by Ali Winters
Holter laughed, then smiled down at her with a strangely father-like expression. “I won’t forget,” he said then walked around the table and put his arm around Kain’s shoulders.
“What are you two up to?” Kain looked between the two, noting the conspiratorial looks.
“Kain, the others would like me to ask you if you’d be interested in joining us here at Hunter Corp. We’d like to work with the Reapers and rebuild trust between our two groups.”
“They want me to join you?”
“Yes, we all do, especially me. I think it could be good for you to learn about what we do and who we are, and good for…” He hesitated just long enough to allow a shred of uncertainty to seep through his normally confident and strong exterior. “Well, good for us to get to know each other better.”
“Go on…” Kain chose to ignore the comment about their maybe relationship. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about allowing this man into his life after all this time. But the prospect of working with the Hunters intrigued him. If the groups managed to work together again, then Nivian could feel more at ease with spending time with him.
“You and Nivian have proven you will protect the balance the way it was meant to be kept. We would like you to bring her here.”
“Here? As in Hunter Corp?” Kain’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s like throwing a mouse into a snake pit. As much as I’d love to have her here, I doubt she’d feel safe, and I’m not about to put her in a position to be killed.”
“Her presence will prove that Reapers can be trusted. Perhaps, she might be able to bring that other Reaper as well?”
“Caspian?” Kain wasn’t sure he’d go for it if anyone else brought it up, but if Nivian asked him, it was a strong possibility he’d be willing. And that was if what Holter was claiming was true.
“The more of them we have working alongside us, the faster trust will rebuild. We need to ensure that a balance shift does not happen again. The next one could destroy everything if we are not careful.”
Kain nodded. “I won’t promise anything, but I think I could convince her to at least listen. How can I be sure she’ll be safe?” The Hunters didn’t have the power to destroy Nivian, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t hurt her. He knew any one-on-one fight with her she could win. That didn’t mean several Hunters couldn’t take her out at once.
“You have my word that she won’t be in any danger.”
“I need more than that. You haven’t exactly been warm toward her.”
“Regardless of my feelings about you two spending time together, I’ll protect her with my life. And I know I can count on Azira to do the same.”
Narrowing his eyes, Kain considered it. Even with the promise of her safety, he wouldn’t let her out of his sight if he didn’t feel confident. He was still getting to know these people and it would be a long time before he could completely trust them, at least where Nivian was concerned. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow morning after I get back.”
“About that…”
“What?” Kain asked, suspicious of the man’s tone.
“It is getting late. There is a hotel nearby we can stay at. I have prepared a package for you to send to her, in case you agreed.” He looked over his shoulder and waved to Azira. She picked up a box that was sitting in front of her and scurried over.
“Here you are. I’m so glad you agreed!” She beamed at Kain, her excitement barely contained.
“What is this?”
“It’s—” Holter started.
“It’s a T-screen.” Azira took the box back and opened it, lifting the clear, flat screen, and handing it to him. “Same thing as a T-port only larger.”
“Thanks, this is great.” He paused. He needed to talk to Nivian. Without knowing much about the technology, he suspected that having only one T-screen wouldn’t do him any good. Kain glanced up at the two Hunters looking at him expectantly. Hoping they didn’t think him ungrateful, he opened his mouth to ask.
Azira laughed suddenly, then offered him another box she’d hidden behind her back. “This one is for her. I’ve already hooked it up with a direct link to yours.”
“I can have Caden fly it over to her apartment now. I figured you would want to talk to her tonight,” Holter interjected.
“Thank you,” Kain said. “I’d like to write a note to send with it if I could.” A feeling nudged at the back of his mind, he couldn’t put it into words. Something about calling her struck him as weird.
Azira set the box down on a nearby, vacant worktable. She leaned over and rummaged around, pushing scraps of paper until she found what she was looking for. Handing Kain the notepad and pen, she took his T-screen freeing his hands. Quickly, he scribbled down his message and folded the paper in half, writing her name on the front.
“Can you have him drop it off at my apartment?”
Azira smiled and took the note, returning his box. “Sure thing!” she said, and then took off running through the secured metal doors.
Kain turned back to Holter who was looking at him with one eyebrow raised. The expression filling Kain with the need to explain. “I doubt she’d appreciate a Hunter she’s never met breaking into her place, even if it is to give her something from me.”
“You’re a grown man. You don’t owe me an explanation,” Holter said. But the slight lift at the corner of his mouth told Kain that he’d gotten the reaction he’d hoped.
Kain watched the Cessna take off. The fading sunlight colored the sky with brilliant oranges, reds, and purples. He hated hotels and was dreading staying the night in one.
A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. “Time to get going,” Holter said drawing his attention.
“I expected it to be really late when we came up.” Kain faced the horizon in the direction the sun had disappeared behind the tree line. They started to make their way toward a black car with tinted windows so dark it was impossible to see inside.
“The tunnels will do that to you. It will take a few days to get used to, but your body will adjust.”
“Days?” Kain asked, wondering when this expedition had turned into a long-term trip.
