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Somewhere above, the moon smiled down at his mother, the earth. Deep in the caverns of the moon, a small colony of scientists worked around the clock to battle against claustrophobia and a person who was slowly killing them off, one by one.
Benny stumbled over the exposed root of a sugar maple. He straightened and watched Todd run up the flank of the mountain, moving easily and with all the grace of a white tail buck. Todd came up here as often as his work allowed. The dude wanted to spend a year in the hut, living in the old ways and seeking holiness, but his father needed him too badly. Family comes first, always.
They reached the hut. The sun splashed red and gold onto the Valley and its ring of mountains in a joyous laughing promise to return the next day. Todd glanced back, his expression unreadable, and stooped to enter the hut.
Feeling every cigarette he had ever smoked, Benny stumbled in and flopped near the door. Todd immediately set about building a small fire in the hearth-ring in the center of the dirt floor.
Watching this for a while, Benny offered his lighter. Todd snorted at it and from a niche in the living wall, he produced a small deer skin sack containing flints.
"'Member these?" Todd looked at Benny, his eyes proud. "You brought them home from the Manse, after the Feds raided it."
"From the prison-in-paradise, don't you mean?" Benny grumbled. "I hope that old man didn't mind me swiping them from him." He glanced around the darkened hut. A trickle of cold water slid through his veins.
Todd snorted a laugh. He struck the flints over the dried grass and cedar bark shavings. A spark landed, sending up a thin curl of smoke. He leaned over the curl of smoke, blew gently. A single, tiny flame cackled. Todd carefully fed it twigs and then small wood.
The small blaze cheered Benny. Why was it, he wondered, that folks loved a campfire? Even the smoke from a cigarette butt was fascinating.
"Somehow," Todd drawled and settled back on his heels, "I don't think the old-father is gonna come after you about it. How long you figure he was in that tomb you hid in from the guard dogs?"
Benny shuddered. More than once the dogs had nearly fed on him. With a lot of help from the Sun Wolf and the Eagle-Woman, he turned the tables on them and the hunters became the hunted. Then the supervisors made him pay to replace the ones he had killed.
"Before Columbus," he said warily. "I seen- I saw," he corrected himself with an angry glance at a faintly smiling Todd, "I saw the Old-Father in the quiet place, too, and he wasn't real happy about me messing with his stuff. He's gonna come back for it one o' these days." Benny drew his knees up under his chin and wrapped his arms around his legs. He stared glumly at the small jovial blaze. The sweet odor of red cedar drift through the hut. Eyes drifting shut, he breathed deeply. Purity . . . The cedar trapped evil and neutralized it. Burning it gave unclean spirits the heebie-jeebies.
Todd smiled. He replaced the flints in their wrapping and squatted on his heels near Benny.
"You think I'd be dopey enough to let anything unclean in here? Especially grave offerings? No, maybe you shouldn't o' taken them, bro, but he is our ancestor. Sometimes we compromise." Todd looked into the fire and the unspoken, Sometimes compromise too much, shot through his mind.
Benny grimaced. He shook his head and felt for his pouch of True Blue. He pulled it out and offered it to his cousin. Todd shook his head and took the sack from Benny.
"For an offering?" Todd asked.
Benny shrugged. "You want to, sure, go 'head."
Todd deftly rolled a cigarette. Ignoring Benny's proffered lighter, he lit it with a cedar twig and made the offering. Todd passed it to Benny, who followed Todd's movements with a practiced ease.
Taking the cigarette from Benny, Todd gently lay it over the glowing coals of the fire. Greedy tendrils of gold and red flame licked at it, then it was glowing with fire.
The Tsi:Yu leaned out from the tobacco and cedar smoke to pat Todd's cheek. He gave her a dreamy smile, and bent his hands into the signs of adoration.
Suspicious, Benny glared at him, then closed his eyes and he could see her too. He reluctantly crossed his fingers, touched the tips to his lips and held them up to the form shaped of tobacco smoke.
Smoke drifted away, Benny cast a hot and angry glance at Todd. He moved to the back of the hut and held up the milk jug he had secreted there.
"Got better spirits here." The corners of Benny's mouth lifted in a half smile at Todd's glare.
