“You need to understand,” Elijah said, “I don’t want to put you in this situation. In fact, I’d rather have avoided you getting involved at all in this. My fear however, is that you would be in more danger off to the side than if you were involved. Ignorance can be dangerous.”
“Yes,” Christina said, “so I need to get close to the capitol. I need to be your inside-man...well, woman.” She smiled to herself at that last part.
“I know it may sound thrilling to you,” Elijah said, “but you really need to be careful. The High Council has constant dealing in the capitol with the mayor, and I don’t want anyone to recognize you. None of us know what they’re really capable of. There are other things to be mindful of as well...”
Christina’s mind moved back to the present as the bus arrived. People quietly got on as they flashed their bus ID’s in front of the scanner near the door. It beeped a positive sound every time someone was approved. The person in front of her scanned his ID and a negative sound came from the device as the screen flashed red. Two soldiers ran over to the man while clutching their firearms.
“Sir,” one of the soldiers said, “you need to come with us.” The older man looked confused.
“But,” the man said, “I didn’t do anything. I just want to go home. My wife’s waiting for me.” Each soldier grabbed an arm of the man and pulled him to a nearby vehicle.
The man tried to pull away, and one of the soldiers hit him across the jaw with the butte of his rifle. The man fell to the ground. Christina turned away, moving forward to swipe her pass on the censor. It beeped happily as she got on the bus. After she had sat down she looked back in that direction and saw the two soldiers dragging the man by his arms. There were streaks of blood on the ground where he’d been beaten.
She looked around the bus. Other people quietly looked down. There were a few children, but even they knew not to utter a word. She fought a tear as the bus began to move. I’m tired of this place. She repeated that to herself as the bus moved out of Capital District.
23
Elijah Vanguard stood outside of an alley off of Main Street in Old District. He’d been waiting for some time for a friend of his to arrive. There was a slight breeze about, making the weather somewhat pleasant. The collar of his brown jacket was pulled up regardless, hiding some of his face.
There was some noise in the alley, a scurrying. He turned to look for a moment down it, seeing nothing but darkness. It was near evening, and Old District was getting much darker now that night was falling. He sighed for a moment. He was paranoid. He enjoyed the cool weather, but sometimes wished it got cooler than this. It never got cooler than the fifties in Dirge.
There was an occasional car that passed by, but other than that there was no one out. Old District had a large population, but even the homeless tended to stay in abandoned buildings and out of sight once evening and night fell. He thought about all the people hiding in those buildings. Some were homeless. Others were in hiding. Some were part of his fledgling resistance.
He heard some footsteps approach him from the East. He strained his eyes, and through the darkness he could see a lone figure. It was Luke Carmichael, one of the producers of the network vids. Elijah was relieved when he saw the man approaching. Luke was a shorter man, thin with distinct features. He also had red hair, although it was covered by a hat. Luke also had a gray scarf around his neck.
Luke approached him quickly, and they shook hands.
“You’re running a little late,” Elijah said. "Is everything all right?” Luke’s face was pale.
“Eli,” Luke said, “they’ve got my girls." Elijah was surprised.
“Who has your family?”
“They...they killed Sarah. After that they took my two daughters. I didn’t have any other choice. I...I’m sorry Eli.” Luke backed away as he spoke.
“Luke, what do you mean?” Elijah asked, a slight bit of panic escaping from his voice. He heard other steps coming up behind Luke. At least ten bright lights shined at Elijah from behind Luke. Soldiers with flashlights. Civic Protection.
“Elijah Vanguard,” an officer said, “you’re to be detained for questioning by order of Civic Protection and the High Council. You will come with us and you give us the whereabouts of your daughter, Alicia Vanguard, who is wanted for questioning as well.” The mentioning of his daughter surprised him a little.
“What would you need to question a seven-year-old about?” he said while blocking the light with one arm. His face was serious.
“It’s not Civic Protection’s policy to explain our actions,” the officer said, “especially to men who are suspected of supporting know terrorists.” The soldiers approached him slowly with their flashlights and weapons drawn. Each soldier carried an automatic rifle, except for the ranking officer, who held a pistol.
A figure moved out of the alley with speed that surprised them all, moving in between Elijah and the approaching soldiers. Elijah instantly recognized him as James, although he looked different.
“Identify yourself,” the ranking officer shouted to him. James’s coat had a high collar that reached his cheek bones. His eyes appeared to be completely covered by a reflective silver, his face below his eyes was covered by what looked like a metal cloth. The features of the lower half of his face were hidden due to the mask. It was his eyes that were the most startling, however. Not just for the appearance, but his silver eyes held a restrained rage. His threatening appearance caused a couple of the soldiers to step back instinctively. His look was serious.
James’s coat shimmered slightly in the light, portraying a metallic reflectiveness and movement that made it seem alive. It was alive, an extension of James and the creature attached to his spine. His hair was silver, not like an elderly person, but it looked like was made of the same reflective metal. He also looked more gaunt, but more strong. He had not only fierceness, but a confidence in his stance.
“I’m the hunter,” James said calmly.
