There was something about being lectured by Dad that made it worse than anyone else.
“That’s the importance of the prison. The impure are a menace to our society.” Dad was pacing in front of the dining room table where Mom and I were sitting. His dark brown eyes somehow seemed even darker when he spoke of the half-breeds.
“David, please calm down.” Mom stabbed her fork at the chicken casserole she’d made and sighed. “You don’t have to convince us. We know and support you wholeheartedly.” Her shoulders sagged, and she lowered her head, letting her strawberry blonde hair fall forward.
“I know, but damn, Cheryl.” He stopped in his tracks and threw both hands up in front of his chest. “All these sympathizers are sprouting up everywhere, and a few are even guards in the prison. That’s dangerous.”
Dad always complained about sympathizers of the hybrids out in the supernatural world, but it’s apparently getting worse. The thing was, if our leaders had told the truth about why those nasty half-breeds were so dangerous, people might have sung a different tune. It’s a secret that only a few at the top knew, and if it got out now, it would devastate our little supernatural world. Few knew they were actually stronger than us, and that’s why the prison had been spelled so no magic could work inside. “But if the truth was told…”
“Now, Aaron, stop that right now.” Mom’s blue eyes widened and she threw her fork on the table. “You know that can’t happen because that would let them know what they were capable of. If you keep that up, we’ll have to wipe your memory.”
“Stupid humans are the ones who say, ‘The truth will set you free.’” Dad dropped his hands and shook his head. “That’s bullshit. The truth can change lives and empower the damn tainted. They aren’t good enough to lead us, and I’ll be damned if they start now.”
Crap, I hadn’t thought of the repercussions. There was no way in hell I’d listen to a hybrid; they may be stronger than us, but definitely not as smart. Honestly, they aren’t supposed to exist at all, and that’s why we have hunters tracking down the few in existence. Then, our law enforcement searches for their parents. It’s against the law to interbreed, which is punishable by death. You’d think that would be a deterrent enough.
“You’ll see what they are really like when you begin next week.” Dad plopped down in his seat and grabbed a glass of water. “I’m counting on you to help me rein all this shit in.”
I was both excited and nervous about becoming a hunter and guard for the prison, but now that I was twenty and had no life direction, my parents intervened, and here I was, following in my father’s footsteps. Footsteps I wasn’t sure I wanted. That was the problem; nothing seemed to call to me even if I agreed with the Elite Pure-Breeds that ran our community.
For some reason, I lacked the passion dad and mom had for carrying out the law, but hell; the pay was good, and I could finally get my own place here in New Orleans. The rent down here was fucking ridiculous, and I itched for freedom. “Of course.” It drove my parents crazy because I was a man of few words. I’d learned from all of the interrogation stories Dad had told that the more words you use, the more fucked you became. That KISS acronym was my golden rule; Keep It Simple Stupid.
“I’m just glad to see you move in some sort of positive direction.” Mom took a small bite of the casserole and chewed. “You’re following your father’s path, and it’s one of the most important positions that someone can have. There are others who would kill for this opportunity.”
Unfortunately, that wasn’t an exaggeration. Mom was a prosecutor for the Elites due to her ability to read essences. She could tell immediately if someone was guilty or not, and it helped her with case strategy. She’d had to try someone for killing a guard recruit hoping to fill their spot a time or two. Getting in was a prestigious honor and one that opened many doors. “Yeah, I know. Just worried people won’t think I earned the right.”
“You can tell them to come talk to me.” Dad grabbed his fork and pointed it in my direction. “I’ll set the record straight. You had the highest marks in the testing; even higher than mine.” Dad’s mouth spread into a grin at that. “It shows we’ve taught you well.”
Of course it wasn’t due to my intelligence, aptitude, or abilities. Why even try when it doesn’t matter at the end of the day? It’s not like I was one of the few who could track essences, which made me useful both in and out of the prison. Of course, it had to be due to my Dad’s rare abilities of controlling the elements. I tried to focus on the taste of crumbled crackers, mayonnaise, and chicken but couldn’t get my appetite back. I grabbed my glass of water and tried to swallow the lump down.
