Satyr Play 03 Pt. 02

"I see. Roy Duncan." He eased the girl down onto her feet again and looked at her. "We've not been able to reach Henry. When did you text him?"

Meixiu's bottom lip was trembling, and her eyes were getting glassy. She seemed unable to speak, so Eleanor spoke for her. "It would have been just moments before this happened. He apparently indicated he was steps from his door."

The lawyer addressed Roy. "I've spoken with the police. They said it looks like a gang-related execution. Six large men in city workers coveralls, each killed by a single gunshot to the head," Raymond explained.

Roy frowned. "Either there were multiple shooters or one highly skilled professional." He looked closer at Raymond. "Exactly who are you to have such a relationship with the police?"

The big man smiled. "I'm a public defender. They don't all like me, but some are willing to talk... or can be persuaded to."

Roy looked at him. "Right." He glanced at Eleanor. "What do you do?"

She smiled confidently at him. "I'm a surgeon."

"Is there something we can do?" Raymond asked.

"I need more information. What I need is to get closer to one of the victims," Roy said in frustration.

Raymond nodded. "Come on. Let me see what I can do." He looked at his wife. "We'll be right back."

Roy followed Raymond into the chaos of flashing lights.

Meixiu watched them go and bit her lip. Where could Henry be?

-=-

Minkah sat in the passenger seat of the van driven by the Council Investigator. The small man had clamped extenders to the gas and brake pedals to reach them. It made Minkah uncomfortable, but she couldn't fault the dwarf's precise driving.

They'd met at the designated location, and he'd helped move Henry into his vehicle. He'd also provided the incendiary device to destroy any trace evidence that might be in the van she'd taken from Henry's would-be abductors. As they drove away, she'd watched with satisfaction as it burned.

They were almost at their destination, and there'd been no sign of anyone following.

The Investigator's cell buzzed, and he spared a second to look at it. "Dammit!" He tucked the phone away as he gave her a quick glare.

"What?" she snapped.

"The body count you left behind was discovered before our cleanup crew could get to it. Now we have a media circus on our hands!" he snapped back.

"They were abducting Hen—the target! If they'd taken him, tracking them and taking control of him might have been impossible. If they'd killed him, that would have had dire consequences, as the file stated. You got what you wanted. This was a successful conclusion for the mission. That's what I do. Spin the collateral damage. Isn't that what you do?"

Rand clamped his jaw shut as she had a point. Still, he didn't like her. He'd caught her slip. She wasn't as professional about her target as she claimed... yet she'd followed through without blinking. He admired her abilities, but her cold nature made him uncomfortable.

Minkah turned her face from the driver and glanced once more into the back of the van. She could see Henry was breathing, and the drugs were still working. She looked out the windshield and brooded.

Minutes later, Rand turned off the Interstate and headed north on the much smaller country highway. It wasn't long before they turned off onto a smaller road, then a long, winding single-lane drive emerged from a forest into a gravel drive leading to a farmhouse with a separate garage.

Rand stopped the van next to a small post with what looked like a mailbox on top. He rolled down his window and reached out to place his hand against its side. Then he rolled the window up and drove towards the garage. The door swung up as they got closer, and he took them inside. He shut off the engine but made no move to get out.

Minkah looked at him, but he only spared her a glance before the floor began to drop slowly. An elevator!

Once it stopped and doors closed above them, Rand got out, and she exited as well. She pulled the side door open and checked on their... prisoner. She wasn't about to fool herself. That's what he was going to be until he eventually died. It seemed like such a waste. She didn't understand, but her part of the mission was over. She felt a little ill.

Two large orderlies in white scrubs appeared with a wheeled gurney. Following them was a thirty-something woman dressed in a white jacket and pants outfit with a loose white lab coat over top. In a girl-next-door way, she was pretty with her mousy brown hair pinned back in a bun. Her thin nose supported white plastic-framed half-glasses connected to a silver chain, allowing her to rest the eyewear against her modest chest as she reached out a slim hand to the investigator.

"Good evening, Mr. von Deussel."