“Turn around and put your hands behind your head,” the officer said, “do it now.”
James stood for a moment staring at them humorously, tilting his head to one side. He obviously was not taking them seriously, or so it seemed to them. The soldiers raised their rifles at him. Seconds before they began firing, massive wings morphed from James’s jacket, spreading outward as a shield to block the oncoming bullets. His main concern was shielding Elijah as he held out his wings, letting the bullets from the Civic Protection assault rifles hit his metal scales with no effect.
After thirty seconds or so of firing, one of the soldiers began to reload his weapon. James’s wings morphed back into his jacket as he rushed the soldier, grabbing his rifle and hitting him in the head with the butt. The man flew backward from the impact, but James had already moved to the next two soldiers. He swung the rifle like a bat, hitting both men and knocking them backwards. James held up the rifle, catching a glimpse of it. It was bent from the impact.
The ranking officer had moved behind him at that moment, aiming the pistol at James’s head. James sensed him there, dodging the shot at the last instant by swaying to one side with inhuman reflexes. The bullet whistled past James’s ear, but he didn’t hesitate. James twisted his torso and grabbed the officer's hand that held the gun. James pulled the man forward; as he was doing so he squeezed the man’s arm until a bone breaking could be heard. He flipped the soldier onto the pavement. The impact caused the man to go unconscious.
The other six officers stood staring at him in disbelief. The held their rifles on him, but backed away slowly. James glared at them.
“That’s right,” James said, “you’ve seen what I can do.” He stepped forward towards them. The soldiers turned and ran. James chuckled. "Strength in numbers won’t win this fight.” He watched them go, and didn’t pursue.
Elijah was about to speak when James quickly turned and grabbed him and grew the wings o
n his back again. He had pulled them both into the air, and was gliding over the streets.
“Where are we going?” Elijah asked, trying to stay calm.
“I’m dropping you a few blocks away from here where you need to find Luke. He’s headed south on fifty-eighth street.” As he finished speaking, they’d already reached their destination. To Elijah’s surprise, they landed softly. James put him down.
“What do I do then?” Elijah asked.
“Persuade him that his children are safe, and that I’m bringing them to him. From where you are at that point, try to find the nearest dark alley with a sewer manhole. It’ll most likely be locked or welded shut, most of them are. It doesn’t matter though. Just stay quiet and wait for me there. I’ll find you.”
“Wait,” Elijah said as James started to turn, “where have you been for the last two weeks?”
“You’ll know soon enough,” James said, “but right now you have to trust me. Hurry and find him.”
Elijah nodded as James grew claws, climbing up the nearest building and disappearing in the sky. He then looked at the nearest street sign, and started running south.
24
James spread out his senses as he flew over Old District. He was headed out of the district, into the smaller one known as Lower District. There were more warehouses and factories in this part of the city than any other. There was one warehouse in particular he was interested in. He could see them clearly with his mind’s eye, soldiers standing guard over two children. Two little girls. The oldest was no more than ten, and they were both huddled in a corner while the small number of secret police took turns watching them playing some sort of game on a data screen.
He could almost feel the children’s fear, and the arrogance of the soldiers standing watch over them. The threat of violence was probably keeping the girls in line more than any ropes or chains ever could. The soldiers controlled them with their fear. It was easy to read people with his mind’s eye. It was growing stronger. He could see people more clearly, more accurately and from further away.
He could sense when people were lying, and actually feel their heart rates speed up and slow down. His vision was also not only more acute, but stronger. He could see things from a great distance with his eyes alone. With his mind’s eye, his vision became something else. He could see their anatomical differences. He felt their minds and could see their nervous systems. Something had awakened inside of him. Something that was there before the collapse of the building.
He couldn’t feel any of the High Council present. That didn’t matter. He had a mission to do. He flew on towards the warehouse, silently approaching the unsuspecting soldiers.
25
Elijah awoke hearing his wife crying. He sat up in bed. Callie was sitting up in a rocking chair, holding their daughter Alicia in her arms. He could see her fair skin silhouetted in the dim light, her blond hair standing out in the darkness. Alicia cooed softly in her mother’s arms. The child was only two months old, but had a head of brown hair like her father. Just like her late brother, Elijah though. Otherwise Alicia was probably going to look like her mother. He hoped she would, anyway.
“Did you have another one?” he asked his wife, looking at her in concern.
“Yes.”
“Don’t worry about it, it’s just a dream. It’ll pass, just like everything else does.”
“I don’t dream like you do,” Callista said, “you know that.”
“Can’t you tell me what it was?”
“You also know I can’t do that.” She glanced at him for a moment, smiling. He couldn’t help but smile back.
He watched his wife with their daughter. Her eyes would light up as she watched her. Alicia started to fall asleep, and Callie began rocking her.
Elijah shifted his focus back to his wife. Callista Vanguard, or Callie as he’d affectionately called her, was unmistakably beautiful. She had blue eyes and a face that not only displayed natural beauty, but an impossibility to tell her age. She looked forever young. Her curly blond hair had been longer when they’d first met. Now it was cut to shoulder length.
