The Keepers (The Alchemy Series)

by Donna Augustine

  “You’re getting too close.”

  “Relax, lady, this ain’t my first rodeo,” the grizzled cabbie replied.

  “You do this a lot?”

  “You’d be amazed at the things I’ve done in the course of this job.”

  Several blocks off the strip, we slowed down around the corner from where Tracker’s cab pulled up in front of a mechanic’s garage.

  “What are you planning to do?” the cabbie asked.

  “I’m not sure. You’re the one with all the experience, what would you suggest?”

  He turned and looked back at me with a skeptical eye. “I’m not sure you should be going in alone. You don’t look too tough.”

  “I’m tougher than I appear.”

  “If it was me, I’d get out here and circle around back.”

  “That’s what I was thinking, too. Thanks, it was a pleasure.”

  “Good luck.”

  As I stepped out of the cab, I text messaged Cormac the location, then shut it off again. The last thing I needed was my phone giving me up. The houses were empty at this time of day, and the alleyway between them was a straight shot from here to the back entrance. A dog in the distance yelped once or twice, but quickly quieted down as I continued on my path.

  I crouched down about twenty feet away, and I spotted a door and several windows all coated in dust and grime, which would work to my benefit. Creeping up to the window closest to me, I started to peek over the edge, hoping my blond hair wouldn’t be spotted.

  “Right on time.” Tracker’s voice was right behind me. “I smelled your scent all the way back on the Strip. It probably didn’t hurt that I was expecting you.”

  I wanted to bang my head against the wall. How could I have been so stupid? He didn’t just walk right in front of the Lacard. He knew Cormac had men searching every corner for him. It had been a set up, and I’d fallen right into it. All wasn’t lost, I knew from past experience I could take him.

  “What do you want?” I asked as I turned. That’s when I saw two more men hanging back.

  “I’m perfectly aware of your little tricks, Josephine. First, we are going for a ride. This dump was nothing but a decoy. Follow me.”

  “I don’t think so.” As much as I didn’t want to let him just walk away, there was no way I was going somewhere with him willingly. There were three of them, but I still had a good shot of taking them down.

  “Boys.”

  “Really, Tracker? Can’t handle little old me yourself?” I asked as I watched Tracker’s men step forward.

  “I have a long memory.”

  As soon as one of his men got within range, I lashed out, and punched him squarely in the face, throwing all the energy I had into it. He was clearly hurt by the punch, but not as effected as he should have been. He was a Keeper. They both probably were.

  “I wouldn’t piss them off too badly, Josephine. I told your father you would be uninjured, but I can’t make any promises if you carry on like this.”

  I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me, and I hadn’t even been touched. The blood drained from my face, as I stood frozen. The words on the page rang in my head. The one who’s sought is suddenly found, it will come time to stand their ground. My father. I’d been seeking him since the day I was born. Goosebumps broke out across my skin. Shit. Did this mean it was time for me to stand my ground? Stupid prophecy made it sound like They were all tough. It could have added a line or two in there with some instructions on what the hell I was supposed to do. Considering that Tracker’s two thugs were ready to grab me and my skills were useless on them, it didn’t really matter how I felt. It had been a long time coming, but a family reunion was about to finally take place and I would go stand my ground and probably be pulverized. I was guessing I’d be among the fallen, too. Real nice prophecy. Screwed again!

  I nodded my head at Tracker in acquiescence.

  “Get your hands off me, you slug,” I said, as I pulled my arm out of the grasp of the man I hadn’t hit. To give the guy credit, he didn’t try to grab me, again.

  “Where are we headed?” I asked once I saw the beautiful white stretch limo that sat waiting for us around the corner.

  “The mountains,” he replied as he held the door open for me.

  “Don’t you want your men back here to protect you?”

  “I think I’ll be fine, for now.”

  It irked me because he was right. Now that I’d taken the first steps toward discovering who my father was, I knew I wouldn’t turn back. I’d see this out to the end.

  “Since we have some time to kill, want to tell me what’s going on?”

  “I think what I have to tell you might make things not so black and white. Are you prepared for that?”

  “Save the dramatics, will you?”

  “Fine, cut and dry. You don’t realize how easy the people on Earth have it. The living conditions on Romad, where I’m from, aren’t as nice. I have kin who are suffering who don’t need to. All I want is to be able to bring them over. That is all Vitor wants as well.”

  “Is Vitor part of this?”

  “No, Vitor is too soft to do what’s needed.”

  “Soft or moral?”

  “Let me ask you a question. Is it moral to deny refuge to people who are suffering?”

  “Where would it stop? Would you just bring a couple thousand over and play nice, or would you try to take everything?”

  “Does your fear of a possible domination, that might never happen, justify not allowing people who are struggling, a chance?”

  “It doesn’t matter, it’s not my choice.”

  “But it is, isn’t it? Without you, they wouldn’t have been able to keep it going as long as they have. You need to choose a side and quickly. And just a warning, if you choose the wrong side, you might not ever be leaving this mountain. Those are my people; I’m not leaving them to suffer when I have options.”

  “No matter whom you take out in the process?”

