by West, Shay
The more he thought about the “what ifs,” the more he wanted to turn tail and run. Let the gods find someone else for their mission to stop the priests. Maybe someone with a private army. Only there wasn’t anyone else, no army, no one.
Without thinking, he ran in a crouch toward the front door of Keena’s home. He sat beneath the window with his back against the wall. Slowly, he pushed himself up and peered above the sill.
A large woman sat at the small wooden table eating gruel from the same wooden bowl Keena would have used. Tani didn’t like seeing a stranger in her home. The rooms and furnishings belonged to the monastery, but it was still difficult not to think of this place as Keena’s. I wonder who’s living in my home.
That thought brought more sadness than Tani expected. He hadn’t been at the monastery long, but he had come to think of it as home. He hated the thought of someone else in his personal space.
“Did you see the stones?”
He jumped as Keena spoke right next to him and gave her a withering look. “It’s not like she’s going to keep them on the table. If only we could search the house...”
Without a word, Keena left his side, disappearing into the darkness. He wanted to call out to her, but held his tongue. The seconds passed—they felt like hours. The sky lightened as the sun came closer to peeking over the horizon. Tani was exposed to anyone who happened to glance at the house. He moved to the side that was still in shadow. Where did Keena go?
Suddenly, the alarm bells pealed out across the monastery. Doors opened as Harvesters, acolytes, and priests exited their homes, wondering what was going on at such an early hour. Tani heard the door to Keena’s domicile open and the woman run out.
It’s now or never.
He bolted from the side of the house and through the open door. He ran to the small chest of drawers first, knowing that’s where Keena had kept the stones. He rummaged through the clothing and other odds and ends, but didn’t see any stones. Panic set in when he realized the woman could return at any moment.
Tani searched the trunk at the foot of the woman’s bed, digging through books and assorted charcoal pencils. At the bottom of the trunk he spotted a black velvet bag tied with a slender piece of ribbon. He hefted the sack in his hands, mouth widening in a grin. It felt about the right weight and he could hear several things clinking together in the bag. He shoved it in his knapsack, then closed the trunk.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Tani turned around; the occupant of the house filled the doorway. Her face was red and her hands were balled into fists.
“I know you! You’re the one who ran away.”
“I was just looking for something Keena said she left behind, that’s it. Just let me see if it’s here and I’ll be out of your hair. I don’t want trouble,” Tani said as he backed away.
“There’s a reward out for you.” The woman advanced slowly, like a predator.
Tani couldn’t look away from her feverish eyes. He knew he should be coming up with some sort of plan for escape, but all his brain could manage was to gibber and shriek that he was about to die.
Suddenly the woman’s face went still as stone and she slowly toppled forward. Tani stood there stunned as she hit the floor, long hair splaying out like a fan around her head. He looked up. Keena stood in the doorway holding a large rock in her hand. She tossed it aside and hurriedly stepped over the body.
“Help me get her inside!”
Tani ran to the woman and checked for a pulse. He was relieved to feel the steady flow of blood through her neck. He grabbed her by the arms and dragged her out from in front of the doorway. Keena peeked outside, then shut the door.
“Did you find them?” she asked.
“I think so.” Tani grabbed the black bag out of his knapsack and opened it. Inside, nestled in the rolls of velvety fabric, were the five return stones. He handed them to Keena and slung his pack on his back.
“So what did you do anyway?” Tani asked.
“I found someone that I didn’t recognize and told them I had spotted the fugitives at an inn in town.” She grinned from ear to ear.
“Let’s just hope your ruse works long enough for us to get into the monastery.”
Tani walked out of the house as though he had every reason to be there. Keena’s risky move gave him an idea: if they didn’t act like fugitives, perhaps they wouldn’t be noticed until it was too late. Neither was dressed in Harvester garb and both were dirty from their travels. If the gods truly smiled down on them, they would be able to travel to Earth with none the wiser until they were already gone.
CHAPTER 16
ELI STOOD OUT on the back porch and turned the steak with one hand while he drank an ice-cold beer with the other. The setting sun was on the opposite side of the house, bathing the backyard in cool shadows. He bobbed his head in time to the music from the stereo he kept in his shed.
“Smells good.”
He turned to smile at Ava. She had bugged him about dinner until he had finally given in, on one condition: that she come to his place and he would do the cooking. She hadn’t given an argument, merely smiled her half-smile that he’d come to find irresistible and said she would be bringing the wine.
Eli flourished a pair of tongs. “It’s an old family recipe. Take raw animal flesh and cook to perfection.”
“I’ll keep it secret.” She sat in one of his patio chairs, legs crossed, wine glass in hand. Instead of her usual skirt and blazer, she wore shorts that came down to her knees and a button-down, cap-sleeved T-shirt. Ava and his ex couldn’t have been more opposite. Where Vicki had been light, Ava was dark. Vicki had tended to wear clothing that was very short, very tight, and very revealing. He had wanted to say something, but she’d been so touchy about the subject that he’d kept his mouth shut and put up with the stares she got while in public. She’d figured it was because they thought she looked good. Eli hadn’t had the heart to tell her they weren’t staring out of appreciation; they thought she looked ridiculous. His ex would have been more attractive if she had worn something more age-appropriate that covered more skin than it showed.
