Forgotten Enemy (The Powers of Influence Book 1)

by C. B. Haight

  Rederrick spared no expense in this hidden security room. All the latest technology was in here. He’d even added a few things that were not available to the general public.

  The room sported a masculine, industrial look. This was a stark contrast to the traditional warmth displayed in the rest of the home. Rederrick sat down in one of four comfortable, chrome and black, office chairs surrounding a glass and steel conference table set in the middle of the large room.

  The floor was a stamped concrete, holding the original gray tone with a brushed pattern. Security footage played out on a few of the screens mounted on the wall to his right with a long table underneath to hold the controls for the cameras and alarms. It also provided more workspace, as was evident by the documents lying atop it.

  To his left sat a bank of four computers and some other gadgets Cade didn’t understand how to use. Cade often teased Rederrick, saying this room was mission control. Rederrick had always been fascinated by almost any electronic gadget. His son, James, shared his love of electronics and had personally engineered a good portion of the things in this room. The twenty-two-year-old genius was currently working out at Fort Carson doing only heaven-knows-what for Uncle Sam.

  Cade walked around the table, not ready to sit, he was still too unsettled. “How is James these days?” he asked, as he passed by some sort of scanner the size of a cell phone linked to one of the laptops.

  “He’s fine. Now, let’s cut the crap, shall we? Why don’t you tell me just what we’re dealing with here? Then we’ll figure out what to do next.”

  “I was working up to it, but fine. You want to know what happened tonight? I’ll tell you, but I am positive you aren’t going to like it.” Cade’s temper was right on the surface still. The encounter had left him feeling edgy.

  He paced about the room feeling his anger coming back again. Events such as the one tonight always stirred him up.

  However, for some unexplained reason, tonight’s events felt worse somehow.

  Rederrick waited. Cade knew Rederrick would give him time to sort out his thoughts. Cade struggled, pulling back his anger. He worked to rein it in and to gain perspective on the events from earlier. He knew Rederrick was impatient to hear what happened. He was also sure Rederrick knew he couldn’t push him to outline it yet. Cade’s temper could be a fragile thing sometimes— it was the nature of the beast.

  “It was a demon, a nasty-smelling one too. Although I am pretty sure I have never, in all my years, found one that didn’t stink to high hell. The gray-skinned leech that came after her said something about a bounty.” He finally ground out running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

  Turning, Cade looked over at Rederrick. Taking a deep breath, he plopped down in the chair across from Rederrick. Then he meticulously reported the night’s events.

  Rederrick sat quietly and listened, absorbing the information stoically. He waited until Cade had finished. Then, leaning back on his chair, he steepled his fingers together and laid them on top of his head.

  “Well, now, I am not sure I was expecting this. I was thinking more along the lines of an abusive husband... something simple. I guess I sensed differently, though. Like I said before, something here is not right.”

  “My money is on the Faction. Who else would put a bounty on a woman with a powerful aura like hers? It follows their usual M.O. You have no idea what she can do?” Cade asked as he stood, feeling restless once more.

  “Nope, not a clue,” answered Rederrick. He sat forward again, turning his chair to look at his gadgets, “Let’s look at the security footage to see if we can catch a glimpse of this demon and get a name for him. Maybe we can make a connection.”

  “Alright, let’s get to it then.” Cade replied impatiently. The men headed over to the side of the room with the large flat screens for briefings and some smaller ones for the security cameras’ feedback and went to work.

  ****

  That is how Cynda found them in the Extra Room an hour later. Cade stood behind Rederrick, who was busily tapping at the keys. Cade leaned in toward the computer to get a better look at whatever Rederrick was zooming in on.

  Cynda stood there for a moment, watching two of the most important men in her life. She loved them both; Cade was so much like a brother to her. It seemed he’d unfailingly and forever been there for her, and Rederrick. Cynda smiled, Rederrick was everything that made her whole.

  These wonderful men always wanted to do the right thing, no matter the cost. It worried her sometimes that they took on so much. This time, though, Cynda knew Collett needed them. Her instincts told her it was very important. This could change lives. She somehow knew this.

  Much like when Cade showed up for her all those years ago, changing her life. Cynda knew Cade would step up again for someone like Collett, regardless of the price to be paid. She could only hope that price wouldn’t be too high.

  In her heart, Cynda sometimes wondered if the day would come, in her lifetime, when someone would step up for him, regardless of the cost.

  She pushed back her emotions and spoke lightly, “What do we have here? Two handsome, strong men putting their brains to good use? Will wonders ever cease?” She went over and placed a light kiss on Rederrick’s cheek, “What are we staring at?”

  Rederrick responded with a quiet, frustrated, “nothing,” then pulled her down into his lap wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace.

  Cade stepped back to give them some room to hold each other. He watched as Rederrick closed his eyes to savor the feel of his wife, the woman he loved dearly. He seemed to garner strength from her very presence. He waited patiently for the moment to pass, keeping to himself.

  After a few moments, the two of them filled Cynda in on all they had discussed, retracing things in hope that they may think of something they might have missed. She waited and listened; much the same as Rederrick did before. When they finished, she compared it with what Collett had told her.

  “She tells a completely different story. The way she tells it makes it sound as if it was just a random criminal out for some fun.” She paused, and Cade could tell she was thinking it over, “So you think she knew it was coming for her?” Cynda inquired of him.

  Cade folded his muscled arms over his chest. Tucking his hands under his armpits he said, “That’s what I think. The look she had on her face at the party told me she sensed it. Maybe she is a witch, unaware of her power? She definitely knows more than she is telling.”

  “I don’t know. She could be. I’m not sure what she’s capable of. Her aura is so strong and powerful... Why would they try to kill her though? Generally, they would try to harness the kind of power she has. If she is unaware of her capabilities, she could be more easily swayed, I would think.”

  “If she is unaware,” Rederrick stated. They all took a moment to weigh his statement.

  “No. I don’t think she knows. As far as she was concerned, she was going to die. I saw it in her eyes. She was ready to die.

  If she knew she wielded some magical power, why not use it?

  When she did fight back it was physically, and she fought hard.

  She could have used magic then, and didn’t.”

  His brows pinched together, as he thought about it, “In fact… I saw her slam her elbow back and hit the demon hard, and she didn’t even notice the light that she made with the contact.

  Whatever she did hurt him, too. He cried out and there was this strange burn on his stomach. Oblivious to it, she just grabbed her arm and ran. If Collett is aware of her power, whatever it may be, she could have probably hurt him worse than that. For that matter, she could have possibly hurt me as well. Werewolf blood aside magic stings, so whatever she is we better figure it out.”

  Cade let his comments sit for a minute. As he started to continue, Rederrick beat him to it, asking the very same question that was plaguing Cade, “Do we tell her and help her find her power? Or do we wait and find out what they want?”

  �
�I think we have to gage how she’ll deal with this little twist. She seems unready to me. This kind of information is life-changing. We have to be careful it isn’t just thrown at her. Ultimately, I think we have to tell her.” Cynda answered. “I think we should ease this on her by seeing how she reacts to the possibilities first.” Cynda’s eyes lit up, “Maybe I’ll take her out tomorrow and for fun, and we’ll stop by Selena’s store.”

  Rederrick grinned, once again following his wife’s thoughts, “Well now sweetheart, I think that is a fine idea. Cade?”

  “I‘m not sure I follow you. You want to involve Selena?” Cade asked skeptically.

  “The only thing you need to follow is them.” Rederrick stated. “Make sure you keep them both safe from any other witless bounty hunters dumb enough to come after them tomorrow. Cynda, plan the route you’ll take. Cade and I will arrange for some precautions. You can go around lunch time.”

  “I appreciate all the protection, but I would like you to remember I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.” Cynda said standing up and giving Rederrick a stern stare.

