by Kimbra Swain
“And she made it possible for you to go through the portal whenever you wish?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know that now only two people in this world can pass through that portal with no escort?”
“She did mention something to that effect, but she also proposed with the following sentence so, it didn't sink in. She hasn’t told me everything. I don’t mean that negatively at all. There really hasn’t been time, actually. I’m not sure that there ever will be.” I hated this chair.
“The chair was made by my brother’s daughter, Veritas. She made it specifically for me to keep in this office. It cannot be moved from that spot. And unfortunately, until I allow you to leave, you cannot get out of it. I apologize for the ruse, but I needed to look you in the eye myself. Abigail has complete confidence in your abilities. She believes you are an honorable man. I admit that a lot of her opinion of you started with her former partner, and my best hunter, Lincoln. His death was a great loss to all of us. I can tell you that even now she struggles with it. I disagreed with her method of infiltrating your class, but she insisted upon it. She is not one to go completely on the word of another, not even Lincoln’s word. She had to know you for herself. We discussed other ways of doing it, but she was sure she’d never get you to see the real her in turn preventing her from truly knowing you. She is stubborn. She gets that from me too, I suppose. The quick tongue though, she got that all on her own.”
“Don’t I know it.” Stupid chair.
He only smiled this time and continued, “She cannot work alone. She has a full team that she works alongside, but she needs a partner. A protector. A guardian.” He turned to look at the scene behind him, and it shifted to a beautiful Spanish style home sitting among a vineyard.
“It’s a beautiful place,” I said.
“It is. I used to love being there, but she needed a haven to be safe from time to time. A place to rest. A peaceful place. I gave it to her, and George was there to manage the grounds and be there for her. She needed him, too.”
“He’s like a father to her.”
“Yes, the father she never had. She has one, mind you, but he’s one of the reasons she needs a safe haven.” I saw a fire in his eyes reflecting on the glass window to Casa del Sol. “If you take the job, you must know that there are a great number of evil things in this world that want her dead. She has very few friends. She doesn’t trust many, because she can’t afford to trust. It could cost her life. I lost her once. I will never do that again.” “You lost her sir? I don’t understand,” I tried not to pry, but apparently this chair makes you say the things you don’t even mean to say.
He turned back to me, but his eyes were dark and distant. “She died once, and it was the very worst pain of my long existence. After that, I put Lincoln with her to guard her. I did not intend for them to fall in love, but they did. I approved. He was my best man. The only man on this earth I trusted. You see Mr. Duarte, I can’t trust anyone either. Every offspring I have on this earth wants this desk, this room, and that chair. Even the red-headed beauty, Lianne. Now she’s never made any overt try for my position in this world, but one day she will. Just like they all do. But I know one person who will never seek it out.”
“Abby.”
“Yes, she is my hope for the future. I trust her when I can trust no one else. And if she trusts you, then so do I.”
I looked in his eyes and he meant it. He wasn’t patronizing me or trying to get me to agree to the job. He meant he trusted me. “I am humbled and honored, sir.”
He waved his hand in the arm dismissing my statement. “I suppose it was a heavy thought. Do forgive me as I have one more, then you are free to ask anything you wish of me. You must know this, even though the two of you may never work this out, I suspect you will. You may never become her partner. However, I know you probably will. But whatever contact you have with her, please be mindful, I will not interfere with her methods or her desires. I will not meddle in small quarrels or disagreements. But if you ever hurt her, I will tear your entrails out by your nostrils and hang you by them in the desert. And though every creeping thing on this earth will feast on you, it still won’t be enough to cover my anger toward you.”
“Madre de Dios,” I exclaimed and crossed myself as I had when I was younger. I reached for my crucifix. I felt it warm under my shirt. I wanted out of the damn chair. The room had grown dark. The displays blackened and swirled with ominous grey smoke. He loomed over me even though he still sat in the chair. I seriously almost pissed myself. Then the darkness receded and every screen in the room turned to a beautiful blue sky with fluffy clouds floating by. I am a formidable guy, but Gregory Theodoard was a Titan. He was Hyperion. He could incinerate me with a thought. I cowered and tried to straighten myself in the chair. He sat there looking at me waiting for me to compose myself and respond, “I, um, sir, well, I.” My voice shook. I have never in my entire life been that afraid.
