by D. J. Dalton
It seemed an eternity before the inquisitor let him go. He spoke into his radio. “We have casualties here. I’m at Olivia Stewart’s room.”
The inquisitor pushed him aside. “Go to the nurses’ station to have your wounds looked at.” He crouched down and crawled into the hole.
Instead of going to the nurses’ station, Quinlin followed the inquisitor back into the room. “I’m fine. Let me help.”
After turning to look at Quinlin, the inquisitor snarled, “You don’t look fine.”
“It’s not all my blood. I can help.”
Before the inquisitor could answer, a bear shifter crawled into the room. She gave Quinlin a suspicious eye. “I’m here to secure the prisoner.”
“We have another victim. I’m not sure who she is.”
Quinlin spoke up, “She’s a nurses’ aide, like me. We were doing rounds together.”
The fox shifter grunted. “It’s odd. They don’t look affected by the explosion.” He did a quick inspection of the women. “I’ll take the aides. You get the prisoner.” Keren moaned as he lifted her off that woman.
While struggling over rubble to follow the inquisitors out of the room and down the corridor, Quinlin scrutinized the damage his attack inflicted. The half-ball blast demolished every wall in its path on its way out to the other side of the hospital floor.
Doctors, nurses, and inquisitors worked to uncover bodies buried in debris. The blank eyes of those obviously dead stared up at him, silently asking why this happened. He mentally apologized to the humans. They were unfortunate victims. But with every battle comes sacrifice. As for the dirty shifters, killing them now or killing them later was negligible.
The group fell in line with others rushing downstairs; first the bear shifter with that woman, then the fox shifter holding Keren, followed by Quinlin. He saw Keren’s eyes open.
“What’s happening? Where’s my mom?” she murmured.
“It’s alright.” Quinlin stroked her head. “We’ll call your mom in a few minutes.”
She blinked, focusing on Quinlin. “But…” She stopped, seeing Quinlin put his finger to his lips.
Sweat dripped down his spine. If Keren said the wrong thing, this situation could turn ugly.
They climbed down all fourteen floors, emerging into a busy but organized triage area.
A nurse greeted them at the stairwell. “What have you got?” She ushered them aside so others could come through behind them.
“Olivia Stewart,” the bear shifter responded.
“Our secured site is set up down the hall.” She pointed to the right. “And the other two?”
“Nurses’ aides. One looks to be in bad shape.” The fox shifter eyed Quinlin.
Upon hearing her mom’s name, Keren yelled out. “Where is she? Where’s Olivia Stewart?” She struggled down from the inquisitor’s hold, bolting after the bear inquisitor. Quinlin ran after her.
“Wait!” Keren’s voice echoed through the corridor.
The bear shifter turned. Keren ran up to her mom, cupping her face in her hands. “Mom!”
“Who are you?” The bear shifter frowned, looking down the hall for possible assistance.
“She’s delirious,” Quinlin said as he caught up with Keren.
That woman’s eyes fluttered open.
Keren gasped. “Are you alright?” She drew her face close to that woman’s. “Please, tell me you’re alright.”
That woman placed her hand over Keren’s. “I’m fine.” She gave a weak smile.
“Back away miss.” The bear shifter turned, forcing Keren’s hands away. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but you need to step back.”
Quinlin grabbed Keren’s shoulders. “We’re leaving.”
“No, I want to stay with her.” She fought against his grip.
While leaning close to Keren’s ear, he whispered, “You’re going to get us both arrested.”
She stopped struggling.
“Your mom is alive and in custody. We have to leave.” Quinlin took her hand.
After Keren let him lead her away, he let out a long breath.
“What happened?” she asked.
“There was an explosion, but you saw your mom is alright.” While rushing her to the exit, he checked if anyone followed them.
“Explosion? How?” She stumbled down the corridor, then fell to her knees.
“I don’t know.” He yanked her up, forcing her to keep moving. They needed to get out of the hospital.
