The Duals (An Urban Fantasy Thriller)

by Karen Hayes

  "You wait," I tell the other two over my shoulder as Sarah and I head for the elevators.

  The door to Adam's office is ajar. The secretary is away from her desk. I can hear Adam's soft voice inside.

  I concentrate, preparing my first phrase. I want to use the surprise factor and floor him to see his reaction.

  I push the door open and step inside. "Where do you think Sarah's going?"

  I fail to obtain the desired effect, mainly because Adam is busy talking on his cell. He's perched on the edge of his desk facing the window, his profile sharp against the setting sun.

  Hearing my question, he turns his head in surprise.

  "Sorry, I've got a visitor," he says into the phone. "I'll call you back."

  He lays the phone on the table. "Sarah? I thought you were on your way?"

  "Almost," she stops next to me, facing him. "Chris wanted to talk to you first."

  Adam's gaze alights on me. "Why?"

  "Because," I reply mockingly, "that I have the right to know where my carrier is going and why."

  I expect him to get angry and argumentative. Instead, Adam nods.

  "I'm worried about her too. Unfortunately, I've got to leave now. I have an important meeting. The copter is waiting. Which is why sadly I can't come with you."

  I can't see Sarah's face but I know his words must make her feel good. Adam is worried about her; he cares. She's probably loving it, being deprived of attention for most of her life.

  Last night she told me about her parents. What a terrible death. I could see it took her a lot just to talk about it.

  Wonder if she told Adam about it too?

  I'm jealous, let's face it. I just can't get the two of them out of my head. The pictures of them standing by that panoramic window in his office kissing... or maybe not only kissing... the very thought makes me uncomfortable. I'd have dearly loved to punch his lights out!

  "Unfortunately, we need to retrieve the folder today at the latest," he continues. "If someone uses the information... I dread to even think about it. We still have the debates and the election in front of us."

  I nod. "A two-headed snake on the cover, eh?"

  "What's this you've got about that snake?" Sarah asks.

  I sit down in a soft chair in front of the desk and cross my legs, letting them know I'm not going anywhere until I find out what I need to know.

  As I look up at Adam from my new sitting position, I get the same frustrating sensation of having seen him before. Definitely. I just can't for the life of me remember when and how it happened.

  "The dead guy I saw when I came round on the street," I explain, "he had an identical tattoo on his arm. A snake curled up to form a figure of eight."

  "It was Ramiro who killed him," Adam says.

  "If you say so. I saw an identical tattoo on Greene's arm, too."

  "Of course!" Sarah adds. "So stupid of me. I saw it too when he was practicing his fire tricks in the gym."

  "Some of my best and most trusted workers like to distinguish themselves by means of these tattoos," Adam walks around the table and leans over the computer keyboard without sitting down. "Okay, if you insist... let's talk about it. Ten minutes, not more."

  I nod. "I insist."

  Adam taps on the keyboard, then turns the large flat monitor toward us. I stare at the familiar symbol: the snake, carved in stone this time. I can't really tell its size from the photo but it seems to be a large rock platform at least a dozen square feet.

  "Wow," Sarah says. "Where does this come from?"

  "From Teotihuacán."

  "Teo... what?"

  "The ancient Mexican city," I explain. "I thought they'd already dug it up within an inch of its life? The place used to be crawling with archeologists."

  She walks over to my chair and looks down at me. "How do you know?"

  Adam perches himself on the edge of his desk, resuming his initial position, and watches us curiously.

  "I used to dabble in archeology," I reply. "So I just happen to know what it means. It's called an 'infinity snake,' the symbol for androgyny."

  "Andro... what?" Sarah appears lost. "Do you mean people without sex? Those who are neither men nor women?"

  "Not really," Adam corrects her. "Androgynous people tend to combine the traits of both sexes. They're mentioned a lot in historical documents. There's also a lot of evidence of their existence in archeological finds. The last one we found in a cave deep underground in the headwaters of the Amazon. That wasn't just any old cave, either. It was man-made."

