The Dark Corner

by Easton Livingston

  Sebastian kept his head low as he passed the windows on the side of the house, making sure no shadows were cast through the windows. He didn't know why he was still a part of the field team. He had enough years and could have taken a coordinator position to put missions together. But as soon as he thought of that he knew it wasn't him. He was born for field work. Didn't matter how long or how old he got. Until he couldn't do it, he would remain on the front lines doing what needed to be done because he was the one to do it. The Elders knew that which is why they kept him in the field. But it was his job to train Amanda and Tyler so when the day came where he couldn't do the job anymore, they could take over. But that was a long time off. He was in fantastic shape for his age, felt great, and didn't see that coming down the pike anytime soon. Sure he has some gray coming in but that didn't belie his physical condition. Though he was in his early-40s, he had a good fifteen years left before he would call it quits. It depended on what Providence would bring.

  He arrived at the back of the house and chanced peering in through the window on the door. There was a woman walking in the middle of the dining room. She wore a black coat and had shoulder length blonde hair. It was all he could see from his vantage point. She was searching. Good. That meant that she hadn't found what she was looking for yet.

  He inched the outside screen door open, trying not to let the hinges squeak and alert her to his presence. He stuck his foot into the door to hold it open while he reached inside his pocket to grab the back door key. If he could catch her by surprise, he can in this whole situation. Inserted the key into the door knob and turned it, hoping beyond hope it would unlock without a sound. It was good enough, unlocking with a soft click. When he checked to see where his unwanted visitor was, she disappeared out of sight into the living room.

  He slid in through the back door which led into the kitchen. With stealthy steps, he continued towards the dining room, slithering his sword out of its sheath. Looking through the threshold past the dining room into the living room, he saw her lifting up the couch cushions.

  “Well, that's just rude.”

  The woman turned around and smiled at him.

  “Well, well, well. I assume you are the famous Sebastian Kane.”

  Sebastian stood motionless, his nerves on high alert.

  “Oh, don't be surprised. I know all about you and your little team,” Tawny said. “As a matter of fact, I hung around waiting for you just to see who you were. I'm curious like that. I'm underwhelmed though they didn't say you were such eye candy.”

  Sebastian snorted his derision. “How pathetic. The best you can do is throw around petty insults and lustful come-ons? Childish. Epic fail.”

  Tawny waved her index finger in the air as she crossed the room.

  “Who said that was the best I could do?”

  Sebastian brought the sword into view from behind his back.

  “I have no interest in having any kind of conversation with you. So now you have a choice. You can give yourself up or die trying to escape. Makes no difference to me.”

  Tawny put her hand on her chest in mock astonishment.

  “Well, that sounds very serious. I certainly don't want to die. So, I don't think I will today.”

  Tawny drew a circle in the air. The room filled with a gray mist. Sebastian realized she had prepared some kind of incantation or spell before he'd even walked into the house. He hadn’t taken that into consideration. Careless move on his part. She planned her escape before he had arrived. He had to get to her before the mist became too thick.

  Lunging across the room in one bound, he swung the sword in a downward arc, hoping to wound her and stop the altercation before it began. She was too quick, moving to the left and running up the stairs. The mists became thicker. It was getting difficult to see. However, her retreating upstairs was foolish. There was no other way out. She’d be trapped.

  Something moved off to his right. Was that her? How was that possible? He’d seen and heard her going upstairs. Two people? How? There was no way he could have missed someone else ... or was there?

  The living and dining room were now thick with smoke. He caught glimpses of movement but they were going in different directions.

  “It’s very hard to kill what you can’t catch ... or what you can’t see.”

  She laughed which seemed to echo from everywhere at once. Sebastian clenched his teeth. The verbal jabs were scraping against his nerves. The mist was making it hard to think and concentrate which he knew was the point. It may have been laced with some kind of drug to catch him unaware and off guard, throw him off balance. It was working. He had to focus. Concentrate. Hold his breath. Close his eyes. Block out the distractions. Focus on the Light.

  The back door opened. He ran through the kitchen and bolted out the back door, taking deep breaths. She was no where in sight.

  “Amanda! She’s coming your way!”

  Sebastián was halfway to the front before Amanda appeared.

  “Where? Where is she?”

  Sebastian stopped in his tracks. “You didn't see her? She had to have come this way.”

  Amanda shook her head. “No one came this way.”

  Sebastian searched all around, running back to the back yard. He spotted impressions in the back grass and followed them. They led behind the garage through a gate in the fence. Jumping over, he tracked where they led but came to a paved driveway. Running out into the street, he saw the car as it was pulling away.

  She waved at him.

  Sebastian let out a frustrated grunt. She was too far away to get a license plate number. He made his way back to the parked car in front of the house where Amanda and Tyler was holding the lookout. His demeanor stern, he flung open the driver’s side door, startling the young lady in the seat.

  “We’re going to have a little talk.”

  Part VII - Ritualistic

  Neff followed Murchowski outside of Toledo proper to Ampoint, a warehousing and logistics complex. Located in a suburban outskirt called Perrysburg, the buildings in the area were older, built in the 1970s. There had been an attempt at modernizing the area with a Fed-Ex distributor warehouse and some other small office buildings built within the last ten years. They were the exception to the rule.

