The coals at the bottom of our makeshift campfire huffed a dying breath of embers. The flames, and the trash that fed it, crackled. The smell of smoke was thick in the warehouse.
Dharia paced a few feet away, rubbing her arms.
"Are they okay?--They're okay right?--Why wouldn't they be?--We got away. They surely should have too. Yea, I'm sure of it. They're fine…they're fine."
Her rambling left me with a headache.
"Damn, are you going to keep pacing around worried like that? Go check in on them if you're worried so much," I said. I tossed some trash into the fire. It burned up in a flurry of sparks.
She continued to pace around.
"You're saying we should go check in on them? What if they're fine? Wouldn't it be weird of me to check?--I don't want them to think I don't trust them." I seemed to have released the floodgates. Her worries poured out into the open.
I humored the idea of slamming my head into a wall.
"What if they're not fine?" I asked.
I'd be lying if I said taunting her wasn't fun. It was pretty easy too. She reminded me of Monty in that way.
She stopped in her tracks. "So you do think something happened?"
I sighed. "No. They're fine. They've literally been gone for…I don't know. Five minutes?"
"Five minutes is an awful long time to check in on someone," she said, completely serious. "Oh dang, something's definitely wrong."
"I don't know. I guess? Look, just fucking relax."
"That's easy for you to say."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Dharia's eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't mean--" Her eyes glanced around the room, suddenly put on the spot. "Not like…sorry."
"What's with this whole scaredy cat schtick?"
"Schtick?"
Oh my god, she was actually this neurotic. For a second there I thought she was playing it up.
I groaned and stood up. "If you have something to say, say it with your chest." I pulled my shoulders back and placed my hands on my hips, like a sea captain addressing her shipmen.
She tapped the side of her leg lightly. "I meant that, I'm not…"
"Uh--uh. Out with it, recruit. Do you have a problem with your captain?"
"No, uh…my captain." Good. Discipline pulled a crew together. "Forget it."
Forget it? Now that just made me want to bring up even more. I could not, though. Looking at her squirm only discouraged further prying.
"Fine. But just so you know," I said, stepping closer to her, "that if you do have something you want to say to me. You have the obligation--no, the duty to make your thoughts heard. Nothing pisses me off more than someone who doesn't say what they think."
She looked up at me with a strange glint in her eye. Admiration? She nodded slowly.
"Good," I said. "That's an order, as captain."
"Aye aye, cap'," she said. She saluted me. I saluted her back. A can fell on the floor behind us.
"At ease, our watch is almost ended--"
Dharia's eyes widened with utter terror. I thought they were going to pop like balloons. "C--captain."
I turned around.
Silhouetted against the dust covered windows, figures moved around in the shadows outside.
"The fire," I whispered. "Put it out."
We smothered the ember as best we could. Then, I signaled to Dharia with my expertly designed hand signals--mostly just pointing and waving--to follow me around towards the back of the warehouse.
The invaders never made a sound, but we heard a pipe whistle overhead.
"We got to get lost."
"Is there anything you can do?" Dharia asked.
I shook my head. I rubbed my hands and pulled them away from each other. Nothing. "My powers, I don't know what makes them tick. How did I manage to do it before?"
"Maybe you need to be in mortal danger?"
"Hmmm. Well, if they find us we might have to put it to the test."
A pen of slumbering forklifts concealed us until we managed to make it to the back where a door opened into a hallway. At the end of the corridor, it made a sharp turn to the right.
"Okay," I said. "From what I remember, I think it's this way?" We had to tell Monty and Lynn before something happened. Who knows what the Saints would do to them if they caught them defenseless.
"I wanted to ask something else--"
"Shhhhh."
A loud sound erupted down the corridor. Then, howling. It sounded like someone imitating a dog, just more gravely, and a little choppy. Another sound, an avalanche of crates and boxes being thrown to the ground followed, rumbling throughout the warehouse.
"It's about Lynn," Dharia whispered.
"Is this really the time?"
"Well, it's not ideal--"
Sneakers in full sprint squeaked down the corridor. Monty!
The boy-blur slammed right into a locked door. Dharia and I both hissed in pain.
"That's got to hurt."
The door gave way and he entered the room with a flourish of adrenaline. He slammed the door behind him so hard it echoed throughout the corridor.
"What's he doing?"
"What do you think? The Saints must have busted in--"
The floor still thumped with a hard, primal beat. Someone was chasing him. It slowed down as it got closer to the room.
"You think that's him?" Dharia said. Him. I picked up on her tone.
I nodded. "Has to be."
A figure stepped out into the hall. I pulled my head back just as it appeared. It was him. Mauler. He crawled to the door with the physicality of a jaguar. His muscles moved almost independently of each other, like the gears of a steam-powered machine.
"...Monster," I whispered.
He banged on the door.
"He's going to break it down," Dharia said.
"We have to do something."
He banged it harder.
"You think"
Nearby, a wrench laid on the floor. I picked it up and tossed it over my head. It skittered across the floor, towards Mauler.
He leaned down to pick it up.
