Shadows May Fall

by Corcoran, Mell

  “There were no signs of struggle or anything to indicate that this was something other than suicide.” Carpesh reiterated. “That coupled with her toxicology results, stomach contents, the overall condition of the body, it all added up to homeless drug abuser committing suicide.”

  “Stomach contents?” Caroline looked back at the report.

  “Yes, she had canned beans and malt liquor that had been consumed about two hours before death.” Peter remembered off the top of his head. “Her hygiene was that of someone who had been on the streets for some time without bathing. Matted hair, head and body lice, significant bacteria and fecal residue.”

  “Right!” Caroline interrupted him. “I get the gist.” Caroline put the file back together. “I am going to make a copy of this for my records. You can head out now.”

  Peter seemed a little surprised. “Are you sure?” He asked. “I am happy to stay and relay all this to the Principate.”

  “If she needs your account, I am sure she’ll be in touch.” Caroline assured him. “I agree with this being a suicide. There are just a few things I want to verify with the officers’ reports for my own edification. That will have to wait until tomorrow anyway.”

  “Very well.” Peter got up and gathered his things while Caroline made copies of the file. When she was finished, she handed his original back and he put it away for safe keeping. “Please do not hesitate to call if you require anything of me before the morning.”

  “Of course.” Caroline smiled softly.

  “Then, goodnight Doctor Devereaux.” He said his farewell and headed for the door.

  “Goodnight Doctor Carpesh.” Caroline’s soft smile gave way to worry as soon as Peter left the office. She took a seat at her desk and went over the copies of his report again. She had no real reason to suspect anything was off, except the nightgown, lack of shoes and her own knowledge of who the girl was. Still, Caroline knew there was something to it. She knew for a fact that Lou would think so too.

  Niko woke before dawn after a very odd dream. His special gift was his ability to see things yet to happen by way of his dreams. They were few and far between, but this one had no discernible shape or form to it. It was more the overwhelming feeling that stirred him. The sensation of being engulfed in darkness and the inability to move. When he finally was able to get out of bed, he had no desire to try to fall back asleep. Instead, he geared up and headed out for a run. He had hours before he needed to get ready for his meeting at the ICC, and he was sure the frigid pre-dawn air would clear his head.

  The Hague was shrouded in darkness and the clouds that blanketed the city made it feel silent and completely still. Niko hadn’t passed a soul when he exited the hotel. Even the doorman was absent at that hour. The distant song of a night bird and the faint hum of the current in the canal was all that was perceptible as Niko stretched and prepared for his run. It was a rare and peaceful moment in a normally bustling town. After a final twist and bend, he headed south on Smidswater then veered left over the bridge to swing back along the opposite side of the canal onto Nieuwe Uitleg. The old street lamps were still on and gave the path a romantic glow as he rounded the bend and headed towards the Malieveld.

  Perhaps it was the excessive food from the night before or the stillness of the clouds that had lulled Niko into a false sense of security, but when he crossed Jan Evertstraat, he never saw the blow coming. He heard the distinctive clang fill his ears and realized he had been struck. As he fell to the ground, his body automatically went into defensive mode with a surge of adrenaline that shot through him, negating any pain he might have felt. When his body finally made contact with the pavement, he rolled left as fast as he could and sprang to his feet in a defensive posture.

  Niko didn’t have a fight or flight instinct, only fight. He tried to get a fix on his attacker through his blurred vision. In the darkness, he could only make out one shadow that was moving toward him, so he unleashed on that as his target. He ducked and tucked, launching his fist into what he perceived to be his enemy’s torso and was rewarded with the sound of cracking ribs and a wince. That was all the confirmation he needed as he calculated in a nano-second the revised position of his adversary and wound his body up like a slingshot, hurling his foot into what he hoped was their head. Another crack and a groan, bingo. As things slowed in Niko’s mind, he caught another shadow approaching on his right. He bounced backward several steps and readied himself for the second assailant only to hear the sound of a pop, and then the sting and the immediate jolt of what he knew to be the barbs of a taser. Then came the twelve-hundred volts. He knew his body would be locked up momentarily, and that was going to be extremely inconvenient. After running through his options in the half split second that he had, he tossed his body up and back which sent him falling into the canal. It was his only option to buy himself time until he could pull the barbs out and his fall helped him accomplish that. He regained control of his body just as he hit bottom so he used that to his advantage and swam as hard as he could for the nearest bridge while staying as submerged as possible. In the four seconds it took him to reach the nearest opening in the canal wall, he had come to the determination that whoever was attacking him had no clue who they were dealing with. As he surfaced within the narrow archway, he kept completely still and listened carefully. An assault of this nature on a normal human being would have incapacitated them instantly with the first blow. Mix in the twelve-hundred volts, a couple joules and a nose dive into water, your typical guy would be toast for sure. By the sound of footfalls moving away, Niko knew his attackers assumed he was an average Joe. Fortunately for Niko, he was anything but. He took his time regaining his bearings and adjusting to the dark again though it was getting lighter with each passing moment. He could see the crossing at Maliestraat, so he took several deep breaths before going under again, then pushed himself off and swam as deep below the surface as he could toward his next point of cover. He surfaced quietly under the arch and listened carefully for anyone in pursuit. Two seconds passed, then five. Nothing. Now he needed to figure out how to get back to the hotel under cover as fast as possible. He could see the parking kiosk up the canal and on the right. That was his landmark for the narrow path that would open up just across the street from the hotel. He waited a bit longer, listening carefully. Silence. He knew that once he made his way for the kiosk, he was wide open. He needed to make it out of the canal, through Jagerstraat and into the hotel as fast as he could. Three deep breaths, under the surface he went one last time. If the sound of exploding water when Niko erupted from the canal and lunged over the side didn’t alert his pursuers to his survival, the squish and sloshing sound of his shoes and clothing surely would have. It echoed with an exaggerated sucking sound as he ran through Jagerstraat. He looked only briefly as he sprinted left towards the front of the hotel, but he saw no one. He flung his body into the gilded revolving door and dashed behind the front desk, parking himself on the floor before he took stock of his surroundings. The young woman that was working behind the desk just stared down at him aghast.

