by R. D. Brady
"You mean like that other group you were talking about."
Jen measured out and marked where to place the lower hinges. "Yes."
"So who is this other group?"
Jen paused. How should she explain that evil? "They are actually just like us. Except for the small fact that they are more interested in ruling humanity than co-existing with them."
"Ruling them? Like what, kings?"
"Actually, I think they probably consider themselves more like supreme rulers."
Lou looked away and Jen wondered if she should have softened the truth a little bit.
Lou looked back at her after a moment. "You said before that Charlotte could be in trouble."
"This group's MO is to isolate a candidate by taking out members of their family. You might not be in trouble. They might not have caught onto the fact that you have any abilities. If that's the case, then no, your sister is not in any danger from them. But if they have, then she is."
Lou rested her head on her hand, her eyes troubled.
"Look there's a chance that you're not on their radar yet," Jen said. "But the fact is, I found you. And if I could, they could."
Lou looked at her for a long moment. "So what do you do if you find one of us?"
Jen paused. "Actually, you're the first one I've found like this. But there are others we found that were already in the recruitment process."
Lou interrupted. "The recruitment process?"
Jen stopped what she was doing and went to sit next to Lou. "These guys, they grab or recruit kids. And then they set them up in a training facility. They teach them how to fight and they keep the strongest."
"What do they do with the weakest?"
Jen looked away, but she knew Lou deserved the truth. "They kill them."
Lou sucked in a breath, her eyes wide. "What did you do with them?"
"We set them up at a safe location. They go to school, have new identities. If you want, you can go there, too."
Lou glanced up the stairs.
Jen had seen Lou go up before to check on Charlotte. Lou's sister was a mess right now. There was no doubt about that. But she was also the only family Lou had left.
Lou looked back at Jen. "I can't leave Charlotte."
"I wouldn't expect you to. We'll bring you both in," Jen said.
Lou sighed. "She won't ever go for that."
Lou went quiet and Jen let her have silence for her internal debate. Finally, Lou spoke. "Can you give me a couple of days to talk her into it?"
Jen looked around Lou's house. The place should probably be condemned. And there wasn't really a good way to shore it up if anyone came for Lou - too many windows and doors. Although, Jen reasoned, they did tend to only talk on the first visit.
But Jen and her friends had discovered two camps so far. They were disrupting the way things normally worked. Who knew how that would upset the balance? She shook her head. "I can't leave you alone for that long."
Lou nodded back at her glumly.
"How about if I put you guys up at the hotel I'm staying at? I'll set you guys up with your own room, right next to me or maybe we'll even get a suite. You'll have your own space, but I'll be nearby, just in case."
Lou's eyes grew big at the idea, a smile spreading across her face. "Seriously?"
Jen realized that back in the day she would have been just as thrilled. Clean sheets. Big shower. Cable TV - it would have been a little slice of heaven. Jen smiled. "Yes. Seriously."
Lou glanced over at Jen, one eyebrow raised. "Why now, though? You left us alone last night."
"Actually I didn't. I slept in my car a few houses down."
"I didn't sense you."
"I stayed just far enough away to be out of your range. I'm learning your tricks," Jen said with a grin.
Lou returned the smile. "Okay. Now we just need to convince my sister."
CHAPTER 14
Lou woke up and stretched, not having slept so well in years. Jen had gotten them a two-bedroom suite. The bedroom was big with plenty of room for two queen beds, a giant flat screen TV, and a bathroom twice the size of her bedroom at home. Outside the bedroom was a full living room and kitchen and another bedroom where Jen was staying.
Lou glanced over to where her sister slept. She had been surprised at how quickly Charlotte had agreed. But maybe she shouldn't have been. It was like a little mini-vacation. Even Charlotte could appreciate that.
Last night, she and Charlotte had each taken really long showers. Charlotte had even taken a bubble bath. Then they had ordered room service and stayed up late watching movies.
Lou smiled. It was like she had gotten her sister back.
