Killer's Quest: A Dark Crossroads Urban Fantasy, page 5
"Then we...I don't know, throw him in Purgatory or something."
"It's been tried. On more than one occasion, in fact. There's no reason to believe history won't repeat itself again--either he'll escape or someone worse will find a way to use him for their purposes."
Maya sighed. "We can't kill him?"
"In the thousands of years Cain's been walking the Earth, no one in any dimension has found a method of killing him. And even if we could, I'm not so certain that's the solution."
Sameera stood and walked from the chair towards her desk and the large, domed window behind it overlooking the Black Lodge's campus.
"We're not only here for those who want our help, we're also here for those who need it--even if they refuse to admit it," said Sameera. "Cain certainly falls into that latter category."
"Except you don't know that you can help him. No one can kill him, fine. But no one's been able to remove the Mark, either," said Maya.
"You're right," said Sameera. "But I still believe we owe it to ourselves to try. If we start picking and choosing who receives our help, then I shudder to think what that world might end up looking like."
"Personally, I think you've got too much faith in people," said Maya. "Not everyone deserves your compassion, boss."
"At one point, that may have been said of Dex or even yourself."
Maya sighed and stood from the sofa. She crossed the distance to Sameera's side and joined her in looking at the patrons of the Black Lodge down below.
"Okay, I'll work with him. But I don't have to like him."
Sameera turned to her apprentice and smiled. "Thank you, that's all I ask." She turned back to the window. "And you never know. People are often quite surprising."
8
The first step in the investigation was a visit to Portland and Kelryn's home, and so a portal provided a simple means of transportation from the Black Lodge's mysterious island to the northwestern city. They emerged from a portal away from prying eyes and quickly walked a few blocks until they reached a main thoroughfare.
Maya took out her phone and sent a message, then addressed Cain and Dex. "Okay, now we just wait here for our car."
"You've got that teleporting ring, what do you need a car for?" asked Cain.
"For one, the ring can't open portals anywhere we wish. It has to be at points where ley lines converge. And two, unless we know exactly where a portal will open, there's a chance we could open one up in someone's house or a wall or the middle of a busy highway. Not only is it potentially dangerous, but it's also a good way to draw a lot of unwanted attention." She glanced at Cain out of the corner of her eye. "Some of us feel it's better to operate under the radar."
Cain figured she was referring to the incident at O'Hare Airport when he was chasing down Luther Cross. Back when he was foolish enough to trust the word of Asmodeus. He tried to think of a retort, but nothing came that would justify his actions. Instead, he chose to just let the issue lie.
"Here it comes," said Dex. The dryad had assumed a more human appearance, his bark-like complexion now a fair one, and his leafy hair replaced with blond strands.
A sedan with the rental car company's logo on it pulled up and behind them was an SUV. The driver of the SUV climbed out and Maya spoke with him for a few minutes. After exchanging pleasantries and paperwork, the driver joined his co-worker in the sedan and they drove off, leaving the trio alone with their new car.
Maya got into the driver's seat and Dex sat beside her, leaving the backseat open for Cain to sit on his own. Once they got situated, Maya punched an address into the SUV's navigation system and began driving.
"From what Qarhan told us, we know that after leaving The Void, Kel was supposed to just go straight home," Maya explained as she steered the car through the Portland streets. "Typically, they'd exit from an alleyway portal, then walk back to their apartment. So that's where we're going to start."
"What else do you know about Kel's habits?" asked Cain.
Maya glanced at Cain in the rear-view mirror. "Mostly they keep to themselves. Kel's something of a homebody, though there's a support group for supernaturals in the city that they're involved with."
"'Support group'?"
"You sound confused."
"Just wondering what this 'support group' does."
"They help each other out, teach each other how to acclimate to the human world, or just provide a social circle so they don't have to feel like they're completely alone," said Maya.
"Just seems weird to me is all," said Cain, and then added under his breath, "A support group for monsters..."
"We're not monsters," said Dex.
Cain leaned forward, sticking his head in the space between the front two seats, and looked at Dex. "You're a walking tree who has to use magic to move around the human world. I'm an indestructible killer who's been around for centuries. Your boss is a blue-skinned half-genie."
"Djinn, not genie," said Maya.
"Whatever. The point is we are absolutely monsters. And the sooner you embrace that reality, the sooner you can get on with your life."
"And how exactly are you 'getting on' with your life?" asked Dex, turning his gaze to Cain. "You live in a cabin up in the mountains away from everyone."
"That's right, I do. And you know why?" asked Cain. "Because I know I'm a monster. I may be stuck in this world, but I don't delude myself into thinking that I have some place here. So I stay away from the humans--leave them to their world and I just keep a small piece for myself."
"Then why stay at all?" asked Maya. "What exactly is keeping you here?"
"I tried to find ways to end my existence. I tried to find some semblance of peace in places like Purgatory and Hell. But there was always some catch, someone coming along to try to rope me into their plots," said Cain.
"Who decides that Earth is only for humans?" asked Dex. "My people first appeared here, too. We didn't come from any other dimension."