"Good evening, Dr. Leslie," he returned as he shook her hand and glanced uncomfortably at the assassin. "This is Minkah Kamilah Nassor Meskhenet—"

"Yes," the doctor interrupted with the briefest of nods to her before turning back to Rand. "You've brought me our newest guest," she said with delight. She gestured for the two men wheeling the cart to move towards the double doors to their left. She immediately followed with Rand at her side.

Minkah was stinging from being abruptly dismissed, but she wasn't ready to leave Henry's side just yet. She followed and picked up the conversation the doctor was having with Rand.

"We're less than half capacity, so another guest is no strain at all. We've set his room up as directed, and I can assure you we will maintain his physical condition for as long as his natural lifespan allows," the doctor continued.

"He's not to be allowed to become conscious. We have no idea how he's doing it, but we're convinced he is linked to the arrival and propagation of the pseudo-clouds."

The doctor nodded and looked thoughtfully at Rand. "It normally takes a few days to stabilize his medication. The dosage given to him to keep him under in transit will naturally be higher than we will use to maintain him." She moved up to stop the gurney and looked into her patient's eye. Henry's pupils were pinpricks. She frowned.

"He seems to have had a stronger-than-normal reaction to the sedative. He's under too deeply, and his breathing is too shallow." She looked to Minkah. "Did you inject him twice?"

"I did not. I used one of the provided injectors against his neck at the time of his capture," Minkah said in a clipped voice.

The doctor looked away without acknowledging her response. "You'll have to excuse me. I should address this immediately."

Rand nodded, and the doctor hustled away with the orderlies. Another woman approached them, and Minkah noted she was identical to Dr. Leslie, except her half-glasses had black plastic frames.

The investigator bowed slightly to her. "Administrator Kenzie. We've delivered the subject into the care of Dr. Leslie. You've arranged a vehicle for our trip back?"

The woman shook her head. "Minister Hoek contacted me to ask you two to remain overnight in case our new guest shows complications."

"Shit!" the dwarf snapped.

Minkah looked at the Administrator. "Where are we supposed to stay?"

She looked at Minkah, and her disdain was evident as she sighed wearily. "While no one stays there, the farmhouse is fully functional. Breakfast is served in our cafeteria at seven. The kitchen is closed now." She pointed to a door at the end of the hall. "That takes you into the house. Good evening." She turned and headed back into the complex.

Rand and Minkah shared a brief look of unease then she headed off toward the door. Rand fell in behind her.

Passing through the heavy door, they found themselves inside the farmhouse's basement. It was dimly lit with old clear bulbs. The door they'd just entered looked like an old, wooden bedroom door from this side. They glanced around at the unremarkable basement interior. Aside from being very clean, neat, and orderly, it could have been any farmhouse... owned by a clean freak. They climbed the old stairs into the kitchen and saw appliances from the 1960s. Again, spotless. The lights were a little brighter here, but there was a general feeling of tiredness about the home. They did a quick tour of the main floor and then headed upstairs. There was a bedroom at the front of the house overlooking the front lawn and the lane that led to it. Two more bedrooms were at the back.

"I'll take this one," Minkah said from the doorway of the larger front bedroom.

Rand flashed a sour look at her, then headed to the bedroom farthest from hers. "See you at seven," he grumbled, then closed his door.

Minkah closed and locked her door, then did a sweep of the room, finding it clear of listening devices and cameras. On the old bed was a plastic, shrink-wrapped package containing the bed sheets and pillows. In the ensuite bathroom was another shrink-wrapped package with a toothbrush, toothpaste, facecloth, and towel.

She wanted to clean her guns, but the tools were back in the safe house in the city.

Sighing, she made the bed and undressed. The guns went under the pillows, and she settled back to rest.

She went through all her actions on this mission, and while she'd never admit it to Rand, she hadn't performed as professionally as she should have. It was something about the target, something about Henry Gable. He wasn't the most exceptional example of masculinity she'd ever encountered, and she'd taken many exciting and talented lovers over the years. Yes, she thought he was handsome enough and had a pleasing physique, but there was... something else.

With an angry snort, she flipped over and forced her mind into reciting her mantras to calm her thoughts and bring herself a little peace so she could sleep.

The mission was over. She would move on. There was nothing left for her to do.

Was there?

