Mackenzie Legacy, The

by Anderson, Derrolyn

  People started milling around, and Caledonia didn’t spot the two men who sidled up to flank her until it was too late. A beefy hand clamped down on each of her slender arms. “Congratulations. Looks like your boy won!”

  The last time she heard that voice it was a cold night in the cemetery, and she looked up, reeling back with surprise to see the man that she’d last seen beating Calvin mercilessly. Caledonia had chased him away after pulling a knife on him, and by the way his fingers were digging into her arm, she knew that he remembered his humiliation.

  “Take it easy Blondie,” he growled in her ear, his breath reeking of cigars. “Or this time your boyfriend won’t get away so easy.” His eyes were hidden behind dark lenses, and she wondered how on earth he could possibly know to wear them.

  “When I heard my old friend Jarod was signed up to play some big-time poker… Well, you can imagine my surprise. I came early just to see him in person. But whattaya know… It’s not Jarod! Wasn’t till I saw you with him that I put two and two together.”

  “Gotta hand it to him, the kid must be a real good card player.” He looked her up and down lasciviously, “And this time, there’s no way you’re packing a knife in that dress.”

  She tried to wrench her arm away from him, but he clenched her tighter, his voice low and menacing, “If you have any bright ideas about making a scene, I’ll let the hotel in on your little secret, and trust me, they don’t take too kindly to liars in this town. One peep outa you and the casino guards will be all over us… He’ll lose all that money he just won… You wouldn’t want to do that to him now, would you?”

  “What do you want?” she asked through gritted teeth.

  He laughed, relishing her predicament. “Jarod and me have a score to settle, and since I can’t get to him, I’ll just have to take it out of your hide. Your boy over there just made some serious bank. I want twenty large or they’re gonna find out he’s not who he says he is.”

  She tried to repulse him with a cold blast of fear, but she couldn’t see his eyes behind the dark lenses. She suddenly realized that he was wearing them to conceal his identity from the surveillance cameras inside the casino. She looked over at Calvin, standing at the cashier cage.

  “Don’t do anything dumb, Blondie. We’re going up to my room, where we can make our transaction in private.” He turned to the man on the other side of her, “Bring him up after he cashes out. Go ahead and take your time… Blondie and I have some catching up to do.”

  She glanced over to see that Calvin was still too busy to notice what was happening. Once he did, she knew he would be unable to stay calm. If a scuffle broke out inside the casino it would be spotted immediately, and security would be on them in a flash. Not only would they lose all their money, but she might also be exposed as a runaway. Either way, both she and Calvin would be in big trouble.

  “Alright,” she agreed, already planning her attack.

  He steered her to the elevator without releasing the tight grip he had on her arm, leaning in to spew hot breath in her ear. “Your boyfriend won’t mind if you entertain me while we wait… If you’re nice, I might just let him keep some of his money.”

  The elevator door slid open, and he escorted her inside, pressing a button for the floor just below theirs. Caledonia tensed, ready to spring on him to knock off his glasses. She knew that once she made eye contact she could incapacitate him, but just as she was ready to pounce, a couple with a small child rushed in, smiling at her apologetically.

  She checked herself, thinking that it would be best to disable him in the room anyway; there were surveillance cameras in the elevators and the hallways, and if they picked up something suspicious, they’d send out security in a flash. She thought she had more to fear from the casino guards than she did from the stupid thug that was trying to rob them.

  She was wrong.

  The instant she entered the room he clamped her in a bear-hug from behind, marching her directly to the bed. “Wait!” she cried, trying to spin around so she could make eye contact, but he shoved her onto the mattress and fell upon her with his heavy bulk.

  He planted one of his knees squarely in the center of her back, immobilizing her and knocking the air out of her lungs. His arm pressed down on the back of her neck, forcing her face into a pillow. She gasped for breath, trying to strike him but unable to land more than a few glancing blows. A rough hand pulled up the back of her dress, and just when she felt like she was about to black out, the pressure eased off her neck, allowing her to turn her head to the side and catch a single breath.

