It never ceased to amaze me how such a wonderful person could have come from such an awful one. Jason’s father was a horrible man, and Jason’s look of longing as he talked about him broke my heart. But I was determined not to let it show. He had enough of me feeling sorry for him. What he needed tonight was fun. “Come on,” I said, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the dark park, toward downtown where we’d find a bowling alley.
About halfway back out of the park, Jason tensed and dropped down to one knee, his hand reaching for the dirt in the crack of the cement. His eyes were wide, and his breathing was fast at the hint of something that could be a threat. “What is it?” I asked after a moment, looking around the dark, straining to see a danger that may or may not even exist.
He shook his head as he stood, “I don’t know. I thought I felt something, but it’s gone now. Could have been a stray dog or something, but it didn’t feel that way.”
“It wasn’t…”
Jason shook his head again, more emphatically. “It wasn’t Kindred. I’m sure of that. His steps were even lighter than these. I still don’t know why.”
Frustration once again took over his expression, and I soothed him. “It's fine. If it’s gone now, it isn’t a problem. Let’s go have some fun.” I forced my voice to be cheerful, despite my desire to grab him and take him somewhere he would be safe from any kind of danger.
It wasn’t a new thought. Similar lines of thought occurred to me the first time Alice introduced me to her thirteen-year-old informant. Why, I wondered, would my sister not try to get this kid, who was my age, off the streets? Now I realized, at that age, Jason would not have welcomed any kind of authority figure trying to impose their will on him. If she brought it up, and I suspected she did, then he probably would have either taken off running, or simply refused the offer. It was even possible that by introducing me to him she was trying to talk him into letting her help him get off the streets.
After the encounter with his father last fall, I could understand his desire to remain off the radar.
The light on the streets was almost blinding after the darkness of the path, but I could feel some of Jason’s tension melt away as we entered the light. I didn’t comment on it, but it was definitely a noticeable change. “So, where are we going?” he asked.
“Just down the block,” I said pointing to the left. “There’s a place right on the corner.”
Jason walked silently for a moment before stopping and looking at me. “Should we invite Dustin? Bowling is something normally done with more people, right?”
I shrugged. “Normally, I guess. Would you like to call him? I could invite another of my friends so we could do teams of two.”
He hesitated, and I could see the desire for normalcy warring with the desire to keep it to only people he knew and trusted. “Sure,” he finally said. Before he could change his mind I called Dustin and Rachel, both of whom agreed that a night of bowling could be fun.
We went in and reserved a lane, grabbed some sodas and nachos and waited for the others to join us. “These shoes are ridiculous,” Jason said with a laugh.
“They sure are,” I responded with a smile. “Do you want to get a couple practice frames in before Dustin and Rachel show up?”
“Couldn’t hurt,” he agreed. “You first,” he gestured to the lane and watched closely as I showed him the basics.
“Of course if you’re learning from me, you won’t be the best,” I admitted after knocking over only six pins. “I’m not good at this.”
“It doesn’t matter. I just want to not completely make a fool out of myself.” He grabbed a ball and aimed carefully, releasing to get nine pins down. He missed the last one on his second attempt, but it was a very good first throw.
“Beginner’s luck,” I scoffed.
“Nah,” he said with a shy grin. “I’m just that good.”
“Oh yeah? Prove it,” I laughed, glad to hear the unfamiliar joking from my normally somber friend.
“You’re up, I believe,” he said. “I’ll prove it when it’s my turn.” We continued the ‘practice’ session for about fifteen minutes before Dustin showed up, then about ten minutes later Rachel arrived. Jason grew quieter when Rachel arrived, and I worried that inviting her was a mistake.
We paired up boys against girls for the first round. Rachel was surprisingly good and we kept the game close, even pulling ahead for a while, but the boys ended up winning. Jason remained pretty good, getting a few spares and a couple strikes to help the cause.
The second set we played Jason and me, against Rachel and Dustin. Jason opened up a little during the second round, never speaking directly to Rachel, but not acting like she was out to get him either. Jason’s sleeve slid up briefly, and I knew by her reaction that Rachel had seen the edges of the scars that were revealed. Thankfully, I was able to wave down her response before Jason saw it. We shared a glance, and I knew she’d be asking me about it when we were alone. What I wasn’t so sure about was what I would tell her. The police were aware of what happened to Jason, but for his protection nothing was publicized. All the general public knew was that Trevor Mason was in a shed on one of his properties when it collapsed.
Our second set finished with Dustin and Rachel winning, mostly due to the fact that I was a hopeless bowler. Jason was smiling and joking around with Dustin as we walked out of the bowling alley. Rachel and I were slightly behind them when Jason stopped and backed up a couple steps, a look of apprehension crossed his face as an unknown man approached us from the street.
The guy held out both hands as he approached, he held no weapons, but I still stood near Jason in case he needed to protect us. “You don’t know me, Earthshaker, and I only know you by the name Trevor Mason gave you, but I know you are in danger.”
“You worked with Mason,” Jason’s voice was hard, and his face set and emotionless. “Why should I trust you?”
I tapped him on the shoulder, which he ignored so I whispered into his ear, “What reason would he have to come to you unarmed to warn you of danger? Maybe you should hear him out.”