He left Ava sitting outside while he went in to start the oven broiler for the garlic bread. He opened the fridge and grabbed the bowl of salad he had chopped earlier in the day. On a large tray he placed the salad, bottles of ranch and Italian dressings, two plastic plates, forks, and napkins, and carried it all out to the back porch.
“You set the table while I get the garlic bread,” he said as he ran back into the house.
He grabbed an oven mitt from a drawer next to the stove and pulled the cookie sheet piled with bread from the oven. He shut the broiler off and put the pieces into a bowl, hissing as he burned his fingers on the hot bread.
Eli brought the bowl out to the patio and grabbed the steaks from the grill, inhaling deeply. If there was one thing he knew how to do, it was grill a good steak.
Vicki never ate meat.
His wife had become a vegetarian after they married and had tried for years to get Eli to swear off meat, but he had refused. She wouldn’t cook meat for dinner, so Eli ended up cooking for himself rather than eat her tofu fake meat crap. She would wrinkle her nose and eat in the kitchen by herself, saying it made her sick to see him eat the flesh of helpless animals.
“So it didn’t make you sick when you weren’t a vegetarian a few months ago?” he asked one night.
“I have grown to realize that eating animals is wrong. I just wish you would support me in this.” Vicki had refused to look at him.
“I support you just fine. I just ask that you support my decision to continue to eat meat. I’ve never once tried to tell you to stop being a vegan, have I?”
“You just don’t understand.” That was her usual way of ending an argument she had no hope of winning.
Eli’s eyes widened in surprise when Ava picked the biggest steak on the plate. She didn’t say a word, just raised her eyebrow as though daring him to say anything.
He kept his mouth shut and speared the second steak off the plate, though it wasn’t much smaller than the one Ava had chosen. He passed the bowl of salad, letting her have the first helping. She got a large pinch of greens and placed it on her plate next to the steak.
“Save some of that for me, will ya?” he teased.
“There’s a few pieces of lettuce left, you big baby.”
He loved how easy it was to tease her. Vicki hadn’t appreciated his sense of humor, often growing angry; she would sulk for days from a simple joke.
Stop thinking about your ex. You have a beautiful woman here, eating steak no less, and you’re focused on your loser of an ex. Vicki wasn’t good for you, get over it.
For once, Eli decided he had better listen to the voice in his head. His ex was long gone, and good riddance. He was sure she’d meet a fellow vegan and they could both wear skimpy outfits and eat tofu till they died. He really didn’t care.
For the first time since the divorce, he could say those words and mostly mean them. He’d said them to people over the years, but deep down he still cared. Not about his ex, but about how she treated him. Sitting here with Ava, listening to her laugh, and eating steak, he realized that he truly didn’t care about his ex. Not what she had done or what she would ever do to someone else.
Eli wished Ava was just a woman and not his partner. He’d never go against policy and let their relationship go further than this. But it never hurt to dream.
He and Ava chatted about the case at first, but it didn’t take long for them to move to other subjects, things like music and movies. They steered clear of anything too personal, both sensing that it wasn’t appropriate to delve too deeply. Rather, they enjoyed skimming the surface and keeping things light.
Eli’s phone buzzed on the table, bouncing along the glass surface. He picked it up and answered it right away.
“Captain?”
“I need you back at the station.”
Eli didn’t need to ask why. Only one thing would make him call on Eli’s day off: one of the Butchers had struck again.
***
Eli and Ava arrived at the crime scene. Both wore their street clothes rather than taking the time to change. She had her badge and gun, which she displayed prominently in case the officers on scene failed to recognize her without her customary skirt.
Sherry had yet to show up on the scene. Eli walked over to the body and was surprised to find it fresh. As though the victim had been killed only moments before. It was a male, mid-thirties, dressed in running shorts and shirt. His body was splayed out in the middle of a jogging path, but one that wasn’t well-used. Most people in the area chose to run in the new park built just down the block. But those that preferred to run in near-solitude still ran in this old park. It wasn’t maintained like it should be and there was a lot of overgrowth and weeds choking the area.
Upon closer inspection of the body, Eli found the man’s lungs and heart were missing.
“Just like the others,” Ava said.
He stood and sought out the officer who’d been first on the scene.
“Any witnesses?” Eli asked, already anticipating the answer.
“Just one. She was running in the area and heard the man scream out, so she called 911 as she ran over here.”
Eli did a double take and shared a glance with Ava. “She actually heard the guy scream out? That’s a first.”
“What about a flash of light?”
The cop shook his head. “She didn’t mention anything.”
Eli pulled Ava off to the side. “Go talk to the woman and ask her. I’m going to scope out the area. Keep your ears open. I have a feeling our perps are still around.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Just a hunch.”
