The House of Fire

by M. Goldsmith

  The fear she had been repressing came barreling into her system triggering her self-preservation and her Fire. The familiar sensation crept along her nerve ending sending signals of warning to her brain. Ash was no longer in command. Her Fire took over and dominated her thoughts. Flames shot out of the tips of her fingers and then spread all over her body, catching the men’s clothing alight. She could feel the thin material of her hospital gown disintegrate. The soldiers rolled on the ground attempting to extinguish Ashlyn’s Fire that now ravaged them. Fury and fear blurred her vision. She didn’t see Devlin approach, but she knew it was him when she felt a tremendous jolt of electricity. Ashlyn went completely rigid and was knocked right off her feet. The floor came up to meet her sending pain radiating through her entire body. Her Fire instantly snuffed out, Ashlyn twitched on the ground making sounds she did not recognize. Every muscle and nerve in her body was reacting to the strange intrusion.

  Ashlyn felt her body rise off the ground as if being carried. Her limbs hung uselessly and continued to convulse as she was placed firmly on the table. Devlin roughly grabbed her wrists and manacled her in place with the cold, steely cuffs. Someone took hold of her ankles, and Ashlyn kicked out fighting the whole way. Her Fire remained subdued by the shock. No matter how hard Ashlyn fought, without her Fire, she was defenseless against their strength. Powerful hands gripped her legs like a vise restraining her with ease.

  “I warned you about misbehaving, didn’t I? I suppose we’ll have to sedate you to conduct the Doc’s initial experiments. Then, I think I’ll pay sweet Laurel a visit. Nighty night, Firecracker,” Devlin said, in a sarcastic tone.

  Silently, Barrington came up beside her with a syringe in his hand. Seething, bitter heat emanated from him. He grabbed her arm roughly and jabbed the needle into her flesh. Ashlyn felt the sting before darkness took her completely. She stretched her mind reaching for Hawk. The walls around her seemed to be melting away, and then blackness overwhelmed her, taking her.

  ****

  Hawk

  As Hawk paced, he glanced down at his watch for the tenth time. “Where the hell are you, Kai?” He was anxious to get on the road for their drive to the University. He stopped and bent over his stomach in knots. “Damn it! She’s running out of time!” He had to find answers.

  Kai knocked on the door and walked in. “Ready when you are.”

  “It took you long enough. Let’s get going,” Hawk snipped.

  Kai didn’t bother with a retort. He simply turned on his heels and headed right back out Hawk’s front door. Hawk suspected Kai understood his state of mind, so he didn’t bother apologizing. Hawk climbed into the SUV’s driver’s seat while Kai walked around to get in the other side. His friend only had one leg in the vehicle when Hawk started to pull away. Kai’s right leg trailed along banging into the side of the car and the road until he managed to pull it back inside. When he was fully seated, he slammed the door with a loud thud.

  “What the hell, man? I know you’re worried, but you’ve got to get a grip.” Kai bent down and brushed off his pant leg. “You’re not going to be able to help Ash if you don’t keep it together. Everyone is concerned about her. I know it’s not the same as it is for you, but everyone in Aether cares about Ashlyn. The entire village wants to see her back home where she belongs.”

  Hawk let out a deep breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “I’m really sorry, buddy. You know I’m usually pretty levelheaded, but I can’t stop thinking about Ash. If anything happens to her, I just don’t know what I’ll do. This not knowing where she is, what they might be doing to her, is killing me.”

  “I get it. I do. But try to keep calm. We’re going to find her.”

  After they cleared the air, there wasn’t much to say, and they rode for a while in a comfortable silence. Out of nowhere, Hawk’s body suddenly went rigid. He convulsed violently, and the SUV screeched as it zigzagged across the road. Kai reacted by grabbing the wheel and wrenching the vehicle to the side of the road. Clouds of dirt rose up surrounding them as rocks pinged off the sides of the SUV’s body and windows. Kai slammed the shift into park, and the car lurched to an abrupt stop jolting them both forward.

  “Hawk! Can you hear me?”

