There was a desk set up, littered with several dusty data screens. A file cabinet sat nearby, which she found was empty except one data screen at the bottom. She picked it up and activated it. There were several handwritten notes in it. Some of them were hard to read due to the handwriting. She could tell it was someone’s observations about another subject:
The child today shows the normal signs of developments. No change in behavior or attitude. He seems to be adjusting to the separation from his parents well. Our tests on his mental development indicate he’ll probably be extremely intelligent. Probably in the relative viscidity of his mother and uncle. His development seems to be much more normal than theirs was reported to be though, which is probably a good sign. The slower development cycle, which is almost the exact same as a normal human’s, is probably due to the genetic contribution of his father. This child, being a hybrid species, is developing along the same path as a normal human being. We’ll keep observing, but it seems like we’re going to go ahead with the foster program plans. Already several volunteers.
Christina had in her mind theories where this was leading, but she didn’t want to jump to any conclusions. Just keep looking, she thought, and let me find out what they’re talking about. She sat the data screen down and continued down the hallway.
35
James and Elijah had finally exited the tunnel, arriving via a manhole to the surface of an alley. It was dark out, not long after midnight. They stood there for a moment. James finally spoke. "Be careful, Elijah. Something doesn’t feel right, in my mind’s eye. It’s a calm over the city like I haven’t felt before.” Elijah nodded to James.
“Don’t worry,” Elijah said, “I’ll see you again. I’ll get Alicia and Anna, and meet you back here.”
“I’ll keep watch on you with my mind’s eye,” James said. "If I focus on you, then I can see you and feel your state of being from no matter how far away you are. I’ll come if there’s a problem.” Elijah nodded to him and turned, leaving the alley. James watched him for a moment, and then grew claws and started climbing up the building wall.
He spread out his senses, trying to find the nearest network station truck. Unfortunately, it looked like he would have to go all the way to East District to find the nearest. No interesting news in Old District, he thought, at least nothing worth the council’s time. He decided to scale the rooftops instead of opening his wings. It would take a little longer, but it would keep him more hidden. Plus it would give him some more time to plan his actions for the future.
36
Elijah walked along the darkened streets of Old District. He would rather have driven, but that would have drawn attention to himself. Anyone in Old District driving a car around in the middle of the night was suspicious. Fortunately he had a taser he’d taken from the armory for protection in case of anything. He wasn’t too worried; he’d navigated Old District plenty of times in the past by foot. He did not expect any trouble.
He had the address memorized, the location of Anna’s and Alicia’s hideout. They moved around on a schedule to a number of different safe houses, owned by different friends. They were all allies of his. People whom he hoped he would become a part of the resistance, as long as they were not driven away by fear. No one had turned him in yet, which was a good sign. Well, no one except Luke. He shook his head, feeling sorry for the man. Luke had just lost his wife, and his daughters had been kidnapped. The man had been desperate. Elijah understood the feeling all too well.
He thought about many things while walking, mostly regarding the past. His thoughts turned to his wife. He always missed her, and every time he saw Alicia he could see Callie in her. He thought about James, and worried about him. What kind of burden does he carry? He hoped James would survive this. If anyone can, it would be him. If anyone can save us all, it’ll be him.
He thought about James’s plan, to use the network vids as their own propaganda against the city. There would be heavy retribution for anyone who got caught. James seemed to be quite capable at infiltration as well, however. That seemed to be another of his useful skills.
Elijah heard the sound of a distant clock tower, the one coming all the way from East District. It was actually three o’clock in the morning. It’s late, Elijah thought, more late that I thought it was. The clock echoed loud throughout the city, even in Old District. It surprised him, being so far away. He was nearly on the other side of the city from that clock. The road was just as dark as everything else. He watched for the familiar signs, and realized he was still quite a bit away from Alicia. Old District sure is big, he thought. He hoped someone was already awake so he wouldn’t be waking everyone up in the house. Not that it matters, he thought, Alicia will have to go with me regardless.
37
James was on the street level now, staring at a parked van across the street. It was some apartment building. He did not know why it was parked there, but scanning it with his mind’s eye told him it had all the equipment he needed. He was about to head over there when he felt a Civic Protection patrol car headed his way. He moved back into the shadows, and allowed the creature to cover his mouth and nose to make him appear in his hunter guise. His eyes had turned silver as well.
The patrol car moved slowly, and both the driver’s and passenger’s side windows were down. A spotlight that was attached to the driver’s side mirror was on, and they were shining it in the area where James had been standing. He could hear one soldier speaking to the other.
“Did you see him? I could have sworn I saw someone over there.”
“Well,” the other one said, “let’s get out and look. Grab your flashlight.” The patrol car pulled over and both soldiers got out simultaneously. They relied on both the lights of their patrol car and their flashlights in the darkness.