“I’m sorry, Tadeas. But it needed to be done. I did the same to Lincoln so long ago. Welcome to the club.”
“Thank you, I think.”
“I’m impressed you didn’t lose your faculties.”
“Just barely, sir.” Motherfucking chair.
He roared with laughter again. “Ask whatever you want, Son. You earned it.”
“How did she die?” “I apologize, but I am bound by oath. If she wants you to know that story, she will tell you herself, but I warn you, it is not an easy story for her. And if she tells you, honor that trust and respect her for it. I have a feeling she will tell you.”
“I’m not so sure. I have plenty of amends to make.” “As does she,” he stated, “Does that shock you? She has a quick tongue. It’s her greatest fault in fact. She controls it much more now than she used to, but sometimes it still gets the better of her. I imagine she instantly regretted it.”
“May I ask how she is alive now?”
“Yes, that one I can answer. The All-father, Odin, owed me a favor. I called it in. He brought his Valkyries, and resurrected her.”
“Wait. She’s a Valkyrie?”
“In spirit yes, but not in practice. I would never let her be under the thumb of the Aesir. But it was the only way I could bring her back. Her death was not part of the larger plan for the world. Someone cheated. They broke the rules of the universe. Once she revived, in turn her mother gave her the gift of eternal youth and beauty. It healed her body from the devastation of the murder. I believe her mother regretted abandoning her to a girl’s home in England when she was only 3 years old. As atonement, she made her in her own image, an eternal beauty.”
“There is no doubt, she is beautiful. Who is her mother?” I asked.
“Another oath binds me. Even Abigail does not know her name, but she will tell you what she knows of her if you ask.”
“You seem confident that she will forgive me, and give me a second chance.”
“No, she has already forgiven you and seeks your forgiveness. I know this for truth.”
I sat still, and thought long about the things I could ask him.
“Tadeas, you are welcome to come back any time and sit in that seat and ask of me what you will. Knowing the price to pay by sitting in the chair, grants you the gift to be able to ask what you want. You are free to go. Please do not wait too long to talk to her. After the 24 hours is up, please try to contact her. I do hate to see her this upset and unsure of herself. She has yet to regain her confidence after multiple heartaches”
“I will sir. I promise.” I stood up and he came out from behind the desk to escort me to the door. He offered me his hand. I shook it. He almost crushed my fingers.
“I’m sorry. I forget my strength.”
“Sure, you did,” I blurted and looked back at the chair. He died laughing and opened the door.
“After effects of the chair, I believe.” “Indeed, sir.” I smiled at him, and walked down the long hallway as he shut the door and returned to his office. Outside of the
whole entrails part, he seemed like a nice guy. He loved Abigail. I couldn’t blame him too much for the threat. Perhaps a little overboard, but he was a deity. And generally, you don’t piss them off and live to tell about it. On the other hand, I thought about Abigail and the few things he had told me about her. Her life had not been easy. I was wrong in many ways. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to be her partner, but sitting in the chair did help me see one thing for sure, I wanted her to forgive me. The animal inside of me stirred. “I’d tear someone’s entrails out if they hurt her, too,” I said as I walked into the room with the assistant. Her head shot up and her eyes grew wide. “Um, sorry. It’s been a strange day. Excuse me,” and I bolted for the door.
When I entered the room with the elevator, the doors opened and someone came out. I didn’t even notice who, but I ducked inside and jammed the #2 button. The elevator descended. My stomach growled in protest. I could eat, and exercise before bed. I dreaded going back to cafeteria food. As the door started to open on the 2nd floor, I hit the button for 4 and the doors closed again. I was glad no one else was riding. I exited the elevator and headed to Abby’s office. Maybe I could find the number for that delivery service. I needed to try to call her again. It was Sunday evening. I had classes all day tomorrow, but Tuesday was a full range day for the class. They would be in firearms training all day. And while I usually went with them, I wasn’t required to. Slowly I opened the door to her office. It was empty again.