He nodded tersely, finally acknowledging me. “Talk. I’ll decide later whether I believe you. Keep in mind, now that I’ve seen you, I can follow you anywhere. So if you are a threat, I will hunt you down.”
“What’s going on?” Rachel stage-whispered to me.
“Shush, Rach. I’ll explain later.”
Dustin remained silent, watching Jason closely as he continued the confrontation.
The man was nodding, a slightly concerned look crossing his features as he continued. “I am not after you, or your friends. When Mason was killed, I was able to reassess my life and I got out of the organization. But I’m in contact with some of the people who are still in, and some of them are not too happy with you for killing their boss. As you already know, some of them came to you for help with Mason’s assassin. Their original hope was that their two main problems would take care of themselves,” he paused, shaking his head and scratching his eyebrow, squinting up at Jason as he spoke.
“Some of them were hoping he’d kill you and save them the trouble, but it became obvious that he was after those he previously worked with, and not you. When they figured that out they found another person Mason had hired before. I don’t know who it is, I was never high enough in the organization to know, but I know they are after you.”
Jason huffed, his eyes the only thing betraying his panic. “Great. Now I have to worry about someone other than Kindred trying to kill me. That’s just wonderful.”
Before his tough mask could fall away completely I stepped in front of him. “You’ve delivered your message. Thanks for the warning. You should go now.” He nodded slightly, turning away. It occurred to me that he could be in some danger himself if someone discovered that he’d told us. “Hey,” he turned toward me. “Watch your back, okay? There’s been enough bloodshed already.”
He gave a slight smile in response and winked. “Thanks. I will.
You all do the same and the danger will be worth it.”
We watched in silence as he walked away, and I shivered, leaning back into Jason’s warmth for comfort. His or mine, the result was the same. His arm wrapped around my waist protectively. “Why me?” he whispered, leaning his face forward into my hair.
“Okay,” Rachel said, getting in front of all of us and spinning to face us. “What was that? Who was that guy and why did he call Jason 'the Earthshaker?' And what does he,” she pointed to Jason, “have to do with Trevor Mason?”
FORTY-ONE
Kindred
Until I could figure out my next step with the Tracker, I’d have to focus on other jobs. It's something I’d been thinking for days, but had been oddly reluctant to follow through. I had one waiting for me; all I needed to do was stalk my prey until I found the perfect opportunity to strike. There would be no knife work on this one. The husband needed it to look like an accident so he could collect the life insurance without any question.
It was almost too simple a request for someone with my talents. All I needed to do was make her think she was seeing something while driving, and she’d end up driving off a cliff or off a bridge. Either way, she wouldn’t know what happened and neither would anyone else. This one might be more about opportunity than planning. I’d follow her until she was on the right kind of road, then strike.
But first, I needed to find her. The picture wasn’t great, and she was separated from her husband. Although not for long enough to have changed her policy, so it was difficult to figure out where she’d go. Her soon to be ex-husband didn’t know her schedule anymore, and she was rarely home. So I sat at the address my client gave me and waited. The house was comfortable, but messy. She wasn’t keen on housework, from the look of things. The curtains were drawn as I sat in the living room, waiting patiently for my prey to appear.
I thought about waiting in the car, but thought I might as well be comfortable while I wait. Besides, she’d never know I was here. Her cat did. The fluffy little beast was sitting on the chair across the room, glaring in my direction. The ruff of fur around its neck was puffed up in agitation. Apparently, it didn’t like how I smelled.
The cat’s displeasure was forgotten as I leaned back against the soft cushions and closed my eyes. The doors were out of view of this room and I would hear if the owner returned in time to prevent her from seeing me, so I allowed myself to relax and fall into a light sleep.
When I woke to the sound of a door slamming, all I remembered from the dream I'd been having was a pretty woman and a sense of joy. The woman was unknown, but she seemed familiar. As if I should know who she was. I shook my head. It was just a dream, nothing real.
Here and now, the job was what was important. My victim was home, and standing right in front of me without ever seeing me. “Are you ready to die, little one?” I asked, standing so we were eye to eye. She heard nothing, only frowning a little when the cat hissed and ran out of the room. “It’s only a matter of time.”
FORTY-TWO
Jason
Rachel agreed to wait until we returned to Hannah and Alice’s house before we answered her questions, but she was definitely not happy about it. She was fidgety and kept glaring at me, although never while I was looking. The girl was upset, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why: she thought I was putting her friend in danger. It was the only logical reason for her to be mad at me. At least as far as I could tell. But people weren’t always logical beings, so who knew what was on her mind?
How was I going to explain everything? I didn’t want everyone to know what happened with Mason. If I kept sharing my story with people, it was going to spread more than I wanted it to. Maybe she’d accept half-answers. The very basic, ‘I don’t know why Mason called me the Earthshaker. I was helping Alice find out information about him, and he kidnapped me. Somehow, the shed collapsed and killed him.’ Would that be enough to satisfy her curiosity?
Somehow, I thought not. The look on her face as we drove home made that clear enough. She wanted nothing but the truth. And, quite honestly, I wasn’t sure she could handle that. Alice was supposed to be home, so maybe Rachel would allow me to speak to her in private before I revealed anything to another civilian.