“You both probably should go to the shooting range this weekend to brush up. We don’t need Aaron misfiring and shooting the wrong person.” Mom finished the last little bit on her plate and wiped her mouth with her napkin.
“That’s actually a great idea.” Dad leaned back in his seat and smiled. “It’s been a while since I’ve even gone to the range. It can be a father son outing.”
That sounded like Hell on Earth, but I knew better than to say that out loud, so I just nodded my head. I hoped I didn’t regret this decision.
Chapter Two
The past few days flew by, and all too soon it was Monday. I dreaded going into the prison since I wasn’t sure what to expect. To be honest, I’d never seen the prison. No one does or knows the exact location unless you work there. It’s some sort of protection so that the free half-breeds can’t determine its location. In fact, once you quit or retire from the prison, your memory’s wiped so you can’t remember the location.
We were on Interstate 10, heading toward the northeast part of New Orleans. I had protested riding with Dad, but I had no clue where to go, and he refused to tell me. So here I was, staring out the passenger side windows, watching the cars and trees as we flew by.
“Now, I need you to not make any mistakes.” Dad’s hands clutched the steering wheel so hard the knuckles turned white. “I’m risking a lot by taking you on.”
Somehow I managed to keep my snide remark to myself. It had to be due to my years’ worth of self-restraint. He didn’t get me this job. The Elites were the ones who made the hiring decisions. Granted, I’m sure it helped that I was his son, but it couldn’t be the only reason. “Got it.”
“Okay, I just have to make sure we’re on the same page.” He glanced over at me, his dark eyes meeting mine. “You can’t half ass it like you’ve done all your other jobs. You aren’t the only one at risk now.”
I wanted to reach over and punch him. Maybe the money wasn’t worth this after all. My teeth ground together as I nodded. It wouldn’t be wise for me to speak at this point.
He sighed and turned his attention back on the road.
Doing my best to avoid his gaze, I turned my attention back to the scenery around us. We were driving over Lake Pontchartrain, which was definitely out of the heart of the city. “I thought the prison was close by.”
“That’s good.” Dad nodded, and his shoulders seemed to relax. “It validates that the location is still under wraps.”
Did he really say that? I guess it was better than ‘on the down low’.
The car once again fell into an awkward silence, and I rubbed my sweaty palms down my black pants. At least the uniform wasn’t too uncomfortable. It was a black shirt with black pants, an improvement on my first job out of high school; a stupid hot dog outfit.
“Being selected for both a hunter and guard is rare.” Dad tapped his fingertips along the steering wheel and grinned. “Your tests showed similar high marks in both areas, so you’ll split your time fifty-fifty.”
He’d told me this a hundred times. The only conclusion I could come to was that he thought I was either deaf, dense, or had memory issues.
We’d been in the car at this point for forty-five minutes. How much longer was this going to take? I was worried that I might not get there with any sanity left. “How much longer do we have left?” At
this point, there was no excuse for me not knowing.
“Around fifteen more minutes. It’s in Abita Springs.” Dad grabbed his phone and checked his emails.
Had I done that when I was driving, I’d have endured, at minimum, a thirty minute dissertation on safety, but since it was him, it was okay. That figured.
I’d only been to Abita Springs a time or two, and it was for camping. There is a lot of forest and wildlife in the area.
The rest of the car ride was taken in silence, which didn’t surprise me. My parents and I had a strained relationship, to say the least. We all loved each other, but they’d grown up with immense pressure to become something, constantly striving for the next achievement, and they placed the same damn pressure on me.
Dad turned down a gravel road that narrowed to one lane and the trees thickened on both sides. “We’re almost there.”
