by T. R. Briar
“Baines?” Rayne exclaimed. “What are you doing here? Wait don’t—” his voice choked. “Don’t tell me you followed me.”
Gabriel smirked. “I sensed you were nearby, so I decided to see what you were up to. But now I must be on my way, or I guess as your people say: pip, pip, cheerio!” He vanished before Rayne could react.
“What?” Rayne floundered to find his voice. “Did he—was he there? Did he hear everything?”
He sought out with his mind, trying to find him. But he had lost track of time, and his arms and legs started to fade.
“Dammit!” he yelled out.
* * *
Rayne lay there in bed, furious over losing his chance to confront the other man, to find out what he knew.
The sunlight streaming in through his window irritated him. He rolled over to his wheelchair and slammed the curtains shut to hide himself from that oppressive light.
“Rayne?”
“What?!” Rayne yelled, whirling around, teeth clenched. David stood in the bedroom door.
“I heard you yelling, just wanted to make sure you—” he paused in the doorway. “Are you all right?”
“I haven’t got the time. Where’s that number for Gabriel’s hotel?”
“I think you left it on the hall table, why?”
Rayne brushed passed him and grabbed the card right where he left it. He dug up his phone and dialed the number. The phone rang, and a receptionist picked up.
“Hello,” he said into the receiver. “I need to speak with a Gabriel Baines? Room 106?”
“I’m sorry, he checked out last night.”
“Dammit!” Rayne swore again, smashing his thumb against the ‘off’ button. He couldn’t let this rest. He had to go out and find him. “David, I’ve got to go out for a while!”
“At least put something on other than knickers before you go out.”
Rayne’s face flushed, and he sheepishly wheeled back into his room to get dressed. He returned a few moments later, listening to David puttering around in the kitchen. As he reached to pull his jacket off the hook, a door in the hall opened, and Levi tottered out of his bedroom, his hair still messy from lying on his pillow.
“What’s for breakfast?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.
“You’ll have to ask David. I’ve got to go out for a bit,” Rayne said.
“You’re going out? Can I come with you?”
“Hey, there’s an idea,” David called from the kitchen. “Take him along, it’ll be good for both of you.”
“But I—” Rayne looked into his son’s eyes, those wide, innocent, childish orbs that made it very hard to say no, not wanting to see them filled with tears. He softened, and nodded. “All right. We can head down to the park for a few hours. But I want to be back by lunchtime, so not for too long.”
“Yay!”
Rayne hated putting off what he’d meant to do, but he didn’t have the first inkling where to find Gabriel anyways. He needed to cool down a little, and exercise seemed like the best approach. The previous night’s rain had dampened the air. He let Levi push his chair down the wet sidewalk, keeping a slow, measured pace. It felt rather nice to be out in the wet chill, just him and his son. He’d been so focused on work, they never had many of these moments, other than when Rayne walked him to school. And he only did that when David was too busy.
“Levi, I know I’ve been a bit of a nutter lately,” he started to say.
“It’s okay, daddy. You’re better now, right?”
“Yeah. You don’t have to worry.”
They reached the nearby pond. The damp, cold air was not as gloomy as the last time he and David visited during the cold winter. Father and son passed between vibrant shades of green, trees budding with leaves, beds of colorful flowers bordering the sidewalks, lush grass on rolling hillsides. The serenity of the pond’s still surface occasionally shivered in microscopic waves caused by the faintest of breezes. No children splashed there today. Nobody really graced the sidewalks at all, save a stray solitary figure here and there, too far away to be counted. They passed over a small bridge over a brook that connected into the pond. There, Rayne had Levi stop, and he leaned over the side to look down into the shallow run of water.
“Daddy, can I play by the pond?” Levi asked him. His father nodded, and the boy scrambled over to the cold shore. Rayne smiled as he watched. He felt serene, and enjoyed the peace while he could. Faint traces of life stirred here, even if it wasn’t human life. A pair of squirrels scurried around the grass nearby, chasing each other up the trees. Down in the little brook, he saw movement, and a tiny little frog hopped through the water, croaking as it swam around. It jumped back out onto the shore and sat there for a moment, nestled amidst the vegetation.
Rayne found himself staring at the frog with a strange fixation. Its color nearly blended it into the grass, and his eyes stayed focused on it even as it hopped yet again. When it came to a stop, it hid itself beneath the tall grasses, but he still could tell it was there, and he watched that spot carefully, wondering if it would move again.
He suddenly became aware of another presence by the brook, one that watched the frog with the same keenness as he did. A small slithering form, dark green in color, stood out from the paler stalks by the waterside. A grass snake, Rayne realized. The grass rustled and he saw the frog hop out from its cover once more, oblivious to the attention it was receiving.
“That was stupid,” Rayne murmured. The grass snake agreed, striking out with lightning quickness, swallowing its intended prey whole before it even knew what had happened. It coiled itself up afterwards, and looked up at the bridge, aware of the human presence standing there. It stared, forked tongue flickering out of its mouth as it tasted the air around it. Rayne simply stared back, cocking his head. After a while, the creature uncoiled and slithered its way back under the bridge.
