The Unmaking (The Rayne Whitmore Series Book 1) (11 page)

            I nod and Damien
continues, trying to quickly get through the background info. “Since then, it
has been hard because many of the supes actually have been working in
government and are even feeding misinformation to humans. They are doing their
best to keep the accurate knowledge to a minimum. They’ve been extremely
successful because most people don’t know what their powers are or how to
recognize someone as ‘different’ from the rest of us. Your father was a
brilliant man however, and brought together the most excellent team, best
contacts, and finest researchers out there because he felt that humans needed
more protection against such a potentially dangerous threat. You see, when your
father was in the military, he came across a werewolf that was on a rampage.
His team was on a mission in the Ukraine and apparently the wolf had been
recently turned without learning to control its urges. He was able to kill it
only because it was too consumed with ripping apart the body of one of his
comrades. That incident was covered up like many others.”

            “It wasn’t hard to connect
the dots. If one existed, then they probably all did. Jason was not prejudiced
and didn’t feel that they were monsters that needed to all be taken out, but
that we mere humans needed extra security. As his research and business grew,
so did his reputation. Jason started to attract the wrong kind of attention and
many of the people in the supernatural community who had inside knowledge of
his weapons wanted him to stop production, sell his products to them as well in
order to use it against members of other ‘races’, or  just for added protection
for themselves. Small stuff, like security enhancements he didn’t mind, but
things that could be too dangerous in the wrong hands, he refused.”

            “His intention was to give
the weapons to the government, the humans he wanted to protect. He even hoped
that one day we could market them to the public under a guise like colored
contacts that keep vampires from glamouring people for example. If the
government had gotten a hold of some of these weapons, then I’m sure the same
thing would have happened. They could have started a war themselves, and this
is where Jason and I disagreed.” Damien takes a small sip of the drink that
Selene had given him once we sat down and then stares me down hard.

            “Rayne, please understand.
You are my family. No matter what I disagreed with, you have to know that I
would have never stood by and let anyone or anything do that to Jason. I’m
saying this because whoever is behind this hit, they felt the way I did and I
know that it looks bad. When you saw your father torturing that man, it was
because he had kidnapped those researchers to copy the work they were doing at
the company. Your father refused to sell him anything and they did not want to
take no for an answer. The man warned him that if he wouldn’t sell to his
employer, then he needed to shut down his research. Jason ignored his warnings
as well as mine that what we were getting into was a dangerous road.”

            “I don’t doubt for a
second that you had nothing to do with this and I kind of see your point, but,
there’s more to this isn’t there? There’s a piece missing, I can feel it.” I
lean forward, enthralled in our conversation.

            “Well, yes, other than the
fact that I can’t get any fucking information on who’s behind this shit. You’d
think they’d want to announce to the company what they did to prove a point not
to fuck with them or not take their demands seriously. Right now, we are just
watching our backs and reassessing every single person or company we’ve ever
done business with. That could be their plan too, to throw us into chaos and
confusion and I have to admit, it’s kind of working. It’s the same strategy
that terrorists use. They are slowing our entire production down and some of
our best people who know the truth have resigned.”

            Damien stands up, clearly
stressed as he rubs a hand over his dark hair. “But, there has been talk that
it is becoming more difficult not to risk exposure for the supes and that a
type of governing body of their own may be forming if they haven’t done so already.
I don’t think those people like that either and it seems that they may be
trying to arm themselves for a type of power struggle. We already know that
individually, each race has their own way of dealing with their kind, but now,
they may be working together like never before.”

  He begins to pace with his hands
behind his back while he speaks. It’s a sign of nervousness that I don’t often
see from him. “That may spell trouble of a different kind if we push too hard.
We may outnumber them in terms of bodies, but with their combined strength
added to the fact that we have only myths and rumors to rely on, it could end
tragically with a war unlike anything the world has ever known. The problem is,
we can’t trace anything and that’s the problem with dealing with the supes,
it’s hard to find evidence when they truly don’t want it to be found. They have
ways of making people forget or see things that are untrue. The only thing we
do know is that the person we are looking for is a magic user. Selene is the one
that figured that one out.”

            We both look at Selene who
doesn’t seem ready to offer any more information, so I start.

            “So, let me make sure I
understand all of this. My father wanted to keep a special group in the
government armed against supernatural threats. You, and this mystery person or
group, both think that by doing so it could lead to unnecessary ‘witch hunts’
against anyone who is ‘different.’ This group wanted dad to either sell them
the same weapons or stop production completely, for a price of course. My dad
refused. So, this person had one of his men kidnap the researchers and then
kill them as a message. When that message was received, dad retaliated by
hunting the guy down and torturing him in revenge. Then, the same thing
happened to my family.”

            I stop for a second as I
figure something else out. I put my hand over my mouth in shock, but finally
continue after Damien looks at me in confusion.

            “It was all a game. You
just said that supernaturals can keep things like identities and evidence from
being discovered if they don’t want it found, right? Well, I’m going to assume
that that is only the case when dealing with humans, that we can’t always find
supernaturals, another reason why dad wanted these weaknesses compensated for.
He probably got angry and thought that he was able to track the man who killed
your researchers down through his own brilliance, but that’s not the case.”