Chapter 27

Henry watched himself being strapped down on a bed that seemed to be able to rotate him 180 degrees. The IV tubes they stuck into his arms would allow this range of motion, so he supposed he was expected to be there a while. They were preparing him to prevent bedsores.

He wasn't sure how he felt about that. The drugs they'd stuck in him were exceptionally good at flattening any emotions he might be feeling.

He looked away from his body to the people working on it. The two large orderlies were brutes but very well-trained brutes. Their big hands moved with practiced precision, and while Henry couldn't feel it, he could see their almost gentle touches to ensure he was secure but not constricted by his restraints.

Henry looked closer at their faces, and he saw their intense concentration. Thinking didn't seem to be their forte. He reached out and touched one. Shit! Henry saw through its disguise. The orderlies were Ogres!

The one he'd touched pulled back as if stung and looked around. Henry saw it shiver. Then, it went right back to work with another nervous glance at the fourth occupant in the room, a woman dressed all in white. She was watching Henry's body with intense concentration as well. She was standing before a machine that was taking readings from him. He couldn't make heads or tails of what the screen was saying, but based on her expression, she wasn't happy about it. He'd seen that expression before. It was on the face of Mab's Master Inquisitor. He looked more closely at the doctor. He didn't need to see through her glamor. She was Fae!

After a time, he grew bored of watching her, and something told him it would be dangerous to touch her to see through her glamor, so he turned his attention outward. The chamber looked like a hospital room except for the lack of windows. This wasn't a hospital room. It was a prison cell.

A spike of fear shot through him, and that felt... bad. It was a real emotion, so he welcomed it after the numbness. The lady in white snarled something and made an adjustment on her console.

Henry heard a steady but distant drum begin to slow, the sound faint at first and getting quieter. Gradually, he felt himself getting closer, but the sound remained muted, like it was coming through a fog bank. His fear began to fade as well, and he realized the woman had given him another drug. She was smiling now, but there was no warmth to it. She reminded him of Walter, the dragon who'd wanted to collect him for his uniqueness. He'd had a total lack of empathy. This woman had none as well.

He didn't want to be here, so he moved to the door and went through it. Henry found himself standing in a white hallway lined with doors on both sides. He turned and saw he was in room number six. There were four more doors on his side of the hall, so there were twenty cells in this hallway. He crossed the hallway and slipped through the door, but the room was empty. He moved through the wall into the next room, which was also empty. All the rooms on this side of the hallway had no occupants.

He felt a stirring in his chest and realized it was relief. There were no prisoners on this side of the hall. Crossing to room ten, he found it empty, too. He slipped from room to room, seeing they were all vacant until he reached his own. The doctor and the orderlies were gone. Little lights flickered on his console, and gentle tones sounded to indicate all was well... or he was dying. He couldn't really tell, but the latter seemed unlikely. They wouldn't go to all this effort just to kill him. There were much faster ways.

He made the assumption that the next room would not be empty, so he slipped out into the hall once more and stepped into the door of room five. He found himself out in the hall once more. The sheer intensity of the psychic pain the occupant of room five was experiencing had pushed him clear. There was no mind left, just pain. Unending pain.

Henry collected himself and moved to the door of room four. Inside was a woman, a Human woman, crying due to her great loss. Grief was pouring off her in waves, and Henry staggered under its weight. Everyone had been taken from her. She was alone, and she couldn't escape the despair her life was filled with. She wanted desperately to join her loved ones on the other side, but she was trapped here.

He dragged himself out into the hall and fought back the tears. Holy shit, these people were in pain! He threw an angry glance up the aisle. What kind of monsters were they to do this?

He hesitated at the door of room three as his emotions felt raw from the previous two. Henry took a deep mental breath, then moved cautiously into the room.

The lights were dimmed for sleeping, but the occupant was awake. He turned his head toward Henry and just looked at him as if Henry was visible. The man's mouth worked, but he said nothing. He was younger than Henry but gaunt, like he'd missed more than a few meals. His hair was long black waves, and he wore striped pajamas, making him look even younger. Faded bruises showed on his lightly bronzed skin as high cheekbones and large, expressive dark eyes with long lashes softened his features.

He wasn't strapped down to his bed, which was better than Henry could say for himself.