  "Wait a sec," I raised my hands in the air. "Let's do it again. You say they're mentioned a lot in ancient manuscripts - I can buy that. They used to believe a lot of bull in those days. But evidence? Please. There was no such thing as an androgynous race."

  Sarah gets restless. "You don't think you could continue with this learned discussion some other time?"

  Adam, however, perks up. I can see that this subject is very dear to him. "Sarah, the androgynous race is believed to be the mythological First People, the forefathers of humanity. A bit like the titans. Have you heard about the titans? Did you see the film?"

  Sarah frowns, remembering. "They were giants, right? They rebelled against the Gods..."

  "That's right. The Androgynes were similar to them. Very powerful, both physically and mentally. Does it ring any bells? They dared to challenge the rule of the Gods who... let's just say the furious deities tore all the Androgynes in half, turning them into men and women."

  That sounds admittedly weird, coming from a corporate shark. "Did you come across any references to these events?" I ask him. "Could it have really happened?"

  "I'm absolutely sure of it," he replies. "Take the Deluge, for instance. References to it keep popping up in all sorts of cultures. Why?"

  "Because at some point, our planet must have indeed been flooded," I reply. "That could have been caused by a major deglaciation, for instance. The glaciers had melted, causing a considerable rise in-"

  "Exactly. Point is, every myth is based on a fact. Same here. From today's point of view, the existence of the Androgynous race and their war on the Gods might sound like a fairytale. And still, it's a fact. Did you know that the Biblical Adam might have been an Androgyne too? God's creating Eve from his rib might actually be a metaphor describing the ultimate splitting of the Androgynes. You can't even imagine what kinds of things my archeologists have discovered on their field trips. Some of the data they uncovered just didn't make sense."

  "Aha!" Sarah butts in. "Do you mean that the Androgynes might in fact be the forefathers of the duals?"

  Adam stares back at us, apparently nonplussed by the sarcasm in my gaze. "In my opinion, the Androgynes are the forefathers of all humanity. The duals, however, have inherited their mental force. They just happen to have a stronger Andro gene than the rest of us."

  Sarah doesn't say anything. I slowly shake my head, trying to take this new information in. Then I rise from my chair, "Very well. I really don't know what to say to you about this. In any case, I strongly object to Sarah's going to retrieve the folder without me. We're duals. We're supposed to work together."

  "I did manage to use my powers on my own in the park," Sarah reminds me, bent on not letting me accompany her. "You were stuck here the whole time."

  "It's normal," Adam agrees. "The longer the two duals work together, the stronger the bond between them, allowing their powers to travel greater distances."

  "And still it doesn't beat the presence of a real dual," I object. "Do you still need that manila folder? Really really need it? In that case, we'll go there together, the four of us. I'm not going to argue with you two. You can't stop me from coming along. In which case, this is sorted. Adam, don't you have a copter to catch?"

  He preserves a brooding silence, apparently weighing up all the pros and cons. Finally, he shrugs a reluctant agreement.

  "Very well," he says, "only... Sarah, can I have a moment with you, please? It won't take long
. Chris, you can go downstairs to the car, if you wish."

  Sarah

  Chris walks out of the office, leaving me alone with Adam. Why am I so nervous? For some reason, this feels like a first date.

  I don't feel like sitting at the desk, so I walk over to the window and watch the city. It's getting dark. The sky and the bay are colored in every shade of pink. The luminous grid of countless car lights glows below.

  "What did Chris decide?" Adam asks. "Is he staying behind?"

  Aha. Now I know his interest in all this. What a disappointment.

  "He has to," I flash him a smile even though I don't feel like smiling. "He just can't sit still, can he?"

  I cast Adam a sideways glance. He nods. His face is anxious. "And what if he does decide to leave Hermetis? Will you leave with him?"

  I've no idea what to say to that. I know I'd rather stay in Hermetis - but over the course of these last few days, Chris has already become part of me. Besides, I have this nagging feeling of owing him.

