The Allegheny Chronicles: The Warrior Returns Sample
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Prologue
Somewhere in the dark of night, 2012
“Did
you get anything more than an SOS?” Captain James Randall leaned towards his
communications sergeant as they flew through the darkness.
“No
sir,” the radio man shook his head.
Randall
frowned and took a deep breath. What
were they heading into? Had the prodigies turned on them? Had they been found
by their mysterious enemies? Was there a mole in the unit? Was it just a false
alarm? He moved toward the cockpit and looked at his pilots. “Anything?”
“Nothing
on radar, Captain. It’s quiet,” the co-pilot told him.
“We
are the only ones up here,” the pilot replied. “Ten minutes ‘til target.”
Randall
hated surprises. He hated having nothing more than an emergency SOS go off and
a transmission that was suddenly cut short. They were heading into the desolate
wilderness in the most remote forest the planet had to offer. No one outside of
Allegheny knew of the training facility there. No one. The facility housed
their prodigies being trained as something called the Corvidae Program.
“What
the hell is a Corvidae, sir?” Randall had inquired of
his commander, Colonel Robert Haley, five years ago when he had been tasked with the security
and training for the facility. Randall had been a first lieutenant back then,
plucked out of his normal routine for a special role in the very classified military
program called Allegheny.
“A
family of birds,” Haley had replied with a frown., looking at the folder he had
put on the table. “In English, they’re ravens, crows, rooks, jays… You know,
all the loud and smart birds. They are considered the smartest birds in the
world.”
“I
thought parrots were the smartest.”
“Surprisingly
not,” Haley shrugged. “They claim that ravens and crows have the greatest
intelligence. I can’t argue with them - I’m not an ornithologist. But that’s
what they’re calling the program because they have been collecting the
smartest, brightest, and best for the program. Everything from geniuses to prodigies
to warriors. That’s where we will be putting Task Force 24 for some additional
training. The program will be your future.”
“You’re
forgetting one thing,” Randall looked at Haley. “I’m not a genius. How am I
supposed to handle a task force full of geniuses and magicians?”
Haley
let out a laugh. “Lt. Randall, Task Force 24 is a group of operators that we
have been watching for years. They are carefully selected. Songbird has
carefully chosen these men for the Task Force based on skills and abilities.
They are warriors just like you. They are just more directed, like a beam of
light.”
Now
in the present, Randall frowned. The problem was, the Program had been decades
in the making. It had brought a lot of talented people to the Program, and to
Allegheny. Brilliant people. Strange people. Gifted people. People who made Allegheny what it was today.
But still, he didn’t like the feeling he was getting in the pit of his stomach.
He had this same feeling about Task Force 24 three years ago. That had been a horrific
slaughter. He wasn’t liking feeling it again.
“Captain
Randall,” the pilot got his attention. In the distance ahead, Randall saw the
light.
Dancing
light.
Flickering
light.
There
shouldn’t any light visible this far out.
That
only meant one thing.
“We’re
going in hot,” he told the pilots then turned to ready his men.
The
orange and yellow flame coupled with the black smoke told the story. They
landed, weapons at ready, but one thing was abundantly obvious -- Whoever had
done this was long gone. All that was left was destruction. There were no signs
of survivors. Instructors, prodigies, researchers, security, custodians, cooks,
secretaries…Their lifeless bodies everywhere. There were also bodies dressed in
uniforms that were not theirs, bodies that shouldn’t have been there.
Randall
was sick over what he was seeing. This shouldn’t have happened. This shouldn’t
be like this. No one should have known they were there. But from the bodies
everywhere, no life among them, someone had obviously talked. He’d cautiously
kneel down to check for a random pulse but found none. He glanced over at the sergeant,
a graduate of this program. “Are you picking up anything?”
The
sergeant shook his head. “Follow the bodies that don’t belong,” the man
motioned off to one way.
“Lead
the way,” Randall told him and then motioned to his team to clear the other
areas. “We need to locate survivors. There’s gotta be survivors. There has
to be survivors.” He wanted there to be survivors.
But
the buildings were blown to rubble. Fire popped and exploded all around them. Outside
of that, it was eerily quiet as they found more and more bodies of instructors
and prodigies. Some looked as if they were ceremonially executed. Who could do
this to unarmed people and children?
“Captain,”
the sergeant motioned with his head. A large number of enemy bodies were laying
in front of a door that led to a closet beneath the destroyed stairs in the
administrative building. The door had a hole in it, shredded by bullets. “There
is a life form in there.”
“You’re
positive?” Randall gave him a look.
“Yes.”
Randall
took a deep breath and called out, “Night Raven.”
A
woman’s weak voice called back, “Songbird.”
Letting
out a breath of relief, Randall and the sergeant hurried forward and cleared
the bodies out of the way. Randall noticed one on top at the door had been
killed with an ink pen to the neck, while the ones below them were stabbed with
knives or shot. They pulled the door open and saw the bloodied and very badly
injured woman who was the head of the program, Esme Thorsdotter, also known as
Songbird, laying against a pile of rubble. Rifles, pistols, and a lot of spent
casings were all on top of her. She looked nothing like the well-put-together beautiful
blonde Nordic woman with enticing blue eyes and round apple cheeks. She looked
as if she had been through hell, fighting in a Viking battle.
“The
Reaper,” she looked at Randall with urgency. “Did you find him? He went to get
me a first aid kit.”
“How
long ago?”