  “Doesn’t matter who or how many. Keep that in mind.”

  I believed him. He was a killer. Loyal, but still a killer.

  The black of the interior of the mountain enveloped the limo as a steel garage door slid shut behind us. Within a few minutes, we slowed to a stop. I followed Tracker out of the limo into complete darkness. Even though I couldn’t see a thing, the echo of our footsteps betrayed the enormity of the area. The air was cool, with lingering moisture that smelled a bit like a cellar.

  Just as I was about to ask why we were in total darkness, the area was flooded with light. It was more immense than I imagined. It would put the S s uperdome to shame.

  “How did you do this with nobody knowing?” As much as I didn’t want to admire anything to do with him, I was in awe.

  “It wasn’t easy.”

  Tracker walked forward and I followed him, out of curiosity. His two men hung back but were never completely out of reach. When I saw two large monoliths similar to the ones in the portal room gleaming against the backdrop of the mountain wall, it became clear where he we were headed. They had been camouflaged, initially, by the mountains own gleaming interior, but now that I saw them, they dominated even this massive space.

  “Why are they so large?”

  “It makes it easier to open a portal. They aren’t really needed for someone very strong, but their presence aids in the ability. The larger they are, the more they aid.” He looked to me in an appraising way. “My guess is if you were in full control of your abilities, you wouldn’t need them at all.”

  “How do you know so much about this?”

  “Unlike the Keepers, my race kept records.”

  “Records of someone else’s secrets?”

  “You think that is unusual? Come on now, Josephine. You aren’t that naïve.”

  “What else do you know?”

  “I know many things.” He paused, as if he was unsure of himself. It was the first time I’d seen him show any vulnerability at all. “If we were frie
nds, I might be willing to share.”

  “I don’t have friends.”

  “Maybe we could be other things,” he said in a voice just soft enough to reach me, but not his men. “Regardless of what you think, I’m not a bad person. I’m a survivor like you. Life isn’t easy where I come from. Is it so wrong to take care of my people?”

  As much as I wanted to scream at him and say he was wrong, I understood. I knew what it was like to have a tough life. Just because I didn’t have a family, didn’t mean I couldn’t understand it.

  “Ah, here’s your father now.”

  I turned to see a tanned man with black hair who looked my age walk into the room. “Where?”

  “Him,” Tracker replied pointing at the man approaching.

  “That guy is my age.”

  “I guess Cormac didn’t explain the aging thing to you, yet.”

  “The aging thing?”

  “You do know all the tales about Alchemists searching for the fountain of youth, correct?”

  I nodded, realization hitting me.

  “Like everything else, it doesn’t always work consistently. Some of you age. I doubt you will though. Even being a half-breed, you’re stronger than most. Do you know how old Cormac is?”

  I was embarrassed to admit I had no idea, so I remained silent.

  “I don’t have an exact age, but we’ve got him at over two hundred.”

  “And how do I know you aren’t a complete liar?”

  “Don’t you know?”

  Unfortunately I did. He was telling me the truth.

  “It’s not an uncanny ability you have. That’s a little of the Fae in you.”

  “Doesn’t the Alchemist gene counteract the Fae?”

  “Usually, but not always. There have been a few cases like yours, where instead of canceling out the other, it amplifies it.”

  “So, I guess you have my mother hidden somewhere in here too?”

  “No, can’t help you there. I have no idea where she is, neither does Hammond.”

  “Hammond?”

  “Yes, your father.”

  And the surprises just kept coming.

  As Hammond neared the final few steps and closed the distance between us, we eyed each other up. He was dark, surprisingly so, with black hair, tan skin, and near black eyes. I wondered if he was truly my father. Tracker believed he was, but I had my doubts.

  “Hello.” He spoke first. He voice was deep and gravelly and his teeth were brilliantly white against his tan skin as he gave me a hesitant smile.

  “You are Hammond?”

  “Yes. I’m sure you have some questions.”

  “I do. Why do you think you are my father?”

  “You’re certainly not shy. Cormac had tests run on you a while back. When you started to create a problem for Tracker, he managed to get a sample and asked me to look at them. As soon as I saw, I knew.”

  “And that’s all you needed? Just to look at my blood?”

  “I’ll show you.” He pulled out a knife and made a slice across his skin, light enough for just the smallest sliver of blood to pool to the surface.

  My fingers tingled immediately, wanting to reach toward it. My arm acted on its own before I realized what I was doing. I caught myself and dropped it back to my side quickly.

  “No, go ahead.”

  Too curious not to, I raised my hand back toward it, and the small stream of blood lifted and the few drops flew to my fingers.

  “Neat, right?”

  It wasn’t exactly the term I would have used, freaky was more like it. The drops tingled on my skin.

  “Here,” he said as he handed me a handkerchief he had withdrawn from the inside pocket of his suit. I had a feeling he didn’t use a handkerchief to appear old school, he was old school.

  “Tracker said you don’t know where my mother is?”

  “No, I’m sorry to tell you this, but I believe she’s dead.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Malora loved me. I loved her as well. She wouldn’t have disappeared like this for years if she was alive. I looked for her for a long time before I finally had to come to terms with it.”

