Chasing Shadow (Shadow Puppeteer) (13 page)

“Sonya would like to see you now, Miss McKnight. I’ll be taking your friend as collateral,” the woman said.

Starr screamed in anger and tried to push the woman back. The knife slid, gouging her flesh and more blood spilled from her mouth. I moved forward to help, but the fight was over quickly when Starr crumbled to the ground. I didn’t even see the woman move, which left me frozen in my tracks.

“Sonya’s waiting for you at the rave. We’ll torture your friend for every minute you’re late,” she said.

The woman bent down beside Starr’s body and the shadows closed in around them. When it lifted, they were gone. I stood staring in disbelief. What was left was a slip of paper and a watch.

I circled around the spot, but not one shadow moved. On shaking knees, I approached the slip of paper; aware that time was wasting while I tried to pull myself together. My hands shook so badly that I could barely read the address on the note. My eyes focused on the blood splatter on the top corner.

It was an advertisement for Midnight Rave’n Goth Club, complete with an address and on the top scrawled in red was my name with the meeting time 10:50.

The image of Starr’s Doppelganger flashed in my mind. A quick glance at the watch said I had ten minutes to get clear across town.

T
he watch slid over my wrist and latched. Normally delicate pieces of gold don’t suit my lifestyle. Even now, I felt too macho for it. This would be the nicest thing I owned if I lived through the night.

I grabbed the tree branch that hung over the wall and hauled myself up. The brick scratched my leg as I stretched for leverage, pulled myself up into the tree and over the other side. I hit the ground with both feet. The impact reverberated up the back of my legs and into my spine. There was no time to shake off the ache. I took off running.

There was only one way to make good time and that meant using the dirt road. I slid on the dirt, catching myself before I could skin my knees further and took off at a sprint. I was trying to outrun the desperation that lingered at the edge of my mind. A light sheen of sweat rolled down my spine as the cold pounded against my face. My nose and fingers were numb.

The town lights were bright, leading me to the edge of the forest. I froze briefly. Running blindly into the open could lead to another incident like last night, but there wasn’t time for caution. I held the stitch in my side as I weighed my options. My mind couldn’t handle the stress and the minutes were ticking.

Ten minutes wasn’t enough, and now I had even less.

I could barely concentrate on the small map below the advertisement. The underground rave was on the other side of town in the industrial graveyard. On foot, I was at least twenty minutes from my destination.

The need to make someone hurt was overpowering. I hardly recognized that dark hunger within me. I’ve never been so angry that I wanted someone tortured until now.

Even at my record speed, I wouldn’t make it in such short time. If I could fly—

The thought made me laugh. I was losing it.

That woman tried to rip Starr’s mouth out. It was just like her doppelganger with the loose jaw. There was no time to play it safe. I remained on open roads.

I barely flinched when the first streetlamp bulb blew out ahead of me. Darkness followed the pop of the next bulb, which started off a procession. Pockets of light flared in front of me and across the street as white glass sprinkled down like snow.

I leaped off the curb to avoid the next shower of glass and stepped inward, twisting my ankle. The pain was intense, but I took a few persistent steps forward before it became apparent that running wasn’t going to work. I had two minutes to get to the rave to save Starr. Two minutes and I wasn’t even halfway across town.

Time was ticking away and Sonya didn’t appear forgiving.

“Need a hand?” Draken asked.

He was dressed in his black rave pants and suspenders. The cold didn’t seem to bother him. His smile was friendly, but after the night I had, I didn’t trust him.

“I need that disk of yours. The one that took me to—” It was more a growl than a command.

“Where do you want to go?”

I thrust the flyer in his hand and tried not to cry, but my frustration was getting the best of me. “They have Starr.”

There was tightness at the edges of his eyes which belied the cold manner in which he nodded. “Okay.”

He dug out the disk from his pocket. My eyes lingered on his fingers as he set the dial and pointed it ahead of him.

“After you,” he said.

This time, the doorway didn’t ripple like water, and in the darkness, it was equally difficult to make out. I held my breath and slipped through into a warehouse lot far from the resident homes.