“Jason, are you okay?” Hannah’s voice was soft, but insistent.
I was quick to assure her. “I’m good. Just lost in thought.”
“Alice and Dan will protect you. Mason’s men won’t get anywhere near you,” she assumed the reason behind my thoughtful expression.
It was strange, but the threat to my life barely computed. Kindred seemed like the more immediate threat. But perhaps I should be more concerned with some random street thug being out to get me. Someone I didn’t know would be better suited to sneaking up on me than someone I was already on guard against. “I can help her with that too,” I said. My thoughts were now stirring with ideas for safeguarding the house. By the time the evening was done, I wanted some kind of plan in place.
“What happened?” Alice asked immediately after we entered the house. “You all look so serious, and,” she added with a glance at Rachel, “a little freaked out.”
“Some whack job threatened us outside the bowling alley.” Rachel was glaring at me as she spoke, and Alice gave me a questioning look, her head cocked slightly to the side and eyes narrowed.
“I need to talk to you real quick, Alice. If that’s okay.”
She followed me down to the basement without any questions, waving the others back for the moment. “We’ll be back up shortly.”
I sat on the bed, sitting rigidly as Alice took a seat by the desk. “What’s up, Jase? You’ve been pretty close-mouthed about stuff with me lately.”
My mouth quirked slightly. “Sorry. I just figured that with the apparent abilities Kindred has, you would be safer out of the loop.”
“So what changed? Why do you want to talk now? And don’t think we won’t talk about the whole ‘protecting me’ thing. I am a cop, and capable of protecting myself. But only if I have the facts.”
I sighed and looked down at my hands, which I held folded in my lap. “Now there’s another threat. One of Mason’s men—apparently one that wasn’t overly loyal— warned me that one of the loyal members of the gang is after me. I figured that was a threat you guys could deal with. As far as I can tell, Kindred was the only one of the gang who had any unusual abilities.”
“Do you believe him? That there’s a threat, I mean,” she chose to move on from my insinuation that she and the cops wouldn’t be able to handle Kindred, but I was under no illusion that she would be finished with the topic.
I laughed, with a sound so bitter it could hardly be called a laugh. “Why shouldn’t I? There’s no evidence to the contrary, and with my luck there are probably several of Mason’s men who want me dead. I’m just surprised that they’ve waited so long.”
She ran her fingers through her long brown hair in frustration. “I know,” her voice was clipped, but it was obvious her frustration didn’t lie with me, at least not all of it. “Dan and I will get on that threat, but I hope you don’t mind if we continue trying to dig up something useful on Kindred too,” there was a sarcastic lilt in her voice that hadn’t been present earlier
I acknowledged her request with a tight nod and moved on to the next concern. “I think I need to be a little more active in the protection of the house. Some ideas have been floating around my head for traps I can place so we can sleep easy at night.”
“We’ll talk about that shortly,” Alice agreed. “But first we should probably figure out something to tell Rachel. Did anything happen that could reveal your abilities to her?”
“I didn’t have to use them, but the guy who approached us called me Earthshaker. He claimed it was the only name he had for me.” Alice nodded thoughtfully. “Rachel has already questioned why he called me that, and what I had to do with Trevor Mason.”
The normally well-composed detective sighed, once again seeming ag
gravated at the situation. “Why can nothing ever be simple?” she asked quietly. “Never mind. We need to tell her something, but I don’t know how to explain the Earthshaker thing. The Mason connection is easier. You were hired to talk to the street people to find his businesses, and Mason took it personally. It’s the truth, edited.”
She sat quietly for several minutes, glancing around the room as if hoping a solution would appear out of the woodwork. I used the time to think about possible traps, and also rules that would need to be in place for those who lived in the house, along with those who would visit frequently. What I tried not to think about was explaining stuff to Rachel. The idea that even some of my baggage was going to be weighing down another person was not one I wanted to dwell on.
“I’m really not sure,” Alice said, “except maybe to say that it was a code name we used so he wouldn’t know who you were.”
With a slight shrug, I agreed. “It’s better than the truth. I really don’t want to go there.”
“Don’t worry,” she pledged. “You don’t have to share with anyone you don’t want to. Not anymore. You’re making great strides in being more controlled, so the possibility of someone finding out by accident is highly unlikely.”
Alice stood, brushing her hands on her slacks as she rose. “We should tell her something so she can go home. We can’t very well start a conversation about earth traps while she’s here. Once she’s gone, we’ll discuss the options.”
We told Rachel the story we’d decided on, but I could tell she still wasn’t sure. She had to be wondering why we were so secretive if the story was so simple. My suspicion was confirmed when she asked, “Why couldn’t you tell me this stuff in the car?”
My mouth twitched nervously, but Alice saved me. “There’s an ongoing investigation into Mason’s gang. Jason and Hannah weren’t sure what they were allowed to say about it until they talked to me,” she chuckled. “It was a little over cautious of them, but I told Jason it was okay to tell you.” She lied so smoothly that even I had trouble disbelieving her.
Kindred Page 14