“I can take you back tomorrow if you’d like, but I think it would be beneficial for the others to know you are invested in this project and will be around for a while.”
Kain could make arrangements at work if needed, and nothing else in his life that would fall apart in his absence. Being a Hunter was part of who he was, he needed to embrace it, or at the very least, learn about it. “That’s fine, I think this will work.”
“Wait!” a high-pitched voice called from behind.
Kain and Holter turned to look. Azira ran after them, one arm waving, the other holding a package firmly against her body.
“I’ll wait for you at the car,” Holter said as he kept walking, leaving Kain to wait on the girl chasing him down.
“Wait,” she said catching up to him, panting hard. “Kain, you left yours back at the lab.” Azira shoved the box into his arms as she bent over, resting her hands on her knees.
“Thanks.” He hadn’t known her long, but he was glad he’d be working next to someone upbeat. Some of the faces he’d seen in the lab earlier looked like they could use a hug. He just wasn’t willing to lose a limb to test the theory. He opened his mouth to say goodbye again when a thought occurred to him. The same one that had bothered him back in the lab. “I’m not sure Nivian’s the technology type. The T-screens and T-ports are cool, but couldn’t she just transport here?” The thing that had bothered him finally made itself known.
She straightened. “No, there’s a special force field preventing Reapers from entering, but,” she paused holding up a hand when he tried to object, “I know what you’re thinking. ‘Then how can we work with Reapers if they can’t get in?’” Azira waved her hands in front of her as she imitated his voice. “Right?”
Kain nodded.
“It only works with a Hunters wavelength of power. Normal humans are prevented from enterin
g as well as Reapers. I’m working on altering it now so it can allow Reapers to walk through it while still restricting the surge of power used when they transport.”
Well, isn’t that convenient… Kain thought. Dozens of questions still raced through his mind about the technicalities of it all.
Checking her watch, Azira’s eyes went wide. “Sorry to cut this short, but I have to get back to the lab and finish a few things. I have a date tonight!” she announced bouncing on her toes, all but clapping her hands in excitement. Then before Kain could say anything, she turned on her heels and ran back inside.
Less a half an hour later, Kain and Holter pulled up to a fifteen-story building. A green and white awning covered the sidewalk in front of them. Large, marble lions sat on either side of the entrance where two men, dressed in black pants and red jackets, had been standing. They jogged up to the car as they arrived and opened their doors in unison.
This wasn’t a hotel; it was a resort. Kain stared slacked jawed at the building.
Holter stepped out of the car, handed the keys to one of the men, and headed for the entrance. Kain followed, his eyes sweeping his surroundings in a vain attempt to take in the sights. They continued through the lobby, passing the front desk and walking straight to the elevators. Employees nodded in passing, occasionally murmuring a greeting.
“Do we already have a room?” Kain asked as they waited for the metal doors to open. The numbers above lit in reverse order as the lift approached.
“Yes, there is a floor permanently reserved for us. None of us live here but we take week-long shifts, then switch out. There are four shifts; the next shift overlaps the previous one for the last two days—and so on. The night shift is the same; they overlap by two hours. There’s always someone working on any given project at all times.”
“I see.”
Holter reached into his jacket and pulled out a key attached to a small tab, the number seventeen was written in gold on the black tab in elegant numbering. “Here is the key to your room.”
“Thanks,” Kain replied, taking it.
The elevator dinged quietly and the doors slid open allowing them access. They rode the elevator in silence. Kain was too tired to make small talk and couldn’t wait to crawl into bed.
The doors opened, revealing a curved glass ceiling. The crescent moon hung low on the horizon as it began its ascent across the sky. They stepped off the elevator and walked to their respective rooms.
“Expect a wakeup call at six AM. Don’t stay up too late,” Holter said vanishing inside his adjacent room without waiting for a reply.
Kain moved to unlock his door, sighing. “Day one of spending time together and he’s already acting like Ma.” He shook his head and let himself into the room.
His jaw dropped.
The room—wasn’t a room—it was an apartment. Stunning white, plush carpet covered most of the floor. To the left, a full sized kitchen with black, marbled countertops with gleaming, stainless steel appliances. An island separated the kitchen from the living space and dining area. Swiveling his head to the right, Kain walked over to the wide French doors and pushed them open. Inside was a bedroom that could fit his entire apartment. A California king mattress in the center of the room had a deep, flawless mahogany sleigh bed headboard. His eyes trailed right again to the open door of the enormous en suite.
“This is a bit much,” he mumbled.
The bathroom had a large tub with jets, two sinks, and a stand up shower. Through another door was the toilet area. White marbled tiles spread across the floor, contrasting with the light gray of the walls.
Shaking his head, Kain walked out of the bathroom and back to the bedroom. He set his package down on the nightstand and pulled out the T-screen, setting it next to the box.
He flopped down on the mattress, his legs hanging off the edge as he slowly sank in.
Memory foam.
A sigh of relief escaped him at the promise of the best night’s sleep of his life. Scooting his body fully onto the mattress, Kain kicked off his shoes and closed his eyes as he surrendered to the pull of sleep.
