Watchers of the Night

by Matthew Keith

Chapter 27

  Foreign language training was exactly as Parker had described it: boring. Thankfully, because Paul had taken three years of Spanish in high school they were able to skip over that portion, but it still left every other language in the world.

  “As boring as this is,” Parker explained, “without some basic knowledge it would never make sense to send you on a mission to a foreign country. The Target almost always contains some sort of verbal memorization, and if you don’t know the nuances of that country’s language, even with a memory like yours, you could end up reporting back a conversation completely wrong. Emphasis or changes to a syllable’s pronunciation, stringing words together thinking they’re part of a single one—there are so many ways to misunderstand language that you don’t speak. You can never train too much on this aspect of our job.”

  He was right. Especially as they began focusing on variations of similar dialects and on syllables, slang, and the speed with which each language was spoken. So many things required consideration and all of it changed from dialect to dialect.

  By lunch they’d barely made a dent and by dinner, after having spent a solid six hours at it, Paul still didn’t feel as if he’d made any real progress.

  Parker only brought up Dittrich once more, and when Paul didn’t engage in the conversation, nothing more was said.

  Dinner was subdued. The commons room was full. Because both sides were fully aware that it was only a matter of time before something happened, no one spoke much. When they did, it was at low volumes, as if the weight of what was about to happen somehow suppressed the volume of the room itself.

  Steven suggested that they try calling Stephanie one more time, but when they went out to the balcony to try they only got voicemail. Frustrated, they returned to their table where their friends were still seated.

  “So does anyone know who my night trainer will be?” Paul asked, looking around the table.

  He got shrugs and head shakes from everyone.

  “Great,” he said, looking over his shoulder at Hodge’s group. “That means I’m paired with one of them. Wonderful.”

  Lisa saw him gazing in her direction and gave him a strangely sympathetic and apologetic look. He frowned and turned his attention back to his own table.

  Liz, lifting her head abruptly, said, “Anybody up for a movie downstairs?”

  “Seriously?” Juliet asked. “How can you even think about watching a movie right now?”

  The table got quiet again, none of them looking directly at anyone else. Paul watched everyone retreat back into their own thoughts, worry on their faces. This was the beginning of them being beat, he realized. So far there had only been talk. No one had been hurt and Astralis was still whole. To brood upon something that would either not happen at all or—if it did—would be acted upon to the best of everyone’s ability, was the first step in Hodge’s group winning.

  “I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Paul said to Liz, taking in the rest of the table as he said it. “How many more chances will we have for some down time after this?” He jerked his head toward Hodge’s table. “We know where they are right now, so why not, right? It’s pretty clear they’re not on high alert tonight.”

  Liz smiled across the table at him.

  “He’s right,” Kenneth said, “Why should we let them hold us prisoners of fear?”

  “And besides,” Steven added with a smirk, “it’ll really throw them for a loop when they come down into the Sanctum and see us sprawled on the couches eating popcorn and Jujubes.”

  For the first time that day everyone laughed and, to the puzzlement of Hodge’s table, spontaneously stood up and left as a group, chattering the whole way about which movie they’d pick.

  They chose a comedy, and even though most of them had already seen it, for some reason it was better than it had been any of their previous viewings. They laughed loudly at the funny parts, and talked during the slow parts about which way the plot would twist even though they already knew. It was therapeutic for all of them, a reaffirmation of a commitment to each other that wasn’t just about friendship. Without having to say it out loud, they all knew that when the time came they would have each other’s backs. No matter what.

  The movie ended just before sunset. As the credits rolled, the Walkers and Sentinels from Hodge’s group came down giving them stares that ranged from icy to indifferent depending on who it was.

  Paul and the rest of the gang did the same, each and every one of them wondering if tonight would be the night.

  Paul didn’t immediately rise from his bed after entering the dream. He watched as Steven opened the door to their room and stepped through the threshold. Paul could see other Walkers moving past his door, both from his group and from Hodge’s, going toward the elevators. None of them seemed to be in a hurry.

  What were they waiting for? He hadn’t specifically declined their offer, but he hadn’t said yes either which, according to Lisa, meant that in their eyes he was against them. So if all they had been waiting for was a chance to bring him into their ranks, why weren’t they beginning their take-over now that they knew he didn’t plan to accept?

  Confused, he was deep in thought when the hotline on the wall of his safe room jolted him back to full awareness with a shrill ring. This was the first time he’d ever heard it—it was loud, ringing with a persistent double ring like something from an old-fashioned detective movie.

  Steven had already stepped back into the room and tentatively picked up the receiver. He stood for no more than a few seconds, listening, and then said, “I’ll take care of it.”

  He hung up the phone and closed the door to the room. “That was Natasha,” he said. “If you’re still in the room, you need to get outside and head south three hundred yards.”

  Opening the door again, he took up his former stance in the threshold of the doorway.

