Track 027: Blues

  The Composer

  “You know they’re gonna take this place over when we’re done, right?” Walking through the worst apartment yet and being left to my own devices, I just couldn’t hold my tongue anymore. The thoughts in the back of my head bubbling up. Broken furniture, bullet holes, and blood splatter. I couldn’t help myself from touching it. Chills run through my body as I snatch my hand back. A flashback smashing into me. The Beach. The man. The outline. If I was doing anything else, it would have me on my ass, shaking in my room, curled up in a fetal position. But I swallow it. I’ve got to stay focused for everyone else. I can’t break down here. Won’t allow myself.

  “What do you mean?” Carter doesn’t look. Not like me, like he’s avoiding eye contact with the weight of this. The crime scene that’s on display. Like as long as it is out of focus, he won’t have to grapple with the devastation.

  “The Resistance is going to risk as many of their people as they can in here to and force them to awaken.” I give him the older sibling stare so he feels the gravity of what I’m saying. He actually meets my eyes. Sess and the others are moving as fast as they can with Benny on their heels. I volunteered for us to watch the back. “You need to be there for them when they do. They will get themselves killed.”

  “That sounds like a fundamentally idiotic notion.” He strains to keep his voice steady. It making the words brittle. Just like the place we’re at. If he doesn’t make touch it. It isn’t reality.

  “I think it is too, but Carl wants power more than he wants safety. That’s why he’s here. He sees the world changing, and he sees himself get left behind. Kohl says that the people who get awakened aren’t the people who thrived in the old world. It failed us and our people in so many ways. Unless he has a massive change of heart, he won’t be the person leading his people. You will.”

  “What about Vintage?” He posits.

  “Vintage is probably the person you want in power the most, but to Carl and the rest, she’s a civilian, no matter how much time she’s served in another capacity. She’s not armed forces.”

  “I thought you wanted me to join you.”

  “Oh, I still do.” A fragile smile comes to face and still doesn’t quite reach my eyes. “But I can tell you want to make something for yourself. You were the top of your class in medical school, on your own. Made yourself a local hero. You thrive on being your own man and making a name for yourself with no help from anybody. I know because we look the same- ”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” He says, bewildered.

  “You have the same look in your eye I did when I watched that Rebellion video. It’s the same one I saw when you graduate and it’s the same one I saw during all those interviews. Hell, I bet even Dad had those eyes when he came to America. Oh, and when Ma started that design firm, duh.”

  She’s not an afterthought. Mom put herself through design school while working two jobs. Unbound Design, while not a household name, has a style that’s easily recognized by the people who swear by her work. I’ve still got a few pieces in the apartment that I need to get back or Ma’s gonna kill me. But that’s gotta be a different day.

  “Yeah.” His expression goes a little dark. “I hope they’re okay.”

  “I have to believe they are at least safe. They were on vacation. The island can’t be as bad as out here.” It’s a desperate thought, even though it makes sense. I want her to be safe, I need it. “Kohl figures cultural hubs probably have the biggest groups of them. New York, LA, London, Tokyo, Lagos, places like that. I don’t think Christ’s Church has much to fear.”

  “Thank you,” He puts his hand on my shoulder. I don’t know if he believes me, but he’s trying to.

  “Plus, we’re looking into wider communication soon. If anyone canfe figure it out, it’s definitely Gabrielle. We could get something more secure than radio or even encrypted net. But Benny might solve that. He and Kohl working together might make things a lot easier than the rest of us.”

  “It’s a good thing to think about. I just wonder if we should be taking the fight to Aquilan before that happens.”

  “She’s a whole problem, but she’s been a problem for a while now and she’s entrenched. Which means we need allies to actually assault her places of power. She hasn’t done too much to strike out at us, yet.” The yet is very heavy and holds a lot of meaning. He hasn’t seen her. “And I don’t think she’s just sitting on her hands waiting for us to attack. She’s been quiet for too long. Something’s coming and it’s going to be bad.”

  “You’re really worried about her.”

  “You have no idea. She’s turned our alma mater into a hell. You haven’t seen the shit I have. Without Kohl and the others, I don’t think I’d have gotten out alive.”

  “Well, you’ll have me next time. I’m going to be right by your side even if I have to drag The Resistance behind me to do it.”

  “Thanks, if there’s anyone in this world I trust to have my back, it’s you.” I say, shoulder bumping him like we did when we were kids.

  I cut through the last of the enemies. The spluttering blade sparks in my hand. The hairline fractures run much deeper, creating fissures. I don’t think I’ll get more than a few more swings of it. It’s holding on by a thread. Just as I’m starting to get more of a handle on it. Thanks Rory, you’ve helped me a lot these past few days. I hope you’re safe somewhere in Coast City.

