Savior (The Savior Series Book 1)

by Bradley, A. King

  “Have you tried calling him?” Jason asked. I stared blankly at him from across the conference table at which we sat.

  “I’ve called Agent Wells a thousand times. He almost never answers, and when he does, he just says that 'for Howard’s protection, it’s best to keep his whereabouts a secret.' It’s like they’ve taken him prisoner,” I said angrily.

  “I don’t think they would do that,” Jason replied.

  “Why wouldn’t they? What would stop them?” I asked. “We sure couldn’t do anything about it. We can’t exactly call the police and tell them that our best friend has been kidnapped by the government.”

  “He wasn’t kidnapped, Reaper. They’re protecting him.”

  “Whose side are you on, Ace?” I demanded.

  “Look, I care about getting Howie back just as much as you do! Of course I’m on your side and it sucks that you even have to ask,” Jason snapped.

  I took a deep breath in order to calm down. Jason was right and I knew it was wrong for me to take my frustration out on him.

  “I’m sorry, bro. It’s just frustrating not having him around. We can’t do this without him, Ace. We just can’t,” I finally said.

  “We’ll get him back. We just have to be patient. As far as The Strangers are concerned, we’ll just need to keep packing our gear just in case they decide to attack. When they do, we’ll be ready.”

  “So, we basically have to wait for more people to die before we can do anything about it,” I groaned.

  “What else can we do? We can’t go on the offensive without any intelligence. And whether we like it or not, we don’t have Howie here to get any. Even when he was here, going on the offensive almost got us killed. We have to be smarter this time. The Suspect was foolish enough to reveal his next target to us which gives us an advantage. We may not know when he plans to attack, but we certainly know where. All we have to do is wait him out.”

  “But what is he waiting for? It’s been two months, Ace. Why hasn’t he attacked yet?” I grumbled. Jason bit his lip and didn’t respond.

  “What are you thinking?” I asked.

  “I think he might be waiting for Howie to resurface before he hits the school. Howie is the reason he targeted our school to begin with. The Suspect probably wants to make sure that Howie's there before he follows through with his threat.”

  “That makes a lot of sense,” I said as I rubbed my chin, “I wonder if Wells would be willing to allow Howie to come back to school for a couple of weeks in order to draw them out.”

  “You want to use Howie as bait?” Jason asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

  “I want to catch The Suspect. Besides, you know I won’t let anything happen to Howie.”

  “Neither will I, but that doesn’t mean we should use him as bait. What if we’re not fast enough when they hit? What if they kill him?”

  “I won’t let them get to him,” I said firmly.

  “And what if you can’t do both?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What if you can’t kill The Suspect and save Howie? What if you had to choose?”

  “I don’t understand what you’re asking me,” I replied.

  “I’m just asking if you want to keep Howie alive more than you want The Suspect to die. If that’s the case, then I’m okay with your plan. I just need to know that Howie’s safety is your top priority.”

  “Of course it is,” I lied. “Howie’s like a brother to me. You both are.”

  Jason nodded, completely unaware of my dishonesty. It was true that I loved them both as if they were my brothers, but I didn’t really know if my love for them was stronger than my hatred of The Suspect. Still, I told Jason what he wanted to hear in order to get him on board with my plan. It bothered me that I had developed such a capacity for deception, but at the time, it seemed necessary.

  His question about Howie and the Suspect also bothered me because somehow, it almost seemed like his question implied that the two of them may somehow be connected.

  “So, what’s the plan for your birthday?” Jason asked, obviously trying to change the subject. My birthday was on the upcoming Saturday of that week, but I had actually not even thought about it until Jason mentioned it. For some reason, it always seemed like my mother was unusually sad on my birthday. For most of the day, she would just sit there staring into space, seldom moving or even bothering to speak. She would often disappear for hours at a time with no explanation as to where she had been when she returned. Due to her bizarre behavior and a lack of presents, I never really made a big deal about my birthday.

  “Nothing spectacular, really. Monica convinced me to spend some time with my mom. We fought a few months back and I haven’t seen her since. Monica thinks it would be a good idea if I buried the hatchet.”

  “What do you think?” Jason asked.

  “I guess it’s okay. I’m sure you’ve figured out that I’ve been crashing here for a while, now. I haven’t seen her in several months, so I suppose that I kind of miss her.”

  “Buddy, you can crash here for as long as you’d like, but I do think it’s a good idea to check on your mom,” Jason said.

  I nodded without replying. Maybe it was a good idea, but I wasn’t too fond of the idea of visiting her during the week of my birthday. It always felt weird to even be around her when she fell into the zombie-like state, but Monica thought it was a good idea so I had promised her I would stop by.

  “Your girlfriend seems like she has her head on straight,” Jason remarked.

  “I suppose she does,” I said flatly.

  “Are you guys going to prom this Saturday?”

  “Absolutely not,” I said quickly.

  “Reaper, it’s prom! And it’s on your birthday!” Jason replied.

  “I’m aware.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding!” Jason exclaimed.

  “No, I’m not kidding. It’s just not my thing. You know I don’t really like crowds.”

