot of Ghosts were killed during the witch hunts. We can’t open to people, and there are only a few of them who know about us. We don’t disclose to our clients. They see the good work, they don’t need to know how it’s done. Those of us who don’t want to live an ordinary life become fighters and come here or to some other organizations like ours in different cities. We are mercenaries here, but this place is our home. Some of us have their homes in the city and come here only for work. Probably, you’ve noticed that we don’t use last names. It’s connected with another rule, not to reveal where you can find a fighter’s family, because it’s his only weakness. However, most of us came here from other cities, and if someone has any relatives in other parts of the country, they aren’t close with them. As many others, we live here, and all of our friends are here, on these two living floors. Of course, we have some acquaintances outside in the city, but mostly they are humans. We’d never let them be a part of our life, because it’s too dangerous for both sides. Beasts can get vindictive sometimes.”
“But what about us?” Dave asked, a nervous edge to his voice.
Jane shrugged.
“What about you? Your case is quite unique, we had to disclose to you to bring you here. And what can you possibly do, go tell people that there are flying freaks among them?”
“No, but if someone got really hostile- ”
“We have our ways of dealing,” she interrupted, giving a sure shake of her head to him and holding back a smile.
Dave’s eyebrows rose.
“Do I wanna know what they are?”
“No,” she answered instantly. “Definitely, no.”
He only nodded with his lips pursed.
“So, how long do you think it’ll take?” Chad broke the silence.
“No idea.” Jane shrugged her shoulde
rs. “It depends on Eugene and his next move. Of course, Peter has his own connections, and he’ll try to find out Eugene’s intentions with you, or one of you, to be correct. He’s inclined to believe it’s you, Dave. Your father is a rather important person.” Jane speculated for a minute. Everybody in the city knew Forrester Sr. He was one of the richest businessmen in New York. “You have nothing to worry about, though. With Pain you’re safe no matter what happens.”
Dave’s eyebrows reached the sky at that moment.
“Yeah?” Distrust flooded his face as he replied. “I don’t know… She makes me more nervous than this freak Eugene.”
“No, no,” she objected. “Don’t even worry about it.” She saw both of them stare at her with identically dubious expressions and decided to change the topic. “So, as you can see, these rooms were designed for four occupants. But these days we don’t have enough fighters to fill all the rooms. Some of them even live alone. Eugene has definitely knocked down our ranks. But I wouldn’t say that our fighters aren’t worth a dozen armies like his one,” she added with a crooked smile. “He uses his men as cannon fodder. They aren’t good enough, aren’t trained well. Most of our fighters are much more experienced and smarter.”
“How long have you been living here?” Chad asked, and then added, “I mean you and your sister.”
“We moved here nine years ago. Pain was twelve, and I was nine. Our parents died in a battle with Beasts, and Peter brought us here. Back then he was Michael’s second-in-command. Our father was his partner, so Peter took the responsibility of raising us. Since then, we lived here, and the last four years in this room.” She looked around her thoughtfully. “But it’s not as bad as you might think. It’s not like military barracks or something. We have a great canteen on the second floor, and there’s a cinema hall and some other entertainments, too. We don’t even need to go outside for anything. There’s a gym and a pool and two training halls- ”
Sky Ghosts: All for One (Young Adult Urban Fantasy Adventure) (Sky Ghosts Series Book 1) Page 4