The Recluse

by D A Rice

  She pulled his head forward, tilting it down and his eyes fluttered shut. The peace surrounding them moved like a current as she kissed his forehead. Her hand found the back of his head, playing with his soft locks before she withdrew from him. She saw him cringe with the pain she had felt, then watched as his eyes flew open. He fell back on his palms, an amazed smile forming on his lips. She started. His eyes were almost burning with white fire as steam escaped from the corners.

  Is that what she looked like now?

  Eli laughed as he took in what she saw. “Rei,” his voice was breathless, “Rei, you see angels now!” he laughed again as joy leaked out of him in golden streams. Rei reached out a hand, fingers grazing the strands she could now see pouring from him.

  “This is crazy,” she whispered, and he laughed again.

  “No. This is faith in action. This is something bigger than us. This is God,” was his reply.

  15

  For the rest of the night they laughed, and Eli forgot about the tech he’d found. He was at peace, and nothing could penetrate that for either of them. Their worries seemed just to melt away. He stayed with her, and together they saw the world as it really was. For the first time in a long time, he suspected, Eli could see that Rei was not afraid of who she was. She’d kept her Sight smothered for so long that releasing it’d lit her up like a fire. All she needed was a little bit of the breath of life, and that fire came roaring to life.

  Eli told her about himself, about what he could do, how he was like her. His ability to know the future fascinated her. Eli told Rei everything he could. He knew they were safe, not just with the tech he still had running in her bedroom, but also because of the angelic presence. There were only a few things he didn’t tell her, things he couldn’t.

  He didn’t talk about his past or Arachnid. She would need to know soon, but for the moment, they were forgotten. Eli let her have the peace she deserved. If he told her more of what he was finding out about Arachnid’s intentions, that peace would be gone. Eventually, Rei fell asleep beside him on the couch, her head on his shoulder. He let her. Comfortable in his skin, and her trust in him, he found his hand had intertwined with hers. Soon enough, his eyes closed as well. His head falling on top of hers, they slept.

  Someone knocked on the door, but it was the sound of a key that launched Eli awake. He shook his head, clearing the sleep that still lingered there as Rei started beside him. “Oh no,” she whispered, leaning over the couch. “Damion.”

  Eli was already up and to Rei’s room, having swept up the cam from the coffee table and pocketed it. How had he not woken sooner? He should’ve been gone by now. It wasn’t like his predictive ability was an exact science, though. It always warned him of the things he needed to know, but like today, it didn’t always warn him of the things he wanted to know. Apparently, his predictive side thought he needed to be here to meet Rei’s friend.

  Eli snatched up his tablet from the bed and with a flick of his fingers, switched off his programming. He stuck the tablet in his inner coat pocket next to his keyboard, zipping them up. He’d fallen asleep fully dressed. Rei’s voice reached him, then another responded in a low tone. Eli glanced out the doorway as Rei led her friend into the kitchen. It was, as he figured, the man he’d almost run over a few weeks ago in his rush to escape. She’d said his name was Damion.

  Glancing at the light-filled window, he knew that leaving now wasn’t plausible. Someone would see him. Besides, his instinct was tugging him toward Rei’s friend. Eli’s brows scrunched together in confusion. Why? He silently asked, is this the friend who’s monitoring her? His stomach warmed in response, and his eyes narrowed as he glanced back towards the kitchen.

  Something was about to happen that would fall in line with the plans he already had in motion. Eli knew without a doubt that he had to stay. He took a deep breath, calming himself as his eyes flicked to Rei and her friend in the other room, whose backs were still turned toward him.

  Eli stealthily inched toward the bathroom across the hall. Emerging as if he’d been in there the whole time, he shut the door loudly behind him. The conversation froze in the kitchen as Eli met Damion’s emerald gaze, and Eli grinned. His hands found his jacket pockets.

  “Hiya!” Eli said into the stunned silence, “I just swung by this morning to see if Rei was interested in doing breakfast. She told me you might stop by, so I offered to pay for us all! Then I had to use the men’s room,” he nodded behind him, smirking. “Thanks, Rei, for that. I really couldn’t hold it.” Eli’s eyes twinkled at her. She regained her composure quickly, her mouth snapping shut as she shot him a look behind her friend’s back.