  Hawk panted heavily as his muscles continued to twitch uncontrollably. Kai reached over and reclined Hawk’s seat. He took his pulse and checked his pupils for responsiveness with a flashlight he found in the glovebox. As quickly as the episode began, it subsided.

  “It’s Ash,” Hawk said. Grabbing the center console, he struggled to sit up. “They’re hurting her. I felt it.” He rubbed his temples. “It was like I got zapped or something.”

  “It appears your central nervous system was temporarily hijacked. Most likely from an electric pulse that was emitted. The pulse matches those used by your neurons which transfer information between your brain and your muscles. Your nerves were flooded with pulses similar to their natural frequency and strength. Normal signals get drowned out and muscles contract uncontrollably,” Kai explained, in his typical scientific manner.

  “Wait a minute. Are you saying I got Tasered?”

  “Um, yes, sorry, I’m doing it again, aren’t I?” Kai asked, sheepishly.

  “Yeah, you could say that. How come I never noticed what a total nerd you are? Am I going to be okay? More importantly, do you think Ash is okay?” Hawk raised his seat back to its normal position.

  “Yes, you both should be fine. The effects are temporary. I have to admit, I’m pretty amazed that you experienced the same physical reaction as Ashlyn. It’s not that I didn’t believe you about the connection, but this is an entirely different level. Tell me what you felt.”

  “I’m not sure really. We were driving along and then wham! I felt Ash. I felt her fear, her anger, and then her pain. Holy shit, Kai, what’s happening to me?”

  “I truly don’t have a clue. What did Bear say?”

  “He didn’t have that much to share. I wish there was someone who could tell me more about this Guardian power, I feel so helpless.”

  “You better let me drive. The Taser can impair a person’s ability to remember and process information for a short period of time after the jolt.”

  Reluctantly, Hawk stepped out of the truck. He went around to the passenger’s side while Kai climbed over the console into the driver’s seat. As the vehicle merged back onto the road, Hawk settled in and thought about Ashlyn. Without a doubt, the connection between them appeared to be building. He could only imagine how far it would go.

  Hawk fought to keep his eyes open, but fatigue quickly consumed him. He was being pulled into a state beyond relaxation. A small part of him wanted to protect himself and sever the connection, but Ash’s lure, like a siren, was too strong.

  She called to him, “Hawk? Please hear me.”

  “I’m here, Ash. Can you feel me?”

  “Yes! Yes, I feel you. Oh God, I thought I might never be able to reach you again.” Tears slipped down Ash’s cheeks.

  Hawk’s heart broke as he felt the warm moisture on his own skin. “This is the oddest sensation.” Finally, he believed this connection to Ash was real. “Are you all right, honey? Where are you?”

  “I’m okay for now. I’ve been moved to some kind of lab, and they’ve given me drugs again. I think I might be knocked out. It seems like the only way I can connect to you.”

  “Do you know where they’ve taken you?”

  “I don’t know where the lab is. When they first took us, I was unconscious. They haven’t let me see Laurel. I’m so worried about her.”

  “Ash, Laurel isn’t there. She’s home in Aether. She was in the Medical Center for a while. They drugged her, but Kai found an antidote. She’s safe.”

  Hawk could sense Ash’s relief as he felt her tears pour down her face unchecked. It was amazing when they opened the gates to Ash’s gift, how quickly he was able to see the world through her eyes and heart.

  “Thank the God and Goddess she’s safe. The evil
bastard who took me, his name is Devlin. He told me they had Laurel, and they would kill her if I didn’t cooperate with them. They want something from me, Hawk. Something to do with my powers, but I’m not sure what. There was another man, too, his name is Charles, Charles something, oh shit, I can’t remember his last name. My head feels so fuzzy…Hawk?”

  “Ashlyn, listen to me. I. Will. Find you. Can you hear me? Ash?” Despair shattered Hawk. Ashlyn was gone, again. “No! Come back! Ashlyn! Come back to me.”

