Hidden Powers

by Ben Swallow

  „Fine. But when we find him, I’m going to kick him in the ass for letting us wait.”

  Bryan chuckles but wisely holds back a comment. As we walk back to the car once again, I wonder if this is the last step in this ridiculous adventure. It probably isn’t.

  As we are driving back to the bar, I realize I’m glad that Bryan is with me. We may have our differences, but he’s been pretty decent so far. Helpful, even. I might even say that I trust him to some degree. And that’s not something I say lightly.

  Chapter 5

  We’ve been rather quiet on the way to the Black Moon. The ‘one-armed’ better be there with our money, otherwise I might just lose it.

  We leave the duffel bag in the car as we arrive, going into the bar without it to be sure no one steals it while we are here. Although it probably isn’t much safer in the car.

  I look around the room while Bryan walks over to the barkeeper to ask him about the bandit. My eyes wander over the people here, not so many yet at this time. It’s almost midnight, but that is still early when you do most of your business in the dark.

  When Bryan returns with a grim face, I already suspect that he isn’t here.

  „Eredor hasn’t heard anything from him, either.” He shakes his head and opens the door for me. „Let’s go. We will think of something else.”

  With a sigh, I step outside the bar.

  Oh COME ON!

  „HEY!” Cold fury spreads in me as I run towards our car and the two men trying to break in.

  „Leave our car alone or so help me god, I swear I will rip your guts out and strangle you with them!”

  Startled, they turn to me, fear spreading on their faces. Just a moment later, they drop everything and run like the devil himself was after them.

  „Yeah, you better run, bastards.”

  Bryan quickly catches up to me. „Did they just…?”

  „Yeah. They tried. God, how can so many things go wrong in just twenty-four hours?”

  Bryan only looks at me apologetic and shrugs.

  Calming down a little, I ask „So what now? We go home and try again tomorrow?”

  „No, we don’t have time for that. We can’t wait for him to show up when he feels like it. I say we go home, sleep, and sell the goods ourselves tomorrow. I know a guy.”

  „Oh, it’s getting better and better,” I murmur. „Fine, let’s do it. It’s not like we have much of a choice.”

  Bryan turns towards the car, then turns back to me again. „Oh, and one more thing. After everything that happened, I think it’s best if we stick together. I won’t leave you or the bag out of my sights, so we will both either sleep at your place or mine.”

  „Unless you want to sleep on creaky floorboards, we’ll go to your place.”

  Just yesterday at around this time, I was really looking forward to going home with him. But this was not what I had in mind. Protecting stolen antiquities, being hunted by crazy people, poisoned by the crime lord. Not what I had in mind at all.

  Bryan nods in approval, then gets in the car again. Slowly, I’m starting to hate the Mercedes. I know it’s not the car’s fault, but it just feels like every time we get in, it’s because something went wrong.

  „So is anyone else going to be at home? Your brother? A girlfriend?”

  „No,” he chuckles. „My brother has his own place, I’m living alone.”

  He didn’t say anything about a girlfriend. I wonder what that means.

  „Great. But don’t get your hopes up, I’m sleeping on the couch.”

  If past-me from yesterday could see me now, she would probably ask me if I’m crazy. Going home with a guy that hot and sleeping on the couch. Maybe I am. But I just don’t have the nerves for anything else right now. And since I can’t just leave the next morning, I don’t want to make things even more complicated than they already are.

  We drive for only a few minutes, barely getting out of the Pit. When we stop, it’s in front of a decently nice residential building in New Paradise, the district for normal people who don’t have to live in the Pit, but aren’t rich enough to live downtown. Which is about 90% of the population in Galmont. The Pit used to be a part of New Paradise, too, but deteriorated into a cesspool of crime over the last few decades.

  „Here we are, my humble apartment,” Bryan says as we stop in front of his apartment door.

  The house doesn’t look so bad, not quite the penthouse suite I imagined when I met him, but still a lot better than my place. Since almost all of my wage goes towards my mother’s treatment, I can’t afford anything but the crappy old apartment in the Pit that I live in.