Eli walked back to the body and looked for footprints or any other sign that someone had been in the area dismantling a body. The killers certainly were good at hiding their tracks, but Eli had tenacity and a burning desire to catch them. As he walked in larger circles away from the victim, he spotted a partial track, a bent piece of grass, all leading away from the body. He walked bent over and nearly bumped into the man who stood up right in front of him.
The man didn’t hesitate. He took off running and Eli bolted after him, yelling for Ava, hoping she was close enough to hear. The man he chased was dressed like the other Butchers: trousers, boots that came to the knee, and a shirt that tied at the neck. The man had a knapsack on his back that flapped with every jump and stride. Eli smiled when his own strides brought him closer to the perp.
Eli took out his gun and yelled at the man to stop, that he would shoot. The man kept running and didn’t look back. He was running with purpose, like he knew exactly where he was going.
“Stop or I’ll be forced to shoot!” Eli shouted again.
Eli fired once, aiming for the man’s leg. The man gave a cry and fell, tumbling head over heels until he finally came to rest on his stomach. He tried to rise, but Eli was there, placing a foot on the man’s back, forcing him back down.
He heard someone crashing through the trees. Ava broke from between two trees, her weapon drawn. When she saw Eli had the perp on the ground, she turned to survey the surrounding area.
“Did you spot the second one?” she asked.
“He was the only one I saw.”
“If they always work in pairs, there could be anoth—”
Her words were cut off by a brilliant flash of light directly ahead. That’s where the perp was heading!
“Eli, what is going on?” Her voice sounded strained.
“I have no idea.” Eli bent down and forced the man to his back. He smiled at the terror he saw in his prisoner’s brown eyes. “But I’m going to find out.”
CHAPTER 17
THE PERP’S WOUND had been seen to and he was sitting in one of the interrogation rooms. Eli watched through the one-way glass. The man looked like a wild animal caught in a trap. His eyes darted everywhere at once and it appeared as though he was about to cry.
“How long are you going to let him sit in there?” Ava asked.
“Until he’s ready to break down.”
“It looks like he’s ready to do that now.”
“The longer we wait, the better. He’s not going anywhere.”
“I hate this part. I wish we had some machine we could hook him up to that would read his thoughts and just tell us everything we need to know.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Eli asked with a grin, and walked into the room.
The man sitting at the table looked up, but couldn’t meet Eli’s eyes for longer than two seconds. He’s totally freaked out.
“I’m Detective Robins; this here’s Detective Aguilar. You know why you’ve been brought here?”
The man nodded, but didn’t say a word.
“This will go a whole lot easier if you just tell us what we want to know. Now that we have you, it’s only a matter of time before we get the rest of your group.”
The man merely sat in the chair, trembling, breath hitching in his chest.
Eli slammed the photo of the most recent victim on the table in front of the perp. “You get your jollies cutting people up, man?”
The man at the table refused to look at the picture. His eyes were squeezed shut.
“Don’t like to view your handiwork, I see. What about your partner?” Eli snorted. “Some partner. Just ran off and left you.”
“He had to,” the man whispered.
“You didn’t have the organs on you, so I can only guess that your partner had them.”
The man nodded emphatically. “Returning without the organs is unacceptable.”
“Return? Return where?” Eli leaned forward, eager for answers.
“I won’t say another word. I don’t care what you do to me.”
The man was terrified, but he had a look in his eyes Eli had seen before.
“Can you at least tell us your name?”
“Satrick.”
Satrick looked puzzled, but didn’t say another word. He switched positions in the chair and winced.
“That leg’s hurting again, isn’t it?” Eli stood. “I’d love to help with some medicine for the pain. But you’ll have to tell us about the rest of your people and where we can find them.”
When the man refused to speak, Eli and Ava left the room and returned to watching the suspect through the glass. Captain Platt joined the pair.
“Did he give you anything?” the Captain asked.
“Nothing. And he’s not going to.”
“I can’t believe the great Eli Robins is giving up so easily.”
“I’ve seen his type before. He’ll die before he tells us anything useful.”
“We may not be able to nail the others, but we can charge him for this latest murder. Victim’s blood found on his clothing, and we found the instruments used to kill the man in his pack.”
Eli nodded. “We got one; we’ll eventually get the others. Maybe if they think he’s giving up information on their organization, they’ll stop.”
“I’ll prepare a press conference, but make it very clear that there are more killers out there, and for folks not to let their guard down.” Platt turned and left.
“Let’s go see if this Satrick fellow is in the system. And if he matches any of the photos from the other murders,” Eli said.
***
“I found him. He’s responsible for one of the ones from Tokyo. I bet there are others, but this is the only one we have footage for.” Ava handed Eli the grainy surveillance footage.
“There’s the other killer. Damn it, I wish we could have caught him too.”
“You and me both.”
“Has the lab finished with the guy’s DNA yet?”
Ava shook her head. “Not yet. They said tomorrow at the earliest. Charlie finished with the facial recognition software and came up with nothing. He gave Satrick’s picture to the FBI to see if they can get anywhere with ID’ing him.”