Her figure, which she was extremely modest about, was tall and athletic. She was taller than him by several inches. Her curves now were hidden in blankets and a robe as she rocked their two month old baby.
This memory of Callista would always stick out in Elijah’s mind. It was the last time he would see his wife and daughter together.
26
“Luke, wait!” Elijah called out as he caught up with him. Luke turned around, surprised.
“I...I don’t understand,” Luke said, “the soldiers…”
“There’s no time." Elijah caught up to him. “I understand why you did it. Don’t worry, we have a new ally to fight them.”
“Our side? It’s that type of thinking that gets us in trouble. Gets our children kidnapped, our wives killed. Why haven’t you stopped this yet? The same thing that happened to you is happening to me.” Luke had frustration mixed with desperation in his face.
“Yes,” Elijah said, “and did I give up? The threats and the fear, they will never go away unless we do something. Do you always want to worry about this happening? Or do you want to stop it? I know this will be over one day, and I want to have played a part in saving our city. Callie’s dead and I can’t change that.” Elijah paused, “She's been dead almost seven years. Even before that we’d experienced the pain of loss. I’ll make sure they didn’t die in vain. Everything is different now. We can stop them now. We have the power. I just saw Civic Protection soldiers run in fear.”
“Who helped you?” Luke asked. “I heard the gunshots as I ran away. I was afraid. I’m sorry.” There was shame on the man’s face. Elijah put his hand on his friend’s shoulder.
“There was a time that you told me you believed in a higher power,” Elijah said, “a God that was watching over us, protecting us from harm.”
“A lot of good that belief did,” Luke said. “Now my wife is dead, and my daughters are gone.”
“No,” Elijah said, “your daughters are safe. The Hunter has rescued them.”
“How do you know?”
“Just as much as I started to believe in God,” Elijah said, “when I saw someone I thought had been dead for nearly twenty years show up in front of me. You’ll see your daughters soon.” Elijah knew James would save them. He trusted him with his life. With all of their lives. His thoughts moved back to his wife as he and Luke moved into an alley.
27
In the last two weeks the soldiers had grown less nervous since they had first fought James. Since he hadn’t shown up at all since the incident, they figured it was nothing. Maybe he’d died of his injuries from the attack. Their strength and resolute had grown, as had their resolve. They were still bored, however. Occasionally one of them glanced back at the two girls huddled in the corner to make sure they weren’t getting into trouble. They mostly sat down, waiting.
A few times talk arose from one or two of them, the suggestion to unspeakable acts. No one had gone further than talk, however. James watched them silently. If the children had heard the soldiers’ suggestions, he would have acted at once, but he knew they were quiet enough that they were oblivious. He didn’t want the children traumatized any more than they already were. He needed to be careful, though; he didn’t want to storm in there and someone attempt to use one or both of the girls as a hostage.
The building they were in was small, nestled in between two larger warehouses. There were only a few rooms, all offices that were abandoned long ago. Civic Protection used building and warehouses all over the city, but it was easiest to hide things in Lower District. They had the most facilities that were used for storage, so it was less suspicious. Not that they really cared or needed to hide. They operated without fear of reprisal.
Small lights hung from the ceiling by wires, swinging back and forth slow
ly by thin strands. The lights were minimal, but it was all the soldiers needed. They had their own lights as well as more weaponry in a nearby crate for emergencies. James wanted to avoid them getting that crate open. He moved from his hiding place on the roof down to the street. He huddled in darkness and found the electrical box for the small building.
Back in the small office one of the soldiers began to speak up to say something when they were all stopped short by the lights going out. They all stood up in the darkness, startled. One of them called out, and they all turned on their flashlights. They immediately moved to make sure the captives were still secure. The soldiers’ flashlights shone onto an empty corner. The children were gone. The only thing in the corner was a torn piece of rope.
One of the men walked over and picked it up. Examining it, he turned to look over at the others. He was shocked to see they were gone. He called out, and pulled out his firearm. A voice spoke to him from the room.
“Now I hunt you,” it said. It was a frightening, metallic voice. The soldier couldn’t hear where it came from. He marched through the room, searching for his unit. He didn’t see James behind him. James grabbed the man by one arm, breaking it. The man screamed in surprise as he fell to his knees. “One less soldier capable of fighting,” James said with his voice still masked. “Tell the others. The Hunter is watching this city now. Civic Protection’s reign is over.” He pushed the man over on the ground, and stomped on the flashlight, shattering it. He left the room silently, leaving the wounded man in darkness.
28
Callista sat on her knees crying, a small blue blanket against her face. There were drops of fresh blood on the blanket, which rubbed onto her face as she held it. It became wet with her tears as well. Ana was sitting on the floor nearby them, holding a towel to her head that was also a damp red. She was quiet, in shock. Elijah stood behind his wife, trying to comfort her while attempting to hold back his own emotions. He finally knelt down on the floor and embraced her.
City of Twilight: Rise of the Hunter (The Vanguard Chronicles Book 1) Page 13