  “Be a dear and fetch Thomas for me, would you?” Niko asked in his most non-threatening and gentle tone possible. The woman nodded and ran.

  It took the young girl approximately three minutes to retrieve Thomas who promptly ordered her to leave. Exactly forty-two seconds after that, several armed security personnel appeared and established a perimeter around the front desk.

  “Master Niko!” Thomas crouched down and wrapped him in a towel. “What in Woden’s beard is going on?!”

  “That is an excellent question, my friend.” Niko responded as he toweled off. “Would you be a sport and check the suite for me?”

  “Right away!” Thomas stood up and made several hand signals, and one of the armed gentlemen took his spot next to Niko while three others followed Thomas to the elevator.

  It was only a few minutes before Niko’s sentry was fed something into his earpiece and he ass
isted Niko up off the floor. The other four guards surrounded them as they made their way to the elevator and headed to the penthouse. Thomas and his men stood waiting as the elevator doors opened.

  “It’s clear.” He informed them and they ushered Niko inside immediately. “Now please, tell me what has happened?”

  Niko recounted recent events for Thomas while he sent a broadcast text to his Aegis Council. It was about eight in the evening back in Los Angeles so he knew he wouldn’t be waking anyone. Niko had never anticipated his trip to be one that required extra security, especially since he had only notified a handful of people that he was coming. Thomas remedied the situation by calling in a few more guards and arranging for an armored vehicle to take him to the ICC. He also insisted that he send an advance team to secure the way and insisted that Niko not be left alone at any time until his plane left the tarmac. Reluctantly, Niko agreed then headed in to take a much-needed shower. Eva, the masseuse, also happened to be a nurse so Thomas summoned her to check on Niko’s condition before he could even dress for his meeting. After checking himself in the mirror, he understood why Thomas had been concerned. Though the sizable gash on his forehead had stopped bleeding and was mending itself at a rate far accelerated from a regular person, it must have been horrifying to see just after it happened. Niko assumed a large chunk of his skull had been visible at that time. By the blood on his running clothes, he was sure it must have been startling, so he submitted to Thomas’ wishes.

  Niko sat still so Eva could look him over and check all of his vital signs. There were only two discolored patches where the barbs from the taser had entered his torso and mild discomfort in his muscles from the brief skirmish. After some coffee and a lovely breakfast Thomas had brought up for him, Niko was feeling almost back to normal. He still felt a little buzzing in his limbs from the shock, but that would be gone soon too. The next order of business was to find out who had attacked him and why. Thomas already had people working on locating any video surveillance within a mile radius and was making it his personal mission to pin down the assailants. He assured Niko that he would have them ready to serve on a silver platter by the time he got back to the hotel. Niko had no doubt that would be the case given Thomas’ wife was a member of the Northern European Aegis Council. Heads were about to roll.

  Lou could barely get out of the SUV when they finally arrived at the McAllister home. She begged Dillon to carry her inside, but he just gave her a shove with a laugh. She managed to make it to the bottom of her steps, but she had to sit down and wait because her legs felt like they were going to give out from underneath her. Dillon waited in the driveway despite her waving him off with a particular finger. When he shut the car off and ran past her into the yard without a word, she got up to see where he was going.

  “You’re supposed to be carrying me upstairs, jackass!” She yelled but saw that he was chasing after Abby and Frank, who were both racing to the guest house. Miraculously her legs regained their strength, and she ran after them too.

  “How long ago? She heard Dillon ask when she finally reached the guest house.

  “Maybe ten minutes.” Frank responded as he sat at one of the computer terminals while Abby worked on the two at the other end of the coffee table.

  “What’s going on?” Lou asked them.