  “Reaper, you’re an idiot. You’re an absolute idiot. You’re dating the hottest girl in school and you’re not taking her to the prom, which happens to fall on your birthday? Those two factors combined pretty much guarantee your chances of getting a certain birthday gift, if you get my drift.”

  “I can’t afford to focus on having fun right now, Ace. Finding The Suspect is my number one priority. Monica doesn’t know everything, but she knows I’m doing something that is a lot more important than prom. Besides, there’s always next year. We still have time.”

  At least I thought we did. There was no way that I could have known just how wrong I was.

  48. MOTIVES

  THE SUSPECT:

  THE AQUISITION WAS LESS THAN THREE YEARS AWAY, and I had hoped that my work was enough to grant me absolution. It was true that my hands were as dirty as the rest of the seven billion vermin that scurried about this rock, but at least I sought penance. At least I was working toward forgiveness.

  It had been almost three years to that day since The Righteous had lifted the veil of my reality and for a fraction of a second, allowed me to see that which dwelled behind it. But I wanted more - much more. I wanted ever so desperately to experience firsthand that which he had shown me, but I knew it would come at a price. He had demanded the sacrifices of billions of lives in exchange for my rite of passage.

  The time was almost at hand, but there was still much more work to be done. My Final Solution was still in its stages of infancy, but before we could move forward with my plans to make this world tear itself apart, I had to eliminate The Reaper. His abilities posed far too big of a threat for me to ignore.

  I smiled as I realized that after Saturday I would no longer have to worry about him. My smile grew even wider as I contemplated the intricacies of the plans that I had for Saturday’s prom.

  49. REUNION

  REAPER:

  I ALMOST COULDN’T BELIEVE MY EYES WHEN I STEPPED off the bus on Wednesday morning. Jason was already standing in our normal pre-break
fast spot just outside of the first entrance of the cafeteria, but it wasn’t him that surprised me. I could pick out Howie’s mop top from anywhere. He and Jason chatted away as I hurriedly approached them.

  “Bro! When did you get back?!” I shouted. Howie whipped around and smiled from ear to ear.

  “I was back in the state last night. I didn’t get back in town until a few hours ago though.”

  I pulled him in for hug without replying. It was obvious that Jason and I both missed him tremendously. Howie was the kind of person that you could never truly appreciate until he wasn’t around for a while. Between The Strangers kidnapping him and Wells putting him into protective custody, it felt like I had almost lost him twice.

  “Glad to have you back, brother,” I said as we continued our embrace.

  “I think Monica may get jealous if you guys keep that up any longer,” Jason smirked.

  I looked up and noticed Monica standing across from us on the other side of the crosswalk. She was smiling as she silently watched us.

  I held up my index finger to let her know that I would be over in a few seconds. She nodded and continued to wait patiently as I released Howie and turned to Jason. We all looked to each other and beamed with the excitement of finally being back together again.

  “I’ve gotta run, guys, but I’ll see you later at 3D. Deal?” I said.

  “Deal,” Jason and Howie replied in unison.

  “Birthday present,” Jason whispered after me as I walked over to join Monica. I chuckled and tried my best to ignore him as I joined her.

  “What’s so funny?” Monica asked.

  “Nothing. I was just thinking about something,” I lied. She narrowed her eyes and smiled, but I was happy that she didn’t push the issue.

  “When did Howie get back?” she asked.

  “Earlier this morning.”

  “You don’t think it’s kind of weird for him to transfer schools this late in the semester then transfer back after two months?” she asked.

  “No, he didn’t transfer. He was sick. I told you he was sick, didn’t I? It was…it was pretty serious,” I said without looking her in the eyes.

  “Adam, you told me he transferred,” she said flatly. I was still avoiding eye contact, but I could tell by the sound of her voice that she was no longer smiling.

  “Did I?” I blurted without thinking.

  “Yes, you did, mister. Is there something you want to tell me, Adam?” she asked.

  For a second, I thought she was angry but as I finally looked into her eyes, I realized that her expression displayed more concern than anger.

  “It’s complicated,” I replied, carefully choosing my words. I didn’t want to lie to her anymore, but I didn’t want to tell her the truth and pull her further into the madness that had become my life. She was already close enough to the fire simply by being friends with me.

  “That’s not good enough, Adam. We said we would be honest with each other, remember?”

  “This is different,” I said.

  “How? How is this different? Honesty is honesty. It applies to everything, not just the things that you're okay with me knowing,” she snapped. Her reply cut much deeper than she realized. Not only did this amplify the guilt that I felt for lying to her about Howie, but also the guilt I felt for not saving her father.

  “Monica, you have to trust me on this. There are things that I want to tell you but I just can’t.”

  “Why can’t you?” she demanded.

  “Because it’s too dangerous,” I replied. As the concern in her expression turned to fear, I realized that I shouldn’t have said that. I wished that I could tell her that she didn’t have to fear for me. I wished that I could let her know that I could toss a couple thousand pounds as easily as I could tie my shoes or grab her and zoom away at over 100 miles per hour in order to show her that I was the last person she needed to fear for. But I could never show her what I could do. I could never show her my abilities because doing so would let her know that I was capable of saving her father on the night that he died. Doing so would make her think I was a murderer.