  But as we step into the apartment, I realize that I haven’t been that wrong. It’s not exactly big, but the brightly lit living room, the big couch, the canvases on the wall and the big bookcase in the corner still make the place look quite sophisticated.

  „Wow, not so bad.”

  „Thanks, Alice. The bathroom is on the right if you want to take a shower, and I will get started on some dinner.”

  I leave for the shower immediately, hoping for something nicer than that rusty old thing in my place. I was not disappointed.

  After a very refreshing hot shower, I come back to the living room just as Bryan brings a plate full of sandwiches from the kitchen.

  „Sorry Alice, I would have gone shopping yesterday, but I was a little preoccupied, with, you know, the whole situation. So all I got are sandwiches.”

  He puts them down with a shrug, gesturing towards an empty chair.

  Only as I pick up a sandwich do I realize how hungry I am. I didn’t have lunch since we were busy robbing the shop and almost being mugged later, but now the hunger is overwhelming.

  Within minutes, I devour two sandwiches and reach for the third before even swallowing the last bit of the second.

  „Those are really good, actually,” I say before digging into the next sandwich.

  Two sandwiches later, I lean back with a satisfied sigh. This was good. After everything that is going on, a hot shower and a good meal was exactly what I needed.

  „So, what’s the plan for today?” I say as Bryan just finishes the last sandwich.

  „Well, there’s nothing else we can do today. We will meet with my contact tomorrow, until then we can just sit back and relax.”

  I raise my left hand looking at the black veins that have started to spread. They reach up almost to my elbow now. „It’s kind of hard to relax when you know you will die in a few days.”

  „But we won’t. We’ll have the money tomorrow, and by nightfall, we may be healed already. So I’m going to get some nuts, a good tea and watch some Game of Thrones.”

  I stare at him in disbelief. „Are you serious?”

  „Yep.”

  I can’t help but laugh at his grin. He may be crazy, but he’s probably right. We can’t do anything today, so why not make the most of it.

  „You can join me if you want,” he adds with a shrug.

  „I think I will, actually.”

  Ten minutes later, we are sitting on his bed with a bowl of nuts, 2 cups of tea, cuddled up under blankets and watching Game of Thrones.

  When I wake up in the morning, I find myself on the couch. I'm not entirely sure how I got here, the last I remember is the bloodiest wedding I've ever seen. Since I don't have a TV, I didn’t see Game of Thrones yet. It seems to be a great story, but I could not follow it at all.

  As I sit up and check my phone for the time, I sigh. Seven new messages. Great.

  But my mood drops even more when I read them. The first is from my boss. I was fired tonight. The others are from Evelyn, asking me what's going on, if there's anything she can do to help.

  Unless you have $50,000 lying around, you can't. Sorry, Eve.

  But I don't text her that, since I can't possibly explain her all that is going on. I don't even really understand it myself. So instead, I just say that I've got some family issues. Which is not completely wrong, considering my mother's s
ickness. It does feel kind of bad, though, to not be able to say anything to the one colleague who has proven herself to be a friend. I will have to thank her later.

  I get up to stretch, but my long yawn is interrupted by Bryan. „Good morning, Alice.”

  My yawn turns into a sound like a frightened chicken as I jump around in surprise.

  „Oh. Didn't see you there,” I chuckle with embarrassment. „Good morning.”

  „How do you feel? Let's hope this day will be better than the last.”

  I laugh ironically. „Oh, I just got fired by a text. So I think this day is off to a pretty good start at being just as bad as yesterday.”

  His hopeful smile turns into a disappointed frown. „I’m sorry. I guess that is on me.”

  „Maybe it is. Maybe it’s on your brother. Or Cross. But you didn’t do anything wrong, so I’m not mad at you. You’ve been nothing but helpful, actually.”

  His frown turns back into a smile, his eyes sparkling with appreciation. But then the smile fades again as he picks something up from the table.

  „Well, I got a message, too. I would have preferred a text, but it was stuck to my nightstand with this,” he says as he holds up a brutal looking knife. „He wants his money. Tonight, at ten.”

