by West, Shay
Keena looked up at Tani’s mother and took the mug of steaming liquid from her hands. Keena sniffed at the cup and smiled.
“My mother used to make me warm milk and nutmeg...” she cradled the cup as she sipped.
“Give your father some time. He’ll come around. We can go visit after he’s had a chance to calm down,” Tani offered.
She smiled and sipped at the drink. Before she had even finished the mug, her eyelids drooped as she fought the effects of the warm milk. Tani’s mother helped her to lie back against a stack of pillows, and covered her with a blanket against the growing chill.
“She’ll sleep through the rest of the storm.”
Tani smiled gratefully at his mother and lay back against his own pillows, knowing that if he slept, it would bring the ending of the storm that much faster.
***
The next morning, Tani’s father led the family out of the underground shelter. Tani steadied his heart for the damage he knew this kind of weather could bring. He’d lost count of how many times his family had had to rebuild their home because it couldn’t withstand the heavy winds and rain. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the structure still standing. Most of the windows were blown out and the roof was badly in need of repair, but seeing the home sitting in the usual place filled him with hope.
Keena walked up beside him and took his hand in hers. He met her eyes and was taken aback by what he saw there: a steely resolve that had been missing since they had left the monastery. It was the same look he had seen when she had refused to go on any more Harvesting trips.
“While I slept I had a vision, sent from the gods, I’m certain of it. I know what they wish us to do.”
She met his incredulous gaze with a small smile and squeezed his hand. The pair stopped short of reaching the house.
“What was the dream...er, vision you had?”
“The gods want us to stop Master Kelhar.”
“Did they say how to do this exactly?”
“We have to destroy the gateway.”
Tani ground his teeth at her short answers. “How?”
“They did not tell me that. But I do know the gateways were never meant for what Master Kelhar uses them for. I knew the gods would not accept the murder of innocents even to save our own people.”
Tani didn’t know what to say. He’d never considered himself a religious man by any means. He believed in the gods, tried to do what he thought they would want, but who could ever tell what gods wanted from lowly people? And here his partner was telling him she had spoken to the gods and had a direct line to what they wanted.
“You don’t believe me.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that exactly...” he stammered.
She laughed for the first time since leaving her parent’s house. “It’s okay. The gods told me you would be hard to convince.”
Tani started walking again, his brain whirling with what Keena had just told him. Was it possible? His heart raced at the thought of going up against the monastery. They had money and power, something Tani was short on at the moment. But a small fire burned deep within his soul at the thought of the gods wanting to use him and Keena for their purpose.
“The gods said we have to move quickly. Are you with me?” she asked.
Tani shrugged. “I guess so. Just wish we had a little more to go on.”
“We will have to trust the gods.”
CHAPTER 14
ELI WAITED IMPATIENTLY as Ava updated their victim board. More like boards. Because of the addition of the international victims, the one white board had grown to four. Ava had re-done the boards and categorized the killings based on country, and then by city, as several murders had taken place in the same area. She added all of the evidence that had been collected, though most of the victims had nothing listed for them.
She stood back and surveyed her work. Eli had to admit it made looking at the crimes as a whole easier because she had color coordinated the markers she used for age, sex, race, profession, hobbies, where the victims were killed, evidence found, and organs missing.
Despite all of the victims added to the boards, there wasn’t anything linking them other than being brutally murdered and having their organs taken.
“We’ve got seventy-two victims worldwide thus far. I have a feeling the numbers are larger than that though,” Ava said.
“You think the FBI missed something?”
“There are a lot of people that live in third-world countries that don’t have technology or social media to report every little thing. Many of them could have been killed by the Butcher and they would probably blame rebels or some fascist government or a wild animal or something.” She threw the markers down on her desk.
“Listen, if you need a break—”
“I don’t need a break. What I need is to catch the sons-of-bitches who are butchering people and lock them away forever.”
Eli had to admit her vehemence was a huge turn-on. Her face was flushed; her breathing had increased, forcing her ample breasts against her button-down shirt.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get ‘em.”
“Did Platt make the statement to the press about the guy in the photo on Vanessa Parkins’s phone?” she said to change the subject.
Eli nodded. “He even gave the press the guy’s picture, hoping someone will come forward.”
“Maybe the techs will get lucky with the other photos,” she said, pointing to the white boards.
Turned out the photo from the Parkins case wasn’t the only one. Several cases from London, Tokyo, and Delhi had video surveillance stills. In all of them, the perps were dressed exactly like the man from the Parkins case. One photo in particular bothered Eli; it clearly showed a pair stalking a victim, and one of them appeared to be female.
“We gotta be dealing with a cult. Some weird, sick, twisted cult that gets their jollies off burning organs for sacrifices or something,” Ava said.
“The FBI said they’d exhausted the cult theory. There’s no cult that operates in all of the countries where the murders are taking place. And not one person has come forward with any information that has led to a name for even one of these people. If they all work in pairs, we’re dealing with more than a hundred and forty killers.” Even saying that aloud sounded ludicrous.