Quietly, Lou grabbed her clothes from the chair next to the bed and got changed. Grabbing her shoes, she let herself out of the room, careful to not wake Charlotte. Lou turned around and saw Jen sitting at the kitchen table, breakfast already waiting.
Jen smiled. "There you are. Charlotte still sleeping?"
Lou nodded, the aroma of pancakes pulling her to the table. "Any chance some of those are for me?"
"They all are. I just ate."
Lou took a seat, pouring a mound of syrup on her plate. Oh this is going to be a good day.
And actually it was. Lou sat through her classes, a smile on her face. She felt good. She caught Ann Marie's puzzled looks a few times but just shrugged them off. At the end of the day, Lou had to keep herself from skipping down the hall. For once, life had possibility.
The buzz of electricity that ran through her as she pushed through the main doors told Lou that Jen was waiting. Spying Jen's Tahoe, Lou headed over and hopped in the passenger seat. Charlotte was in the back.
Lou glanced back with a grin. "Hey Charlotte."
Charlotte didn't even look at her, just kept looking straight ahead.
Lou's mood dimmed a little. "Charlotte?"
Charlotte turned her head and looked out the window.
Lou glanced over at Jen.
Jen shrugged. "She wanted to stay at the hotel. But I wasn't comfortable leaving her there alone."
The car ride back to the hotel was uncomfortable with Charlotte acting like a pouty three-year old. As soon as they pulled up to the hotel, Charlotte was out of the car. She walked into the lobby, her back straight.
Jen sighed as she came around the car to join Lou on the sidewalk. "Well, this is fun."
"I'm sorry," Lou said. "She just doesn't like being told what to do."
"I know. But I think she's also jonesing for a hit, which is the bigger problem."
Lou knew Jen was right. She liked to tell herself that all her sister used was pot, but she'd seen the track marks. She knew better than that.
Jen put a hand on Lou's arm. "I know someone who can help her. Get her into a good rehab. Do you want me to make some calls?"
Lou looked over to where her sister had disappeared into an elevator. "Yeah. But I'm not sure I can talk her into it."
"Try."
"I will."
They headed up to the suite in silence. Jen let them in just in time to see Charlotte disappear into the shared bedroom and slam the door.
Lou winced, embarrassed. She looked at Jen. "I'm sorry. She just-."
Jen held up a hand. "You have nothing to apologize for. Why don't you go talk to her? I'll make arrangements for rehab." Jen paused. "There are some that will take her even if she doesn't want to go. Do you know what I mean by that?"
Lou nodded, imagining her sister getting dragged out of the hotel. She took a shuddering breath.
"Can you handle that?" Jen asked.
Lou looked at the closed bedroom door. If it meant getting her sister back, for real this time, then yes she could handle it. She nodded. "Yeah. Set it up."
Jen pulled out her phone, heading for the other bedroom. "Okay. It'll probably take a day or two to get everything in place."
Lou nodded and then walked over to the bedroom door. Steeling herself, she knocked. "Charlotte? It's me."
&nb
sp; No answer.
"I'm coming in." Lou turned the knob.
Charlotte lay on the bed with the TV on mute across from her.
Lou sat on the other bed. "Hey. Is everything okay?"
Charlotte glared at her out of the corner of her eyes. "Okay? The warden won't let me go anywhere."
Lou sighed. "Charlotte, we talked about this. It's not safe right now. Jen's going to get us a new place. Somewhere we can have a fresh start."
"Who the hell is this bitch? And why do you believe her? She's not family."
"I know. But Charlotte, this is our shot. We can have a life - a real one. I can go to college and you can get clean-." Lou clamped her mouth shut, wanting to yank the words back. She'd never mentioned her sister's drug use before.
Charlotte sat up, her eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"
"Nothing. I just said we could start over."
"So what, this is some sort of intervention?" Charlotte's voice got louder.
Lou put up her hands. "No. It's not that. This is about us getting a shot at a normal life."