            “Whoever is behind this
wanted that man to be found because as you said, my father had a reputation.
That person knew, he knew that his own man would be killed and he was betting
on that, using his death as an excuse to take out my father and even our family
because he was too much of a threat to the supernaturals to live.”

            Damien looks at me as if
he’s been punched in the gut. He sits back down slowly. I look to Selene’s
disgusted face too as the air in the room seems to get heavier. I know I’ve hit
a homerun. I have great analytical skills and it really didn’t take much for me
to figure it out once I got most of the evidence into place. I just can’t
believe it. My father was so much of a threat that whoever ordered his death
felt as though it was the only option. Everyone played into this person’s hands
and that made him or her, a serious menace.

            “I can’t believe this
shit. And in the meeting, I argued with Jason in front of the guy about how it
may be a mistake selling to the government. He must have gone back and reported
it. Oh my God, that’s probably the only reason why I’m alive. I wasn’t seen as
a threat.” Damien looks as if he’s going to be sick, but if I’m honest, I’m
sure I look the same way.

            “Then whoever this person
is has a lot of power and experience. They have to have a lot of followers who
believe in his cause plus money to get things done. We already know he is witch
born, that much I’m sure of. It has to be a male and he has to be over forty
years old. That should narrow the field down to about twenty possible people.
This is when the list gets scary. My advice would be to just let it go, but I know
it would be disrespectful to your family to push that, so I will say instead,
we must tread carefully. I can give you a name of an informant who may be able
to point you in the right direction,” Selene tells us firmly.

            “Are you sure you have the
right contacts and skills for this?” Damien asks.

            “You have no idea who I am
or what resources I have at my disposal. I may live modestly, but I can assure
you I have plenty of means to get what I want. The problem is deciding what the
price will be for the information we may obtain. My world is a dangerous place
and in my world cost brings on a whole new meaning.”

            “And I,“ Damien begins.

            “Will not put yourself in
any unnecessary danger. Pay someone to get the information we need. Money is no
object. You need to run the company. Will you make sure I have enough funds
when I get back, a place to live, and arrange a way for me to see my family’s
graves tomorrow without me being followed? I need to say goodbye,” I tell him
much more authoritarian than I probably should.

            He stands up slowly and
puts back on his sunglasses so I can’t see the emotions behind his eyes. Still,
I could be blind and see the pain he’s hiding. What a pair we are. Both of us
cut more deeply than any knife could ever reach.

            “Ok Ray Ray. I will pick
you up at seven in the morning tomorrow. Be ready.”

            I get up and hug him
tightly. “I will. I love you D.”

            “I love you too.” Then, he
kisses my forehead, waves to Selene and leaves, shutting the door quietly.

            Deep breaths keep me from
shedding any more tears.

Chapter Ten

           
I
take a nap and when I awake I find that Selene is
watching me, rubbing my head and whispering something quietly to herself in a
musical tone. I think I am becoming more attuned to her magic because now I can
feel the slight wind around me as she speaks. It calms me and I smile my ‘thank
you’ to her. All those times I thought she was muttering to herself or when I
felt a tiny spark of electricity, she was actually using her magic and I had no
clue. Crazy.

            “You were having a
nightmare,” she tells me.

            I try to think back to my
dream but I can’t, which is probably just as well. I’m sure I can guess what it
was probably about. “Well, I don’t remember it, I just felt you and woke up.”

            “Good. It seemed like it
was bad. I was worried.”

            Selene seems to be doing
more than her fair share of worrying about me and now, it has to stop. I need
to be able to do the worrying for myself.

            “Soon you won’t have to
protect me. I will be able to do it on my own. I know Diana said that I may not
survive it, but I know I will. There is no other option for me.”

            “I believe in you, but I
will always worry about you. That’s what people do when they’re in love. They
worry about the other person. You’re my responsibility,” Selene tells me
honestly, lovingly, and my heart skips a beat.

            “About damn time you said
it,” I smile.

            “Well, you’ve known how I
felt all along. I still have my issues, but I trust you Rayne, I do.”

            “And I will do my best not
to give you any reason not to.”

            “Good. Now, can you do me
a favor please?” Selene asks, as she pulls her hair back, out of her beautiful,
sad face.

            “What is it?” I ask
quietly, enjoying our closeness.

            “Can you just hold me for
a while?” Selene asks, surprising me.

            “Of course love,” I say,
understanding that she needs to be the one to feel safe after working overtime
to make sure everything was fine with me. I wrap my arms tightly around her
waist and pull her into me. Selene lays her head on my chest and I inhale to
smell of vanilla in her hair. We lay together silently for hours, me never
breaking my hold on her.

◊◊◊

            Damien knocks three times
on the door and I hurry to open it. As he steps in, Selene calls out behind me.

            “Are you sure you don’t
want me to come with you?”

            I had already had this
conversation with Selene earlier about how I just wanted to say my goodbyes
alone, that it was something that I needed to do. I feel sort of selfish
because I know how much Selene loved Jazzy, but ultimately, I need this time to
be exclusively mine. I can’t do the next step with Diana until I take this trip
by myself. I know Selene understands that, but I also know that her feelings
are hurt.

