“Are you saying they’re all a part of The Protectors? We could get them in one go...”
“No. Look, they are definitely not the ones in charge, but what we can do is document who is here and put names to their faces. There has to be a chain and to be honest I’d say they are at the bottom of it.” Victor shakes his head in obvious frustration.
Silently I head back toward the house, retrieving my phone from my jacket pocket I turn off the flash, zoom in on the window, and take a picture of everyone inside, then hurry back to a grinning Victor.
“Clever woman,” Victor murmurs in appreciation, “I knew I liked you for more than your beauty.”
Jasmine and I share a quick glance at his comment, and I quietly move off to find the shed as I suppress a smile. Once again, we carefully split up to search the area, this time keeping each other in viewing distance.
Our search of the outhouses and stables turn up nothing. We broaden our search farther into the land heading toward the woods and the property adjoining George Seabast’s. A scream of anger helps us find the shed hidden amongst the forest on the far outskirts of the property. As one, we head toward the shed, and slowly search for a window.
“Where is Benny?” Someone screeches in anger from inside. A different voice murmurs a reply that is too quiet to hear.
“Ahhh, do I have to do everything myself? Why do I hire you imbeciles? Find them and bring them here,” the first voice demands.
We retreat into the woods to wait and see who comes out. With quick hand signals, and a nod of silent agreement, we decide to take care of each person who comes out if, and only if, we can do so quietly.
A minute later, two big burly men walk out of the shed. We share surprised glances; they’re werewolves. I track them with my eyes and once they retreat into the woods, we stalk them.
Victor leaps into the air, grabs one of the men, and in a smooth motion snaps his neck, dropping him quietly to the ground.
I simply shoot the other in the head, the sound of the gun muffled by the silencer. Victor catches the second werewolf and puts him next to the first. We return to the shed, as silently as ghosts wandering through the night.
****
Standing in front of the shed, I raise my hands. A wave of energy erupts from them, hitting the door and flinging it open. With a crack, it crumbles into splinters and dust. I walk forward with Jasmine at my heels.
Victor stands rooted to the spot, his mouth hanging open, as he stares in astonishment. I will have a lot to explain later. Upon entering the dirty shed, the smell of feces and unwashed body odor assails my nose making me gag. Looking about, I am surprised it’s still standing.
I spot my grandmother gagged and tied to a chair. She’s been beaten. Her poor swollen face is black and blue from bruising. Her hands are strapped to the arms of the chair preventing her from casting spells and her legs have been broken. With a quick look around, I spot George, cowering in the corner.
“Come here,” I instruct with thunder reverberating in my voice and lightning crackling from my fingers.
My gran’s eyes grow wide, as she watches the power swirling around me. Victor goes to my grandmother’s side and quickly removes her gag and bindings. He’s just about to rip his teeth into his wrist to help heal her, when Jasmine stops him with a quick growl forcing her body between them.
“I’m only trying to heal her nothing else,” Victor soothingly replies before trying to step around her.
“There’s no need, Victor, I’ll heal her. Thank you,” I interrupt.
One of my hands turns into warm bright light and shoots toward my grandmother’s body, seeping into her skin. A cry of pain turns to a moan and finally a gasp of surprise, as her broken legs heal and the bruising and swelling disappear from her face.
“How?” she asks in shock.
“Come here, George,” I instruct again, ignoring my grandmother’s question. George’s appearance shocks and puzzles me when he finally leaves the corner he’d been cowering in. Well, as far as the chains that bind him allow him to come. A glance at Victor and Jasmine show they are just as shocked as I am. The only person who isn’t is my grandmother.
“Okay, what the hell is going on?” I demand in frustration.
“We were both held captive,” my grandmother answers as if it should be obvious.
“Who held you captive? The last I flipping well know, someone called Benny tried to kidnap me, on the orders of George,” I snap. A scowl of annoyance furrows the skin of my forehead, as I gesture toward the chained man.
I do a double take and look more closely at him. Upon closer inspection, I realize the emaciated man in front of me, though he looks like the George Seabast the Fourth, could no way in hell be him.
You didn’t go from healthy to bones in a couple of weeks, well not naturally any way. Also, from the smell of feces and body odor oozing from him, he had been there for quite a while.
“Who the fuck are you?” I demand, as I drag my hands over my face in exasperation. This situation was getting seriously complicated.
“This is George,” my grandmother explained before George can say anything. “He’s been fed upon, and drained of his magic.” Regret and sadness laced her voice. “I couldn’t help him.”
“Are you telling me this happened in only a couple of hours?”
Thankfully, Victor decides to do something other than ask questions. He goes over to George to help him sit down, breaking the chains with a quick snap. George curls into a ball and starts crying pitifully. I go over and gently lay my hands on his shoulders causing him to panic and scuttle back with a cry of fear.
Making soothing noises, I again move toward him grasping his shoulders, so he can’t move away.
Once he calms down a bit, I start to transfer healing energy into him, enough to heal any injuries and give him enough energy to move. Once I’ve finished, Victor gives him a tiny bit of blood, and to my shock and surprise, I see George’s body start to fill out. Until, once again, he’s in perfect health.
