The Shadow Chaser (The Sheynan Trilogy Book 1)

by Dylan Birtolo

  The door buzzer rang, and Darien jumped, disturbing his precarious balance and crashing to the floor. Jay jumped over his friend on the way to answer the buzz.

  “Yes?”

  “Is Darien there?” a gruff voice crackled. Darien couldn’t place the voice. It sounded familiar, but the distortion in the ancient speaker box system made it impossible to be sure.

  “Sorry, I think you’ve got the wrong apartment.”

  “Tell him it’s Richard.”

  Jay was about to respond when Darien sprinted over. He nudged Jay with the back side of his arm and spoke into the wall speaker.

  “Richard, come on up.”

  Darien unlocked the door. He turned around and Jay was looking at him. “Who the hell’s this Richard character? How do you know he isn’t working for the government goons?”

  Darien shook his head. “Long story, but the short version’s Richard helped me out of a bind. He had the chance to kill me or take me captive, but he let me go and got me away from some of the people chasing me. I don’t know how much I trust him, but it’s enough to talk to him.”

  “I guess.” Jay didn’t sound convinced. He went back to his chair and eased himself into it. “I wouldn’t trust anyone you’ve talked about if I were you.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m not that stupid.”

  Darien stood by the door, leaning against the wall waiting for Richard to arrive. A loud knock echoed through the apartment and made the door shake on its hinges. The cat was a black streak as it ran into the kitchen and around the corner. Darien looked after it for a moment, puzzled. This was the first time it moved after being kicked out of Jay’s lap.

  He opened the door and saw Richard’s hulking frame in the entryway. The man’s hair was matted and wet, and his clothes were soaked through to the point where they stuck against his body. Darien could smell mud and grass on the man, but Richard looked like he didn’t care. He stood still and waited.

  Darien stepped to the side and gestured for Richard to come in. Richard gave a slight nod and entered the main room. He acknowledged Jay’s presence with another nod and then scanned the room taking particular notice of the windows and doorways. Jay raised an eyebrow after the meager greeting.

  “Hi, I’m Jay. I live here. And you would be?”

  Richard shook Jay’s hand. “I’m Richard.”

  Darien sat down on the couch. He didn’t see much of a point in beating around the bush. Besides, if Richard was direct, he might appreciate the same. “How’d you find me? Were you following me?”

  Richard sat down in the middle of the floor, and Jay leaned back in his chair, watching the scene unfold. He neglected his work for the moment.

  “No. I had some trouble after we parted ways and didn’t have time to waste tracking you. Especially since the truck has a GPS tracker in it.”

  “I saw the map. I know you’ve been keeping an eye on me. Why?”

  Richard shifted his eyes to glance over his shoulder in Jay’s direction. Darien understood his misgivings. To him, Jay was a complete stranger. Considering how hesitant Richard had been with him alone, he doubted Richard would share anything new in front of Jay.

  “You already know the answer. We talked about it in the park.”

  “Why are you here?”

  “I want my truck back, kid. Plus, I thought I might be able to help. I know places that are safer than where you’ve been. You’ve been going to friends, and staying with them isn’t safe. The people looking for you don’t care much about laws.”

  Darien fished the keys out of his pants pocket and tossed them to Richard. “Where would we go? I’m assuming you’d be coming with me.”

  “Darien…”

  Darien didn’t let him make his argument. “No. I’ve had enough of people asking me to be the only one doing the trusting. You want me to go with you, I want you to tell me where you’re going to take me. I want one of my friends to know.”

  Richard shrugged. He twisted so that he could give Jay the answer. “There’s a small shack about five miles into the woods near the exit for Tiger Mountain. I can’t give more precise directions. It doesn’t have an address for a reason. No phone, no electricity, and no utilities to track down the place. That’s why it’s a safe house. If you’re coming, we should leave soon. The longer we stay here, the more time you give people to find you. I had a head start because of the truck.”

  “How do we know that Darien can trust you?” Jay interrupted.

  “It’s his choice. If he trusts me, it’s well placed. If not, then don’t come.”

  “That’s ever so helpful.”

  Richard stood up and rolled his shoulders. He stepped to the door and stopped just in front of it. “I’m leaving, Darien, and taking my truck with me. I think you should leave. You can come, but I’m not going to sit here having pointless debates while you wait for others to find you.”

  “I’ll go.”

  Jay shot up and his chair rolled back into the desk with a solid thunk. “You can’t be serious.”

  “Jay, what choice do I have? If I hang around you guys, you’ll be caught in the crossfire. I trust Richard enough that I don’t think he’s trying to kill me. If he was, I’d already be dead.”

  “I could’ve killed you three days ago.”

  The room went silent for a moment after Richard’s flat statement. It wasn’t a surprise, but the way he said it gave Darien a chill. Richard had no more emotion in his voice than if he was commenting that the apartment was cluttered. Darien was pretty sure that Richard was another person who wouldn’t be dissuaded by the law. That fact also might make him the best bet for Darien’s survival.

  “I’m going. It‘s the best chance I have to figure out what’s happening and what I’m going to do.”

