Spectacular Part Eight by: Enemyoffun Chase just wanted to spend the last days of summer trying to make the swim team. Fate and the universe had other plans.

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Author's Note: First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for their feedback on this story. Thanks to all of you, I have now been able to figure out the rest of this story going forward. It just took me 4 months LOL. With that out of the way, I'd like to say first of all this is a VERY short chapter. It also does not include Chase at all. Its done in third person and its something I've been wanting to do for a while now but never knew where to do it. I'm thinking I might want to insert more chapters like this into the story going forward. I might even do one in-between one of the earlier chapters, possibly when I decide to publish this on Kindle.

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8.

Elsewhere

The room was dark, she never cared for the dark. You never knew what was lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce. Walking into the room, her hand gripped her cane tightly. She wasn’t even sure why she was here. She did her part, she thought she was done with all of this. She did a job, a job she was paid handsomely for. Everything had gone according to her employer’s plans and yet he still wanted to see her. The thought of meeting with him again---after all these years---sent a shiver down her spine.

Taking a cautious step forward, she held her breath and waited.

She could sense he was there.

The Dark Man.

She could even almost see him, sitting, the distinctive outline of a brimmed hat on his head. Even the sight of his shadow chilled her to the bones. Time and distance had not changed that fear. When he first walked into her shop nearly thirty years ago, she wasn’t sure what to make of him. It was late at night and she had already locked up. Yet as she was leaving, there he was. The man in the dark. He said nothing at first but when he spoke, his words were like ice:

“Miss Grady”.

Hearing her name come out of his mouth---even now---made her want to run the other way.

She gripped her cane tighter and took a firm step forward.

“What’s this all about?” she asked, with more confidence than she had.

He leaned forward, still in the shadows.

“I wanted to thank you once again for all your hard work.”

Work that took nearly three decades.

When he showed up all those years ago, he wanted one thing. A necklace. Not any necklace though, it had to be a specific one. Made out of Aquamarine on a silver chain. She spent a long time looking. She finally found it about ten years ago. It was in a little market stall in the middle of nowhere. The owner acquired it from a pawn shop a few states over. The last place anyone would look for something that she thought had extreme value. She wasn’t even sure it was the right one until she brought it to him. There had been several false ones in the past. As soon as she passed it over, she knew she’d finally done her job. That’s when he surprised her. He handed it back, told her to hold onto it until someone sought it out and left.

She heard nothing from him until three days ago.

That’s when he told her someone would come for it.

She never expected the boy.

“I still don’t understand any of this” she stammered, this time letting her fear slip.

This Man terrified her. He paid her a large sum of money, waited thirty years for something precious to him then tossed it away like it was nothing. It made no sense. She wanted to ask more for years but was afraid of what the answer might be.

“As it should be, Miss Grady. Questions are dangerous in my line of work.”

“What line of work?”

He sighed. She’d never heard him sigh before.

“If you really must know, the necklace belongs to someone important. Someone I’m looking for. I have reason to believe the boy will lead me to them.”

She bit her lip. She knew she shouldn’t say more but she’d always been the curious sort. As a child, her parents and teachers used to tell her that her curiosity would get her in trouble some day.

She never listened.

“I saw him,” she said, pushing the issue. “The boy. He was on TV with a strange girl. The police are looking for him. Is this what it's about?”

The Dark Man leaned forward.

For the first time in thirty years, she saw his face. She was not sure what she was expecting but she was not expecting a normal man. Sure he was paler than usual but he had a handsome face, striking blue eyes, and nearly white blonde hair. There was something about him too, something familiar. She’d seen him before. He was famous somehow. She just couldn’t place his face.

“I know you...”

“I know,” he said, gesturing to the left with his head.

She turned just in time to see the quick blade snap out of nowhere.

She didn’t even have time to react before her life was snuffed out in an instance. The blade whipped back around, returning quickly to its silent wielder. Her body dropped to the floor a moment later, followed a second later by her head.

The Man leaned back, the lights turned back on.

Flanking him on either side were two young women, both dressed from head to toe in skintight black jumpsuits. The only thing visible were their eyes. To an untrained person, they might look like ninjas. He knew better though. They were soldiers, his soldiers.

“Was that truly necessary, sir?” asked the one who delivered the killing blow.

The Man sighed.

“She asked for too many questions,” he said, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping a spot of blood from his lapel.

This was a new suit. It was now ruined.

He grunted as he dropped the soiled trash on the floor. He would have to replace both now.

It was a shame.

“Killing her is going to cause some unwanted attention” continued his soldier, trying her hardest to work some kind of warm into him.

She was far too late for that.

Any bit of kindness was worked out of him years ago. All he had left was his Duty. He served a purpose and in order to carry out that purpose, he would do anything. Including disposing of lesser life forms like her.

“We’ll replace her with a Mutate.”

“They don’t last” she reminded him.

“When it dissolves, we’ll let the authorities find her body...”

Did he have to think of everything?

“And what of the authorities. Have they located the boy yet?”

“No, not since you let him get away.”

She lowered her head in shame.

Rightly so.

He had set up that scenario perfectly. The boy was like most humans. He got a small taste of something strange so he let his curiosity get the better of him. He went back to the warehouse just as predicted. Things were supposed to be simple. He wasn’t sure why the boy was so important, just that he was connected to all of this somehow. It made sense now. The stone protected him. It wasn’t all the Lieutenant’s fault obviously. She had the boy, neither of them could have predicted the stone would activate and shield him like it did. It was a failed attempt to acquire him and the stone. He needed to know why this boy was so important to It. Why did It wake up to him and not someone else?

Someone like him?

The thought of a mere human bonding with the Goddess infuriated him.

It wasn’t supposed to work that way.

He tried to make it work though. The stone wouldn’t react to him. That’s why he gave it back to Grady. He figured that eventually, the stone would wake up. He thought for sure Nalia or her sister would come for it though. When the boy showed up, he was intrigued. It was the only reason he let the boy live. Just maybe this boy could lead him to his prize. Sadly the only thing the human led him too was more trouble. First the Stalker and now the rest of this mess.

He grunted.

“Clear up this mess,” he said, waving his hand at the body on the floor. “Then reacquire our targets.”

“What about the Stalker?”

He smirked. They were a dime a dozen.

“Kill her like the other. She’s no match for you, my Dear.”

He said that with the utmost confidence. He trained her himself after all.

His soldiers were the best of the best.

If anyone could find this boy, it would be them.

Author’s note: As I’m sure all of you know, comments are life blood to an author. I’m not begging or demanding, but I certainly would appreciate anything you have to say (or ask). It doesn’t have to be long and involved, just give me your reaction to the story. Thanks in advance...EOF