I sat down behind the desk and pulled out the drawer. I remembered I had placed the Mercedes key in my pocket. She had a small planner there. I flipped through it quickly, but it only listed meetings and as such, no phone numbers. I reached in my pocket and took out the key. I pulled out my cell phone and hit the retry on the last number called.
“Hello, this is George. How may I help you? “Hey George, it’s me again.”
“Master Duarte, how has your day been? “George, I didn’t think my life could get any stranger, but today it has. Is she available?”
“No sir, she is still resting. I think the weekend took a lot out of her. I suspect didn’t sleep much when she lived in Boulder for the last three months, either,” he said.
“No, probably not. Well, I really need to speak to her. I wanted to ask to borrow the car.”
“It’s my understanding sir, that she intended for you to use the car whenever you wished.”
“Yes, she said that, but I still felt like I should ask.”
“I give you permission, sir.”
“Can you do that?” I asked.
“Technically no, but I’ll take the blame if she says anything. She won’t though, sir. To my knowledge, she hasn’t rescinded any of her offers to you.”
I laughed at him. He seemed to enjoy pulling rank on her occasionally. “Thanks, George. Is she okay sir? I mean, she isn’t sick or anything is she?”
“No, sir. I don’t believe it is anything like that at all.”
“Thanks again, George. I’ll try again in the morning.”
“Very well, sir,” he said and hung up the phone.
I went back to the elevator and took it up to the surface. The sleek car sat right where we left it on Friday evening. I walked to the driver's side door and it automatically unlocked. I hit the push button start and sped away into the evening. The clock on the dash shone in a bright blue, 7:30 pm. I entered the bustling part of downtown Boulder near The Table restaurant and found a tavern just down the street. It didn’t seem too busy. I ducked in. The food smelled good, and I could go for a drink. I found a stool close to the far end of the bar, and took a seat. The bartender was a young man with reddish brown hair and a trim-cut full beard. He smiled and laid a menu in front of me. He had a towel thrown over one shoulder. “Whatcha drinking, buddy?”
I looked across the back of the bar, and it seemed they had every single brand of liquor I had ever heard of and some I hadn’t. I rarely drank anymore. I guess I looked overwhelmed. He leaned over the edge of the bar and tapped the menu, I looked down and they had a separate drink menu from the food menu. Almost every single specialty drink had Bourbon in it. I looked up at him, “Bourbon, huh?”
“It’s what we do best. We’ve got some special ones that are really hard to get.”
I read over the drinks and ordered one and of course, it had bourbon in it. I decided there was nothing that I could do to get away from her. Might as well enjoy it. He moved down the bar to make my drink. I had just chosen one and hadn’t looked at the full line-up. Almost to the bottom of the list was a drink called “Spirit Animal.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said to no one in particular. There were several tvs going. Most of them were on Major League Baseball. Beside me sat a gentleman who appeared to be in his late 50s. He wore a casual navy suit, but I could see the sparkle of a diamond cufflink poking out of his sleeve. He sipped yellowed liquor out of a brandy glass.
“They do have a lot of bourbon here,” he spoke up. I guess he thought my outburst referred to the extensive list of bourbons on the back of the menu.
“That they do. I have a friend who would love this place. She loves bourbon,” I said and turned to him. I offered him my hand, “I’m Tadeas.”
He shook my hand, “I’m Milton. Folks call me Milt.”
“Nice to meet you Milt. Is the food good here?” I asked.
“I hear it is. I rarely get past the drinks,” he said lifting his glass to his lips. He had salt and pepper hair and dull blue eyes. He looked tired. The bartender returned with my drink. “Here you are sir. You eating with us, too? Would you like to start a tab?” he asked.
“No, tab, but I am hungry.” He traded the drink menu for a food menu. It was only one-fold, and he still stood there. I ordered quickly.
“Just the tavern burger please with cheese, hold the mayo,” I said handing the menu back to him.
“Sure thing. Won’t take long,” and he walked away to a nearby kiosk to place my order.
“First time in here, then?” Milt asked.
“Yeah, I work nearby, but I don’t get out much. I just picked the first place that looked good and had a bar,” I said carrying on the friendly conversation. “You come here a lot?”
“Yea, every Sunday to meet a lady friend,” he said.