Keren’s pocket buzzed. She pulled out her phone. After tugging herself free from his grip, she stopped, frowning at the screen. She looked like a drunk staggering around, trying to catch her balance.
“Oh, no.”
“What’s wrong.” Quinlin tried to look at her phone, but she pressed it to her chest.
“I have to go.” She moved with unsteady steps toward the exit. This was good, but he wondered about her sudden urgency.
“Can I help?” They walked out the same door they came in. Quinlin pressing for information.
“No, I’m late meeting up with Nadria.” She opened her car door. Before she got in, Quinlin grabbed the door, blocking it from being closed.
“You’re not in any shape to drive. Let me take you whereever you’re going.”
“No.” She shook her head. “It’s personal.” The determined look in her eyes told him she wouldn’t accept his help, no matter how much he tried to change her mind.
She glanced at her phone. “I have to go.”
He decided backing off was his best bet, but he would keep close tabs on her. “OK. I’ll call you tomorrow. Be careful.”
She smiled, closing the car door, and driving away.
Chapter Twenty-One
Keren
Keren parked the Prius a block away from Dan’s house, shutting off the engine. The sun hung low in the sky, its orange hues painted on the cloud-covered sky. She munched on a bag of Doritos.
“Are you going to tell me why you’re wearing scrubs and shoes that are obviously too big?” Ordell poked her leg. “It’s not Halloween.”
She hadn’t figured out what happened at the hospital. The entire event was a blur in her mind. What caused the explosion? At least she knew Mom was safe.
After wiping her hands on a napkin, she stuffed it into the McDonald's bag. The two double-cheeseburgers, fries, and a shake settled her stomach. “No, I’m not telling you.”
“I’ll find out, eventually.” When Keren didn’t respond, he changed the subject. “How do we know Dan hasn’t left yet?”
She studied the house. It was hard to tell if anyone was home. Sitting here in the car put increased the risk of someone recognizing them from yesterday. The less time they spent out here, the better. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t be able to talk Ordell into leaving until they knew for sure Dan wasn’t home.
“We go to the house and check.”
She pulled her backpack to the front seat. Ordell had let her rummage through the garage at his house. While loading her backpack with flashlights and a first aid kit, she threw in rope and duct tape. Not that she intended to kidnap anyone. They were some things she’d seen detectives use on TV.
She shifted the sketchbook to the side and pulled out a flashlight, handing it to Ordell.
“We’ll get to those bushes, then cross into the backyard.” She gave him a smirk. “Stay away from the trash cans.”
He grabbed the flashlight from her. “Ha-ha.” He turned it on and off several times.
She put her hand over the end of the flashlight. “Stop sending bat signals. We don’t want to be noticed, remember?”
“Right, sorry.” Ordell got out of the car.
They walked along the sidewalk toward Dan’s house. When they were positive no one was around, they crawled into the bushes, maneuvering their way to his backyard.
While holding her finger to her lips, she motioned for Ordell to follow her onto the back porch. They huddled under the kitchen window. Suddenly, th
e backdoor flew open as Dan walked outside carrying a garbage bag.
Her heart leaped to her throat. After losing her balance, she fell off the porch. Her foot hit the railing as she tumbled to the ground. Ordell changed to his cat form as Dan turned to investigate the noise. He ran close enough to make Dan stumble, trying to draw his attention.
Keren hugged the ground on the side of the porch until Dan turned away chasing Ordell. While crawling on her hands and knees, she inched her way to the front of the house. After ensuring no one was watching, she made her way to the sidewalk and headed to the car. Dusk settled into night.
After returning to the car, she tried to calm her racing heart. If Dan had caught her, she didn’t know what would have happened.
Ordell, back in his human form, got into the car. He lay his head back. “Well, he’s home.”
She laughed, punching his arm.
A beige Toyota Corolla pulled onto the street, stopping at Dan’s house. Dan walked out and got into the car.