  She started kicking, her heels pounding into his back, her shoes flying off her feet and across the room. Angered, he grabbed her by the throat, growling into her ear, “You like it rough? Or are you gonna be nice?”

  She stopped struggling, nodding and gasping, “Okay… okay… Whatever you want.”

  He was momentarily distracted as he fumbled with his zipper, and he eased off her back just enough to allow her to twist around. His glasses had come off in the struggle, and when their eyes locked she put every last ounce of effort she had into sending him a tremendous blast of stupefying yellow.

  He came up onto his knees, uncertainty and confusion setting in on his thick features. She rolled onto her back and drew her legs into her chest in one fluid motion, lashing out to deliver a powerful kick aimed directly at his groin. His eyes rolled back in his head as he went flying onto the floor. She got up to stand over him with shaking hands.

  He was curled into the fetal position, moaning in pain. She stooped down to look at his face, her lips curled back in disgust. Caledonia thought about how he had relished beating a helpless Calvin with a sudden surge of rage; it occurred to her that she would enjoy seeing him suffer.

  “Look at me,” she commanded.

  She took a moment to gather her strength, and summoned a massive color bombardment of the blackest soul killing despair she could manage, dragging the depths of her grief and pain to inflict the most powerful misery she could possibly muster. It spewed out of her, leaving her drained, and she backed up a few steps, groping behind her for the edge of the bed.

  ~

  “Congratulations!” the cashier smiled at Calvin. He insisted on taking all of his winnings in cash, and she carefully counted out stacks of hundred dollar bills, packing them into a pouch and handing them over to him. “Are you staying in town?” she asked hopefully.

  He muttered something about having to go, tucking the pouch securely into his leather jacket. Calvin shook the hotel representative’s hand, taking his business card and telling him he’d get back to him about the tournament. He looked over to the brass railing to see that Cali was gone.

  His first reaction was fear, remembering the look in her eyes when he told her about the next tournament. He knew that she hated gambling, but he never expected such an angry reaction. He was only trying to insure some comfort and security for both of them, and he felt sick inside, realizing what it must look like to her.

  He’d been so blinded by the prospect of more easy money that he hadn’t really considered what she wanted, and he wondered if she was mad enough to leave him, a little trickle of fear coursing through his veins.

  He went to the lounge where the magic show was scheduled to begin in an hour, but she was nowhere to be seen. Now he started to panic. He returned to wait in the card room for a while, making small talk with some players while keeping an eye on the ladies room door. He finally asked a waitress to look inside for her, disappointed when she came out shaking her head no.

  Stalking through the casino anxiously, he scanned the crowds of people with mounting apprehension. He scoured the lobby, looking in the lounges and shops, his chest tightening with fear. Finally he waited for the elevator, standing with his heart pounding in his throat, hoping she would be in the room when he got there. A man with a pock-marked face approached him with a confident strut.

  “Looking for your girl?” he asked sarcastically, “Jarod?”

>   When he looked into the eyes of the smiling, gloating man, he knew they’d been found out; he just didn’t know by whom. The blood drained out of his face. “Where is she?”

  “I’ll take you to her, but it’s going to cost you… Jarod.”

  “Where is she?” he croaked out, his stomach lurching with fear and anger. His first impulse was to jump on the man and beat it out of him. He clenched and un-clenched his fists, trying to think straight.

  “Hey– Hey… Take it easy… She’s waiting for us with an old friend of yours… Now, don’t do anything stupid, or we’re going to let the casino in on your little secret.” A bell rang, an elevator opened before them, and the man gestured towards it, “After you.”

  The seconds ticked by like hours, and their elevator seemed to stop at every floor on the way up. Calvin’s heart went cold with fear as he imagined what was happening to Cali. When they reached the floor he followed the man into the hall, a trickle of sweat running down the center his back.