Charlotte looked away. When she turned back, the anger was gone, but the sly look Lou knew all too well was on her face. "You're right. This is our chance. And we should take it."
Lou nodded slowly, waiting.
"But I think it's only fair that if I do this for you, I get to say good-bye to my friends first."
Lou hesitated.
Charlotte walked over to Lou, pulling her into a hug. Lou breathed in deep, enjoying the feel of her sister holding her.
Charlotte took Lou's face in her hands, kissing her on the forehead. "Let me just say my good-byes and then we go together. Okay? We can start our new life without having to look back."
Lou wanted to say no. Part of her knew she was being manipulated. But this was the old Charlotte, her beautiful sister. She found herself nodding before she could say anything. "Um, Jen's in her room. If you want to go, it needs to be now."
Charlotte hugged her. "Great. I'll see you tonight. We'll watch some more movies, okay?"
Lou nodded, but her sister was already out the door. It closed behind her. "Yeah. See you later," she said to nobody.
Lou sank onto the bed, clutching a pillow to her chest. It will be all right. Charlotte will only be gone for a few hours and then we'll start over - just the two of us.
She stared at the door while the ridiculous daydream of Charlotte re-appearing and telling her she didn't want to go played out in her mind. Finally she pulled her gaze, dropped her head to the pillow and let the tears fall.
CHAPTER 15
Lou spent the rest of the afternoon with Jen. They played cards - watched some TV. Lou did her homework. Jen had asked about Charlotte but Lou had covered for her, saying she was asleep.
At six, they'd ordered room service. The steak had been good, but Lou barely tasted it. Where was Charlotte? Why wasn't she back yet?
"You okay?" Jen asked.
"Yeah. I mean, no. I'm not feeling so well. I think I'll go lie down."
Jen narrowed her eyes. "You want me to get you anything?"
Lou stood up, avoiding her eyes. "Uh¸ no. It's okay."
"Well, if Charlotte's up, tell her she's welcome to come in here so you can get some sleep."
"Yeah, I will. Thanks." Lou fled to the other room, quietly opening the bedroom door in case Charlotte had somehow returned without telling her. But the room was empty.
Lou's stomach plunged to her feet. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed. A buzzing sounded from the desk.
Lou walked over to it and pulled up a notepad.
Charlotte's phone hopped along the desktop.
Lou grabbed it. Damn it Charlotte.
CHAPTER 16
Pascha Bukin walked down the street in southern Detroit. He slumped his shoulders, shortening his four foot ten frame when he saw two guys standing outside the gas station at the corner. Each drank from a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag.
One wore a tank top even though the night was cool and the other wore a grimy grey t-shirt. Both needed better belts to pull up their pants. Tank Top nudged T-shirt as Pascha passed.
Pascha smiled trying hard not to laugh. He turned down the alley next to the station, knowing it dead-ended. Time for some fun.
He'd been searching for a potential, but she'd up and left her home. No one had seen her, although in a neighborhood like this he hadn't expected anyone to notice.
But then he'd heard through the grapevine that the potential's sister had a drug problem and tended to score around here. He'd been prowling this area for hours and he was growing annoyed. He was not a patient man. Having nothing to show for his time did not sit well with him.
Well, not nothing, he thought with a smile. He pictured the woman as he'd left her. He had managed to work in a little fun.
But he was growing bored again. And the neighborhood wasn't helping. He walked past an overflowing dumpster with a grimace.
The scuffle of a shoe brought him back to the present. "Hey you."
Pascha turned around slowly. "Me?"
Tank Top smirked. "Yeah you. You need to give us your money."
Pascha took a step toward them, his eyes large. He titled his head to the side looking over both of the men. "Really? Why?"
Tank Top pulled out a knife. "'Cause we're going to mess you up if you don't."
Pascha pretended to ponder his words for a moment. "You know, I think I'm going to have to choose the fight. I like my money."
"Stupid choice, little man," T-shirt growled.
Pascha stiffened. "Don't call me little."