  “So, Damion, you in?” Rei asked, an eyebrow raising as she turned a grin on Damion without missing a beat. “We all know food is your favorite pastime.”

  Damion hadn’t looked away from Eli since he came out of the bathroom. His eyes were cool and assessing, and Eli knew that Damion didn’t believe a word he’d said. Eli could tell that a confrontation was forthcoming. Staying the night at his female best friend’s house, no matter how accidental, could get someone like Damion riled up. Eli understood this protective side to someone, but if Damion was spying for Arachnid, as he suspected, Eli wasn’t going to be able to temper his own emotions. What kind of friend could betray someone so completely, if it was true?

  Eli had the suspicion that Damion was more possessive than protective, based on the look he was giving Eli now. Only time would tell where Damion’s true intentions lay, and time would tell if his heart lay in the same direction. Looking at the emotion playing across Damion’s eyes as Rei’s friend glared at him, Eli wasn’t convinced that it did. Eli hadn’t told Rei his suspicions, and now he found he wanted to evaluate Damion himself. There was always the off chance that Eli was wrong, but he doubted it.

  Eli nodded towards the door, pasting an amused smile on his face. His mind was ticking at breakneck speed, taking stock of the situation at hand. “Breakfast, then?” Eli asked, rocking back on his heels. Damion finally blinked twice, coming out of an almost trance. A slow, feral smile spread across his face. As if accepting the challenge that was Eli, Damion nodded. Eli raised his brow in a return acknowledgement, a hidden understanding locking into place between them.

  “Yeah, I could do with some breakfast,” Damion finally said, his voice monotone.

  Rei grabbed her coat from the coat rack, before pushing between the two men and their stalemate in her living room. “To Debbi’s Café!” she called from the doorway.

  …

  Rei stifled a groan as she took in her friend beside her. Damion’s gaze hadn’t shifted from Eli who was sitting across from them with a cheeky smile on his face. Eli held the menu, tapping the plastic with his fingers. “Hm, I’m in the mood for pancakes, I think, and eggs.” Eli lowered the menu to eye Rei before him, his eyes twinkling. “What about you, Rei?” What was he up to? Why had he sprung breakfast on them? Why hadn’t he just left the same way he’d come? Well, she thought, Damion had wanted to meet him, but this wasn’t the way she’d pictured it going.

  “I definitely need coffee,” she sighed, elbowing Damion gently, who nodded at her absently.

  “Who are you?” Damion finally asked. Eli met her friend’s gaze in amusement. Damion’s voice was colder then Rei had ever heard it before. She bit her lip as she cringed inwardly. He’d been off since Eli had first come into her life. With the circumstances surrounding that, Rei couldn’t fault him. Damion was protective of her and Eli was an unknown element. Still, she found all of this annoying.

  “He’s just a friend. Damion, please, let’s just have a good breakfast, ok? It’s a beautiful Sunday!” Rei pleaded. Damion didn’t even take his eyes off Eli to acknowledge her.

  Eli’s gaze shifted to her for a moment with a knowing look, but Rei had no idea what it meant. He leaned back in the booth they were in, crossing his arms with a challenging grin directed back at Damion. “I could ask you the same question.”

  Da
mion visibly bristled at this, his eyes narrowing as he threateningly leaned across the table. “I’ve known Rei much longer than you have. We’re best friends, have been for years. You on the other hand? You just showed up out of nowhere.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question,” Eli replied calmly, his smile waning as his eyes steadily held Damion’s.

  What the hell is he doing? Rei thought as she watched Eli, incredulous.

  “Guys…” Rei snapped, as the waitress came over. Both boys smiled in an instant, their demeanor warming as they ordered their food. Rei blinked in astonishment. She was missing something, but she had no idea what it was. As far as she knew, Damion had done nothing to warrant the challenge in Eli’s voice. When the waitress left, Rei lowered her voice, “look can we just get through this breakfast? You two can have your pissing contest later.”

