The Maiden Medallions: Beastkeeper

by Edward Shawn

  “What’s happened?”

  “Later,” Evelynn said as she opened the door. “Let’s go.”

  Sandra climbed into the driver’s seat and prepared to leave. It was then Evelynn noticed the retriever wasn’t inside.

  “Where the hell is the dog?”

  “I was trying to tell you–it ran off.”

  “What? How did it get out?” Her anger mounting, Evelynn quickly regained control; this wasn’t the time to lose her temper. “Nevermind. Let’s just go. We’ll deal with it as soon as we’re clear. With any luck maybe it’s found what we’re looking for.”

  “Or at least tracking it down,” Sandra said. “Where to?”

  “Anywhere! Just drive!”

  Leaving the townhouse complex, Sandra guided the truck along the winding road. “What happened back there?” she asked, glancing at Evelynn.

  “I ran into a problem.” Evelynn pointed at the next street. “Turn here.” Entering another neighborhood, they found a secluded area and parked.

  “What do we do now?” Sandra asked.

  “We need to find the dog. You hooked up the transceiver?”

  “Yes. Everything checks out–the signal’s broadcasting.”

  “Then get the display up!” Evelynn forced aside her encounter with the crow. Working for Jeremiah, she had witnessed extraordinary things before, but seeing something dead transform into smoke was possibly the most bizarre she had ever seen.

  Sandra removed a hand-held digital display screen from her duffel bag. Attaching it to the dashboard, she tapped it with a stylus. The screen flickered, then after a few adjustments, an overhead view of Charmington appeared.

  Evelynn sent Jeremiah an encrypted text while Sandra finished setting things up. She knew he wouldn’t be pleased to hear how things went, especially the part about gigantic crazed crows from the netherworld.

  “It’s done,” Sandra informed her. “The transceiver’s signal is coming through loud and clear.”

  Evelynn stared at the colored dots on the screen. One a solid green and stationary, the second glowed red and blinked repeatedly as it moved through the town of Charmington. “It’s close by–let’s get after it,” she said, her phone buzzing indicating a text had arrived.

  ***

  “James! Where are you?” Danny shouted. “Castle!” He didn’t see his friend or the big dog anywhere. Calling their names over and over, only silence from the deepening night answered back.

  A sense of isolation crawled into his core. With his parents in Los Angeles and Mr. and Mrs. Kwan gone until tomorrow, his home felt large and empty. And now that James was nowhere to be found, the feeling grew even more pronounced.

  Danny had no doubt James was called away to continue on the path Micah set him on. Gazing around at the wide open spaces of his yard, he prayed for his friend’s safety. With Castle also gone and most likely with his master, James at least had his dog to watch over him, or so he hoped. Saddened, Danny returned to the guesthouse.

  James was off getting involved in a world that shouldn’t exist, but this time had left him out of it. His friend might think of it as an adventure as he followed his supposed destiny, but Danny would have taken more time to consider the words of a man he just met, shaman or otherwise. Besides, he liked his life the way it was and preferred living in a world he understood as opposed to one inhabited by supernatural beasts and glowing medallions. But regardless of his feelings, he would have gone with James if he needed him because, in the end, that’s what best friends do.

  Climbing the porch steps, he walked to the front of the terrace and looked towards the main house. With James gone, Danny didn’t feel like staying in the guesthouse; he’d feel more secure spending the night in his bedroom.

  As he stared at the house, a dark shape darted across the brick path. It might have been Castle, but he couldn’t be sure; he didn’t get a good look.

  The animal crept along the edge of the darkness bordering the lighted path. Nose to the ground, it paused to sniff the air before slinking back into the dark. It must be Castle, Danny thought, trying to locate the animal cloaked by the night.

  Running down the backstairs, he went around to the front of the guesthouse, the sensor lights coming on as he rounded the corner. “Castle! Get over here, doggy!” Danny waited, his senses alert for any sign of the German shepherd. Calling out again, Castle didn’t show, to Danny’s disappointment. Perhaps he was mistaken and it wasn’t James’s dog. If it wasn’t Castle, then a stray dog had somehow found its way onto his property.