"Let's go," I said. We started backing up.
Mauler, who was examining the wrench, stuck his nose into the air and sniffed.
He slammed his fist on the door again and said something, though I was too far away to make out what it was. It couldn't have been good, though.
I tried to listen closer, but I felt Dharia's hand grip my shoulder.
"Cindi, we have to go."
"What's he saying?"
"How should I know? He's probably telling him all the different ways he's going to cut him open for all I know!"
"That's oddly morbid."
"It's just what those serial killers on tv dramas do. I think it's something they get off on."
"Ok, 'did NOT need to know that last part."
"Just, come on. Before he hears us--"
Mauler slammed into the door again. Dharia and I ducked for cover behind a nearby forklift.
"What the hell was that this time?"
I leaned against the hallway doorframe again and peeked over the corner to catch a glimpse of the scene. The door had fallen completely off its hinges. A chunk of metal lay flat on the floor. Then, I noticed a hand catch the door frame. He emerged from the dark room.
I ducked back into the warehouse before he could notice me. Shit. Did he find Monty?
I returned to Dharia behind the forklift.
"There's a chance that Monty found another way out," I said. If there was anything I could say about him, resourcefulness made the list.
"Mauler broke into the closet?"
"Yes, but he came out right after, like a chicken without his head. He couldn't find Monty. We have to head towards the front. Then that way we can take another path towards the back exit."
"I'm…confused," Dharia said, shaking her head.
Poor girl. "Just follow me closely, do what I say, and stay quiet."
She nodded and performed an invisible zipping motion over her mouth.
We managed to circle back towards our campsite, then while following the route along the front half of the warehouse, circled around back towards another door to the back corridor.
The light sound of a hand brushing a hanging nylon tarp drew my attention back towards the forklifts. Mauler. He prowled the floor, searching for us.
I pulled Dharia out into the hallway while closing the door behind us. It closed louder than I thought it would. I pressed my ear up to it to see if I could hear Mauler getting closer.
The corridor ran straight on for several yards before turning left at the far end. It was dark, but not dark enough that we couldn't see the way. It would help to have some light though.
Click. The door handle clicked and jiggled.
"Shit."
I pulled Dharia down the corridor faster. As the door swung open I pushed her to the left, around the corner. Our feet squeaked along the linoleum floor.
While we slinked against the wall, I pulled Dharia close and covered her mouth. I felt her warm breath on my hand. Her eyes were white disks, wide awake and alert.
Sniff, sniff. Mauler's nostrils flared as he sniffed the air, like a bloodhound.
Dharia's heart started to beat faster. Or was it mine?
He was going to find us. There wasn't much else we could do without alerting him. No matter how much further we can crawl.
If there was ever a good time to test out my powers again, now would be that time.
Dharia squeezed her eyes shut. What was she hoping to accomplish? She must have hoped that this was a nightmare. That she dreamed the whole thing up. Well, it wasn't. We were stuck in a hallway with a monster sicced on us.
Come on, Cindi. Think. Think of a plan. What would Monty do? He would run--hide probably. I was already there, weren't I? What came after running and hiding?
Fighting.
I removed my hand from Dharia's mouth. She opened her eyes.
"I'm going to try something," I whispered.
"Are you crazy?"
"Let's put your theory to the test, shouldn't we?"
Mauler claws screeched as he drew his hand along the far wall, stepping closer and closer to our hiding spot.
"On the count of three, run," I whispered.
"Run where?"
"Run," I repeated. Her eyes widened again.
"Are you crazy?"
"Yes, but also confident. You could learn a thing or two from me." She must think I was full of shit. Frankly, I needed all the confidence I could muster. I was on the verge of shitting myself.
"Do you trust me?"
She watched me with doe eyes. But, surprising even me, she nodded.
"One."
His claw struck a long, deep gash in the wall.
"Two."
Silence. I couldn't even hear his footsteps anymore.
"Three--"
We launched around the corner, sneakers squeaking across the floor.
He stood right there, behind the corner, and stared us down with a snide grin.
"Found you's."
I ran straight at him.
He left his right side fairly open. I thought he half expected us to try and skim around him. That would give me too much credit.
My fist grazed him. He was far faster than I realized. He easily dodged me and slammed his own fist into my spleen.
It hit like a truck. My knees buckled and I fell to the floor. All that momentum slipped from my fingers. I heard a crack below me. I hope that wasn't my spine snapping. Thankfully, I didn't pass out. So that was a plus.
Dharia somehow managed to get past him. She glanced back at me from the end of the hallway. Her face captured a horrifying look.
I looked back up at the Mauler. His grimace felt strained, like he was putting on a face.
He was pissed, wasn't he? He didn't care about her of course. It was me he was after.
"Want to rewind back to what happened when you last tried to scrap with me in the canal?" I asked. "From what I remember, it didn't turn out so hot for you."
He hissed through clenched teeth.
"You had a little help from what I recall," he said.
Dharia closed her eyes.
No. Don't even try, I wanted to say. Just get the hell out of here.