It was so isolated here that I couldn’t help but wonder if we were even heading to the prison. Dad continued down the road for another five minutes with only trees passing us by. After a few minutes, a large, modern building came into view. The concrete walls I was expecting but not the multitude of glass windows. If I had to guess, it would’ve been a college, not a detention center for some of the most lethal supernaturals in the world.
“Weren’t expecting this, were you?” Dad’s attention was focused on me and my reaction.
“Not at all.” The whole time, I’d pictured a human prison and this didn’t have that feel at all. At least from the outside. “If they are so dangerous, how does this contain them?”
“Because there is a spell inside that eliminates all magic.” Dad’s eyes brightened, and a smirk crossed his face. “They aren’t so lethal without their powers.”
“But what about us?” There has to be some big people in there that could probably whoop my ass even if it hurt to admit.
“Don’t worry.” Dad smirk somehow got bigger. “There are always workarounds for the privileged.”
I wasn’t sure if that comforted or worried me, but it didn’t matter. I had to stop whining and face this situation like a man.
There was a small parking lot to the left of the building and Dad turned into it, pulling into the first spot closest to the building. “Perks of being a warden.”
As I climbed out of the car, I glanced around. There was a large steel fence surrounding the building, and at the top, there were four sets of circular wire with thick jagged spikes coming out of it. Two were set horizontal to the top of the gate, one coming out each way, and there were two other sets situated at forty-five degree angles. I’d expected just one large circular mass of spikes like I’d seen in the movies. “That’s different.”
“The spell may remove their magic, but they are still built stronger and more athletic than a human, so extra precautions in some places are warranted.” Dad brushed past me and headed toward the main entrance.
My stomach lurched, and I hesitated. I wasn’t sure what I’d gotten myself into, but I was already in too deep. The best thing for me to do was to move forward. I took a steady breath and followed my Dad inside.
Chapter Three
As I walked through the main entrance, I was surprised to find that the place was airy and open. I’d expected it to be grim and dark, but it almost felt as if I had walked into any convention center in New Orleans.
There were two guards stationed behind a desk. One sat in a chair and focused on multiple television screens while the other stood with his arms crossed. His eyes landed on Dad first than slid over in my direction. “Is that the new guy?”
“Yeah, that’s my son, Aaron.” Dad straightened his shoulders and stared the guy down. “Aaron, this is Rufus.” Then he pointed over to the man who was watching the cameras. “And this is Gerald.”
Gerald glanced away from the screens and nodded his head in my direction. “Nice to meet ya.”
“Uh… It’s nice to meet you too.” It was strange. Dad and Mom were social and had a lot of friends, but not me. Sure, people enjoyed being around me due to my parents' social position, but true friends, ones I could count on… there wasn’t one.
“I hope this isn’t going to be a conflict of interest.” Rufus ignored my existence now and focused on Dad. “Do the Elites know?”
“Of course they know, and it won’t be.” Dad turned my direction and slapped me hard on the back. “Here he’s just the same as anyone else. If you have a problem with the decision, please send me an email, and we will address it accordingly.”
Rufus shoulders seemed to sag at those words. “No, no problem. Just was concerned for a moment. If the Elites made this decision, then I trust their judgment, but he won’t be given any slack.”
“Like I said, he’ll be treated the same as anyone else.” Dad lowered his voice and narrowed his eyes in Rufus’ direction. “If I have to say it one more time, you and I will have a problem.”
“Of course, sir.” Rufus turned his small, beady eyes in my direction and frowned.
Great, this guy already had a problem with me.
“Rufus here is the head of the guards.” Dad arched an eyebrow and took a few more steps toward the men.
“That’s right. I’ll be in charge of your training.” Rufus smirked and ran a hand through his carrot colored hair.
This was getting better and better. “For both the guard and hunter?” Can this day get any worse?
“Hunter?” Gerald’s attention strayed from the televisions and focused back on me.
Did I say something wrong? “Uh… yeah.”