"And even still, just because you weren't born in a place doesn't mean you should be excluded from it," said Maya.
"Whether you like it or not, regardless of how fair it is, Earth is the humans' world. They control it, they've overpopulated it, and it's their societies that you're trying to infiltrate," said Cain. "That's just reality."
"You make it sound like we're invaders. All we want is to live our own lives in peace," said Dex. "In fact, it was humans who invaded my land and killed my people."
"All the more reason to let them keep this place and stay as far away from them as possible," said Cain. "I'm not spinning stories here. I spent years living among them--centuries, even. I fought in their wars, I worked in their cities, so I know exactly what they're like. And one thing I've learned about them is that they're weak, violent, hateful little creatures. They spend half their time trying to kill each other and the other half trying to destroy the planet. Who in their right mind would want to be in that club?"
"Excuse me? Human right here, thank you." Maya held up one hand.
"You're not one of them," said Cain. "The second you decided to start learning magic, you became an other."
"And you're nothing more than just another closed-minded old man," she said.
Cain sat back in his seat. Of course they wouldn't get it, but it didn't matter. He wasn't here to convert anyone to his way of thinking, he just wanted to find out what happened to the pixie and then return home.
The rest of the trip to Kelryn's apartment building passed in an uncomfortable silence. Maya turned on the radio to ease the tension with music, but it remained thick as ever.
"Do you have a key?" asked Cain when they entered the apartment building's entrance.
"Who needs a key?" Maya stepped up to the security door and held her hand over the lock, then whispered, "Aperio."
The door clicked and a loud buzzing noise echoed in the small foyer. Maya pulled the door open and walked inside, with Dex and Cain following. They entered the elevator and Maya hit the button for the top floor.
Kelryn's studio was located just a few doors down from the elevator. Once they reached the unit, Maya again used magic to unlock the door and they stepped inside.
Cain glanced around the small room. There was a tiny kitchen area, a futon, a small TV on a dresser, and a lot of bookshelves.
"Maybe Qarhan's not paying a good enough wage," said Cain.
"Keep in mind Kel's natural form is just a few inches tall," said Maya. "I imagine they don't spend a lot of time in human form while they're home."
"Right. So what are we looking for?"
"Anything that might give us a clue as to what happened to Kel," said Maya. "Though a place this size, we probably don't need three people to do that. Dex, why don't you try asking some of the neighbors if they saw anything?"
"Sure." Dex left the apartment and closed the door behind him.
"And me?" asked Cain.
"You're not as friendly as Dex."
"He barely speaks."
"Exactly." Maya paused and then added, "You're supposed to be good at tracking people, right? So why don't you track? I'll handle things here."
Cain watched for a few moments as Maya stood in the center of the room and closed her eyes. She held her arms far to the sides, her fingers outstretched. Waves of bluish magic started to weave around her. Clearly, she had her own way of searching the apartment.
The tracking abilities Maya referred to were a kind of sixth sense Cain possessed. If he had contact with a soul, he could sense if they'd been in an area recently. Obviously, this being Kelryn's apartment, Cain could easily get a sense of them in the studio. But it had been a few days since Kelryn had last been home. Possibly they never even made it home the night they disappeared.
Cain left the apartment and went back down to the lobby. He exited the building, still sensing that Kelryn's presence was a few days old. When were they last here?
He continued down the block, sensing this was a well-worn path for Kelryn. And when Cain reached the crossing, he picked up on something. Cain breathed in deeply and closed his eyes, focusing on Kelryn's essence.
Here, in this spot, it was slightly stronger. That could only mean Kelryn had been here more recently than they'd been to their apartment. Still a few days old, though. This could be the last place they were.
There was something else in the air. Cain could taste the lingering effect of pixie magic. Kelryn must have tried something, but why would they use magic out in the open? Was it defensive?
That was it, a new, familiar sense. A touch of fear and panic. Cain knew well what that felt like. He'd sensed it from his numerous victims over time. And now here it was, suggesting something had frightened Kelryn in this spot.
The pixie magic moved in an odd pattern. Cain could almost see the trails pinballing through the air. He followed the scent until it led to a spot on the sidewalk nearby. Here, Cain knelt, pressing his hand to the cement.
"What are you doing?"
Cain looked up and saw Maya and Dex standing nearby.
"What you told me to," said Cain. "Tracking."
"You can sense Kel there?" asked Maya.
Cain nodded. "They were using magic, probably reverting back to pixie form and flitting through the air in a mad dash."
"Trying to escape?" asked Dex.
"That's my theory." Cain stood and stared off into the distance. He pointed down the street. "The trail speeds down this way, so I'd say this is a kidnapping.
"Can you follow it?" asked Dex.
Cain shook his head. "Normally yes, but I can feel it fading pretty fast. I don't think it's strong enough to track."
"Why would it fade?" asked Maya.
"Some sort of interference maybe," said Cain. "Could be something designed to suppress magic."
"Can you sense anything about the kidnappers?" asked Maya.
"Human, I think. But I don't know anything more about them than that."