“Oh, very nice. She here?” I asked not seeing a woman seated by him or hovering nearby.
“No, she’s not here yet. She’ll be along shortly. I like to get a few drinks in me before she gets here,” he downed the rest of the brown liquid. The bartender instinctively looked up and Milt tapped the edge of his glass. The bartender nodded and started pouring him another in a fresh glass.
“Is it that bad?” I asked chuckling.
“No. Not at all. I enjoy spending time with her. Just getting the night off to a fun start,” he said. He looked at his watch. “Yep. She will be here soon.” The bartender brought his new glass and removed the old one.
“What about you? You meeting someone? The lady you mentioned?” he asked.
“No. Not tonight. I just went out on a spur of the moment. Nothing to eat at home,” I said lying. He raised his eyebrows at me and smiled.
“Oh, you are in the doghouse,” he laughed.
I shook my head. I supposed in a way I was. I laughed. “I guess I am,” I said.
“Then you should have one of these,” and nodded to his glass. He looked at the bartender who had moved to the end of the bar. He talked to some younger women there. He turned to look back down at his patrons and locked eye contact with Milt. Milt then tapped his glass and pointed at me.
“No, no sir, that’s not necessary. I’m driving. I really shouldn’t have more than one,” I said. The bartender walked up and handed me an identical glass.
Milt spoke up, “He won’t be needing that other one. And I’ll cover his bill.”
“You’ve got it, Milt,” the bartender responded.
“I can’t let you do that, sir. I am appreciative, but really you don’t have
to do that,” I didn’t know what to think about a guy randomly buying my drinks.
“Tadeas, you said, right?” I nodded. “Well, Mr. Tadeas, you are the doghouse, and that’s a rough spot to be in. I’ve been there a few times myself. And just before you go home, and say your apology, cause that’s the only way you’re are getting out of this, you need a good drink and a solid meal. In a little while, you won’t have time to drink, and you’ll be eating shit before the night is over.” He laughed heartily.
I had to laugh too. It was probably true. “I concede, but next time you must allow me.”
“That’s a deal. And next time bring the pretty lady with you, I don’t mind looking at the pretty ones even if they aren’t mine,” he laughed again, and I joined him.
“I’ll do that,” I said as I took a sip of the liquor. It was very good. I could taste a hint of orange and honey. I smiled. Abigail, would love it. She’d probably had it before, but it seemed to match her.
“It’s a 10-year Eagle Rare. They have a 17 year, but that’s a bit extravagant for a pre-date drink, or in your case, a session in humility,” he smiled again and looked at his watch. “Time to meet my girl. You have a nice night, Tadeas. And good luck with the lady. Next time the drinks are on you.” He said, as he got up to leave.
“Thanks Milt,” I said as he walked away.
“Anytime,” and he turned to the door. The bartender arrived with my burger, and it looked pretty good. I took another sip of the drink and looked out the front glass. He had his arms around a woman who looked much younger than him. She pulled back from the embrace and smiled. I blinked and couldn’t believe what I saw happening. The young woman hugging Milt was Samantha Taylor. I stared at them as they crossed the road, and he put her in a blue BMW.
“Everything good, sir?” the bartender asked.
“Yes, yes, it looks great,” I began to eat. The place was packed, and I was taking up a seat, I supposed. Milt had paid. I imagined the bartender was ready for me to move on.
As I ate I had a lot to think about including the little scene I just witnessed. Who Samantha saw on her own time was none of my business, but it was strange to see her with an older man like that. I had sincerely hoped she wasn’t mixed up in an escort service or heaven forbid, a prostitution situation. A lot of the girls we get have been in that environment, and unfortunately, they went back to it sometimes. I sincerely hoped that isn’t why she tried to contact Abigail. Milt and Samantha. Meredith and Travis. Lianne. Gregory. I picked up the glass and swirled the liquid inside. I tossed the rest of it back. The bartender promptly arrived and asked if I wanted another. I explained to him that I wouldn’t be drinking anymore and asked for a Coke to drink while finishing my meal. He brought it to me, and I asked him before he walked away about the liquor. “Hey man, is that Eagle 10 year hard to find?”