Welch, D [Shadow People 02] Shadow Spies

by Doug Welch

  Paris wondered what things he referred to, but didn't nibble on the offered bait.

  “I think it would be a pleasant trip. I may take my wife with me after we're married. Any problems with that?”

  Grieg chuckled. “I think you'll find the People in North America and Canada are different than continental Europe. Less bound by prejudice and tradition. Your wife would be very welcome, along with the rest of your family. I understand she's a rare beauty. You're a lucky man.”

  Pearson’s words brought an intense feeling of emptiness as though he'd left a part of his soul elsewhere. He suddenly wanted this over with so he could return home and reclaim it. His voice sounded husky to his ears when he replied.

  “She's the most wonderful woman I've ever met, intelligent, caring, courageous, and so lovely she takes my breath away. Yes, I’m a lucky man.”

  “Good. You must bring her,” Grieg said. “We have much to discuss. Our Association has a lot to offer you. Did you know we have knowledge of your parents’ history? We'll be glad to share it with you.”

  Tony broke into the conversation. “I'm sure, Grieg, you and Paris can discuss this at length when you're back in North America. Right now, I need to escort him around to meet other Houses. Please excuse us.”

  Tony grabbed Paris' arm again and maneuvered him toward another group. “Be careful with Grieg, Paris, he wants you to join his Association.”

  “What's wrong with that?”

  “You'll lose your autonomy and the Council would likely oppose it. Grieg's Association is very large and to have you with him would upset some of the Houses, not to mention the balance of power. It may be a moot point however, if you don't act to acquire another Adept.”

  “I don't think it's a problem, Alex is eager to learn how to use her abilities.”

  Tony stopped and turned to look at Paris. “I thought you gave us all of your father's research materials.”

  Paris felt a moment of fear. Had Tony sensed something? He covered it with a laugh. “I can't give you my brain, Tony, and my knowledge is more than sufficient to teach Alex. Maybe it’s not enough for a Normal, but Alex? Definitely.”

  Tony's look expressed some doubt, but he didn't reply, just resumed guiding Paris through the party.

  Paris met several more of the Adepts at the gathering, too many to catalog with his jet-lagged brain, and he resolved to get Tony to give him a list later. After a while, he felt weariness shutting down his body, and he decided to leave for the hotel.

  “I think I need to call it a night, Tony. I'm fading out. I need to be fresh for tomorrow.”

  Tony looked at him. “Yes, I can see. Very well, let me escort you to the car.”

  They proceeded toward the entrance to the mansion, only to have their progress halted by one of the guests who blocked further passage.

  “Tony, you have not introduced me to your honored guest. Such bad manners for a Council member.”

  Tony appeared resigned, as though he knew this meeting to be inevitable, but had tried to avoid it.

  “Gerardo, this is not the time or place. Paris needs to return to his hotel to rest up. Save it for tomorrow during the Council meeting.”

  “Oh no, I think this is the perfect time to meet the slave who killed my son.”

  Paris felt adrenalin surge through his body. The lethargy vanished and he became instantly alert. Borgia.

  He disengaged himself from Tony's arm and stared at the man who stood before him. The man's chin jutted out from a patrician Roman face which held piercing brown eyes, topped by curly brown hair, graying at the temples. Paris stood taller than the strutting, pugnacious Borgia and that brought a measure of confidence. But he knew in a match of mental abilities he would wind up losing, no matter how tall he was.

  Should he just ignore the idiot, or confront him here? Throwing caution aside, he plunged into the fray.

  “I think you are in error sir. I am not a slave, nor did I kill your son. It was his own arrogance and appalling lack of common sense that killed him. As I understand it, he fell off a cliff during a drunken binge and broke his foolish neck.”

  Gerardo's face turned crimson, and his lip quivered. “And the two bullet wounds found on his body? Was that caused by drunkenness? How do you explain it?”

