Gargoyles I, II, III: Dark Angel Alliance

by Rach Elle

  The air was cold and brisk with a slight breeze. Clouds hovered in the sky without threat of rain but pedestrians carried umbrellas just in case.

  Rue began her trek toward her new motorcycle. As she neared it’s designated covered parking spot her nerves started to make her shake. She could feel the anticipation of what was held in the manila folder spiking along every inch of her skin. At the last moment she shoved her keys into her zippered jacket pocket and turned around. Her new toy would have to wait. Today she was going to walk to work. Maybe that would help clear her head.

  Rue reached the United Financial building and stopped in front of the set of stone stairs that led to the glass front doors. She pictured herself walking inside; through the foyer and entering the elevators where she would wait for them to open to the fourth floor. She checked the clock on her phone. It was an hour before she was scheduled to show up for the day. She figured Roderick would be sitting at his desk; plugging away at whatever the hell it was he did to pass the time. But Jerry wouldn’t even be there yet. Neither would the other chick on her team; what was her name? Shit. She’d forgotten. She was never very good at names. Hell, she was pretty sure she called Madge Margo during her entire first week with the Finders. At least that was somewhat close.

  Rue stood on the sidewalk, still staring at the entrance to United Financial. She could feel the presence of every passerby. Some of them grazed against her and others dodged her completely. The wind picked up only slightly but just enough to rustle through her ponytail. Her eyes slowly drifted downward at the envelope in her hands. She was due into work in an hour, but Sunders Harper usually showed up well after. Could she really wait that long? She wouldn’t be able to concentrate with this envelope sitting on her desk. Not to mention the fact that Jerry and what’s-her-face would probably have questions about it. She wouldn’t tell them anything, of course. But that would only make them more interested. Jerry would probably back off at request, but the other one wouldn’t. She would just badger and badger… Ugh. She scoffed. What’s-her-face was such a bitch.

  Finally, Rue’s eyes hardened and she made her decision. She pivoted swiftly on her right foot and continued walking. She knew exactly where she was headed; four blocks ahead and a left down ‘M’.

  40

  Awilda’s eyes flitted open to a sight she wasn’t used to seeing; a stone fireplace against the wall. It took her only a moment to remember she wasn’t in her bedroom. She rolled onto her back and stretched upward, realizing she was completely naked and under the covers of Junior’s bed. A smile sprawled across her face as she thought of the night before; his touch and caress; the sincerity in his eyes when she took him into her. A feeling of triumph washed over her body as she realized she’d conquered her fear; being intimate with him. She hadn’t had the confidence in herself; she didn’t believe she could ever be enough for Junior. But after last night she felt like she could take on the world. He gave her that strength. Speaking of which, her head whipped back and forth and her brows creased in sudden concern – where was he?

  A tiny, fleeting sensation swept over her. Did he leave her? Maybe she was wrong; maybe she wasn’t enough.

  Her eyes darted to the sound of the bathroom door opening and her heart jumped into her throat. Seconds later Junior emerged; fully nude. Her shoulders relaxed and she eased back into the mattress, taking in the sight of him. There wasn’t an inch of him that didn’t look like it had been carved out of stone; from his broad shoulders down to the ‘V’ in his abdomen that sloped toward his manhood. She could feel her lips part uncontrollably as she stared at him. God, he was beautiful.

  “Like what you see?” He chuckled as he approached the bed before climbing inside.

  Awilda blushed as he inched his way toward her until their bodies were almost touching. He placed his hand on the side of her face and gently combed his fingers through the hair just above her ear. “Sorry,” she averted her eyes from his sculpted shoulders, “It’s just that you’re so…” she searched for the right word, “Perfect.”

  He smiled, “Funny; I was just about to say the same thing about you.”

  She looked up into his eyes for a moment before he leaned forward and softly kissed her lips. She didn’t shy away from the contact and allowed him to pull her close until her bare chest pressed against his. She swooned in his arms and her skin trembled beneath his touch. That triumphant feeling resurfaced as Junior proceeded to give all he had to her; again.