"Probably wasn't random, either," said Cain. "If they have a way to suppress magic, they must have been here intentionally. No doubt Kel was a specific target."
"But who would take them? And why?" asked Maya.
"Maybe the group knows something about it. Perhaps Kelryn had some enemies or even admirers?" asked Dex.
"Do you know when it happened? Anything that can help us?" asked Maya.
"It's been a few days, but Kel's trail here is stronger than the apartment. Likely they were grabbed as they were coming home from The Void," said Cain.
"That would put it late at night, which means few witnesses," said Dex. "What about traffic cameras?"
Maya shook her head. "Most just take a photo when they detect a car running a light. And even ones that do stream footage only do it in real-time. They don't typically retain the feed."
Cain looked past Maya and Dex, across the street. He walked between them and continued moving, then stopped at the curb. "I think we might actually have a witness after all."
Maya and Dex came up beside Cain and he pointed across the street. There was a small community bank on the other side of the road, with a drive-thru teller and ATM.
9
Maya stared across the street at the small bank branch. There was a pretty decent chance their surveillance cameras had captured whoever took Kelryn the night of their disappearance. Now it was just a matter of getting their hands on that footage.
"Hold on, where are you going?" she asked when she saw Cain about to cross the street.
He paused at the curb and cocked his head as he looked at her. Cain jerked his thumb towards the bank. "Where do you think?"
"Maybe you're not fully aware of how things work these days because you've been living on a mountain for the past century, but you can't just waltz into a bank and ask to see their surveillance footage," she said.
Cain scoffed and looked back towards the bank. "They'll show it to me."
"And why? Are you planning to threaten someone?" asked Dex.
Cain sighed and faced the dryad. Dex's eyebrows arched.
"I was just kidding, but you're serious, aren't you?" he asked.
"Do you have a better idea?" asked Cain.
"Yeah, not everything requires violence," said Maya. "I'll go talk to them, I'm sure I can be more persuasive than you."
"Somehow I doubt it."
Maya sighed. "Just follow my lead, okay?"
She crossed the street with Dex and Cain following behind. When they entered the bank, they saw it was pretty much empty. This was just a small branch with two teller windows, some complimentary coffee, a desk, and chairs off to the side, and that was about it. Most of the business they did here was probably done via the drive-thru teller window if not the ATM. The two tellers even looked a little surprised to see so many people walk in.
"I'll do the talking, okay?" Maya asserted. "Just hold back for a minute."
Cain grumbled something but gave no other protest. Maya walked up to one of the tellers. She put on the friendliest plastic smile she could muster and even raised her voice a little.
"Welcome to First Community Bank," said the teller, who was a middle-aged white woman with curly red hair. She had a nametag that identified her as Joy. "How can I help you today?"
"Hi, how are you?" asked Maya. "Listen, I'm not actually here for banking. Instead, I wanted to talk to you about your security."
"Our...security?" The teller raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"
"A few nights ago, a young person went missing from this area."
Joy gasped. "Oh my, you can't be serious?"
Maya nodded and reached into her pocket. She took out her phone and brought up a photograph of Kelryn in human form and held it so the teller could see.
"They live in the apartment building right across the street. Do you know who this is?"
Joy examined the photo, her lips tight. Her eyes wavered a bit and then after a moment, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't think I have."
"Can I see?" The other teller chimed in. She was a little bit younger with dark skin and her hair pulled back in a tight bun. Her nametag had Denise stamped on it.
Maya turned the phone so Denise could see. She picked up the glasses hanging from a lanyard around her neck and studied the picture.
"Yeah, I think she's been here before," Denise said while giving a slow nod.
"They, actually. Not she," said Maya.
Joy gave a chortle and Maya glanced at her.
"Sorry, what was that?" asked Maya.
"Oh...it's nothing," said Joy. "I just had something in my throat."
"When did you say they went missing?" asked Denise.
"We're not completely sure, but we think it was a few nights ago."
"If it was at night, then there's not much we can do to help you," said Joy. "We're only open until six."
"I know, but you do have surveillance, don't you?" asked Maya.
"Well yes, of course we do, dear," said Joy.
"Then maybe I could have a look at your footage? We think they may have been grabbed just across the street and it's possible your camera picked something up."
Joy frowned. "I'm sorry, but that footage is bank property and it's very sensitive. We can't just show it to anyone."
Cain coughed loudly. Maya turned and saw him motion for her to come over with his head. Maya looked back at Joy and smiled, then held up her index finger and mouthed "Just a minute."
Maya crossed the distance back to Cain and Dex. "What is it?"
"Something's off about the redhead." Cain pulled his trench coat open just enough so Maya could see the butt of the revolver holstered under his shoulder. "Maybe I should have a word with her."
Maya grabbed Cain's coat and pulled it shut. "Have you taken complete leave of your senses or are you just a natural sociopath?"
"Jury's out on both," said Cain.
"His response is a bit extreme, but he makes a good point," said Dex. "There's definitely something strange about her aura."
"Just let me handle this, okay?"
"And what do you expect me to do, sit here with my thumb up my ass?" asked Cain.