  „But if we sell our stuff today, we’ll have the money. So if all goes well, we will be free again tonight?”

  „That’s the idea. So if all really goes well, it’s good news. Otherwise…” He looks at the knife and shrugs. „If not, we are probably dead.”

  Chapter 6

  After we both had a pretty rough start in the day, we decided to make it better with pancakes. Now half an hour later, we are sitting at the table with a stack of pancakes, jams, peanut butter, syrup and even with good mood.

  „So, Bryan, who are you? If we might die, I figure we should at least know each other a little.”

  „Huh,” he chuckles. „Who am I? Uhm, well, I’m Bryan. I was a bodyguard. I have a brother, Liam, who is as good at saving his ass as he is at getting into trouble. This time, he couldn’t get out of trouble though, which is why we are here.”

  With a shrug, he takes another pancake and looks at me expectantly.

  „Now I know more about your brother than I do about you. What about YOU?”

  „Oh. Well… I like good food, love pasta. I like to watch TV shows at night, like Game of Thrones or Shadowhunters. Someday I want… no, forget that.”

  „What?” I laugh, punching him in the shoulder. „Come on!”

  „Fine. A bakery. I want to open a bakery someday.”

  I laugh in disbelief, looking at him in surprise. The bodyguard with connections to all kinds of criminals, hunted by the crime lord – in a bakery. A very amusing thought.

  „What? The smell of fresh cookies in the air, cakes, brownies, everything fresh and handmade…” His eyes turn glassy as he talks like he is already imagining himself there. „I’d have tables in the shop, couches in the corners so you can relax with a good cake and coffee, free Wi-Fi, obviously. So yeah, that’s my dream. What about you?”

  „Nothing as grand, I fear. I just want my mother to get well again, and then finally I can move somewhere where I don’t hear gunshots at night.”

  „I see. I guess your mother is more important than future life goals right now.”

  „Yeah. She’s the only family I have left.”

  „What happened to your brother? You mentioned him.”

  „He… died. Few years ago. I don’t talk about it.”

  I continue eating my pancake, hoping he won’t ask about him. I still blame myself for his death, and I don’t want to ruin this morning with bad mood again.

  „Oh. Alright.”

  I nod thankfully at Bryan who turns his attention back on the pancakes again, too. An awkward silence descends upon us as we eat the rest of the pancakes.

  Wow, nice job killing the mood, Alice.

  I was actually enjoying myself for the first time in weeks. Standing in the kitchen with Bryan, making pancakes, laughing. It was nice. So was lying in bed together, watching TV. I guess this is what it would be like to have a partner.

  I’ve tried that, once. Turns out, he was cheating on me the whole time. I never wanted to be hurt like that again. But now I wonder if maybe, with the right guy, it might be worth a try. When all of this is over, when my mother is well again, maybe I should try.

  To break this uncomfortable silence, I try to start another conversation.

  „What about your girlfriend?”

  „Uhm, what? I don’t have a girlfriend.”

  „Oh, I wasn’t sure. So why not? A guy like you can’t have trouble finding someone,” I say with a playful wink.

  Okay, that may have given him the wrong impression.

  „And how do I protect her when the Syndicate storms in again? They broke in tonight, left a dagger stuck in my nightstand. If I had a girlfriend, it could have been stuck in her dead body.”

  „So you don’t want to be with anyone because you are afraid what might happen to them?”

  „There are more people after me than you know. Someone who… Would certainly not like to see me with another girl.”

  „Let me guess,” I chuckle. „A crazy ex?”

  „Something like that.”

  „Oh, it doesn’t get boring with you, does it?”

  „I’m afraid not,” he laughs.

  As we are sitting there, laughing, I’m happy that I was able to restore the mood again. It is strangely fun with him, relaxing in a way I haven’t known for quite some time. Even though there is the prospect of dying in the next days, we are hunted by a crime lord and possibly by some invisible guy, I feel safe with Bryan. I like that.

