Invisible Dawn Page 20

  “Be my guest,” Jedd replied, leaning against a rotting tree trunk he rescued from the wood pile.

  After settling in for what remained of the night, exhaustion took hold and Roger fell into a restful sleep.

  Altran threw a few more branches onto the dwindling fire and crossed his arms for hours of silent observation. To his surprise, Leodenin was again maintaining his distance. The hours passed without incident and Jedd did his best to stay awake.

  As the sun rose, a sturdy man strode through the tender morning rays. Jedd watched Daniel approach with wary eyes. In one hand, the veteran gripped a dead animal around its elongated neck. It had large ears and bat-like wings. Blood leaked from its exposed inner cavity.

  Looks like Daniel already cleaned and gutted it, thought Jedd. I doubt it came that way.

  He contemplated the odd possibility of such a grotesque animal trying to survive, without fur and innards. A small chuckle rose in his throat as the morbid image played through his mind. The thing looks like the bastard offspring of a damned love affair … like God might have a sense of humor after all.

  He came to his senses a second into the absurd dream and muttered, “Jees, I’ve gotta get more sleep.”

  In the other hand, Daniel held a collection of long branches that had also been stripped bare. Without a word, he took a seat across the fire and pulled out a knife. He sharpened one end of two branches. The opposing end of each limb was splayed as though to hold a fishing pole. After each was sharpened to his satisfaction, he whittled the end of a third branch. It stood straight as an arrow.

  Wow, how’d he find something so straight? Jedd wondered. Did he find a hardware store in this miserable place? Everywhere he looked, the tree limbs were bowed and knobby. He must have found the one straight stick within ten miles.

  Once the thin branch was sharpened to his satisfaction, Daniel thrust it through the naked animal. Jedd had never been much for the outdoors, and he winced at the abrupt move, but as Daniel skewered the animal it became clear what he intended. He plunged the splayed branches into the ground on either side of the campfire and set the threaded animal atop them, held aloft at both ends by the forked limbs. The remaining blood dripped into the fire, sizzling as the flames attacked the exposed skin.

  Daniel seated himself across from Jedd and met his gaze. “I brought breakfast.”

  The simplicity of the statement brought a smile to Jedd’s face. “I see that. Did you pick up some coffee while you were at it?”

  “Tried, but the damn agents got there first. The clerk said they’d cleaned him out.”

  “Damn those pesky agents. Foiled our plans again,” Jedd replied with a wide grin. The sight was enough to crack Daniel’s morose gaze, and they both chuckled.

  “Look, Jedd,” Daniel began after the laughter died away, “I’ve got to apologize for what happened last night. I wasn’t myself. When I did what Madelin told me to, I lost my hold on things. Memories that I’ve tried to push aside appeared out of nowhere. I’ve never been that out of control. I’ve dealt with my demons for years, but it hasn’t worked. I’ve got to do something different. I know that. I’ll figure it out at some point, but I can’t let that happen again.”

  “I understand. Although I’m not sure what you can do different,” Jedd replied. “We just have to cope. I think the best way to deal with the situation is to confront your issues, while maintaining control. After you’ve done that, you should be able to go about discovering your own abilities any way you wish.”

  “And how do I do that? You saw what happened last night.”

  “Maybe it’d help if you told me what happened.”

  With a deep sigh, Daniel resigned himself to do just that. “I used to be a US Marine. I was good at my job. Later, I got out and took up with Black Force Security. There, I followed orders, right or wrong. Somehow I justified everything I did, indirectly you might say, when the money was right.”

  Jedd listened as he went on, aspiring to learn more about what had driven the weathered veteran to the brink.

  “At Black Force, we went where the money was. Sometimes it was the right thing to do, but other times people wanted things done, no matter the cost. A lot of times the cost wasn’t just to someone’s pocket book. It was paid with innocent lives to make our employers happy.” Daniel’s voice cracked with the final statement and he sat in thought. Jedd was about to comment, when the soldier resumed his narration with a wavering voice.

