I debated, and decided I felt safe enough to just hang out. Kathy pulled out a small pistol, and laid it on the table next to the front door. Then she shut the closet back up.
I stepped over to the heavy blinds that covered the windows, and glanced out. The place had a great view of the beach, and as I pulled back the curtain, the room flooded with light. Kathy said, "Do you want to stay for a while, or go back out to the ranch?"
"Let's just let things calm down, and then we can recover your car," I suggested.
Kathy nodded, and said, "It will be getting dark soon. We'll just wait."
As soon as we stepped on into the house, I saw the picture on the wall of the living room. It was a painting of me, I had never posed for. It looked like something off a book cover, created for a spy thriller. Slightly embarrassed, Kathy said, "I commissioned it after you disappeared. I was pretty upset at the time."
The picture was a little scary. I was holding both my pistols, and smoke was curling from the silenced barrels as though they had just been fired. There was an odd feeling of flashback, and I asked, "Why do I remember this?"
"It's from the only picture I had of you," Kathy replied. "That reporter took it when we did that job in South America."
The memories flooded my mind. A hit on a dictator had gone wrong. Kathy and Tim had been pinned down, and I had walked through a wave of gunfire, shooting security guards, and anyone else that got in my way. A local reporter took a picture of me just as I reached Kathy, and the look in my eyes was downright frightening. They never linked me to the picture, but if you saw it, you knew it was me.
Standing there with Kathy next to me, I suddenly became aware of her thoughts. She was so painfully in love with me, and I was practically oblivious to her. I turned to her, and quietly told her, "I've been rough on you over the years. I'm sorry!"
"Don't be an idiot," she replied with a trace of humor. "I fell in love with you, and never required your permission. I don't love you because you love me. I love you because you are the greatest man I've ever known. You've never lied to me, and saved my ass over and over. You have principles, and when you say you'll do something, I know you will."
She looked up at the painting, and said, "You're the classic hero figure. What woman wouldn't fall in love with you?"
"That's just crazy talk," I observed, only half joking.
A huge grin spread over Kathy's face, and she said, "You just won't take me serious, will you?"
A sudden series of images flashed through my mind. Again and again, Kathy showed me memories that played out like the painting. Each one ended with me standing over Kathy, protecting her. Since she is really good at defending herself, the images came with a lot of emotion.
"I knew you would always protect me," she observed quietly. "When you disappeared, I looked for you. When I couldn't find you, and the years slipped by, I started to give up hope." The words started to trail off a bit, and her mood shifted into depression. After a few seconds, she all but whispered, "I felt dead without you. You have no idea how much it means to me, just knowing you're alive."
There was movement behind us, and I became aware Dona was in the doorway, watching us. She had just arrived, but she could tell she was interrupting a private conversation. "I'm sorry to interrupt!" she noted loudly, announcing her arrival. Dropping her voice slightly, she said, "We got a call from a frantic woman that said someone tried to carjack her, and a man who intervened was shot. She said the guy acted like he was bulletproof, and just wouldn't fall down when shot. I don't know why, but I thought of you right away."
"It was him," Kathy confirmed. "It happened so fast, there was no way out of it."
"The news services are going nuts with speculation," Dona observed. "Luckily, it appears there are no pictures at this point, so we got a break there." I abruptly realized Dona was staring at the painting behind me. She looked at the painting, and then glanced down at me. After a second, she quietly said, "Wow!"
"It was a long time ago," I noted.
"Tell that to the carjackers," Kathy observed, smiling ironically.
"Is the woman driving the van alright?" I asked.
"I haven't talked to her personally," Dona responded. "She just sounds shaken up. I got the feeling she was worried about you."
"I'm shocked there were no pictures," Kathy said.
"Not yet, anyway," Dona agreed. "The place is swarming with cops. Most of the witnesses fled the scene, and the police reports are still coming in. I suspect that if somebody had pictures, they would already be all over the news services." She stood looking at me, and then said, "First reports said they found a dozen shell casings on the ground. Are you alright?"
"Yeah! I'm fine," I observed. "Most of the pain is gone now."
Looking over at Kathy, Dona asked, "Did you see this all occur? How many times did they hit him?"
"Every time." Kathy said. "They couldn't miss at that range."
Shaking her head in amazement, Dona said, "I'm going to float the concept that you're a tourist that was wearing a vest. If it sticks, the whole thing should die down pretty quickly."
"I'm sorry about all the drama," I noted. "I felt like I had to do something."
A smile flashed across Dona's face, and she said, "That woman is probably alive because you intervened. Don't look for me to be displeased. I'm just glad you're alright." She glanced over at Kathy, and said, "I'll be back at sunset with more information. We'll walk down together, get Kathy's car, and get you two out of here."
With that, she folded space, and was gone. Kathy looked at me and asked, "Can I get you anything? Would you like something to drink?"
I declined, and we talked for a while. Before I knew it, several hours had passed, and I could tell by the light coming in the window, that it was almost dark outside. We debated getting the car on our own, and then decided to just wait. About a half hour later, Dona returned.