“I’m
sorry. I have no idea,” her tone had defeat.
Sound
behind them quickly made them turn and they saw a kid, no more than 12 years
old, with a battered white medical box that looked as if it had been ripped off
the wall. He had multiple weapons on him, obviously having stripped the enemy
bodies for them, collecting them as he went.
“What
kept you?” the boy looked right at Randall as if the captain had been overdue
at a park. “There were a hundred enemy combatants. I couldn’t take them all out
by myself. A dozen escaped.”
Randall
narrowed his eyes in surprise over being confronted by this kid. “Listen here…”
“Captain
Randall,” Esme interrupted as the sergeant helped her out of her battle
position. “This is the Reaper. You need to be responsible for him. He will
eventually need to be put with the Alchemist but he’s not ready for that.” She
held her side where blood was soaking through her clothing. “It is your
responsibility to get him ready.”
“Ma’am,”
Randall began to protest because handling a pre-teen prodigy wasn’t in his job
description. “I’ll see that he gets to-.”
“No,
Captain. He is your responsibility,” she sat down as the sergeant and the
Reaper began to get out the medical supplies needed. “He is special. He is a
protector. You personally will mentor him. Promise me.” Her eyes begged of him.
“I
promise,” he relented then looked her over. “You need a medic and we need
immediate evac for you.” He turned around and got on his radio, updating
command of what they encountered. When more teams were on the way, Randall
turned back around and looked at Esme. “We’ll get you patched up and we’ll get
back to rebuilding this place.”
“No,”
she shook her head. “Allegheny can do what it wants, but what was lost here was
much more precious than you know. Our future, Captain -- Our future died here
today. And I… I’ll never forgive myself for not predicting it or defending it. We
needed the Warrior today.” Tears hit her eyes. “We need the Warrior.”
“You’ve
got a whole team of warriors within Allegheny,” Randall was confused. “And this
kid here…” He motioned to the Reaper. “He’s one hell of a warrior himself.
Honestly, we should have had a platoon here for security because it wasn’t just
a school or a hospital.”
Esme
sniffed, wiped her tears, and then patted Randall on the hand. “My dear Captain,
you don’t seem to understand, but yes. This boy, the Reaper, he is destined for
greatness. His destiny is to fight with the Warrior. We just have to find him.
We need to find him so they don’t ever get a chance to do this again.” The tears rolled down her cheeks. “The future.
The future is uncertain now. I had hoped...” She took in a deep breath as they
cleaned the wound on her side. Her eyes went back to Randall. “Take good care
of the Reaper, James. He plays a vital role in securing the future.” Tears
tumbled from her eyes so she closed them.
“Shhhh,”
the sergeant soothed Esme as she cried. “It’ll be ok, ma’am. The captain will
see the boy gets the training he needs.”
“I
know he will,” Esme wiped her eyes. “I just won’t be around to see it.” She
then put her bloody hand on the Reaper’s arm. “We will meet again, my boy. And
when we do, may you be strong, powerful, and walking beside the Warrior.”
The
Reaper touched her hand and then nodded as a helicopter made its approach.
“Ms.
Esme, let’s get you and the Reaper out of here,” Randall stood up. “All units,
any survivors get them to the landing pad now. Incoming medical evac.”
“No
survivors found, sir,” the calls all came back one after the other. Randall helped
the sergeant carry Esme to the chopper and put her on the stretcher they had.
The Reaper climbed in next.
“You
keep her safe, Reaper,” Randall told him. “Give the medics the info as to what
you’ve done for her wounds. I’ll see you when I come in. You get checked out
too. Understand?”
The
Reaper nodded and then Randall and the sergeant hurried away from the chopper.
It lifted off into the night as Randall turned to address the men who had been
dropped off on that chopper. “We are on recovery detail,” Randall told them.
“Let’s bury our dead and find out who these bastards were that took our prodigies
out. This whole thing just got even more personal.”
Part I
Underground
MARCH
It
had been six weeks since Mason Beaudrie’s world had been turned upside down… For
what felt like the hundredth time in his life.
He
hated drama.
He
hated strife.
He
hated people trying to kill him.
But
that was life.
All
Mason wanted to do was live a quiet and happy life with his best friend and
fiancée, Gia Bennington. Settle down, do his job, work his family’s ranch,
hunt, and maybe even raise a few kids along the way. That was his plan.
He
knew it wasn’t going to be all sunshine and roses.
After
all, they had planned to live in Veil Falls and Veil Falls was…Well. Not
exactly welcoming of him anymore.
And
life didn’t see it the way he did either.
Nope.
On his 31st birthday, all hell seemed to break loose and then it rapidly got
more and more challenging for the next two weeks until the tsunami called life dropped
a doozey on him all at once.
If
this was a boxing match, he’d be contemplating if he really wanted to get up
off the mat.
But
he didn’t have time for that. His family held hostage, his fiancée kidnapped,
and he was introduced to an entity called Allegheny and a pair of ghosts who
were not normal in any sense of the word. Swept back into reenlisting with
Allegheny, at least it gave Mason something to keep him busy because if he
hadn’t had them, he’d probably had given up by now.
On
the same day he got Gia back, he lost both of his grandparents and then he lost
Gia again. She was whisked off to her mother’s family for protection and he was
told to give her a few months and let her choose when she wanted to contact
him. And then there was the bomb his grandfather had dropped on him in the very
last conversation Mason would ever have with him. The legend of the mountain,
Warrior Mountain.
It
had been a nonsense tale, a teachable oral lesson that the elders had always
told the kids around the campfire growing up. Mason had heard it a time or two
when he had been allowed to go on the camping trips with the elders and the
other kids his age. But the tale of the warrior who saved the world and lost
his life in the snow while rushing to save another tribe in need was just that
– A tale. Fiction. Mason hadn’t had time to contemplate much more about the
events that happened next because it was just plain crazy and strange to him. They
used words like Earth Keepers, Spirit Walkers, Immortals, clans…
It
overwhelmed Mason.
And
that’s when Mason was grateful for Allegheny.
He
had never known that Allegheny had existed. They were so deeply classified that
they did not exist, and yet, they seemed to walk seamlessly into and out of the
militaries all over the world. They were only looking for one thing – Gifted
and talented fighters who lived and breathed freedom. The Ghost Team was even
further classified and the training was more intense.
Colonel
Eden Magnuss oversaw the arm of the Task Forces that walked in both worlds,
including the very small Ghost Team. Colonel Magnuss’s teams ran the line
between Allegheny and the rest of the world. They had various task forces put
together of both the military aspect as well as the civilian aspect. They had
people in each department and agency of law enforcement at county, state, and
federal level. They had people in the medical fields. They had people in the
social services aspects too. All of them looking for gifted people, prodigies,
that they could pluck out of the system and save.
As
Mason was immersed in this strange new world, he had no time to ponder exactly
what had been dropped upon him leading up to his enlistment into Allegheny.
After his grandparents’ funeral, he had been taken to a classified place in the
middle of nowhere. He spent several days learning about Allegheny, being told
the rules and the reasons, and what was expected of him before he was taken back
to Hermit Mountain. There the Alchemist was waiting to break him.
Mason
often had no idea what day it was or whether it was night or day. It was
difficult to tell sometimes being sequestered to the bunker. He had gotten good
at walking up and down mountains for no reason at all except that he was told
to. He got good at operating on little sleep. He got very accustomed to
focusing and concentrating in using his ‘gifts.’ He also excelled at losing
against the Reaper in everything he attempted, but he was getting better at not
getting beaten as badly.
He
also was very familiar with every aspect of his life now.
Except
for this whole ‘warrior’ and ‘clan’ aspect.
But
the Alchemist told him they would both figure that one out.
And
then, after all of Mason’s days ran together and he had no idea about how long
he had been out, the Alchemist told him and the Reaper to get packed – They
were heading to the Coal Mine.
The
Reaper seemed happy about that idea, Mason thought, trying to remember what the
place had looked like. He had only spent three days there. He wondered if it
would include more forest life lessons and war games. But honestly, Mason
wouldn’t mind if it did. This immersion into the way of Allegheny allowed Mason
to learn his teammates, just as they were undoubtedly learning him.
The
Reaper was in his early twenties, if Mason had to guess. He was a cool
cucumber, never showing emotion, and always logical. The dark haired young man
had an eidetic memory and was always either reading something or hunting
something out in the forest. He had a knack for combat. He moved like a ghost
through the forest. He wasn’t social by any meaning of the word. He was a
difficult person to read and know. He had his quirks. He was serious, never
smiled at anything even when something was funny, and he didn’t talk much.
Mason wondered where the kid came from and how he got to be where he was. To
Mason, the Reaper seemed as if he were a semi-trained timber wolf who only
played well with people he didn’t hate.
The
Alchemist was likely in his late thirties, maybe early forties, from what
Mason could tell. He didn’t mince words. He didn’t speak unless he had to, but what
he said was always important. He studied everything. His mind always seemed to
be going 24/7. And he lived on coffee. There was always coffee brewed wherever
they went. The Alchemist was more personable than the Reaper but just as big of
a mystery. He’d disappear for a day or two then reappear as if he had never
been gone. Although rank was never used on the Ghost Team, the Reaper called
the Alchemist ‘Master Chief’ so that’s what Mason took to calling him, too.
Mason was sure one day he’d find out why they didn’t use his Allegheny rank.
Captain
Jim Randall was their commanding officer and was likely in his 40s. He was in
charge of the Ghost Team. He was an interesting man who listened to what was
needed by his team before making decisions. He had a rapport with both the
Reaper and the Alchemist, a special bond that Mason had never seen before in a
team like this. Randall had respect for his men and they reciprocated that
respect. Randall would show up for a day or two, get situation reports, have
meetings, and then ask if they needed anything. Then off Randall would go again
and they would get whatever it was they asked for.
And
then there was Colonel Eden Magnuss.
Colonel
Magnuss was also in her late 30s or early 40s. She was very professional and
was not the kind of woman that Mason wanted to piss off. She was friendly
enough for being the officer in charge and very different from the last colonel
Mason had worked for. She always remembered Mason’s name, who he was, and
whatever bit of his life she needed to be aware of. Like Captain Randall, Mason
knew nothing of Colonel Magnuss’s history or stats, except she had to have been
Navy at one point from some of the terminology she would use. She would also
arrive into Hermit Mountain for a 24 hour period to check in on the Ghost Team,
have meetings or training sessions, and then be gone without warning.
Mason
noticed how the team interacted over the last six weeks. They were a tight-knit unit. After what Mason had last experienced four years ago, this
would be a very different tour than he had been used to. The Ghost Team and its
officers were a very well-oiled machine.
And
now Mason was part of that machine.
They
had arrived at the Coal Mine late last night, exhausted and burnt out from a
long field training exercise that Mason had been told was his “graduation” in
becoming an official Ghost. There was no pomp and circumstance. Once his test
was complete, his graduation was just the Alchemist giving him a nod and a hand
shake. That was it. But honestly, that was the only recognition Mason needed.
This
morning, Mason and the Reaper took up their daily routine of cooking up
breakfast in the kitchen of the bunker-like base. It had taken them a week to
get into a rhythm and seeing what skills the other had. Mason had just taught
the Reaper how to make eggs-in-toast, something that seemed to intrigue the
young soldier.
“So,
you cut a hole in the buttered bread with an empty can?” the Reaper was looking
at Mason as he did it.
“And
then you toss the bread into the hot pan and crack an egg in the hole,” Mason
showed him. “I put seasoning on it.”
“And
then what do you do with the circle that was cut out?”
“You
fry it and eat it with the egg.”
The
Reaper just watched him without an expression. The Reaper had his own
contribution to breakfast to make as he moved around the sliced venison with
mushrooms and onions in the other cast iron pan. Cooking was something the
Reaper did with precision, but not often with flavor. When Mason first got
there, the Reaper did most of the cooking and only had a four things on the
menu. To the Reaper, spice was a jalapeño pepper. Mason wanted more than that
so he taught the Reaper what little he knew. That helped the two of them work
together better. They weren’t exactly friends, but they were teammates and in
some ways that was better than friends. Mason was amused that the Reaper never
ate junk food and was excited about being at the Coal Mine because he was able
to forage for food in the forest and help in a garden that was up top. Mason
hadn’t gotten the OK to venture outside of the underground bases except for
training, so he wondered what it was like up top here. His eyes looked at the
Reaper as the Reaper decided to add some bell pepper and garlic to his skillet.
Mason watched as the Reaper chopped vegetables with the same knife he carried with
him to do everything with.
“I
hope you washed that knife,” Mason commented. “You literally were just gutting
a pig with it an hour ago.”
“One
must always care for his tools,” the Reaper replied.
“So…That’s
a yes?”
The
Reaper gave him a frown. “A knife is an important tool. Dull, dirty knives are
dangerous. A knife must always be sharp, clean, and cared for.”
Mason
flipped the egg-in-bread in his pan and prepped the final one. The Alchemist and Randall entered the room
from the Alchemist’s command center. Major Randall had come in early this
morning to do a team review to make sure Mason was hitting the marks he needed
to before Randall had a meeting with Colonel Magnuss.
“I
showed up just in time,” Randall commented, taking in a deep inhale. “I gotta
say, Wraith, you have really brought in some culinary skills to this team. I
never thought anyone could teach the Reaper how to cook.”
“My
skills are lacking but my grandma taught me the basics. Besides, I don’t think
anyone can teach him how to cook,” Mason commented. “He watches and then does what he wants.”
The
Alchemist poured some coffee into his coffee mug and leaned against the counter
as he drank it. He gave them a thoughtful look. “I wonder how these boys would
take to some cooking lessons from the pro. I think my wife would enjoy having
two personal chefs cooking while she wrangles those kids.”
“I
ain’t going to touch that one,” Randall shook his head. “Although, if she can
teach these boys that French recipe I can never remember the name for, and then
how she makes her pesto, I’d be a happy man every visit.” He paused and looked
at Mason. “So, Wraith, you’ve passed your first graduation and can now have
outside privileges.”
Mason
cracked an egg into the pan. “So that means hunting, fishing, and foraging in
the woods? Everything the Reaper raves about?”
“It
means you get to decide if you want a cover story and live outside the Coal
Mine, or if you’d rather just be a ghost and hang out here with the Reaper on
your off days,” Randall clarified.
Mason
was surprised over this. He glanced at the Reaper who just gave him a look as
if that was the worst idea ever. “What are my options for a cover story? I
can’t be me.”
“No.
Not as long as Wheeler is out there,” Randall shook his head as he mentioned
the bane of Mason’s existence – the former commanding officer who left him and
his platoon to die. “You have to have an alias for a last name and a story to
live by. If you expect to someday bring your fiancée into your life, she’s
going to have to have some sort of story as well,” Randall told him. “If you’re
not going to pursue that relationship, then it won’t matter and it will be an
easier story to sell.”
“I
definitely expect her to join me but I also have family,” Mason told him. “I’m
sure Dad and my aunts and uncles are going to ask questions.”
“Then
you’re definitely going to need a cover story,” the Alchemist looked at Mason.
“Right now, retribution from Wheeler and the cartel is our number one concern.
I don’t want anyone coming to find you here.”
“I
don’t either,” Mason said.
“Given
your background, I’ve got two options for you,” Randall told him. “Option one. You
can start taking the steps toward continuing your law enforcement employment.
Option two. You can be a ranch foreman. The law enforcement angle may be a bit
more difficult to work with because you’ll need weeks or months to do missions
or training. Most of the times the missions are last minute.”
“And
the foreman?” Mason asked. “Where would the ranch be and how big is it?”
“Harper
County, West Virginia,” the Alchemist spoke up. “Outside of the town of Rocky
Gap. There’s a small ranch called the H-Bar-Anchor. It’s got a small herd of
cattle, some pigs, sheep, goat, horses, chickens, a huge garden, and a
greenhouse. It’s more like a homestead. It is a very self-sufficient homestead.
The owner doesn’t always have the time or opportunity to do it all themselves
so, a foreman would help a lot. Plus, it’s very flexible and would work very
well with the Ghost Team schedule.”
“I’ve
never been to West Virginia but it sounds like it would be a better fit,” Mason
said. “I’m not sure any sheriff would be excited to hire me after hearing about
the whole cartel thing from CCSO. Morgan is still feeling the fallout from
that.”
“Ok,”
Randall nodded. “Sounds like ranch foreman it is. That’s actually an easier
route to go. I think the owner will be most amenable to work with getting you
on, no questions asked. There will likely need to be a foreman’s cabin built
then.”
“It
can be a team building opportunity,” the Alchemist commented with a shrug. He
looked at Mason. “You can work with wood, can’t you?”
“Yes,”
Mason nodded.
“Also,”
Randall said. “At first we’ll need you to lay off making any close friends when
you’re running errands for the owners. You’ll have a cover to explain but the
less the folks in town know about you, the better.”
“Understandable.”
“But
give it a few months and then you can do what’s socially normal so you don’t
draw attention to yourself,” he saw Mason turn off the stovetop and plate the
last egg-in-toast. “Well then, let’s eat and we’ll plan it out more later in
the day,” Randall said as he took a seat at the table.
“You
guys do that,” the Alchemist looked at his watch. “I gotta check in with the boss.
I’ll see you in about 45 minutes.” He then looked at the Reaper. “Reaper, if
you finish breakfast before I come back, you and Wraith are on KP duty and then
both of you get into civvies.”
“Yes
sir,” the Reaper nodded.
Mason
assumed the Alchemist would disappear back into his command center. He wondered
why Randall wasn’t joining him in on the meeting with who he assumed was
Colonel Magnuss. Small talk was held between Randall and Mason as they ate
breakfast, talking about places they had been and places they enjoyed. Mason
wasn’t entirely sure what to think about going to West Virginia, although he
had lived in North Carolina the majority of his childhood. He was also well
versed with Southern California and Japan, with a few months in Hawaii. One
thing was sure, he figured no one would ever expect him to surface in West
Virginia.
“He
wants us dressed in our civvies?” Mason asked as they stood from the table. “What’s
up top?”
“You’ll
see,” Randall said as he put his plate and coffee mug into the sink. “And you
two had better get to moving. He means what he says when he says 45 minutes.”
Sure
enough, it was 45 minutes on the dot when Mason and the Reaper were in the
common area with Randall when the Alchemist came back in. They all looked up at
him and he looked back at them, seeing they were in jeans and hooded
sweatshirts.
“Alright.
The boss is ready. Let’s head out.”
The
four of them went down another tunnel that Mason had never been through to a
small command center and then to an elevator. Mason wasn’t expecting the
elevator to go up. The doors opened up into what looked like a tack room.
“Welcome
to the H-Bar-Anchor,” the Alchemist told Mason.
“We’re
in West Virginia already?” Mason was
shocked.
“It’s
not that big of a big state,” the Alchemist remarked as if Mason should’ve
realized that.
The
Alchemist led the way out of the tack room and into a stable area. The stalls
were empty at the moment, but horses were obviously kept there. They walked out
of the barn into the warm sunlight and Mason realized for the first time that
he hadn’t really been aware of what season it actually was here.
“Just
follow our lead,” the Alchemist told Mason. He led them down to a farmhouse and
then behind it to a garden with a walk-in greenhouse. The outside garden beds
were bare and wet from the winter and spring. Some had had a winter crop in
them to give nutrients to the soil. Inside was warmer and the garden beds were
full. Mason could see the winter squashes, cabbage, lettuce, and all sorts of
vegetables Mason couldn’t name off hand. A small child with a pink and white
beanie on her head was toddling around the pea gravel garden paths and two
women were talking as they harvested some vegetables.
“Daddy!
Look what I found!” A boy who was about five years old popped out from behind
one of the tall planters. He rushed forward happily with a vegetable in his
hand.
Mason
was very surprised when the boy ran into the Alchemist’s arms.
“Hey
Buddy,” the Alchemist gave him a hug. “Getting the harvesting done?”
As
the child eagerly told the Alchemist about the vegetables being picked, Mason’s
eyes quickly went to the women. One was older, probably in her sixties, and the
other was Colonel Eden Magnuss, wearing jeans, a zip-up hooded sweatshirt, and farm
boots.
Mason
had not seen that one coming.
“Reaper,”
Eden looked at them. “The squash and pickling cucumbers you wanted are ready to
harvest if you wanted to get on to that.”
“Yes
ma’am. Thank you, ma’am,” the Reaper replied, picking up a wicker basket and
heading off to a raised garden bed.
“Jim,
did you bring us our new foreman?” the older woman was studying Mason. She wore
a fleece vest with a sweater underneath it and jeans with farm boots.
“Yes,
Mrs. Magnuss,” Randall nodded as the older woman removed her gardening gloves.
“I’d like you to meet Mason. He comes from a long line of ranchers.”
“It’s
nice to meet you, Mason,” the woman smiled and extended her hand. “I’m Maureen
Magnuss. You’ll meet my husband Jed at some point today. He’s the sheriff here
in Harper County. But I’m sure Bear told you.” She smiled lovingly at the
Alchemist.
Bear?
Mason shot the Alchemist a puzzled look. The Alchemist has an actual name?
“Thanks,
Mom, but I hadn’t. Mason, you’ve met my wife, Eden,” the Alchemist motioned to
her. He did not shift in discomfort at all as he said that.
“Ma’am,”
Mason nodded. He was finding this all like he had entered another dimension.
“And
these are our two,” Eden said. She motioned to the boy. “That’s Henry and this
is Alexandra,” Eden motioned to the little one.
“I’ve
had the honor of knowing two Henrys already,” Mason said, looking at the
sandy-haired five-year-old. “My grandfather and my father. Both are really
strong men.”
“He
is named after my uncle, Captain Henry Halifax,” Eden smiled. “Little Alexi is
named after my father, Rear Admiral Alexander Halifax.”
“They
will carry those names with honor,” Mason replied thinking of the irony of it
all. “One of my long-time best friends’ is named Lexi but she’s an Alexis. Your
kids’ names will be very easy for me to remember.”
“It’s
a small world, isn’t it?” Eden replied, then looked at Randall. “Jim, can you
keep Mom company for a moment while Barrett and I give Mason a tour?”
“Certainly
ma’am,” Randall nodded as Mason was processing that the Alchemist’s real name
was Barrett Magnuss.
“Keep
company?” Maureen looked at Randall. “Hell, if she’s going off to gab, let’s
you and I take a break and pour something hot. You want to help me to keep an
eye on the kids?”
“I
have a feeling Henry isn’t going to let his father go far without him,” Eden
replied, seeing how her son was latched onto Barrett. They headed out of the greenhouse
into the early spring weather.
“I
must say,” Mason admitted to them. “I never saw this coming. I mean…You two?”
“Out
here, on this side of the Coal Mine,” Eden told him. “You can call us by our
names, Barrett and Eden. As soon as we set foot down there and all of the other
locations, it’s the Alchemist and Colonel Magnuss. You will be called Mason up
here and Wraith down there.”
“Understood,
ma’am.”
“And
the Reaper is just Reaper,” Barrett clarified. “He’s like our kid brother and
the kids consider him another uncle. It’s family dynamics.”
Eden
nodded and gave Mason a serious look. “Let’s talk foreman duties. I’m aware you
have plenty of ranching experience and your skills are going to be invaluable
to us here. All of our livestock are raised for the sole purpose to supply our
family, and the Coal Mine, with food. Our garden is for both food and medicine.
I will be teaching you how to use the plants around us for medicinal purposes
as it is a skill you will need to know. I am also working on getting us
training with a reclusive skilled healing family, who have been living this way
for centuries. I have worked with them before and I do work with them often…
But that’s more on a culinary basis. I think further training will help us
all.”
“Yes
ma’am,” Mason nodded, wondering just how skilled Eden was.
She
answered that question for him. “My cover is that I am an herbalist and I’m
always using herbs and plants for first aid and healing. I also am a chef. I
have certificates in culinary medicine, and I guest lecture at culinary schools
and universities around the world. This helps me move freely in the world.”
“Wow,”
Mason looked at her. “As you probably already know, my fiancée’s family is in
the culinary world. They’ve been to schools all over Europe in various
apprenticeships. Her father’s family are bakers and her mother’s family is well
known in Europe for cooking and wine making.”
“I
am aware that the Benningtons are bakers. I’ve never been to their place in
Veil Falls, but I’ve heard great things about it. I do recall having an Alana
Bennington come through my classes a couple years ago. Is that your fiancée?”
“Alana
is Gia’s younger sister,” Mason said.
Eden
only smiled and gave a quick glance to Barrett, who was looking at bits of
gravel with young Henry. They continued walking as Eden showed off the cows,
the calves, the goats, the sheep, and the chickens. The horses even came to the
fence to check him out. Mason held his hands out to the horses and then rubbed
their faces and necks.
“It’s
going to be a lot of work to do both Allegheny and ranch work, but in your down
time it’s going to keep you busy,” Eden told him. “I’ll even send you into town
for errands for the ranch. I’ve been having my in-laws doing a lot of it but
you being here will help out immensely. I think Dad or your brother could give
him a tour of town.” She looked at Barrett.
“Yeah,”
he nodded. “I can’t do it.”
Eden
turned. “Saturday we’re hosting a family dinner. It is a once a month
occurrence. You and Reaper are expected to join us since you’re now part of the
family. And don’t worry, your sudden presence won’t rattle them. The Magnuss
clan knows what it is you guys do. Just don’t volunteer or speak of it.”
“Yes,
ma’am.”
“So,
over here is where we can build you a cabin,” Barrett motioned to the flat spot
on the other side of the barn. “Water and plumbing will be easy to get into
this spot and then we’ll just build a simple cabin. It’ll pass muster for when
your relatives come to visit.”
“Your
family is welcome to come here,” Eden remarked. “In fact, I look forward to
meeting your father and his wife.”
“A
cabin certainly beats the trailer I had at home,” Mason looked around the area
and then turned to see what his view would be. He looked back at them. “I’m
grateful for this. Really, I am. Home for me burnt down and died with my
grandparents. It had been the only home I’ve ever really known. Everything else
was always temporary. In fact, my trailer isn’t my trailer anymore. My aunt and
uncle are living in it while they build a house.”
“This
will be your home then,” Eden told him. “And then when you are able to bring
your fiancée out, you two can always find something in town, if you’d rather,
and put roots down there. Rocky Gap is a really great place to raise a family.
Bear and his siblings grew up here and loved it.”
“Then
how are you able to maintain being…” his eyes went to Henry who was hitting the
fence with a stick. “Because you’re…”
“I’m
dead to the world outside Allegheny,” Barrett nodded. “Yes, it’s not easy, but
Eden manages to do it.”
“I
am a war widow to those who are in the outside world. But I don’t stop and
explain myself to people,” Eden replied. “Our kids are off the grid and
homeschooled. They are Allegheny kids. The outside world doesn’t know of their
existence. That’s how we both prefer it.”
“So…Ok.
Wow. That’s…Complex.”
“It’s
life. I don’t go out much and people don’t like talking to me about Bear, even
though he’s been dead for fifteen years now,” Eden looked at Barrett then back
to Mason. “Speaking of dead, your cover now will be that we are first cousins.
Your father will have been my uncle Henry Halifax. You will be known as Mason
Halifax. Jim will get you the necessary paperwork and identification to pass
muster here. So as long as you are living here, staying in Harper County, you
are my cousin whom I invited to come work the ranch to help both of us out.”
“Your
basic personal history will work for this story,” Barrett nodded. “So, military
veteran and all that. If you slip and talk about your family back home, just
call it your mother’s family. Eden and I will give you a basic run down on
Henry Halifax. He was a really amazing and honorable man.”
Eden
nodded. “For today, the Reaper will show you around the ranch and the chores
you will be doing. Next week, I’ll see if you can be shown where everything is around
Rocky Gap.” She glanced around. “Any questions?”
“Uh,
yeah,” Mason looked back at her. “When is it safe to use my phone to call my
dad back home? And talk to Gia?”
“I’ll
get your phone scrambled and encrypted,” Barrett told him. “And by this
afternoon you can make the phone call.”
“Alright.”
“Tomorrow,
we start on your cabin,” Barrett added.
“I
appreciate it,” Mason said. As Barrett and Eden walked back to the house with
Henry between them, Mason turned once again to look at the view of what will be
his home. He smiled. He couldn’t wait to tell Gia.
Five
hours later, Mason was reading a book on local history when the Alchemist
walked into the room. He placed Mason’s phone on the table beside Mason then
sat down in a chair.
“This
is your civilian phone. It will be used for only contacting your family back
home. You will have another one for West Virginia, that’ll be more like your
work phone. You’ve had two phones before?”
“Yes,”
Mason nodded. “Home and work.”
“Before
you call home, let’s talk about something that’s bothering me,” the Alchemist
looked at him.
“Alright,”
Mason put the bookmark into his book and closed it. “I hope I have answers.”
The
Alchemist nodded. “So, tell me what you know about being the Warrior.”
Mason
frowned. “Oh. That. Well. It’s a campfire story the elders used to tell. The
protector of all clans was coming to help the tribe in need fend off invaders
and a bad storm hit. He ended up freezing to death and becoming part of the
mountain. The Great Spirit came down to him and told him he could live on in
the wind, the animals, the sky, and the earth and still protect the tribes.”
Mason shrugged. “I’m paraphrasing. I’ve only heard the legend a few times as a
kid so I only remember what stuck. He is why there are ghosts on the mountain
because he is protecting the tribe.”
The
Alchemist frowned. “So, it’s a legend that pertains to your ancestors?”
“Uh,
I think so. I mean, when I was home last for my grandparents’ funeral, my
grandpa’s cousin Arthur is the chief elder and story keeper. He talked about
half-bloods and gifts. My grandparents mentioned Earth Keepers and Spirit
Walkers. I’m supposed to be able to absorb and wield gifts from other people in
my clan, which is apparently known as the Guardians of Warrior Mountain.”
“Does
any of that mean anything to you?”
“Nah.
Just that I’m a half-blood and I’m not supposed to be what I am.”
The
Alchemist nodded slowly but if he knew anything more about all that, he didn’t
show it. “I will need to speak with the contacts that I have to verify my
suspicions before I continue further. Do you know Arthur well?”
Mason
shrugged. “Yeah, I guess so. I’m not extremely close with him but my
grandfather trusts him. My grandfather was raised with him.” He shrugged. “We’ve
always called him Uncle Arthur but I’ve always been treated as an outcast by
the elders who weren’t my grandparents.”
“Why?”
Mason
shrugged. “Maybe because Dad didn’t raise me in Cooper County? There were some
tense feelings between Dad and a few of the elders.” He paused. “Oh. And I am
supposed to find someone called the Healer.”
The
Alchemist frowned. “Can you talk with your elders?”
“Uh…
Yeah, I guess so,” Mason really didn’t want to talk to them. He felt as if
they’d continue to treat him like an outcast. “I’ll talk to Dad too.”
“Make
a list of all of the gifts you’ve been gifted and we’ll start working on them
one by one,” the Alchemist rose to his feet. “Report back to me on anything you
discover.”
“I
sure will,” Mason nodded and picked up his phone. He paused. “Hey, where’s a
good place to call from?”
“Head
up to where your cabin will be,” the Alchemist stated as he walked away. Mason
did as the Alchemist suggested. The first number he called was Gia. He took a
breath and closed his eyes as he waited for her to answer but it just rang
through to an automated recording telling him the number’s voicemail box was
full. He frowned then paused, wondering if she even had her phone or phone
number still. He then dialed Lexi’s number.
“Mace!
Is this really you?” Lexi Fowler’s voice had excitement in it.
“Yeah.
How’s it going?”
“Oh
my God, I miss you so much,” she told him. “Oh, and James says hi. When are you
coming home?”
“I’m
not sure,” Mason told her honestly. “I’m just getting through day to day. I’ve
been underground.”
She
let out a sigh. “Well, I don’t have much to tell you. There has been a petition
going around the county to get you fired. Everyone is living in fear of the
cartel.”
Mason
let out a dep sigh. “Yeah, I bet the mayor is behind that.”
“Always,”
Lexi sighed again then said, “I haven’t seen or heard from her.”
He
knew exactly who she meant. “I tried calling her. Her voicemail box was full.”
“Yeah.
It’s been giving me that same message too,” she had a frown to her voice.
“Estelle says Gia has decided to stay a few extra weeks over there because she
gets anxiety when she thinks of coming home.”
Mason
frowned. “Do you have an address of where she’s staying?”
“Nope.
I’ve emailed her several times. Haven’t heard from her.”
“Do
you know what town or city she’s in?”
“Nope,”
Lexi sounded annoyed. “I’ve been trying to remember any place names Gia said in
the past. I remember someone asked if her she was from Paris and she had said
she had been there a few times.”
“Figures,”
Mason sighed. “I’ll try to think if I can remember where she said she was
from.”
“So
if you haven’t heard from her, and I haven’t heard from her…” Lexi let her
voice trail off. “That’s just strange. Don’t you think?”
Mason
frowned. “Yeah, it is strange. How about this? If either of us hears from her,
why don’t we text the other and let them know?”
“Sounds
good. So where are you? Because I hadn’t heard from you either. Not since the
funeral.”
“Yeah,
sorry. Had to go underground. I can’t say and I can’t stay on long so… Just
know I’m alive. I’m safe. And I’ll try to check in whenever I can. May be once
a month at first.”
“Alright.
Well, stay alive and stay safe.”
“I
will,” he said. They said their goodbyes and hung up. He let out a deep,
frustrated sigh. That was really odd that Lexi hadn’t heard from Gia except
through Gia’s mother, Estelle. He wondered if he should call Estelle, looking
for his fiancée.
He'd
call his father first.
“Mason,”
his father’s voice was good to hear. “How are you?”
“I’m
good, Dad. How are you?”
As
he listened to his father talk about what he had been up to, Mason was startled
to hear his father ask, “So, is Gia with you?”
“No,”
Mason paced. “I’ve tried calling her. She hasn’t talked to Lexi either. Lexi
says Estelle said she’s staying over there a few more weeks.”
Hank
let out a deep sigh. “I’m sorry, Mace.”
“You
know, I get it. She went through an ordeal with how she was taken and what she
went through. I wish I would have talked to her about what happened but it was
difficult to with her father glaring at me, Wheeler’s guys watching me, and her
asking about papers,” he let out a deep sigh. “I should’ve stayed there with
her and just come home with her.” He frowned again, now frustrated with
himself. “That decision I made that day may have been a very bad one to make.”
“Don’t
beat yourself up over it, Mason,” Hank empathized. “The Benningtons are out for
blood and I am grateful you are not here. Charles never would have allowed you
to be in a room alone with her. I doubt he would have even let you speak to her
after that.”
“Lexi
said a petition was started to get me fired.”
“That
is true,” Hank told him. “You are on administrative leave of absence at the
moment. Morgan is doing his best to do damage control and showing force in the
county. State Police is also stepping up presence. People are genuinely still
fearful of the cartel.”
Mason
just looked at the ground. “I have a feeling it’s not going to end well for me
there at home.”
“I
have that same feeling.”
Mason
took in a deep breath and then let it out. “Well. Hell. Then I guess I gotta
pay attention to what I’m doing here then. So, I’ve had time to think about
this whole Warrior thing. How can I learn more about it? I’m not sure the
elders will be free about telling me.”
“Yeah,
I get the same feeling,” Hank said. “I’m realizing that I wasn’t told the whole
story either. Obviously I didn’t pay enough attention to these stories. We all
knew the legend and what they told but none of us ever thought they were real.
We thought it was nothing but fables because nobody knew having multiple gifts
was possible.”
“Grandpa
and Grandma were elders. Why would they not tell us?”
“Mason…It’s
complicated. Nobody expected you to have anything. You’re a half-blood.”
“Regardless
of what I am, we need to talk. I need to talk to Arthur and the elders and get
the unfiltered version of the legend and everything we are. I have no idea what
the clan is, who this healer is, and why I’m so important.”
“I
agree. We have been talking about you and what needs to happen. Michael is
stepping up and into Grandpa’s role as an elder. Gloria will be taking
Grandma’s role,” Hank told him. “Are you able to travel and come any time you
need to? Or do you have restrictions?”
“Uh,
I’ll have to get travel approved,” Mason looked around. “I’m not always
available. I might be underground and out of touch for weeks on end but every
time I can call you, I’ll call you, okay?”
“As
long as you’re safe and okay…”
“I’m
in good hands, Dad.”
“Alright
Mason. I’ll do some digging here and get you a meeting with the elders. I’ll
text you? Or email?”
“Email
is fine,” Mason said. Then they said their goodbyes and Mason hung up the call.
Then he looked down at his phone, seeing the photo of him and Gia on the
wallpaper of his phone. He just needed to talk to her. He needed to know he
didn’t screw it all up that last time he saw her. He needed to know they were
okay. He sat down on an upturned bucket and tapped on his email. He let out a
deep breath and began to type out an email to Gia. No matter if she had her
phone or not, she’d always have access to her emails.
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