  “Niko was ambushed.” Abby informed her without looking up. “What? Is he alright?” Lou took a seat across from Frank “What can I do?”

  “He’s okay.” Frank assured her. “The local Aegis have been informed, and they are on it. This is a bit out of your jurisdiction.”

  “Where is he?” Lou felt helpless, and she hated it.

  “The Hague” Dillon answered.

  “The Hague, as in the Netherlands?” Lou should have remembered this. It was one of the last things Niko told her along with her starting her training with the Sensei.

  “I got Ana” Frank exclaimed, and Abby scooted next to him.

  “Frank, Abby, I am so sorry about this!” The beautiful blond woman’s face on the monitor was clearly pained. “Thomas should have given me more notice and we could have been more prepared!”

  “It was a last minute trip, Ana.” Frank explained. “We had no reason to anticipate any threat.”

  “My husband has already delivered every piece of video footage in existence from the area for the past few days, even before Niko’s arrival.” Ana informed them. “From what I was told, Niko did a fair bit of damage to his attackers, so we are combing the city and then some for anyone who is even walking funny. Niko also believes they were common, not initiated.”

  “What makes him think that?” Frank asked.

  “I’m afraid Connor is trying to connect.” Ana looked over to her left. “I wish you all were in the same room. Forgive me, I will get back to you!” Ana’s feed went black.

  “Dammit!” Abby cursed and began pacing. “Why the hell can’t he conference us in?! I will be so happy when we get headquarters built! Has anyone informed Max?!”

  “I am sure he was Niko’s first call, Abby.” Frank assured her then looked at Lou and Dillon. “I know you two have things you need to be doing.” His tone was chilled and matter of fact. “You have a day and a half to handle your local business and to be prepared for the meeting. I suggest you get on it.” Lou and Dillon both turned tail and headed out of the guest house. They felt as though they had just been dismissed by the principal, regardless of the fact that he was right.

  “That was a little harsh, don’t you think?” Abby whispered after they were gone.

  “Was it?” Frank gave her a disapproving look. “Isn’t there that old saying abut familiarity breeding contempt?”

  “Okay, now that was seriously harsh.” Abby growled at him. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “If you and Niko hadn’t gotten all up in Max’s personal business he wouldn’t have gone to Juneau and Niko would have never gone to the Netherlands alone.” He was sorry as soon as he said it.

  Abby blinked a few times. “So, this is Niko and my fault?” She wanted to make sure she had things straight.

  “That’s not what I am saying!” Frank tried to walk it back.

  “Isn’t it, though?” Abby growled again. “With that logic, if you never called the code pink, none of this would have happened. Or, wait...” She resumed pacing. “If Max were a machine and had no feelings, none of this would be happening.

  “Abby that isn’t...” Frank tried to correct himself, but she cut him off.

  “Maybe if all of us had been doing our jobs correctly there wouldn’t have been any need for us to come out here in the first place!” Now she was yelling. “And Max would have never laid eyes on her, and this whole thing wouldn’t exist in this dimension!”

  “Now you’re being ridiculous.” Frank felt horrible that he had ever gone there.

  “Am I?” Abby froze and gave him a look that made him swallow hard. “Jackass.” She stormed out of the guest house and headed for the rental. She didn’t even want to look at Frank for a long while.

  Niko’s meeting at the International Criminal Courts yielded nothing that screamed ties to illegal blood smuggling. His associate gave him a list of high-risk individuals under the purview of the European Union, but there was nothing that pointed at any of them being involved. That didn’t mean that they were automatically excluded either. When he returned to the car and turned his phone back on, he had over two dozen text messages and voicemails. He started in the order received, the final message being from Max. Niko dialed.

  “Are you alright?” Max asked instead of answering with a proper hello.

  “I am fine, my Dom.” Niko assured him.

  “I’ve personally briefed Karl on the situation.” Max was referring to the Dominor for Northern Europe.

  “With all due respect, my Dom, do you think it was wise to bring him in on this without being sure he and his people are not involved?” Niko
didn’t think that any of them were in fact involved, but it never hurt to err on the side of caution.

  “I don’t believe they are involved.” Max told him. “But I did warn Karl that if I learned that he or any of his Aegis were part of this in any way, that I would hold him personally responsible and personally remove his head with my bare hands.”

  “Well, that’s always a good tactic.” Niko smirked.

  “Skip the port inspection and the meetings. Ana is arranging a very visible and very thorough inspection as we speak.” Max paused a moment and Niko could hear the sound of propellers firing up in the background. “I’m heading back now.”

  “Shouldn’t you wait until daylight?” Niko had calculated the time, and it was just after midnight in Juneau.

  “There is a storm coming in. If I don’t leave now, I’ll be stuck here for days.” Max shouted over the sound of the seaplane. “Deal with your attackers then come back. We have work to do.”

  “As you wish, my Dom.” Niko had wanted to apologize, but there was plenty of time for that. Before he could put his phone back in his pocket, a text came in from Thomas that read: