Oceans of Red Volume One (8 page)

***

Remy ran around the side of the house and slipped in the back door.  As the latch clicked she was shoved against the wall by an unseen force.  “Ouch!  Let me go, Shane.  The freaking mop holder is about to impale me.”

“Let me see your eyes,” her sister’s voice answered.

“Look.  See any glowing going on?”

“Greg, get close to her.  Maybe she’s wearing contacts or something.”

He moved in and peered into her eyes.  Using his index finger and thumb, he pushed her eyelids apart.

“Seriously, you guys need to quit.  It’s just me.  And get your damn finger out of my eye!”

Greg stepped back and laughed.  “Let her go, but don’t let her near you.  She’s got dragon breath.”

The force released and as soon as Remy’s
feet hit the floor, her sister tackled her with a bear hug.  Wrapping her arms around Shane she soothed, “I’m all right.  It’s a crazy story, but I’m perfectly fine.”

Shane pushed her away
.  “It’s been two days!  I thought you were dead.  Do you have any idea how scared we were?”

Remy lurched forward, grabbed her sist
er, and drew her into a head lock.  Laughing, she rubbed her knuckles across the younger girl’s head.  “I got skills, kid.  You should’ve known I’d be back.”

Invisible hands locked around Remy’s wrists pulling her arms upward.  Her body tingled as it slowly lifted and hovered a foot from the floor. 

Unsmiling, Shane turned and faced her sister.  “You don’t have those kinds of skills, and they could have killed you.  It’s not funny, Rem.”

“O
kay, okay.  You two settle down,” Greg said.

Remy’s eyes narrowed as she glared at her sister.  “I get it.  You can put me down now.”

Shane smiled and Remy’s body glided gently back against the wall leaving her feet still dangling.  “Do you?  I’m not sure you understand the frailty of the human body, Rem.  I’m not sure you’re taking this nearly as seriously as you should.”

Greg placed a hand on Shane’s shoulder.  “Enough.  Let her go.”  Before he could blink
, he found himself secured to the same wall beside his sister.  “Shane.”

She crossed her arms and held them both captive for a moment longer.  Then releasing them, she said, “I’m not on a power trip.  I’m just trying to prove a point.  I’m not even demonic and I can stop you that
fast.  We’ve been lucky so far.  They don’t play with the powers vested in them and most are just stupid.  If we run across one with real intelligence, we’re all dead.”

Remy and Greg nodded.   As much as they’d
tried to make it so, this was not a game.  And for the first time, they both realized just how lucky they’d been.

***

Shane’s eyebrows drew together.  “So he didn’t expand on what he meant by his ‘kind’?”

Remy shook her head
.  “Weird, right?  It was so strange.  I felt him enter my mind in the examination room.  Then the bonds were gone and I remembered everything, but right after it was back to the land of confusion.”

“But he works for them,”
Greg said.

“I don’t think so.  That was one of the weirdest things.  Sharelle seemed afraid of him.  Most of the time she appeared to think carefully before she spoke.  It doesn’t make sense.”

Greg moved to the window and pulled back the curtain just enough to sneak a quick look.  “What was the crap about having allegiance with them?  He must be on their side.”

Shaking her head, Remy answered, “It was his tone.  The way he answered was like he was talking about an allegiance to something or someone else.”

Allowing the curtain to fall back in place, Greg turned to the girls.  Remy lay sprawled on the couch with her eyes closed.  Shane sat sideways in the large overstuffed chair with her feet dangling over one arm.  “It’s strange, but it changes nothing.  We still need to follow through with the plan.”

Remy’s eyes snapped open as she bolted into an upright position.  “You can’t be serious.  They are looking for us now.  If you show up mind wiped and they can’t fill you either, they’ll never let you go.”

“She’s right.  It would be stupid to send you in now,” Shane agreed.

He took a deep breath and thought for a moment before speaking.  “Maybe not.  Maybe we were going about this the wrong way.”

“Well duh, Captain Obvious,” Shane replied.

Sitting on the matching chair across from Shane, he continued.  “Think about it.  They’re looking for mind wipes, right?”

Both girls nodded.

“So what if I show up with memories.  Not a partial wipe like Rem, but a lifetime of memory.”

“Can’t do it.  It would jeopardize everyone we know,” Shane answered.

He smiled knowingly.  “I didn’t say they had to be
my
memories.”

Remy’s eyes widened.  Shane flipped her legs around and sitting up, leaned forward.  “That could work.  I mean theoretically it could, but it’ll take some time to do all of that.”

Resting his elbows on his knees, he leaned towards her.  “So just how good are you little sister?  Think you can do it?”

Remy cleared her throat.  “I hate to change the subject, but you both realiz
e we’ve been gone for three days now, don’t you?”

“And?”  Greg answered.

“And there’s the small matter of the Admiral and his loyal army?  Think maybe we should check in before people start getting killed trying to find us?”

Shane laughed and shook her head.  “I’ll have you know I’ve been checking in with Dad at least three times a day.”

“Ah, shit.  Are kidding me?”  Greg said.

Remy glared at her sister.  “Are you crazy?”

“As soon as I returned unscathed and supercharged, I let him know we were okay.”

Both siblings shook their heads.

“What?  He only yelled for a minute or two.  He came around rather quickly.  Seriously guys, he’s our Dad.  Maybe you two don’t mind worrying him sick for three days, but I’m not going to do it!”

“What did he say?”  Remy asked.

“He said to make sure we all come back.  You know Dad, I’m pretty sure he’s already making plans to supercharge the rest of them.”

“So what do we do now?”  Greg asked.

“Get on the couch and lie down.  Rem, you mind finding us some grub?  This is going to take a while and I’m starving.”