  Looking over to the others, I can see smiling faces all around except, of course, Bennie and the lieutenant. He stayed behind Carl, doing his best not to seem impatient, but he was fiddling with the strings on his shorts. Their faces, however, hold the look of someone who just got their first level up. The faraway look of them choosing new abilities and talking it out with each other. It’s only been a few days, but it feels like months since our first level up. That might just be that we haven’t really gotten a rest since yesterday.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Thanks to their level ups, we took the rest of the floors much faster, except for Margarita and her massive backpack. Squeezing through the hatch was hard for her. Rocky, however, was moving like lightning and I can barely catch up. Bahati took up the rear with our favorite barista.

  None of them had taken a name yet and without Kohl to talk to about it, I wasn’t really sure how to broach the topic. I knew they were important to solidify our abilities, but I don’t think we really talked about why. I know in some of the old fairytales names were important and could give you power over someone else. My thought is that it helps us crystalize our images of the people we want to be.

  Watching Kohl actively keeping the attention of huge armored crab while Luka darts in stabbing when it overextends itself at first worries me. Then understanding how well each one is doing something calms me a little. Kohl isn’t used to fighting or, if he is, not as a cat. He stumbles but is distracting it.

  A young child that could only be Annie is in the corner with her hands clasp over her eyes, peaking through fingers and looking over her shoulder. The demon’s covered in crustacean blood and with a look in his demon eyes that screams blood lust. And the cat with an exhilarated expression I’d not seen on him before. Slightly bleeding but giving his all, Kohl dances away from the enemy.

  Crab knight appears over his him and I have everything I need. “Alright team, we’ve located the girl. Weapons free! After this, it’s on to the boss.” Gunfire, the squeak of boots on hardwood, and the frothing of a potion answer me.

  “Annie! You can’t run off like that,” Bennie scolds. “Mom said we have to stick together. She’d be so mad if something happened to you.”

  “Well, mom said you can’t use the visor, so there!” She sticks her tongue out at her brother.

  “If I didn’t, we would have starved, or worse.”

  “Well…” She fidgets and scrunches up her face, not sure how to make her next argument. Her eyes then get big and she looks side to side. Leaning in close to whisper something not so effective because she didn’t change her volume at all. “Mom, didn’t want you talking to The Devil.”

  “The Devil isn’t real, Annie.”

  “Then who is that?” Her afro puffs sway as she moves, pointing at Luka.

  “That’s Luka.” I cut in. “He’s my cousin, kind of. He and Kohl ran as fast as they could to make sure you were safe.” I shrug. “We’ve all got powers, and he’s no exception.”

  “Bennie’s got powers too,” she says.

  “I know his abilities are very useful in finding people. Which is why I want to make him an offer.”

  “You’d like to use me for my abilities.” Benny said.

  “Yeah, but we’d also offer you a place to stay with food to eat and someone to fix your visor.” It sparks dangerously just to punctuate my offer. Benny winces. “Just so we’re clear, we’d definitely fix it, anyway. We just don’t want you living in this dungeon alone.” I smile to reassure him.

  “I think it would be a good idea to ally myself with you. Especially if it will keep Anna safe.” Kohl pads over to us the siblings.

  “I think that would make Anna happy,” Benny says.

  “Would that make you happy?” I ask.

  “Our relationship was a bit more nuanced than her and my sister’s.” Benny said, his face dropping. “She thought the voices I was hearing were from the devil. She never wanted to listen.”

  “You were gaining abilities before the abductions started?” That’s shocking. There’s something

  “Yeah, I could hear voices from far-off places. They told me Mom was going to go away for a while. That she’d be taken when I tried to tell her she got angry and broke my visor. It didn’t stop the voices. So she got angrier and angrier until the day passed.”

  “Do you think you can make her better?” His voice breaks.

  That broke my heart. Benny just wants his mom back and whatever this world has done to him, he’s still a child. A tear rolls down out of his visor and he draws it away, trying to pretend it doesn’t exist. Trying to be strong. His sister gives him a hug, and he tries to be keep the tears in by sniffling and blinking them away.

  I kneel down at his level. “Can I hug you?” At first he shakes his head so hard tears fly off in every direction until he nods yes and I wrap him in a bear hug. The dam breaks and tears pour out of him like they’ll never stop. I feel another tiny claw on my back and I can tell by the warmth it’s Lukaelin. A big hand pats my back around me and I feel Carter also join in on the group hug. “It’s okay. Benny, you’re not alone anymore. We will deep you safe.”

  “Ahem.” A cleared throat made us all look up and Carl Sess gives us an impatient glare. I roll my eyes getting to my feet after one last hug with the two kids.

  “What?” I say

  “This is- uh, shouldn’t we keep moving?”

  “Unless the bugs suddenly figure out stairs, I think we’re —” Kohl interrupts.

  I snort. Carl stammers. Carter’s eyes bug out from behind his glasses. I rub Kohl’s head as I break the embrace. “I, uh, wow. Lieutenant’s right, let’s clear this dungeon.” I run my hands through my locs nervously.

  The door closes. With a loud thud, cutting off Benny and Anna from the rest of us. Everyone has their game faces on. We came to do business.