The drive to the hospital was a short ways away. The sun hung low in the sky and the streetlights flicked on as he drove away from the city. Soon, Johnathen pulled into the hospital parking lot and got out of his car as the Van pulled up next to his car. He rolled down the window and leaned out, looking to Johnathen and then to the hospital.
“Thought you were heading home. Here to visit that gryphoness?” He asked, carrying on the conversation like they were buddies.
Johnathen frowned and narrowed his eyes. “What do you know about her? If you harm one feather…”
“Take it easy. Just asking. I just know about her from the news.” He looked down at his watch and sighed then back up at Johnathen. “You plan on being here long?”
Johnathen threw up his hands and looked away. “Yeah. I don’t know. A little while at least. Not like it’s any of your damn business.”
“No need for cursin’, son.” He stared at Johnathen with the same expressionless look he had worn the entire time. “Well, I guess I’m going to call it a day. I’ll see you tomorrow,” the man said and started to drive off.
Johnathen’s mouth opened in disbelief at what the man just said, but before he could retort, the van was gone. “What the hell…”
Johnathen had never been so confused in his entire life. How could someone who was caught doing something so wrong be so calm about it? The man acted like it was just another day at the office and what he was doing was completely natural. Johnathen stood in the parking lot and watched the Van drive off down the road. He turned and noticed a couple of black Harleys parked off to the side of the hospital. He immediately recognized them.
They were Saul’s and Carl’s motorcycles.
Johnathen headed into the hospital with a newfound energy and took the elevator. Once he was on the right floor, he could hear bellowing laughter come from down the hallway and the sounds of a gryphoness chirping in amusement.
Johnathen smiled and knocked on the door, peeking in to see the two heavy-set bearded men standing next to Isabell’s bed. They both looked up and smiled, still wearing the same leather jacket with cut off sleeves as they had the last time he had seen them.
“Well I’ll be damned! It’s Johnny!” Saul shouted and walked over to give Johnathen a big bear hug.
“Yeah, good to see you too!” Johnathen wheezed and squirmed in the tight hug as Carl and Isabell laughed. Just as soon as Saul put Johnathen down, Carl picked him up in a tight hug as well.
“Isabell told us you were a comin’!” Saul said as Carl put Johnathen down.
“I promised I would bring her dinner,” Johnathen said and looked over to Isabell.
The gryphoness seemed more like her perky old self, feathers preened and eartufts perked up with excitement. She still lay in the same place, wing being suspended out to the side and cast wrapped around several joints, but she had a smile on her beak.
“And it’s about damn time! I could hardly choke down the lunch they gave me,” Isabell responded and held out her human-sized foreclaws. Johnathen opened up the bag and pulled out a foil wrapped burger before handing it over. “I hope that’s my milkshake too!” Isabell pointed with a talon at the cup in Johnathen’s hand.
“Yeah. With whipped cream also.” Johnathen placed it down on the nightstand next to the bed.
“What happened to you last week?” Saul asked and sat down on the couch opposite of the bed. Johnathen realized that he hadn’t spoken to them since the mess at the rally.
“After I distracted the cops, I just ran,” Johnathen responded while pulling out his own burger from the sack.
The sounds of scrunching aluminum foil filled the room along with the greasy aroma of bacon and beef. Isabell sighed happily and stared wide-eyed at the burger in her claws before biting down quickly. She chirred deep in her chest and closed her eyes, savoring the taste. Everyone looked over and smiled, watching the cheerful gryphoness enjoy her meal.
“This is a godsend. I’ve only been here for a week, but damn, I’ve been craving a good burger ever since I woke up,” Isabell said, grease dripping off her beak.
“They didn’t try to follow you or nothin like that?” Saul pressed, his gaze still firmly pressed on Johnathen..
Johnathen unwrapped his own burger. “Just for a couple blocks, but I guess the commotion of the rally kept them from sticking with me.”
Johnathen bit down into the cheesy and succulent meat. It had been a while since he had a grease bomb like this, and he was just as satisfied with it as Isabell seemed to be.
“I went to the planned meeting spot afterwards, but I never saw you guys again.” Johnathen had to cover his mouth as he spoke with his mouth full. A rude gesture but he knew no one here would care.
“Yeah, everything went kind of…south, to say the least,” Saul said, and looked over to Isabell, who was too distracted munching on her meal to hear them at the moment.
The group watched Isabell chow away, not caring about the crumbs and mess she was making on the bed sheets. “Carl actually found her, laying in the street. She was unconscious and mangled up somethin fierce.” Saul started in a low voice, starting to choke on his words a bit.
“I thought she was gone at first,” Saul began while looking at Isabell, his expression on his rugged face changing from worry to optimistic. “She’s just a little thing. I picked her up easy enough and when I felt her heart beat I’ve never been so relieved in my entire life,” he finished as Isabell gulped down the last of her burger with a contented sigh.
“Hey, you got a little…” Saul motioned towards his mouth as Isabell looked up, flecks of beef and grease shined brightly on her beak.
Isabell laughed and crumbled up the aluminum foil. “I bet I do. You know I’m a messy eater.”
Saul stood up to grab a tissue from the side of the bed and handed it over. She placed the foil on the counter and grabbed the tissue, wiping it across her beak and face.
“What were you all talking about? I was a bit busy.” Isabell asked and placed the tissue down.
Saul shrugged his shoulders. “Just bullshitting with Johnny over here. So how do you go to the bathroom? They got one of them things up in ya or somethin?”
Johnathen nearly choked on his hamburger but Isabelle didn’t seem to mind. “Yeah, it feels awkward as hell! But luckily, being avian, we…”
“I’m trying to eat!” Johnathen exclaimed with a light blush of his cheeks.
The rest of the group bellowed with laughter. “Oh come on Johnny! It ain’t nothin!” Saul said. Johnathen could not help but smile at their brashness.
Isabell picked up the milkshake cup and tore off the lid, looking over to Johnathen. “They give you a spoon by any chance? You know I can’t use a straw.”
Johnathen finished up his burger and crunched up the foil before looking through the bag. “Yeah! Here you go.” He stood and handed it over before taking the discarded lid to put into the bag.
Isabell took the spoon into the still thick milkshake and licked the contents up. “Much better than the chocolate pudding here.” She took another spoonful. “You talk to Thyra any today?”
He realized that she had not texted back yet, and immediately felt a knot form in his stomach. Was she ok? Did someone else get to her? He started to panic, fearing the worse. The group all stared at him for a minute as Johnathen thoughts raced in his head.
“Johnny, you all right?” Saul asked curiously.
“Y…yeah. She’s good. Been at gryphball practice all-day and last I heard, she was going out with her friends to eat. Said she was really exhausted.” Johnathen sat back down and put on a fake smile again. This time, it did not work.
“Somethin’ is eatin’ at you. What’s the matter?” Saul leaned forward, looking generally concerned.
“She’s fine. I know she is.” Johnathen began. He tried to think of simple reasons why she hadn’t replied.
“But?” Saul pressed on. He was apparently really good at reading people and knew there was s
omething more bothering Johnathen.
“Well, I had a weird run-in today,” Johnathen began. Isabell stopped eating her milkshake to look at Johnathen with everyone else. “I went to Atlanta to turn in the footage that Isabell caught. The girl at the front desk for the radio station gratefully took it, and said they would review it.”
“So, you found her bag with the camera in it then?” Carl asked now and Johnathen nodded in acknowledgment. “Yeah. Made a couple copies of it at home. Anyways, I left the station and noticed a Mercedes Sprinter Van, you know those?”
“Yeah. One of our guys has one for transporting bikes to the workshop.” Saul confirmed.
“Ok, well they are hard to miss. This one followed me from Atlanta all the way here. I tried to get away from him but I guess he was too good,” Johnathen said and watched Saul’s face turn angry once again.
“I finally confronted him outside the place where I bought burgers, and all he would tell me was he was hired to follow me. He didn’t seem to care I confronted him, and was relaxed about the whole thing, like, it was just another day to him. He even followed me here, and told me he would see me tomorrow.”
“Do you think he’s part of The Gathering?” Saul asked seriously.
“I think so, but I’m not sure. I mean, he has to be hired by them or at least related, but he didn’t seem like the kind of person that was part of the group,” Johnathen responded. The room was silent for a minute except for the ticking of the clock on the wall.
“Don’t worry about that guy. We will deal with him.” Saul said reassuringly and Carl nodded in agreement.
“He knew about Isabell too. Said he only knew about her through the news, but I don’t exactly believe him,” Johnathen added and looked over to the gryphoness. Her eartufts were folded back and she ground her beak. “I just want someone here with her to make sure no one tries anything funny.”
“I’ll get someone here to watch over her. But what about Thyra?” Saul asked next.
“I haven’t heard from her since I sent her the text an hour ago. I think she’s just busy out with friends or her phone is dead.” Johnathen said to assure himself. “But if she doesn’t answer me before midnight, I’ll drive to Athens. She told me where she’s staying.”
“Do you want me to send someone up there? It’s no problem.” Saul answered back.
Johnathen shook his head. “No, that’s fine. She has a lot of gryphon friends now. And she’s staying with that bearded vulture, Aadhya.”
“The one on the news that was standing with her?” Saul asked curiously.
“Yeah. I don’t think anyone would try anything with that particular gryphoness in the way,” Johnathen replied.
“If you think she is big on the television, you should see her in person. She’s easily three times my size.” Isabell chimed in while digging out the rest of the milkshake with her spoon. “An angry gryphon the size of Aadhya could probably tear a car door off its hinges if she wanted to.”
“Yeah. No worries there.” Johnathen said and stood up. Isabell held out her empty cup and Johnathen took it from her. “Well, I’ll keep in touch and swing by tomorrow.”
“I’ll keep a look out for that Van. You just tell me when you see him and we will deal with him personally,” Saul said with a stern look.
Johnathen nodded in response. “I’ll let you know.”
“Hey, thanks for the food,” Isabell chirped as Johnathen walked towards the door.
He turned around and smiled. “No problem. But I can’t feed you burgers every night or the nurses will have my ass.”
Isabell chuckled gently and smiled back. “Just hide it under a salad or something next time.”
“See you later, Johnny,” Saul said, and Carl gave him a friendly wave. Johnathen waved back and left the room, heading back to the elevators. Just then his phone dinged with a message from Thyra.
*Yeah everything is ok here. Are you ok?*
Johnathen sighed and his shoulders slumped as he let out the tension he had been carrying. *Just a little shook up, but I’m fine. Just saw Saul and Carl in Isabell’s room. They said they would take care of the guy tailing me.*
He exited the elevator and he walked out the front door of the hospital to his Volvo. Johnathen started the engine and drove out the parking lot en-route to his house. His phone dinged with a new message from Thyra again.
*Ok. I’ll keep a look out but I doubt anyone can tail a flying gryphon. Plus Aadhya is here too. I don’t think anyone wants to mess with her.*
Johnathen grinned and concentrated on his driving. The sky was growing dark as he pulled into the neighborhood and his headlights turned on automatically. The lights were off in the neighbor’s houses, and all was quiet. Johnathen pulled up to the house and he suddenly slammed on his breaks. The dull light of his front door was on and he could see the door wide.
His heart skipped a beat. Johnathen drove around to the side of the house and opened the garage door. The garage light shone brightly across the boxy shape of his Mustang, which gave him some relief. He pulled into the garage and got out, looking around for anything out of place, but nothing had been touched.
Johnathen opened one of the drawers to his toolbox and stared down at the small Ruger pocket pistol that resided inside. It had been a gift from his grandfather from years past, and he kept it in the toolbox for safekeeping.
He quickly retrieved the Ruger and pulled the slide back with a loud mechanic clink as a nine-millimeter bullet loaded itself into the chamber. He threw open the door to the kitchen and his eyes widened with shock, looking at the mess that was inside. He kept the Ruger held down at his side as he looked around the room.
The contents of every drawer had been thrown out on the ground. Things were scattered across the wooden floor. His heart raced faster, and his hands shook as he observed the mess inside.
He did not hear any sound besides his own breathing and the soft rustling of leaves in the wind outside. Among the chaos along the kitchen counter, he spotted something foreign, a large black Bible. Johnathen put down the pistol and picked it up the Bible, squeezing it tightly in his hands. On the front of the Bible was inscribed, Church Of The Gathering. Johnathen screamed with anger and threw the Bible against the wall.
His mind raced with anger and he grit his teeth. His home had been turned upside down. Not only that, but the Gathering wanted him to know that they were behind it. They had invaded his privacy, his sanctuary, but for what reason? Why now after all these years?
He froze in place and could think of one thing only, the footage. He raced down the hallway and into his study, finding every book from the bookcase scattered across the floor. He searched his desk, but his computer was gone. He collapsed in his office chair and stared at his empty desk, eyes wide in disbelief.
“That’s what they were after.”
Chapter 8 A Cold Wind Blows
“Thyra,” called a gentle voice.
The gryphoness lifted her head from her pillow and looked across the white room to see a man standing in the doorway. She concentrated on his face, but saw nothing but a blur. She could just make out that his glasses shimmered in the light and he wore a smile along with his white coat. Yet, even with his face out of focus, she felt comfortable around him. She felt she knew this man well enough to trust him.
“I didn’t mean to wake you. How are you feeling today?” The man stepped inside carrying a clipboard and shut the door behind him.
Thyra slowly stood and stretched and looked down at her talons. They were much smaller than normal. She opened her beak to respond, but suddenly she couldn’t remember how to speak. The man walked closer and sat in a chair, adjusting his glasses.
“Thyra?” he asked once again.
Her eartufts perked up as a few simple words slowly came back to mind. “I feel…good,” she said, but her voice seemed alien to her.
The man smiled and nodded his head. “That’s wonderful to hear.” He jotted something down on his clipboard, t
hen asked curiously, “You remember my name, don’t you?”
Thyra stared at the man for a moment before his name suddenly rose in her thoughts. “Anthony.”
“That’s right! It’s been a week since I’ve seen you. I’m glad you still remember my name.” Anthony scribbled something down again while Thyra looked around the room.
The walls were decorated with framed paintings of mountains along with talon paintings she had done. She glanced out the window and watched gentle rainfall streak down the glass. A white board stood in the corner of the room with several simple math problems written on it. Some of the math problems had been solved by her own chicken scratch foreclaw writing, while others remained unfinished.
Anthony looked over to the board and then back down at Thyra. “It seems you were able to solve some of the problems.”
Thyra nodded and held up her foreclaws again. “Some numbers…too high,” she said out loud and once again her voice sounded unfamiliar to her. It creaked and rolled off her tongue in notes like a hawk calling into the wind.
“Don’t worry. We will work on them together. But today, I thought you would like to go play with Anfang,” Anthony said.
Thyra’s feathers roused with excitement and her tail twitched. She could feel the corners of her beak pulling up in a smile. Anthony put down his clipboard on the table and leaned forward, putting his hands on his knees, his eyes hidden behind his glasses.
“Does that sound like fun?” he asked.
“Fun,” she responded, nodding her head again.
He motioned for her to approached him. She did so a bit unsteadily. Her head felt jumbled as she thought about Anfang.
“Anfang feel good too?” Thyra questioned as he reached out and ran his fingers through her crest feathers.
He seemed surprised by the question and chuckled with amusement. “Ah, you are concerned about him. That’s good. That’s very good.” He leaned back and jotted down something else on the clipboard. “But yes. Anfang feels good today.” He stood back up, looking like a giant to her the way he stood on only two legs.
The Gryphon Generation Book 2: A New Era Page 8