Knowing it certainly couldn't hurt, Henry tried to speak to him. "Hi, can you see me?"

The man twitched and then licked his lips. "Are you the devil?"

Henry was shocked as the man could actually see and hear him while he was all floaty and out of body.

"No! No, I'm not. Why would you think that?" he asked.

The man gestured up at his head and down to his feet. "The horns and hooves."

So, he was in his true state when he went out of body. "I'm a Satyr, not a demon," Henry explained.

"Oh, I've never hallucinated a Satyr before. Maybe my meds aren't working anymore," the young man mumbled.

"You have hallucinations?" Henry asked.

"Duh, I'm having one now, so yeah. I see all kinds of crazy shit! It's why they put me in here," he admitted.

Henry had a thought.

"I have a friend who can see through glamors and see people for what they really are. Maybe you're not hallucinating. Maybe you're like her. My name's Henry Gable."

"My hallucination now has a name," the young man said quietly in surprise.

Henry wasn't sure what he could say to convince him. He'd start with the truth.

"I'm actually strapped to a bed three rooms that way." He pointed to the left wall. "They've doped me up to keep me asleep, but that just makes my mind slip out and wander. What's your name?"

The young man in pajamas blinked in surprise at him. "DJ. People call me DJ. The nice ones do. Most people call me fucking asshole, god damned thief, dirty beggar, and fun names like that."

Henry realized DJ might have been living on the street. "Were you homeless before they brought you here?"

Eyes too weary for the face they were in watched him carefully. "You know, none of my hallucinations ever asked so many questions."

Henry had a thought. "Sorry. My friend, who sees through disguises, can see the real being inside. The orderlies here aren't Human. They're Ogres."

The man laughed. "Yeah, they are big and ugly, so ogre is a good description."

Henry just looked at him. "No, real Ogres, as in not Human."

It was the young man's turn to stare. "What... what do you mean?" he choked out.

Henry moved closer as DJ seemed to be frightened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. It's just... magic is real."

DJ screamed, and Henry stared in shock. The young man was terrified. He moved closer still and reached out a hand to calm him, accidentally touching his hand.

Henry was in a cafeteria.

He looked around and wondered how he'd gotten here. He looked down and couldn't see his body, so he knew he was on a mental walkabout.

Then, the memories came crashing back. DJ! He was—

A ripping sensation made Henry scream, and the cafeteria exploded. Tables and chairs flew outwards, away from where he was floating at the center of the room. A stack of trays was suddenly airborne and spinning in all directions. All the notices were ripped from the bulletin board, and the blackboard placard leaning against the far wall shattered into pieces.

Henry's eyes snapped open. Someone was fucking with Wild Magic, and he knew exactly who it was.

He needed to speak with DJ, but first things first. He turned to face her direction and disappeared from the cafeteria just as the two Ogres burst into the room to look around in dismay.

Chapter 28

The boardroom in the lower level of VRL was filled with people, which wasn't typical for the late hour. The group that filled the room was also somewhat atypical. There was representation from VRL's management team, namely Camila (CEO), Sigrid (Head of HR), Roy (Head of Security, Marisa (Henry's Executive Assistant), and Mahati (External Legal Counsel).

Also present were Mary, Meixiu, and Lorelei Reichenbach, who was invited by Roy as a precaution.

When she arrived, she spotted Raymond and Eleanor sitting at the table with pleased smiles on their faces.

"You!" she exclaimed.

"Friends of Meixiu!" Eleanor said quickly, gesturing to the young-looking woman before they could be sung into oblivion again.

Lorelei watched them suspiciously.

"We also found some information you may need to protect yourself from the Council. I called in a favor with a contact within the administration to find out who they might have assigned to hunt you. Almost all local agents are tasked with finding and eliminating the New York serial killer, but there were two open cases in Europe. One of the agents was working in Germany when they were re-tasked with something here in New York. As you're here, she might be here for you. I have an image of her—"

"Let's see it," Roy said as he joined them.

When Minkah's face appeared on Raymond's cell screen, Roy swore, and eyes went to him.

"It's the woman from the museum! The one who bumped into you!" Roy exclaimed as he stared at the image.