  Dusk moved in as the clouds obscured the sun casting a dreary pall over the complex. Scraggy foliage overgrew train tracks that were still in use however sporadic. Weeds and broken asphalt roads were the nerve center of the 2.5 million square foot facility. The buildings were all painted a yellowish hue, irrigation ditches with high brush lining the edge of some roads. Some buildings were in operation while others wallowed in vacancy.

  Neff stopped with engine running near the corner of a nearby warehouse to where Murchowski parked. He had a direct line of sight to her car. There were other cars in the parking lot. She was meeting with someone. Concrete steps led up to a visible standard door. Four large overhang doors for semi-trucks ran the length of the building next to it. The architecture was plain, square, and nondescript.

  He wasn't sure why Murchowski was there; the thoughts going through his mind speculations at best. Maybe it was an operation for smuggling drugs or guns though the latter didn't seem to fit her character.

  He reached inside his jacket pocket, pulled out a stick of spearmint gum, and crumpled the silver wrapper in his hand, placing it in his ashtray. Chewing kept him busy. He had an itch. He wanted to get inside to see what was going on but held off, hoping it was just another stop off.

  Another car pulled into the parking lot. A blonde haired woman exited the car and went into the warehouse. Neff counted the number of cars. Eight. If he went inside, it would be at least that many people waiting for him.

  Things weren't looking up.

  * * * * *

  Tawny entered the warehouse, making her way through the office area. No one was here as usual. She walked down the small hallway past the water cooler and entered the warehouse floor.

  The witches stood arou
nd in a group. She stopped for a few moments to observe. Nervousness infiltrated the air, and she understood why. The original schedule for the ritual wasn't for another two weeks. The abrupt shifting of the timetable was puzzling, and it was a certainty Murchowski had told no one why it changed. Being kept in the dark about the situation didn't engender confidence and it was making the peasants restless.

  She strode towards them, her confidence radiating with each step. A tiny smile formed on her face. Her poise would alleviate many of their fears and apprehensions. She wanted to know more information for herself and being second in command, she would be their voice.

  Murchowski stood with her arms crossed, faced away from everyone. When she heard Tawny's footsteps, she turned and looked at her.

  “Do you have it?”

  Tawny kept walking in silence until she came closer to everyone else. She didn't answer on purpose. Murchowski sensed the defiance in her silence.

  “Do you have it?” she said, emphasizing each word.

  Tawny stood there, pausing before answering. “Why are we performing the ritual tonight?”

  The tension in the air became more taut. Everyone in the coven feared Murchowski and for good reason. She was more experienced and had more power because of it. But Tawny had observed over time how she chose her members. She chose those who would be subservient to her. Her therapist practice wasn't just a front. She used it to her advantage. There was no affinity for any of them. For Murchowski, it was all about increasing power. Her power.

  Murchowski's eyes narrowed. “Why are you questioning me? Who exactly do you think you are?”

  Tawny knew she had to tread with kid gloves. She didn't want to become an example. However, the question was a legitimate one, so she wasn't about to back down.

  “I'm not questioning your authority. I'm trying to find out the reason for this judgment. We are on a specific timetable that worked out fine. Now this sudden change. You've uprooted all of us from the lives and endeavors we lead to come here ahead of the time. I think we deserve an explanation why.”

  Tawny glanced at the faces of everyone else and recognized she had voiced what all of them were wondering but didn't have the audacity to ask. She had them on her side and Murchowski sensed the same thing. Tawny noticed the slight tightening of Murchowski's jaw before she answered.

  “If you must know,” she began. “The police has opened an investigation on Mr. Johansen. It seems they may believe it was a homicide instead of a suicide. They are taking steps to exhume the body.”

  “You believe they will find something that incriminates you.”

  Tawny could feel the pendulum sway further in her favor. It'd been a long time coming. Murchowski was not worthy to be the high priestess of the coven. But she still had to be careful.

  “I understand,” she said.

  Murchowski held out her hand and nodded. “Good. Hand over the…”

  “I'm just not sure what that has to do with the rest of the coven.”

  The witches became rigid.

  “Well. The kitten has grown a set of claws and has decided to take on the lioness.”

  “I told you this was not about…”

  “Do not patronize me! You have decided that this would be the time for an attempted coup. I'd be impressed if it wasn’t utterly stupid.”

  Murchowski approached Tawny who stood her ground. The rest of the witches took one step back recognizing a shootout was about to happen.

  “I'm tired of these games. You have a choice. Either hand over the E-Stone now so we can begin this ritual or lose your life trying to take over this coven. Believe me my dear, those are your only two options now.”

  Tawny gave the options serious consideration. Murchowski was more than formidable. It was a reason — the only reason — why she was the high priestess of the coven. But Tawny had secrets of her own that none of the other witches were privy to and she didn't want to reveal them yet. After the ritual, she may have to make her move. It would be better to hand over the E-Stone and stall for time to formulate an exit strategy if needed. This was the last day she would be a member of the coven.