  “After a while my crew got greedy. We were in the middle-east at the worst of it. We were told to clear out the fanatics in smaller villages so the citizens could go on with their lives. But sometimes I think we were worse than the radicals that had terrorized them before. They, at least, provided some semblance of authority.” His voice filled with hatred as he went on.

  He must despise what he and the others did, thought Jedd. Little did he realize that it was more for the former than the latter.

  Daniel’s tale went on as salty pools formed in his eyes. “We started by fighting the terrorists that held their town, but soon it became hard to see who was who. Often the children would throw anything they could get their hands on. We had to keep a constant eye out for the people we were attacking. But we also had to look out for the people we were trying to protect. It got so bad we just started shooting, and didn’t stop. We made sure not to shoot our own, but otherwise it was open season. My friends…,” he choked on the last word. “Well … we all took up a new motto. ‘If it’s brown, gun it down.’ It wasn’t right, but it’s the way thing’s were. Any of them could’ve been a radical. We looted the homes. We even stole jewelry off the dead.”

  As he continued, his gaze drifted from Jedd’s face, unable to look him in the eyes. “I … I was so pissed and so terrified that … that we even took families … hordes of children, women, grandparents and locked them in their own houses. I still remember their voices pleading with me as I set fire to their homes. They screamed in pain. Their cries haunt me every night. And the eyes … the eyes see into me. Innocent eyes look back at me through the gaps in the roof and walls. They see me. I can’t hide from their haunting eyes. It’s my guilt they see. They remind of what I did.” With the final admittance of his crimes, Daniel leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees. Tears flowed to the moist soil below.

  Jedd shed his own for the innocent lives lost. It was as though the two men might raise the level of the Nile while sitting at confession.

  The spitted animal interrupted them as juices sizzled and popped in the flickering flames. Alerted, Jedd leaned over and turned the spit. Minutes passed before either man spoke again, but it would be much longer before Daniel could look into Jedd’s eyes with confidence.

  Altran broke the grief stricken silence, “Baring your darkest secrets is hard to do, especially for a man like you.”

  The veteran nodded, acknowledging the difficulty as he tried to stem the flow.

  “Daniel … look at me,” Jedd commanded.

  Daniel raised his head with the speed of a rising crane. The difficulty of meeting his gaze became apparent.

  “Look, Daniel, we all have secrets and things we’ve got to atone for, but the important thing is that we try,” Jedd added. “You aren’t the same person you were back then and neither am I, but all that we have is each other. We need to look out for one another. And if there’s something that poses a threat to any of us, we need to know. It’s real important if it might come from the people we trust, like the incident last night.”

  Daniel nodded again with shame-filled eyes before they slid back to the grassy floor. The flow of tears slowed to a trickle. “Well, I’m not sure if there might be any consequences of this since we aren’t even on the same world, but my old comrades and commanders in Black Force didn’t like it much when I left. I kind 'a told some people about what we did, and the repercussion cost them millions in government contracts. That’s why I was hiding out in that rat hole when you first found us.”

 
Jedd considered the admission for a moment. “Well, I doubt we’ll have any problems with them, but thanks for telling me.”

  A lot of things are the same from world to world, although not much in this one. But many planes are just like the one I left.

  Jedd pondered the similarities and differences for a few minutes and his heart began racing. What if the same thing that happened to me happened on other worlds? What if me, or Daniel, or any of us is found by people from other worlds? Are there agents from other worlds out scouring the infinite planes for us? What would happen if we found ourselves? The questions were piling up again. I don’t think we’ll run into those problems here though, he concluded after considering the vast differences between this world and his. His heart returned to its normal rhythm and he breathed easier.

  “I think you just need to confront your past. Quit running from it,” Jedd commented, his mind returning to the conversation at hand. “Make amends before the rest of your life unravels. If you don’t fear the past, it shouldn’t be able to haunt you in the present.”