Tank Top smirked. "Aw, little man doesn't like being called little."
T-shirt laughed. "Sure thing, little man."
Pascha went still, but his eyes tracked each of the men as they tried to move on him. Tank Top lunged at him, the knife aimed for Pascha's chest.
Pascha jumped out of the way. He wrapped his arm around the Tank Top's neck and ran up the alley wall. He flipped over Tank Top while keeping his arm around his neck. With a yell, Tank Top landed with a grunt on his back, his head thudding against the ground.
T-shirt ran at him. "Asshole!"
Pascha waited until the last second and then stepped to the side, throwing a palm heel at the man's face. The man slammed to a stop, his eyes rolled back into his head and he dropped.
Tank Top started to crawl away.
But Pascha walked around him, standing in his way.
Tank Top reared back. "I'm sorry, man. We didn't mean nothing."
Pascha knelt down and patted him on the cheek. "Of course you did. You meant to hurt me. Didn't really work out that well for you, though, did it?"
"What are you? Some kind of vigilante?"
Pascha laughed hard, holding his stomach. "Vigilante? Oh god that's good." He wiped at his eyes.
Tank Top cringed away.
Pascha snatched the knife from ground and twirled it, before yanking Tank Top back toward him. "Oh come back here. And to answer your question - No, I am not a vigilante. I am a god."
He plunged the knife into the man's throat. Tank Top gurgled as the blood poured from his neck and out of his mouth.
Pascha knelt down staring into the man's eyes. They begged Pascha for help and then like that - they stopped asking for anything.
Pascha sat back, tilting his head. That moment of death always intrigued him. What was it that disappeared in that second between life and oblivion?
He took the man's shirt and wiped his fingerprints off the blade, dropping it next to the body.
Pascha straightened, his blood humming. Death was his drug of choice - the power over life and death was more potent than anything that could be shot up someone's arm.
He walked down the alley and headed for the grocery store a few blocks over - the two men already forgotten.
A few minutes later, he was across the street from the store. He settled onto a bench to wait. He'd heard drugs could be scored here as well. Pulling his can
dy bar from his pocket, he sighed. What a waste of his talents.
A short time later, Pascha had begun to grow restless. There weren't many people about. Only three in fact had gone into the store in a half hour. This was the worst part of these assignments - the waiting.
A movement down the street drew his attention. He squinted trying to make out the person. Long hair, slim build - definitely a woman.
Pascha straightened to get a better look. The woman stepped into the glow of the streetlight.
Pascha smiled, his voice whisper soft. "Hello Charlotte."
CHAPTER 17
Jen flipped through the channels looking for something to occupy her time. She'd called Henry a few hours ago. He was arranging for the rehab for Charlotte. He said he'd have it set up for tomorrow.
Jen glanced at the closed bedroom door. It was quiet. Maybe they both feel asleep.
Jen sighed. She was not looking forward to the confrontation with Charlotte tomorrow but she also knew it was the best thing for Charlotte - and for Lou.
Thinking of the young girl, Jen looked back at Lou's door. She had seemed a little off tonight, but she'd been through a lot in the last few days. She probably just needed a little time.
Jen's head turned toward Lou's door as she heard footsteps. Her eyes flicked to the clock. 10:45. Something's wrong.
Jen sprang off the couch as Lou opened the door. "Lou? What's going on?"
In the dim light, Lou's face looked paler, the fear and innocence more noticeable. "It's Charlotte. She's gone."
"What? When?"
Lou looked at her feet. "She wanted to go say good-bye to some people and then she was going to come right back."
Jen swallowed down the curses that wanted to escape her lips. "What time was that?"
Lou glanced up at her, her eyes big. "Right after school?"
Shit. She'd been gone for almost six hours. "Lou grab, your jacket. Let's go find your sister."
Lou sprinted back into her room, a hopeful look replacing the fear on her face.
Jen hated seeing it. She grabbed the car keys from the table and strode toward the door of the suite.