Rayne looked back at the pond. Levi, oblivious to the small death that had just occurred, busied himself picking up small rocks and splashing them in the water.
“Maybe he should have seen that,” Rayne mused. “Might help him understand something like that poses no threat to him. Now, if he were a frog, then he’d have a reason to fear.”
“You say something, Daddy?” Levi walked back to him, smiling.
“Nope. Shall we keep walking?”
They chatted together as they followed the sidewalk. Levi talked about school. Apparently he and Tommy still weren’t speaking after the incident. Levi didn’t seem bothered by it, claiming he had lots of other friends, and Tommy was a bad friend to start with.
“I tried to read that picture book,” he told his father. “But s-s-sn—those things are still scary.”
“Are you still having bad dreams? Like with that eye you told me about?”
“No.” Levi smiled. “Last night I dreamed we were fishing in a big river in the jungle.”
“Oh? You and me?”
“No, just me. But there was another me steering the boat, and then another me helped me reel the line in.”
“I see. And nothing bad happened?”
“Nope!”
“That’s wonderful. You see? Just a bad dream.”
They moved on a little further, before Levi slowed down, a small frown moving onto his face.
“Daddy, is it going to be like before?” he asked.
“Before? Oh Levi, don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll go back to work, and we’ll live just like we did when I still had legs, all right?”
“No, I don’t mean that. I mean, are you going to stay up all night again, reading papers? Forgetting to pick me up from class? Being gone all weekend?”
“Oh. Oh Levi, I’m so sorry. I was such an arse, wasn’t I?”
“Watch your language,” his son teased.
Rayne smiled. “I think from now on I’m going to take things slow. It doesn’t matter if I reach the top tomorrow, or in twenty years. I almost lost you, and David. But I’ve got another chance at life. So I’
m going to be there for you this time.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Oh—geez, that’s right, I promised David I wouldn’t be out long. Better turn around.”
The two of them flipped around and went back the way they came, following the path out of the park and into the city. A new sensation gave Rayne pause, and he felt a familiar soul nearby.
“Turn left,” he told his son.
They turned down another row of streets, and Rayne had Levi stop before a shop window. They stood there, waiting. The sidewalk here was more crowded, and many bodies flowing around them. Hundreds of souls stood out to Rayne, ordinary looking in his eyes. But one faded, dim soul edged in blood drew his attention. And as it came nearer, he reached out and grabbed its carrier by the shirt, pulling him from the crowds.
“Hello, Baines,” he growled.
“Wha—how did you—” Gabriel stammered.
“That was very rude, what you did this morning. You follow me, and don’t even have the decency to stay and chat?”
“Daddy? What are you doing?” Levi asked.
A smirk crossed Gabriel’s face when he saw the boy. “Well, hello there. You must be his son. It’s nice to finally meet you, sport.”
Levi mumbled something and hid behind his father’s wheelchair.
“Aw, so shy,” Gabriel teased. He looked at Rayne. “Come on, no need to get violent; we’re both grown men. You really wanna talk about this out on the street?”
“All right, then.” Rayne led Gabriel inside the shop. It was a small store, mostly selling things like hats and accessories, and a small selection of shoes. There was no shopkeeper at the counter right now. Levi wandered away from his father to look at a shelf full of toys, leaving the two men alone.
“So, tell me. Why are you still here?” Rayne asked.
“The hell are you talking about? You just dragged me in here.”
“Not that. I mean, why are you still in Langfirth? It’s been a month and a half. Surely even for business this is a bit much.”
“Oh, that. Well, things aren’t great at home. Figured I’d lay low in another country for a while, you know?”
“Right, I remember you telling that person on the phone not to tell the police where you were. You must have done something very unseemly. Was that your wife? A lover, perhaps?”
“How did you know about that?”
“You’re not the only one who knows how to spy on others.”
Gabriel clenched his teeth together. “All right, so I overheard your conversation with that monster. What of it?”
“How much did you hear?”
“Everything.”
“What you did was very dangerous. If you go around telling anybody what you overheard, both our lives are forfeit.”
“You mean your life is forfeit. That thing doesn’t even know I exist.” He smiled at Rayne. “So, I believe I have the upper hand here. This information will keep that monster away from me, and maybe I can use it to benefit me. And if you get in my way, I’ll make it hunt you again. Once he finds out you broke your promise, you’re a dead man.”
“Benefit you? Benefit you how? You can’t possibly think you can control that creature!”
“You don’t need to know that. It doesn’t really concern you anyways, so just mind your own business, and I’ll leave you alone,” he sneered, sensing Rayne’s frustration. “There’s really nothing you can do. Except kill me, of course. But you’re not a murderer, are you? Wouldn’t want to add more sins, right?”
“I might be. Won’t know until I get my memories back.”
“Please, I know you better than most people. The way you act over there is the real you, isn’t it? And I can see, you don’t have it in you to take another man’s life.”
Rayne grumbled; he didn’t have a good retort to that. Gabriel walked over to the shelf full of toys.
