by Rach Elle
Zeff crossed the living room and reached Simon. “Agreed,” he said as he knelt down and latched onto the doctor’s shoulders. He lifted him to his feet and draped one arm over his shoulder for support. Carefully, Zeff led Simon upstairs.
Kingsley stood nervously on the opposite side of the room as Junior. He didn’t want to leave the castle, but he knew he had to retrieve Elizabeth. She was probably still waiting outside the hotel, worried sick. He furrowed his brow. He also didn’t want to leave Junior in the state he was in nor did he want to leave his Responsibility’s side. Although, Junior had made it perfectly clear that he was not to go near Awilda again. He would watch over her only from a distance. She was probably scared to death of him anyway. With a sigh he lifted his cell phone to see the time and noticed he had a voicemail. He raised the phone to his ear and listened.
Cooper was still standing in the corner with her arms folded in front of her. She was eyeing the Limrid with disdain as he looked at her curiously. She wanted to punch his face in for even facing her direction, but he’d probably just throw a recliner at her or something. She glanced over at Kingsley who had been listening to a voicemail on his cell phone. “Who could that be at this late hour?” She asked as she rolled her eyes.
“Bawls,” Kingsley choked, his face suddenly very pale, “he called to say he saw me leave Elizabeth at the hotel on the DAA’s computer, so he’s picking her up and bringing her here.” He neglected to say what else was undoubtedly seen on that video. He suddenly felt very ill.
“How nice of him,” Cooper scoffed, “Once he gets here you can all leave… and never come back.” She looked around with a furrowed brow, “And where the hell are Alvin and Mason?”
3
“According to the IP the computer is in this room.” Mason and Alvin stopped on the fourth story landing of the fire escape.
“Then let’s go.” Alvin reached for the window.
“Wait!” Mason stopped him. “We have to be careful. There could be people in there.”
Even though it was in the middle of the night they could tell the United Financial building was inhabited by employees. The lights were on in various upper floor rooms and more than one car was parked outside along the street. Judging by the late hour they could deduce that there weren’t any bankers working tonight; they were members of the Dark Angel Alliance; the underground agency that United Financial masked. And from what Mason had heard, the DAA were not fans of intrusion. If he and Alvin got caught they could be in a serious blunder.
“The light is off,” Alvin whispered. “See? Look through the opening in the curtain, there’s no one in there.” He latched onto the bottom of the window and heaved it upward, allowing the heat from the room to escape and warm their frozen faces instantly.
Carefully, Alvin climbed into the dark office space. Minimal light peered into the room through the cracks in the door. He could hear people walking up and down the hallway. Mason climbed in after him, “This looks good.” He whispered.
“What?”
“The room is dark and empty. If someone had seen the footage of Kingsley shifting don’t you think there’d be more commotion right now?”
“Let’s just erase the footage and get out of here.”
“Right.”
A loud truck barreled down the street and over a large pothole. Its carriage clunked and bounced and sent a metallic crashing sound echoing through the window and into the room. Alvin and Mason both darted back to the window to shut it as quickly as they could and threw the heavy curtains closed; hoping no one in the hall heard the noise. They both held their breaths and stayed perfectly still for a moment before exhaling in relief. Thankfully no one had heard the untimely truck.
Mason headed to the computers. “I don’t know which one is the correct IP,” he scratched his head. “One has the streaming footage, and the other has the tracer.”
“Just turn them both on and erase everything.”
“I’m not just erasing, I’m looping the footage prior to the shift so no one will know that it was erased. It’s a lot more technical than you think.”
“I’ll marvel at your brilliance later.”
Mason pulled a penlight out of his pocket and began looking for the power button on the first computer. “You know, you didn’t have to come up here. You could have just waited in the car…”
“Wait!” Alvin held up his hand to cut his friend off, “Listen.”
A small clinking was heard coming from outside; a steady rhythm that continued to grow louder and louder. “What is that?” Alvin asked.