  Paris didn't flinch from his opponent's obvious rage. “You know how wild the rural parts of America are. All the hillbillies walking around with guns. If someone is not careful in the forest and does not wear the proper clothing, he can be mistaken for a deer by an incautious hunter. In fact, it wasn’t more than a few years ago the Vice President of the United States shot a friend, a fellow hunter, by accident.”

  Gerardo stepped closer, crowding Paris' personal space.

  “You don't need to remind me about the savage atrocities of Americans. The whole world knows how insufferably arrogant you are. If you were not under Council protections, you would be cringing at my feet right now. – I have an idea. Why don't you come to Vienna and you can meet your real mother, not the whore you were raised by. Bring your sister too.”

  Paris moved even closer. He stood nearly toe to toe with him, staring directly into his eyes. “I see where your son learned his manners. As for me, I am ambivalent about meeting our birth-mother. It's much like going to the hospital to view an incubator. However, I cannot be held responsible for the violence that might ensue if my sister were to see her. She’s not as forgiving as I am. Therefore I'll decline your offer. On the other hand, perhaps your harlot would like to visit Kentucky. I’ll try to insure her safety, but you must understand it’s sometimes hazardous. You know Americans, always playing with their guns. In fact, I'm feeling damn naked right now without mine strapped to my waist.”

  Tony finally intervened. “Please gentlemen. This display must cease. You know the rules. And Gerardo, you have been warned by the Council any vendetta with Paris' Family ends with this meeting. I suggest you heed the warning. You’re aware of the consequences.”

  Gerardo's color changed from crimson to white quickly. He stepped back.

  “This mongrel threatened me. You heard him!”

  “I heard no threat,” Tony said.

  Paris felt the rush of the encounter begin to fade away and his exhaustion settle in. He decided to end it.

  “I'm too tired to threaten you, Gerardo. Besides, I don't threaten, I promise. You and the other Borgias would be wise to remember it.” He turned away and continued out of the building to the car that waited to take him to the hotel.

  * * *

  Paris sat in one of comfortable arm chairs in Anthony’s combination office and study after the Council meeting, discussing the morning's events. “Well, that was interesting. I'm not comfortable with lying, Tony.”

  Tony spread his hands. “Are you any more comfortable with dying?”

  “You have a point. But really? Apologizing to that asshole Gerardo for allowing his scumbag son to be killed in my domain? Did anyone believe that?”

  “Of course not! It’s protocol. But the Council decided that your value to the People outweighs the Borgia's desire for revenge. Of course, there's a price.”

  Paris settled back in the chair. “I wonder why I'm not surprised. I still haven't heard the Council say anything about the Borgias killing my parents and abducting my half brothers and sisters. They started this whole mess and it seems they’ll ooze out of it without any retribution.”

  Tony looked worried. “It's part of the price for keeping your Family safe. As far as your siblings are concerned, the Borgias have agreed that they can decide if they want to stay with their House or move elsewhere.”

  “Yeah like that's going to happen. The Borgias will find a way to keep them, even if they have to lock them up.”

  “It's not a perfect world, Paris. I've done the best I can do to smooth over this whole episode. You need to put it aside and continue with your Family. You have a responsibility to them and your domain. The council has decided that your territory is to be the whol
e state of Kentucky.”

  “Kentucky? The entire state? How am I going to manage the State of Kentucky? Tony, I'm an ordinary citizen of the United States of America, not the damn Governor of Kentucky. It's ridiculous.”

  Tony pinched the bridge of his nose as though he suffered a sinus headache.

  “The People live outside the governments of the world, Paris. Your task is to make sure that the People in your domain are safe from government interference and physical harm. And that means periodically influencing the government to protect your Family.”

  Of a sudden, Paris wondered if his transformation had been worth the effort. If Tony expected him to interfere with the working of the state or local government, there would be problems. His experience in the Army had changed him in many ways, some not so pleasant, but it had only strengthened his conviction to protect and serve the country of his birth. He doubted he could do it. Of course, he suspected that his father had used his abilities to intercede on his family's behalf, but could he, Paris Fox, do the same?