Kathy and I were seated on the couch when she appeared. She glanced at me, and said, "They got a dozen witnesses, and some grainy footage off a security camera. At this point, they've caught both the carjackers, so I think it will all die down."
"They caught the second guy?" I asked.
"He turned himself in," Dona confirmed with a grin. "He was afraid you were coming after him. I'm guessing the guy will have nightmares for years about you."
Kathy laughed aloud, and said, "Leave it to Mike!"
"How much did the security camera show?" I asked.
"Not much," Dona answered. "It's pretty grainy, and you're at a distance, with your back to the camera. At this point, my vest cover story is holding up pretty well." She glanced at Kathy, and said, "I suggest we send Mike on home. Then you and I go get the car, and take it home."
She was right of course, but I hesitated anyway. After a second, I said, "You're probably right. I'll just fold space back to Kathy's, and wait there."
Kathy nodded in agreement, and said, "We'll be fine. You go on. It's best you stay out of sight for now."
Right then, Koda appeared next to me, and startled me. She giggled slightly, and said, "Calm down! It's just me. I heard you got shot. Is that true?"
"Multiple times," Dona observed.
"That's gotta hurt!" Koda noted under her breath.
"You got that part right!" I agreed. Without any more discussion, I said, "See you at home!" and folded space.
I arrived in front of Kathy's home, and Koda appeared right behind me. I turned to walk into the house, with Koda deep in her thoughts behind me. After a few seconds, I realized she was scanning my memories, reliving the shooting. Just as we got inside, she said, "You never stand down. Do you? You're always on the edge."
"It's second nature after all these years," I responded. "If you drop your guard, you'll soon be dead. It's as simple as that."
Koda seemed to hesitate as we stepped into the kitchen. She was standing in the kitchen door, scanning me, and said, "I've been talking to some of the Guardians. They see you as the fulfill
ment of a legend. You're getting to have quite a following, even among the Critz. Are you aware how much we all look to you for leadership?"
"I'm just an old, retired, hit man," I pointed out. "That is hardly training for leadership. I have enough troubles working with the few people I trained."
"That's not the point," Koda continued. "These people look up to you, and you're not really aware of it, are you?" I gave her the look, but she just ignored me, saying, "I'm not going to shut up just because I'm making you uncomfortable."
"Yes you are," I corrected her. "I just got a lecture from Kathy, on almost the same subject. I've had a bad day, and I'm telling you to knock it off."
She hesitated. Then turned, and walked out. I didn't want to be rude to her. I just didn't want to have this conversation.
I heard footsteps approaching down the hallway, and Lisa walked in, with Tim right behind her. Lisa took one look at me, and said, "I heard you got shot. Are you alright?"
"For a guy that got shot, I'm doing fine," I acknowledged.
"I heard you were the hero of the hour," Tim added.
"I stood there like an idiot while they shot me over and over," I growled. "I fail to see what that has to do with being a hero." The last comment came out sounding way too loud.
Tim smiled, and said, "Feeling a little on edge are ya?"
"Yes!" I snapped back. "Getting shot over and over does that to me."
"He needs some time off!" Koda yelled from the other room. "He's getting grouchy!"
"That's what got me into this in the first place!" I replied.
"You mean today?" Koda asked, stepping into the room.
"No!" I replied. "That day at the river, when I first saw you." Koda's head came around, and she gave me a hurt look. I softened my voice and inquired, "How's your sister doing?"
Koda was on edge at once, and she quietly said, "She's alright I guess."
I really gave her the look, and asked, "What's wrong Koda?"
A look of confusion crossed Koda's face, and she said, "I can't put my finger on it, but something isn't right."
"You mean physically?" Lisa asked.
"No! It's her mind," Koda replied. "It's as if she disappears at times. Her eyes fog over, and she just shifts into neutral for a second. Her mind goes blank, and then she's back, as if nothing happened."
"She was in a coma for a long time," Lisa noted. "It may take a while for the effects to go away."
I stood looking at Koda for a second, and then said, "Perhaps I should check in on your sister. I've been so busy, I guess I'm overdue.
Koda was caught off guard, and said, "You've done so much. I'm not asking for you to keep going out of your way for us."
Tim started snickering, and said, "You're in danger of turning into a real Saint. Are you really my old friend Mike, or are you really his clone or something?"
"I'm tired, and grouchy," I replied, basically ignoring Tim. Looking at Koda, I said, "Let's go visit Heather for a while."
Chapter 9
Facing the Darkness
Without further hesitation, I folded space to go visit the young girl. Within two seconds, Koda appeared, and we started toward the entrance to the building. We were almost at the door, when they burst open, a woman ran past us, and kept right on going. I snatched open the door, and could see another woman's body on the ground right away. Smoke was in the air, and I could hear a ringing alarm going off somewhere.
Koda was armed. I was not. She took lead, and I trailed. We moved through the facility, heading toward the sound of the ringing alarm. Bodies were everywhere, and many of them were dismembered. It looked as if a large animal had moved through here, killing at will.
I found a Guardian, dead on the ground. One of his arms had been ripped off. His sword was on the ground next to his body, and I snatched it up. We kept moving forward, but three minutes in, we had found no survivors in the building.