Opening the jug, Benny took a swig and choked, the raw whiskey burned its way down his gullet. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he offered the jug to Todd.
Todd grinned and accepted it.
Holding the back of his head, Todd sipped on the almost colorless moonshine. He gasp and sputtered, then handed the jug back to his cousin.
The hair on the back of Benny's head arose in a prickly flurry. Peering out the door into the gloom of night. "You feel it, bro?"
Todd grimaced. "Yeah. Somethin's up."
Scorched blood covered his face and hands. The spec-agent brought out his gun. Deft hands attached the silencer. It was a part of him. There had been enough times he had to take apart and clean his weapons in places so dark he couldn't see his hand in front of his face, places so dark and hot and wet you never knew the snake was on you until it bit. Until you heard yourself screaming with venom smoking through your veins.
The war in America del Sud was pure hell, but a good training ground for men like him who believed, until they were thrust in the middle of it all.
With a smile he aimed the gun at the almost invisible opening of the hut.
It would be easy. Take the Grey kid, kill the other.
Fear spiked through his guts. Someone was watching. Some thing threw a small bottle that exploded over his face. Only instincts sharpened by war saved his eyes. Whatever it was, it was giggling.
Stepping to the back of the hut, Todd stowed the jug and squatted on his heels. He closed his eyes and sought the
dohi:yi, the quiet place. Casting his gaze around, he rose up and looked for what the problem was.
The blue eyes opened, blinked at Benny. "Can't see nada, man. You want to look?"
Benny hastily shook his head. Todd snickered, so Benny scowled at him and knelt before the tiny fire. He closed his eyes and warily looked into the
dohi:yi. Something was messing with the spirit line. But what?
A massive shape loomed before him and Benny was snatched up and slammed back into his body.
He slid down and sprawled on his back, his eyes glazed and blinking numbly at Todd.
"Yo, what happened?" Todd checked Benny. "I can't find anything wrong, man. You ok?"
To keep his teeth from chattering, Benny grunted and sat up.
"Dude chased me out," he muttered, referring to the Warriors of the Sun who guarded the
dohi:yi, the quiet place, from unwanted intruders. "Nabbed me before I could get a line on that disturbance."
Todd grinned faintly. "Big dude, got a face like it had a run in with a truck?"
"Yeah. It was him again." Benny dusted off his jacket and straightened it with a faint grunt. Glancing at Todd, his eyes narrowed. "You know him?"
"A real bro, dude."
Benny snorted in disbelief. He opened his mouth and shook his head as he though better of saying anything. If Toddy knew the guy, then he knew the guy. Toddy didn't lie. Not ever. Not even when faced with the wrath of Donna for missing a date for some lame crap.
Benny shivered and smoothed down the hair on the back of his head. He glanced at Todd and saw his cousin doing the same. Something weird was coming. Getting closer all the time. Something violent and awesomely dangerous, maybe to all mankind. Benny shivered and wondered what this threat could be. What power dared to invade the peace of this place? Benny felt sick with fear. A deep male shriek floated over the mountain.
Shon:gili:i, tonight? Something really horrible and deadly. Like a nest of copperhead snakes, or maybe fifty of Ryan's bikers, or another new plague -
A terrifying screech outside the hut made their blood freeze.
"We know you're in there."
The grass mat lifted and the twins crawled in.
Looking around, they yelled, "Whatchu two a doing up here? Mommy and Aunt Anna were a-lookin for ya!"
"Uhhh." With more hope than faith, Benny said, "None of your business?"
"Huh." They ran to sit between the two. Huddling between Benny and Todd, they gave the boys smug looks. "We heard you when you was up in the room."
"Yeah."
"Toddy, he's real good, but he just plain can't bust into them files, Unca Benny."
"He just can't."
"Yeah."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Benny snapped. His head sank and he closed his eyes. "Christ, what a week."
They giggled and patted his cheeks.
"It'll be cool, Unca Benny. We can help."
"Yeah."
"And we won't tell nobody. Word!"
"Yeah."
They crossed their hearts and looked for a place to spit.
"Not in here," Todd cried, fearful they would demean a sacred place. "Out, if you're gonna do that." His finger stabbed at the door. "Go back to the house. Move it."
