Root

by LeeAnn McLennan

  I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “Did anyone see him?” I winced when he directed his frown at me. “Or her?”

  “I can’t release that information, ma’am.” He shut the door with a bang.

  I blinked with surprise at the cop’s abrupt departure. Well, okay then. I looked around. Jack and I had come out a different door than the one I’d entered – I glanced at my phone – geez, just fifteen minutes ago. We stood on the sidewalk at the opposite end of the building from the entrance used for concerts. Police barricades blocked off the street around the theater and I saw a long line of car headlights as cops directed traffic away from the building. Inside the barricade, the blinking lights from the emergency vehicles lit up the night in shades of red and blue.

  Gawkers crowded as close as the cops would let them behind the barricades, holding up phones, recording video or snapping photos. Fortunately, Jack and I weren’t near anyone, but I still slipped back into the alleyway to escape any onlookers. Jack followed me until I stopped about halfway down the dark sidewalk.

  I shifted my sword to a more comfortable position. Jack’s gaze tracked my movements.

  “Thanks.”

  “Yeah.” Jack shrugged, not meeting my eyes. He had a crinkle between his eyebrows and chewed on his lower lip.

  “Listen, I know you want to know more about what’s going on –”

  “Olivia!” Aunt Kate’s sharp tone cut through my next words, making me jump. What was up with people popping up unexpectedly tonight? I turned around to face my aunt as she walked towards us from the darker depths of the alley.

  “Hi Aunt Kate.” I tried to shield Jack behind me, which was pretty much a pointless effort since he had a good nine inches on me.

  The large black bag hung slack across Aunt Kate’s shoulder, so I guessed they hadn’t caught the lymph monster. Her whip dangled from her belt in a neat little roll. She frowned at Jack and me. “I spoke to Lange.” Her ambiguous words made it obvious she was fishing to find out how much I’d told Jack.

  I realized I was imitating Jack’s alert stance from when he’d spoken to Officer Richland. With a mental scowl, I forced myself to relax my shoulders. “Did they find out where the lymph monster went?”

  Her frown deepened. “No, they’re still searching.” Her eyes narrowed, focusing on Jack, obviously displeased I’d spoken about the monster in front of him. “I see you’ve told the boy.” She put a hand on the handle of her whip.

  I gave one short nod, a feeling of disquiet trickling down my spine. I’d never thought my aunt could look menacing, but the proof that she could stood in front of me. She stood taller than I had thought possible, frowning at my ex-boyfriend as if she wanted to remove him. “Um, he’s cool though. He’s not going to tell anyone,” I appealed to Jack, “right?”

  Jack shifted uncomfortably. “I’d better go.” His gaze flicked between Aunt Kate and the intersection as if he was gauging the distance to the corner.

  Aunt Kate stepped closer to him. “Young man, we need to discuss –”

  The crash of breaking glass made us jump in surprise. I shoved Jack to the ground and crouched over him, protecting him from the shards of glass raining around us. Something landed hard right in front of me and I looked into the eyes of the lymph monster.

  Slashes covered its face and arms, its blood running pale pink instead of dark red. It no longer wore a cocky grin – now it looked harried and desperate.

  Zoe shouted from the broken window, “Aunt Kate, Olivia –”

  “Hold it right there!” a stern voice shouted from the lighted street. “On your knees with your hands up!”

  I almost screamed in frustration. We didn’t need the cops in the mix. As Aunt Kate, Jack, and I held up our hands, I glanced up to see Zoe and Kevin disappear from the window.

  The lymph monster still crouched down, facing me; it looked into my eyes and growled, “He never said how much trouble you are.” It snorted. “I’m over this.” It spun around, lashing its tongue out at the policemen advancing down the alleyway, whipping one man in the face. The cop yelled and shot his gun, the bullet flying wide, hitting the side of the building. Aunt Kate and I jumped further into the shadows while Jack tried to grab the monster. I gasped and reached for Jack, but the monster shrugged him off without turning around. Jack fell to the ground as the monster darted straight at the cops, using its tongue as a weapon as effectively as Zoe used her whip. The cops scattered out of the way, some collapsing on the ground, gasping in pain, while others tried to run after the monster, who darted out of sight once it reached the open street.

