AIR Series Box Set

by Amanda Booloodian

  Closing my eyes, I thought of the Path. I remembered the gentle ripple that flowed through the world. The genial mix of colors and emotions that swirled through the landscape. I sighed, content on the memories.

  “Describe how you enter the Path.” Vincent's voice was calm, low, and soothing. Something I never expected.

  “Most of the time it takes no effort at all. I could slip into the Path because I was so used to doing it.”

  “What do you do when it does take effort?”

  I thought for a moment. “It's kind of hard to explain. I would do a short meditation on what I know the world to be. Our world. Then I reach for the edge of that knowledge. Where the knowable world stops. Then my mind stretches beyond that knowledge. Something snaps into place and I can see the Path.”

  “How long does that usually take?”

  “It used to take a few seconds. Always less than a minute.”

  I heard Vincent swallow hard, but he kept his voice steady. “And now?”

  I sighed. “It's unpredictable.”

  We sat quietly for a while, meditating. I thought over pulling a small piece of the Path instead of the whole thing. It didn't always work, but I itched to try again.

  I reached for the Path, slowly and carefully. I imagine a stone wall that only let a sliver of Path peek through.

  It worked.

  I opened my eyes. “It worked,” I said. “I thought of a way to block most of the Path.”

  Vincent watched me. I looked at him and he shifted uncomfortably, so I moved my gaze around the room. A dim light of the Path filled the area. Filled the world.

  “It's not as strong as it used to be,” I said.

  I took a deep breath and tried to pull a thicker stream through.

  It didn't work. The stone wall broke apart. The dim glimmer became a raging river storming over me. My breathing increased. Vincent reached forward. His intense concern crashed into me. I pulled myself back. When I closed my eyes, the bright light of the Path was still there. Concentrating hard, I pushed it away.

  The effort left me panting. Fatigue rolled over me.

  “Maybe we shouldn't try that again.” Vincent's voice was flat. I didn't need to look at him to know his features would be expressionless.

  “It was only our first time. I expected it to take longer.” That was a lie. I wanted a magic wand to be waved and for me to go back to normal. I yawned and stretched.

  “Do you want to try again?” Vincent asked.

  I nodded.

  “This time, feel for the power, but don't open yourself up to it.”

  That sounded like an easy concept, but the moment I tried, it was a struggle. I closed my eyes, felt for the Path, and tried to feel what the power was.

  “It's there,” I said, “but it twists out of reach.”

  “Don't try to force it, let it move to you.”

  Once I allowed myself to relax, the flow moved toward me. “It's like a ripple of water and silk.”

  “Is there anything else there?” Vincent asked.

  “I don't sense anything else,” I said.

  “What happens when you slowly take hold of the Path?” Vincent asked.

  Mentally, I stretched out toward the Path. Right before I reached it, I saw something.

  “There's a glimmer,” I said, “before I take hold.”

  “Describe it,” Vincent said in a calm voice.

  “The power is there, but when I reach to it, the Power is reflected back. It shines.”

  “Is there only one glimmer?”

  “No, it's like small diamonds glittering.”

  “I think this is the root of the problem.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, feeling the reflected power of the Path.

  “Your essence is the core of your power. It's been torn to pieces. Each of those pieces is reflecting the Path. It's amplifying your Power.”

  There was a quaver in the Path, as excitement broke my concentration. I was engulfed. Trying to use what little I had learned, I tried to step out of the Path, but it didn't work like that. The power coursed around me.

  My breathing increased. Vincent was talking, but I couldn't make it out. Battling back the Path took all my concentration. The Path clung to me, but with extreme effort, I pushed it away. My newfound excitement had already died.

  “That didn't work.” I was leaning against the couch trying to catch my breath. “Maybe we can try again later.”

  “I'm unable to find another solution. I've been talking to a friend, another Walker, and we've gone over and over what I've done.” Vincent stood up. “We hypothesized about what it would mean to pull out a soul and put it back. What it might mean if we repeated the process.”

