Redeeming

by Gabrielle Demonico

  “Tricia…” Daniella groaned. “For the last time… what’s it gonna be? Time is wasting…”

  “Fine…” Tricia said. “Go… Just go.”

  For several minutes, the women followed along the well-worn footpath. They kept close to one another as they moved in virtual lockstep. The wilderness was eerily quiet. Each step they took seemed to echo like the clash of a cymbal into the still night air. How no one would be aware of their presence seemed impossible for Daniella to fathom. Her heart skipped beat after beat and Tricia’s labored breaths from behind did little to calm her already frayed nerves.

  “Daniella…” Tricia whispered as a thick twig snapped beneath her foot. “Do you have any idea where to go?”

  “No,” Daniella replied. “I am assuming the trail will take us to wherever it is Owen is headed.”

  “Well, what’s going to happen when, or if, we find it?”

  “I don’t know.” Daniella replied. “I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. If nothing else, we’ll know where they are so if something happens we can get help for them.”

  “And if we are the ones who need the help?” Tricia asked.

  Daniella didn’t respond but Tricia had a point. In fact, the further and deeper they traversed into the wilderness, the more concerned she became. But as her worry started to amplify the self-doubt in her mind, the trail opened into a clearing where it split into several different directions. They stopped and looked around.

  “Which way?” Tricia asked.

  “I don’t know,” Daniella began as she craned her neck, looked, and listened for any sign of what to do next.

  “Hey,” Tricia said as she pointed in front of them. “What’s that?”

  Daniella squinted and looked in the direction of Tricia’s extended index finger. About fifty yards in front of them was a fence and a partially opened gate.

  “I don’t know.” Daniella shrugged. “Let’s go find out…”

  As they approached the gate, Daniella noticed a large sign in the middle of it that read, “No Trespassing. Violators Will Be Shot.”

  The fence, constructed of barbed wire and thick oak posts, stretched as far as she could see in either direction. She walked up to the gate and saw a heavy chain with a lock attached on the ground. She knelt down, picked up the chain, and examined it.

  “Tricia,” she said. “Look at this…”

  Tricia knelt down next to her. “What?”

  “Look here,” Daniella said as she pointed to a broken link in the chain. “This looks like it was just cut. Doesn’t it?”

  Tricia took the chain link in her hand. She held it up in the moonlight and rubbed the edges of it with her fingertips.

  “Yeah, I think you’re right.” She said. “Do you think Owen went this way?”

  Daniella wiped the rust of the chain from her hands. “Only one way to find out.” She said as she stood.

  Tricia dropped the chain to the ground as Daniella spoke.

  “If you want, I can go ahead a little bit while you wait here.” Daniella said as she squinted to see what lie ahead of her.

  “Wait here?” Tricia replied. “I’m not staying here by myself. Are you nuts?”

  “Okay then, come on.”

  With that, Daniella pushed the heavy gate open a bit further so they could both pass through it. It groaned as she did and the chain clinked along the trail until the gate came to a stop. They traveled along on the new trail inside the fenced off property. Almost as soon as they started down it, a thick canopy of trees enclosed the footpath.

  Of course Daniella had no idea who’s property she was on or if the threat to shoot and kill was serious or not. But, for the first time since they’d ventured onto the trail, she felt a deep sense of dread come over her. Poor Tricia was nervous enough for both of them already. The last thing Daniella wanted to do was make that any worse. And so in spite of her own fear, she decided to stay strong for both of them. As it turned out, they needed it…

  All of a sudden, just beyond a rise in the trail ahead of them, the women heard a noise. From behind, Tricia’s hand clinched onto Daniella’s upper arm.

  “What was that?” Tricia whispered in terror.

  Daniella shook her head but didn’t respond. For several seconds, they remained frozen in place, riveted to the ground by collective fear. The sound drew closer and louder. Panic stricken, Daniella looked to her left and then her right for a place to hide but the forest floor was largely bare. Tall, thin Aspen trees bristled in the night air but did nothing to protect them from whoever, or whatever, approached them from the other side of the hill.