  Strong hands shook Hawk’s shoulders repeatedly. Opening his eyes, he found Kai hovering over him inches from his face. “Hawk, you were screaming. Are you okay?”

  Hawk slammed his fist into the dashboard. “No, I am not okay. I was with Ashlyn. She’s in serious trouble. They want something from her, her powers, she thinks. She’s been drugged repeatedly and is in some sort of lab. She’s terrified, Kai, I could sense it; we’re connected. The name of the prick who took her is Devlin. Also, a Charles somebody, she couldn’t remember his last name. She faded and then the connection was gone, again.” Hawk appreciated the gesture when Kai put a firm hand on his shoulder.

  “We’re here. So if you’re up to it, let’s do this.”

  The two entered the library using false student identification cards their tech guys made for them. Aether may not currently have internet access due to security reasons, but they were certainly not lacking in technological knowledge and training. Some of the Protectors were as well versed as any American government expert. In fact, they were days away from opening a tech center which would house a secured system capable of avoiding tracking of any kind.

  Shortly, Aether would be equipped with the most advanced, untraceable computers in existence. The people would no longer be forced to go outside the village to obtain information. Aether could remain off the grid but would now have access to any and all information they required to monitor the outside world. Although the people lived a relatively simple life in balance and harmony with the four Elements, they were not naive. The outside world continued to develop, and the Aetherians needed to keep up in order to maintain their anonymity and ensure their people’s safety.

  Hawk lowered his large frame into a relatively small seat which creaked under his weight. Kai followed suit beside him and immediately began typing. They learned that CEB Laboratories was a massive corporation. They owned at least a dozen facilities in the Northeast and were beginning to branch out farther west. The company’s primary focus appeared to be the development and sales of pharmaceuticals.

  “All this information about the lab is great, but we still need to figure out the possible connection to the Renegades and their involvement with this lab. I think we should try to expand our search to the personnel associated with CEB. I’ll keep digging for more information on the research and development, and you check the human resources,” Kai suggested.

  “I just have a gut feeling there is more to this than meets the eye. I’m not convinced this is the work of the Renegades. It doesn’t add up to me. To what end would it serve to take Ashlyn?” Hawk questioned, rhetorically. They both worked silently for some time, clicking on link after link. “Hey look, Kai, I found a list of the company’s board of directors. The president and founder is a man named Dr. Charles Edward Barrington III. Ash mentioned a guy named Charles. Seems like way too big of a coincidence that it’s not the same man. No mention of a man named Devlin though. Here take a look.”

  Hawk turned his monitor toward Kai so he could more easily read the information on the screen. He paused when he noticed an abrupt change in Kai’s demeanor. “Kai? Are you all right?”

  Kai paled as he gripped the desk in front of him tightly and gawked at the screen, speechless. He was acting as if this Dr. Barrington guy was boring holes straight through him. Kai was quiet for a moment before he spoke. “Print out everything you can on CEB and Barrington. We need to get back to Aether immediately. I can’t believe this is happening. I know who has Ashlyn. You were right, I don’t think the Renegades are involved. Dear God, this is all my fault.”

  Chapter Eight

  Kai

  Guilt swamped him along with shame and dishonor. How did Kai begin to tell Hawk about his history with Barrington? After all these years, he couldn’t believe Charles Barrington was back in his life. Hawk was quiet on their way back to the SUV, and he wasn’t sure what to make of his friend’s silence.

  Hawk held out his hand demanding the keys. “I’ll drive. You start talking.” He guided Kai to the car with a gentle shove. “I want to know what the hell is going on, Kai.” The slamming of the vehicle’s doors echoed through the parking lot as they climbed in.

  Kai turned to him. “I know I owe you an explanation. I just want to say something before I say anything else. I’m so sorry, Hawk. Really, truly, sorry.” He dropped his head into his hands and didn’t look up. “I never in a million years thought my association with Barrington would have led to something like this.”

  Hawk took his friend by the shoulder making him look up. “What the fuck are you talking about?” He released him. “How do you know this guy?”