  41

  Sunders sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his face with his dry hands, trying to force his bloodshot eyes to see straight. He jolted suddenly as a knock sounded against his door. Instantly his head throbbed and he cursed whoever stood on the other side. Pissed off, he stood and crossed his studio flat. He realized he wasn’t exactly dressed for company; only a pair of loose hanging sweatpants stood between him and his visitor, but he didn’t care. He didn’t bother to grab a shirt, comb his hair or dab on some cologne. He was going to just tell them to fuck off anyway.

  He reached for the knob just as the knock sounded again. He clenched his teeth, ready to unleash the wrath of a massive hangover, and whipped the door open.

  Sunders’ expression instantly disintegrated from deadly to surprised at the sight of Rue standing just outside his door. He wasn’t entirely sure why, but he sucked in his stomach; transforming his gut from a beer belly to a flat abdomen with a hint of a four pack. His hazy, still slightly intoxicated brain had never worked so quickly as it registered her demeanor as nervous.

  “Rue,” he breathed, “Are you alright?”

  She looked to him with her same, hard eyes. But something was different about them today. They weren’t strong and impenetrable. He had a feeling that if he asked the question again that wall she sported would crumble. He supposed this was the most vulnerable he’d ever seen her. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” She asked, trying to conceal any emotion in her voice.

  He stepped to the side and motioned for her to enter.

  As Rue walked into his flat, Sunders quickly grabbed a t-shirt off his dresser. As soon as she turned her back he bunched the fabric against his nose to make sure there wasn’t an offensive odor before putting it on.

  He stood for a moment, watching her fidget with her ponytail. A look of concern spread across his face. “Why don’t you have a seat,” he motioned for her to sit on the edge of his unmade bed. She did and he joined her; their shoulders far from touching.

  “When we were at lunch,” she began with a deep breath, “You asked me how I got involved with the DAA.” He followed her line of sight down to a manila envelope sitting in her lap. “You probably noticed I didn’t tell you the whole truth.”

  He thought back to her extremely vague answer, “I had a feeling.”

  “Well,” her hands shook as she lifted the envelope and passed it over to him, “This is why I became a Protector.”

  Sunders slowly opened the envelope to see a large photo of a girl. She was stunning with long, bright red locks and huge green eyes. She looked young; maybe early twenties? In fact, his eyes jumped from the photo to Rue and then back again, she strongly resembled the girl sitting on his bed. Like Rue 2.0.

  “Who is she?” He asked somberly.

  “She’s my sister; fraternal twin, actually. Her name is Annie,” her voice began to quiver. “She went missing about seven years ago.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Me too.”

  He looked into her slightly aged, green eyes, “She’s the reason you became a Protector?”

  Rue nodded, “My sister and I always had a weird relationship. We loved each other whole heartedly, but there was always this tension between us; mostly created by our parents. See,” she motioned with her hands as she spoke, “Even though we were twins we couldn’t be more different. She was perfect at everything; school, popularity, friends, boyfriends, and – what was probably the most important in our parents’ eyes – purity.

  “I, on the other han
d,” her shoulders slumped forward, “Was just the opposite. I hated school, never had many friends and I wasn’t exactly known as the girl you’d take home to mom; if you know what I mean.” She looked up to see Sunders sincerely listening to her words; it eased her anxiety just a little. “Anyway,” she continued, “We were both attending the same college; a campus not far from our home. No way would our dad allow his perfect Annie to wander too far. And me, well, I didn’t really have my choice of schools. I was lucky that one accepted my application.”

  Her eyes grew distant. “I remember the call from my mom. It was Sunday evening and I was pretty baked in my dorm room. It took me a few minutes to truly process the fear in her voice. Annie always took the bus home every Sunday morning for brunch. But this time she never showed. And she wasn’t answering her phone.” A sad smile reached her lips. “And there I was; actually happy about it. I wasn’t thinking the worst. I just figured Annie screwed up – finally; a chink in her armor.