  The room door opened to reveal Caledonia sitting on the bed, looking up at them with enormous shocked eyes. The big goon from the cemetery was doubled over on the floor, sobbing and heaving as he clutched his crotch with both hands. The man next to Calvin stood dumbfounded, lifting his sunglasses to get a better look at the scene laid out before them.

  “Cali!” Calvin cried out, rushing in to her side.

  Caledonia looked up at him, her hair wild and her cheeks flushed. She smoothed the skirt of her dress, stood and walked calmly over to the man at the door. She looked into his eyes, and he found that he could not look away. Calvin saw his eyes glaze over and his face slacken.

  Caledonia spoke to him like he was a dog, pointing to the bed, “Go sit. Stay in this room.” She stepped aside to let him pass.

  “What happened? Are you alright?” Calvin asked, taking her by the arms and steadying her.

  “I don’t know,” she answered, walking numbly out the door into the hallway.

  Calvin took one last look at the two men in the room, closing the door on them and rushing back to her side.

  “Wait… Cali– Where are your shoes?”

  She turned to look at him with dazed eyes. “I don’t know how long it will last. We need to leave right now.”

  ~

  Within minutes they were packed up and in the truck, heading out of town fast. Once they were out of the city Caledonia described what had happened dispassionately, her voice completely level. Calvin looked nervously over at her, worried that she seemed so calm and distant.

  “Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked gently.

  “Yes,” she nodded, her face unreadable.

  Truthfully, she was shaken, and not only by the attack. She’d been feeling queasy about the way they’d been using her powers for some time now, and Roxy’s talk of a curse had struck a nerve. She couldn’t help but feel that somehow she’d brought some bad karma down upon them, thinking that she should have known better all along.

  Calvin reached over and squeezed her knee. “I never expected to run into anyone who knew Jarod– let alone those guys. It was just bad luck.” He shook his head in disgust, “I mean… what are the odds?”

  She turned to look out the window, wondering about the nature of her powers, regretting that she wouldn’t get another chance to question Roxy. She thought about Layla, being forced to use her abilities to help the professor finance his atrocities, and grimaced.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said, looking over at her nervously. “I acted like an idiot. I guess I just got carried away.”

  “It’s not your fault,” she replied, thinking that he couldn’t change the things he wanted any more than she could change the color of her eyes.

  “Are you mad at me?” Calvin asked.

  “Of course not,” she replied.

  “If it wasn’t for me– for me and my brother, those guys would never have bothered you…”

  “If it wasn’t for you and your brother, I’d still be stuck with the professor.”

  “Well, you were awesome… And now we have all the money we need. No more gambling… Okay? I promise.”

  She nodded, rubbing her throbbing temples, “I’m sorry I had to disappoint you.”

  Calvin gripped her leg tighter, “Nothing about you disappoints me! I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you…”

  She sighed, scooting closer to his big warm body for comfort, resting her aching head on his shoulder.

  He stroked the hair back from her face, turning to kiss her forehead. “I love you Cali.”

  “I know,” she said.

  She laid her hand on his chest and could feel his heart beating, focusing on the steady soothing rhythm. The highway spread out before them, leading off into the dark desert night. The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes were the bright lights of the city receding in the rear view mirror.

  She never wanted to see them again.

  ~

  Chapter Eleven

  THE CABIN

  ~

  Caledonia woke up to the low rumble of the engine, her head nestled on Calvin’s lap. She sat up, blinking, surprised to see the pink light of dawn glowing on the horizon.

  “Good morning,” Calvin smiled at her.

  She looked out at the rows of vineyards flying past the window, “Where are we?”

  “Back in California.”

  “Have you been driving all night?” she asked in shock. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

  “You needed to sleep, and we made really good time.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’m fine… I just wanted to get out of the state in case we got turned in.”