  Following the path from the guesthouse, Danny cleared the grove and searched the yard for the trespasser. Detaching from the darkness, the animal stepped onto the brick pathway not far from where he stood.

  “Hey! Get outta here you mangy mutt!” He saw a blinking red light on its collar. Danny quickly realized the possibility of it being here for a reason; that it wasn’t a stray like he initially theorized. Certainly, it couldn’t be a coincidence James vanished just before this dog appeared? Standing there defenseless, he wished he had taken the time to grab a baseball bat from the guesthouse.

  The black dog advanced towards him. Danny retreated, his mind racing as to what to do. He hesitated to run fearing the dog would catch him before he reached the guesthouse. He didn’t want to think of what could happen after that.

  “Go! Go on, get lost!” Danny yelled.

  It didn’t seem intimidated by him whatsoever.

  ***

  With Evelynn providing directions, Sandra closed in on the tracking dog’s signal. The red dot on the display screen hadn’t moved for over a minute; apparently the tracker had reached its goal. With the mission starting off so poorly, Evelynn hoped it had done what it was supposed to and located the medallion they were sent here to find.

  Turning onto a circular road, they cruised past the first of two immense houses on the dead-end street. Evelynn thought the homes were charming, but they were nothing in comparison to Jeremiah’s estate. “The house on the left,” she said, staring at the screen. “It’s somewhere on the property.”

  Evenly spaced ground lights lit up the front lawn. The house was mostly dark; only one light shone through an upstairs window. Stopping in front of the house, Sandra turned the headlights off and waited for her partner to put on a headset.

  Activating a secure line, Evelynn contacted the W.A R. room. She didn’t have long to wait before the call was answered.

  “Yes, Miss Bone?”

  “Mr. Darrell, how many signatures on the property I’m next to, excluding the tracker?”

  “One moment.” Evelynn heard him speaking with someone before returning to the call. “Satellite imaging shows one person around back. There are other signatures, three of them on the far side of the property moving steadily away. One of them is an animal, likely a dog.

  “No one in the house?”

  “The house is empty. The tracker is in close proximity to the nearer signature and advancing towards it.”

  “Understood. You keep eyes on the runners. I’ll handle the one in the yard.” Ending the conversation, Evelynn removed the headset. “Go up the driveway,” she instructed.

  Traveling up the asphalt paving, they stopped before an iron gate.

  “Follow me in after I open it,” Evelynn said, getting out of the vehicle.

  Approaching the gate, she examined the locking mechanism, then reached inside her coat and removed a plastic gadget. Named Lock Poppers by the designers, she peeled the adhesive backing off the round and flat device before sticking it on the lock. Breaking a seal on the front of the popper and exposing the pressure trigger, she pressed her hand against it, initiated the ten-second countdown and then retreated for cover behind the passenger door.

  After the muffled explosion and clang of metal, Evelynn returned to the gate, pushed it aside and jogged down the driveway. She expected the person around back to know of the medallion, or better yet, that they possessed the artifact her grandfather wanted. With th
e tracker showing interest, it was quite possible she was one step closer to finding the medallion.

  A black sports car occupied a space in front of the garage. Dismissing the main house, she noted the smaller structure a fair distance away within an enclosure of trees. Moving past the car, her eyes were drawn to a figure moving along a lit pathway. A boy walked backwards, his hands held up as if in surrender. She also saw the reason why: the tracker crept steadily towards the retreating youth.

  The Chevy Suburban pulled up beside the black car. Evelynn signaled Sandra to follow her as she sprinted across the grass towards the boy. Covering half the distance, she dropped down onto the lawn. Taking out dark glasses, she looked through the customized night-vision specs, then pressed a button on the frame to zoom in for a closer look. Sizing up the young man, she could see he was small in stature and of East Asian descent. Jeremiah neglected to mention that children would be involved, but then, perhaps he didn’t know.

