A Shadow's Light BK 2 (13 page)

Test dropped his hand and turned to the road just as a yellow truck pulled into the yard. He turned aggressively and immediately took the truck into his anger laden grasp. The vehicle stopped instantly, and as Test lifted it into the air, the engine roared wildly. The rear wheels continued to spin as the truck hung in the air like a leaf in the wind.

“Turn off the truck!” Test growled.

The rear wheels stopped spinning as the driver applied the brake and put the truck into park. Test could barely feel the vehicles weight as his adrenaline pounded through him. The pulses of energy radiated down his arms, clearly visible in the daylight. With an immediate release, the truck dropped to the ground violently.

Though the truck was now on the ground, the glare on the windshield prevented Test from seeing who was inside. He stood in front of the truck, legs spread wide and his arms held stiffly at his sides like an old west gunfighter ready to draw his weapon.

James had come searching for them as a favor to his boss and friend, Enrique. He had heard of Test, but could never have imagined the power that he was witnessing as he glared from his seat in horror. Before him was a monster. The sight of Test standing in his sweats, bared torso heaving with deep breaths, and a faint glow of blue and red beneath his naked flesh, was terrifying. Just a few hours ago, he knew the young man as Chance Johnston, a quiet, well mannered kid. He knew that the young man seemed to have a past, but this was beyond any nightmare that he could have dreamt. He lifted slowly on the door handle, unsure if he was going to run or speak. As the handle clicked, the door flew open and savagely tore itself from the vehicle. James watched in shock as it sailed through the air. His flight reflex took over as he burst from the cab, sprinting towards the tree line. The sound of his feet hitting the ground pounded in his ears, equaling the force of his beating heart. With a sudden stop, his arms snapped to his sides and he found himself encased by an invisible force. The tremendous pressure forced out all of his air, and his ribs felt as though they would shatter at any moment.

Test held him fiercely, his mind racing through past events. He could not let anyone find out where he and Alyssa were. Now standing with his right arm outstretched, he held the driver hovering inches above the road some fifty feet away. As Test twisted his hand, his prey rotated in turn.

James struggled for breath. He could see Alyssa standing in the doorway of the cabin, her figure obscured by what resembled waves of heat coming off of concrete. Though he couldn’t hear her, he could tell that she was screaming. He strained to look at Test and watched horrifically as colorless waves of energy exploded from his body.

Test lifted his left hand and threw the truck to the side like it was a toy. He opened his mouth, and from deep within him came a primal roar that thundered through the forest.

Behind him, Alyssa screamed. “
Test! Stop it! Test!”

His anger and fear had consumed him completely, rendering him deaf and blind to his surroundings. His only focus was on the perceived threat in front of him.

Suddenly, a blast of pain crushed his chin, sending him falling backwards to the ground. He stared at the sky and his mind temporarily disconnected from his body. He then became aware of someone standing over him. He lowered his chin and propped himself up on an elbow. Before him was a young black man, dressed in dated clothing; black shoes with a white band in the middle, tan cotton pants, and a white tank top. He instantly recognized him as the man from his dream.

“Are you done, boy?” asked the figure aggressively.

Test had yet to catch his breath.

The man leaned down, staring face to face with Test. “What the sam hell do you think you’re doin’? Is this who you are now?
Is it?
” The man’s voice was deafening.

Test began to push himself away from his assailant, but the man seemed to hover over him. Throwing his hand forward, he released a pulse, trying to knock the man away from him. In utter shock, he watched as the smaller stature figure remained in position, and with a wink, began to change; ageing in a matter of seconds. As the edges of his sight faded to black, Cliff spoke.

“You still don’t learn too quick, do you, son?”

Chapter 15

The light had begun to enter the clearing as Test squinted into the late morning sky. He was aware of a conversation to his right, but his hearing had not yet fully cleared the fog that had gripped his mind. As he attempted to right himself, his jaw ached sharply. He made his way to one knee, and then let out an involuntary groan.

“Test.”