  “After coming down from my high I put on my shoes and headed toward her sorority house. God, I hated that house. Those girls always turned their noses up at me. I knocked on the door, getting ready to curse out my sister for making me go there. But when the door opened the first question I was asked was, ’Where’s Annie?’”

  Rue looked back at Sunders, unbelieving she was telling this story. She didn’t like to think about it, let alone talk. But this man needed to know where she came from. It was the only way he would be able to help her. Because as much as she hated to admit it; Sunders Harper was her last chance.

  “The house had had a party the night before. Annie was never seen again.” She shook her head, as if trying to rid her brain of the memories. “Having to face my parents after that was pure torture. I can remember the look on my dad’s face; like he couldn’t understand why it had happened to her and not me. Not that I could blame him; I was reckless and careless and just plain stupid most of the time.

  “I started looking into her disappearance; you know, playing detective. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing but I was convinced that if anyone was going to find her it would be her twin. We’d always had this weird connection and something inside me told me she was alive.

  “I’m still not entirely sure how, but I ended up stumbling upon a pattern that connected Annie’s disappearance with other disappearances of college students within a fairly wide radius. I travelled all over to talk to anyone that might have seen something. Most of the time they were dead ends; until one account led me to a car service. That little piece of information opened the floodgates. Suddenly I had routes, names, and pending destinations.

  “I tailed the service one night. They didn’t pick up any unsuspecting victims or anything. Nothing illegal as far as I could tell. But I waited for the two men to get out of the car before bugging the interior carriage with some cheap device I bought at a P.I. wannabe store. The thing cut out the moment they were more than a mile away. But I was able to tail them just long enough to hear a few key words; DAA and Creators.

  “After that I was able to gather information on the Dark Angel Alliance. Mostly ancient history, but it was clear the organization still existed in some form. I became convinced that my sister had been abducted by the Creators. Problem was, as difficult as it was to dig up information on Protectors and Finders it was damn near impossible to find anything that would suggest the Creators were still in existence.”

  “Aye,” Sunders said softly, “They were kept a secret even from the other factions. I just learned about them, myself.”

  Rue’s brows popped, “You know about the Creators?”

  Sunders nodded, “They had a facility just outside Las Vegas, Nevada.”

  Rue smiled, “See? That’s why I need you.”

  The Scotsman furrowed his brow, “Why?”

  “Because you’re the best Finder there is. You can find my sister.”

  “Whoa,” Sunders held up his hands, “Slow down. I find supernatural creatures; not missing persons.” He watched as her face fell slightly. He exhaled a breath of regret for his next words. “You know about the explosion at that facility several weeks ago. If your sister was in there, what makes you think she even survived?”

  Rue shrugged, “Remember that weird twin thing I was telling you about? It’s hard to explain, but it’s like I can still feel her. My brain tells me every day that she’s gone forever; but my gut just doesn’t agree. It’s the same feeling I had a year after her disappearance. My parents finally conceded to a memorial service for Annie. I felt like I was the only one still holding out hope; as hopeless as it seemed. That’s the last time I saw my mom and dad.” Her voice softened and her eyes drifted to the floor. “I vowed to them that I would find Annie; and I wouldn’t return home without her. They objected, of course, but there wasn’t any way I could go on living a normal life without her.

  “I spent the next year working my ass off; learning how to fight and shoot; learning the art of interrogation; working my way closer and closer to becoming a Protector.”

  “Why not join the Finders?” Sunders asked.

  “Two reasons,” she began, “The Finders were located here in England. It seemed nearly impossible to me to find her from a different continent. And also because in order to join any faction you need to have a certain skill set. Like I said, I was never very book-smart. No way would the Finders even consider me. But blunt force? Turns out I’m pretty fluent in that language.”