Mauler brought a hand up and rubbed his temples. He shivered, as if a chill ran throughout his body.
"Get out of my HEAD!" he said. His voice resonated across my skin, like a foghorn. He staggered back, gripping both sides of his head with his hands. Behind him, Dharia opened her eyes and nodded.
Ok. It's my turn at bat. If Mauler was pitching, then I had to get swinging.
I rushed forward with little regard for my own safety. That asshole would try the same shit, wouldn't he?
I slammed my hand into the beast. Wracking my exhausted brain, I recounted a cheesy one-liner to really bring it home.
"HOME RUN! FUCKER!"
Ripples raced across his body, like waves in the bay ready to plunge the coast in seawater.
A second passed.
Then, with the sudden force of twenty baseball bats swinging in unison, the pain connected. Mauler flew back into a pile of boxes. An explosion of splinters and boards masked Dharia and I's escape.
We bolted for the exit. Running through the corridor until we found a mangled door with moonlight streaming through.
The cool night air filled my lungs. I curled over my knees and tried to pull myself together. Dharia raced out of the exit after me. She too looked exhausted.
"Holy shit!" I said. "Did you see that?"
Dharia ran up beside me. "That was nuts!" She raised her fists in the air and screamed into the sky. "Dreamcatcher and co. for the absolute win!"
"And co.?" I said, catching my breath.
"You still have to figure out your superhero name."
"Aquarius. No! Too cliche. Aquarii. Yea that's cool."
"Dreamcatcher!" Dharia shouted again. "And Aquarii, the Tumultuos Two!"
I laughed so hard my lungs almost popped.
I looked back through the empty door frame. I didn't hear a sound inside, but I did hear something like chatter. It came from the front of the warehouse.
I tapped Dharia's shoulder. "Come on."
We stalked along the side of the building, sticking to the shadows. After coming to a trash bin on the periphery, I stopped and leaned out to assess the situation.
A couple cars were out front. Some people with purple livery stood around them.
"Oh shit," I said.
"What? Who are they?" Dharia asked.
"Royal pains in the ass."
"Oh, that's not good."
"Yea, no shit."
We watched them bicker and pick at each other. All the while one woman, with a cool-ass jacket, stood by as stoic as stone. After about ten minutes of watching and waiting, a loud barrage of sound escaped the warehouse. Something big and metal. The gangsters standing around immediately snapped to attention.
"Something must have happened inside," I said.
"I want to see," Dharia said, leaning around me.
The five figures approached the door and jiggled the handle.
"What are they doing?" she asked.
"Shhhhh," I hushed.
The cool woman with the jacket said something to the rest of her lackey's. They pulled out weapons, opened the door, and entered the building.
"Shit, they went in," I said. I pulled back from the spot I was watching from and pulled my legs to my chest.
"We got to help him," I said.
I checked my pockets for my phone. A mess of glass and circuit boards poured out of my hands.
"Oh no," I said. "My phone. I must have broken it when Mauler threw me to the floor. Let me use your phone."
Dharia gave me hers, which I used to call the most reliable guy I knew. And Raiden.
Jesse answered it almost immediately. I gave him the details. He didn't ask any questions. I was grateful for that.
"Got it. On my way," he said simply. When he hung up I pulled Dharia's phone close to me and thanked whoever above Jesse wasn't a shit-stirrer.
I turned to Dharia to ask, "Do you have Lynn's number?"
"No," she said.
"Well, that should be fine. He seems like he can handle himself anyway. How did you find him?"
"It was all very hazy. I tried to imagine Monty and your thoughts. It can appear as little snippets, vignettes, at first. Like the patchwork of a quilt. It showed bits of your thoughts as you and Monty ran around the canal."
"But, how did you find us so quickly?"
She hesitated. Both of her hands rested in her lap.
"I saw your dream about meeting up with Lynn and Monty after school. So I knew where you guys would be. Are you mad at me for looking?"
"Is that why you've been so weird tonight?"
"Well, it's a part of it. I think I'm almost just naturally this way."
I turned to face her completely.
"Thank you, Dharia. For saving us."
"I didn't do much."
I shook my head. Why didn't I see it sooner? She was in this shit too. Just as deep as us.
"We're in this shit together now."
Something flickered behind her eyes. Her gaze narrowed, determined.
"By the way," I said. "What was it that you wanted to talk to me about Lynn earlier?"
"While I was looking for you guys, I ran into him by the canal, but…I don't know why he was just watching you."
"Huh? What do you mean 'just watching'?"
"For ten whole minutes, he just watched and followed you guys along the periphery. Like, he didn't want to get involved. I don't know what you know about the guy, but he seems a little off."
This was definitely a strange thing to consider. I could understand him hesitating to help us, but if what she said was true, maybe there was more to them finding us than I realized.
"Thanks, this is good info."
She raised her brow, a little confused.
The big question was, where was he now?
"Hey, look," she said, pointing to the warehouse doors.
The thugs dragged out someone with a bag over their head. He squirmed in their grasp, like a prisoner getting sent to the chopping block.