Keren waited to start the car until they pulled away. Her sweaty hands gripped the steering wheel. What was she getting them into?
They followed the Corolla for thirty minutes, stopping in front of Citrus Strike Bowling Alley. A sparse copse of trees lined each side of the building. The motel to the rear of the building took up the rest of the block. She drove by the half-full parking lot, letting Dan and his friend park before she pulled in.
“They can’t be bowling, can they?” Ordell pointed at the digital clock on the dashboard. It showed 8:02 pm. “They only have an hour before the meeting starts.”
She had imagined following Dan to some rundown, abandoned warehouse in a secluded area. A public bowling alley didn’t seem so bad. While looking around at the other cars, she wondered if they belonged to the Dark Guild arcanum.
After pulling out her phone, she Googled the bowling alley. It seemed to be a legitimate business. They had hours, rates, and pictures posted on their website. She watched Dan and his driver walked inside.
“I don’t know, but at least it’s a public area. Let’s look around.”
She grabbed her backpack and headed into the bowling alley with Ordell following close behind. They heard bowling balls rumble down waxed wooden lanes and pins crashing into the pin decks. The combined smells of disinfectant and pizza lingered in the air.
A young couple and their son laughed as his ball bounced five times off the bumpers to get him a strike. Bowlers filled half the alleys, sipping beer and chatting with friends while waiting for their turn to bowl. These people can’t be arcanum.
She spotted Dan with a couple of other guys by the ball racks. While pulling Ordell to an unused lane, she nodded in Dan’s direction. “Over there.”
Dan and the guys moved to the back of the building, exiting through a door marked ‘Employees Only.’
Keren looked at Ordell. “Ready?” He nodded.
They worked their way over to the door. While glancing around, she saw no one looked in their direction.
She took a deep breath, opened the door, and slipped inside. Ordell closed the door behind them. They found themselves in a dimly lit hallway. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the gloomy lighting. Window alcoves were carved out every few feet. Closed Venetian blinds acted as sentries against Florida’s outdoors, while weak recessed ceiling lights glowed on the multi-pattern carpet. This must be a connecting passageway to the motel next door.
A black mouse scurried from the shadows. He waved his front paws at her. “Ordell?” Her voice came out as a harsh whisper.
He darted down the hall and was soon out of sight. After letting out a sigh, she realized Ordell had gone rogue again. She was on her own. While running her fingers through her hair, she took a deep breath. Her gut told her to leave. But she wouldn’t abandon Ordell, even though he just ditched her.
She moved forward, staying close to the wall. When the door opened behind her, she pressed herself into a window alcove.
A deep-voiced man spouted orders. “Only arcanum get past this door, no exceptions. After nine, no one gets in. If you have problems, call my cell. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir,” a chorus of at least two others responded.
As footsteps approached, she stepped back, bumping into the blinds. They clattered against the window.
“Who’s there?” The deep-voiced man’s reddened face appeared.
She bolted from the alcove, pausing in the middle of the hallway. To her right, a red-faced man and two of his goons blocked her escape. To her left, an empty hall and double doors that must lead into what she assumed was the motel. She went left.
As she sprinted down the passageway, the men charged after her. The oversized shoes slipped on her feet, hindering her ability to run.
After bursting through the double doors, she tripped, stumbling into someone on the other side. After gaining her balance, Keren noticed she stood in the motel’s lobby. There should be an exit door close by.
“Stop her!” deep-voice man bellowed. He and his goons crashed through the double doors.
Keren started running forward but let out a yell when someone grabbed her backpack, impeding her escape. Then the four of them surrounded her. Her heart pounded from the sprint and wondering how she would get away from this group. The person from the lobby, a middle-aged woman with dyed-blond hair, stepped forward.
“Who are you, and how did you get in?”
Keren’s mind raced. “I want to join.” The words spilled out before she could stop them. “I sneaked past the guards to attend the meeting.”
The woman grabbed Keren’s arm. “We allow only arcanum into our meetings.”
