Old Wounds

by Ren Hamilton

Betsy huffed. “Yeah, keep screwing that abomination, you may end up like her.”

  Robin’s phone rang and she gave Betsy a look as she stood up and snatched if off the end table. “Hello.”

  Betsy’s eyes followed her as she moved to the chair, dropping into it as she listened. “Litner slow down, say that again? What happened?”

  Betsy leaned forward, setting down her wine.

  “I don’t understand.” Her face broke, and a sob squeaked out of her. “Is he gonna be okay?”

  “What’s wrong?” Betsy whispered.

  “Hang on, Litner.” She lowered the phone. “Joey’s been hurt.” Betsy started to speak when Robin cut in. “I don’t know, let me talk to him.”

  She got up and moved into the kitchen, leaning her back against the wall as she listened to what Litner had to say.

  Betsy waited as long as she could stand, then her patience gave out, and she stepped into the kitchen and watched as Robin slid down the wall, sitting with her knees pulled up. “Yes. No, I do understand. Will I be safe?” she asked, and Betsy flinched. She looked up at her aunt as she said, “All right. I’ll do it. I’ll do what I can to help. Okay.” She hung up, wiping a tear with her thumb.

  “What happened?” Betsy kneeled down. “You okay?”

  Robin dropped the phone. “Joey will be all right, but he’s bad. He was attacked, beaten nearly to death, Litner said.”

  Betsy fell back onto her rear, hand to her mouth. “Who did this? Can we go see him?”

  Robin held a hand up. “We can’t go see him. But if Agent Litner is there, it will be all right. He’s a good man.”

  “Robin,” Betsy said, her voice lowering. “Who did this?”

  She looked down, not meeting Betsy’s eyes. “Remember how I told you one of Shep’s brothers came back from the dead?”

  Betsy’s blue eyes tightened. “One of Shep’s brothers did this to Joey.”

  Robin nodded.

  “Just another guy, huh?” She stood and paced the kitchen, fingers to her forehead.

  “He’s still out there, that’s why we can’t go over to see Joey. But Litner thinks I can do something to help them catch him.”

  Betsy whirled around. “What?”

  Robin held both her hands up. “I know, but Litner explained it to me, I’ll be safe, and I trust him.”

  “Trust him? He’s helping them, how trustworthy can he be? Litner’s judgment is obviously compromised. Shep’s probably used his mojo to charm the man, the little shit. Call him back and tell him to stuff it. You’re not helping.”

  “Betsy, you don’t understand.”

  “That’s right I don’t!”

  “Look,” Robin said. “This...brother, he’s insane. And he may be targeting anyone tainted with Shep’s blood.” She swallowed hard. “That means Patrick. I know you care about Patrick.”

  Betsy looked sadly down at her. “Yes. But I care about you more. What is it Litner wants you to do?”

  She lifted her gaze to Betsy. “I have to have dinner with Shep tonight.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Litner hung up and walked the long expanse of Shep’s basement back to Wesley and the huddle of brothers. They’d set up a rickety base of operations, a fold out table and chairs, which the brothers now sat around. To the side were a series of objects they planned to practice exploding with their minds soon.

  Wesley sat in a chair a few feet from the table, involved, yet still the outsider. The way he sat straight and proper with hands resting on his lap and one leg crossed over the other, gave him an air of maturity. It was the only way in which his abnormality showed on the outside, the way he carried himself with the refinement and patience of an older, more experienced man. He looked like a young blond college student, but every once in a while, Litner caught a glimpse of the sixty-three-year-old man inside of him, and it was disorienting for a moment.

  He regarded Wesley as a close friend, and was comfortable around him, regardless that he carried a power beyond this world inside. Hell, Litner had encouraged him to accept it. That alone showed the gravity of how much his life had changed since he first heard the name Melvin Eugene Shepherd. When had normal become so not? And more importantly, when had he gotten used to it?

  But he supposed there had to be a certain ‘roll with it’ attitude for anyone to survive in Shep’s world without losing their mind. It was like walking into a Shakespearean tragedy: mixed rivalries, broken kings, and broken hearts. And blood. Always blood.

  Yes, he had chosen to live amidst chaos by choosing his profession. He’d just thought it would be of the human criminal variety. There had been no handbook for this in training. Chapter Three: Celestials and the Explosion of Heads. Worst part was he was beginning to become a bit of an expert.

  “So?” Wesley said. “What did she say?”

  He shook himself, realizing all eyes were on him. “She’ll do it.”

  No one let out a sigh of relief. They all knew it was necessary, but none felt good about it, and tensions were high. Shep chewed his thumbnail, and Juris hung his head, fists clenched tight under the table. Desperate to break the stillness, Litner said, “Joey is still asleep, his pulse and breathing normal. Palumbo will be down in a minute with a fresh pot of coffee. Shall we proceed?”

  Juris climbed out of his chair and paced back and forth beyond the table. “I don’t like it. There must be another way. What if Robin gets hurt?”

  Shep watched him, his eyebrows pinched together, but he remained uncharacteristically silent.

  “We’ve been through this, and everyone agrees,” Litner said. “If Shep just goes trouncing out to any old place tonight, Allisto will know it’s a calculated act, that it’s staged. The only scenario we’ve come up with after hours of discussing it is this. Allisto will believe the date is legitimate.”

  Juris turned to them, eyes narrowed. “Because Allisto will not believe Shepherd would put Robin in danger.”

  “Exactly,” Litner said.

  “Except that Shepherd is putting Robin in danger.”

  “He’s after me, Juris,” Shep said. “He won’t bother with Robin if there’s a chance to get me alone. Allisto will follow me, I don’t doubt that at all. I’ll leave when it’s still light out, so I should be safe on the way there. Joey was able to talk a bit this morning. Before Allisto attacked him, he said he needed his blood so he could stay masked until he ended me. He’ll try to intercept me on the way home, in the dark. I’m certain of it.”

  “I don’t doubt he’s going after you,” Juris said. “But he still might smell a trap when he sees you go out so soon after he struck you in your home. In your heart.”

  Shep shook his head. “Joey is Robin’s cousin. It’s feasible that Robin would be concerned and need reassurance about her cousin’s condition. Allisto doesn’t know they don’t speak anymore. Back when he was...”

  “Alive?” Wesley said.

  Shep’s lips tightened. “When he was here the first time, Robin and Joey were close. And he knows very well my history with Robin, the constant breaking up and getting back together. He wouldn’t find it the least bit unusual that we’d started seeing each other again.”

  Juris stopped pacing and gave Shep a strange look. Litner’s eyes flicked back and forth between them. He felt something building in the room, and it wasn’t any head exploding energy. Again, he dove in to try and keep the momentum going forward, as the last thing they needed with the ticking clock were distractions or conflicts. “She’ll be safe,” he said, directly to Juris.

  Juris’s wide green eyes turned to him. “There is no way you can know that.”

  “Allisto is not going to attack a dock full of people at The Harbor restaurant, Juris,” Margol said. “He will wait until Shep leaves after dinner and try to intercept him somewhere along the way home.”

  “Unless he tries to follow Robin home instead,” Juris said. “Look what he did to Joey! He didn’t need his blood!” His voice rose, a slight echo reverberating off the b
asement walls. He seemed to catch himself, and said more softly, “He hurt Joey to hurt Shep, and we all know it. What would stop him from doing the same thing to Robin?”

  “Prescott, Garret, and their big fucking guns,” Palumbo said as he carried two pots of coffee across the basement floor. “Robin will not be alone, even after Shep leaves.”

  “He’s right, Juris,” Litner said. “Robin will be under watchful guard the entire time, and on the way home. Allisto makes a single move, they’ll blast him full of holes. He can’t melt their guns if he doesn’t see them coming.”

  “Besides,” Margol said. “You think Allisto would forgo a chance to go after Shep? Robin may be a tempting target, but—”

  “What does that mean?” Juris approached the table, glaring at Margol. “A tempting target?”

  “Just what you were saying,” Margol said. “About Joey, and hurting Shep.”

  Juris’s breathing grew labored as he looked down at his brother. “Yes. Because we’ve all gotten used to the idea of him beating and biting and mauling people, we just have to decide who’s expendable.”

  “Juris.”

  Shep did not raise his voice, yet something in his tone made even Litner go still. Juris stared back at Shep, silent until Shep raised his eyebrows expectantly.

  “Yes,” Juris said. “I mean, what?”

  Shep regarded Juris, a glimpse of tension in his jaw. “Do you really think that I would let Robin get hurt? You think so little of me that I would deem Joey’s first cousin, and a woman I’ve loved for six years, expendable?”

  “I’m sorry, Shepherd,” Juris said. “I’m just worried and nervous about everything. I didn’t mean to be disruptive.”

  Shep stood up and went to him, grasping his head in his hands. “You weren’t.” He kissed him on the forehead and went back to the table. “So, moving on. Litner, want to take it from here?”

  Litner was still spinning from the last interaction, not yet used to the convoluted and quick-changing dynamic of this strange family. They loved each other, they hated each other, they screamed at and kissed each other. They’d die and kill for each other. But fuck him sideways if they weren’t the nuttiest bunch of cookies in the jar.

  “You will have an earpiece,” he said to Shep. “It won’t be visible, especially with your hair. You can leave it on for two-way communication, but if you want to turn it off during dinner, you’ll still be able to hear me, but you need only tap it once for me to hear you again.”

  “And remember,” Palumbo said. “When you walk from your car into the restaurant, look around like you’re nervous. Let Allisto see that you haven’t let your guard down. Don’t be too casual. And pat beneath your jacket where your gun is, just once. Don’t make it too obvious, though.”

  “He needs to think that you’re making this outing reluctantly, but with caution, and that the gun gives you the confidence to do so,” Litner said.

  “How long do I stay?” Shep asked.

  “As long as dinner takes,” Litner said. “But don’t get up and leave immediately after you get the check. Let him see you talking with Robin, make it look natural.”

  Shep laughed softly. “You mean like when she stabs me with her shrimp fork? Jesus.” He shook his head. “I think I’m more nervous about sitting down with her than facing Allisto. We’re not exactly on good terms right now.”

  “Robin understands the situation,” Litner said. “She’ll cooperate.”

  Palumbo dragged a folding chair over and sat near Shep, handing him a mug of coffee. “Take the back road home, as we discussed. He’ll think you’re doing it to save time. It’s only a two mile stretch between there and the house. We’ll be able to see your car from the two watch points, and the night vision scopes will pick up anything following you. On the ground. Or in the air.”

  “Okay,” Shep said. “But we’re not using any of those code words you suggested earlier. I’m going to have enough trouble concentrating, just tell me if he’s on the fucking ground or in the air.”

  Palumbo nodded. “Wesley and Juris will be positioned with Litner in the SUV. Marko and Klee with me.”

  “Margol. My name is Margol.”

  “Sorry.” He gave a nod. “We’ll be ready to roll at any rate.”

  “Is this the best plan?” Klee asked, speaking up for the first time. His childlike face held an expression of adult concern.

  “It’s the best we’ve got on no sleep and a ticking clock,” Shep said.

  “Is this the only choice?” Klee asked. “I mean…destroying Allisto. You are still to give him a chance, yes?”

  Shep blinked slowly. “If Allisto wants to talk to me, I’ll try to make him listen to reason. I’ll give him one last chance to stand down. But I don’t think that’s going to happen. You saw Joey.”

  “Perhaps he got his anger out of his system when he hurt Joey. Perhaps he will change his mind about killing you if you ask him nicely,” Klee said.

  Margol scoffed. “We tried that, Klee, at Litner’s house. He wouldn’t listen.”

  Klee scowled as he looked at Margol, white brows lowering over pretty aquamarine eyes. “Margol. You pretend. You are not so relaxed about this as you seem. I know you are in pain. You were closer to Allisto than all of us.”

  Margol’s eyes blazed yellow for just an instant, and Tyler inhaled sharply. “Klee,” Margol said. “I’m not trying to fool anyone. That I know Allisto so well is how I know he is no longer himself. He does not threaten Zirub as a game. His intent is pure.”