“If there’s someone there,” one of the soldiers shouted, “then show yourself.” James continued hiding, trying to be patient. He didn’t want anyone to know he was the one stealing the camera equipment, or they might suspect he was up to something and heighten security at the Network. He sank into the darkness of the building’s shadows, and had the creature cover his entire body. He then willed it to mimic the pattern of the building wall. At one point this light from one of the officer’s flashlights went over him, but the soldier kept moving the flashlight, indicating he hadn’t seen him.
What took just a few minutes seemed like forever to James as he hid. The soldiers were eventually satisfied, and got back into their patrol car. They sat there a few more minutes, and then left slowly. James watched them with his mind’s eye. They were suspicious, but they were leaving. I wonder if they’ll circle the area and come back in a few minutes, he thought as he watched them, waiting patiently for them to be gone. The car turned and he couldn’t see them anymore. He felt the impatience of the creature in his mind, and he forced it back. His mind turned to Christina, and he felt it relent back into the darkness.
The soldiers were going to come back, he knew. They waited around the corner for about half an hour before they turned back to the street. The patrol car was going just as slow and shining their lights all over the place. James hadn’t moved from his spot, still mimicking the gray brick wall behind him. After their second pass, the soldiers finally decided that they’d just seen a shadow. They left in their patrol car, heading somewhere else in East District. There were other patrol cars about, but none on this particular street at the moment now.
James let the creature cover his mouth and nose again, in his guise as the Hunter. He moved quickly towards the van, and tried to open it. It was locked, so he punched in the driver’s side window. He needed to make it look like a burglary, and not tear the door off the hinges like he felt like doing. He climbed inside the van, crawling into the back from the front seat. He could see all the equipment there that he needed.
Fortunately there were some small satchel bags into which he also put the miscellaneous supplies. T
he light and stand were one piece, folded up to be relatively small. It went in its own case that he could sling over his shoulder. The data screen used for editing was small enough that he put it in the satchel, too. He took the camera and the other supplies that didn’t fit in the bag, and carried them in his arms. The light was over one shoulder, the satchel bag over the other. With his heightened strength, the weight of the equipment was nothing. It was still a little awkward carrying it all though. He climbed out of the back of the van, opening the doors and walking out.
He ran back across the street, and started clawing up a wall with just his feet and one of his hands, the other one being full of equipment. As soon as he reached the top of the building, he heard the East District clock sound. It was four o’clock in the morning. It had taken longer than he’d hoped. Blasted Civic Protection, he thought.
38
Elijah finally arrived at the doorstep of the apartment building. He knocked a few times, hoping he wouldn’t have to find some alternative way of getting in. After a few minutes of waiting, he was about to knock again when he heard the door unlock. It was dark in the apartment, but he could see lit candles inside. Anna was holding a candle as well as she stood in the doorway.
“I was wondering when we’d see you again,” she said. She moved to the side to let Elijah in.
“Gather as many things as you can carry,” he said as he came in, “we’re leaving. We have a permanent safe house now. We’re going to stay there.” Anna looked surprised.
“It has to be safe for us to be able to live there permanently.”
Anna moved to another room, where Elijah followed. She led him to Alicia, who was in bed asleep. Elijah knelt beside her. He stroked her cheek with his hand. She always looks the most at peace when asleep, he thought as he stared at her.
“Alicia,” he said, “You need to wake up. We have to go.” She stirred, and opened her eyes. She grinned when she saw her father.
“Daddy, you came back.” She was up in an instant, hugging him. “I was worried. I had a dream. You were hurt in it. The men took me away again, like they did before.” He put his hand on her back, comforting her.
“It’s all right,” he said, “I’m here now.” He hadn’t noticed, but Anna had left the room. After hearing him speak, she came back in. She held two small suitcases.
“All of Alicia’s things are in here,” Anna said.
“What about your things?” Elijah said.
“You need someone to stay here.” Anna said, “If the girl isn’t with me, I won’t be a suspect. I can walk about freely. I know this new place you’ll be going to is probably somewhat remote, and you won’t be able to leave it as easily if it’s that safe. You need someone on the outside, in the city. Someone to help you and James. I’m old, but I still have my talents.” Elijah nodded to her.
“Well,” he said, “I’ve trusted you all these years. You take care of yourself.”
“You too.”
It took a few more minutes for Alicia to get ready to go as he waited for his seven-year-old daughter to finish changing her clothes. She didn’t want to leave Anna either. After a little persuasion, he convinced her that she would see Anna again. They eventually left. It was still dark out, but it had become early morning.
*****
Elijah and Alicia had only walked a few blocks when they were stopped very suddenly by bright lights and sirens. In an instant they were surrounded by Civic Protection vehicles; patrol cars and men on motorcycles. There were several black, unmarked vehicles as well. Several soldiers ran at Elijah at once. He didn’t even have a chance to pull out the taser before he was on the ground. Alicia tried to run to his aid, but some other soldiers restrained her.
Dante walked quietly next to them. There was a woman next to him, slender in a form-fitting Civic Protection uniform. Her hair was white with red highlights. She was clapping slowly.
“Well,” Dante said, “this has been fun. I’ve been waiting for you to show yourself again to the outside world.”
