Grave Intent

by G. K. Lund

  “Okay,” Olivia said, though her voice sounded far from convinced. “I was told to give you this.” She pulled a small yellow Post-it from her jean-pocket and handed it to Evy. “Do you need a phone?” she added to Evy’s nodded confirmation.

  Olivia gave a sharp nod to the side and I followed her.

  “What is going on?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why was she taken by these people? Why doesn’t she want help? Why is Winter, who was way too versed in covering up certain events in Saphia’s death, calling me to clean up this mess?”

  She didn’t sound angry, only tired. I knew they had caught the Grenade-man, but that didn’t mean she had less work to do. Still – there was something about her questioning that caught my interest.

  “You tell me. It’s not like he’s talking to me.” We both glanced over at Evy and Peter at that. Evy was on the phone nodding at something being said on the other end. “Why is he asking you for help?”

  Olivia shrugged it off. “Maybe because I know about the Yorov thing. This happened because of those guys, right?”

  “I think so, yes.”

  “For God’s sake, Ben. She broke her own hand to get out of there. She’s talking about brainwashing and—”

  “I know,” I said and then put a hand on her shoulder.

  “Are you seriously trying to comfort me?” she said.

  “Is it working?”

  “Yes.” She sighed with resignation and folded her arms again as she glanced back at the other two. “Unless Evy comes forward I can’t get them for this. The woman we arrested claimed the chain was part of their so-called playroom.”

  “Playroom?”

  “Sex, Ben.”

  “Oh, right.”

  “I can’t arrest them for voluntary sex if that’s what they all say occurred down there. If Evy wants to stay hidden, I’ll have to let the blood slide. It could be anyone’s, I guess.”

  “Thanks,” I said. It was the only thing I could think of. I knew this wasn’t part of Olivia’s job.

  “Well,” she said before she pressed her lips together while thinking. “I think she’s in the same bind that Saphia once was, I only hope she fares better. What’s her deal anyway?”

  I told her. I didn’t think Evy would mind that much considering the help Olivia provided.

  “I don’t know if that is better or worse than painful electric charges.”

  I shrugged, I was seemingly immune after all, so to me, there was no contest. “Are you bringing her to Winter?”

  “If that’s what they agree on.”

  “Does he trust you?”

  Olivia scoffed and smiled. “I don’t think that guy trusts anyone, let alone the police. You see how these people are…” she eyed me sideways, “except you that is. Things sure went in an odd direction the day the river spat you out.” She sighed and shook her head in resignation. “No, I think I’m handy because I know about this supernatural stuff. He really shouldn’t make a habit of it.”

  But there was still something there in her face. A doubt of sorts. Something she hadn’t quite figured out about Winter. I had been on the other end of that determination to get at the truth and I knew she was relentless.

  “Anyway,” she said as Evy hung up the phone and gave Olivia a nod. “I better get her to the Fortress. I’m sure Winter has some medical professionals in his employ.”

  “All kinds of people, I’m sure,” I said thinking about the silhouette again. I followed Olivia over to the others as Peter helped a shivering Evy stand up. Despite the pain and fear, there was a distinct sign of relief on her face now. I gave a mental nod at that. It gave me a feeling of contentment to lay eyes upon it.

  Chapter 29

  “I’m gonna have to eat soup for a week,” Peter said in honest despair as we neared the top of the stairs leading up to Old Ben’s apartment. “It always hurts more the day after.” He kept moving his jaw tentatively, the impact from the blond woman’s silver shield-covered fist having created a lasting pain.

  I found the key and unlocked the door. It was late, and I was exhausted. As we had been closer to this place it seemed easiest to go there. Peter could take the couch, much like he and Walter had alternated doing right after I had woken up by the river.

  “You’re up and walking, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” I said as a yawn forced itself into the sentence.

  “Mishka, no,” Sophie’s voice came somewhere behind me. I turned in time to see the gray-striped cat run toward me, between the feet and through the small opening between the door and its frame. Sophie came toward us in a sort of walk-run along the hallway, her red coat keeping her other garments from billowing behind her. She had a black fur hat on as well as a pair of leather gloves and had clearly gotten in minutes before us.

  “Oh, Ben. So sorry,” she said a little flustered at her escaping cat. “He surprised me.”

  “No worries. Not like the little bear could have gotten far,” I said and went for a smile. Before I could say or do anything else, the animal rectified its mistake on its own. A hiss and a screeching meow sounded before the cat rushed out again and made a beeline for Sophie’s apartment.

  “I guess he makes up his mind quickly,” Peter said. Sophie smiled and excused herself to go check on the feline pet.

  “With that attitude, maybe we should have brought the cat with us earlier,” Peter added as I pushed the door open fully. I stopped a second. Had I left the lights on when I left? Not like I cared much, but the left arm always seemed to reach out and hit the main switch whenever I walked out the door. Like muscle memory, I thought. It was likely something Old Ben had always done.

  And now it was on. Curious.

  I walked inside and found myself staring at three strangers’ faces. I instinctively threw a hand back to stop Peter so we could leave, but a gun was pointed at me as a dark-haired woman shook her head and ‘tsk’d’ at me.