  She watched as Sunders stared down at the picture of her sister. He hadn’t even looked behind to see the little amount of research she’d done herself. Not that it mattered; he already knew everything she did; location and abductors. But she could see a look of regret in his eyes, like he was about to tell her it was all a waste of time. Fear stabbed at her chest. “Look,” she began, only one step above begging on her knees, “I know it’s not your normal case. But I can’t shake this feeling that my sister is out there somewhere. And if that’s true, and she did escape the facility, she probably didn’t escape without some scars. We both know the kinds of things Creators are capable of. If she’s alive then she’s more than likely what that faction calls a DayWalker; a human that they experimented on, trying to create supernatural capabilities.” Her voice carried a tone of disdain. “So you see; she’s really not that far out of your realm of investigating.”

  “Roderick’s team is on the case,” he said without looking at her.

  She shook her head, “You know as well as I do that’s not going to get me anywhere. Rod surfs the internet all day, Jerry couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag and then there’s what’s-her-face,” she waved her hands around.

  Sunders crinkled his nose, “Savannah?”

  “Yes,” she sat upright, “Savannah; thank you.” She tried to embed the name in her brain. Her voice softened, “Please Sonny,” she pleaded. “You’re my only chance.” She stared into his green eyes as dead silence walked the tightrope between them. She opened her mouth to speak again, but the sudden quivering in her throat wouldn’t allow her words to escalate past a whisper. “I know it’s a lot to ask,” she suppressed the tears that threatened to fill her lower lids. “But this means everything to me. Please; at least try.”

  Sunders looked down at the photograph of Annie Jones again. His chest ached at the image. He felt like he was staring into the eyes of young, innocent Rue. But those years she’d spent as a Protector, in constant search of her twin had changed her. Her eyes were hard and aged now. Her persona was blunt, harsh and direct. He cursed the Creators. Hell, he cursed the Dark Angel Alliance for doing this to her. Finally, he took a deep breath and conceded, “I will try.”

  42

  Bawli entered the kitchen and headed for the refrigerator. He needed to grab the butter and jam for this morning’s breakfast. Normally he and Elizabeth would have had their meal on the balcony off of his bedroom; staring at the apple orchard in the distance. But today was different. Tonight he would be the one to meet with Bill
Maines; the big man of the Finders division. Elizabeth had insisted that today everyone eat breakfast together. She insisted it was for the purpose of community. But he had a feeling she just wanted him to be recognized for what he was about to do. He smiled to himself; she was always in his corner.

  He latched onto the refrigerator door and prepared to open it when his ears perked at a small sound. He looked over his shoulder and listened intently. A moment later he heard it again; laughing. His eyes narrowed and focused on the pantry across the room. Quietly, he approached the closed door; the giggling growing louder. Once the pantry’s knob was in his grasp a devilish smile plastered across his face as he whipped the door open. A look of shock struck every facial feature he had at the sight of an equally stunned Cooper. She jumped back at his reveal and looked to her right; as if someone else should have been in there with her. But she was alone.

  “What were you doing?” Bawli asked.

  After a few seconds of catching her breath she copped a sudden attitude, “Taking an inventory; blatantly.”

  He crooked a brow, “Inventory?”

  “Yeah; what, you think our kitchen is just magically stocked? Someone has to replenish.”

  “You need a dark, enclosed space for that?”

  Cooper charged out of the pantry. “You want to take over this responsibility? Be my bloody guest.” She quickly headed out of the kitchen; fixing her hair and adjusting her blouse along the way.

  Bawli entered the dining room with tubs of butter and jam in his hands. He stopped short at the change in demeanor at the table. Cooper sat at the head, as per usual. To her left sat Zeff, an empty seat for him, then Elizabeth and Kingsley. To her right were Alvin and Mason and then; he cocked his head to the side; Junior and Awilda. He placed the butter and jam on the table and took his seat, finding it difficult to not notice the way they looked at each other. Their chairs were pushed close together as Junior had his arm wrapped around Awilda’s shoulders. She leaned into him and they spoke in hushed whispers; smiling lovingly.