Dark Places

by Krista Cairn

  She zoomed in on the close-ups, to see what their common feature was. Recessed pockets. In cement, in wood, between surfaces. Each of them was a great spot to hide something. But what? It was a risk, but minimal she thought as she forwarded each of the pictures to an email address that she rarely used. She wanted a better look, and if nothing turned up today, she had the pictures at home or an Internet search.

  She dismissed the idea of calling Mitch to be her backup. This was just a little bit of cycling. She wasn’t going to be pulling out knives and digging or anything. Hardly a situation where you need backup.

  The first building had a glass front about five stories tall, but the side was made of grey brick. She knew which building that was. She got there quickly enough and rechecked the photo to see which spot on the wall the close-up was of. That took her down to the back edge of the building.

  There was a notch in the wall about 20 feet up. No way to check that one out, she grumbled. And checked her phone for the next picture. She took her time examining the distance shot this time. It looked as though the notch in this one would be equally high.

  That was frustrating.

  Who would need a notch in a wall 20 feet up? It’s not like you can quickly hide something there. Then it hit her. What if these were spots with cameras? She checked the distance and angle of each spot and concluded that the only way for a camera to be useful there was if you could see them sticking out a bit, as though they were recording the alley.

  How were these pictures taken in the first place, if each of these notches were 20

  feet off the ground? It suddenly struck her. She should borrow Mitch’s radiation detector.

  She also made a mental note to never go down one of these alleys again. Not until she knew what was going on.

  Her cell phone beeped. She pulled it out and saw a new message. This one at least matched Hemlock’s syntax. This one was a longer run almost completely from one end of the district to the other. Having to avoid these alleys would make it interesting. There were at least three of them between the pickup and drop off. Going the long way around for any of them would nearly double her time.

  Then again, if she ghosted her way through them, she’d be fine. It was Mitch who lit up like a Christmas tree. For the first time, she was asked curious what was in this next package.

  She jumped on her bike and went to the pickup site, thinking as she went. If there was a chance the scientist is using these deliveries to test her, what if he was the one arranging the deliveries in the first place? At least it helped to define his demographic. He would have to be very well-off.

  Then again, all he needed was access to money. An interesting thought. What if she was triggered right before she went through an area where someone needed to be cured of radiation poisoning? And if he made his money that way, it would explain the speed bonuses.

  She shook her head. Speculation. Wild, off the wall, seriously messed up speculation. He would be poisoning one person to cure another.

  What was his endgame? Not that it would make a difference. He still had to pay for the people he’d killed in her family and in Mitch’s. There was likely countless other people he had experimented on, as well.

  She would have to thank Mitch when she saw him next. Without his radiation theory, she never would have started to figure this out. She used to believe it was all about light and dark. With her new thinking, new possibilities were occurring to her. Because of Mitch, she was able to save that woman.

  No more thinking about Mitch, she scolded herself. She really didn’t need him wandering through her mind right now. Last night she had actually dreamt about him and it was awkward seeing him this morning. She wasn’t about to admit it, but his offer to stay at his apartment building was actually very tempting. Everything about him was appealing.

  Stupid. That’s what all this was. Pure stupid. A guy like him wouldn’t have given her two looks under normal circumstances. Yes, people meet by coincidence all the time. The more she thought about it, the more confused she got. She didn’t believe in fate. The one thing she did know was that there was no reason to get upset over facts. It’s not like he had done anything to offend her. He was who he was. She was who she was. They came from completely different worlds.

  Simone looked up upwards, along the building directly across from the knock. There was a window there. That must be where the photo was taken. She would come back later.

  Right now she had to get the third delivery to its location.

  She pulled up to the locker where the package was waiting and entered the code. As she opened the door, a brilliant light hit her. Instinctively, she went dark. Running for the nearest alley, she found a shadow and ghosted within it. She peeked around the corner, to see what was happening. There was something in that locker, and they shot it right at her.

  Hemlock was living up to his name.

  It was time to test her abilities. Maybe that’s what this really was. Standing tall, she stretched out her limbs out and yawned widely to release the adrenaline and stress inside her, ghosting as she did. Instead of absorbing the light like she did with Mitch, she repelled it. She became a moving dark form. Not human. Not to anyone watching, anyway.

  She walked up to the locker and reached in, turning off the device that was inside.

  She didn’t care who saw her until she heard Justin’s voice.

  “Dylan. What did you just do?” He demanded.

  She spun to face him. He looked different. In fact, he had a glow not unlike Mitch’s.

  As he approached, she felt herself return to normal.

  “Justin?” She stared as he approached. “What are you doing?”

  “It’s you? That trap is supposed to catch a murderer. It’s supposed to catch someone who can….” He stopped walking towards her. “But it’s you?” His tone and expression conveyed shock. “You’re the one killing people? You wouldn’t hurt a mouse, let alone kill someone.”

  “You’re right. I’m not a murderer. By all appearances, that’s you. Your scientist is lying to you. He killed our siblings, remember? Whatever his grander, nobler cause is, it’s not worth it.”

  “You don’t even know what we’re trying to do. We’re going to save people. We will go into places like nuclear reactors that have melted down and make them safe. That’s the plan.” He grew brighter as he neared. “See this? I’m gathering radiation.”

  “And how do you dissipate it safely?”

  “That’s the genius part. I don’t have to. The next time I shower, or something, it goes away.”

  “Poisoning the water.” She grumbled. “I realize this seems heroic to you, but it’s flawed. Do you even know how many people are dying so that he can pretend to be a hero?”

  Justin’s glow was brilliant now, and growing. She had to get a hold of him before he… Before he what? Mitch had always wanted a cure. What was Justin doing?

  “How did you stop that device?” Justin asked her.

  “I’m not telling you another thing. Not as long as you’re working with him. Or is it a female? You know what, I don’t care who you are working with. All I know is they’ve been experimenting on us with no regard for our Will in the matter. I’m sure plenty of people would’ve signed up, would’ve volunteered, if this cause was that noble.”

  “Tell me.” He stepped closer still. “I can see you handle the radiation differently than I do.”

  She wasn’t scared of him. She switched back in her ghosted form and waited to see what he would do. “You don’t have to work with them. There are better ways.”

  He stood less than two feet away and raised his arms out to his side. “He has made me a god. Why would I walk away now?”

  It was almost time, Simone thought. A couple more inches and she could grab him and syphon the radiation out. He could become himself again. She waited but he didn’t move. Simone turned and closed the locker, with the device still in her hand.

  “Do you need this back?” she asked.
r />   “It’s useless, apparently. How did you disable it?”

  She laughed and tried to ghost only her hands. It worked, but it wasn’t easy. Maybe she was tired. “Look at me. Do I look normal, somehow?” She held the device out in front of her and started manipulating it, twisting it until it was just a jumbled mass, then she let it go. “Seriously?”

  When he instinctively lurched forward to grab it, she caught his wrist. The sudden pain was excruciating, but she was ready for it. She ghosted and focused every thought on draining him. The same thing that happened with Mitch. This time, she wouldn’t stop. This time she would absorb every ounce of radiation, every gram that was in his body. And she wasn’t going to be gentle about it.

  He collapsed to his knees, begging her to stop.

  “But I thought you were a god, big brother. You can’t make me stop?” It was a good thing she didn’t feel anger in this form. All she knew was an unbiased pursuit of justice. She really wished she could feel hatred. That’s what he deserved. Not respect. Not reverence.

  “How many people have you used this device on?” she asked.

  “Only you. I mean, I guess you’re the one we’ve been tracking this whole time. Only, I didn’t know it was you.”

  As he sat on the ground in front of her, she wasn’t sure what to do next. Yes, he was evil’s sidekick, but he was also her brother.

  “I would suggest you don’t come between me and your scientist. He is going to be held accountable for what he’s doing and I suspect it would not end well for you, regardless of the long term outcome.” That was the only warning she was going to give him. He’d better listen. “Tell me how to find him.”

  Justin reached out slowly and picked up the twisted, unrecognizable device. Staring down at it in his hands, his breathing was still heavy. “I can’t. I believe in his goal. What he tried to do was ground breaking.”

  “His goals may seem noble, but his methods are not. Have you noticed you’re toxic?

  I can fix that, but you have to walk away. Come with me.”

  “I can’t.” His voice shook, but he resolve didn’t.

  “I assume you’re going to try to warn him about me. The only thing saving you today is that you’re my brother. If you do go back, I’m not sure I can go easy on you the next time we meet. Evil is evil. You can’t make excuses for it.” She changed back to herself and kicked the device out of his hands, enjoying the way it clattered along like a cheap toy.

  “It’ll be better if you never see me again,” she said as she went to retrieve her bike.

  Suddenly, she started laughing. Turning back, she went to the locker and pulled out the signature card that was in there still. She walked over to Justin and pulled a pen out of her jacket. “If you wouldn’t mind signing, I have things to do.”

  “Why are you different?”

  “If you mean, why am I not going around murdering and damaging people like you’ve been told? I guess you’re just lucky. Or maybe the luck is mine. I got to be the one who didn’t kill you today.” She adjusted her glasses and got on her bike. “Goodbye, big brother.”

  “Wait! Dylan, wait!”

  “There is no good excuse for bad behaviour,” she said. “You taught me that.”

  She didn’t look back, knowing it would break her heart. Just put the bike away. And the jacket, phone, bike. Away. She wanted to drop them and leave them where they lay, but she knew better. She ripped the back off the phone and pulled the battery now, instead of at her sea container. It couldn’t transmit from inside, but she didn’t want her container found. Pushing herself, she let programming push her forward. Though she wobbled as she rode, she went down the alleys she knew to be safe until she got there. She was tempted to close the door with herself inside, but self-preservation overrode desperation.

  Tucking the key in an interior pant pocket, she turned and looked to see which way home was. Why was she so drained? Yes, Justin was a shock, and wow, that device had been strong, but she lived. Where should she go to make sure that trend continued? Not home. Justin knew to look there.