            “Yes, I’m sure. I have to
do this alone,” I say with finality.

            Selene just nods and
kisses me quickly on the lips before leaving the room, the hurt slowly filling
her eyes even as she tries to hide it. I frown, but keep my resolve. Damien
gives me a pat on the back and reaches for my hand. I decline. I can do this.

            I get in the car and
buckle up as Damien says something into the Bluetooth that he’s wearing.
Seconds later, he gets in, looks in his rearview for a few seconds, then pulls
off. Five minutes later, he stops the car and tells me to get out. I don’t
question it, simply follow orders. Next, we get into a dark Suburban with
tinted windows and a driver who I recognize as a man named Tanner. His salt and
pepper hair and serious face is hard to forget, especially after I’ve given him
hell a couple times in the past. This time, he doesn’t even acknowledge my
presence as I get in the car, probably afraid of any breakdown he thinks I may
have.

            The ride back into the
city takes two hours and no words are hardly exchanged on the way, except for
Damien telling Tanner to circle a street again or to get off of the main road
and then get back on. I don’t ask any questions as my mind thinks about how bad
it would be for us if we were to be ambushed by someone who realized that I
wasn’t really dead, or if it even mattered that I wasn’t. Wouldn’t it be even
better for the game knowing that I did live? Wouldn’t that increase the fear
and chaos? My mind asks these questions until we pull up to the cemetery. Then,
Damien finally addresses me.

            “Are you ready for this?”
A loaded question. Five simple words.

            I sigh and open the car
door. “Which way?”

            Damien gets out and points
me toward the direction. “There, in between those two big oaks, and really
close to that bench.”

            I look at the oak trees
bowing over as if they’re weeping for my family as well. I try to take a step
forward, but my feet seem to be frozen. I look back at Damien with desperate
eyes. “If I go over there and see their graves, then it’s all true. This really
isn’t a bad dream,” I say, fear creeping up into my throat, causing my voice to
betray me.

            “If you go over there, you
will see that they are at peace. No more pain. They are just resting, waiting
for you to join them again,” Damien tells me trying to ease some of the
unfairness of the whole situation, of life itself, and of this irrevocability.

            “Ok,” I whisper and find
my feet again. I walk two hundred twenty three steps until I stop at the
graves, until I see not only my family’s, but of the unknown person who is
occupying my spot. I bend down and touch that marker first, the one that bears
my name and I say a prayer for her, for her family. Then, I touch my parent’s.

            “Hi,” I say, not knowing
where to begin, having never done this before. Definitely not thinking I would
have to do this so soon. I sit there for a moment then look up to the sky.
“Mom, I’m sorry that we hadn’t really had a chance to work out our differences,
but I did listen to your opinion. I did listen even when I pretended I didn’t.
I know that you always had my best interest in mind and that you loved me no
matter what. I get a lot of my strength from you. If I could have told you this
when you were here, maybe we could have been much closer. I hope that even
though I didn’t say it, I hope that deep down you knew it.”

            I turn and put my hand on
my father’s headstone, the wind picking up as if my family’s spirit has come to
listen in. “Daddy, I want you to know that I forgive you for your decisions and
that I don’t blame you for any of this. I talked with Selene and D about your
business, your choices, and what you were trying to accomplish. I may not agree
with you on everything, but I know you based your actions on what you felt like
you were doing to help people. You are the greatest father in the world and
you’ve always tried to protect me. I love you and mom both and I hope you’re
taking good care of Jazzy.”

            I turn to my sister’s
grave and think about all the promise she had in her, our last conversation,
how independent she was and how brave she had been trying to keep me safe. I
try to hold my tears in, but I can’t, and I quickly give up trying as it
becomes nearly impossible to breathe again.

            “Jaz, I don’t think I
could have done what you did. I wouldn’t have been able to think as fast, be as
brave. I love you so much for what you tried to do to save me and I blame
myself because maybe if you weren’t thinking of me, you could have been safe.
It should have been me, not my beautiful, smart, little sister. If I could take
your place I would in a heartbeat Jazzy, I promise you that. But since I can’t,
I’m gonna do the next best thing, I’m going to get justice for you.”

             Tears flow freely onto my
baby sister’s grave. “I will fight as hard and as long as I can to find out the
truth and to make sure they know who you were and what they took from me. I’m
sorry that you won’t be able to live your dreams and I will try everyday to
keep you alive in my heart and mind. I can’t believe this is really real and I
don’t know how I will be able to get up every single day knowing that I won’t
see you, but I will do my best because you would hate it if I just gave up, but
it’s going to be hard. I just hope that I’m strong enough.”

            After about an hour of
conversing with my family, hoping they heard every word I said, I finally leave
them behind, in the ground, where time doesn’t matter anymore. I had told them
everything I knew about what happened and even explained to them what I was
getting ready to do with my life. When I said everything I felt that needed to
be said on this visit, I actually felt slightly better. I felt as if they had
all gathered me into their arms and told me that I was going to be okay. Part
of me wants to believe it, and that will be the part I hold on to.