  Eli started in surprise before taking a deep breath and composing himself. “I’m sorry, Rei. You’re right! Breakfast!” He sat up straighter as he spoke, his voice warming. Rei furrowed her brows at him, and he winked at her reassuringly. She couldn’t help thinking that Eli had been testing her friend and that Damion had failed somehow. “I’m just messing with you guys!” Eli’s tone was laced with a regret Rei suspected only she could hear.

  To Damion, he said, “I’m just someone passing through. I ran into Rei about a week ago, but not quite so literally this time.” Eli smiled charmingly, suddenly at ease. Rei rolled her eyes. His acting skills both annoyed and astounded her. “I kinda felt bad about the previous time we met, so I asked her if I could buy her some coffee. We exchanged numbers, and that’s pretty much the end of it. I’m not here to usurp the friendship, I promise.”

  Damion’s eyes flashed something dark that Rei could not pinpoint, “that’s fair, and quite a good story.” He glanced at Rei here, who shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee. She’d never actually told him how they’d met the second time. “So, you’re only passing through, huh?”

  Eli nodded as the waitress paused in front of them, setting re-filled drinks onto the table between them. He passed a finger over the rim of his cup before pressing his fingers to his mouth, then took a sip from the glass itself. “I tend to travel a lot. I’m a bit of a hobo.” Rei could see the hint of a watch on Eli’s right wrist as his jacket sleeve moved with him, barely covering the color of his tattoos. Eli grinned without looking at her, and she focused on her cup. She felt as if she had been caught admiring him and her cheeks heated.

  Damion sat back incredulously, ignoring their small intimate exchange, “a hobo?”

  “Oh yeah. I hop on trains all over the country. Sometimes I like to take in new scenery.” Eli laughed, pausing with his fingers hovering over the cup. His eyes flicked up to meet Rei’s, and she found herself raising an eyebrow at him warily. “It turns out Rei, over here, loves a good story. It makes us kindred spirits.” He winked.

  Rei had to admire Eli’s ability to lie on the spot. Unless she thought, he’s speaking in half-truths. Only telling a part of his story, while leaving out what was important. He’d never discussed his past with her in depth. It was plausible that pieces of what he said now were part of it.

  Was he just toying with Damion? She couldn’t tell for sure just watching them, but this felt less like a conversation and more like a duel. Was Eli challenging Damion to find the truth in his words? But the truth about what? She had no idea. She trusted Eli, but she knew Damion. This battle of egos was something she felt lost in.

  “Like you telling her you’re the Recluse? That kind of story?” Damion asked, voice low and boiling. Rei tried not to cringe, taking another sip of her drink instead.

  Eli’s eyes widened fractionally. “What? No! I’m essentially homeless.” His voice was as soft as his laugh. “I have nothing to hack with.” Eli spread his arms out as if to prove his point.

  He’s enjoying himself, she thought, trying not to be disconcerted by Eli’s complete change of personality. What was it about Damion that rubbed him so raw?

  Damion started; his face was unsure for the first time. He glanced at Rei, who sighed. “Eli, that’s enough,” Rei said softly, irritation leaking through. Eli sobered quickly, his gaze shifting to her, his eyes pleading with her to trust him. There was that small regret again, hidden in the corner of his eyes.

  “Wait, if you’re homeless, how are you buying this?” Damion waved his hand around the table as their food arrived, voice full of doubt. “How do you have a phone to exchange numbers with?”

  “I’m homeless, but I have a little bit of money up my sleeve,” Eli shrugged. She glanced at her friend out of the corner of her eye, who crossed his arms over the table, his glare solidifying on Eli. Was he hiding something from her that Eli had picked up on? She looked towards Eli again and nodded subtly once. Returning the gesture, he leaned back as their food was set down before them.

  She didn’t know what he’d accomplished here, but he hadn’t abandoned her trust yet. Rei only hoped that whatever Eli had figured out wouldn’t kill her long-lasting friendship with Damion.

  …

  Detective Jackson stared at his desk, his jaw clenched, eyes narrowed. Across from him, Montoya gaped, “you found this when?” She met his gaze.

  Jackson took a deep breath, annoyed with himself. “I didn’t find it until this morning when I reached a hand in my pocket. He didn’t take anything, just left this.”