They shook their heads.
"Can't."
Todd's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What did you do now?"
Their braids swung in denial. Todd's face grew cold and they huddled away from him, clutching each other.
"We didn't mean to, Unca' Toddy," one cried.
"Yeah."
"She just kind o' started smoking is all."
The second nodded.
"Just a-smoking and a-smoking. But Aunt Mara and Aunt Anna dumped a bucket o' water on her."
"Yeah."
"Didn't even scorch the floor. Kind o'."
"Child Services," Benny said and smirked at his cousin.
"I don't care. It isn't right for you to abuse the power, darn it." Todd sank to his heels and glared over his knees at them. They whimpered and tried to hide behind Benny. Benny shifted away from them and grinned.
Four of them. Shuddering in pain, the agent marveled at his luck. Christ on a crutch, he'd get a commendation and make captain for certain. Damn, free rides at Madame VanTur's Riding Academies the world over. From another pocket he palmed a dart gun, checking the load. Plenty of ammo. The snub nose field piece was checked as well. Any trouble and use it on one of the three abominations. That would keep the stud hoss in line.
His thin lips stretched in a broad grin. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop from laughing.
Hunting men, even a pack of snot-nosed kids, was a thousand times better than being hunted down by drug lords in the swamps and mountains of South America. And far and away better than hunting mere animals. No challenge in shooting wolves or eagles. Boom, and you had a new rug or bird for the den.
But man . . . Man was the only prey worthy of the name.
"P- Pappy says he seen a collar on that dude who attacked you, Unca Benny." They grimaced and rubbed their throats where the faint scars of training collars could be seen. Both glanced at Todd, to see if this had gained them any sympathy. It hadn't.
Benny nodded slowly. "Yeah, I saw."
"So." One smugly grinned, showing a wide gap in her teeth where a guard at the Manse had knocked them out in a frenzied attempt to beat them off the attack. "We know that creep is a cruising the Valley."
"Yeah."
"Word's out, Unca Benny. You got to git, 'cause them old Project folks are gonna make a raid, and quick-like."
"Yeah."
They scowled sharply, eyes growing narrow and cold. The twins cast about, sniffing the air, red-gold braids whipping around their shoulders.
The kids were crawling out of the hut now. It was a nice looking place, roomy inside, easy to hide a few mikes and some spy-eyes. That injun stuff was great. There was an entire room in his house filled with things taken from an old mound on his father's farm. An avid collector, he brought back plenty from tombs he raided in South America.
Even now the Guardians of those dead people gathered in silent rebuke. Others gathered, their silent anger rose to the Veil of the Sun.
Four of them, and two only little, helpless girls. A shame about the twins, but, hell, there were plenty of kids he had offed in his twenty years as an agent. What was three more?
Ought to call for back-up.
"Huh. To hell with that." That asshole Tillerman would only steal his thunder.
As a precaution he placed the snub nose on the leaves next to him. He smiled. Just a bunch of kids. But that Grey, he was no infant. The Agency counted several deaths to that little bastard.
A flesh wound would make him a little more amiable. So would putting a third eye in his cousin's forehead, right off.
Checking the dart gun, he aimed, his mind set on taking up the pistol and firing off a round next. All four of them, standing around jabbering like red monkeys, little red savages. Easy. Beautiful.
The two cute little girls looked at each other, scratching at the backs of their heads.
It amused him. Mirror twins, as sweet as his own little girl. They liked dollies and mom's old clothes, just like his, he was willing to bet. Cute, he decided, and smiled, until they turned their heads and looked right at him.
The agent lay frozen. Dammit. Impossible, they can't see him. There must be a deer or something behind him.
Unless they were abominations too, like the Grey kid. There was nothing in their records.
Excited, he almost lobbed a quick shot at them. The cold smiles on their faces brought chills to his guts.
Smoke? Was there a fire on the mountain? Be a shame, it was nice here. Maybe after they cleaned out this nest of red monkeys he would buy a few acres-
"Ah, shit." He twisted to beat at the flames licking up from his camouflage pant legs. When he glanced back the kids were gone. The agent clawed his way down the mountain after them. God knows, they made plenty of noise, crashing through the brush and shouting with laughter, the little bastards.