Hearing his name brought the world into focus. He looked in the direction of the voice and watched as Alyssa ran towards him. James stood by the center piece tree in the middle of the yard. Even from a distance, Test could see his body shaking. As the two of them locked eyes, James began to back away.

Alyssa could see the confusion on Test’s face, and as she crouched in front of him, he attempted to look around her, still eyeing James.

“Are you okay?” she asked. Her voice was a tenuous mix of both concern and anger.

Test answered as he rubbed his jaw. “I think so. What happened?”

“
What happened?”
yelled James from across the yard
.

Test spun to see him standing in a flight ready posture, hands clenched into fists and red faced. He then noticed the door to the truck lying by the road, and then panned to the left to see the truck resting on its side. Shards of glass decorated the ground like crystalline snow. The memory came flooding back to him.

“Oh my God.” His words were barely audible as he looked to Alyssa with a blank expression. “I…I just wanted us….”

He jumped to his feet and reached out to James who dropped to the ground at the sight of Test’s open hand. Test watched as he lay flat on his stomach, arms over his head and trembling in fear.

“James.” He took a step towards his friend, and before he could take another, Alyssa grabbed his arm.

She turned him towards her. “He’s in shock, Test.” She looked to James as he peeked up from under his arms. “You…” Her words remained trapped.

Test turned back to James. “James, please forgive me,” he pleaded. “I didn’t know it was you, I swear.”

James lifted his head, his eyes now red with burst vessels from the force of Test’s grasp. “What are you?” he asked fearfully.

Test’s body deflated. He was ashamed of himself and his lack of self control. “Damn it,” he mumbled under his breath. He lifted his head and spoke in a defeated tone. “I’m not what….” He paused. “I’m still just the guy that’s worked for you for the past year.”

“No…
no!
” replied James. “I’ll tell you what you are! You’re a….”

“James,” Alyssa interrupted, speaking his name as if to warn him.

The two men had been so focused on each other that neither of them had noticed that Alyssa had walked across the yard toward James. “It’s okay,” she spoke soothingly. “I know you’re afraid, and you have every right to be.” She dropped to her knees next to him and began to rub his back. “Why did you come here? How did you know we’d be here?”

The questions sparked something in James. They were enough of a distraction from his fear that he rose to his knees. He let his sight focus on Alyssa. “It was Enrique’s idea,” he replied. “We’d all spent the night looking for you; Julie, Enrique, myself, and the….” He paused as he looked at Test.

“Who?” Alyssa asked inquisitively.

“The agents.”

The hairs on Test’s neck quickly stood as he was awash with panic at the word. He walked towards them, sending James scrambling backwards as he held up a hand defensively.

“
Test, stop it!
” screamed Alyssa. She watched as Test reacted sharply to her voice and scowled at her in frustration. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to compose herself. “You’re going to have to control your movements.” Her voice had become calm and instructive.

Test returned his focus to James. “Who do you mean, James? What agents?”

James backed himself against the tree. “I don’t know.”

The answer quickly agitated Test, nearly forcing him to take another step forward. A quick wave of Alyssa’s hand reminded him to find the slightest bit of composure.

“Are you talking about the police, the detective; who, James? It’s important,” he asked in an obviously manufactured sense of calm.

James scratched his head, unsure of how much information he should give. “Why should I tell you anything, Chance?” As soon as the name left his mouth, he began to chuckle. “Chance.” He said the name once more as he shook his head. “I don’t even know you. You tell me that you’re the guy that’s worked for me, but you’re not.” His voice became cracked with emotion. “You were going to kill me.” He paused, the trembling in his body had returned. “Whether you meant to do it or not….” He paused once again.

The sight of James broken was torturous. Test shoved his hands in his pockets and slowly took a step towards him. “I don’t know what to say.” He continued slowly towards him. “Do you remember when you were giving me a hard time about Alyssa? I told you that it was complicated.” Test now stood next to Alyssa as she remained kneeling on the ground. “If I would have told you just how and why it was complicated….” His own voice began to break. “If I would have told you who…no, what I really was, how would you have taken that?”