The ringing noise was ear-piercing now as we walked into what appeared to be a very large conference room. Seated at the far end of the room, was Heather. As we walked in, her head came up, and I could see her eyes were glowing.
In a casual voice, she said, "So nice of you and your friends to come here and die." The way she said it, made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Koda was frozen in shock. The hand she held her UZI in, dropped down to her side.
I glanced at Koda out of the corner of my eye, and said, "Go get help!" Koda never budged.
Heather cackled like some evil witch, and commanded, "Step closer, Koda!" Koda started toward her with a dazed look on her face.
I started toward Heather, and got blindsided by something big. I found myself flying through the air, and then slammed into a wall at the back of the room. As I slumped toward the floor, I saw a creature appear, standing next to Heather. It was eight feet tall, with the basic frame of a large humanoid, but it had the head of a large bull, complete with horns, and cloven hoofs for feet. Its skin was leathern, and red in color. It gave me the creeps.
Heather cackled again, and screeched, "I have friends too!"
Behind me I heard Tim yell, "Your friends suck!" as he opened fire with an UZI. The sound in the enclosed space was deafening. A roaring noise was filling the room on top of the other sounds, and with a bang, what appeared to be a hole in the wall appeared. It was just a black spot, with nothing visible through the space.
Time seemed to flux, and I saw uniformed Guardians start to appear in the doorway to the room, and then stop. The firing of the UZI slowed to almost nothing. In slow motion, I saw the beast reaching for Koda, and I seemed to finally react.
There was a feeling of resistance, like swinging a blade underwater. I lunged at the monster, and cut its right hand off at the wrist as it prepared to grab Koda. There was a look of shock on everyone’s face. The beast began roaring, and swung around on me. It was all I could do to step out of the way as the thing swung a huge fist at me.
Koda's eyes seemed to focus as the creature bellowed, and she finally brought up here UZI to waist level, and opened fire on the thing. The noise level was through the ceiling, so when Heather turned on me and started screaming, I couldn't hear her. Like a cat, the girl sprang at me, and dug her claws in.
I spun around with her weight on me, and had a wild image of what was occurring in the room. Then I fell through the hole, and into darkness.
There was a feeling of falling and pain, as Heather bit and clawed me. The disorientation, pain, shock, and nausea, was intense. It was such a helpless feeling. My senses were simply overwhelmed. The fall came to an abrupt stop as I seemed to slam into the ground. Heather disappeared when the fall ended, and I was grateful the attack was over, at least for a second.
I allowed my mind to clear, and reached out with my senses. I could tell by the echo that I was in a large building, or a cave. My eyes were adjusting to the dark, but I couldn't see anything to tell me where I was.
I moved my foot slightly, and brushed the Guardian sword I had been holding as I fell. Reaching down, I snatched it up, and the sound seemed loud in the darkness. The sound of a male's deep laughter in the distance made me even more on edge than I had been.
Edging toward one side, my foot brushed against something that I instantly knew was Heather. Reaching down, I checked her pulse, and decided she was unconscious.
"Would you like me to wake her up?" a voice asked. "She would love to eat your liver."
"I'm still using it!" I snapped back. I was pissed, and not thinking too clearly. "It's hard to believe you brought me here to just kill me."
"Actually," The voice responded. "The girl was meant to bring the human girl you call Koda, back. It was a bonus when she brought you instead."
"You may not think so shortly!" I shouted into the darkness. The thing started laughing, and I knew I was in trouble.
"You are deep inside my realm!" the monster suddenly roared. "Do you believe I would fear you here?"
"I don't care what you believe!" I replied. I drop
ped into a crouch, grabbed Heather by the wrist, and folded space for home.
To my shock, it appeared to work. I arrived, dragging an unconscious Heather, at what looked like the spot where Kathy's home was. The tree line, and the general terrain looked right, but the houses, and the road, were gone.
I repeat! I knew I was in trouble!
In a few seconds, I realized a few other things. My scans for life showed no life forms on the planet. I was on Earth, but I was the only person there besides Heather. The Earth was barren, and showed no signs man had ever been there. Reaching deeper and deeper into space, my scans showed no life within a dozen light years of Earth. Several seconds passed, and I got sick, emptying my stomach.
I had released Heather's wrist, and was standing over her looking around. She started to stir, finally sitting up. I stepped back slightly, and hefted the sword I still was holding. Heather was unarmed, but I was far from happy to see her waking up. Moaning several time, she finally sat up, looked at me with a creepy smile, and said, "Welcome home! Now you can spend eternity here, with me to keep you on your toes."
"How about I just cut off your frickin head!" I snapped back.
"And kill Koda's sweet little sister," Heather cackled. "I think not!"
She had me there. I hate being the victim of a trap. It brings out the worst in me.
"I'm going to use her for practice!" I yelled at nobody in particular. "And then I'm coming for you!" I announced in a voice so cold, it even sounded odd to me.
The girl at my feet seemed to go rigid for a moment, and then sprang at me like an animal. She had pretty poor fighting skills, and I slung her around, quickly pinning her to the ground.
The Koda Files Boxed Set - Books 1 & 2 Page 25