  “While I am fully aware of your abilities, I’ll feel better knowing you have a bit of backup. You may be a great witch, but you’re still my wife. It will give me peace of mind,” he shot back.

  Softening his voice he said, “Just backup, that’s all.”

  “Fine, I will have the list of stores I’ll be taking her to in the morning. That is, after we talk her into it.” Cynda said slyly. “Now, it has been a long day and is now past the witching hour.

  I’m going to try to get a bit of sleep. Cade, I put Collett in the room across from yours. I figured you’ll hear trouble quicker than the rest of us.”

  “Well then, since we have nothing on the cameras and we have a plan for our next step, I’ll head up to bed myself.” Cade explained. He gave Cynda a quick hug, clapped Rederrick on the shoulder and headed out of the room. Even though frustration still ran through him, he felt better having a plan.

  “Do you think he can help her?” Cynda asked quietly, staring at the vacant doorway with worry weighing on her.

  Rederrick rose, wrapping his arms around Cynda from behind. He softly kissed her neck. “I hope so. Things have a way of working themselves out. Who are we to question the powers at work? I firmly believe timing is everything. I think Collett coming to us now, and Cade being there tonight, proves that. We’re meant to help her, just as Cade helped us all those years ago, he’ll help her. He doesn’t know how to lose.”

  Rederrick turned and set the perimeter alarms. Grabbing Cynda’s hand he said, “Now let’s make a few plans and then get some sleep. We have a big day ahead of us.”

  Chapter Five

  While Rederrick, Cynda, and Cade had their discussion, Collett drifted in and out of sleep in the soothing bath, soaking in the hot water until it chilled significantly. She still felt the evil taint clinging to her body, and when she closed her eyes she could see gold, glowing eyes staring back at her.

  Finally, she forced herself to shake off the frightening images and pushed herself out of the bathtub. She stepped out onto the bathmat and wrapped a large, blue body towel around her as she went over to the vanity mirror to do damage control.

  The reflection staring back didn’t bother or surprise her. The grayish discoloration under her eyes looked like light bruises. A gash below her temple looked clean and scabbed over. The scrapes and cuts on her feet all looked superficial now that they were clean. There was a very large, ugly bruise on her right hip bone that ached. The elbow she’d smacked into her assailants hard flesh still stung. All in all she wasn’t doing too bad for almost dying.

  Finished with her assessment, Collett lifted the ointment and opened it. It must be a homemade herbal cream, she thought as she examined it. It was labeled plainly with feminine handwriting: healing ointment. She took a curious sniff. It smelled of ash and honey.

  Collett rubbed it carefully over her injuries.

  She put a small bandage on her temple to keep it from opening. When finished, she methodically put it all away in the cabinet.

  She opened the door, heading quickly through the master bedroom towards the expansive hallway. She felt the air chill her damp and exposed skin as she made her way toward the bedroom she’d been assigned to.

  She made it halfway down the hall when she saw him. He stood at the top of the stairs looking right at her; staring was a more accurate term, actually. She stopped, returning his gaze for a moment, stunned to see that he was still here. She was under the impression that all the guests had left. Then, she noticed he had changed out of the suit he’d been wearing earlier.

  Will my luck never change? She thought. He must be Cade. She remembered Cynda saying something about Cade’s plans or something along those lines. Well, she could avoid him for one night. She headed toward her room, but he stopped her.

  Moving forward a step, he cleared his throat, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare.”

  He didn’t look the least bit apologetic.

  He still didn’t take his eyes off her. Collett could have sworn he even took a deep breath through his nose, as if he was trying to smell her.

  “No problem,” she mumbled. Then, once again attempting to evade him, she nervously took another step toward the safety of her room.

  Not ready for her to leave yet, Cade spoke again, this time moving even closer to her, “You must be Collett. I heard you had a bit of a scare tonight. Are you alright?” His voice was full of genuine concern.

  He saw the bandaged cut on her head and wondered how bad it really was. He regretted that he hadn’t been able to prevent the injury in the first place.