  “I met him over forty years ago. Charles Barrington was my roommate in med school.” Kai’s first meeting with Charles had left an indelible impression on him even after all this time.

  ****

  With a large duffel slung over one shoulder, a backpack, and two boxes that he had precariously stacked on top of one another, Kai stepped off the dorm’s elevator. He exhaled forcefully and squared his shoulders ready to settle into his new home. After fifteen years, Kai finally received permission from the Elders to attend medical school. He felt both upbeat and uneasy at the same time. The door to room 515 stood ajar, and Kai shoved it open with his foot. One of the boxes crashed to the ground with a resounding thud.

  “Damn it!” Kai grumbled, as he bent and grabbed the upturned box.

  Directly in front of him, a pair of shiny loafers with pennies in them stared him in the face. Kai followed the line of the stranger’s legs which were encased in pressed Khakis and topped off with an ultra-starched looking striped button-down shirt. The arrogance in the young man’s tone was the first thing that struck with Kai even before his words registered.

  “They assured me I would have this room to myself, so I’m certain you are in the wrong place.”

  “Oh, uh, sorry. They told me room 515. This is 515, isn’t it?”

  “It is indeed 515, but I arranged for a single,” the young man insisted. He rolled his eyes at Kai with a look of irritation on his face.

  “Okay, well, um, I’ll just leave my stuff here for a minute and go back downstairs and check with the housing department. I’m sure it’s just a mix-up.”

  “Yes, you do that.”

  Kai’s upbeat mood evaporated and only uneasiness remained as he left the room. The very first person he met seemed to dislike him on contact. Perhaps the Elders had been right, maybe he was too different to fit in with the humans.

  Kai returned with the housing supervisor who appeared flustered and jittery. They entered the room and an older man dressed in the finest suit Kai had ever seen was standing beside Mr. Penny Loafers.

  The gentleman spoke with upper crust accent Kai was unable to identify. “There seems to be a problem here. I arranged for my son to have a private room. He is not sharing with some stranger.”

  The supervisor wiped his damp brow with a handkerchief. “I’m s-so-sorry, Dr. Barrington, b-b-but the dorm is overcrowded. No one is allowed to have a single room. As soon as we have an opening, your son is first on the list. Please accept my sincere apologies.”

  “Completely unacceptable answer. Your incompetence is astounding. I’m going to have to contact someone with actual power not some stuttering fool. You are dismissed,” the senior Barrington reprimanded. His tone held an authoritative quality that was cold, calm, and menacing all at the same time.

  The poor man exited quickly with his head down low. Kai wasn’t sure how to r
eact to the strange tension left hanging in the room like an entity all its own. As both Barrington’s sized him up, he felt hesitant and lacking under their scrutiny.

  He offered his hand as a way of introduction. “Hi, I’m Kai, Kai Sanders.” Ignoring Kai’s outstretched hand, the men continued to gaze at him with distaste. Not sure what else to do, Kai retracted his hand awkwardly. He crossed the room and began unpacking his belongings.

  Dr. Barrington addressed Kai as if he were a small child, or an idiot. Using a tone Kai was unaccustomed to hearing in his tight knit, respectful community, he spoke, “I am Dr. Charles Barrington and this is my son, also named Charles. I expect you to stay out of his way and not interfere with his medical education in any way. Charles has a legacy to live up to. If I find out you are distracting him in any way, I will have you removed from this medical school. I have many connections here, so you can take me at my word.” Kai’s mouth dropped open and his only response was to nod. Barrington then turned to his son. “Charles, John is waiting for me with the car downstairs. You know what is expected of you. I suggest you do not disappoint me. Nothing less than perfection. There is no number two in the Barrington household.”

  Kai sighed in relief as the door closed firmly behind Dr. Barrington. “Whoa, no pressure. Are you all right there, Charlie?”

  “My name is Charles and if you know what’s good for you, you will mind your own damn business.”

  ****

  Shaking off the memory, Kai had explained to Hawk about the pressure Charles’ father put on him. “I had desperately hoped that Charles wouldn’t be like his father and that we could be friends, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.”