by Kimbra Swain
“What’s wrong, Lukas?” Ashley said. Looking at both of them, I suddenly felt out of place and overwhelmed. All the things she told me about the Agency and what they did flashed through my mind, and I knew I wasn’t right for this job.
“Tell her for me, tell her that I’m so sorry.” I took off the ring she gave me, and I walked out. I ran down the flight of stairs. Once I hit the front door, I ran for blocks, and jumped a bus just outside of Hollywood. It travelled all the way out to the Santa Monica pier. I got out and walked to the ocean. The waters calmly swished back and forth, and I hoped it would relax me. However, the innocence I lost learning about the evil in this world consumed me, and I could not relax. I considered going back, but the fact was, I had no idea where back was.
Pulling out the wallet she gave me, I looked over the credit cards which she probably already deactivated. However, inside the fold of the wallet there was close to two thousand dollars. I decided to get a bus ticket out of town, so I hopped back on a Metro bus, and took it to North Hollywood. It was the nearest Greyhound bus station, but it was late and I wasn’t sure I’d make it in time before it closed. I could spend the night in a park if necessary. It wouldn’t be the first time.
When I arrived at the bus station, it was closed, and I considered renting a room, but I wanted to save all my cash. I didn’t want to face the embarrassment of the credit card being declined. Just down the road from the station, I found a large park with concrete picnic tables. I chose one and sat down. For the first time since I moved to Los Angeles, I felt out of place on the streets. Looking at my clothes, khaki pants and a button up shirt, I realized I could be mistaken for a lost rich guy and get mugged. Regretting the decision to stay in the park, I walked back to the main road to see if I could find a hotel close by and just use some of the cash.
A candy apple red 1969 Mustang Boss 429 pulled up to the curb.
“Get in the car, Lukas,” she said.
I walked over, looking in at Abigail Davenport. “How the hell did you find me?”
“Locator spell. Please get in. I won’t take you back. Just hear me out, and then I’ll take you wherever you want to go. You aren’t going to sleep in a park. You can use one of the cards and get a room. I don’t care what you decide, but please hear me out,” she said.
“How long is it going to take? I’m leaving L.A. in the morning,” I said.
She dropped her head. “I am not trying to trick you. I just want to talk.”
“Then get out, and we can talk here,” I said.
“Fine,” she said and slammed it into park. She wasn’t in the dress from earlier. She was in jeans and a sweater. I tried to look at her face, but she kept it turned from me.
“You want to go over there and sit down?”
“Sure,” she said. We walked over to the table where I had sat earlier.
“What do you want to talk about?” I said.
“Scott Woodford,” she said.
“Oh, good grief, Abby, what the fuck? I don’t want to talk about that guy! He was the beginning of my entire life being ruined!” I stood up and paced as I talked. She was absolutely frustrating.
“More than likely Scott Woodford was a son of Asmodeus,” she said.
“A son of a bitch? Yes, I know that,” I said.
“No, Asmodeus. He’s a demon. His offspring are always the captains of the football team type. They are muscular and great in bed. Every girl wants to fuck them. I’ve met a few of them along the way,” she said.
“A demon. In this crazy world you live in, there are demons?”
“Demons, angels, vampires, werewolves, succubae, old gods, mythical creatures, and so many other entities that I couldn’t possibly name them all. I will also remind you that we all live in that crazy world. People just are unaware of what lurks in the darkness,” she said.
“What are you?” I asked bitterly.
“I’m not one hundred percent sure,” she said.
“Your grandfather is a god!” I yelled. I didn’t care who heard me.
“Actually, he’s my great, great, great, great, way back great grandfather. You can’t be born a god anymore. Gods are made, not born. My father is a wizard, and my mother is Fae, but I’ve never met either of them,” she said.
“What’s Fae?” I asked.
“Fae is all-encompassing name given to a group of fairies and old gods in Ireland and Britain. There are a few clans in mainland Europe, too. They have powerful magic for persuading humans and a talent for illusions and foresight,” she tried to explain.
“They are dangerous?” I asked.
“Very. They can be extremely seductive. They try to get you to be indebted to them, by them offering you a gift in return for a future favor. Best advice is to avoid them at all costs,” she said.
“You just said you were half-Fae.” I didn’t mean to corner her, but it just came out in frustration.
“If you know what’s best for you, you will get on that bus tomorrow and never look back,” she said.
“I thought you were convincing me to stay,” I said.
“I thought so too, but I talked myself into a corner, and don’t really have the will to fight with you, Lukas. I want you to stay, but I can’t give you one good reason. Use the cards. They are yours. I swear on my power that I will never use them to track you,” she said. I felt a wave of warmth settle over me. She finally looked at me, and her eyes were red like she’d been crying.
“I felt that,” I said.
“When a wielder swears on their power, it means that wielder give you a tiny bit of their power to hold. If they ever break their word, they lose that power forever,” she said with her back turned to me.
“You just gave me a bit of your power to hold over your head?” I said. “Abby, I don’t want that, take it back.”
“I can’t. It’s yours until the day you die. Lukas, you deserve a good life. Go make it happen. I wish you all the best. If there is anything I can ever do for you, call the number on the back of the cards. They can get a message to me.” She walked away from me, and I let her go. The car rumbled as she cranked it. She shifted gears and peeled out.
I waited on that bench until morning and walked back down to the greyhound station. It opened, and I was the first in line.
“Where is the first bus going from here? I just need to get out of town,” I said.
The clerk looked at me with sympathy. “Our first bus will leave in about an hour. It’s headed to Boulder, Colorado. You want a ticket?”
“Yes, please.” I handed her one of the cards. She handed me the ticket.
“The bus will leave the lot in about an hour. Don’t miss it. No refunds,” she said.
“Thank you,” I said, grabbing the ticket. I walked back out on the street, and Ashley was standing there. I looked to see if anyone was with her, but she was alone. “Do you people not give up?”
“Actually, I’ve never gone after anyone that left before now. Plenty have left. Plenty have run. I didn’t take you for that kind of person, Lukas,” she said. She looked like she had been crying too.
“Ashley, are you okay? You look like you’ve been crying.”
“I have a gift. I see images of possibilities of the future. I sent you to her, because I saw an image of you with her,” she said.
“Yes, well, I’ve been around her, and now I don’t want to see her anymore. In fact, I don't want to see any of you. You go fight your monsters, and I'm going to have a new life,” I said. “I have a bus to catch.”
“She blamed me for you leaving, because I sent you to her. She didn’t mean it, and she will apologize. She took the hurt of you leaving out on me, and I understand that she was frustrated because I had built you up to her. She had high hopes for you. Part of being the best friend, I guess,” she said.
I felt bad for her. She was sweet, and Abby seemed to value her friendship. But friends don't treat each other that way. “I’ve got an hour. You want to walk down here and get a cup of coff
ee with me?” I asked her.
“I would like that,” she said.
We walked down the street to the corner and went in the little coffee shop. I bought us each a cup. She put sugar in hers. I put sugar and cream in mine.
“She shouldn’t blame you, because you are best friends,” I said. “I don’t care how powerful or beautiful she is. You can’t treat people like that. I’m glad I left.” I was still trying to convince myself.
“You think she’s beautiful?” she asked.
“Of course, so are you! Both of you are way out of my league,” I said, causing her to blush. Rosy cheeks and auburn hair.
“That’s your problem, Lukas. You think that you are worth less than us. Why? Because we have gifts? Because we are beautiful? In truth, the only difference between you and me is that I know who I am, and I’m confident in it. You haven’t found yourself. She told me that she found you in the park last night. That she went there to bring you back at all costs, but she said something in your tone told her that you weren’t ready, yet.”
“I’ll never be ready for what she wants me to be,” I said.
“What do you want to be, Lukas?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I thought maybe I could try to go to college,” I said.
“The future she laid out for you didn’t seem appealing?”
“What future? Fighting things ten times stronger than me?”
“You don’t pay attention,” she said pulling a business card out of her pocket.
I thought she was giving me her card. I looked down at it, and it had my name on it. It said, “Lukas Castille, CEO, KBS Conglomerate, Los Angeles Division.”
“Lukas, you don’t have to fight the monsters. That’s her job, and those like her in the Agency. I can’t even fight them. I just make sure she has everything she needs. She needs a proxy. Your job would be to report what the crews find on the streets. If it was something you could handle, then the company would help you see it through. If it was bigger than you, then you run it up the ladder. The cavalry swoops in and saves the day. It’s a brilliant system. It works, and it has worked for years all over the world. Abby has taken guys with a lot less skill and intelligence than you and made them forces for good. Sounds lofty, right? Well, it’s the truth. If she gets frustrated, and blames me for something, I forgive her until she gets her head out of her ass and apologizes.”
I laughed. “You are a good friend, Ashley. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Go back,” she said.
“Anything except that,” I said.
“She needs you.”
“Ashley, look, thanks for making the effort, but I need to go catch my bus,” I said.
“I lied to her,” she said.
“About what?”
“About the vision, I had of you and her,” she said. “She asked me, what made me send you with the box to her. I told her that I saw you save her life. That’s not what I saw.” She hung her head and would not look at me.
“Ash, what did you see?” I asked.
“Just go back, please,” she begged not wanting to tell me.
“Is it against the rules to tell me?”
“No, but the very fact of me telling you could change all of it, and I don’t want to change it,” she started to cry.
“Oh, please don’t cry.” I hugged her. “Tears are my weakness. Don’t cry.”
“If I tell you, promise me, you will never tell her that I lied. Swear.”
“I swear,” at this point I just wanted to know what started all of this.
She got close to my ear and whispered in my ear what she really saw, then leaned back and said, “Do you understand now?”
I was shocked at what she told me. It was sweet that she thought whispering it would somehow negate her telling me. What she saw seemed impossible to me. “No, not completely. Why would that be a big deal?” I said.
“She’s not let anyone in since Lincoln left. She will let you in, and I think she needs you for more than just a proxy. Definitely for more than she knows,” she said.
“Why me?”
“That’s a good question. Don’t you want to stick around and find out?”
I thought, she was just yanking my chain. I looked her in the eyes, and all I saw was truth. I, also, saw a deep love for her friend. Abigail Davenport, the most frustrating woman I had ever met, apparently would at some point be in love with me or at the very least be in bed with me. Looking down at my watch, it was time for me to meet the bus. Ashley looked at me with desperation in her eyes.
“If I go back, it won’t be for that reason, because let’s be honest, that isn't going to happen. Right? You said, it would probably change,” I asked.
“It could change. If you go back, go back for yourself. Go back, and be the CEO, and if you get her in the process, I promise, you will never regret it,” she said.
“I’ve been out on the street all night,” I said ashamed of myself.
“I prepared for that,” she smiled.
“Of course, you did,” I laughed.
“I have the premonitions, but honestly, Lukas, she taught me the prep stuff. Sometimes I just plan ahead without the vision. She taught me everything I know. It took pressure off of her. I’m pretty damn good at it too,” she said with pride.
“Yes, you are. I’ve missed my bus. What’s the plan, Miss Ashley?”
“Come with me,” she said.
Two hours later, I walked back into the loft. Ashley cut my hair more this time. It still had some length on top, but I looked more like a businessman. She had a custom cut Ralph Lauren suit. It was deep blue with grey vest and a navy tie. She added some sapphire and diamond cuff links. When I looked at myself in the mirror at the hotel room, that she already had rented before she ever came to get me, it looked like what I could have been. Like maybe, what I should have been. Ashley added an expensive watch, and the ring Abby gave me.
Abby stood at the windows staring at the city. I realized something looking at her. She was just as lost as I was. Something in the way she stood. It was as if she waited on the city to tell her what to do next. There were many days on the streets when I would stand on a bridge or a hill looking down on Los Angeles, and I’d wait for the city to tell me what to do next. Where to go for my next meal. What route to take to a nice spot to sleep. I survived on the streets by listening to the city.
“Hey Ash, where have you been?” she said, turning to find me instead of Ashley. She turned back to the window.
I walked toward her and pulled the business card that Ashley had given to me out of my pocket. She wouldn’t look at me, but her face filled with confusion, fear, and anxiety.
“Abby, I want this,” I said, handing her the card.
She looked down at it recognizing what it was and who gave it to me.
“Ashley,” she muttered.
“I think that I was always coming back, but she pushed me. She pushed pretty hard. You’ve got a damn good friend in her, and you should apologize for blaming her for me leaving,” I said.
“Yes, I should,” she said. “Lukas, are you sure? Don’t do this because Ashley told you some sob story about me.”
“She didn’t tell me a sob story. Everything she told me, I already knew about you. You are beautiful, but broken. You are organized, but lost. You are hardcore, but unselfish. You are utterly frustrating, but inspiring. I know, I have a lot to learn, but I want to know it all. I promise, I will never leave again,” I said, lightly touching her hand. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around my neck.
She whispered in my ear, “How do you know all of this about me?”
“Because, it’s like I’m looking in a mirror.”
The smoke was thick from the explosion. My sight blurred, and my ears rang. Something was pressing down on my chest, so I couldn't breathe. I coughed, and my throat was raw. Where was Tadeas?
“Jag?” I coughed, pushing on the heaviness on my chest. It was muscular and human. “Tadeas, wake up. I c
an't breathe.”
His body laid on top of me, motionless. I couldn't see his face because it was turned away from me. Trying to shove him off of me, a sharp, burning pain rippled through my chest and abdomen. My ribs were broken, and I started to gasp as panic hit me.
“Tadeas, answer me.” I tried to listen for his heartbeat or feel him breathing. I managed to get a hand free and placed it on his temple. With no time to ask permission, I concentrated on that last millisecond before the explosion. “Memento.”
As he sensed something was wrong, he reached for his gun and blocked me from the car. The world exploded into fire. I saw it from his perspective, and I knew I was in his mind.
“Tadeas, where are you?” It was dark in his mind, but I could feel his heartbeat and breathing. “Please, answer me. I need you, Jag. Please.” Even inside his mind, I was losing the ability to complete sentences, as my ribs crushed in on my lung. I touched something in the darkness of his mind. Bright yellow feline eyes flared at me. It startled me, and I pulled back. The jaguar turned from me, walking away. “No, wait!” After a few steps, it shimmered out of view. Tadeas stood still with his back to me. Reaching out, I touched his shoulder. He jumped out of instinct, and I was shoved out of his head.
He rolled off of me and started coughing. Scrambling he pulled his gun from his side and locked eyes with me.
“Oh, shit, Abby, talk to me,” he said.
I coughed. “Ribs are broken.”
“Don’t move. I need to make sure they don’t have any finishers, and see if I can spot Tony,” he said.
“Don’t leave me,” I said.
“I won’t, but I need to see through the smoke,” he said coughing again. A dark shadow approached us. He leaned over me, pointing his gun at it.
“It’s me, Duarte,” said Tony. “I can’t find Tavaris. The Caddy is still sitting over there untouched. We can take it and run.”
“I’m not getting in any of their cars,” Tadeas said. “Her ribs are broken. I landed on her.” He grimaced.