by KD Knight
Gran stood by my side, weaving her fingers through mine.
Another round of footsteps began, this time heavy and hurried. “Who am I fighting?”
"The Shadow of Death. Quick, we have to hide." Gran tugged at my arm. "I know a few places."
I looked at my Gran and the sadness that rimmed her dark eyes. A gust of wind picked up carrying the faint hint of the ocean with it. I pulled out my necklace and rubbed the pendant as I listened to the stampede of approaching footsteps.
"No, Gran," I said, pulling her back.
She squeezed my hand as she drew close.
"If this Shadow want my life, he'll have to fight me for it."
A faint smile crossed Gran's lips. "Us. He'll have to fight us for it," she whispered.
Together we ran through the thick black shadow towards the biggest fight of my life.
~Boothe~
Chapter Twenty-Six: Milk River
The drive to Milk River and the Healer was a long and quiet one. The events of the last few days played in endless rotation. It began with my grandfather, the one I called father. The betrayal I felt when I thought of him was consuming. The more I thought of him helping Glenroy, the more I accepted that I didn't know my father at all. What horrible things was he involved in? What deal did he strike with Glenroy? What did it have to do with me?
After my father, I moved on to Marcus, the person I once called my friend. Deep down I knew I should never have trusted him. I knew what he was about, and in defiance, I decided to ignore it. It angered me to think that all this time it could have been him influencing my actions, luring me out of the way whenever he wanted to get at Jane.
Ultimately, it was my fault. I could have ended this a long time ago if I’d only followed my instincts.
"Stop popping that gum," I said without turning to look at Mark.
"Chewing calms me down." He blew another bubble. "Maybe you should try it."
I looked down at my hands and noticed that I was gripping the wheel so tightly that my knuckles had lost their colour. I gripped the wheel tighter and pressed my foot down on the gas.
"I've been meaning to ask you," Mark said leaning forward, "I know you said you didn't want to talk about it, but my dad says that talking about things makes you feel better."
I let out a deep growl. Mark shrugged his shoulders as he retracted. "Satisfied, Lisa? I tried."
"Where are we on the map?" I asked without looking back.
"We should be reaching Chapelton soon. According to the map, Milk River is not too far from there. You hear that Jane?" Lisa whispered in her ear delicately. "Hold on, we'll get you help soon."
"I hope this Healer thing works out." Mark wedged his head between the door and his headrest and closed his eyes. "The money I put in for gas, I could’ve used on some good food."
Lisa jabbed Mark hard. He shifted then settled back into his corner.
We drove past a large stone clock tower that marked the centre of a town. A manicured plot with an arch that read "Welcome" surrounded it. The school day had ended and young teens in their blue and white uniforms spilled onto the street. There were glints of grey and red eyes speckled in the sea of Normals. Right now they were still just kids who were unaware of what it truly meant to be an Eshkar or a Nephilim. We've got at least ten years on these kids and I'm not sure we knew quite what it meant either.
Suddenly, Jane began to convulse violently. Her arms and legs thrashed in every direction. Lisa wedged something in her mouth and continued to hold her head firmly. Jane had entered the second stage of the poison. There was less time than I thought. This was the last step before a silent death. I looked in the rear view mirror as Jane's eyes rolled back in her head.
"Please stop shaking, Jane. I know you can hear me. You can beat this, I know you can," Lisa whispered.
I pressed the gas pedal to the floor. Houses passed by in a blur as we entered and exited small towns and at last entered the town of Milk River. There were no clocks, grand stone arches, or historic buildings to let us know we had arrived. There was just a sign, weathered by the rain and bleached by the sun that bore the small town's name.
Lisa held up the map. "We have to turn down here." She pointed to a small wooded path.
"That path is not big enough for a car," Mark’s observation was correct. "Look, about two houses down I saw some donkeys tied up against a tree…"
"Are you serious?" Lisa gasped. She folded her arms and examined Mark through her narrowed eyes.