“Sure.  There should still be some canned stuff in the cupboards.”

“Hey, I want to eat too.  You can wait for that,” Greg interjected.

Shane and Remy exchanged looks and started laughing as Greg’s stomach grumbled loudly.

Chapter Six

Ramses extended his arms and stretched.  This shell fit like a glove.  Rolling his head to the side, his neck popped.  Full lips slid into a smile as he faced his supervisor.  “It’s about time I received something worthy of my status, Armand.”

The tall, dark-skinned man in front of him pursed his lips.  Running his hand across his chin he answered, “You’ve had a couple already.  I don’t understand you warrior types.  You have perfectly fitted cattle, added strength from the well built structures, and yet you can’t seem to win against mere mortals.  Why is that?”

Licking his lips, Ramses examined the man.  His structure was sound, but nothing close to the shell he resided in.  Supervisors weren’t well known for their strength, their intelligence set them above the rest.  Once again, he flexed the muscles of this powerful vessel.  His own power blended with that of the structure. 

Armand watched as Ramses preened.  It was always like this with the warrior types.  Too much brawn, but so little brain.  Yes, they were the most powerful race on the planet, but power wasn’t everything.  Ingenuity and the ability to think fast would efficiently solve problems sooner than brute strength.  “If you’re finished strutting, there’s work to be done.”

“Such as?”

“Where did your vessel come from?  How many unfilled were with him?”

Ramses gazed into the mirror over the fireplace
, seemingly uninterested in Armand’s questions.

“Hey.”

Acting as if he were doing the other a great service, he turned and faced Armand.  “Just a few.  Not far from here in an old warehouse,” he answered.

“Well get going.  Bring them in.”

“How many do I take with me?”  Ramses asked.

Laughing, Armand answered, “Infiltration is the key, Ramses.  You go alone.  What’s wrong?  Scared of a few humans?”

Red faced, he muttered, “Fear isn’t one of my failings.  We could crush the resistance if those in charge had any competent war strategy.”

The smile left Armand’s face.  “The Master has ordered it.  Do you wish to voice a complaint?”

Ramses nearly snarled as he left the room.  The Master was a bitch that had forgotten her place.  When the true Master finally decided to get involved, it would be those like Ramses who seized power.  Then the others would pay.

***

Hooded black-robed figures stood in a tight circle around an alter covered in red velvet.  In the center lay a blade pulsating with blue light.  Their voices rose and fell in unison singing in a long forgotten language.  Although they were in an underground cavern, a cold breeze began to rush around the alter causing the torches to flicker and dance.  As the singsong chanting reached its’ crescendo, each figure raised their right hand.  Green fire shot out from each outstretched palm to hover over the hilt before finally entering it.  The last bit of green integrated with the glowing blue and the blade turned crimson.

“It is done,” Daelen said
, removing his hood.

“Blessed be,” t
he others answered.

He gently picked up the short sword and slid it into a sheath inside his cloak.  “One more imbuing session and the spell will be complete.”

“And you believe this girl is the one we’ve been waiting for?  You’re certain?”  A deep voice questioned.

Daelen faced the speaker across from him.  “I am certain.  After these many years, I’d given up hope.  She is the one.”

“Blessed be,” a voice whispered.

“Blessed be,” the others responded.

***

Perched atop an abandoned warehouse in the business district, Shane and Remy waited for Greg’s return.  Shane had worked for hours bending Greg’s mind.  His memories were full of starvation and a small group of humans still hiding out in this district.  His prime objective was to return to these imaginary people.  Shane had taken great care to insure that anyone reading his mind would know that if he showed up with others, they would be shot on sight.  There was nothing left to do except wait and hope their plan would work.

Shane’s body shuddered as she covered her mouth attempting to stifle a yawn.  Remy glanced at her holding an index finger to her lips.

Shane linked to her older sister.  “
I’m trying!  I’m so tired.  One of us should sleep.  We could literally be here for days.”

Remy nodded her head and made hand movements telling her to lie down behind a large cooling unit behind them.

“
I can wait if you want to go first,
” she offered.

The older girl answered with one quick shake of her head.  Shane shrugged and crawled across the roof top behind the rusty air conditioner. 

Taking another peek over the side of the building and seeing nothing, Remy slid her back against the brick abutment, stretching her legs out in front of her.  She was exhausted too, but they’d have time to sleep when this was over.  The sound of a tin can rolling across pavement echoed off the walls of the surrounding buildings.  She turned with lightning speed and raised just enough of her head over the wall to search the area. 

A loud thunk drew her eyes to a dumpster sitting at the left corner of the opposing building as a small shadow slipped around the side. 
Raccoon?  Of all the things that have disappeared you’d think they could have gotten rid of those. 
She squinted.  Scanning the darkness for any sign of movement, she held her breath and waited. 

Another small shadow skittered across the front of the building and slid around the side.  Certain that they were indeed rodents searching for food, she turned and relaxed against the wall.  This plan was strategically sound.  As long as he could be filled, and no questions arose, Greg should return to them as ordered.  The demons wouldn’t leave a group of unfilled humans on their own.  Why couldn’t she be filled?  Not that she was upset about it, but she’d never heard of anyone else having that issue.

Daelen made reference to her being one of them.  But one of what?  What was he?  And how was it her siblings didn’t have the same condition?  Remy had always been good at reading people, and he certainly hadn’t seemed like someone she should be afraid of.  However, she hadn’t been afraid of her mother either, until she saw her eyes.

A loud screech
, followed directly by another, startled her.  Peering over the edge, she searched the shadows around the dumpster.  No movement.  An unearthly quiet settled throughout the buildings.  Even the insects stopped buzzing.