  "I don't know," I reply honestly. "I'll think about it when we come to it."

  A small copter whirrs past our windows. I watch it as it approaches a neighboring roof and begins to land.

  It's almost dark. Greene, Heaven and Chris are waiting for me. I need to go.

  I can hear Adam's approaching footsteps. He stops by the window right next to me. I look at his reflection in the window, tall and straight. He's so close... it feels like he's pressing his body against mine.

  "I don't want you to leave," his voice sounds right over my ear, sending goosebumps over my body. "I know I can't ask you to stay in case your partner does leave but..."

  He falls silent. Usually so calm and composed, he's now exuding anxiety.

  "You belong here. You know what I mean?" he finally adds.

  I nod. "Yes. I belong with other duals."

  "That's not what I was trying to say," his hands, hot and heavy, lay on my waist. "You belong with me. I need you, Sarah. Only you."

  He turns me to face him and kisses me.

  I answer his kiss. I can't help myself. His lips are so soft. For a moment, I seem to be floating in the air.

  What am I doing? Is this really happening to me?

  I ease myself away. Adam watches me closely as if waiting for something. I'm so embarrassed that I don't know where to look. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.

  We don't speak.

  "Your copter," I finally remind him.

  He glances at his watch and nods. "You're right."

  Swiftly he picks up his overnight bag from a chair but lingers. It's as if something keeps him from leaving. He seems to be torn between me and the door.

  So he comes back and looks me in the face. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go. Greene and Heaven are quite capable. They can do it without you. Chris can join them if he wants."

  "But how do you want them to find the room? How are they going to open the strongbox? It's the only reason why I'm coming along. We've discussed it so many times already."

  He gives me a reluctant nod. "You're right, of course. They can't manage without you. Just promise you'll be careful, okay?"

  I nod and force a stifled goodbye. I should be on my way too. Still, I need to pull myself together first. All this is so unexpected... and embarrassing.

  My legs are weak; my heart is pumping as if I've just escaped a bunch of the Agency's henchmen. This isn't my imagination: Adam has fallen for me, and I don't yet know how to go about it. Dammit, I don't even know whether I need it at all! Being with him seems to make me lose all my confidence. He makes me feel helpless, and I'm not sure whether I enjoy it.

  Once I'm out in the corridor, I draw in a couple of slow, meditative breaths. Then I turn around - and almost walk into Chris.

  He's leaning his shoulder against the wall a few paces away from the door. Apparently, he's been standing like this for a while, waiting for me to come out. His arms crossed, he appears moody and grim. The way he looks at me you might think I'd just sold him down the river to the Agency.

  Has he been able to divine what just happened between me and Adam? Or did he hear what we were talking about?

  I give him a weak smile. "Are you waiting for me?"

  Without saying a word, he turns round and walks toward the elevators, leaving me there alone.

  So he knows. There's no doubt about it.

  So what? He's not my boyfriend, for crissakes! I don't owe him anything! Why should I feel guilty?

  Still, I do.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chris

  THE INCONSPICUOUS gray Toyota Corolla moves along the night streets. Heaven is driving. Greene is sitting next to her, with Sarah and myself in the back. Heaven's fast and confident hand steers the car toward the richer area of Southampton.

  Twice we're overtaken by police cars and twice Sarah grabs nervously at my hand. Still, they're not interested. We're not on the cops' to-do list.

  Greene doesn't seem too happy. Even the back of his head seems to exude frustration. Still, there was nothing he could do about me. Adam phoned him personally, telling him to take me along.

  "All right, now look," he says when we're already driving through Center Moriches. He turns round and lays his smartphone between the two front seats.

  I peer at the floor plan on the screen - apparently, of the house we were heading for.

  "You saw some of the house, didn't you?" Greene asks Sarah.

  "Through Ramiro's eyes, yes," she says. "But not all of it."

  "So let's take another look. Adam forwarded this to me. Downstairs there's a large hall with a kitchen to the left and a lounge and some other room to the right... but that's irrelevant. What we need is the second floor. The stairs are here-"

  "Yes, I remember," Sarah interrupts him.