"There is nothing wrong with riding a donkey,” Mark replied. "They're noble creatures."
"How do you suggest we get Jane on a donkey?" Lisa said as she folded her arms across her chest.
"I am sure we can find some rope."
I looked back at Jane. Her arms and fingers continued to twitch slightly. That was a good sign. As long as she’s moving, she's not dead. I looked down the path. It was definitely too narrow for the car. But as far as I was concerned, there was no other choice. The car leapt forward down the dirt path. Overhanging branches hammered the window. According to Lisa, after a few miles on this path we should see a clearing. The Healer's house was only a short distance away, nestled between the trees.
We were in the homestretch with the clearing plainly in view when were stopped dead in our tracks. Before us, barring our way was a large tree trunk. On the trunk hung a plaque with a warning to all who ventured near:
Walk pass an live. Walk thru and dead!
"I didn't expect that." Mark sat erect in his seat. "Looks like we have to turn back."
"And go where, Mark?" I looked back at him.
"We could approach the site from the other direction…" Lisa traced her finger along the map.
"That will take too long," I said, stepping out of the vehicle.
"Where are you going?" Mark shouted after me.
The forest had a rich, earthy aroma with a hint of decay. As I approached the barrier, I realized that it wasn't just one log but a number of logs piled on top of one another. This had been done recently since the leaves and pimento berries were still green. I picked up one of the trunks and threw it back towards the wooded field. The log twisted through the air before hitting the trunk of a larger tree. I removed the other logs with ease. With the barrier removed, it was time to get back on course.
The sound of snapping twigs stopped me in my tracks. I turned and faced a young Nephilim with long brown hair draping over his shoulders. In his right hand, he held a rusted machete. Two more Nephs soon joined him. One held a large piece of wood. The other twirled a shiny hunting knife.
"You nuh read de sign?" The man with the long hair barked.
I folded my arms across my chest and welcomed the blood as it began to fill my muscles. "We need to pass and your sign was in the way," I answered calmly.
The man turned his machete so that the sharp end of the blade was facing my direction. "Damaging another man's property is a serious offense," He said as his brown eyes transformed to blood red.
"After we pass, you will never see us again. You can put your logs and your little sign back up."
His eyes narrowed to a slit and he smiled wickedly. "After we're finished with you, no one will ever see you again."
I chuckled. "I'm sure you have a lot of ideas on how you think this fight will go down, but I can guarantee you it's not going down like that. Tell your friend with the pocket knife to step away from my car before he loses something he'll miss."
“How did you find us?” I asked.
“Yuh tink yuh alone have friend?”
The three let out a unanimous laugh, as they circled around me. "Marcus said you were arrogant." The long-haired man lifted his machete and charged towards me. He raised his weapon to strike, but before his blade could make contact, I kicked him in the chest and sent his body flying. He landed on a pile of dead branches a few yards away.
"Are you sure the rest of you want to do this?" I looked to my left and right. "Whatever Marcus promised you isn’
t worth the amount of pain you're going to be in."
The Neph to my right bared his teeth and growled as he lifted the piece of wood. Sharp spikes grew from within the wood until the entire surface was covered in razor sharp points.
"I love it when you Nephs don't listen," I said as he lunged forward. I caught him by his throat squeezing it like I'd imagined squeezing Marcus. I watched as the red faded from his eyes.
"Watch out!" I heard Mark yell from the distance. I turned to see the sharp edge of the knife make a clean slice through the back of my shirt. I grabbed the Neph’s wrist and squeezed down on the tendons, forcing him to drop the knife. I held one Neph by the throat and the other by his wrist. I pulled their bodies together, clanging their heads against each another like cymbals. Both fell to the floor dazed. It was time to finish this. I grabbed one by the ankle and spun him through the air, then released him, sending his body soaring through the bushes where he landed with a thundering thump. I reached for the other Neph's ankle.