He looks as if nothing had happened to him at all. The smell coming off him is the only testimony to what he’s been through.
“Okay, we need to get you both somewhere safe. Someplace no one will think to look for you,” I inform them.
I don’t trust George. I know we just found him in a bad way, but, well…the thing is…there are way too many unanswered questions and I prefer answers. Also, I have a feeling not everything is as it seems. I just can’t put my finger on what.
“I’m hungry, we should go somewhere where we can eat, and you can tell us exactly what happened here tonight.”
Everyone gives me a look, and my stomach gives a loud growl in answer, as if to prove my statement. I notice George relaxing as he hears my stomach growl. Maybe I’m looking too closely. Maybe he’s hungry as well. Okay, I say he’s definitely hungry as I remember his emaciated body with a shudder. Still, I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him, and something is definitely off and not just his smell.
In silence, we move out of the shed. I stop once outside to look back. There is something niggling at me.
“Where are the guards? I know we took care of two of them, but we heard someone give them orders,” I demand.
Victor and Jasmine still at my question, and George gives my grandma a wary look, as if she is about to sprout horns. I take out my phone and send Victor a text, then switch my phone to navigation and key in restaurants.
“Okay, there’s a place called Spuds near the college. We can go there and get something to eat. It’s not far away, which is good and bad. Good because it’s close, and bad for the same reason, it’ll be easy to find us. Victor, why don’t you scout around and see if you can find any guards about the place, and meet us there when you’re done.”
“No problem, I’ll see you soon.” Glancing around, he moves swiftly off.
The rest of us slip away in the opposite direction. Well Jasmine and I slip away, George and my grandmother, not so much
slipping, as stomping. At least that’s how it sounds to me anyway, and by the doggy grimace I see her give, I’m not the only one thinking it.
Because of the noise they’re making, I take them the long way around, using my phone to guide me. At last we reach Spuds, and as we enter, the smell of hot food assails my nose making my mouth water and my stomach growl in appreciation.
We find a booth at the back of the diner and walk toward it. Thankfully, the diner isn’t busy at this time of the evening, though we do get plenty of stares, and quite a few lip curls of distaste. I sit facing the door to see anyone entering.
****
My grandmother sits next to me, but I make her slide over to sit by the wall. George sitting opposite me automatically slides into the inside of the booth, and Jasmine jumps up next to him giving him a big doggy grin. I’m surprised when he grins back at her.
“Hey girl. Good doggy. Sorry about the smell,” he whispers in mortification. “Do you mind if I go and clean up?”
I give him an understanding smile, and Jasmine jumps down to let him out.
As he moves out of the booth he turns to me. “Can I take your dog with me, please? I don’t feel safe,” he rushes, darting a scared look at my grandmother.
“Of course you can, George. We’ll be here when you get back.”
A couple of minutes later the waitress arrives and hands me three menus.
“Can I have a fourth, please. One of our party hasn’t arrived yet,” I explain.
With a smile, she hands me another menu before walking away. Ten minutes later Jasmine and George finally return.
Though George still looks a mess, he smells better and by the looks of his soaking wet clothes, had tried to clean them as well. I send heat toward him, and his clothes dry. He gives me such a look of gratitude I feel like crying.
Thankfully my phone vibrates in my pocket distracting me. I excuse myself with a simple, “I’m going to the toilet. I’ll be back in a sec.” I calmly walk in the direction that Jasmine and George had gone when they went to the toilet. Slipping out the back door, I meet Victor.
“Your grandmother’s at home. I don’t know who’s in there, but it’s not her,” Victor informs me.
“Clever, I was wondering where the other person we heard in the shed had gone,” I answer as things start clicking into place.
“Look, come in the front door to join us, as you were meant to, but give me a sec to get back to the table,” I say to Victor as a slight plan starts to formulate in my mind.
“Okay, I’ll see you in a sec,” then Victor vanishes.
****
I go back into the diner and straight to the bathroom, flush a toilet in one of the stalls, wash and dry my hands, open the door and bump into my “grandmother” as I exit.
“Oh, sorry. Grandma, is everything okay, are you okay?” I ask with concern in my voice and my expression. Ha, my acting is definitely getting better!
“Yes, dear, I’m fine; I was just making sure you’re okay. You were gone a long time.”
“Well, I’m heading back to the table now. Has a waitress come to take our orders yet?” I enquire pleasantly as if being hunted down and questioned about what you’re doing in a toilet and why it takes so long is normal.
“No, not yet. I’ll go back with you.”
I stand to the side of the booth so my “grandmother” can slide back into the inside seat, then I sit down. Looking up I notice Victor “arriving.” I wave at him, so he will know where we are.
“Ah, Victor has arrived,” I unnecessarily inform everyone.
A second later Victor is standing beside the booth. Jasmine hops down allowing Victor to slide into the seat beside George, and then she hops back up into the booth. If anything happens, Victor can escape with them.
****
The waitress arrives, and we order our food and drinks. I order water and a steak for Jasmine, a double decker burger with chips and a soda for myself. Victor orders a rare steak for himself and a soda. My “grandmother” orders a salad for herself and tea. If I hadn’t gotten confirmation this was not my grandmother, her food order would have confirmed it.