  “We need to warn Jarod. That guy might come looking for your brother.”

  “If he can walk,” Calvin smirked. “I wouldn’t worry about Jarod. When he found out I got jumped, he was pissed. He had the club run that dude out of town. Jarod said he’d never show his face in Santa Rosa again.”

  He took the next exit and pulled into a gas station, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before hopping out to fill the tank. She rummaged through their bag for her brush, trying to get her wild hair under control before stepping down from the cab into the cool morning air.

  Calvin watched her as she headed to the restroom to freshen up, and he darted into the store when she rounded the corner. When she returned he was standing by the passenger door, opening it for her with a silly grin on his face.

  “What?” she asked, noticing his peachy pink anticipation. “What’s up?”

  “Nothing,” he said blithely, watching her climb in and closing the door behind her.

  When he came around to the driver’s side door he paused for a moment, flinging it open to present her with a cupcake, a single candle burning on top of it.

  “Happy birthday to you…Happy birthday to you…Happy birthday dear Cali…” He climbed into the truck to lean in and kiss her on the nose, “Happy birthday to you.”

  She listened shyly as he sang. “Funny… I always thought that my parents made that song up just for me.”

  He chuckled softly, handing her the cupcake. “Make a wish.”

  She paused for a split second, a barely perceptible flicker of sadness in her eyes before she smiled at him and blew out the candle. She set the cupcake down on the dashboard and leaned over to wrap her arms around his neck. “I love you,” she whispered in his ear, making him glow with happiness.

  “I want to take you someplace nice to celebrate… What do you want to do today?” he asked.

  “I want to go home,” she said.

  He started up the truck. “Your wish is my command. We’re only a few more hours away.”

  She fed him pieces of cupcake as they drove along, watching as the landscape grew more and more familiar.

  Eventually they left the freeway, driving down progressively smaller country roads that led them out into the middle of nowhere. The pavement gave way to dirt and narrowed to a single lane, windin
g through tall stands of redwoods that blocked out the sunlight, finally opening up to magnificent vistas of rolling hills carpeted with oak trees. Caledonia was like a homing pigeon, getting increasingly excited as she started recognizing landmarks.

  “It’s a good thing we have four wheel drive,” Calvin said, getting jostled in his seat as they bounced up and down the last long stretch of rutted, bumpy road, overgrown branches scraping overhead. Caledonia leaned forward, straining at her seatbelt, scarcely able to breathe.

  “Stop!” she cried, bolting out of the truck as soon as it rolled to a halt.

  Calvin looked out the window to see a tiny cabin covered in mossy shingles facing out towards a small clearing. Its single window and door were boarded up, pieces of wood nailed across them at odd angles. The place looked ancient and organic, and it blended into the trees behind it as if it had grown there all by itself. He would have driven right past it if she hadn’t stopped him.

  He climbed out of the truck to take a look around. A light autumn mist swirled above them, making the place look even more magical and otherworldly than it already did. Caledonia went around behind the structure and returned wielding a crowbar. She set to work, struggling to pry the boards from the door one by one.

  “Let me help,” Calvin said.

  She handed him the tool woodenly, moving as if she were in a trance. “I’ll go fetch some firewood.”

  By the time she came back around with an armload of split logs he had the door uncovered, and was just finishing up with the window. He opened the door for her and stood back, following her inside the tiny house.

  She froze for a moment, struggling to compose herself as the smell of the place brought memories flooding back. Her eyes started stinging, and she swallowed hard, fighting back the tears.

  Calvin put his hand on her back. “Are you okay?”

  Her spine stiffened under his palm, and she cleared her throat, “It looks like it’s going to rain soon… I’d better make a fire.”

  She knelt in front of an ornately scrolled cast iron stove, and the rusty hinges squealed in protest when she opened it. She busied herself, expertly arranging the kindling inside, reaching for a tin of matches and striking one automatically, blowing gently until the fire was underway.