“Shit,” Mason cursed as he dropped the penlight on the desk, “someone’s climbing the fire escape. We have to hide.”
“Now hold on, we’ve got the curtain closed so they can’t see us. We’re fine.”
“What if they’re coming in here?”
“Bullocks.”
“It could happen.”
“If it does then I’ll eat my hat.”
“You’re not wearing a hat.”
“Fine, then I’ll eat my left shoe.”
The clinking sound was almost directly outside of the window. Both Alvin and Mason held their breaths as it approached the fourth story landing. The boys could hear the heavy beating of their hearts as the noise suddenly stopped. Nothing moved. The air was thick and the silence deafening as they stared at the heavy drapery that shielded them from whoever stood on the other side. A whisper escaped Alvin’s lips, “No. Fucking. Way.”
A grunt sounded from outside as someone tried to lift the window open. The boys scrambled, looking for places to hide. They couldn’t leave the room; there were too many people out there. Mason tried to hide behind a fake palm tree in the corner but he was too obvious. Alvin tried to crouch next to a filing cabinet but it was too small. The man outside grunted again and heaved the window open. Mason darted across the room and slid underneath one of the desks, hoping the shadows were enough to mask him. Alvin still searched frantically. The second desk was too close to the window and guarded by a chair. There wasn’t any way he could get under there in time. The other two desks had boxes of files stacked underneath. He reconsidered the filing the cabinet idea when a leg shot through the curtains. Shit! He was out of time. Just as the man climbed inside Alvin did the only thing he could think to do; he star-fished himself against the wall; plastering his back to the surface with his arms and legs stretched out to either side. He remained perfectly still, hoping to blend into the… nothing. There was nothing for him to blend into. He cursed himself. They hadn’t been on the job for more than ten minutes and he’d already made a real hash out of it.
The man stumbled into the room and had to take a second to steady himself. Man, he looked like shit. His suit was torn and his face was busted to high heaven. Thankfully, he turned and headed directly toward a computer; not noticing Alvin star-fished against a wall. The man sat down at the desk next to the one Mason was hiding under, turned the computer on and pulled open the top drawer. He began feeling around in there blindly until his other hand rested on Mason’s penlight. He held it up in front of his face to locate the button and pressed it. The small light seared through the darkness and the man began rifling through the drawer at a quicker pace. Finally, he pulled out a small piece of paper and used it to enter a pass code into the computer.
Alvin could barely see the screen. As quietly as he could, he shimmied a few steps to his left until the computer screen came into full view. The man began watching the satellite footage from earlier in the night. Alvin could see Junior and Awilda leaving the hotel; but it wasn’t until a few minutes later that Kingsley and Elizabeth exited. Alvin didn’t know what to do. He tried to think. What would Bawls do? He’d probably eat a sandwich. What would Cooper do? She’d probably call Zeff. And Zeff? Well, he’d knock the guy out cold, destroy the computer and make the problem disappear. Yeah, let’s go with Zeff’s plan. He began looking around the room for a blunt object he could use to knock this guy out when he caught sight of a plant sitting
on top of the filing cabinet. He carefully crossed the room and grabbed the pot.
Mason’s eyes widened at the realization of what Alvin was about to do. He tried to shake his head and wave his arms without catching the man’s attention. He wanted to jump up and stop Alvin. The last thing they needed was a commotion in here; something to catch the attention of others.
Alvin slowly and quietly began stalking his prey. He closed in on the man at the computer and raised the potted plant over his head, preparing to thrust it downward on the base of his skull when the man suddenly wheeled backward. Alvin jumped back and almost dropped the plant. He regained his composure and watched as the man rewound and played the shifting scene again. Alright Vin, Alvin thought, it’s now or never. He raised the plant again as the man turned to his right and reached into another drawer.
As soon as the man turned away Mason quickly climbed out from underneath the desk and reached his hands out to catch the potted plant mid-air. The boys looked at each other, each stunned by the other one. Alvin tried to pull the plant out of Mason’s hands, but Mason wouldn’t let go. They widened their eyes at each other. Alvin began nodding, Mason began shaking his head. Neither one of them would budge.
The man finished downloading the footage onto a flash drive and erasing it from the computer. He stood from his chair and placed the flash drive into an envelope and then into his pocket.
The boys froze. As soon as the man turned around he would surely see them. They didn’t know where to go. Alvin looked to Mason and motioned for them to move backward. With neither of the boys willing to let go of the plant, they slowly backed up to the wall, and pressed their backs against the plaster.
The man achingly turned and climbed through the window. He closed it behind him and descended down the fire escape; the clinking sound growing further and further away.
The boys stood for a moment in complete disbelief. Finally, they relaxed, exhaled and dropped their hands; both forgetting about the plant. It fell to the ground and the ceramic pot shattered on impact; the sounded resonating throughout the room and into the hall. Without hesitation the boys ran to the window and jumped onto the fire escape before anyone could see them.
4
“Are you ready yet?” Bawli sat next to Elizabeth on the sidewalk, listening to her regulated breathing and trying not to upset her again. How was he supposed to know she had a fear of flying?
“What about your car?” Elizabeth asked.
Bawli shrugged, “It’s not mine.”
“whose is it?”
“The bloke I stole it from.”
“Oh, Bawli, that wasn’t right.” Elizabeth was stalling. The concrete beneath her dug into her tailbone like a thousand needles, but she was willing to bear the pain if it meant she wouldn’t have to fly.
“I’ll return it to its rightful spot after things calm down. But for now we need to get you to the castle. Kingsley is expecting you, I’m sure.”
“You think he’s okay?”
Bawli nodded, “He looks like a tough old man; I’m sure he’s fine.”
Elizabeth looked up at the building they were about to climb. “You probably think I’m silly for being afraid to fly.”
“Not at all; we’re all scared of something. Have you never flown with Junior or Kingsley?”
Elizabeth shook her head, “Never.”
“Well, that’s why you’re scared then; you’ve never done it before. I’ve never done a juggling act while walking a tightrope. I’m sure I’d be nerve-wracked if I had to try it right now. Think of this as an adventure. Come on, then.” He held out his hand, palm up.
Elizabeth tried to keep herself calm. She took a deep breath then forced herself to take Bawli’s hand. He smiled, his lips stretching across his boyish face and the white of his teeth glistening under the dim streetlamp. He stood and helped her to her feet. He pulled her out of the light, turned, and bent down so she could wrap her arms around his shoulders.
Bawli began scaling the building’s wall; his bare fingers digging into the brick surface. Elizabeth held on as tightly as she could, pressing her body to his back and nuzzling her face into his neck. Soon the two were off the ground. She began to panic as they climbed higher and higher.
“It’s alright Elizabeth,” Bawli cooed, feeling her body tensing.
“Lizzie.”
“What?”
Elizabeth spoke with a muffled voice, “My friends call me Lizzie.”
Bawli smiled to himself, “I’m happy to join the club, Lizzie.”
Bawli and Elizabeth reached the rooftop and he set her down gently. He walked a few steps before clenching his fists and tightening every muscle in his body. He began to convulse uncontrollably and Elizabeth watched as his flesh boiled and his body morphed. His feet grew into dinosaur-like claws, his ears pointed and lengthened, his eyes burned red until suddenly wings and a tail shot out from his back and he arched backward in release.
Elizabeth waited for Bawli to get his bearings before he turned to face her. She couldn’t help but smile. His ears were pointed like Junior’s, but they were much longer. So long, in fact, that the tips drooped to the sides like a curious puppy.
“Are you ready?” He asked.
Elizabeth’s smile disappeared as she imagined what she was about to do. A lump began forming in her throat; she cleared it. “Believe it or not,” she began, “flying is on my bucket list. I suppose now is as good of a time as any.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to fight off the oncoming fatigue again. Her spells were becoming more frequent.
Bawli lowered his brow and watched the old woman close her eyes and sway a little before steadying herself. He suddenly felt very sad. “Have you told Junior?” He asked.
Elizabeth looked to him, “Told him what?”
“That you’re sick.”
Elizabeth recoiled instantly, her eyes whipping back and forth as if scanning her brain for some memory where she may have let on…
“I saw you coming.” Bawli interrupted her thought process. She looked to him again, shocked, confused, and a little nervous. “I have dreams,” he tried to explain. “I would like to call them premonitions, but they don’t always come true. And they don’t really predict the future or anything, but every once in a while I see a person and then the next day; voila; there they are. I saw you in my dream Lizzie, and you weren’t well.”
“What was I doing in your dream?” She heard herself ask.
Bawli shook his head, “Nowt. But that’s not unusual. I didn’t even see your face. I mostly see the backs of people. I see their hair, their shoulders; sometimes I see full bodies, but not always. And they’re always glowing different colors. Somehow I always know what each color means.”
“What was my color?”
“Green; dark green.”
“But you didn’t see my face,” Elizabeth pointed out. “How could you know it was me?”
“I just do; somehow I do. I’ve had this – gift – for my entire life Lizzie, it’s nothing new.”
Another lump formed in Elizabeth’s throat; she swallowed it. “When you see people in your dreams; does it usually mean something? Like…” Her small voice trailed off.
“Like you’re going to die?” Bawli finished her thought. She nodded slowly. “When I have these dreams all I know is that this person is going to come into my life. When or why, I don’t have the answer for; but that is all that I take away from my dreams. I have yet to have a premonition about death in all my years. I’d be gobsmacked if I started now.” He watched as she took his words and processed them. She wrapped her arms around her torso and looked out into the night sky. “It’s up to you,” Bawli continued, “but perhaps Junior should know; after what happened with his mum, and all.”
“How do you know about Junior’s mom?”
“When Cooper did some recon on all of you. We know most of his history. It couldn’t have been easy on him, at such a young age.”
“No, it wasn’t,” she sho
ok her head, “but that was a long time ago. He’s much older now; more capable of dealing with loss.”
“Ah, but lest you forget Lizzie, he’s a shifter; suspended in time; sometimes in more ways than you think.”
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes playfully at the large gargoyle in front of her. “You’re much wiser than I gave you credit for.”
“Glad to know you thought I was stupid,” he winked. “Now, are you ready to go? Face your fear?”
Elizabeth took a deep breath. “You’re not going to drop me, are you?”
Bawli chuckled, “Of course not.”
“Do you promise?”
“Yes.” When it was clear Elizabeth was still unsure, he continued. “Look Lizzie, if any harm came to you I’d have to deal with Junior. And I don’t know if you’ve seen the size of that bloke lately, but I think I’d rather stay on his good side, yeah? Putting you in danger would be like branding a bull in the ass. I don’t want those horns, believe me.” His heart jumped a little at the small sound of her laughter. Finally, she looked to him with her soft eyes and nodded.
Bawli swooped Elizabeth into his arms and stood at the ledge. Elizabeth buried her face in his shoulder. “You know what I love about flying?” He asked. “It’s peaceful; free from pain, regret and poor choices. When I’m flying the city and all its beauty belongs to me and only me.”
Bawli jumped off the ledge and his wings caught the wind, lifting them higher and soaring them through the air. Elizabeth kept her eyes squeezed shut as she felt the breeze whisk pass her face and comb through her silver hair.
“Open your eyes.” Bawli told her. She shook her head. “Trust me; you don’t want to miss this.”
Elizabeth inhaled deeply and slowly opened her eyes. The bright lights of the city center lit the night sky beneath them. She gasped in awe of the beauty and expanse of the world below. She could see the streets and the vehicles that covered them but the sounds disappeared before reaching her ears. Bawli was right; up here everything was peaceful; serene. Her eyes widened and her lips parted in a smile at the exhilaration she never expected to feel in the arms of a gargoyle she’d only just met.