  Jay clenched his jaw and mumbled a few statements under his breath before he responded. “It’s your choice, but you better keep me in the loop. Check in when you can and let me know what the hell’s going on.”

  “Of course.”

  “And take the damn cat with you on your way to Tiger Mountain.”

  Richard slid into a fighting stance and whipped his head around, scanning the room. “What’s this about a cat?”

  “Just a stray I found outside the apartment. She was resting under the awning trying to stay dry. I brought her inside and tried to get her warm. I figured I’d take her to the Humane Society. She ran off to the kitchen right before you showed up.”

  “Where?” Richard growled.

  Darien led Richard into the kitchen where the cat was curled in the corner. She hissed. Richard reached down and tried to pick her up by the scruff of her neck. She bolted between his legs and ran into the main room. They ran after her and glimpsed a blur as she bolted into the bedroom. By the time they burst into the room, the cat was gone. One of the windows was open a few inches and the screen had a large hole.

  Richard held up his hand and put the back of it against Darien’s chest. The mark from the dream tingled and sent waves of cold through his body at Richard’s touch. He waited while Richard checked the room, looking under the bed and in the closet. When he shook his head, Darien walked to the window and stuck his head out in the pouring rain. Wind howled around the corner and drops of water stung as they slapped against the side of his face. Because of the dim light and the heavy storm, he couldn’t see very far. There were no signs of the cat. He came back into the room and closed the window.

  “Do you have the cat?” Jay asked from the other room.

  “No. Your window was open and she cut a hole through the screen. She must have jumped out.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding! We’re on the eighth floor. That cat was suicidal.”

  “Leaving, now,” Richard said, not pausing as he strode to the door.

  “Alright, that’s my cue.”

  “Take care, Dude. And remember to keep me in the loop.”

  Darien and Richard left the apartment. They didn’t see another living soul on their way to
the truck. The rain was coming down so hard, they could only see a distance of three cars through the storm. Anything beyond that was washed out in white and grey. They dashed to the truck, clambering in and slamming the doors shut behind them.

  They both dripped puddles onto the fabric of the seats. Darien closed his eyes and tried to relax, but the sound of the rain pelting the top of the cabin made that impossible.

  “Why were you so freaked out about the cat?”

  “It might have been more than a cat.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just get to my place.”

  Darien looked over at Richard and thought about the last time they were together, and getting ambushed by Alyssa. Did Richard know that she let him get away?

  “What happened with Alyssa?”

  A cloud passed over Richard’s face to match the weather. “I managed to get away. She sent one of her wolves after me, but I lost him.”

  “She came to see me after you guys squared off against each other. She found me passed out in the woods from a tranquilizer dart. I think she’s trying to keep me alive, too.”

  “Probably,” he spat. “But only so she can use you. That’s what her kind does. You want to walk with them, go ahead. We don’t walk the same path.”

  “I’m keeping my options open. It’s kind of hard to make decisions when I don’t even know what’s going on. She did tell me about you two.”

  He had barely finished the sentence before Richard’s arm shot out. He grabbed Darien by the front of his jacket and twisted his grip until Darien’s collar tightened around his throat. Darien brought his hands up and tried to peel Richard’s fingers open. The arm was like steel and wouldn’t move. Richard’s teeth clenched and his lips pulled back.

  “Leave the past in the ashes where it burned, kid. We’ll get along better that way.”

  He let go of Darien and put his hand back on the wheel. His face softened to its normal ruggedness and the snarl disappeared. Darien took a deep breath and smoothed out his jacket. He glanced at Richard every now and then, but stared out the window most of the time. The sounds of the water pounding on the roof and the truck sloshing through puddles drowned out any other noise during the journey.

  Chapter 14

  By the time that Darien and Richard entered the parking lot for Tiger Mountain Park, the rain had lessened to a light drizzle. The ground here was mostly dry, but a strong wind blew from the west. The storm clouds could be seen in the distance, dumping rain over the city. As Darien watched, the clouds rolled towards them. They had managed to outpace the storm, but it wouldn’t be long before they were once again drenched. The few other people in the lot scurried around, trying to get everything packed into their vehicles before the rains came.

  Richard pulled the gun case out of the back and locked the truck. They walked south, in the direction of the peak. Darien gestured to the black case.

  “What’s that?”

  “A rifle.”

  “Do you hunt with it?”

  “Only people.”

  Darien stumbled. Richard didn’t look back and followed a path that Darien couldn’t see. It was not the first time he questioned the wisdom of his decision. But of the people that he had met so far, Richard had been the most forthcoming with his answers. He jogged a few steps to catch up with his guide. Richard maintained a consistent pace, but still managed to weave through the trees and branches without breaking any and passing like a silent ghost.

  They were still walking under the cover of trees as the storm rolled in. The thunder echoed in the distance, growing ever closer. The leaf cover was too thick to see the sky, but Darien noticed his surroundings get darker. Most of the animals had taken shelter, tucked away in preparation for the rains. As the two humans came around a rocky outcropping, they passed close to a den with a large brown bear lying down against the back wall. The animal looked up when they walked by the entrance, but went back to rest with a snort after seeing them. It couldn’t have been more than fifteen feet away.