  Tricia tugged at Daniella’s shirt. “Let’s get out of here.” She whispered.

  Daniella’s mouth fell open and she nodded in agreement but just as they began to turn and head in the opposite direction, the source of the sound appeared at the top of the hill. Dead ahead, an immense bear ambled into the center of the path.

  Even from a distance, it looked enormous. Paralyzed by primal fear, the women froze as the animal stood on its hind legs and looked directly at them. It opened its mouth, bared its teeth but didn’t roar or make any noise louder than a low growl. In the next second, it fell back down on all fours and began to walk straight towards them.

  “Oh shit, holy shit…” Tricia said as she staggered backwards away from Daniella.

  Daniella turned over her shoulder. “Tricia, no. Don’t run.” She warned. “You’ll never make it. He’ll catch you.”

  “Well, I’m not just going to stand here and get eaten, damn it!” She exclaimed.

  As they quarreled, the beast continued to move towards them in a deliberate manner.

  “Dan… iella…” Tricia choked in terror as she clutched at her friend’s shirt.

  But as the space between them and the bear narrowed, Daniella got a closer look at the furry menace. Upon further examination, she swore she recognized it.

  “Don’t worry…” Daniella said with a reassuring tone in her voice. “We might be in trouble but you’re in no danger.”

  Unable to speak, Tricia clutched Daniella’s midsection with a death grip.

  “What?” She gasped. “What do you mean… no danger?”

  Daniella nodded. “Trust me…”

  As she spoke, the immense animal came to a complete stop about six feet in front of them. It shook its entire body like wet dog. As it did, it underwent a terrific transformation. Though it was something familiar to Daniella, the foreign spectacle riveted Tricia’s attention.

  “Daniella…” Tricia gasped. “I…”

  “No. Shh, it’s okay.” Daniella replied. “Watch…”

  The pair stood frozen on the trail as the beast’s body buckled and gyrated. In the span of a few seconds, what was a five hundred pound monster moments earlier changed before their eyes into Owen.

  “Oh my God…” Tricia said as she raised her hand to her mouth.

  “I told you…” Daniella said as she smiled.

  But Owen was in no mood to entertain or impress. He ran up to them with a look of anger in his eyes.

  “Daniella,” he began. “What have you done? You know you shouldn’t have come here…”

  Tricia was still in a state of shock and unable to do much else but stare slack jawed at the bear shifter. For her part, Daniella didn’t want to hear what she could or couldn’t do. She opened her mouth to protest Owen’s accusatory remarks, when he interrupted her.

  “We need to get off the trail, now…” he said with frustration in his tone. He grabbed both of the women by the arm and led them into the woods. The underbrush crunched beneath their feet as Owen guided them along from behind.

  “Ow,” Daniella moaned. “Owen, you are hurting me.”

  “Quiet.” He said. “Keep moving…”

  ***

  “Give me your purses.” He said.

  “What!” The women replied in collective disbelief.

  “No way,” Daniella began. “Everything I have is in there.”


  Owen shook his head and without wasting a second, he snatched both of their bags, snapping the straps in the process. They groaned and complained in disapproval but it didn’t matter. With his backpack over his left shoulder, he held both of theirs in his right as he looked at them.

  “Wait here.” He said. “Don’t move or even breathe until I get back.”

  The women nodded and sat down on a large boulder nearby. Owen climbed up an embankment and vanished from sight.

  “He seems really pissed, Daniella.” Tricia said. “I’m starting to think this was a huge mistake…”

  Daniella nodded. Owen was mad, there was no doubt about it, but she was prepared to deal with it. Whatever they planned to do here was going to involve her whether he liked it or not. Just then, Owen reappeared from over the hill and skidded back down to where the women sat. He paced back in front of them for several seconds and rubbed his chin in silence. At last, he stopped and turned to face them.

  “We don’t have any time.”

