R.E.solve (Rain Experience Book 2)

by Thomas W. Everson

  Both the garden and tree are recovering nicely after the sandstorm, but it will be a while before anything is ripe.

  Still I reach up and snatch an unripe apple to give the horse and it takes it willingly. Stroking his mane I can’t tell if he likes the attention or not. He doesn’t protest or try to bite me, so I take it as a good sign. A noise from the house piques my interest and Emma rushes around, looking left and right. In her arms are two sets of shoes, one of them mine.

  “Put these on!” she whispers excitedly as she tosses them at me and puts her own on.

  Doing as I’m told I slip the shoes on. Once Emma sees I’ve completed my task, she grabs my hand and begins pulling me toward the city. It doesn’t take her long to gain speed and, while shorter than I, she manages a good pace while dragging me along for the ride. Nearing the edge of the park Emma looks back. I copy her. The house is a dot in my vision and no one is following us. She slows a bit but keeps up a brisk walk until we’re inside the city’s inner border. The house is no longer visible. Looking down at her as she grips my hand tightly, she looks back with a conniving smile.

  Making our way through a section of the city I hadn’t explored the previous time here, she continues pulling me farther in, and farther away. The city is quiet, the shops and apartments dormant. The streets are empty and eerily silent, too, devoid of day walkers.

  Emma tugs on my arm and looking down I see a smug and confident look on her face. Turning around the corner of one of the many tall buildings I can’t easily tell apart, Emma breaks the silence.

  “I missed you Rain. I missed you a lot when you were gone. But you’re back now and I’m not a little girl anymore.”

  “No, you’re not, but I know where you’re going with this Emma and–” Emma cuts me off.

  “Good! I can protect you if I come with you!”

  “Protect me?”

  “From Ami and that indecent tramp Eve! You need me to stop them from trying to take advantage of you! Seeing you in Eve’s clutches last night, taking advantage of you, made me so angry. Denis tried the same thing and I can’t stand that behavior!”

  I’m caught off guard. While I thought her infatuation with me was romantic, instead it seems she seeks to keep me ‘safe’ from other romantic relationships.

  “I don’t need protection. What you saw last night with Eve wasn’t what you thought it was. I was just trying to console her…”

  “Oh no. That may be what you think, but she’s a devil in disguise, like Denis. You need me!” She stops, turns to face me, and grabs both of my hands. Her infectious smiling causes me to grin nervously. “I tried to come back to let you in but Ami was watching me closely!”

  “Emma…” I need to find a way to dissuade her from coming with us. But how do I convince her if she thinks she needs to be my savior as I was hers? “Emma, I really don’t know what to say. Ami and Eve, they aren’t the danger. I’m the one that’s dangerous. You saw that. I don’t know what will happen if anyone is near when I have another outburst.”

  “So? Then I’ll help you find a way to fix that too. I owe you! I don’t care if it’s dangerous!”

  “Really, you…” I don’t know how to respond. Red with embarrassment, I look away and up toward the sky. The high towers of the city obscure my view of the open blue. After standing in silence for a few moments Emma leads me. I can’t tell if it’s to a particular destination, or just walking.

  She means well. Will I cause her despair when I leave again? Will I have to fight against her anguish in the darkness? I have to make sure that somehow, someway, she lives a full life without despair, but it can’t be with the house. It is a relief that I won’t be a lost love interest for her though. She is just like a little sister and Ami will be glad to hear she feels the same.

  Uneasy, I feel the silence has gone on too long and break it. “So, do people still do their markets at night? It seemed like people were at least awake with all the lights I saw.”

  “It’s mixed now. There are some people who open their shops during the daytime. It’s weird to see, but I’ve found some nice places in a section of the city where the markets are open right now.”

  After a significant time walking empty streets, people finally begin trickling in around us as we twist and turn down several streets. We reach an area that, while still run down, seems a bit livelier. While nowhere near what it was the night I was first here, there are a fair number of people making their way to and fro. This class of people, whom were previously called day walkers, appear to be in poor health, spirits, and appearance. They look sick with hopelessness and I can’t help but wonder if this is who I’m going to be fighting for. The voices that called out to me from the dark world.