  Quickly leaving the room, Paul made his way to the main level to find his path blocked. Standing in the hallway in a cluster were Hodge, Allen, and James. They were in the middle of an intense conversation until James noticed Paul and gave the other two a warning look and nodded in Paul’s direction.

  “Need something, New Guy?” Hodge asked.

  “Not from you,” Paul answered.

  He stepped back into the stairwell, thinking. He needed to get outside without being noticed and he certainly couldn’t do that with them blocking the only hallway that led to the main lobby.

  It would have to be the balcony. If there was anyone in the commons room, they’d clearly be able to see him if he left that way, but he’d have to take the chance. Natasha had not left any instructions about whether or not he could tell anyone where he was going, but he could be fairly confident it was implied that he should keep quiet and come alone.

  Waiting an extra minute to be sure none of Hodge’s group peeked around the corner, he counted to sixty and climbed the stairs to the second floor. Pausing outside the glass wall that separated the upper hallway from the commons room, he peered in but saw no one and let out a quiet sigh of relief. Even if it were someone that was one of the good guys, he would still have to come up with some sort of explanation as to why he wanted to use the balcony to get outside. He didn’t want to lie to any of his friends if he didn’t have to, but an explanation for that would almost certainly require a degree of fabrication.

  Quickly making his way toward the far end of the room where the doors to the balcony were, he focused his ability and pushed one of them open. A blast of wind hit him as he stepped out, a curious feeling because although he could plainly feel that the wind was cold it didn’t actually make him cold. He wondered if that meant he could withstand extreme temperatures. Would he be fine in a place like Antarctica? How about on the sun? If he really was ‘all soul,’ as Lisa had put it, it raised some very interesting possibilities.

  Lifting one leg and then the other over the balcony rail, he was poised and ready to jump backward when he saw Kenneth standing near their normal table
. He was staring right back at him. Kenneth’s eyebrows were raised and his mouth was opened as if he were asking, “Why?” or “What are you doing!” but of course Paul couldn’t hear him through the thick glass.

  Looking down once onto the sidewalk below and then turning back to give Kenneth a look that he hoped conveyed an apology, he pushed himself away from the railing and twisted around so that he would land feet first. It only hurt a little. Although it was just a short distance as compared to his three previous jumps, he was proud of the fact that he was able to stay on his feet, grit his teeth through the pain, and begin walking almost immediately.

  He didn’t look back up at the windows to the commons room because he knew Kenneth would be standing there. There was nothing he could do at this point except follow Natasha’s instructions. South was more or less the direction that the road leaving Astralis followed. It curved a lot, but it more or less went the right way, so he followed it for convenience.

  Once he got far enough to be certain no one could see him, he slowed his pace enough to check behind him and make sure he hadn’t been followed. Through the trees, he could still see the front of the building. He watched for a few minutes as a precaution. When no one came, he turned and continued along the road.

  It was only a short distance further that he found Dr. Abrams waiting patiently on a rock, gazing up at the stars.

  “I don’t think I will ever get used to the beauty of the night sky in places where mankind has not impeded its view,” he said.

  Making a sound of agreement, Paul looked up at the sky for a moment and then back at Dr. Abrams. Certainly the man had not set up this meeting to star gaze.

  Still looking up, Dr. Abrams glanced at Paul out of the corner of one eye and chuckled. “Straight to the point, as always,” he remarked. Rising from the rock, he brushed his hands together as if to wipe off the dirt, but stopped as he realized the futility of it. Smiling, he said, “I suppose not getting dirty from touching rocks is another thing I’ll never get used to.”

  Paul smiled politely back, patiently waiting for Dr. Abrams to say what he’d come to say.

  Sizing Paul up, Dr. Abrams finally said, “You are a disconcertingly quiet individual, Mr. Bennett. I’m sure many people mistake that as a lack of confidence, but I think you and I know it is exactly the opposite. You know what your thoughts are and don’t need to explain them to others in order to validate them, yes?” Nodding as he continued, Dr. Abrams said, “I believe that we are very lucky that you have not committed to helping Mr. Dittrich pull off his little invasion.”

  Breathing a sigh of relief, Paul said, “So you know it is Dittrich.”

  “Yes,” Dr. Abrams replied, looking at the sky once before continuing. “I am very aware that the man whom I placed so much faith and trust in has made the decision to betray me.”

  Paul looked down at the ground for a moment. “I am very sorry that this is happening. I am very sorry that I have become a part of it. I’ve come to love it here, and I can’t begin to tell you how sad I am to already see it falling apart.”

  Regarding Paul kindly, Dr. Abrams said, “Paul, what is all this talk of doom and gloom? Nothing has or is going to fall apart. Now, you look me in the eye, son.”

  Paul did as he asked, raising his head and looking Dr. Abrams directly in the eyes. What he saw there wasn’t panic or fear, nor was it anger or haste. It was kindness and resolve. It was the look of someone who already knew the way the story would end and was confident that his version was the right one. “You came to my office to speak with me this morning and it sounded important. I’m sorry that Natasha asked you to leave so abruptly but we got news of Thomas and she was shaken.”