Muffled music drifted between the abandoned buildings and rusted machinery. At first I couldn’t tell from which direction it was coming, but Draken nudged me and pointed towards a group on the other side of the lot sliding between two buildings.

“Listen, whatever happens in there, I’ll do my best to protect you,” he said.

Again, that small voice inside my head laughed. How could he protect me when so many people said I was beyond protecting?

“You don’t owe me anything,” I said.

I couldn’t stand around and discuss this. The situation was dire. I didn’t even want to glance at my watch to see how late I already was.

“The club is this way, but they won’t let me in.” He took my hand and pressed his disk into my palm. “Take my transmitter and don’t take it out of your pocket until you’re in front of Sonya.”

“Why? What will happen?”

“Just do what I say,” he said.

I couldn’t stand here a second longer and argue. If he couldn’t come with me, we didn’t have much more to say to each other. I shoved the disk in my pocket and started in the direction he pointed. My process was slow because every time I put weight on my twisted ankle, it seized with pain.

I didn’t care if there were cameras. I willed World Congress to come get me.

The music was louder between the two buildings leading to the source. I gripped my purse, wishing I had more than a blade for company. The disk Draken gave me was heavy in my pocket, but didn’t bring much comfort. I wasn’t sure how to use it if things got rough.

A group of stairs led down to an ironclad door where a homeless man appeared to be guarding it. I stepped back, ready to excuse myself, but I couldn’t allow myself to grow timid.

I took the first step down. “Tell Sonya that I’m here.”

His overpowering stench made my eyes water.

“Ah, Belen McKnight, they’ve been waiting for you and you alone. Your friend will stay outside?”

I glanced over my shoulder, but Draken wasn’t there. It was an ominous greeting and I had no idea who they referred to. The man crossed his arms, either from impatience or from the cold. His sharp smile exposed the points of his teeth.

“Tell Sonya I’m here and to release Starr,” I ordered.

His eyebrows rose in humor. “Then you must go inside and speak with her.”

He swung the heavy door open like it weighed nothing. From where I stood, the only thing I saw was a hallway with dim red light. Bravery only went so far and I couldn’t ignore the fear that pooled in my stomach. The music was hauntingly familiar.

Magic—

Music held a great deal of power over certain creatures. I hoped I wasn’t one of them.

The rails were cold against my palm, stealing all warmth from my hand as I eased down the wet steps. I held my breath as I approached the man and stood within the open door. My gut said going inside the rat nest was a huge mistake. The walls were brick, the ground was cement and thick pipes hung low in some spots. There was a red light every twenty feet that left a great deal in shadow. I was grateful for the blade at my back.

“You’re stalling, but it won’t save you,” the man said.

I flipped him off before stepping into the tunnel and the door slammed behind me. The sound of sliding bolts drove home the danger I was in. It was too late to retreat, at least from this exit. I pulled my blade from my purse and gripped it between my fingers keeping my hand down against my hip. It would be easily lost in a fight, but it was better than nothing.

The hall split with the same erratic music coming from both tunnels. Truthfully, I’d rather wait for Sonya to send someone to get me, but that didn’t mean the outcome would be any better. The longer I waited, the worse the terror grew within me. It was already creeping through my mind, a black shroud blocking my better logic. That’s what phobias did. They built fear into a tidal wave of non-sense. I couldn’t let that happen, not when Starr needed me.

Frustrated, I yelled. “I’m right here, Sonya. Come and get me.”

Nothing moved. Someone had to be watching me. It wasn’t like a person gave these types of threats and didn’t watch the person they were threatening.

When no one showed up, my impatience got the better of me. Apparently Sonya wanted me to find her. I held tight to the blade as I started down the tunnel, afraid I’d drop it if someone jarred me.

There was nothing in the world like the way music met electronics in trance. Music was a natural motivation to party, but the undercurrent to this beat was dangerously hypnotic. I fingered the blade.

This rave was the same as the others. The speakers were high, lights roamed overhead and the crowd was dressed exotically. The Goth theme set this rave apart from others. People frequented the crowded room in costumes of black lace, collars, thick black cuffs, and lots of leather.