  “Time… Time for what?” Daniella asked. “Owen, where is our stuff?”

  “Don’t worry about it…” he grumbled as he continued, “Time to get you out of here.”

  “Owen… we aren’t going anywhere.” Daniella huffed.

  Owen glared down at the women. “Daniella, this is no place for you. Especially someone like you. Now, do as I tell you and…”

  Owen stopped mid-sentence and raised his index finger to his lips. He motioned for the women to stand and without a word, gestured for them to head towards the stream. As she stood, Daniella heard voices in the distance. Tricia grabbed her arm, nearly yanking her to the ground as Daniella lost her footing on the loose dirt beneath her.

  “Go…” Owen whispered. “Now…”

  Daniella’s heart raced as the three of them turned and headed towards the stream. But before a single second passed, high-powered flashlights glared into their eyes from all sides. The bright light made it all but impossible to distinguish any faces.

  “You…” one of the men said as he gestured with his gun in Owen’s direction. “Turn this way. Now…”

  Owen cursed under his breath for a moment and then slowly began to turn his head. As he did, the men staggered backwards.

  “Shit Rudy,” Another man said. “Who’s that?”

  “I don’t know… Never seen him before.” Rudy began. “Don’t move fucker. If you even try to shift, we’ll shoot. Do it and die.”

  The men cocked their weapons and aimed them at Owen. As they did, they all made their way down the embankment. By Daniella’s count, there were four of them.

  “Hands up old man! Same goes for you two women. Now…” Another of the men commanded.

  “Where are you from? Where’s your clan?” Rudy asked. “What are you doing out here with these human females?”

  “Which question do you want me to answer first, kid?” Owen said.

  Rudy stepped towards Owen and pressed the barrel of the gun into his cheek.

  “Watch it.” He warned. “I’ll waste you right here.”

  Owen looked straight ahead and without so much as a flinch replied, “I’m sure Kane would be none too pleased if you did that.”

  The man kept the barrel against his face for a moment longer and then dropped it away.

  “Last time old man… Who are you?”

  “No one to trifle with.”

  The man scoffed at Owen’s words. He shook his head, turned towards the man on his right and said, “Call it in…”

  The man nodded and grabbed at a walkie-talkie strapped to his shoulder.

  “Team two to command one…”

  Daniella and Tricia looked at one another as the response crackled to life.

  “Copy that team two. Go ahead…”

  “Command we’ve got three in custody here. Southwest corner of quadrant four. Two flesh… one unidentified kindred.”

  There was silence once again.

  “Sorry team two… Sounded like you said ‘unidentified kindred’…”

  “Copy that command. Unidentified…”

  “Any identification on them?”

  “Negative on that command…”

  “Um, okay… Copy that two.”

  The radio fell silent once again. After a few seconds, the man pressed the button on the device and spoke into it once again.

  “Command… standard procedure with the flesh?”

  With that, several of the men engaged their weapons and aimed them at Daniella and Tricia.

  Standard procedure?

  “Daniella…” Tricia said as she squeezed her friend’s arm.

  In complete shock, Daniella shook her head. Were they about to shoot them? A sickening silence hung in the air as the radio once more went quiet. Daniella felt as if her heart were about to leap from her chest as the seconds ticked by. All of a sudden, the radio blared with life once again.

  “Um, negative on that team two. Restrain and return. Acknowledge.”

  “Copy that command.”

  “Search them…” Rudy ordered.

  Before Daniella realized what happened, she found herself on the back of a four-wheeler with her head inside of a hood. They restrained her arms and legs to prevent either injury or escape but she wasn’t sure which. As they sped along the trail to who knows where, she wondered about Jett. Was he close by? Did he see what happened? If so, was he doing anything about it?

  After about ten minutes or so, the four wheelers rumbled to a stop. One by one, they took the hoods off each of them. As Daniella reoriented herself to her surroundings, they caught her by surprise. Perhaps she thought that all shifters lived like Owen or in even more rustic accommodations.