NIVIAN
Nivian leaned over the edge of her balcony. She pulled the gold watch from her pocket and ran her thumb over the filigree design carved into its surface. It seemed to hold a heat of its own as it sat in her palm. She was exhausted, she had tried to sleep but had only tossed and turned. Finally, Nivian had given up and watched the moon climb its way through the night. It would be morning soon and the sun would chase the moon from the sky.
The night was clear, allowing more stars than normal to shine through, but the effects of its beauty were lost to her. Nivian chewed her lip. Days had passed since she’d last heard from Kain. Thinking back to the last time they’d seen each other and the way their night had abruptly ended, it hadn’t bothered her at the time, but now she couldn’t help but wonder if he were upset with her. It had become unusual for them to go more than a day without spending some time together.
While she’d wanted space, and had been attempting to create it between them, she never got the chance to explain why to Kain. Even so, she’d expected him to stop by at some point. She’d assumed he would have tried to see her the next day and she could have explained then.
Not being near him had been what she’d wanted, but his absence in her life bothered her none-the-less. Had he known this was what she was going to talk to him about?
Thoughts raced through her mind. Was he upset with her? Had he been hurt? Or was he just waiting for her to go to him? Worry settled inside her, turning her stomach into knots.
Most likely, he was in bed sleeping. Nivian shoved the watch back into her pocket and resolved to check on him. She wouldn’t wake him. But knowing he was all right would ease her mind.
Nivian crossed the small apartment and grabbed her cloak, wrapping it around her shoulders and transporting herself to his apartment.
It was dark, but that was to be expected at this time of the night. There was something off—it lacked the usual warmth of his presence.
It felt empty.
“Kain?” she called out, walking further in.
She wandered over to his bed. The blankets were neatly folded and it looked as if he hadn't slept in it for a while.
Where could he be?
Just to be sure she checked the balcony, the bathroom, and… even his closet. There was no sign of him anywhere. The unfounded worry she’d felt earlier suddenly seemed to have real purchase now.
She turned to leave dejectedly, a concerned sigh escaping her. Nivian gave his apartment one last glance over her shoulder as she turned to leave. A package on the counter next to the door caught her eye. On top of it was a folded piece of paper with her name scrawled on it in Kain’s handwriting.
“What’s this?” she wondered aloud.
She bent down to pick up the box. It was wrapped in plain brown paper with only her name scrawled across the top in thick, black ink. She tilted it, checking every surface. But there were no clues as to its origin. Nivian pulled her hood over her head and transported back to her apartment.
Walking into her kitchen, she set the box down on the island table. With one hand she reached up, unfastening her cloak and letting it pool at her feet. Not taking her eyes off the package, she pulled a stool under her and chewed her lip. After a moment’s hesitation, she tore into the paper. Seconds later, Nivian was staring down at the unwrapped box; all she had to do was lift the lid.
So, what’s stopping me?
She looked up. The white bear that Kain had given her with its cute little nose and large black eyes sat on the counter leaning against the support beam. It was the first gift she’d ever been given. And the feeling it gave her in that moment lingered, still fresh in her mind. She never wanted it to fade. Hoping that whatever was in this box would have no effect, she flicked off the lid and let it clatter on the wooden surface.
Nivian leaned over the box and peered inside. She frowned.
A c
lear screen of some kind, with red and blue lights running through it, sat atop white tissue paper. It looked similar to the device Kain always carried around, but more advanced. She lifted it up and set it on the surface of the table. In the top right corner, a pulsing circle surrounded the word at its center. “Start.”
She tapped on the screen and it flickered to life. Immediately, it started to ring. Nivian jerked her hands away and placed them in her lap, unsure of what she’d done.
“H—hello?” Kain’s groggy voice asked.
Beams of shapeless light flickered up from the screen and a few seconds later, the image of his face came into focus. If it wasn’t for the fact that she couldn’t see all of him, she could have sworn he was only inches away. Close enough to touch his face. Though this version of him had a bright inner glow that radiated outward.
“Kain? What’s going on?” Nivian shifted in her seat. He was sitting up in a bed scrubbing at his face. She cringed knowing that she’d woken him. Again.
“I thought you would have called a few days ago.” He frowned slightly then continued. “Didn’t you read the letter?”
“Letter?” She looked inside the package, a folded paper with her name scrawled out across it sat at the bottom of the box.
“It doesn’t matter now, you can read it later. I’ve been wanting to talk to you. I thought you would have gotten the package sooner.”
“I’m sorry. I was—” She caught herself not wanting to tell him the truth. It wouldn’t come out right if she told him through this… thing. She wanted to see him, in person. “I’ve been busy on assignments. I didn’t mean to wake you.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth.
“It’s okay. The sun will be up soon.” He yawned.
“What is this thing?” Nivian asked, reaching out to caress the visage of his face hovering before her. Her fingers passed through the image, disrupting the flow of light as it danced across her hand and wrist. She knew he wasn’t really there, but her mind had still expected some resistance when she tried to touch him.