  “This may not seem like the best place in town, but I have a baker friend over here who makes some delicious pastries,” Emma still sounds cheery despite the gloom in the air.

  “All this way for some pastries, hmm?” I ask.

  “I thought I’d treat you to your breakfast, and my desert.”

  Growing closer to the larger group of people meandering about, I notice with every person we pass they stop and stare. Everyone who looks at me seems to be completely drawn into my black eyes. I can’t help but try and look away, only to be caught in someone else’s stare.

  Thankfully, when we enter a small bakery there are less people and they seem content to ignore us. Emma drops my arm and rushes to the glass counter with dozens of different shaped and colored cookies, and pastries. They all look delicious.

  “Terrie! Where are you?” Emma shouts.

  An older woman with tight curly white hair, comes from beyond the door past the display case. She brushes her powdery hands off on a towel tucked into the sash at her waist. She smiles and I can see the recognition in her eyes when she finds Emma at her counter.

  “Terrie, I’d like you to meet someone.”

  “Who’s that dear?” She cocks her ear to the side to hear better.

  Stepping forward I reach my hand across the display for a handshake. She reaches instinctively, but halts abruptly when she sees my eyes. Pulling her hand back a bit, she’s unsure of how to react. We lock eyes in a staring contest. I simply turn the handshake into an uncomfortable wave and drop my hand to my side awkwardly.

  “Is he a demon?” Terrie whispers quite loudly.

  “No! He’s Rain. He’s going to help me with my problem,” she says excitedly.

  Terrie looks me over and then back at Emma. “If you say so dear. What can I get for you today?”

  “I’d like a fritter and…” Emma looks at me, waiting for me to choose.

  “I’ll take that one,” I point at a solid circular one covered in chocolate.

  Terrie pulls them out for us, rings us up on her electronic PayPad, and Emma pulls a familiar plastic card from her pocket. It takes a brief moment to swipe it, and then it’s back in her pocket. The older woman hands us our pastries and Emma shovels hers into her mouth, taking a huge bite.

  “Thanks Terrie!” she says while chewing.

  “Mind your manners,” Terrie scolds.

  Emma clears her mouth, “I will!”

  Turning to leave, I take a bite of my soft, sweet, chocolaty pastry. While we walk back down the street I try to savor the delicious confection. Before I know it it’s gone, and I’m licking my fingers wishing I had another one. Emma has done the same and then latched onto my arm to walk parallel with me.

  “Thank you for breakfast. Not what I would typically eat and it was a nice change.”

  “Of course. Anything for you, Rain.” She smiles, staring down the street.

  Heading back in the general direction we came from, it seems to take longer to find our way back. People fade away, left behind in the awake part of the city. While I focus on the road ahead of us, I notice Emma look to the left when we reach a four way crossing. She pulls on my arm and we move a little faster. Only seeing a few people far off, I’m not sure what her hurry is, especially because goin
g back to the house would mean having to deal with Eve and Ami.

  She leads us faster and every street we come across she looks down, both ways, and continues straight ahead. She’s spooked when people appear in front of us. She stops dead in her tracks, turns right down a side street and continues to look over her shoulder every once in a while.

  Unsure of what’s going on I ask. “Emma?”

  “It’s nothing, just keep walking.”

  The worried tone in her voice is less than convincing. I look over my shoulder to see there are four bodies following us, though I can’t make out much about them from this distance. Rounding the corner of a building to our left, our pace quickens again to a light jog.

  “Emma, what’s going on?”

  “We’re being surrounded,” she points in front of us and I notice more people advancing in our direction.

  “Could this be a coincidence?” I ask.

  “No,” she clings tighter to my arm.

  Finally, despite our jogging, we’re intercepted by a gang of men, big and small. They surround us, forming a ring. One of them muscles through the rabble and he’s different. He’s tall and skinny, his wild black hair a mess like a rat’s next. Adjusting the dark glasses he’s wearing and tugging on the collar of his odd pinstriped suit, he advances.