  Jack waved me off when I tried to help him. With a last indecipherable glance at me, he staggered to his feet and ran to the street. Aunt Kate came to stand by my side and we watched as Jack peered around. He turned around, his mouth set in a grim line, and shook his head. The thing was gone. I raised my hand to wave him back, but he deliberately faced the other way and walked off.

  “Come on, Olivia,” Aunt Kate said softly as the cops at the front of the alleyway started to get to their feet. None of them looked critically hurt, even as EMTs dashed in to help them.

  “Okay.” I followed my aunt, dreading the upcoming conversation about Jack. I had a feeling no one would be comfortable with his newfound knowledge.

  We ran the rest of the way to the warehouse, though it crossed my mind to run the other way. I knew I was avoiding the Jack situation.

  We were the first ones back from the theatre, and the warehouse felt strange without Uncle Dan waiting to debrief us on our mission. I wondered if he’d already left for the mountain house by now.

  Aunt Kate’s stern expression wasn’t much of an improvement over his frown, though. She stalked over to the classroom area. “Sit down, Olivia.” My aunt let the black duffle bag drop to the ground with a thump.

  Chapter 25

  “Olivia, that boy is a liability. He’s going to tell someone.” Aunt Kate sat down on the couch and waved at the cushion next to her.

  I unstrapped my sword’s sheath and set it on the table before sitting down, keeping my body poised to move at any moment. Six stood near the monitors, her arms crossed, watching. I absently noted her eyes weren’t dilated.

  Aunt Kate took my stiff hand in hers and her gaze was compassionate. “I know you don’t care for the effects of the memory eradicator, but it’s helped keep us safe for a long time.”

  I pulled my hand away. “No, I can convince him not to tell anyone. If I tell him the truth, he’ll understand and keep my secret.” I didn’t want Jack’s mind tampered with, not with the memory eradicator, not with anything.

  Aunt Kate frowned, shaking her head. “Olivia…”

  Kevin burst through the door, followed by Zoe, who held the door open for Lange. Slung over Lange’s shoulder, Godfrey struggled futilely against my cousin’s incredible strength. I stared, envious that while Aunt Kate had been yelling at me, my cousins had managed to catch the lymph monster.

  “Where did you find it?” Aunt Kate asked, standing up and walking around Lange and his captive.

  Lange shifted the monster to his other shoulder, grabbing its whipping tongue in one hand. “We tracked it to construction site off 34th.” He nodded his head at the door to the containment facility and Aunt Kate opened it for him. “Come on, you jerk.”

  I rushed ahead to open the largest cage, a human-sized cell I’d never seen used until now. Lange dumped Godfrey inside and I slammed the door shut.

  Godfrey jumped to its feet, tongue lashing at the bars. I leapt back, away from the gross appendage.

  Godfrey retracted its tongue and stood with arms crossed, watching us with a considering expression. I got my first real look at the monster. At a casual glance, it could pass as human. That is, until a longer look revealed yellow eyes with oval pupils. Lank hair hung around the sides of a lean face. Under the bright lights of the containment room, its skin looked greyish-green with a greasy sheen.

  Six took up a spot to one side of the
cage with her eyes fully dilated, silently recording the events. Kevin and Zoe flanked me in front of the cell while Aunt Kate walked around, holding up her tablet to film her own footage of the monster.

  Lange leaned against the wall across from Godfrey’s cage. He ran his hands through his sweaty hair in an attempt to smooth it down, but the motion left it standing in tufts. “I’ll call Smitty. He can send a transporter to handle this one. I don’t think we want to wait for the plane to make the return trip.” He glared at the monster. “I’m ready to get this asshole out of Portland.”

  “Where will it go?” I asked.

  “We’ve got a place at the Death Valley habitat for dangerous monsters.” Lange smiled menacingly at Godfrey. “No more killing innocents for their lymph fluid.”

  Godfrey raised a pencil-thin eyebrow. “Do you really think this is my first time being captured?” The monster mirrored Lange’s casual stance. “No, sonny boy, this is just a little inconvenient interruption in my regularly scheduled life. Really, it’s a nice break for some R and R.” It grinned, the tip of its tongue protruding from its teeth. I saw the forked end had little wiggling things like tiny worms covering the ends. It looked like squirming maggots were stuck between the thing’s teeth.