  The note was written on a piece of notebook paper torn in half. The handwriting was nice, but looked male to Jackson’s untrained eyes. He’d need to have it analyzed and matched by an expert, which would take time he wasn’t sure he had. He cursed himself. It had to have been that young homeless man he’d given his bagel to the other day. He was the only one Jackson remembered getting close enough to for a note to be left in his pocket.

  But Jackson found he could remember nothing distinct about the other man. The detective mostly just remembered the man asking him for change. His voice had been low and guttural, but Jackson doubted that he sounded like that normally. He slammed his hand down on his desk, palm first. Montoya put her hand on top of his, professionally comforting.

  His wife had been so happy to see him last night when he got home that he’d turned off the work side of his brain for the night. Sabrina deserved that much from him. This morning when he reached into his coat to make sure his badge was still there, he found the note as well:

  Detective,

  I am a ghost. You’ll find me in the graveyard, rising from the dead.

  Don’t worry. I have no ill intentions. I’ll be speaking with you and Agent Montoya soon.

  You’re in danger.

  I’ll come to you.

  Jackson met Montoya’s gaze, determination setting in. There were too many coincidences happening for his comfort. The detective took a deep breath, glancing down at the handwriting one more time. “We need to talk Rei again. There’s more going on here than we knew.”

  16

  “Your friend is… interesting,” Damion decided, glancing at Rei over the couch in her living room. Eli had left them at the restaurant after breakfast with a wave, stating he had somewhere else to be. Rei didn’t doubt that. She also didn’t doubt that he’d wanted to escape from Damion’s scrutinizing gaze. It’d been an uncomfortable enough breakfast with him poking at her friend from every angle.

  She shrugged, her fingers grazing the island counter. “He’s a cool guy,” she smiled, “when he wants to be.”

  “Hm, he’s a good liar. I’m not sure that’s the same thing,” Damion stood and paced for a moment in the living room. “No offense, but I buy your story about him being the Recluse more than I buy his whole,” he waved his hand in the air, eyes narrow, “hoboing around just because he can... thing.”

  She cocked an eyebrow at him, “really?”

  Damion sighed, a hand on his waist, the other covering his face. “Look, Rei, I still don’t think he’s safe. I think you need to stay away from him.”

  Rei huffed,
“I can decide just fine who my friends are, Damion. I’m not that broken.”

  “Oh really? You think you have the capacity to see that, do you? Tell me, have you actually gone to a psychiatrist, any psychiatrist, recently?” He folded his arms over his chest, and she winced. “I didn’t think so. Your mind is broken, Rei. How’re you supposed to continue going to school if you don’t have that help behind you? This guy is pulling your focus from the things that matter!”

  She studied him, determining whether to be upset in her mind even as she felt her anger rising. Rei got his concern, she did, but she couldn’t believe his lack of faith in her. Had that always been there? “You’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” she seethed, getting up from her chair with a sudden need to move.

  “Rei! I’ve known you for years! I saw what your mother’s death did to you! I encouraged you to get help, to confide in your dad! I’ve always been here for you, looking out for you. What makes this guy better than me?” Damion was practically shouting now.

  Rei jerked back like she‘d been slapped. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing from him. Was that jealousy? “Nothing, Damion! I love you like a brother. No one can replace you. You’ve always been there. I could never repay you for that. I just… I know that Eli is not a bad person. He has helped me more than any psychiatrist ever could.

  “Psychiatrists are great, and I’m not saying that they haven’t helped me, because they have. I feel this peace around Eli. Peace that I don’t feel anywhere else. My life is a black hole without him in it. Just hopping from psychiatrist to psychiatrist isn’t helping.” Her voice had gotten softer as she spoke, and when her eyes met Damion’s, she flinched at the hurt she saw there.

  “My friendship never brought you peace, Rei?” Damion’s voice broke.

  “No, Damion, that’s not what I’m saying. You’re different than him. You’re family; I wouldn’t be the same person without you having been there.” She walked around the couch and touched his arm, “but Eli? Eli and I are more alike than anyone could ever understand. There is more to this world than the physical. I get that now. There is a whole other spiritual world out there. I never really believed in God, but maybe He is the only one who can really help me.”