“Hey, sport. You want me to buy you a toy? This is nice.” He picked up a small rubber snake.
Levi screamed, and fell right into his father’s chair. Rayne clutched his child, trying to calm him down.
“Put that away!” he hissed.
“What, doesn’t he like snakes?” Gabriel asked, hiding the toy under some other packages.
Rayne didn’t want to answer; he didn’t like giving this man any more ammo that could be used against him than he already had. But it was too late.
“There’s no need to be embarrassed,” Gabriel said. “After that thing almost ate me the other night, I’m not a big fan of them either.”
“Keep your voice down.” Rayne held Levi’s head. “I think you’ve done enough.”
Gabriel knelt down. “Look, I’m not such a bad guy. I didn’t know, all right?”
“Daddy, I want to go home,” Levi sobbed.
“Shh, it’s all right. I’m here. How about I buy you something? Like this.” He picked up a box containing a construction set of notched blocks. “You love building things. How about it?”
Levi sniffled, but he couldn’t completely hide the beam on his face when he saw the box. Rayne wheeled up to the counter, and waited for the shopkeeper to come out. He fumbled for his wallet, as it dawned on him he might have left it in his other pants.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” Gabriel said, pulling some notes out of his own wallet. When the shopkeeper came out, he handed the money over, and Levi clutched his new prize in his arms.
“Thank you, Daddy,” he said. “And thank you, mister.”
“Don’t mention it,” Gabriel said.
Rayne still held his suspicion as they exited the store together. “Look, when I get my wallet, I’ll pay you back.”
“Consider it a gift.”
“Baines, I—”
“Mercer, I don’t want to be your enemy. I just want to get my life back, and do so on my own merits.”
“Then why did you threaten me?”
“Because I don’t like people meddling in my affairs.”
“But this is my affair too! If you go around gabbing what you learned, I’ll be the one to pay for it.”
“All right, look. I won’t tell that story to just anyone. If I do decide that it could be useful, I can hide the details and spin it a little differently. Nobody will have to know the whole truth about your new ‘friend,’ and you can go on living.”
Rayne looked at his son, who was reading over the instructions on the box, not listening to their conversation.
“Just know this,” he warned, leaning towards Gabriel and keeping his voice low. “If you do tell anybody the truth, and Tomordred does find out, rest assured that before he eats me, I will make him aware of your existence.”
“I can live with that.”
“Right. Thank you for the gift.” Rayne rolled with Levi down the street, realizing how late in the morning it was. Gabriel watched him, and waved as he departed.
* * *
“Rayne, where the bloody hell were you?” David rushed to greet him as the two of them came through the door.
“I’m sorry. We were on our way back, but I took a detour and then I ran into—”
“Daddy, I’ll be in my room!” Levi called, scurrying into the hall with his new toy.
“Building blocks?” David asked.
“He didn’t have that set; you know how much he loves stacking those things.”
“How’d you pay for it? You left your wallet in the bedroom, and ran out before I could catch you.”
“If you’d let me finish, I ran that Baines fellow. Seems he’s still in town. He saw me buying it for Levi, and offered to pay.”
“That was generous of him.”
“Well, after he almost traumatized Levi with that rubber snake—” Rayne glared at the ground. “Figured he owed us.”
“Levi didn’t make a scene, did he?”
“I kept him calm, don’t worry.”
“That’s a relief.”
“I’ve been trying to get him over his fear. Just yesterday
he had an episode, so I helped him by showing him pictures in a book.”
“And he didn’t go completely mental?”
“Not after I spent some time explaining things. I showed him that pictures can’t bite him, and I think he started to get over his phobia. I don’t know, at least pictures are harmless. Didn’t you want to show him a real one?”
“Just a little one.”
“He’s not ready. I’ll work with him. I’m not going to obsess over work anymore. No more late nights. Assuming I find another job, it won’t be as demanding.”
“Really? That’s wonderful.” David didn’t smile. Did he not believe him?
“I mean it. I promised Levi I would be there for him.”
“Rayne, you shouldn’t make promises you might not be able to keep.”
“What, you don’t think I can stay away from work?”
“I just mean you shouldn’t get his hopes up. If something else happens—”
“Do you think another car is going to hit me? Apart from my spine, the doctors say I’m perfectly healthy. And I’ve been remembering things about my life. I think that given some time, I’ll remember everything. So stop fretting, all right?”
“Yeah. All right.” David sighed. “I know you mean well. And Levi means the world to you.”
“Maybe I’m the reason he’s so sensitive. He had a rough start in life, and he doesn’t get enough attention from the one parent he’s got left.”
“I’m not sure that’s the reason he’s so sensitive. I think that’s just how he is. You are right though, he does need to get over that phobia. We’ll see how it turns out. I am glad to see you in a better mood. What do you say we go out for lunch?”
“I suppose I could use a bite.”
Chapter 13
Back in the Abyss that night, Rayne couldn’t feel Gabriel’s presence. He wondered if he’d changed his sleeping schedule as a means of avoiding him. He couldn’t sense Miranda either, but David was on call all night at the hospital, so she might be working late too. For the time being, he was alone.