  “Hey, dude, what the hell?” Peter said with obvious annoyance as he walked around me, and then stopped short as he saw the three people. Two men and the woman holding the gun. She and one of the men had the same golden-brown complexion and even looked a bit similar with the same slightly slanted brown eyes and straight nose. Siblings or cousins perhaps? They were both well dressed in suits, almost like they were going to an office meeting after this. The third man was supposed to be somewhere else I thought as I looked at him seated in one of the soft chairs.

  “Close the door if you please,” the long-haired man said.

  “Isn’t he supposed to be in jail?” Peter whispered as I did close the door. The man smiled at that as he could hear every word.

  “That’s my brother Elliot. I’m not happy about that by the way.”

  Brother? They had to be twins. I couldn’t tell the difference. I was looking at the same blue eyes, the same nose with a small dent in it, the same confident smile. A smile that made the hairs on the back of the neck stand up. This was not good.

  “Did you use that against me then?” I asked him.

  The smile widened. “Yes. When he lost you it took a second attempt to figure out why. Then I stepped in to help. You followed one of us, the other followed you.”

  I nodded at this, while every brain cell tried to come to terms with the situation. We needed to get the hell out of there, but the gun stopped us. I could sense no immediate threat of death, but a gunshot to the flesh would stop more or less anyone. I noticed the woman had a suppressor on it. The more blunt noise would likely not alert the sleeping neighbors. No one would call the police, and for once I would not have minded having them there.

  “Those are the guys who abducted Evy,” Peter said, his eyes resting on the two who were standing. He was scared but managed to keep it together, a quality that was beginning to impress me. “We could have used the gun now.”

  “You’re the one who insisted we throw it away.”

  “Well, you shouldn’t have listened to me.”

  “Are you quit
e done?” the woman said, an impatient snarl in her voice.

  “Calm down, Esme,” the long-haired man said. “We are, after all, kind enough to let them have a few last words together.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Peter said, a clear question to something he already knew the answer to.

  “We’re going to take Ben here with us, so you had best say goodbye.”

  “Why?” Peter insisted.

  “He has an ability I’ve never seen or heard of before. Our employers like that. They don’t like us getting arrested, but they like that.”

  So I was to be a payment for their mistake. And Peter would pay the ultimate price for that. They would likely leave him dead in this apartment, framing me so I could never return with this name. No thank you to all of that.

  “David?” the long-haired man said and nodded to the other man. He walked over toward me and grabbed the right arm, pulling me further into the room. Then he twisted the arm behind me, the pain running like lightning through the nerves. It made me wince and press the lips together to keep quiet.

  “What’s your boon anyway?” the long-haired man asked. I had no chance to answer him at that point.

  “Come on, Alex,” Esme said with her angry impatience. “Let’s just be done with this. We can figure him out later.”

  “Fine. Go ahead,” he said, waving his hand in resignation. We should get to the new place before light comes anyway.”

  Esme nodded and beckoned Peter a little closer. With the gun pointed at him, he had little choice but to obey. When she ordered him to kneel I could see he was shaking. She was going to execute him with a minimal amount of noise. They didn’t leave witnesses who knew too much behind. And Peter did know a lot now, didn’t he? He was good with a computer as well. He was the type of person who could cause a stir if his friend was taken away by these people.

  No, I thought. This couldn’t happen. I wanted him to be okay. I didn’t want this to happen to him. And I knew it wouldn’t. No sign of death. I remembered the focused concentration before the trick with the shaded haze around me and tried it. I needed something that could help. I was desperate.

  A flash before the eyes startled me before I saw two men in a tropical climate, oddly enough wearing identical, bright red uniforms. The heat was suffocating, and so was one of the men. They were enemies despite belonging to the same army. One was standing behind the other, arm around his neck, strangling him. The one in the front sent his elbow back in pure desperation, hitting his attacker’s solar plexus, causing the man to grunt in pain as he lost his grip and bent forward. The one in front didn’t hesitate as he pulled a dagger in the same fluent turning motion and stabbed the other man in the neck.

  The flash in front of the eyes brought me back, almost like changing channels this time. I didn’t think – I acted. The free elbow went back and connected with David’s solar plexus causing the same grunt from him as the soldier.

  It was all I needed.

  I lunged forward without thinking and threw myself toward Esme, who was pointing the gun at Peter’s head. I saw them both turn their heads toward me in shocked surprise.

  And then a sound made me want to abort mid-leap.

  There was no turning back. The force of energy behind the motions too advanced to stop me in time.

  The front door had opened and Sophie came in, all smiles because she was happy. “I’m sorry again, Ben. But Mishka may have lost his collar—”

  I slammed into Esme, grabbed the arm holding the gun, yanked it away from Peter’s direction, and felt the thing go off as Esme and I crashed to the floor.

  A burnt smell reached the nose as Esme struggled to get away from me. I heard angered and rushed voices behind me. Noticed the red shape on the floor, close to the door, and then a kick to the back so hard it made me cry out in pain. I still held on to Esme’s hand, twisting until she released the weapon to get away.

  A sensation of pure pain overtook me then. Something that forced itself inside every cell and squeezed like a million tiny chokeholds.