  „I hate to be a buzzkill, but I will have to call my contact now, arrange a meeting. I’ll be right back.”

  While he’s in the bedroom, arguing over the phone, I put the dishes in the dishwasher and the jams back in the fridge. I have been at a few guy’s apartments the last few months, and I have to admit that none were as tidy as Bryan’s. It’s certainly cleaner than my place. But I guess it’s easy to keep your apartment clean when you don’t have a job.

  „It took some convincing, but he’s expecting us in three hours. Any idea what we can do until then?”

  I look over to Bryan as he comes out of the bedroom, putting the phone back on the table.

  „It would be cool if we can drop by my place, so I can change into something fresh. My clothes already smell a little after everything I’ve been through with them.”

  „Yeah, they do,” Bryan laughs. „I’ll take you.”

  We drive to my place where I change into something fresh, but it’s still just another black tank top and my leather jacket, but I switch my leather pants for some lighter jeans. It’s May now, a little warm to run around in so much leather.

  After that, we go to Bryan’s contact and arrive a little early. Unlike last time we met a ‘friend’ of his, we aren’t greeted by a bodyguard, since apparently, we are at the guy’s apartment. Or maybe it’s his storage room. It’s hard to tell.

  There are all kinds of things lying around everywhere, which is why we stand around the table instead of sitting down. The chairs are already used, stuff piling up on them.

  „Here are the goods I promised,” Bryan says as he puts the duffel bag on the table. He opens it and puts the compass, the Jade Dragon statue, and the onyx amulet on the desk.

  „Uhh, look at that!”

  I watch the man as he examines the antiquities. He seems little crazy, but not in a dangerous way. He’s bald, has glasses and looks a bit like he’s about to tell you that the moon landing wasn’t real. Even while he and Bryan small talked earlier, he was already jittery, gesturing wildly with a hint of crazy in his eyes.

  „The golden compass does indeed look quite valuable. The jade dragon could be sold as a long-lost artifact from some Chinese emperor. But the amulet seems to be just a pretty trinket, something you could find at any p
awn shop. I’ll give you $40,000.”

  „$50,000.” Bryan looks at him with a serious face. „That’s what it was worth to someone else, and we will not go any lower.”

  „To whom? Who told you to steal it?” The guy squints at Bryan, suspicion in his eyes.

  „Come on, Robby, you know I wouldn’t rat anyone out like that.”

  „Good, good.” The guy visibly relaxes, inspecting the compass again. „Since it’s you, old friend, I can give you the fifty grand you need.”

  „Thank you, I knew I could count…”

  „But you have to do a favor for me, too. I need something delivered, and my delivery boy hasn’t called back. I need this deal to go through, so you will deliver these two coffers,” he says, pointing at two black boxes on one of the chairs.

  „What’s in it?”

  „I don’t know. I’m just a middleman here, paid for my services to quietly move goods, and not to ask questions.”

  „Fine,” Bryan sighs. „Give me the address and we will deliver it.”

  „Good, good. And you know, full discretion. My name does not drop, ever.”

  „Of course, you know me.”

  Robby quickly writes something down on a piece of paper and hands it to Bryan. „That address, that time. Be punctual. Now go, I’m expecting another customer soon.”

  „Thank you, Robby. We will take care of it.”

  Bryan takes the two black boxes from the chair, visibly straining under their weight.

  „What about the duffel back?” I whisper as we leave.

  „We leave it here. It’s a sign of trust, especially since we are leaving with his goods, too.”

  We put the coffers in the backseat of his car and get in, once again. As Bryan of opens the folded sheet of paper the guy gave him, he curses.

  „Damn, this is going to be close.” He looks at me with a frown on his face. „The drop office at eight, and we have to deliver our money at ten. We will have to hurry up.”

  „We will do just fine, Bryan. We got so far, we won’t fail because of something as simple as this.”

  I try to remain calm on the outside, but on the inside, I want to run back to Robby and scream at him until he agrees to give us the $50,000 without a stupid delivery. If those people we deliver the coffers to want something from us, too, I don’t think I’ll be able to hold back anymore.