  Darien’s shoulders tensed and he froze when he saw the animal, even after it went back to rest. Richard continued on without missing a beat. Darien had to force himself to calm down before he could follow Richard’s path. Even after they had left the cave behind, he glanced over his shoulder several times.

  When the rain fell, it started as an occasional splatter echoing off the leaves above. As it came on in force, Richard and Darien picked up the pace. They trudged through mud that came up to the top of their ankles and got drenched from waterfalls running off the canopy. Darien shivered in the cold, rubbing his arms to try and keep them warm as the storm raged. It was a huge relief when they entered a small clearing with a wood cabin in the center.

  It looked like something from a different age. It was a small building with only one room. A stone chimney formed part of one wall, but the rest was solid logs and thatch roofing. It was solid but was not symmetrical. It looked like something crafted by hand rather than casted from a mold. But the most important details were that it looked dry and like shelter. A couple of rain barrels rested at the front two corners of the shack and the edge of a small garden peered out from the other side of the chimney.

  Richard walked up to a bear skin hanging down from the roof. It was large enough that the edge of it brushed against the ground. Richard pushed it aside and revealed an open doorway. Inside the cabin had very little furniture. There was a table made from a large piece of mostly-flat stone and tree stumps that served as stools. There was also a bed made of thick sticks with a piece of leather stretched across them. The fireplace was blackened from frequent use. The floor was covered with thatch weaved into mats.

  Darien stepped in, happy to be out of the elements. The cabin may be primitive, but it provided shelter from the wind and the rain. Richard followed him in and attached the fur cover to a set of hooks just inside the door frame. It stretched the skin tight and formed an efficient barrier even when the weather beat on it, making it shake. Richard walked to the fireplace and started a fire. He gestured to a pile of furs stacked in the corner.

  “If you’re cold, there’re some furs over there. My clothes won’t fit, but you can dry yours near the fire.”

  Darien walked over and picked up one of the fur blankets. He wrapped it around his shoulders. “Thanks. You build this place yourself?”

  Richard nodded. “With my own two hands and only simple tools.”

  “I got that impression.”

  Darien walked near the fire and sat down. The ground closest to the fire was plain dirt and the closest mats were covered with a waxy coating. Darien kicked off his shoes and peeled off his socks so he could dry out his feet. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose as the heat rolled out from the fireplace in waves. Behind him Richard undressed and pulled out dry clothes from the pile in the corner. He shrugged into them and then hung was wet clothes over the fire. The drops of water sizzled as they dropped down into the flames. Once he was done, he slid the gun case underneath the cot and sat down.

  “We should be safe here. I’m the only one who knows about this place. We’re about five miles from the park grounds, and that’s the closest road. There aren’t many people who come back this far. This section of the woods is known to be poor hunting grounds in season.”

  “You don’t actually shoot the hunters, do you?” Darien glanced at the rifle case.

  “No. That’d bring too much attention to the area and would destroy the point of a safe house.”

  Silence settled over the pair as they sat by the fire and enjoyed the shelter and warmth. The storm continued to howl outside the building and assaulted the walls and roof with waves of rain. Despite the imperfections of the cabin, it proved its worth in the storm and didn’t allow a single drop of water to leak through. The fire heated the room much faster than Darien anticipated. It wasn’t long before he needed to shed the fur to keep from sweating. Richard stopped stoking the fire
and added a couple of large logs for slow burning. Rivulets of water dripped down the chimney and steamed when they hit the flames.

  Sometime after the day had turned into night, Richard went outside and braved the elements using one of the furs as a parka. He returned carrying a small barrel of water and some vegetables. He put a metal kettle over the fire and prepared a stew. The herbs that he mixed into the kettle filled the small room with their aroma and made Darien’s mouth water. It was simple fare, but provided a warmth that spread from Darien’s gut through the rest of his body.

  After eating, an undeniable weariness claimed Darien. A combination of lack of sleep, the warm room, and the hot meal made him unable to keep his eyes open. He nodded off where he was sitting at the table a couple of times before Richard offered up the cot. Too tired to argue, Darien crawled under the furs and stretched out. His last vision was Richard making a place to sleep on the floor.

  Darien awoke to the sound and smell of meat sizzling over a fire. As he cracked his eyes open, he saw Richard tending a couple of rabbits on a spit. The storm had stopped and the front entrance was open, revealing bright sunlight shining down on the clearing. Darien felt well rested for the first time in several days. He was glad that he didn’t have any dreams that he could remember. Darien sat up on the cot, swinging his legs over the edge to rest on the ground. As he stood up, Richard was just removing the rabbits and carrying them to the table. Darien got up and joined him for breakfast.

  “Good morning. Thanks, by the way. For the food and for the place to stay. But what’s the plan? Just hide out here?”

  Richard shrugged. “I don’t have much of a plan until you realize your abilities. Just thought you could use a place to get away in the meantime.”

  “Everyone seems convinced I’ll just figure this out. Is it always like that? How will I know when it happens?”

  “It’d be kind of hard to miss, trust me.” The corner of Richard’s mouth tilted up in genuine mirth. It was the first time Darien remembered seeing Richard smile without the predatory gleam in his eye.