  Deliberate and slow, she retrieved the E-Stone from her black purse, holding it in her open hand towards Murchowski.

  “Well, it seems as if you haven't completely lost your mind.”

  * * * * *

  The interrogation didn't take much coercion. Sebastian considered her predicament.

  The young witch was new to the coven so there were no long-term allegiances needing elimination. The witch he'd encountered used her as a decoy, abandoned on purpose. That didn't beget any newfound loyalty. The escaped witch knew she would lead them to the coven meeting. They were being led into a trap. But what choice did he have? He couldn't ignore the information she'd given and let the witches complete the ritual she had spoken about.

  The leader of the coven, Stephanie Murchowski, planned to take the essence of the E-Stone and infuse its power with her soul then diffuse it to the other witches. She would become the source, the mother of the power the coven possessed, the raw power of emotion. The saying, “if looks could kill” would no longer be hypothetical. It was a horrifying to think about.

  There was no option. They had to stop the ritual, but it still didn't make him feel any better knowing they were being used as part of another witch's plan.

  They arrived at Ampoint at twilight. He spotted the rest of the cars parked in the small lot in front. All three of them paused, anticipating what was about to transpire. From what the young witch said, it would be eight against three. That wouldn't be a problem in normal circumstances. It was the uncertainty of the power they were dealing with that made them hesitant.

  The clouds darkened over the warehouse, whirling in a convex rotation.

  “I think we better get inside there now,” Tyler said, looking up into the sky. “It looks like they're beginning.”

  They sat unmoving. Sebastian turned towards them, extending his hands. Amanda and Tyler took one each, using the other to connect with each other.

  “Lord. We need Your strength. You have empowered us to defeat this enemy. Guide us. We walk in Your power which no man can stand against. Amen.”

  They each collected their thoughts and focus. Years of training and teaching was coming to a head tonight. They had been in these situations before and each time it was the same. Each time was as serious as the time before. It was never a small matter.

  “Follow my lead,” said Sebastian. “He's with us.”

  Tyler and Amanda nodded to one another. They made a simultaneous exit from the SUV. They didn't need to run, but they needed to hurry. Sebastian unsheathed his sword, resolute steps carrying him to the warehouse entrance.

  * * * * *

  Neff saw shadowy clouds swirling above the warehouse. His stomach churned, all senses jumping to attention, his sixth-sense sounding off in his soul. Something was definitely wrong. This went beyond just a natural phenomena happening in the sky. He could feel it. This was something else.

  A dark SUV pulled up and parked in the parking lot. Three figures exited the vehicle, one of them pulling out what was unmistakeably a sword.

  He pulled out a cell phone, navigated to his favorites, and pressed the speed dial.

  “Where are you at?” Steve said on another end.

  “I'm sitting here at the Ampoint Complex following up on a lead. Something is about to go down here.”

  “You think or you know?”

  Neff paused for a moment, looking back up at the clouds.

  “I know. Call Perrysburg Township police to see about getting some units out here. Send some units of ours out here too.”

  There was a pause at the other end. “Sam. What's going on?”

  “Steve, I wish I knew. Make the call.”

  He stepped out of the car, reached inside his holster, and pulled out his revolver. He clicked open the inner barrel, checking the bullets in the cylinder. The only time he ever used the thing was at
the shooting range, and it had been a while since he been there. He didn't know why he was checking his gun, but he knew he was going to needed.

  * * * * *

  Sebastian, Amanda, and Tyler made their way through the front offices of the warehouse, furnished with old furniture from the 1980s giving the area a stale smell. They reached the door that led into the main warehouse and cracked it open. The witches were in a circle straight in front of them. It was a sight to see. The coven chanted, calling out to some unseen entity. One witch levitated above them in the center which Sebastian deduced was the high priestess Murchowski. She had her hands outstretched towards the heavens and was speaking above the others.

  “It is my destiny. It is my time. We, the Ladies of Lunar, now invoke the spirit of Athaliah Brown and the power of Artemis! Infuse your servant with your blessing! Give wisdom in its dispensation!”

  Sebastian steeled himself. This was the rantings of a crazy woman made more dangerous because she believed what was coming out of her mouth. Worse, she'd convinced others to help fulfill the insane demands coming from her lips. If they didn't move and do something about it, it would be a living nightmare.

  The area to the right was open but the area to the left had material stacked on pallets and parked forklifts. They could maneuver themselves over there since they were busy. Sebastian turned and looked at Amanda and Tyler. “We need to move to the left begin position. On my mark, you guys need to break up the rest of the witches and what they're doing. I'll take Murchowski.”

  They nodded their acknowledgement.

  Sebastian opened the door and slid through crouching, moving to the first pallet, sitting behind it. Amanda was right on his heels and Tyler after her. They all sat down behind the pallet. Sebastian peered around the corner. He spotted the witch he encountered at home base. There was an urge to attack her first, but he knew it was foolish. The ritual was the priority. To pull it off, the high priestess could not be allowed complete it. She was the key.