  “Tony the U.S. is not like Europe. We have a tradition of government by the people, it's hard to break that, and I'm not sure I would or could.”

  “It may not come to that, Paris, but there are other things to consider. What if one of the People in your Family requires medical attention? How can they get it? Most of them can't turn off their natural tendency to hide. A doctor can't see them. Also, you can't allow them to steal indiscriminately. Left to themselves, they could simply walk into a bank and remove all of the money. You must set rules as to what you will tolerate. The differences between the way we live and the way Normals live create a lot of problems that are now yours to solve. You are the only Adept head of your Family. You asked for the position, and now you must accept the responsibility.”

  Paris felt overwhelmed. He hadn't wanted this; it was forced on him by circumstances. What Tony implied would require a lot of money and time. Everyone, including Alex, he cringed at that thought, would have to agree to work toward solving the problems. He wondered if Beth could leave the hospital and start a clinic in Jamestown.

  “I'm not sure we have the resources to care for the whole state, maybe Russell County. I suppose we could use Jamestown as a central hub, and property is cheap right now so we could purchase a building for a clinic. If you could find a doctor, one of the People who would agree to live in Kentucky, we might have a start. Also, Dan Simmons wants to join the Family, but he says he needs permission. Can you convince Pearson to let him go?”

  “Grieg has motives that go beyond mere stubbornness. As long as he belongs to Grieg’s Association, Simmons can be forced to tell him all of your Family secrets. He won't have a choice. Be careful what you say around him. By the way, Grieg knows quite a lot about what your father accomplished, he got it from Dan. Your mother was too powerful for him to influence her. That's another reason the Council doesn't want you and NACA to merge. I'll do what I can to break Simmons loose from them, but no promises.”

  Paris thought for a moment. “Can you give me a list of all the People in the state? If I knew the head count I could plan better.”

  “It won't be necessary, they'll know, and they'll find you. You'll have to build a facility to house them when they come to pay their respects and you might want to tax them, many Houses do.”

  Paris laughed. “I thought the whole idea of the People was to live outside of society and government regulation and now I'm supposed to tax them? How ironic is that?”

  Tony smiled. “It's the price we’ve learned to pay to live in civilized society. Our ability seems to be rapidly becoming a burden rather than an asset.”

  “Okay I guess I can sort it all out, given enough time. Are there any more landmines buried elsewhere?”

  Tony grew sober. “That's the price I was talking about. The Council wants you to become an agent, a tool. You have unique abilities. You appear normal and can mix in society, but you're also an Adept with military training. The Council will call upon you from time to time as a troubleshooter. There have been some disquieting developments that have us worried. They threaten the safety of the People, and we want them neutralized. That's another reason you need a second Adept, someone to take over while you're away on Council business.”

  Paris ran his fingers through his hair. Refusing the Council could be dangerous. He needed their protection, but he’d learned some strong moral values from his parents. They’d helped to keep his sanity in Iraq when immorality seemed almost normal. Some of the troops in his platoon had treated the country as a shooting gallery, and he’d removed them whenever he could. True, sometimes violence was necessary or even desirable, but it had to be tempered with a code of conduct that limited it, or the world would dissolve into chaos. Since at the moment he couldn’t answer honestly, he decided to dissemble.

  “Tony, I'm about to be married, and you want me to run the whole State of Kentucky while I handle missions for the Council? I hardly think that's fair. Will the Council cover my expenses while I'm doing this?”

  “I think that can be arranged. We won't require your services for a while. You'll have time to settle your problems but not a long time. We don't want to interfere with your wedding. However, there are some pressing problems that are rapidly becoming severe, and we need your talents to help solve them.”

  Paris grew wary. “What kind of problems?”

  Tony sighed. “The Middle East problem for one. As I mentioned before, the Houses in the region have broken from the Council and have become rogues. We need to contain them before they instigate open conflict. A more pressing problem is a group of ex-security people, some from the remains of the KGB, and some from MI5 and the CIA, who are actively trying to expose the People to the world. They’ve developed a well-funded organization. They're zealots who are aware of our existence and hate us, but they are powerless to prove it. They’ll do anything to destroy the People.”