"Boothe!" Lisa yelled. She was standing by the car. Her eyes roved over the Neph that lay limp by my feet. "Stop! He's no longer a threat."
I was fully aware that there was no chance that any of these three were in any condition to come after us, but I was thinking about revenge. I was thinking of my father, Glenroy, Marcus, Aramos, and every other person involved. I wanted them to hurt like Jane was hurting. I wanted them to physically feel the pain I felt.
I hoisted the Neph's body into the air and he let out a whimper. "Shut it!" I barked as I squeezed his leg.
"This isn't the Hasani Boothe I know," Lisa said as she moved closer. "That person would have remembered why we were here and not get caught up in his own personal agenda."
Lisa was right. Revenge could wait for later. I dropped the Neph and returned to the car. I watched Jane for a few moments as she laid motionless. My worst fear was unfolding before my eyes. The poison had entered its final stage.
We had to find the Healer, fast. Within moments, the badly battered car arrived at a small clearing surrounded on all sides by wild bushes and trees. A single house stood proudly in the midst of the clearing. The house was a square structure no bigger than my bedroom. The once white cement exterior of the house was grey with flecks of brown.
"Any closer to living off the land and she'd be homeless," Mark observed loudly as he looked around.
"Not everyone's father is a forensic psychologist and can afford a big house uptown," Lisa snapped. "Plus, she's a Healer. Even if she could afford it, I doubt she'd want to leave this place. Beyond those bushes is Milk River Bath. It's a very popular mineral bath. It has the highest radioactive levels of all the mineral baths in the world, mainly because of the Healer."
"Radioactive? So I'll go in with two arms and come out with four?" Mark asked
"The water is said to have healing powers," Lisa answered. "It's said that Healers radiate an energy that makes the water, trees, and even animals more fruitful."
At the side of the Healer's home was a cluster of trees. I recognized orange, guava, sweet sop, and breadfruit amongst them. On the other side of the house were rows of vegetables. Standing in the midst of the vegetable garden was a young boy. He glared curiously at us with his bright grey eyes.
Lisa approached and knelt down close to the boy no older than 5 years old. "Hi, my name is Lisa. My friends and I are looking for Irianne Benson."
"That's my mom." His eyes glided over our faces before finally resting on Jane draped across my arms. "Is she sick?"
"Very." Lisa spoke in a tender tone. "We need your mom to help her get better."
"My mom doesn't fix people anymore."
Lisa sighed. "Is it possible for us to speak with her?"
"Mommy! Mommy!" The boy yelled.
A few moments later, a woman emerged from the door wiping her hands in a towel. She looked a lot younger than I expected. Based on her title, I had envisioned an older woman with her hair tied up in a scarf and dressed in a wide-bottom skirt. The woman who was standing before us was a young, modern woman dressed casually in a white t-shirt and jeans.
"Son, get in the house." She had a slight foreign accent I could not pin point.
"Mommy, can I…"
"Get inside now!"
She watched as he obediently disappeared through the front door before turning her attention back to us. "What do you want?"
"My name is Hasani. This is Lisa and Mark. We're Eshkars and…"
"I can see that." She folded her arms across her chest. "I didn't ask who, I asked what."
Lisa stepped forward. "Our friend is very sick. We were told that you could help her."
"Well, whoever told you that was mistaken," she said, turning her back to leave. "I am sorry you wasted your time…"
"Dr. Alister Chung told us," Mark responded sharply. "He said you know each other."
As she turned to face us, a spark of recognition crossed her face.
"You must be Chung's boy, Mark," she said with a faint smile. "You were wetting your diapers when I last saw you. Back then, I was a Healer. That was a long time ago."
"We wouldn't have come all this way to disturb you if this was not a matter of life or death," I said with growing irritation.
"Our friend has been poisoned." Lisa stepped forward. "If she doesn’t get help, she’ll die."
"I am sorry but I can't help you." She turned and quietly headed back to her door.