  I shivered but said nothing. That sounded like the worst idea ever.

  “So far we've come up with nothing that might work,” he said.

  “Maybe it's something that will fix itself over time,” I suggested. “It's all there. Well, except for the piece you kept. Maybe it will pull itself back together?”

  Vincent's eyes darkened. “Why do you insist on the idea that Walkers keep a part of what we take from others?”

  I shrugged. “It's there inside you. I can see it. Surely, you can feel it.”

  “I—” He cut his words off and shook his head.

  I rolled my eyes. If he wanted to avoid the issue, that was fine by me.

  I stood up, stretched, and then headed for the kitchen. I needed food. I needed sleep. We all needed another break in the case.

  Gran arrived while I was throwing together sandwiches.

  Once he had food in front of him, Vincent concentrated on that, but the tightness in his eyes told me he was annoyed by our conversation. After dinner, he excused himself for the evening.

  Gran and I stayed up to talk for a while. She talked about her garden, playing bingo, and Dee Dee’s new boyfriend. It was a welcome reminder that the world was moving on around us while we worked the case.

  ***

  Gran looked amused when I made my way downstairs. “Vincent's out. I told him it would be better if he stuck around, but he didn't listen.”

  Everyone listened to Gran. Vincent would learn in time that her suggestions were always dead on.

  “He'll learn or he will live a life of regret.” I was surprised I hadn’t noticed that he was away.

  Gran laughed. “I was about to make breakfast.”

  If Vincent and I can be apart, maybe things were starting to settle down for my soul. That put a spring in my step.

  “I'll cook this morning. Pancakes? Eggs and bacon?”

  “Pancakes sound perfect.”

  We chatted while I pulled out our pancake recipe and whipped us up breakfast. Gran did most of the cooking, but I learned how from her and Mom while growing up. Cooking skills ran in the family as much as unnatural abilities did.

  “I should call the office before we eat,” I said, putting the plates on the table.

  “They'll call after a while.” Gran winked at me.

  Smiling, I dug into my breakfast.

  “Logan's having a family meeting this morning,” Gran said.

  “Did he call?”

  “He didn't have to.”

  “Pick up anything new on Vincent?” I asked.

  Gran hesitated.

  “Gran?”

  “I think that young man is having a difficult time. He’s easier to read when the two of you are together, but even then it’s difficult.”

  Thinking over the last week, it wasn’t surprising he was having a hard time. “I can understand that,” I said.

  Gran looked like she wanted to say more, but it was hard to tell. We cleaned up and Gran started another pot of coffee brewing. She brought down three travel mugs.

  “Any idea what we're up for today?” I asked.

  “Nothing specific yet.”

  “I'll get my gear ready. Just in case.”

  Gran's cat slunk into the room. He hissed at me as I walked by. My mood
sank a little, but I tried to ignore the cat. What did he know anyway?

  When I got back into the kitchen, Gran poured coffee, sugar, and milk into the tumblers. The phone rang and I sighed. Time to get the day started.

  “Cassie,” Barry was on the other end of the line, “I couldn't reach Logan on his cell, and I’ve got a job for your team.”

  Chapter 18

  “Of course, what's the job?” I replied.

  “We requisitioned an infrared scan of the area. Hank discovered property about an hour's drive from the Farm. According to tax records, the buildings are derelict. There is a mass of heat registering in one of the outbuildings. We're sending a team with you, but you all are going to take point on this.”

  “How many buildings are in the area?” I asked.

  “I'll send the images to your phone. The area is isolated. It could be a meth lab, so we're trying to get more satellite imagery before bursting in.” Last thing I needed was to be blown up in a meth lab. “Keep me informed. Back up will be heading your way. Get Logan and Vincent and get out there.”

  Barry hung up and I disconnected. The realization that I was in way over my head wasn't lost on me. We were either breaking up a methamphetamine lab or a kidnapping ring. Not exactly the relocation work that I was used to doing. I called Vincent back home, letting him know that we had a job, and then I walked over to Logan's house.

  Sounds of crashing came from inside before I had a chance to knock on the back door. Wishing I had my gun, I rushed in.

  Gerald was at the kitchen table reading, and barely looked up when I entered. “Hey, Cassie, Dad’s in the living room.”

  “What’s going on?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

  “Jon doesn’t want to leave his girlfriend and go to the Farm. I think he and Dad are coming up with a compromise of some sort.”

  “Does that mean you all are heading out to the Farm?” I asked.

  “Uh, I don't think so.”

  I headed toward the noise, thrown off by his lack of concern. My hand itched for my gun, but I forced myself to peer around the corner into the living room.

  Logan had Jonathan shoved into a wall. Each of them had a death grip on a spear. Jonathan tried to shove Logan off. He nearly succeeded, so Logan switched tactics. Instead of crushing the spear shaft across his son's chest, he pulled it forward, throwing Jonathan off balance. Before I knew it, Jonathan was pinned to the floor.

  “Dad, I’m heading to class,” Gerald called from the kitchen.

  “Sure thing,” Logan said, never taking his eyes off Jonathan.

  Gerald took off, but I was frozen to the spot. I'd never seen Logan fight with his son. I'd never seen anyone fight with a spear. Who the hell fights with a spear?

  Logan said something I didn't understand, and both men stopped struggling.

  “Nice work,” Logan said, pulling Jonathan to his feet.

  “You disarmed me,” Jonathan said. I looked around and noticed a spear sticking out of the wall next to the stairs.

  “Yeah, but I've had more practice. Unless you run across an elf, centaur, or some big guy, you'll be good. You see a minotaur, you run the other way.” Logan turned to me while Jonathan dug his spear out of the wall. “Howdy.”

  “Sorry to interrupt,” I said.

  “We were finishing up,” Logan said.

  “We have a job,” I said.

  Logan nodded and looked around the room. “Let's go ahead and leave these out,” Logan said, motioning to the spears. “Tomorrow, we'll go to the range and start gun training.” Logan turned to me again. “Let's saddle up.”

  “Vincent's on his way. Grab your stuff and I'll meet you at my house.”

  Surprisingly, when Logan got to my house, Jonathan was in tow with a spear in hand. Gran raised an eyebrow at Logan and he winked at her.

  “We'll talk on the way,” I said, gear in hand. “Gran, anything for us?”

  “Check the corners and hide behind something,” Gran said.

  “Any idea what we're hiding from?” Logan asked.

  “None at all,” Gran said.

  Logan took a serious look at Jonathan when he said his goodbyes. They had a short exchange and we were out the door. Vincent arrived while we were checking inventory of equipment, and without a word, he joined us and we headed to the Farm.

  At the front gate, the other team met us. We put on our ear bud communicators, pulled up the location, and led the team out.

  My stomach flip-flopped as we moved closer to our destination.

  “Have you all done this before?” I asked. “I've never been involved in the lead team of a tactical group.”

  “Well,” said Logan, “I've led warriors into battle and I've led small groups of people around in the field. I don't expect this to be much different.”

  Looking at Logan, I tried to see if he was joking. He led people into battle? My Logan? Logan moved his head and upper body to the beat of a nonexistent song.

  “I've led many teams out west. Not that they've enjoyed taking directions from me,” Vincent said. “We'll do fine.”

  “Sure,” I said, “I'll follow your lead.”

  The trip was forty minutes of stomach-wrenching nerves. My hands started trembling. Vincent suggested that we try to meditate again on the way. It was a distraction that worked. My mind was so preoccupied with fighting that I forgot to be nervous.

  Logan pulled us out of our reverie to discuss tactics.

  “Let's bring up the aerial imaging again,” Vincent said.

  Pulling out my phone, I scrolled out to get an aerial view. Vincent and I leaned over it.