My tension lifted, leaving me dangerously open to influences. My first step into the room sent pain shooting up my twisted ankle. It cleared my head for a brief moment. The roaming lights darkened my metaphysical shields into a color I didn’t like, pushing even that small bit of clarity from me. When did I drop my defenses?

Women and men alike, walked past me with wings. The daintier people had gossamer wings, thin and pointed like dragon flies with just the tiniest hint of glitter. The people with broader shoulders and sturdier bodies had feathered wings that looked heavy. It wasn’t until people crossed directly in front of me that I realized these weren’t strapped on. Skin stretched as these blades protruded from their back cavity.

There was a group of costumed people hanging on a fence and screaming at something held within. It could be the lighting, but the deep red that splattered upward soaking them looked like blood. The people chanted harder, pumping their fists in the air. I pushed through the crowd to get to the fence. There wasn’t any reason for Sonya not to hurt Starr.

I was so close to the fence, but I still couldn’t see around the people. Red liquid shot through the wires and a dot of it landed on my coat. It was definitely blood.

A hand grabbed my upper arm and pulled me back. “There’s nothing in there worth watching, Little Daughter.”

The man was incredibly tall and covered in silver grease paint that added sheen to his dark skin. I tried to jerk free, but he held tightly. I lashed out with my blade and his grip tightened, as he caught my free hand and squeezed my fingers. To keep from cutting myself, I dropped the blade.

“Accept this gift and enjoy yourself until Sonya calls for your presence,” he said.

He twisted me up against him and my first thought was that his grease was going to get on my shirt. I didn’t see the needle, but I knew that was what pressed into my arm, releasing a cold liquid that chilled my bloodstream.

He let me go and I tried to grab him, but my movement was stunted. He left me to the mercy of the crowd. I bent down to look for my blade and quickly gave up the search. My head felt so heavy that after looking downward, it took a lot of energy lifting my head back up.

I was so screwed.

Due to the drugs in my system, a haze followed the crowd. I kept my hands out as if it would keep me from bumping into others, but I had a hard time telling distance. I staggered with determination to find a wall.

A very small part of me; a very dark shadowy place within my body enjoyed this. It wasn’t just the sorrow brought on by the pain of the victims, but the utter chaos that surrounded this dark place. There was no relief. There were too many pockets of grief at this rave and I was finally grateful for the crowd that kept this grief hidden.

The bar was the only well lit spot with red lights. It wasn’t as crowded as the rest of the room. Once drink orders were filled, the patrons would slide away, which gave me an excellent view of who sat on the counter.

The street vagabond was stretched out on a side corner and it didn’t slow the barkeep. Though the lights were too low to see his eyes through the shadow of his hat, I knew he was blatantly watching me. Friend or foe, he was the only person I recognized and this second chance meeting felt overly convenient. I wanted to see Sonya now and he was going to take me to her.

I started towards him, expecting him to move, but he didn’t. Without his guitar, he looked strangely bare. It wasn’t like the instrument was glued to him, but I’d never seen him without it.

His eyes never strayed. He didn’t smile, nor did he beckon, though I knew he was waiting for me among the chaos of this repulsion. I tried to remain focused on him, though the world was still spinning. He smiled a bare crack of his lips. The tilt of his head said he was as interested in me as I was in him, but I didn’t like the look he gave me. He was a wild card. He was the hawk and I was the approaching field mouse.

The world slowed down. I could taste the drug as it made its way up the back of my throat, sour in origin. It felt like something was breaking inside my chest. With every natural heartbeat, there was another pulse. It was uneven at first, but the gradual rhythm didn’t help steady me. I clenched my chest, feeling that shadowy beat, while shadows emerged from the crowd at the side of my vision.

Death.

People were dying here.

A woman stepped in my path before I could get much closer to the bar and just beyond her, the vagabond didn’t so much as blink. It was hard dragging my attention back to her, though she clearly had something to say to me. Her brown hair was short and curly and two slender, long horns protruded from her head. Her large eyes were deep brown and set a little close to be normal. Her golden aura was fit for a forest animal, much like Rex, than someone human.