  Sandra came up beside her and knelt in the grass. “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “The tracker seems interested in that boy,” Evelynn said. “I hope it–”

  Cut off by a piercing cry from above, Evelynn reached for her gun, rolled onto her back and aimed it at the night.

  “There’s a bird circling overhead,” Sandra said, gazing upwards.

  “Not again!” Evelynn watched it veer away and glide towards the boy and the tracking dog. Different from the one that attacked her earlier, the screech indicated a hawk or perhaps a falcon this time around.

  Crying repeatedly as it descended through the dark, it startled the boy and distracted the dog. Taking advantage of the momentary confusion, the youth ran from the scene.

  Cursing under her breath, Evelynn chased after him. From the corner of her eye, she spied the dog moving in the opposite direction, the bird of prey pursuing it.

  She could not believe it. Once again things were unraveling before she even had a chance to get started. Evelynn was beginning to think there were forces conspiring against her. And really, she asked herself, what in the world was with all the birds?

  She reached the guesthouse, but not before the boy. Armed with the knowledge he was the only one on the premises, Evelynn approached the front door. Checking the handle, she found it unlocked. Entering as quietly as she could, a young face peaked at her from around a corner ahead of her. By the shocked expression on the youth’s face, she had not yet lost the element of surprise.

  “Don’t move,” she screamed.

  But he didn’t listen. Instead, he ran for the glass doors leading out the back way.

  Racing through the guesthouse, Evelynn reached out and grabbed a handful of his t-shirt as he slid the door open. Pulling him back in, the boy slipped through her grasp, then unleashed a spinning roundhouse kick towards her temple. Evelynn raised an arm and blocked it with ease, though the impact forced her back and provided an opening for him to get away.

  This time, he ran for the front door. He would have made it out if Sandra wasn’t standing in his way.

  Evelynn thanked her good fortune. If not for Sandra’s timely appearance, the boy would have made good on his escape attempt. With nowhere to go, he stepped back and into Evelynn who grabbed his arm from behind and twisted it to control his movements. Turning him towards the couch, she pushed him down onto it.

  “My my, aren’t you the dangerous one,” Evelynn said. Extracting her silver and black handgun, she slipped it partway under the waist of her jeans. She could tell by the terrified look on his face she had made an impression with that move.

  Keeping her eyes trained on the boy, Evelynn questioned Sandra regarding the fate of the tracking dog.

  “The dog was chased off but was able to bring it down,” Sandra informed her.

  “The dog brought the bird down?” Evelynn asked incredulously, her eyes never straying from the young man.

  “I know, it sounds crazy but what can I say–he leaps really high.”

  Evelynn smirked, but her stare remained hard. “Round him up, then wait for me at the truck.”

  Sandra’s brow furrowed, her gaze shifting between Evelynn and the boy. “Wait. What are you–”

  “Go! I’ll be there in a minute!”

  Sandra acquiesced and left the guesthouse.

  “Now,” Evelynn said, turning to the boy on the couch, “I want you to relax. You don’t need to worry about a thing.” She grinned at the frightened face staring back at her. “What’s your name?” she asked, beginning her interrogation.

  The youth swallowed hard before finding his voice. “Danny.”

  “Danny. Hi.” He was scared. That worked in her favor. “Listen, Danny, I’m in bit of trouble and could really use your help. I’m looking for something.” She watched him closely, gauging his reaction. “I’m looking for something, and I bet you know what it is.”

  “What are you talking about?” he asked, his voice trembling.

  “Oh, I think you know. You live here alone, Danny?”

  Staying silent, he stared at the floor.

  Evelynn chuckled. “Of course you don’t. What a dumb question to ask. So, you have any brothers, sisters? Are your parents at home? Maybe there all up in that big house I saw earlier.” She knew he was all alone, but reminding him of family would soften his stance and shed any defiance he might have within him. With the seed planted in his head, the answers she wanted would soon be forthcoming.