  “Was it good news?” Paul asked.

  Pausing as if the answer to his question was not a simple one, Dr. Abrams replied, “We don’t know yet. But thank you for asking.”

  “I hope that you and Natasha know that if there is ever anything I can do to help you find him, all you have to do is ask.”

  “I believe I do know that, yes,” Dr. Abrams’ smile was now very genuine. “But we’re getting away from our main topic. I came here so you could explain the reason for your visit this morning.”

  Paul quickly went over the trip he and Lisa had taken and the conversation that they’d had, ending it by saying, “They’re talking about really hurting you, Dr. Abrams. They’re talking about killing you.”

  Dr. Abrams’ face showed no sense of fear or alarm. “I am not surprised. My conversation with Dittrich went much the same way as yours did with Lisa. He knows that if he took control of Astralis I would spend all of my time and energy re-establishing it or something comparable to it. That would create competition for the business he intends to create and he certainly doesn’t want that. The greatest part of what Astralis has to offer is that there is no other company or agency in the world that can provide the same service. No, there is no way that he would reach the financial heights that he is striving for with me still around. That being the case, the only logical course of action is for him to remove me completely.”

  “What should we do? Dr. Abrams, I hope you know that Liz, Kenneth, Juliet, and Parker are all with you. Just tell us what we need to do and we’ll do it.”

  Looking up at the sky once again, Dr. Abrams said, “I have just a few minutes before Natasha will be pulling me back, so I’m going to say this quickly, without any embellishment, and I want you to do as I ask: Do nothing. Have you told them ‘no’ in absolute terms?” Paul shook his head. “Good. Maintain that position. Do not commit verbally to either group. Do your best to stay on the outside of the confrontation. It is possible that if they think there is still a chance you would join them, they may not hurt you. If anything, get yourself as far from here as you can. There may not be time to do that. I have a feeling this confrontation will come soon—but if you can leave safely, please go.”

  “What about everyone else? It has to be clear to them that my group wants nothing to do with their plan. What happens if Parker, Kenneth, Liz and Juliet end up in harm’s way?”

  “Do not share with them what you have told me tonight. It will only cause fear and anger. I do not want anyone getting hurt on my behalf.”

  “I can’t just say nothing to them!” Paul protested.

  “You can and you must,” Dr. Abrams told him firmly. “Whether or not you chose to be, you are the focal point in this fight. You are in a position of responsibility now, simply through your knowledge of events. If you care about your friends, and I know you do, then it is your responsibility to protect them. By not telling them what you know, you won’t earn any gratitude, but you will keep them from acting prematurely and getting themselves hurt.”

  Frustrated, Paul nodded.

  “We won’t be speaking like this again, not until this is over,” Dr. Abrams said. “Doing so puts you at risk. But there is one more thing. Astralis must remain. It must. When the time comes that Hodge…” Dr. Abrams looked to sky. “She is calling me back. When the time comes that Hodge asks…”

  But he never finished. His body was pulled north toward Astralis and in the blink of an eye he was gone. Paul swore under his breath. What was Dr. Abrams going to say? What was it that Hodge would be asking? And what was it that he was supposed to say or do when that happened? Turning left and right, as if the answer might be visible to him in the air around him, he thought furiously, trying to come up with what it might have been.

  He took a deep, calming breath and concentrated on everything that had happened so far, on the things that he was sure he knew. First and foremost, he knew that Dittrich was behind it all. He’d had that confirmed not only by Lisa, but also by his friends who’d told him that Dittrich had been talking about turning Astralis into a for-profit institution for years. He knew Lisa was also part of Dittrich’s plan; she’d confirmed that when they took their trip to the middle of nowhere. James and Allen, although not having directly said that they were a part of it, had implied it through their
conversations with him.

  Hodge, though… he just wasn’t sure. It seemed too obvious. Hodge had never treated Paul with anything but hostility and contempt, but he had never stated or implied that he was a part of Dittrich’s plan. Paul had always assumed that through his connection with Lisa and the way Hodge treated him so badly that he was. But what if he wasn’t? What if he wasn’t and Dr. Abrams knew it? Was it possible that the reason Hodge had always treated him like garbage was because Hodge wanted to alienate Paul from Dittrich’s cause?

  It was a stretch and Paul knew it. The simple fact that Hodge so obviously valued his relationship with Lisa should be more than enough for Paul to assume that he would choose her side by default. But everyone respected Hodge at Astralis, even Paul’s friends. There was history, there. It was a possibility.

  Sighing, he sat down on the rock that Dr. Abrams had been sitting on when he arrived and resigned himself to a long night of waiting. He could go back to Astralis and let himself in, but then he would run the chance of having to explain to Kenneth and everyone else why he had left the building. Besides, he needed more time to think everything through.

  Sitting on the rock, he realized he had come full circle back to where he’d been before Astralis. The rock may not be as comfortable as his bench in Radcliff, but it was a place to sit alone with his thoughts while he waited for the sun to rise.