“Aaron will be splitting his time fifty-fifty.” It almost appeared as if Dad was puffing his chest. “And no, Rufus will only be training you in the guard position.”
At least that was a small reprieve. I’d take what I could get at this point. “Oh, okay.”
“I’m going to take him back to the badging office and find someone to give him a tour of the place. Tomorrow, he’ll be ready to begin training after he’s read all the SOPs.” Dad turned toward me and tilted his head to the door.
“Of course, sir. I’ll coordinate with Mac on the training schedule.” Rufus buzzed the door open.
“Go ahead, son.” Dad motioned to the opened door. “I have to badge in.” He walked behind the guards’ desk where there was a sliding door with a place to scan a badge in front of it. He scanned his badge, and it dinged while the retractable doors slid open for him to walk through.
I hurried through the opened door before Rufus changed his mind and shut it on me. Hell, maybe that would have been more of a blessing than a curse. As I made my way through, the open airy feel was still there. “This sure doesn’t feel like a prison.”
“Oh, it is.” Dad raised his eyebrows, which caused his forehead to crease. “But this prison is different from any other in the country.”
It was hard for me to buy that. Everyone liked to think what they did was different or unique, but in truth, it wasn’t. “How so?”
“Come on, I’ll show you.” We walked down a long hallway that was lined with windows. It was a beautiful day outside. The sky had a few puffy, white clouds, and the sun was shining high.
At the end of the hallway, there was a door leading outside. It had a different feel than the rest of the place. It was a standard hollow metal door that I’d imagine was in every single prison.
Dad slid opened a hidden compartment to the side and pressed a button. A camera slid out from behind the wall, and an electronic voice filled the air. “Please stand in front for retinal scan.”
Since he was already in position, the camera flickered, and a red laser beamed out, hitting him right in the eye. “Identity identified. Welcome, Warden Andrews.” The camera slid back into the wall, but the voice continued. “Please enter your password.” Another slot opened, and a keyboard slid from the wall.
Not missing a beat, Dad reached out and quickly typed in his password.
“You have passed validation. You are now allowed to continue.” The keybo
ard slid back, and there was a loud, vibrating click.
“Here we go.” Dad opened the door, and it was nothing like I’d ever seen before.
I’d expected a concrete workout station with bars around it, so what I saw left me breathless. There was grass everywhere with huge trees, and several yards off was a cornfield where numerous people were working; both men and women. “What the….”
“See, I told you.” Dad grinned, and we stepped outside.
“Good morning, Warden,” A loud voice called from the side. “They’ve only been out here about thirty minutes but have already worked up a good sweat.”
“Good, good. Are the others already out and tending to the other gardens and animals?” Dad stepped toward the man and waved for me to follow.
“Yes, sir. We got them out here at 7:30 this morning. No time for playing around.” The man’s gaze landed on me. “Who’s this?”
“Oh, this is the new kid.” Dad slapped me on the back hard. “Just showing him around.”
“Well, that’s unusual. You’ve never given any other new recruit a tour.” The man reached up and scratched his chin. He was close to my Dad’s age, at least from what I could tell.
“That’s one reason I like you so much.” Dad laughed and glanced back to the workers. “You’re blunt. This is, in fact, my son, Aaron.”
“So he’s continuing the family career.” The man’s face relaxed and almost seemed friendly. “It’s a very worthy cause. My names Dennis.” He reached out his hand, and I held mine out as well shaking his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you too.” I couldn’t keep my gaze from the workers. “This is amazing.”
“Well, this place is top secret, so it’s not like we can have food trucks deliver here. That would be a nightmare. The main part of their job is tending to the crops and animals, to feed them and help out the pure breeds that go without.”
That was an interesting concept and a good cause to serve. Maybe it won’t be that bad, but for some reason, something sat hard in my stomach. When something looks too good to be true, it normally was. So what was the catch here?
Hexes and Handcuffs: A Limited Edition Collection of Supernatural Prison Stories Page 33