  "Upstairs, there're several bedrooms," Greene continues. "What exactly are we looking for?"

  "His office. It should be here somewhere," she points at the screen.

  "That's right. And the room adjacent to it, you don't know what it is, do you? That's his bedroom."

  "Do you want to say it's connected to the office?" I ask.

  "Exactly. Which means if he hears a noise in the house, he'll be able to get to the strongbox and destroy the evidence real quick."

  "First he needs to work out what's going on," I object. "People who are barely awake aren't known for their quick thinking."

  "Actually," Sarah butts in, "what noise are you talking about? Who's there, anyway? Are there other people in the house? Like his family? Or bodyguards? Hasn't he got any house staff?"

  Greene puts the phone away and looks expectantly at Heaven.

  She casts him a grumpy glance, then says impassively in her deep, throaty voice, "He has no family. His house staff leave for the night. But his bodyguards..."

  "He's got this huge mansion all for himself?" Sarah interrupts incredulously.

  "He was married," Greene explains. "Twice."

  "His bodyguards are the problem," Heaven continues. "He's got Agency guardians patrolling the house."

  We fell silent, digesting this new snippet of information.

  Finally I say, "Those papers must be really important to the Agency if they posted their own men in the house. How many of them are there?"

  "Three," Heaven turns off into a narrow street lined with trees. "One is posted outside the house and two more in the hall. They're relieved every hour. Unfortunately, our surveillance was too brief and the whole op has been too rushed for us to have gleaned much."

  I watch her in the rear-view mirror. She doesn't sound too happy even though you wouldn't be able to deduce it from the cold, non-committal expression on her ebony face.

  "Too rushed? You could say that!" Greene throws his hands in the air. "We didn't have the time, it's as simple as that! Don't you realize what they want? They want to air the information during the presidential debates between McAllister and Chloe Walker. Andy Hill is supposed to host th
e last round of the debates. That's what they said on TV today."

  "What kind of information is that?" Sarah asks. "What's in the folder?"

  Nobody replies. The contents of the manila folder is another reason why I had to go with them. Still, that's something they don't need to know.

  I do my best not to reveal my interest in the subject. Instead, I ask, "So it's Hill and the three Agency men, nobody else in the whole house?"

  Greene chops the air with his hand. "No! You think three guardians aren't bad enough? Never mind. There's a gun for every man... like this one!"

  He reaches under his jacket, then swings round in his seat and points a big handgun at me.

  Sarah startles. Greene's eyes are laughing. This is supposed to be a joke; a game.

  So I don't move even though I'd love to grab his hand, point the gun aside and give his cheeky freckled face a good slap, then punch his lights out.

  Apparently, my desire is so strong everybody in the car can feel it. Sarah sits up straight, as if preparing to use her powers against Greene who turns back, seatbelt creaking, and puts the gun away.

  Heaven takes another turn, then says louder, "Quit your bullshit. We're almost there."

  Greene licks his lips as he shoves the gun back under his belt. "This isn't an ordinary gun. It's loaded with a syringe. The substance in it can knock out a buffalo, let alone a guardian. At least I hope it can."

  "Do you?" I ask.

  "Sure. A guardian isn't much different from a buffalo, is he?"

  "That's why you wanted to test it on me first?"

  He guffaws. "I wish! We might actually need you, seeing as you've tagged along anyway. Also, I only have three syringes. I can't afford to waste them on... on... can't afford to waste them."

  "Why three?" Sarah asks. "Surely you could have taken some more?"

  "This stuff is too special," Heaven explains. "We can't use regular sedatives, they don't really work on guardians."

  "They don't work at all," Greene corrects her. "Even on us, let alone Agency guardians. Those bastards are modified. They're pumped up with all kinds of shit in their secret labs. And this is their stuff. We don't have anything like it, not yet. We took these after a scrap with some Agency men. So that's all we've got. We actually had four of these but we gave one to our own lab to study."