George orders steak, a double decker burger, a portion of chips, mashed potatoes, bread, apple pie, and cream, and a large soda. The waitress’s eyebrows rise in surprise at the large order. I wonder exactly how long he had been chained up for.
“I’m sorry,” George mumbles as he flushes bright red in embarrassment. “I’m just so hungry.”
“No need to be sorry you’re safe now,” Victor replies.
In silence, we wait for our food. George’s stomach starts making noises, as if it finally realizes it’s going to get fed, and now can’t shut up. At last our food arrives. George attacks his, and everyone else digs hungrily into theirs as well.
Once we finish eating and everything has been cleared from the table, I calmly turn toward the woman impersonating my grandmother and asked her, “So who the hell are you?”
Everything goes quiet. If a pin dropped, you could have heard it and tracked its path. Then my grandma’s impersonator stabs me.
Chapter 14
I quickly knock her out and curse at the knife sticking out of my leg.
“God dammit, where did she hide that?” I exclaim in exasperation.
I quickly pull out the knife and heal myself, and then wipe the knife clean and pocket it. I cannot take the risk of leaving blood behind. The waitress had rushed over the moment the commotion at our table started. She looks at us not sure what she’d seen.
“Hi, can we have the check please?” I ask politely my arm wrapped around my grandmother as she rests her head on my shoulder. “My grandma doesn’t feel well,” I explain.
She quickly gives us our bill, and Victor pays. We hustle out with me “helping” my grandmother.
“Okay, we need a safe place to go. Somewhere where we can find out who this really is,” I say giving the woman I’m supporting a shake. “And to keep you safe, too,” I add looking at George.
“There’s a Bed and Breakfast in the next town. We need to get George someplace safe, preferably out of Paradise Falls,” Victor supplies.
“Okay, we’ll need my car. Can umm, you get it for me please, as you’ll be a lot quicker?” And then on a quick thought, “Can you drive?”
“Yes, I can drive. Give me your keys. I’ll be back soon.”
I fish my keys out of my pocket and hand them over. Victor quickly disappears. We carry on walking. After a couple of minutes, George helps me drag the unconscious woman.
****
“How long were you...?”
“Chained up,” George supplies.
“Yeah.”
“A week, well I think it was a week. I don’t know how it even happened. I mean one minute I was talking to you, and being an ass, the next minute I arrive home and wake hours later, chained up and feeling weak. The worst was feeling helpless.” His chin trembles making him looking like he’s going to cry again.
With effort, he pulls himself together and gives me a shaky smile. “I don’t know who she is, or why this happened. What I do know is she, if she is a woman, gave the orders.
“There were two werewolves with her, and they were huge. But they did what she told them to do and when she told them to smash her face and break her legs, they looked terrified, as if they could already imagine the punishment they would get for doing it, even though she told them to do it!” continued George in a terrified whisper.
“I’ve never been so terrified in all my life,” he finishes on barely a whisper.
In sympathy Jasmine goes to him and presses her side against his leg. I awkwardly pat his arm from where I can reach it while holding up the woman between us.
I’m thinking she’s been unconscious a long time when she tries to make a break for it. Jasmine must have been thinking the same, as she runs in front of her and trips the woman up. With a high-pitched curse, the woman falls flat on her face, and I jump on her back knocking her out
again. Poor George almost passes out from fright. He’s been through a lot, and I don’t think he can handle much more.
“George, do you know someone called Benny?” I suddenly ask as I sit on the unconscious woman.
“Benny? Yes, he’s my butler. Why?” Surprise flickers across his face at the sudden change in subject.
“He tried to get me to come to you this evening. He said you had sent him to my grandmother’s to retrieve me,” I reply trying to figure out how to phrase my answers.
“Why would he do that? I never told him to. Mind you I haven’t told anyone to do anything since being abducted,” George replies remorsefully.
A couple of minutes later, we hear a car speeding toward us. Quickly I jump off the woman and drag her into the bushes. Jasmine herds George into them, and I gesture for them to get down. Following my own instructions, I crouch down too, keeping my ears tuned toward the oncoming vehicle.
As it comes closer, I realize I definitely don’t recognize the car, so we all flatten ourselves down even farther and listen to it speed by. A couple of seconds later we hear it screech to a stop and reverse. It drives into the trees where there is no road.
I share a look with Jasmine, and I hear George’s gasp of shock. Guess none of us knew about that particular entrance.
“Fucking hell.” I gasp in sudden realization and punch the unconscious woman in the head. At George’s squeal of terror, I give him a look. “It’s where she tried to make a break for it,” I all but growl in anger.
A couple more minutes pass before we hear another car coming at a regular speed. This one I recognize as mine, and I quickly hop up to wave Victor down. As he pulls over to the side of the road, I gesture for the others to get into the back seat. Once they’re safely inside with George buckled, I close the door and collect the woman from the bushes.
Hefting her up over my shoulder, I run to the boot and dump her inside. This time I search her and remove her phone, switchblade, and keys. I quietly close the boot and run to the passenger door, climb in, and close the door as Victor drives off.
Double Magick in the Falls Page 10