  I gasped as I was lifted from the floor into a standing position, the pain overwhelming me, causing me to choke as the world swam before the eyes. David, the man who could take a hit in the gut better than most, had his eyes fixed on me, one hand stretched out toward me, fist clenched. He was causing the pain with enough control to keep Old Ben’s body upright. I was not immune to this control. Through the agony, I noticed that Alex had risen from the chair now and that Esme was scrambling to get the gun from the floor.

  And then Peter, with no options left, did the only thing he could.

  He charged at Esme who was getting to her feet and crashed into her. He might not have been as experienced as her in this, but he had fifty pounds on her. The deadly and uncontrolled weapon went off again as she had her finger on the trigger, ready to kill.

  The dull sound might as well have been one of the explosions on Cury Square. David lost his grip on me, as his right leg buckled under him, red rivers of blood trickling down his gray pant leg.

  When he lost his agonizing mental grip on me, no one had any control over Old Ben’s body. I fell back and hit the floor with no buffer. The blinding pain numbed me and knocked all air out of the lungs. I found myself gaping in shock as I couldn’t get up to stop what was happening in the room. I heard Esme shouting in a desperate plea for David to be okay, and I saw Alex walk across my field of vision, a look of deep concern on his face.

  And then the room began to turn dark. Like a fog rolling in over a city, creeping in between buildings and across streets; so it was here as it twisted and turned around the furniture, crashing into walls and the ceiling rolling back and filling the space.

  I managed to twist the head back, the red shape of Sophie filling my line of sight. I pushed back what I could of the pain, and began crawling toward her, the black smoke following me, as I reached her. A sensation of dread and hopelessness filled me at the sight of her limp body. Her eyes were open but didn’t respond to me. A slight twitch to them was what told me she was still alive. A small pool of blood was expanding by her head, exiting from a gash behind her temple.

  I didn’t know what to do. In desperation, I grabbed her hand and slumped down beside her as the pain made the body shake. I twisted on to the back, the last physical movement I managed, as I saw the black mist descend on me, a figure walking with it like a predator stalking its prey.

  Chapter 30

  The sensation of being weightless felt familiar. Around me there was only light like I was floating in an empty void, but with the ability to see myself. I raised an arm and saw that I was still in Ben’s form, yet somehow feeling disconnected from it one moment, and trapped and struggling the next.

  A flash of sharp light burned into the eyes and there was only darkness. Was the brain shutting down? Could it handle no more of me?

  The same flash came again, making me close the eyes shut to stop the searing pain. When I opened them I was standing in a tavern of sorts. Not only was this on the other side of the earth, but I could see by the people’s clothes that this had happened centuries before Ben Reed had even been born. There were a few benches and tables, straw was strewn on the floor, soaking up vomit and spilled drink. A few men with long, dark, and braided queues stood huddled to the side. They were avoiding two arguing men who were shouting at each other, claiming the other had stolen and butchered a cow they owned together. One of them shook with anger, and grabbed a nearby jug and swung his arm, hitting the other man on the side of the head. As he fell, his attacker followed and delivered a second hit. That was all it took as everything in the fallen man simply stopped being.

  I was pulled away at once, standing over a sickbed now, a small girl with dark blond hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. A woman sat next to her on the bedside, her once green dress faded and stained. She tried her best to cool her daughter’s face and neck with a wet cloth, but nothing was helping the twisting and convulsing child. I could see the black bo
ils on her neck, and the redness on her skin due to the fever that was consuming what little energy that still kept her breathing. I knew she was gone long before her mother did.

  I found myself taken away again then. Weightless. There was something right about that. Something I had missed without knowing it. This was how I was supposed to move from place to place. I could feel my form smiling, figuratively of course, but there are so many ways to smile.

  The sharp light blinded me again and I groaned with the discomfort, startled by the sight of a man standing right in front of me, shoving a knife toward me.

  It didn’t hit me; it went right through and into a screaming woman behind me. Her scream was cut short as the sharp blade entered her stomach and left her gaping in silent shock. Had the man not twisted the blade, well, she might have made it. But he did, a moan of agony escaping the woman as she stopped looking at him and instead let her eyes glide over the looming buildings of the alley she was in. The last place she would ever see. Dark, dirty, no solace whatsoever. When she fell, her murderer stepped closer and bent down to grab her purse.

  A searing pain shot through the head and I felt myself fall to the ground as I clutched at the head. The pain was familiar, and I knew what had struck me was the sensation I had before witnessing someone’s end. Now it came with multiplied force. I heard myself scream with pain, unable to see how I could make it stop.

  I felt a hand rest lightly on the shoulder and the pain eased, the pressure evaporating like smoke from a pot. I looked up to see a familiar and friendly face smile back at me. It was Sophie, dressed in her magnificent red garments that had a sharper, cleaner color to them here. We were in a field I had never seen before. I stood up, still shaking from the effects of the pain, and saw the green grass, a few large trees in full bloom. Every color was enhanced, sharp green, bright blue, the sun couldn’t be looked at, but it warmed the skin like a pleasant caress. Far off a glittering river floated through the landscape, a forest on the other side.