  I swallowed, closing my eyes until the urge to vomit passed. My gag reflex under control, I looked at the cage again. Godfrey had withdrawn to the back of the cell. It sat down on the bench, leaned back casually and crossed one leg over the other while tapping its long, spindly fingers on one knee.

  The lymph monster’s calm demeanor annoyed me. Didn’t it know it was a prisoner?

  “Who’s Isaac?” I asked, wanting to wipe the complacent look off its face.

  “Isaac?” Aunt Kate asked. My family all stared at me and I realized they hadn’t heard Godfrey’s comment about someone named Isaac.

  I kept my gaze on Godfrey. “Yeah, back at the theater, this monster said Isaac sent him to Portland.”

  “Isaac.” Aunt Kate pronounced the name slowly. She spoke directly to Godfrey for the first time. “Tell us more about how you came to be in Portland. Whatever you can remember.”

  I gave my aunt a sideways look, bothered by her patronizing words. Her expression stopped any questions on the tip of my tongue. She watched Godfrey intently, her mouth set in a thin tight line, her shoulders hunched, and her fingers gripped together with one thumb rubbing the palm of her hand.

  Godfrey began laughing.

  “You should see your faces. So very grim.” It stood up and walked to the front of the cell, gripping the bars, peering through the opening. “Poor Brighthalls, always the keepers of the peace, even when you don’t know who you’re really keeping it for.”

  Its tone was even more patronizing than Aunt Kate’s was. Zoe shifted, brushing up against me. I laid a hand on her arm to forestall any action. As annoying as the monster was, I still wanted to hear what it had to tell us. I wanted to know who Isaac was and I was especially interested in understanding Aunt Kate’s reaction to the name.

  Aunt Kate spoke again, her tone sharp. “Who is Isaac? And why did he send you here?”

  Godfrey smirked and I almost expected the answer to be along the lines of ‘wouldn’t you like to know?’

  Instead, it announced, “Benjamin Hallowfield,” the monster’s yellow eyes tracked my startled jerk, “the first.” I relaxed. It meant the man who caused the cataclysm two hundred years ago. Godfrey continued, “I knew him, back before he liquefied as many brains as he could. He liked being around me because he said my thoughts and actions weren’t in conflict. Not like you supernormal and your lesser cousins, the normals. Always hiding your real thoughts.”

  “What does this have to do with Isaac?” Lange surged towards the cell door. “Answer the question.”

  Godfrey stepped back with a slight stumble, marring its calm stance. It shook itself before smiling. “Be patient, big guy. I’m getting there.” It smoothed down the sleeves of its coat. “Now, as I was saying, Hallowfield liked being around me. In those days,” the creature lifted ancient eyes up at us, “your kind hunted my kind with such viciousness I’m still amazed any of us survived at all.”

  “Your kind?” Zoe asked. “You mean, lymph monsters? After seeing what you do to people, it’s kind of hard to blame them.”

  Godfrey bared its teeth, a low growl rumbling from its chest. “I mean all of the creatures you classify as monsters.” It spat on the ground, its tongue flicking out, then back in. “Your kind hunted us with no discrimination, no consideration that some monsters,” it sneered the word, “are harmless.”

  “You’re not seriously claiming you’re harmless?” I asked, astonishment layering over the sick feeling in my stomach caused by his words.

  Godfrey lifted an eyebrow. “I can’t help how I’m made.” The lymph monster shrugged. “But I can handle myself. And anyway, Hallowfield protected me and some of the others.” It met my gaze with a cold look. “And he tried to convince your kind, you supernormals with all your fancy abilities, to treat us as equals.”

  “Oh come on,” Lange said impatiently. “I’ve heard about how brutal it was back then. Supernormals were protecting themselves and normals from attacks.”

  “Yeah,” Kevin spoke up, “I still have nightmares about the gateling beast.” He glanced at me, explaining, “It was big and flat with long arms and it would hide under people’s beds. At night it would wrap it’s arms around from under the bed while the person slept, usually strangling its victim.”

  Godfrey rolled its yellow eyes. “It’s amazing how stories get perverted over time.”

  I cocked my head. “How come there aren’t as many monsters now? I’ve always assumed they were killed off in the cataclysm too.”