  But in fact, the opposite appeared to be the case.

  All around here were a series of simple white ranch style homes. Each nearly identical with the exception of the one in front of them. Literally twice the size of every other home around, a long series of steps led up to the home’s front entrance.

  “Go…” one of the men said as she shoved Owen from behind.

  Owen snapped his head over his shoulder and snarled at the guard.

  The man leaned into him with the butt of his gun pressed into the middle of Owen’s back. “Do it old man… please… please do it. I would fucking love any excuse.”

  “Hey,” Rudy said. “Knock it off, Marcus.”

  Rudy turned his attention towards Daniella and Tricia. “Let’s go…” he said as he gestured towards the rear of the house.

  ***

  Still bound, the group made their way around the back. Once there, Rudy unlocked the rear entrance and ushered them inside into a basement.

  “Where is Kane?” Owen demanded as they walked.

  “Hey,” Rudy said while he flipped on a light switch. “Just shut your mouth and do as you’re told.”

  From behind, the men pointed their hostages towards chairs in the middle of the room. Once seated, they restrained each of them. Then without another word, the men climbed a nearby flight of stairs, opened a door at the top, and disappeared.

  “Listen to me… both of you…” Owen began with a whisper. He looked up, temporarily distracted by the sound of the men walking overhead. “Whatever happens… whatever questions are asked of you… you must lie. Do not let anyone here suspect you know me. Do you understand?”

  Daniella’s stomach swelled with nausea. The dank basement air filled her nostrils and did little to assuage the budding illness within her.

  “Well, what do we say?” She asked at last.

  “I will handle all of that…” he replied. “You need to remain silent above everything else.”

  “I don’t understand… why?” Daniella asked.

  “That is… exactly the problem, Daniella. You don’t understand.” He said as he bit his lip. He spat and his eyes narrowed at her in anger. “I specifically told you not to come here. You have no idea the mess the both of you have caused. For once, just listen and do as I say. Do
I make myself clear?”

  Before she could respond, Daniella heard the front door to the home open overhead. After it slammed shut, the footsteps of several more people groaned against the old wood flooring above them.

  “Daniella…” Owen said with impatience in his voice. “Do. You. Understand. Me?”

  Daniella nodded as she looked upwards. “Ye… yes.”

  Owen craned his neck towards Tricia. “Tricia… Do you understand?”

  “Oh yes…” Tricia replied within a fraction of a second. “A hundred percent.”

  “Good…” Owen said as he leaned back into his chair. “Now remember, not a word…”

  Daniella turned her attention to the commotion above her once more. She listened as a number of male voices intermingled. Aside from the occasional word or two, she found it almost impossible to understand what anyone said. However, a voice stood out from all others. Low and bass filled, it distinguished itself with ease.

  Daniella leaned over towards Owen. “Who came in?”

  “Kane…” Owen replied without looking in her direction. “Kane is here.”

  Just then, the door at the top of the stairs creaked open. A clamor of footsteps followed and in the next second, a large, barrel chested man appeared before them. With a full black beard and hair to match, if it was Kane, he looked every bit the fearsome nightmare Daniella imagined.

  Clan enforcers flanked him on all sides while he descended and as he did, his gaze moved from one captive to another until it came to rest on Owen. The man stopped dead in his tracks and shook his head as he looked at him. As their eyes locked, Owen straightened his spine in his chair and raised his chin up in a show of defiance.

  “I should have known you were behind this.” The low voice boomed.

  Owen remained expressionless while the large man spoke. As he finished, he continued down the stairs and walked right up to Owen’s face. For several seconds, the two of them stared at one another without a word. At last, the man turned away from him, wrapped his arms behind his back, and joined them just below the waist.

  “After all this time. Why have you come back here?” He asked Owen in a suspicious tone. “You know what will become of you my brother.”

  Brother?

  “You know why I’m here.” Owen replied. “And don’t call me that, Kane… my brother died decades ago.”