He vaulted a tumbled down stone fence, the kind his father used to bulldoze out to make more room for cash crops, and fell, his ankle twisting under him.
Holding his foot, he cursed in a low voice. An angry buzzing filled the cooling air. He stopped. Only a few feet away a rattler lay in a wicked S coil. Eyes on the snake, he reached for a stone to kill her with. Another buzz rose up. He glanced around. Laughter and shrill giggles, came from nearby.
"Kids, please, help me," he called. "I think I broke my ankle." The forest grew still. A small rock sailed out of the brush. Three rattlesnakes struck at it. Another stone clattered on the old fence. More snakes eased from the sun-warmed rocks.
"Holy shit, stop that," he cried, a note of hysteria in his voice. "Please. I'll pay you."
A pixie-like face popped up, a broad gape-toothed smile showed at him. A second appeared beside the first.
"Pay us what?"
"Huh. He ain't got nothin'."
"'Sides," the first said, waving her hand at him, "he wants to hurt Unca' Benny, Sis."
"Yeah."
"Let's kill him."
"Come on," he pleaded. "Stop kidding around." Sweat dribbled off his face. "Help me." A rattler slid over his hand and he closed his eyes in terror. "What . . . What would you two kill me with?" A strangled laugh choked off in his throat. "Dollies?"
"With this."
The first held up a snub nosed Barretta. The second nodded. Both smiled.
Tears filled his eyes. "I got a little girl, just like you two, honest." He fumbled for his wallet and the snakes buzzed.
"No, mister, you ain't got no little girl."
"Not like ussuns, you ain't."
They aimed the gun, each pulling on the trigger.
The bullet shattered a piece of sandstone ten feet from him.
The snakes coiled, striking at any rock, any leaf.
As the night deepened, they slid near the source of heat.
"Darn old gun. Ain't worth shit."
"Sis!"
"Oh, hush."
"Hun-huh. A lady watches her old mouth."
With a sigh, the other nodded. "For Unca' Carl."
They linked pinkies and sniffled.
"Hey, mister."
The agent whimpered.
"What, k- kids?"
"What'll you give us, iffen we don't kill ya?"
He tossed them his wallet. They giggled and took out the money and credit cards.
"Whatchur PIN?"
He told them. They sighed over the money. "Enough to choke a horse. Maybe a durned old cow, Sis."
"Enough to buy us minibikes, anyway."
"So- as we can go riding, like Unca' Benny?"
"With," she stressed. "Iffen we hang with him, he'll have t' marry up with us, Sis."
"Cool."
As one they turned.
"Hey, aren't you going to help me?"
"Nah. We just said we'd not kill you."
"Have a nice day, mister!"
"You bitches. You dirty little bitches," he screamed.
"Such language."
"Tisk."
"We should paddle him."
"I'm crazy, Sis, but I ain't nobody's fool."
"Quite right. I had this in mind." She took a rock and swung. A red gash appeared in the agent's head.
Another rock grazed his hand. He jerked it to him and the snakes moved back a few inches, then drew near the warmth.
Giggling, they walked down to the path, counting the money and smiling at the credit cards. A small fire started in the agent's shoes.
"Who, why, what, when, where?" she muttered, her head bent over the keyboard of the computer lab's newest addition.
Benny rattled the information off, and they tapped it into the main line. In a derisive motion the one on the left snapped her fingers under Todd's nose and helped her sister finish. Done, they wiped out any fingerprints and cut the power to prevent being tracked by the board's guards.
Benny grinned at the recruiter. He showed the papers, and announced happily, "See? I wasn't busting' you, sergeant. There really was a mix-up with my records."
The recruiter scowled at the paperwork. He turned suddenly and opened a line in his computer. Tapping in the information, he scanned the screen and thumped Escape.
He turned back. Peering at Benny, he nodded and cautiously said, "Guess this is A-1. Looks like you're on your way to being a Marine, kid. Congratulations." He rose and held out his hand. Something was fishy, but he grinned anyway and crushed Benny's hand in an iron grip.
Benny grinned hard and crushed back.
©2003 StoriesByEmail.com
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