She licked her dry lips. “I want to be an arcanum. I heard about the initiative update.”
“What’s going on?” A man’s voice reverberated in the room. “Who is that with you?”
Keren’s body trembled as she watched Dan walking toward them. He looked a decade older than his Facebook profile picture. Most of the acne had changed to facial scars.
“She knows about the initiative update.” The woman squeezed Keren’s arm with a vice-like grip. She tried to back up, but the woman held her in place.
Dan stepped up, standing nose-to-nose with Keren. “I don’t recognize you.” His rancid breath brought tears to her eyes.
Although trying to keep her voice calm, she spoke with a slight quiver. “I want to be an arcanum.” This situation went from bad to worse. They outnumbered her, so she had no chance of fighting her way out. If she could get to her phone, she could call Nadria and have her send help.
While squinting, Dan grabbed her chin. “I think you are a thief.” Spittle flew into her face.
“No.” Keren tried to shake her head, but Dan held it in place.
“Someone stole my laptop yesterday. And now you show up to a top-level Dark Guild meeting.” Dan pushed her chin away. “Bring her to the hall. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He sneered. “I could use a warm-up before the main demonstration.”
Jeers and snickering came from the others.
Keren’s heart pounded. She jerked her arm, unsuccessfully trying to break free of the woman’s grip.
“No, you don’t.” The woman grabbed Keren’s other arm, pulling them both behind her.
She felt a muscle pull in her shoulder and let a pained wail.
Dan glared at Deep-voice. “Make sure the entrance is secure.”
“You heard him.” Deep-voice shoved one goon. “Back to work.” They trotted out the double doors.
The woman forced her to walk further down the hall. At one time, this motel might have been a decent place to stay. But the worn carpet and stained walls said it had been years since guests walked these halls.
The woman pushed Keren toward a door marked ‘Lazy Palm Hall.’ Upon entering the sizable banquet area, she saw rows of folding chairs set in front of a stage. Potted plants lined the edge of the stage. The Dark Guild banner hung as a backdrop. Its crossed double lightnin
g bolts made Keren shudder as she thought about the graphic pictures of violence on Dan’s living room wall. A black curtain blocked off the far corner of the stage.
Keren gritted her teeth, hissing each time the woman tugged on her arm. She didn’t like the way Dan had said ‘warm-up’. Her heart tried to pound out of her chest.
After dragging her up the stage steps, the woman took her to center stage. “You won’t be needing this.” She tore Keren’s backpack off, tossing it to the side.
She struggled against the woman’s grip, then felt a handcuff clamp over one wrist. Keren turned, looking at the metal chain tethering her to the eye hook on the stage. A piercing scream escaped from her throat. What was Dan planning to do to her? Her pulse pounded in her ears. This couldn’t be happening. She tugged on the chain, but it held her in place.
While glaring at the woman, she shouted at the top of her lungs, “You can’t do this. Let me go.”
The woman laughed and hopped off the stage, settling into a folding chair. She put her hands behind her head and leaned back, waiting for whatever sick show Dan had planned.
Falling to her knees, a wave of dread passed over Keren. Her phone was in her backpack, so she had no way to call for help. She caught her breath, spotting movement out of the corner of her eye. A mouse crept in the shadows along the far end of the stage. Could that be Ordell? Now that the woman was alone, maybe they could overpower her. Keren pulled against the chain, the cuff cutting into her wrist. She needed to break free before Dan arrived.
Ordell sat on his haunches, waving his front paws. Keren moved her eyes to her backpack, then back to Ordell. He must have understood her message because he dropped to all fours and scrambled to the backpack. Keren let out a long breath. Hopefully, he’ll get a call out to Nadria.
Keren jumped as Dan slammed the hall door open.
“Are you ready for the show?” He strutted onto the stage. “Oh, don’t be upset. You asked to be part of the initiative update.” He gave Keren a ghoulish grin.