  Godfrey grinned, startling me. “Ah, now we’ve come to the modern part of the story.” It held up a hand when I opened my mouth to retort. “Now, now, if you keep interrupting me, you’ll never get your answers.” It gave us a toothy grin. “And, I was told to give you answers if I were caught.”

  “What does that mean?” Lange demanded.

  Aunt Kate shushed him. “Let’s finish this.” She looked pointedly at Godfrey. “Tell us who Isaac is.”

  “Yes, yes, I’m getting there.” Godfrey sounded peevish. “You asked where we, those creatures you call monsters, went. Why are there fewer now than before?” We all nodded. “Well, I don’t know.” It gave a slow grin at my annoyed ‘”uh” and at Zoe’s derisive snort. “But I know who does…” The monster turned its eyes to meet Aunt Kate’s. “Isaac Milton, the leader of Mountain of Ash.”

  Aunt Kate let out a long sigh, turning away from Godfrey. I could see her pale face, feeling unsettled by her obvious distress as she swallowed hard.

  “The head of Mountain of Ash is a man named Isaac Milton?” Lange directed his question to the room since it was obvious both Godfrey and Aunt Kate knew who Isaac Milton was.

  Instead of answering Lange’s question, Aunt Kate asked Godfrey one of her own. “Isaac Milton sent you here to do what? Is he responsible for the other creatures invading Portland?” She didn’t wait for a reply. “I can only assume he’s trying to distract us or harass us for some reason.” She started pacing, muttering, “Why would Mountain of Ash want to distract us? Why us specifically?”

  I stood there, feeling stunned, echoing my aunt’s questions in my mind. I added a few of my own. Did Emma know Isaac Milton had sent the monsters to Portland? Would she care that we were under attack? Did Aunt Kate know Isaac Milton personally?

  Godfrey crossed its arms. “Isaac said to come to Portland and look for the symbols indicating where to attack, where I could do the most damage with my particular skill set.”

  “Symbols? What symbols?” Kevin looked confused.

  “Oh! I know.” I remembered my conversation with Harold. Was that only a few days ago? “Harold told me he’d noticed a new hobo symbol around town and asked me about it.”

  “Hobo symbol?” Zoe asked.

 
; “Symbols the homeless draw to warn or help others – like ‘food here’ or ‘danger there.’” I watched for Godfrey’s reaction to my next words. “Harold showed me one he’s never seen before. A house with a sun behind it. It was on our warehouse.” Godfrey frowned but nodded. “I’m guessing it was elsewhere. It must mean Brighthall.”

  Lange muttered, “A house with a sun behind it.” He shook his head. “Seriously, lame.” He frowned at Godfrey. “You’re being very helpful, aren’t you?”

  Godfrey whipped its tongue out, making us all jump. “Nothing I’ve told you changes anything. Isaac told me to tell you who your adversary is because you can’t stop what’s already in motion. Sure, I’m caught, but it’s hardly the first time and, as I said, I can use a little rest.” It spread its arms wide. “I don’t know what’s coming, but I know Isaac seems to have a special plan for the Brighthalls.” It leered at us. “Aren’t you the lucky ones?” It sat down, crossing its legs in a casual attitude once again. “I’m done talking.”

  Silence followed the monster’s statement. Finally, Aunt Kate said, “Lange, call Smitty and let’s get this thing to a more secure location.”

  Chapter 26

  When Smitty arrived, Aunt Kate and Lange helped him secure Godfrey for transport to Death Valley. They wrapped the monster up Hannibal Lector style – straightjacket, face mask, and leg chains. Godfrey didn’t fight the restraints. Instead, it just watched us with a knowing expression in its eyes.

  Smitty gripped the back of the straightjacket, nodded at Aunt Kate, and then blinked away. I let out a quiet sigh, suddenly feeling exhausted. Discovering Mountain of Ash was behind the influx of monsters left me depressed. And scared. It was unnerving to know a supernormal terrorist group had targeted my family specifically.

  Strangely, I hadn’t heard from Ben for a few hours.

  Lange, Zoe, and Kevin grabbed their backpacks to leave. I figured I’d better go with them to avoid Aunt Kate. I snuck a glance at her, hoping she’d forgotten about Jack in the hubbub of Godfrey’s capture and revelations. She was talking to Six, who I heard say, “Did you know the beasts were being deliberately sent to Portland?” in a censorious tone.