  Paris immediately thought of Edward Rowan, his soon to be father-in-law. Edward had mentioned that he worked for British Intelligence during his time in Iran, and that he’d also assisted a group of security people who had a particular interest in the Shadows. Could this be the same organization?

  “I'll need information, Tony. Everything that you know about these people. Also the structure and organization of the Houses in the Middle East.”

  “We don't know all of it, but I'll make sure that you have the information we possess. Particularly, we don't know all the names and nationalities of the security agents in the group that is trying to eliminate us.”

  Paris sighed. “Let’s just take on one problem at a time, alright?”

  Chapter 2

  Back at the Farm

  “I don’t know how this will work, but this is the first official Family meeting, and we need to make some decisions as a group.”

  Paris looked around the table at his assembled Family.

  His fiancée Elizabeth sat at his left hand and Alexandra, his sister, sat on the right. Close alongside Alex, Caesar loomed like a bear guarding his mate. Spaced around the remainder of the table, Dan Simmons and June Marrow reclined in plush office chairs. His is future father-in-law Edward Rowan sat in his wheelchair at the opposite end.

  Alexandra wore a sour look. “What are we doing in this barn? Why didn't we just meet at the farm?”

  Paris looked around the cavernous room. Like his twin sister, he was well aware of the barrenness of the place. The seven of them gathered around a new conference table in the middle of a bleak setting of emptiness and plain walls.

  “It’s an unfinished office building, it was vacant, and it was cheap, so I bought it. You are now looking at the new headquarters of the Family. We'll eventually need it – all of it. We'll furnish it later.”

  Alex’s expression didn't change. “You bought it? I thought we agreed that decisions about the Family would be decided by a vote.”

  Paris sighed and rolled his eyes toward the unfinished ceiling. “Alex, sometimes I ne
ed to make decisions on my own, or have you forgotten that I'm the head of the Family?”

  Alex still looked stubborn. “That's unfair. Just because you can shred someone's brain into hamburger meat doesn't qualify you to make business decisions for all of us.”

  Paris squashed his temper. She had him cornered because she was right. However, he knew that as the only Adept in the Family he would occasionally need to make decisions or take action alone. He needed to make that clear to everyone here.

  He sensed the mind-glow of everyone in the room. Alex's mind seethed with anxiety. He wondered why. Caesar's mind remained focused upon Alex, as usual. Edward’s mind appeared cynically amused and Dan and June appeared puzzled. Elizabeth's protective glow warmed him.

  He wondered at the incongruity of his situation. A few months ago, he had been an ordinary guy who lived for his engineering work and had no motivations beyond fitting back into society after his Iraq wartime experiences. The death of his parents under mysterious circumstances and the discovery that he and his sister shared a shadowy past, had assaulted him with some agonizing choices.

  The hardest of those choices was to embrace his genetic heritage and to become the thing he feared, a member of an underworld of Shadow People. He took that path out of necessity. Parasites on humanity, Shadows had the innate ability to convince a normal human mind they were invisible. At the most, normal people might see a brief shadow from the corner of their eye, but when they turned to look it would disappear.

  Reluctantly, Paris decided a more conciliatory attitude would help to defuse the situation. “I agree, Sis, It’s unfair. I know we talked about this, and I know what we decided, but there are occasions when dealing with the Council or other Houses that I must make an abrupt decision. This was one of those times.”

  Elizabeth spoke up, sounding defensive. “Paris had a long, hot, busy summer, Alex.”

  Paris' attention swung to his fiancée. He never tired of looking at her and marveling at the wonder of the fact that she loved him; that she’d agreed to marry him. In his mind it was as if nature had interfered with the roll of the genetic dice and reassembled all of a woman’s genes, to create the loveliest human female on the planet. The glossy blue-black hair which he loved to run through his fingers and the startling violet eyes that transfixed him, made him aware that he could easily lose his self in her and this wasn't the time or the place.