  “I’m fine, just a bit tired. Goodnight,” she said quickly, trying to escape his intense gaze. She almost made it to the door this time…

  “I’m Cade, by the way. I’m an old friend of Rederrick’s.” He said.

  He noticed her shoulders slump, as if she really didn’t want to talk to him. However, her manners wouldn’t allow her to be rude. She turned around and put a smile on her face, “It’s nice to meet you, Cade. I’m just going to stay for tonight, so we probably won’t see too much of each other. Now, I am sorry, but if you don’t mind, I’m very tired, so I am going to wish you a good night.”

  “Oh, of course. I’m sorry. I just wanted to let you know I’m across the hall if you need anything.” He hesitated, “Are you sure you’re alright? From what I heard you had quite a night.” He stepped just a bit closer and boldly put his hand on her bare shoulder.

  She expected the sudden onslaught of his emotions. Nothing came. It was strange. She could not get one good, solid emotion from him. She couldn’t sense any evil, but she didn’t feel any major impressions of any kind. It was something to ponder later; she was too tired to dwell on it now.

  “You have no idea,” she mumbled under her breath, as she eased away from his touch, backing through the bedroom doorway to escape.

  Of course Cade heard every word. He couldn’t completely conceal his smile. He replied easily, “Okay. If you change your mind, let me know. My door is that one there.” He pointed to the door straight across the hall as he spoke.

  “Well, thank you, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Collett said in a clipped tone, concluding the conversation by escaping into the bedroom and closing the door. Locking it, she leaned against her barrier in relief. She felt strange around him, off center. She could still feel the intensity of his gaze.

  Collett quickly brushed aside her discomfort, moving her gaze across the dimly lit room. It was painted a soft blue tone with dark blue and cream accents.

  The furniture was made up of several beautiful antiques put lovingly together. They all held the same dark walnut tone, to keep the mix subtle and elegant. A small lamp with a frosted glass shade glowed; it sat on a homemade doily atop the bedside table. The small lamp gave the room a soft evening glow that was perfect for curling in bed with a good book.

  Collett spotted the queen-siz
ed bed in the room’s center. Its fluffy, cream-colored down comforter held little navy flowers stitched in a balanced pattern. She just wanted to crawl into it, snuggle underneath the warm comfort of the blankets, and hide away from the world. She wished she could sleep for a whole day. As it was, she didn’t even bother to get into the night clothes sitting on the charming little bench at the end of the bed. Instead, she crawled underneath the plush comforter and between the cool sheets. Forgetting she only wore a towel, she fell asleep right away.

  ****

  She could see the golden, glowing eyes intently staring right at her, as if they could see deep into her soul. She watched them as they filled with anger, hate… They turned from the beautiful amber gold to an eerie, bloody red. They smoldered like the embers of a glowing fire, burning right through her.

  Slowly, the dream changed, and shifted… she could suddenly feel the burn of the fire on her skin. It became so hot, sweat clung to her. She stood, confused, in the middle of the inferno. I know this place; she thought.

  Then she heard it… the sound of a child. He was crying, coughing and sputtering angrily. She ran to help him, running down an endless hallway. Her skin burned, and she could smell the acrid smoke as it stung her eyes.

  “Is this real?” she asked herself aloud. Next thing she knew she was at the door of a room. Collett kicked at the door hard. Once, twice, forcing it to give way. Suddenly, she heard a woman’s pained scream coming from the other direction. Collett turned, listening for the woman. Instead, she heard a coughing fit come from the room in front of her. Confused, she whipped her head back, looking through the doorway she’d created. It led into a small room.

  There he was a young, frightened boy with dark, shaggy hair and large eyes. The woman’s screaming was now forgotten. She focused on this young boy before her. He was coughing so hard she was certain he was getting no oxygen.

  She pulled him up, dragging him along; she had to get him away from the smoke and fire. She turned, attempting to exit the way she had come. With absolute horror, she found the door had disappeared. No matter where she looked, she could not find her way out. The window that should have been there was missing too.