  “Okay–never mind that.” Walking into the kitchen, she leaned against the counter and waited until he looked at her. “I’m searching for a round, wooden object–a medallion about the size of my hand. Have you seen it?” There it was. She saw his eyes respond to the description before he turned away.

  “No,” Danny said. “I don’t know. It...”

  “Hmm, did you mean no, you haven’t seen it? Or did you mean you don’t know if you’ve seen it? Your answer is very confusing.”

  “I haven’t seen any medallion!”

  “That’s okay. Maybe someone else in your family has.”

  “There’s no one else here!”

  “But there will be at some point. I’ll wait and ask them.” All she had to do now was let him reach a decision on what was more important, his family or the medallion. It had been her experience that when forced to choose, people always listened to their heart.

  “Okay, okay. I’ve seen it, I’ve seen it.”

  “You have?”

  “Yes! But please, if I tell you, you have to promise not to hurt anyone,” Danny pleaded.

  “Oh, of course–scout’s honor.” Evelynn wanted him to doubt her. Fear was a valuable tool when wanting to provide incentive. “So, tell me Danny, where is the medallion? Is it anywhere in this house? Or the main house, perhaps?”

  Danny hesitated to answer.

  Evelynn decided the fear of death was necessary to move this along. “Stop wasting my time! If you don’t start telling me what I want to know, the next person I see, I will kill right in front of you. Do you want that? It’ll be a painful memory to carry around for the rest of your life.”

  “I don’t have it–it’s not here,” Danny said, tears welling up in his eyes.

  “Then where is it?”

  “My friend’s got it.”

  Evelynn stepped forward. “What’s your friend’s name?”

  “James. His name is James.” Burying his face in his hands, Danny started sobbing.

  “That’s it? Just James? I need more than that, Danny.”

  “James Mason, okay!” He looked up at Evelynn, his face glistening with tears. “Please. Don’t hurt him. Please...”

  “I’ll do my best. Thanks for all your help.” Reaching into another pocket, she removed a set of plastic handcuffs. “Get comfortable. You’re gonna be here for awhile.”

  The distraught youth didn’t resist as she attached him to the oven door handle. Leaving the guesthouse, she was eager to start her pursuit for the boy called James, the one possessing the medallion she w
as trying to find.

  20

  The stranger bringing James to Micah climbed in behind the steering wheel. “Get on board, we have got to go,” he said, shutting the door. The man started the red jeep, the motor sputtering, then wheezing before roaring to life.

  Knowing there was no turning back once he entered, James hesitated to get in. Castle jumped into the back and made himself comfortable. Seeing his dog so at ease, his doubt and fears were set aside. If Castle trusted this man, James assumed it was safe to go with him.

  The jeep slid off the grass and onto the muddy road. The back tires spun spraying mud over Castle who shook some droplets off onto James and the man. The stranger didn’t seem to mind; he was preoccupied with maneuvering the jeep over the slippery terrain the headlights revealed.

  The interior lighting exposed the features of the man leading James away from unseen danger. His eyes simmered with intensity as he stared ahead at the rain slicked road. Approximately twice the youth’s age, his hair short, blond and shaven on the sides, he had a day or two worth of stubble on his face and a thick goatee graced his chin. His ears were pierced multiple times and the heavy silver chain around his neck plunged beneath his shirt. Wearing a dark sleeveless vest, his right hand and forearm were sheathed in leather.

  Turning away, James reached over the seat and caressed Castle’s face. He was glad they were together; it made following the stranger less traumatic. The dog’s presence reassured him that whatever came next, he wouldn’t have to face it alone. If the man spoke the truth, they were on their way to see Micah, the only one with answers to the questions loitering in his brain.

  His breath catching in his throat, James was confronted by a sobering thought. The man hinted it was dangerous to linger for too long. If that was true, what might happen to Danny? He was all alone against some potential danger. “We have to go back for my friend.”

  “Impossible,” the man said. “There’s no time for that. Besides, Micah didn’t mention bringing anyone other than you.”

  “But you said there could be danger. Danny could be in trouble right now!”