  Chapter 21 // Into You

  Exhausted. That was the only word for what she felt right now. Later she might find the energy for other things, but right now all she wanted to do was nap. No, not nap. This felt like a deep and abiding need for serious sleep. And regardless of how Mitch took it, his place was closest. Safest. She walked as quickly as she could, though her feet slipped off the edge of the sidewalk more than once, banging her ankles each time. She must look drunk. Ringing his doorbell, she let herself drop into a squat. This was as far as she walked today, she thought. Maybe when he opened the door, she’d crawl. A few minutes later there was still no answer. Was he still back at her house, waiting? She turned and leaned up against the door, then pushed herself into the recessed corner.

  Maybe she should have taken him up on his key offer. She could have let herself in.

  He’d come home eventually, she sighed and closed her eyes, thinking she’d just wait there.

  Who would oppose her? He lived alone.

  It seemed like only a few minutes later that Mitch was rubbing her cheek and whispering for her to wake up. She looked up and saw the sun low on the horizon behind him, his silhouette crouching in front of her. How long had she slept?

  As she stood up, her legs shook, causing her to wobble.

  “Let’s get you inside.” Mitch wrapped his arm around her and helped her walk.

  Inside the door, she pulled her shoes off and staggered down the hallway to the room where she had first napped, pushed the door open, and let herself fall onto the bed.

  Simone was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

  When she woke up next, the room was dark. She took a long deep breath in and slowly sighed it out. She loved this room. She stretched her arms out to her side and stretched out her legs to match. It could be the middle of the day, and this room would be pitch black.

  One of the unexpected benefits of being all but invisible was that she could see in the dark. She didn’t know how that worked, and she didn’t care. She sat up and swung her legs off the edge of the bed, thinking she should go thank her host for letting her crash here.

  It would be easier than she thought, considering he was sitting, leaning back against the door. Why didn’t he use the big padded chair that was in here? Probably didn’t want to miss when she got up. She tiptoed over and crouched down near him. How many times have they woken up in the same room now? She rubbed her hand along his forearm.

  “Hey handsome, time to move,” she leaned in and whispered, not sure minding that she was feeling flirty right now.

  He looked at her and blinked a few times before standing up. “Ah, you’re up,” he said. “Next time, just use the bed.” She opened the door. “You must be sore.”

  “Some. You should eat. I made sandwiches. They’re in the fridge.”

  “Mmm, thank you.” She stretched and turned her torso, wondering why she was sore.

  She hadn’t slept on the floor. “Bathroom?”

  He pointed down a hall.

  “Thanks,” she said as she wandered that way.

  She didn’t take long, but she was ready to go back to sleep. Still, food was wise. And it felt rude to turn it down. Why didn’t she feel properly hungry? Simone covered a yawn as she walked into the kitchen, then stretched her arms over head, grabbing one wrist to pull the other arm up taller then switching.

  She caught Mitch staring and dropped her arms. “I’m so stiff. How long did I sleep?”

  “A few hours. You could probably use a bit more.”

  “I’m already tired. But your offer of food is good bait,” she winked.

  He smiled as he looked away. “You shouldn’t flirt. I might believe you.”

  She chuckled. “Don’t hate me if I fall asleep after eating. You’re not going to believe what happened… then again, you probably will.” She heaved a sigh even she found excessive.

  “Eat first, then
talk. Or eat, sleep, then talk,” he said.

  Their eyes met and she felt a sudden moisture from her eyes. Was she going to cry?

  He stood up and went to stand beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

  “Hey, it’s okay. Whatever it is, you’ll be okay,” he said softly, as he rubbed her back.

  “You’ll be okay.”

  He had no idea how soothing his words were, she mused. She turned and rested her forehead on his chest a moment. It helped, and as he embraced her, she made her mind up.

  She didn’t want to lose him, no matter how they met, or why. Maybe that’s how God made things fair.

  She looked up and smiled softly. She wasn’t sure how to express her gratitude. It was more than simple thankfulness. She wasn’t just grateful for what he did. She was grateful for who he was, that he existed, and that he found her. Someday she’d prove it.

  He turned away and pulled a plate toward her with a huge sandwich in the middle.

  “Food, as promised.”

  “Mmm, food. I like food,” she said, wondering where her brain suddenly went. She took a big bite, wanting to keep from embarrassing herself.

  He laughed, sounding relieved. “That’s a good sign.”

  She ate quickly, a little sad she wasn’t savouring it. The bread alone was amazing, made from a variety of grains and small nuts. Next she loaded up on water.

  “Wow, thirsty,” he observed.

  “I suspect I’m about to hibernate. I’m still exhausted. I’m going to need it.”

  “Let me get you another sandwich.”

  She raised her hands. “I’m good. Your version of a sandwich would feed me for a week. That one was perfect.”

  Simone stood, noting he’d finished his food too. “Nap time.” She held a hand out.

  “Tuck me in?”

  Shocked, he looked at her. “What?”

  “You’re going to hover anyway. You may as well come get some rest.”

  “Your trust is exponential today.”

  She smiled. “I suppose that’s part of it.” She leaned forward and took his hand. “I’m too tired to be tempted, so you’re safe.” It was a bit of a reversal, considering he was the one saying that sort of thing until now.