  “What’s going on, Adam?” she demanded.

  “It’s under control,” I said as I looked away. I needed to avoid eye contact lest I fall victim to that mesmerizing gaze of hers. I knew I was putty in her hands when she really wanted something from me. My heart sank as I felt her soft hand gently touch my right cheek. She lightly nudged my chin upward, forcing me to gaze into her eyes once more. I didn’t stand a chance as her smoldering amber eyes worked their magic on me.

  “What aren’t you telling me, Adam?” she asked, “I’m only asking because I’m worried about you.”

  Damn she’s good, I thought as I felt her charm take hold of my inhibitions. I looked over my shoulder to make sure no one was listening, then looked back to her. “Howie was placed in protective custody by the government. That’s why he left. He was being targeted by The Strangers.”

  Her eyes grew wide with fear as she made the assumption that if Howie was in danger, I must have been too. “What-How- I mean-” she was so scared that her words were rushing out all at once.

  I placed my hands on her shoulders, which seemed to calm her. “Monica, I’m fine, and so is Howie. If he was still in danger, they wouldn’t have let him come back,” I lied.

  “But they’re still out there. How can he be safe? How can you be safe? I can’t do this, Adam. I can’t. I can’t lose you too!” she sobbed.

  “It’ll all be over soon, honey. Trust me. Nothing is going to happen to me,” I said as I pulled her head into my chest and embraced her.

  “Is this why you can’t come to the prom with me on Saturday?” she asked.

  “Yes, but I still don’t want you to go alone. I know Matt Connors likes you. I’m okay if you go with him, but let me know if he tries anything so I can have Jason beat him up again,” I smirked. I was hoping that she would laugh at my joke, but she didn’t respond.

  “Maybe we can meet up later that night, though. We could hang out at Lake Victoria if that’s okay with you,” I said, hoping it would lift her spirits. She finally lifted her head from my chest and smiled.

  “That sounds great, mister. I almost thought I wouldn’t have a chance to give you your birthday present,” she chimed.

  I raised an eyebrow and grinned as I thought of my conversation with Jason.

  “What are you smiling for?” she asked, pulling me out of my trance.

  “Nothing,” I said without looking into her eyes.

  “Adam?” she asked firmly.

  I peeked at her and, just as I expected, she was doing that mesmerizing stare that she always did whenever she wanted to get information out of me.

  “No!” I protested as I made a cross with my fingers and held them before me as if she was a vampire. “I won’t fall for that eye trick again!”

  “What eye trick? I don’t have an eye trick. Look at me, Adam,” she said.

  “No! I won’t let you seduce me with your vampire stare!” I playfully shouted. But I had already fallen for it. I fell for that mesmerizing gaze of hers the second I laid eyes on her.

  As we continued to horseplay before class, something inside of me told me that I should go to the prom with her. I kept getting the feeling that I shouldn’t leave her side, lest some unknown danger swoops in and takes her away from me. But I knew that I couldn’t guard her with every waking second and go after The Suspect.

  It’ll all be over soon, I told myself. Besides, she’s just going to the prom. How dangerous could that be?

  50. HOMECOMING

  IT WAS FRIDAY NIGHT AND I HAD BEEN STANDING ACROSS the street from my parent’s shack of a house for almost thirty minutes. It had been months since I had been back home, and I was still trying to convince myself that coming back was the right thing to do.

  You’re the reason he’s not coming back! You’re the reason I’m all alone. I wish I had never found you! The sting of my mother’s toxic words still b
urned in my mind as I stared at the front door. How could she have said that to me? I wondered. Sure, she had had a few drinks that night, but that’s nothing to tell your son even if you are drunk. That’s nothing to tell someone you love.

  Perhaps that was the reason I came back. Maybe I wanted to find out if I really was her son and most of all, if she really did love me.

  SHE WAS ASLEEP ON THE COUCH WHEN I FINALLY ENTERED the front door. I was surprised at how clean the living room was. My mother was quite the neat freak, but my father was as filthy as she was neat and she could never keep the house very clean due to his presence canceling out hers. As I stood in the front room and peered around, I couldn’t find a single trace of his usual filth. The only thing out of place at the moment was the empty wine bottle lying on the floor beside the couch on which my mother slept.

  She stirred a bit as I approached, but she still remained asleep. She looked cold as she lay in a somewhat fetal position in the corner of our ancient couch. I grabbed a blanket from the laundry room and gently placed it over her frail body.

  A painful wash of despair came over me as I noticed the dried tears that stained the hardened skin on her cheeks. It was painful to even look at her. She was only 45 years old, but she could have easily gone for over sixty. I had seen pictures of her when she was much younger. She was so beautiful back then. So beautiful and so smart, but that was before she met him. Seeing the physically and mentally broken woman that lay before me made it hard to imagine that she had ever been as good looking as she once was. It was hard to imagine that she had ever been happy.