"You can't or you won't?" Lisa asked tearfully.
"Does it matter? The conclusion is the same."
"Yes, it does matter," Lisa pleaded. "You were given this power for a purpose. It’s your duty to help people, not turn them away!"
Irianne stopped in mid-step. "I resigned from that job a long time ago." She turned to face us once again. "I have a child to think about now. Isn't that one of God's gifts too? Being his parent is my current and only job." Her eyes shifted between Lisa and me. "Unless you think I should be doing both, parent by day, Eshkar by night. Let me ask you something. What happens when the responsibility of being a parent and being an Eshkar conflict? Which one wins and which one loses?" Irianne relaxed her limbs and let out a deep sigh. "You guys are young, I pray that you never have to face the same situations that we who came before you had to face. And I hope that you never have to make such a decision."
Her dark round eyes scanned our faces.
"Our young problems might not be the same as yours, but facing the death of your friend and being shut down by the only person who can save her qualifies as a difficult situation," Lisa spoke frantically. "Jane is an earth mover."
"Telekinetic," Mark injected.
"She is the only earth mover in her family line," Lisa continued. "She has to live long enough to kill Aramos. If she doesn't make it, we all suffer, Eshkar and Normals."
Irianne's eyes rested pensively on Jane's face. "Jane Miller, the little girl from the town of Black River," she whispered. "Passed on to her is the mission of her forefathers, to wage the final war against Aramos, the last of the pureblood Nephilims. This is the girl Christopher spoke of."
Irianne took in and let out a few deep breaths. "I suppose I have no choice," she sighed. "Come in."
Her home was a small single room dwelling with the kitchen, sleeping quarters, and living room occupying each of the corners. Irianne huddled over a large blue barrel, filling her darkened kettle with water. She only looked up once and watched for a few seconds as I rested Jane's body beside her son on the bed.
"How is Christopher these days?" she asked as she continued to fiddle around the kitchen.
"Terrible," I answered.
"He's mad," Mark added. "Bellevue-level crazy!"
Irianne shook her head. "That's unfortunate. He was dedicated to the cause. How's his daughter Tanya?"
"Missing. None have us have seen her in close to a year," Mark informed.
"What?" She rested the kettle on the counter and turned to face us. "What do you mean missing?"
I told
her what Coy had said to me when I saw him at his home. All three looked on with shock as I told them how Tanya had been taken.
"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Lisa asked.
"I told Coy that I would get Tanya back. That had nothing to do with the rest of you."
"No man is an island, Boothe," Lisa said softly.
Irianne looked at me pensively before turning back to her kettle. "The Christopher I remember was a great man. He was a part of the underground movement to train and eventually mobilize Eshkar guerrilla forces. The Council was under the cleverly misguided assumption that there was no one to fight and that construction of any guerrilla units would void the treaty they had with the Nephilims and spark another war. Christopher, Alister, a few others, and I knew that the peace between us was superficial. It was only a matter of time before Aramos and his clan would launch their attack."
Irianne took a large jar from the cupboard and began to spoon a dusty compound into a ceramic bowl.
"The Nephilim weren't building weapons out of metal, carrying illegal firearms, or stirring riots amongst the Normals as they had in the past," she continued. "They were establishing themselves in the government as well as buying up land and commercial buildings. Around the world, they were rooting themselves in the lives of Normal, passing laws that would benefit them and facilitate their desire for domination. We knew things were bad when they were converting Normals to join their campaign with promises of power and riches. We tried to warn the Council, but they turned a blind eye. Christopher was one of the few that stuck to his guns when the rest of us gave up the fight. He always held out hope that an earth mover would be born and order would return to our community. We all thought he was crazy when he said he found her. She was only two then, and already under Nephilim fire." Irianne had taken a seat where she quietly circled the rim of her small tea cup with her index finger.
"Coy told us that story," Lisa nodded. "He said when the Neph came to kill her, she fought back."