Ava groaned and rubbed her blood-shot eyes. “This thing is huge, way bigger than we thought. Kind of glad the FBI is working it too.”
Even though he hated sharing jurisdiction, Eli admitted they wouldn’t have gotten nearly the information they had if it hadn’t been for the Feds. He gazed at the faces of the victims before they were killed, burning them into his memory. Their smiles would keep him working despite the enormity of the killings. He got up to study the video surveillance stills, eyes darting back and forth between the footage from Delhi and London.
“You look like a wolf on the prowl. What did you find?” Ava got up and followed Eli.
He grabbed two of the photos off the white board and held them up to Ava. “See anything interesting?”
She grabbed the pictures. Eli smiled when he saw the truth of what he had seen light up her chocolate-brown eyes. But as quickly as the excitement came, it left. She shook her head and walked back to the boards.
“This isn’t possible. These crimes were committed hours apart. Even on a private jet, there’s no way the killers could have gotten from Delhi to London.”
“Maybe the times of death are wrong. I’m telling you, those are the same two men in both photos.”
“I admit they look alike, but the footage is so grainy, who knows?”
“Double-check the stats on the two murders and I’ll get these over to Charlie. His fancy computer software can tell us whether these are the same people.”
Eli barged into the analyst’s office without knocking. “Charlie, I need to know if these are the same people. Can you do that?”
Charlie took the photos. “They look the same to me.”
He went to hand
them back to Eli who shook his head. “I need more than just human eyes to say they are the same.”
“I’ll get right on it. The quality is decent, so I should have something in a few hours.”
“Call me as soon as you get the answer.”
Eli walked back to his desk, but he was too wired to sit and look through endless files of paperwork. After telling Ava he would be back in a bit, he went to his locker and changed into running shorts and a loose tank top. As he laced up his sneakers, he decided to have Charlie go through the other footage on the off chance that he could find more killer doubles.
As he ran through the park close to the precinct, his mind churned over this new finding. It was physically impossible for the pair of killers at Delhi and London to be the same people. Identical twins? He shook his head. The chance of having two sets of identical twins, both out killing people, was more outrageous than any theory he and Ava had come up with thus far.
Maybe they’re using transporters.
He nearly tripped as he laughed. It just showed his desperation that he was resorting to science fiction technology to explain a series of murders. It makes as much sense as anything else.
He walked back to the precinct after his run, drenched in sweat and eager to give Charlie all the photos they had of the perps. He ignored the stares as he walked to his desk in his work-out clothes.
Ava gave him her characteristic smirk as she spotted him. He made sure to suck in his gut and walk as though his muscles weren’t burning.
“You’re just in time.”
“Charlie’s done already?”
Ava nodded. “Uh-huh. And the computer agrees with you. The pair that did the killing in Delhi is the same as the ones in London.”
He wanted to celebrate this news, but instead he sat heavily on his chair, wind gone from his lungs.
How could the victims, thousands of miles apart, be killed by the same two people within a matter of hours?
CHAPTER 15
“WHAT YOU PROPOSE is dangerous.”
Tani nodded at his father’s words, knowing all too well the danger of what he and Keena proposed. “It’s the only way to stop the Harvesters.” He glanced at Keena. “If Keena is telling the truth and the gods really did come to her, we have to try.”
“Can you get back into the monastery?” his father asked.
Keena nodded, though her eyes looked uncertain. “They’ll never expect us to return. We can sneak in at night, go to the gateway chamber, and be gone before Kelhar even knows we’re there.”
His father shook his head. “I don’t know, you risk much.”
“It is the right thing to do, Papa,” Tani said.
“Besides, if it truly is the wish of the gods that Tani and I close the gateway, they will guide and aid us,” Keena said.
“I suppose there is that.” His father narrowed his eyes as he sized up the pair. “I suppose you are adults and can make up your own minds.”
Tani almost wished his father would refuse to let them go. He still wasn’t sure if Keena’s dream was truly from the gods or just her subconscious trying to find a way to save the people of Earth destined for death. Either way, he couldn’t let her go alone.
“We’ll leave first thing in the morning,” Tani said.
***
The pair said their farewells amidst hugs and tears from Tani’s family. Meevo stood off to the side, refusing to take part. Tani called to him, but Meevo ran into the house and slammed the door.
“He’s going to miss you terribly,” his mother said as she gazed at the closed door. “He took it so hard when you left last time.”
“Keep an eye on him, okay?”
His mother patted him on the arm. “You don’t worry about him. You and Keena have a dangerous road ahead and you need to focus if you are going to succeed.”
Tani gave her one last hug, then grabbed his pack from where it lay against his leg. Both of their knapsacks were full of food, water, and blankets, with one change of clothing. They had plenty of provisions to see them to the monastery. The less they had to stop along the way, the faster they could put their plan in action.
Whatever that plan is.