James jumped to his feet angrily. “
I would have taken it a hell of a lot better than finding out in the process of almost being killed, you son of a bitch!
” He turned and began to sprint away across the road.

Test faced his palms to the earth, ready to launch himself after him.

Alyssa quickly jumped to her feet. “
No!”
she screamed. “
You’ve done enough
!”

Test eyed her in shock and watched as she sprinted after James.

Alyssa followed James into the tree line, darting in and out of the endless wall of wooden pillars. Ahead of her, she watched as he tripped over a fallen branch, sending him tumbling awkwardly to the ground. As she came upon him, he rolled over and covered his face defensively.

“James, it’s just me.” Her breathing was labored from the run, but her words were passive and fluid. “Calm down. Please?” She patted him on the chest in a protective, sisterly way, and then turned to look behind her. “It’s okay. He’s still up at the cabin. We’re alone.”

James slowly uncovered his face, peering sheepishly over his forearm to confirm that she was telling the truth.

“I understand why you’re upset. We’re all upset,” she spoke as her face flushed with frustration. “He had no right to do that to you, but understand that I think he was just protecting himself.” She paused, the intensity in her eyes growing softer. “And me.”

James begrudgingly lifted his torso and wrapped his arms around his knees. Alyssa brushed the dried leaves from his flannel shirt.

Continuing to caress his back, she attempted to calm him. “I know this is all insane, but give him a chance to explain.” She found it hard to look at him. His eyes were like fire, the red completely overtaking the white within them.

James shook his head, glancing between the ground and Alyssa. “I don’t think I can.” A tear rolled down his cheek.

She replied cautiously, understanding the fear and pain that must be consuming him. “Sure you can, James. Do you trust me?” she asked sweetly.

James nodded his head.

“He won’t hurt you again. I promise you.”

The two of them sat silently while James stared in the direction of the cabin. With a painful gasp, he stood and looked down to Alyssa. Motioning with his head, he spoke with a sandy voice. “Let’s get this over with. I don’t want him hunting me later.”

Alyssa dropped her head. While the result that she wanted was achieved, his understanding of Test had definitely not changed. She stood and brushed the remaining leaves from his shirt. “Thank you.”

As the two of them exited the woods, Test made sure that his hands remained locked into his pockets, knowing that the sight of them made the situation worse for James. He watched as Alyssa took James by the hand, almost dragging him until they were within twenty feet.

“When I was a kid, I dreamed of owning land that was completely wooded. When things got bad with my mom….” Test paused, his eyes welling. “When things got bad at home, I would have dreams about it. I would walk among the trees, bathed in the sound of the leaves in the wind.” He looked across the road, admiring the tree line with a smile. “Last year I lost everything. I lost my mother, I lost my home, and I lost my friends.”

Alyssa watched him intently as he spoke, her heart racing with a mixture of attraction and pity.

“But you know what, James?” Test continued. “Do you know what’s worse than all of that?” His voice was breaking and his lungs heaved with involuntary breaths. “I lost myself.”

While James’s posture had become slightly more relaxed, the anger and resentment in his face still glared fiercely. Test carefully removed his right hand from his pocket. “I don’t want to lose everything again, James. I can lose my home, but I can’t lose my friends or myself again.” With great care, Test offered his hand to him.

James turned back to the road without response and began to walk towards the overturned truck that he’d arrived in. Test and Alyssa turned to each other, disappointment washing over both of their faces.

“James?” called Alyssa.

Without turning, he held his right hand in the air and continued until he was standing next to the truck. He reached through the opening that once was the windshield, and grabbed at a jacket that had been stuffed behind the seat since winter. He peered cautiously over his shoulder making sure that he knew where Test stood, and then removed his own shirt and put on the jacket. He zipped the jacket as he turned and began to walk back towards Test. Once again stopping at a self perceived safe distance, James threw his shirt at Test.