“How,” Elijah asked. “How did you find us?”
“You remember your late wife?" the woman asked.
“Don’t you talk about her,” Elijah shouted with anger, “you don’t have the right...”
“No,” the woman interrupted, “you don’t have the right. You are just as ignorant as the rest of the humans in this city. Just as ignorant as the Hunter. You think he’s the only one with talents? Special abilities? We have our own special abilities, and you have no idea what you’ve brought down upon yourself. The council will raze you and your family to the ground. Our father will squash your Hunter like the insect he is.” There was a fire in her eyes, and Elijah saw something that frightened him. Her eyes weren’t human. The pupils were slits.
“Let my daughter go,” Elijah said. "I’ll go quietly, but please let my daughter go.”
“Sorry,” Dante said, “but she’s what this is all about.” He walked over to Alicia, crouching down to look at her. “The last child of Callista,” he said as he shook his head. "I wonder if you have any idea of what you’re capable of.”
“What are you going to do to her?”
“We’re going to do to her what we’ve done to every Civic Protection soldier,” Dante said, “and by the time we’re finished, she will worship Father and the council the way all the rest of them do. She will gladly fight and die for us.”
“You’re all monsters,” Elijah whispered. There was anger and disgust in his face.
“No,” Dante said, “we’re a product of all of your sins. In this broken world, we’re the only hope you people have. Not this resistance, or the Hunter, or even the legacy of the Vanguards.” He pulled a pistol from his jacket, pointing it at Elijah. “I’m sorry,” Dante said as he pulled the trigger. The shot echoed out, bringing back a memory that Elijah had tried to push out of his mind long ago.
He awoke hearing a loud bang, a gunshot. He realized his wife wasn’t in bed next to him. He looked around, and could see Alicia was asleep in her crib. Callie was nowhere, though. As he got up, he saw her nightclothes on the floor. There was some other clothing rustled about, which made him think she’d gotten dressed in a hurry.
He ran outside their modest apartment, looking around on the street. It was early morning, but there was no one around. He caught a glimpse of a figure on the ground in the alley next door. He rushed to her, but there was a dark pool gathering underneath her already. He was shocked and horrified to see Callista. His Callie. He grabbed her, and tried to put his hands on the wound on her stomach. She was still alive, breathing lightly. She was dressed, wearing clothes that would have made him wonder what she’d been doing if it were not for the fact she had been shot.
“Callie,” he said, “don’t go. Stay with me.” Tears were starting to fall. Her breaths were growing shorter. She turned her head slightly towards him. He could tell she was almost too weak to do that.
“Elijah,” she said, “it went all the way through. The bullet.” Her voice was weak, “I don’t have much left in me.”
“This is my fault,” he said, “it’s my fault this happened to you, Callie.”
“No,” her voice trembled, “it’s mine. I let him go on for so long, doing nothing to stop him. He needs to be stopped.” Her skin was starting to feel cold. Her face was pale, almost more so than her light blond hair.
“What are you talking about,” he asked.
“He’ll come for her too,” Callista said, “he’ll come for her too. Just like he tried to come for our son. Just like he came for me.” She looked up and reached her arm, holding Elijah’s face in her hand. “I love you. Eli, protect our daughter. Protect Alicia from my brother, and remember: James is the key. He’s the only one that can stop him.” The last words she said ended with an exhalation of breath. Her skin became chilled almost instantly. She was gone. Elijah clutched her; for how long he didn’t
know. He just held her body, wishing against hope that she was still there.
He glanced down, and saw his hands still pressing her wound. He lifted them up, examining them. They were covered in blood, her blood.
Elijah held up his hands. They were covered in blood. This time however, the blood was his own. He was confused for a moment, but his mind quickly came back to the present as he realized Dante had shot him in the stomach.
Dante was still holding the gun up, darkness in his face. There was still smoke coming from the barrel of the pistol. Elijah felt more numbness than pain. Is this what it feels like, he thought, is this what it feels like to die? He looked over at his daughter. She was shouting, and tears were streaming down her face. The soldiers had let go of Elijah, and he felt his balance leave him. The world turned sideways as he fell to the ground.
He laid there for a moment, and Alicia squirmed out of the soldiers’ grips enough to rush to her father. One of the soldiers next to Dante was about to grab her and the woman with white and red hair stopped him. “Give her a moment.”
“Alicia,” Elijah said as she knelt over him, “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you better. This isn’t over though; you know it. You’ve seen it. Rely on your visions. Don’t forget me, and trust James. He’s the only family you have left.” Alicia was crying over him, embracing him. A few more moments and Dante turned to the soldiers.
“All right,” Dante said, “that's enough. Let’s get out of here. Take the girl to the CP station in East District. Have a large attachment escort her, and heavy security and protection around her at all time. If it seems like she’ll be rescued, kill her first. Father’s orders are that she dies before falling into the wrong hands.” The officer nodded.
City of Twilight: Rise of the Hunter (The Vanguard Chronicles Book 1) Page 17