  “I know you’re right, but I’m not sure how to do that.”

  “Talking about it is the best way to start.”

  Daniel nodded in agreement.

  As their conversation came to an end, the others stirred. The smell of roasting meat permeated the small camp and Madelin awoke with a gurgling stomach. Lifting herself from the matted grass, she spoke up with a smile, “And who found the food? I’m starving.”

  “Daniel was kind enough to run to the local corner store,” Jedd provided.

  Jedd smiled at the red-eyed man and Daniel returned it, but his bloodshot eyes weighed on his face.

  “Just my way of saying sorry.”

  “Oh … well, thank you. Is everything okay?”

  “Just fine,” Jedd answered for him, waving Daniel down. Daniel looked back at him with questioning eyes.

  “Save it for another time,” her godfather whispered.

  Daniel reassured her with a few words. “It’ll be fine. I’ll tell you later.”

  Madelin peered from one red-eyed man to the other, but her stomach announced its priority. The fragrant smell lured her toward the animal. “Is it done?” she asked, then added, “And what is it?”

  “I’m not sure exactly.” Daniel peeled off a strip of roasted flesh and handed it to Madelin.

  “Those wings are enormous. Without them, I’d have thought you roasted a Doberman.” She took the meat, devouring it in mere seconds. “Thank you,” she said between bites.

  He then tore off a piece for himself and one for Jedd. They all sat in quiet satisfaction, allowing Roger the last few minutes of sleep before they began the final leg of their journey.

  * * * * *

  Chapter 19: Blessed Hands

  Friday, June 23rd

  Finding our way out of the endless swamp was a blessing. Even Lady Luck smiled kindly on Roger this time…

  ~Excerpt from the Journal of Madelin Boatweit~

  The rest of the day went without incident as the group trekked through the wilderness, munching on the remainder of Jedd’s meat. Leodenin maintained his distance.

  I’m sure he thinks we’ll flee back the way we came if things don’t go well, Jedd concluded. It’s a pretty good strategy. He may be right, Daniel doesn’t look too good. With him out of commission, I don’t know how much of a fight we can put up. But maybe it won’t come to that.

  As the sun’s light waned and the moons began their journey across the sky, a small town came into view. They steadied their hands on pistols as they approached. Stepping into the bustling town, the group was absorbed by the twilight shadows of monstrous trees.

  No one accosted them along the semi-vacant street, but the strangers warranted many stares from the town folk. Some were sweeping the paths up to their doorways, while others went about their daily chores. The town’s occupants were unaccustomed to visitors.

  The small group walked down the dirt road feeling as though they stepped into the middle ages. No cars or technology of any kind were visible. The houses stood two stories high at most, and were made of mud packed brick, wood, and stone. Small gardens grew outside most houses and people passing by were dressed in fashions of old.

  Outside a nearby home, a woman in a tan dress with pleated shoulders and a cinched waist dumped a bucket into the road and retreated from them with wary eyes. The woman was worn, dirty, and appeared to have been plucked from history.

  It’s like peasant life in the Victorian Age, thought Jedd, at least according to movies he had seen. This place hasn’t evolved.

  He thought of the worlds they came from as being the same, although Daniel’s had differed slightly. But, neither of their homes was as archaic as this one.

  None of the people near them possessed auras, but cradled deeper within the confines of the town were those they sought. They continued on under the strange stares of the town’s people. After a short while, Jedd’s stomach growled at the smell of roasting meat and vegetables. The scent drifted from a well populated tavern just ahead. After gnawing on the remainder of his rations, his stomach was about to climb out of his skin in search of food. The others watched the large building, longing for what was inside.

  It was squat and apparent from the wooden backside that the stone structure had been built on to. The wood sign hanging over the doorway swung back and forth in the cool night breeze. Although battered and faded, they could still make out the chiseled image of a sloshing jug of ale standing next to a fresh loaf of bread. But Jedd knew their money would be of no use in this strange place. His stomach gurgled again.