  “Emma, Emma, Emma. Do you know how hard it is to find you when you’re not where you’re supposed to be?” the man asks.

  “Of course I do. I don’t do it by accident,” she replies with attitude.

  “Aww, now don’t hurt my feelings by avoiding me.” He grins in a malicious manner and struts toward us. “Denis wants to see you sweetcakes.”

  “Tell Denis to jump off his roof,” she snidely responds.

  “Now, that’s not a very nice thing to say to your future husband.”

  “He’s dreaming.” She avoids looking at the thug and grips my arm to the point I feel I’m losing circulation.

  “Who’s this loser?” The gangly man points at me with contempt on his face.

  Before I can answer Emma jumps in and yells, “This is the man who is going to stop Denis! Again!”

  I’m not sure whether the look I give off is shocked or dumbfounded at Emma’s declaration but I remain silent while this man continues.

  “Oh, is that so?” He pulls something out of his side pocket and holds it out in front of him. On a small round disk Denis appears as a see through image and I remember this technology. “Want to repeat that for Denis, honey?”

  Emma sticks her tongue out at Denis’s image.

  “Hey, your old lady says she found someone who’s going to stop you,” he tells Denis in a sickeningly sweet manner. “Again apparently.”

  “What is she talking about?” He yells. “No one has ever bested me. The resistance was crushed under my boot!”

  “That’s what she says boss. She has some freak-show with black eyes on her arm.”

  “Who does she think she is?! I offered her everything!” Denis yells.

  “I know boss, I know, but she’s insistent you jump off your roof,” the man toys with Denis to rile him up.

  Denis looks intently at me and I see he recognizes me, “You! Chase, you kill him. I want him dead! Then bring her back to me. She’s not to leave your sight or I’m going to have you hung out by your ankles and beaten with rebar.”

  “You got it boss.” Chase puts the device back in his pocket, grinning from ear to ear. He waves his hand for Emma to come to him. “You heard the man. I’m taking you with me little lady.”

  “Stop.” I put my arms up as Chase tries to advance. “You don’t have to listen to him.”

  “What? You think I have time for chit chat?” Chase’s face turns stern. “If you think Denis was lying about having me strung up, think again. My life is on the line here.”

  The other men who’ve formed a circle close in on us to constrict our movements. My defensive instincts kick in. Placing myself between Chase and Emma I act as a barrier.

  “Stop now!” I warn them, putting my other arm out over Emma’s shoulder.

  “Or what? Do you see yourself right now? You’re surrounded. Might as well give up, lie down, and take what’s coming.”

  “Last warning: leave Emma alone.” The tension in my voice rises and I feel myself surging with power.

  “I’m done,” Chase reaches out with his lengthy arms for my neck but I react and place my hands in front of his face.

  Unleashing a shockwave directly at his skull, he flies into, and then through a couple of the men. The boom causes Emma to scream, startled by my unique ability. Knowing I’ve just started a fight, I quickly spin behind Emma and unleash another, clearing a path for her.

  “Run!” I yell.

  Emma doesn’t hesitate and runs through. They converge on me in an attempt to overwhelm. Multiple targets produce various weapons to bludgeon or stab me with. I defend myself as they near.

  From the front.

  I block a right hook with my forearm. I swing in and as my fist connects with his ribcage I let a shockwave fly. My target hurtles into a few others behind him. Dodging successive swings from a small club I grab a thug’s arm as he comes in again. Using his own weight against him, I flip and slam him to the ground.

  Behind.

  I spin around and lean back to dodge a blow to my face from spiked metal wrapped around a tall man’s knuckles. Taking advantage of his blunder I grab his shirt, lean back and crack my skull into his. He stumbles back.

  While I rub my forehead briefly, two obese and very familiar men slam me in between their bellies and I’m immobilized. Another thug cracks me in the ribs and I groan at the pain. He wrenches me by the arm from the two fat men. With chain he attempts to bind me. I’m able to slip one of my hands free and blast him with a shockwave.

  Grabbing the chain I swing it around, letting it fly a few times in an attempt to hit a few of them. The group backs up as a whole. I wait for one of them to step a little closer. Spinning around, I keep my eyes on them. It allows me to catch one moving when he thinks I’m distracted. Before he can stop himself the chain connects with his legs. It wraps around him and he yelps in pain. While it’s bound around him the rest of the thugs quickly advance back on me, running full steam. Before I can react I’m hit several times across my upper body.

  On my toes, I try to dodge attacks but the close quarters stop me. After being hit a few times the pain throws me off further. I misstep and I’m bludgeoned in the face, stomach, and legs. I have to kneel after a few moments just to breathe and I struggle to push them all back with random shockwaves. I hit several but they just keep coming.

  They push in harder. I do my best to fight back. As one swings their foot in toward my ribs I jump up and in, too close for his blow to be effective. I then ram his ribs with my shoulder. Two more replace him as he falls to the ground. Feeling my strength failing, I struggle to stay moving.

  More converging. Too many to dodge. Need to take them all at once.

  Instinct kicks in. I crouch, push my legs up as hard as I can and let a shockwave loose at the ground with both palms. The force of the shockwaves leaving from both of my hands at the same time propels me upward, much higher than I normally would be able to jump. Putting my legs together I rocket up and when I reach the pinnacle I fall straight down.

  Once I have my bearing, I pull my legs up to a crouching position with my hands facing the ground. A moment before landing I let out a shockwave from both hands. It softens the impact, and shatters the paved street. It buckles and flows in a three hundred and sixty degree wave, sending everyone around me flying in various directions. My legs and palms ring with pain despite my cushion. I look around and I’ve cleared a few yards around me.

  Several of them struggle to return to their feet while some crawl away. Others lie lifeless. Collapsing onto my tailbone I rest and collect myself for a minute. Looking for any sign of Emma beyond the mass of the men, her figure eludes me.

  Is that a good thing or b
ad? I did tell her to run. Wait. Where’s Chase?

  Back on my feet, I begin looking frantically for his downed body. He’s nowhere in sight. I hear Emma’s scream echo through the streets. It’s faint and I cannot tell where it came from. She yells my name. As I anxiously peer down the streets I see neither Emma nor Chase. My legs begin moving on their own. I run in the direction I thought I heard Emma scream from. At every intersection when I look down the streets I see no one resembling either of them.

  With no sight of them I become angry: the same rage

  I felt against the slavers courses through my mind. I return to where the gang has fallen. Upon my arrival, there’s a thug still conscious. I grab him by his shirt and punch him in the face for good measure.

  “Where have they gone?” I yell while pulling his bloody face up to mine.

  “Don’t kill me!” he whimpers.

  “I won’t, if you answer my question! Where did Chase take her?”

  “I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!”

  Useless!

  I throw him to the ground and move to another. I pull this one to his feet only to bend him over and plant a knee into his ribcage. He coughs heavily and tries to fall, but I stand him back up. When he’s regained his breath I question him.

  “Where?”

  “I can’t! Denis will kill me!”

  I shake him by his shirt and grimace at him. “I’m going to kill you if you don’t answer me!”

  “Please, please!” he pleads. I drop him.

  Either they have completely solid loyalty, or he’ll really kill them if they say anything. I’m not getting anything out of them. It doesn’t help there are a dozen or more potential witnesses to any confession.

  I burst into a run, heading in the direction I believe the house to be in. Emma being in danger runs through my mind. I can’t help but think the worst as Chase carries her off to Denis. Though it took us a while to make our way through city, after only about ten minutes of switching from running, to jogging, and back to running again, I’m at the edge of the park. Seeing home gives me a renewed endurance. Though my lungs burn from heavy breathing, my legs carry me forward. Overcompensating nearly sends me face first on the grass, but I manage to stay upright.