Sneaking into the monastery was one thing; getting their hands on the stones that would allow them to return home was something else. There was one set of stones for each Harvesting pair. Unless Master Kelhar hadn’t replaced them, Tani and Keena would have to steal the stones from fellow Harvesters. And that meant they would most likely be caught, as the Harvesters would never give up their stones and not raise an alarm.
We may have to kill them.
His stomach twisted at the thought of killing his fellow Harvesters, but he knew he was capable of it. It wasn’t like he hadn’t killed before. One good blow to the head and he and Keena would have the stones. Tani wished he had been granted the same vision as Keena. Maybe then he would feel more resigned to the possibility of having to kill their fellow Harvesters.
“You look like you’re about to sick up.”
Tani looked at Keena and voiced his concerns about the return stones.
“The gods will provide if we are doing their will. Have faith.”
“Perhaps I’d have more faith if the gods saw fit to allow me to share this vision,” he snapped.
She blinked back tears. “I’m sorry. Perhaps one of these nights they will visit you as well.”
He knew he should apologize, but he just kept walking. He had left the monastery with her, even though it meant being charged with treason, and now was leaving home to return to the one place they should never be going. Are we really doing the right thing?
That question plagued him as they made their journey, as did the faces of the people he had killed during his time as a Harvester. He was torn between what was right and what was safe. He wanted to do the right thing, but did he want to die trying?
He barely slept after they made camp for the night. He’d kept them walking until well past nightfall, hoping that exhaustion would force his mind to stop whirling. On their last night on the road, he offered to take first watch, hoping that would make him tired enough to sleep.
As he gazed into the coals, his eyes drifted closed. He forced them open only to have them droop again and again.
A man with skin dark as tree bark. A woman with skin the color of bronze. Around them whirled countless faces, old young, men, women. There were several people he recognized. Only, their faces were smiling and not covered in blood. Suddenly the gateway room appeared, the machinery ablaze. A feeling of peace settled over him at the sight of the ruined gateway.
He awoke with a start, heart hammering in his chest. He looked over at Keena, but she was still fast asleep. Tani sent a silent prayer to the gods, thanking them for their vision. He looked to the sky and noticed it was still a few hours until daylight. He debated letting Keena sleep, but their mission would be more likely to succeed if they arrived under the cover of darkness.
Keena was reluctant to leave her blankets. She pulled them over her face and snuggled deeper.
“We’ll be safer if we arrive while it’s still dark,” he coaxed.
When she finally crawled from her blankets, Tani handed her a plate with some bread, cheese, and slices of tart apples from his family’s orchards.
“I think the gods sent me a vision,” he said while they broke their fast.
Keena’s eyes widened. “What did you see?”
“It’s jumbled now, like a normal dream. But I remember seeing the gateway chamber on fire. And that somehow we were responsible.” He frowned. “And there were two people there. Not us, but somehow tied in with all this.”
“I saw two people as well! Did one have dark skin?” she asked excitedly.
Tani nodded emphatically. “Yes! What does it all mean?”
“I’m not sure. Hopefully the gods will make their plans known when the time is right.”
For the first time since leaving the monastery, Tani knew he was doing the right thing.
And it felt good, better than having all the money and prestige in the world.
***
Tani crept through the tall grass surrounding the well-manicured grounds of the monastery. It was still full dark and he hadn’t spotted any sign of Enforcers. It was as though the gods favored them with no moon and no people.
They had decided to check Keena’s quarters for the return stones. Tani didn’t hold out hope the stones would still be there. Master Kelhar had probably already found replacements for the two of them and the new Harvesters would have possession of the stones.
He could feel Keena close by his side. His breath steamed in the chill morning air as he watched her domicile for signs of life. If Master Kelhar had gotten replacements, they would now be living in his and Keena’s homes.
Tani was about to move forward when a window suddenly showed the light from a newly-lit lamp. A shadow moved about the house, probably getting ready for another mission.
Which meant whoever it was might have the return stones.
“What do we do?” Keena whispered.
“I don’t know. It’s not like we had a plan other than getting here.”
This was nothing like the adventure stories Meevo enjoyed reading. The heroes always seemed to have all the answers and could get themselves out of any situation. And here he was sitting in the dark with no idea how he and Keena should proceed.
“We have to intercept whoever it is before they leave,” Keena insisted.
“But how do we know they have the stones? It could be the other half of the partnership.”
“Unless you have any better ideas, we don’t have a choice. The longer we sit here the greater chance of getting caught.”
He knew he didn’t have long to decide. He prayed to the gods that they would somehow perform a miracle and allow him and Keena to find the stones just sitting out on the front stoop of the house. Tani didn’t like the idea of killing a fellow Harvester.
Who said you have to kill them?
The voice sounded like his father. Tani smiled at the obvious question. All the two had to do was incapacitate whoever it was long enough to see if he or she had the stones and make their way to the gateway chamber. Or find more if the new Harvester didn’t happen to have the return stones. Then of course there was hoping Master Kelhar didn’t come looking for the missing Harvester, since he or she would be late for the trip through the gateway.