  If our money’s no good, maybe they’ll barter. Turning to the others, he addressed what was on everyone’s mind.

  “It’s worth a try,” mouthed Daniel through a yawn. “What do we have to trade?”

  They stood clustered in the dirt road, looking from one person to another.

  “It’d have to be something of value to them,” added Roger. “We need to find out more about these people.”

  Jedd nodded and led the group into the aged building. They were met by a raucous throng of people huddled around heavy wooden tables. Most drank house ale while rich tobacco smoke circulated throughout the large common room, mingling with the odor of spiced meat. A few patrons stopped to stare, but most were so focused on conversation and games, they did not notice the newcomers.

  They seated themselves at one of the few vacant tables. The tension in Jedd’s muscles eased when he slumped into the wooden chair. Leodenin’s aura glowed from outside the town, but had stopped before entering. There were other customers milling about the tavern who were also surrounded by a faint glow. Each was unique in color and tint.

  It’s astonishing that so many strange people are clustered within this village, thought Jedd. And they interact with the normal clientele as though no one’s the wiser. It’s odd … something seems off. As he sat pondering the oddity, other concerns came to mind. Can they see the auras? What does the glow mean for these people? Can they see them around us? At that instant, he became well aware of how much his group stood out. His gaze floated from one member to the next.

  Roger stood apart from the rest of the group, and Jedd noticed a gleam in his eye as the gambler watched a group of men playing cards nearby. The cards were not dissimilar from the Cajun’s, although the artwork was more rudimentary. Each of the four well-dressed men threw gold coins into the center of the table when his turn came. Their fashions were different than most people they had seen. The men were young, but lace flared at their sleeves and gold stitching weaved across the collars of their shirts. The man seated facing them had long auburn hair tied in a pony tail. Even the green hair ribbon possessed inlaid stitching to match his green shirt. These were men of wealth. They cast their money onto the table with a hearty laugh. It was unlike any Jedd had seen. It was difficult to tell from so far away, but one side appeared to have the imprint of a pouncing tiger, while the other held a wide-limbed tree
reaching for the sky. He listened to them talk and was amazed to comprehend their speech. Some syllables were inflected in a different pattern. It was as though the familiar words lilted with the accent of a foreign land, but none he could identify.

  After a few minutes passed, Roger leaned in to the table and spoke in a shouted whisper over the bustle of voices around them. “I think I know how we can eat tonight.”

  “How,” Jedd asked, his quirked eyebrows showing his skepticism.

  “I can make the money.”

  Jedd knew what Roger had in mind and the potential cost if his cursed past continued. “You’d have to have something to wager, Roj. Besides, you don’t even know how to play the game? Things are different here. What if you lose?”

  Roger had anticipated the question, but not before he proposed the idea. He answered him nonetheless, allowing the others to catch up on their own. “I can’t guarantee a win,” he whispered, “but it’s as good as in the bag. I’ve been watching them and the game is the same. I’m twice as good as those guys.”

  A waitress came, but Jedd waived her away as he considered Roger’s idea. “And what would you wager?”

  Daniel and Madelin watched the conversation play out, intrigued by the plan. Seeing that Jedd was at least entertaining the idea, Roger pressed on, “The way I figure it, most things here are valued for their use to the people. My watch is solar powered and I figure I can wager it.” He lifted his wrist and pointed at the digital display.

  Jedd shook his head before speaking. “They won’t take it, Roger.”

  “Why the hell not?” retorted the gambler, irritated by his quick dismissal.

  Jedd continued with patience. “First off, they don’t have a use for it. If they operate the way most agricultural societies did in the past, it’s by the sun. If they need to time something, they use candles. Besides, they’d have to be able to read and I doubt many of them can, let alone in our language.”