  “Only one road in,” Vincent said. “Both vehicles will go straight in. We'll have the guys following us to the right of the building with the heat signatures. We'll pull to the left. Some can search the other outbuilding. We'll take a few agents to cover the back of the building with the heat signatures. We go in through the front. Any objections?”

  “Should be four men in the back of the building,” Logan added. “Two at each corner to watch the back and sides. Two men should look over the front in case something slips out.”

  Sitting back and listening is not my strong suit, but I knew nothing about this type of operation. I didn't even watch crime shows on TV anymore.

  “That leaves four men to search the remaining buildings,” Vincent said.

  “There were no heat signatures from the other buildings. Someone might be in the old house, so they could concentrate in that area, and then fan out,” Logan said.

  “Sounds logical,” Vincent said. He started doling out orders through the coms unit as we hit the gravel road that led to the area we were infiltrating.

  We pulled to a stop and jumped out of the truck. My heart, already beating rapidly, started trying to break out of my chest.

  Moving toward our positions was eerily quiet. Only rushed footfalls and the beating of my heart could be heard. The moment I was in place, I signaled Vincent, who was steps away from me. I tapped my forehead. Concern tightened the corner of his eyes, but he nodded and I opened the Path.

  The Path came with an ease that I hadn't felt since I met Vincent. I didn't open myself up all the way to it, but what I saw finally made me useful again in the field.

  Anxious traces from our team flowed around, as older traces were interlaced. I could see a well-worn path between the house and the barn that Logan, Vincent, and I were about to enter. I quietly relayed the information and Vincent redistributed a few people.

  There were other traces, but they were older and harder to explain. Too many Paths flowed through the same area. Some of the Paths held fear, others anxiety, and still others hinted at a twisted dark excitement. The barn itself felt wrong. The wood that enclosed the barn was saturated with despair.

  I felt trepidation as I relayed the information and dropped the Path. I didn't want to press my luck and become a liability if the Path overwhelmed my senses.

  I didn't want to be in the barn. The feeling was
so strong that I almost said it aloud, but where my partners went, I went. I pulled my gun. Vincent did a quiet countdown and the uncertain silence lost out to the yells of agents identifying themselves. I chambered a round and Vincent kicked in the door before the announcement cleared his lips.

  Logan and I did a tactical entry, the person to the right of the door inspecting the left arch of the room, the person on the left side sweeping the right arch. Once it was clear, we entered. Vincent was behind us.

  Despair leached into my skin the moment we stepped inside. We each moved around the dim barn looking for signs of life. This part of the job I had practice with. It's sometimes hard to root out a Lost from a building. I took in my surroundings, looking for possible suspects or captives. I covered the horse stalls while Logan and Vincent started for the few enclosed rooms.

  We were virtually silent. I wanted some noise to push back the bleakness of the barn, but I didn't dare break the silence. I went stall by stall. A few were empty, but in others, I discovered empty cages or chains, along with a horrid stench. By the last stall, I pushed back tears. The Lost were held prisoner here. Kept locked in cages like animals. I was sure of it. Kept locked in cages like animals.

  Pushing back the revulsion from the barn was difficult, but it left me with enmity, which propelled me into action.

  “Clear,” I whispered. The earpiece would pick up my voice without jarring the others out of their search.

  Joining Logan on the other side, we made quick work of the front of the barn. The rooms were similar to the stalls, mostly empty, but with cages and chains latched to walls. Logan's fury increased with each room. In the last one, there were only chains that had been pulled out of the wall. There was also blood smeared across the floor. There weren’t many things that I could think of that would be able to pull chains out of the wall like this. It was probably jumping to conclusions, but I hoped that the minotaur took one of the people behind this travesty down and not the other way around. Logan's rage stormed around him and his emotion was intense, but I felt no need to move away. His anger fed my own.

  “Clear,” Logan said. He didn't bother to whisper. I don't think he could at this point.

  Vincent was at work in the room at the back of the barn. We checked in with him. There was a lot of hay to look through, but it was clear so far. After reminding him to check the corners, as Gran advised, we set to work.