  “And me?”

  “I never knew you existed. I thought you died unborn with her.”

  “Why are you here? And with him?” I tilted my head in Tracker’s direction.

  “Would you walk with me?”

  It wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, but I followed him. He spoke once we were out of ear-shot. “Tracker isn’t bad.”

  “What he’s been doing has killed people.”

  “Not exactly.”

  “I saw his brother die from radiation poisoning because of what he was doing.”

  “He volunteered.”

  “To die?” I asked, my voice laden with sarcasm.

  “No, he was dying already. He only had a few months left. He offered himself up in order to help his brother, Tracker. You don’t understand the existence some of them have over there. Their planet isn’t anywhere near as lush as ours. I’ve been there. Every day is a struggle for them.”

  “But why do it by force? Why undermine Cormac?”

  “I know Cormac better than you. When he took control, he swore to uphold the original agreement. The biggest part of that agreement is that they are only allotted a certain number of visas. One person comes, another must go.

  “I understand what you are saying, I feel for his people, but this isn’t the way to go about it. I don’t trust him.”

  “I’ve secured your safety because you are my daughter, but that’s all I can guarantee. Tracker wants you to join us. I want you to as well, but in the end, he will do what has to be done for his people. I respect that.”

  “And what about doing what is right for your people? You were Cormac’s mentor, how can you go behind his back like this?”

  “I’m doing what I feel is morally right.”

  “But, it’s not. Both sides struck a deal. You can’t decide you don’t like the deal anymore, and make that choice unilaterally. What about the fact that it isn’t Tracker’s, Cormac’s, or your choice whether to do this? How about the fact that Earth belongs to humans?”

  “Hammond.” Tracker’s voice echoed through the cavernous area. “We are ready.”

  Hammond turned back to me. “I wish we could talk more, but it’s time.”

  “Time for what?”

  “To open up a new portal. Will you help?”

  “You can’t! If you open one up here, the whole strip could explode!”

  “The other one has been shut down for a while so it’s only a small likelihood.”

  “A small likelihood? That’s okay with you?”

  “We believe in our cause. Cormac is on our heels. It’s now or never. It has to be done.”

  “No, it doesn’t! You can’t do this!”

  “It’s already in motion. The others are waiting for us to open the portal as we speak. These are good people. You’ll see that it was right.”

  Panic seized me as I realized there was no talking him out of this, but I focused on keeping my posture as relaxed as I could. Ideas flooded through my brain but I quickly discarded them as unrealistic. I had to come up with something quick or the whole Vegas strip could be dust in minutes.

  I was so distracted, I tripped on the walk back and Hammond reached a hand out to balance me. This was far from any kind of reunion I had ever imagined. I’d pictured everything from a drug dealing criminal to a drifter, but I never thought my father would want me to become a mass murderer within the first hour of meeting him.

  “So?” Tracker asked, looking at both of us.

  “I’m in,” I said before Hammond had a chance to answer. To give him his due, his face didn’t betray anything that would make Tracker think that I hadn’t been on board from the get go.

  “Good! The more power we can crank into this, the better,” said Tracker.

  “I don’t have full control.”

  “That’s okay, I’l
l join with you and direct your energy.”

  So far so good. Now I would just see if I had what it took. Sometimes in life, you have to roll a hard six.

  “They are expecting us in ten minutes. Let’s get this up and rolling.”

  A few more men entered the giant cavern and joined us as we stood around in a semicircle, and I knew if I did manage to pull this off, I wouldn’t be leaving here. I wasn’t sure what kind of clout Hammond had, but I doubted it would get me out of the mess I was about to make. That was, if he even bothered to try after this.

  Hammond’s warm hand clasped mine, and we walked forward together to stand in front of the massive monoliths.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  I wasn’t, but I nodded anyway. The air in the room became charged and it tasted like I had just sucked on a penny. I felt the energy pulled through me into Hammond. As it was, the same familiar sparkling started in the center and started to grow. I didn’t know how long before this wormhole would cause enough instability to set off a disturbance at the other, or how much of a disturbance, but I couldn’t let it get too big or last too long.

  Thinking back to what had happened in the portal room that last time, I started summoning up every horrible memory I could think of, every disastrous thing that might yet come if I couldn’t stop this from happening. I had to recreate what happened the last time. I needed to make this thing implode and I knew my emotions had triggered the last time.

  “What are you doing? Your energy feels erratic.”

  “I told you I can’t control it.”

  “What’s wrong?” Tracker asked from a few feet away.

  “Nothing,” said Hammond.

  I continued on, thinking the worst possible thoughts imaginable. I felt Hammond’s grip tighten slightly, and I saw his shoulders tense in my peripheral vision. Then he loosened his grip, trying to disengage me ever so slightly but without anyone noticing. I refused to let go. I had a death grip on his hand now, and I sensed his hesitancy.

  The portal was slowly growing larger and larger, and my panic started to grow. I needed a burst of power, but I felt nothing. I was going to fail. The Lacard portal would blow up and take all those people with it. Lacey, Jonny, Buzz, Dodd, all those faces flooded through my mind. And then, I pictured Cormac’s face.