  “He’s not just trying to scare us, Klee.” Shep sighed. “We can’t lie to ourselves and pretend this is a bluff simply because it hurts our feelings. Allisto succeeded in sending an assassin that killed several of Joey’s former followers.”

  “And one soldier, and my boss, Agent Michaels,” Litner said. “He’s not playing games. And this doesn’t just affect your family, Klee. We’ve all lost people because of Allisto.”

  “Litner is right.” Shep nodded. “Allisto’s threats to take the rest of us out are real and we need to be prepared. He managed to overpower Joey, even with Joey’s newly enhanced strengths. Maybe it’s because this is his second transition to the flesh, or maybe our superiors in the byways did something to him, I don’t know. But he’s more powerful now. More powerful than us, perhaps, at least in a one-on-one fight. The void fucked his head up so he won’t listen to reason. And though it pains me to say it, I do believe he’s not going to stop until we’re all dead. Unless we stop him first.”

  “But will we be able to do it?” Klee asked. “This is Allisto we’re talking about.”

  Shep looked across the table at his brother. “Do I need to make it an order, Klee?”

  Klee shook his head. “I will not disobey you.” His lip quivered. “It’s just when I found out he was back, I was so...” He sniffed back tears.

  “Happy,” Margol said. For the very first time, Litner saw Margol’s face break with emotion. “But we mustn’t...” Lips twisting in a grimace, he gulped in a sob, and pressed his fingers to his eyes.

  Juris stepped up behind Margol, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug.

  “We mustn’t remember that happiness, that fleeting moment of hope,” Margol said, gathering his control. He looked at each of his brothers with glistening green eyes. “What we must remember is the Allisto that was before. Honor that kind, loving brother that we knew so well. And we must not let this incident tarnish his memory.” Margol’s lip quivered. “He’s not bad. He’s sick.”

  The brothers fell completely silent, choked in their own emotions, Juris squeezing Margol from behind.

  Tyler Palumbo stood, nodded at Margol, and held up his coffee cup. “To the brother that he was.”

  Shep looked up at Palumbo, tears filling his eyes.

  Litner walked to the table and picked up a coffee. “To the brother that he was.” He lifted his mug, looking at Shep. “To your Allisto.”

  “To our Allisto,” Margol said, then the other
s echoed his reply.

  Shep wiped his eyes, then placed his palms hard onto the table, standing up. “All right,” he said. “What do you say we practice blowing shit up?”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Shep parked the car and looked across the road at the restaurant. Tiny white lights circled potted plants alongside the tables on the outer deck, the water a glistening mirror abutting it. He spotted Robin, sitting alone at a table for two, near the front where she’d been instructed to. His breath caught in his throat for a moment. She looked gorgeous in a black, long sleeved leotard top and white skirt. Beautiful and very sad, twisting her wine glass as she peered into it. “Okay, I’m here,” he said. “I see Robin.”

  “Proceed,” Litner’s voice responded in his earpiece. “Remember what we talked about.”

  “’Kay, I’m turning this to one way communication now.”

  “Be careful, Shep. But don’t panic, there are eyes on you.”

  “Okay, out.”

  He opened the car door and stepped out, looking shiftily around the parking lot as Palumbo instructed. He shut the door and locked it, then strolled across the street. He glanced around again, resting his hand on the gun in his jacket pocket, then he climbed the stairs up onto the restaurant deck. His heart hammered in his chest, but calmed a bit when he got to the tables, surrounded by people.

  One last glance out into the night, then he moved to the table and sat down across from Robin. “Hi.”

  She looked up, eyes wide. “Hi.”

  He picked up the menu, then immediately reached across the table and took her hand. “I know this is hard, but it has to look real.” He rubbed her palm with his thumb, and her eyes widened further. “Don’t be scared, I won’t let anything happen to you.” He kissed her knuckles, then let go of her hand.

  She nodded, looking upset, as Litner had suggested she do, but it wasn’t feigned. “How’s Joey?”

  Shep glanced over at the street, relieved to see nothing unusual. “He’s pretty scuffed up, Robin, I’m not gonna lie. I was scared. But he’s healing, slowly. He’ll be all right, I promise.”