Conjuring Darkness (7 page)

Ryan laughed. “Fair enough. Oh God I haven’t heard that nickname used in a while. I hate it actually. I guess you have gotten a look at the real me or part of me. Don’t get the wrong idea. I think it’s fair to say that while I may be content to lay around here at the beach, read, cook, play with Buddy...”

“Cook? Did you say you like to cook? And you haven’t offered to whip up a delicious meal? What kind of host are you?” Lexi winked and smiled at Ryan. “Sorry I can’t cook. Please, do go on with your story.”

“Okay well first I’ll cook up a nice meal for us tonight. It will be good to get someone else’s opinion on my hobby. Buddy isn’t fussy enough to give me a good critique!”

“I’ll be more than happy to taste test your...hobby.” She giggled.

“Well as I was saying,” he continued, “I may have a pretty laid back lifestyle but I also love the thrill of adventure. I always have. I think that when I’m out on a mission I probably reflect that passion by allowing myself to become that swashbuckling pirate that really is a part of me. I’ll admit it. Like most boys I knew growing up that was how we played and how we imagined ourselves to be. The type of lifestyle and the special warfare community are completely unlike the kind of lifestyle a person would find in any other part of the military.” 

Lexi nodded as she listened to the story he conveyed. She was surprised that he was being this open with her about his life.

“Of course it’s professional.” He continued after taking a quick drink. “We were in very small groups operating independently and free from the constraints that you would find if you were in a conventional unit. We didn’t have to play by the same rules. To be honest if someone would have pulled me out of the special warfare community and stuck me on a large base with some mundane job, I wouldn’t even know how to act. Other than what I learned in boot camp I have very little experience in a traditional military setting. I would have to look up how to make a regulation style bunk, or spit polish boots, or even get a regulation haircut. Hell most of the time we all wore civilian clothes, because we went to areas where the government didn’t want to admit to having any military personnel present. You would be surprised at how often that happens. Well anyway, if you live and work in an atmosphere like I did the unconventional becomes your new normal. Your so called game face isn’t just a charade it does become a part of your personality. So to answer your question the real Ryan Kidd is a little of both.”

“Hmm. Pretty interesting. But why the nickname. I’m guessing that you didn’t have to wear some silly cowboy hat or something to get that name, did you?” Lexi asked.

“Many of the specialized military groups use nicknames for Special Warfare Operators. Unfortunately those nicknames aren’t something you get to pick. They’re sort of given to you and they have a way of sticking with you for life. They become your nom de guerre.”

Lexi had her turn to interrupt Ryan “Really? Nom de guerre? I thought that was just for terrorists, French Foreign Legion, and characters from poorly written action stories.”

“Ha! In that case I must be the ill-conceived and cliché action hero! The way that name got stuck on me is actually a pretty funny story. Back when I was about twenty, I was with a team working in Togo a small country in Western Africa. One day three of us went out into the field with a few of the guys from the Togolese army. Kurt was there as a rep from the CIA. The Togolese had asked for our help in disposing of some old ordnance like landmines, grenades, and that sort of thing.” He leaned further back in his chair as he recalled the scene.

“One of the local soldiers pulled an old pistol out of a large crate. A very old nickel plated Colt revolver with ivory grips. It even had a box of ammo with it. I knew that pistol was probably worth at least a few thousand dollars. One of guys asked me if I wanted to buy it for fifty dollars! I told him I would like to shoot it first. While I was loading the pistol the guys left their truck unattended for a bit. In the back of the truck was another open crate with some old German hand grenades that we were supposed to destroy. Someone heard a noise and when we turned around, we noticed that a monkey had come down from the trees and it was digging around in the grenades. We were all yelling and trying to scare it away before something bad happened. Well it ran off alright. The bad part was that it was carrying a very old and unstable German hand grenade. What could be more dangerous than an unpredictable wild monkey with a hand grenade? It could throw it at us or it could run into a village, a house, a school, and who knows how easily that old grenade could explode.”

“You have got to be joking. That didn’t really happen! Did it?”
Is this really how the mysterious ‘The Kid’ came to be?
She thought.

“Boy Scouts honor.” He said, before holding up two fingers in a mock salute. “The monkey bolted across the grassy field in front of us. I had that old pistol loaded and ready so I quickly raised it and fired at it. Well I missed. In order to fire it faster I took the heel of my free hand and fanned it across the hammer just like you see on those old westerns. Rapid fire just like it was a semi-automatic handgun. That monkey was hopping around and dodging away as dirt and grass kicked up around it. The guys were all yelling. Some were cussing and some were cheering me on. One of my teammates, Martinez, grabbed an M-16 with a grenade launcher. I had counted my shots so I knew I only had one round left in the cylinder. I knew that I would have to wait until he stood still. The monkey ran and climbed up into a tree that was so dense with leaves we couldn’t see him at all. Suddenly we hear this loud excited chatter of dozens of monkeys in that tree. Martinez launched a grenade and when it exploded there was nothing but leaves and branches everywhere. As the dust cleared we saw the monkey with the grenade. He was standing up holding the grenade high in the air and chattering as if he was threatening us. It was the most surreal scene I had ever witnessed. It was an incredibly long distance for a pistol shot, but I drew the pistol up carefully aimed and fired. I missed the monkey but I must have hit the grenade. The grenade flew out of the monkey’s outstretched hand and it exploded just as he went to pick it up again. We all just looked at each other completely shocked by what had happened. Then everyone was laughing. Martinez started giving me a hard time. ‘You looked like you were in one of those old spaghetti western movies man. A fistful of bananas! Haha! You were shooting that old gun just like those gunfighters.’ Well they all had a good laugh. Someone said my name should be Wild Bill or something and then one of them called me the African Kid, and Kurt decided to start calling me The Kid. It just stuck. I actually hate it and never call myself that, but I don’t bother to stop the very few other people that would be calling me by that name.”

Lexi had been picturing the whole scene in her head and she laughed so hard that she was in tears. Buddy had lifted his head up and despairingly groaned for her to continue massaging his back with her toes. “So that is also the same pistol you were carrying yesterday I assume.”

“Yep! More people know me by that damn pistol than anything else. Now you know.” Ryan laughed. “Let’s see, you had a few more questions. I know you were originally asking about some other things. Yes I am single. Always have been. I never wanted to be settled down. It doesn’t fit my mysterious image and all.” He laughed a little and then stopped to look at her smile.

The sun lit her face and the breeze lightly tossed her hair about. Her green eyes were smiling back at him. “Where was I? You probably wanted to know where I’m from. Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi originally. I’m an only child. When I was twelve our place got destroyed in a hurricane. My parents were both killed. No I don’t have much to say about that. I had to move all the way up to Wisconsin, where my grandparents on my mom’s side had a small farm just outside of a town called Mukwonago. I loved the fact there was a large marsh nearby full of fish and wildlife and it reminded me of the areas of the gulf coast where I would go fishing with my Dad. That was when I started my love affair of adventure. I would go exploring in an old canoe through the marshes and rivers. I always dreamed about being able to keep going, finding more places to explore. I spent a lot of time alone so that probably had something to do with not wanting to settle down. Not enough adventure for me as I got older so I left for the Navy as soon as I was out of high school. I figured it would be the best way to get out and see the world. I served twelve years as a SEAL and then doing this.”

“What is
this
exactly?”

“Well let’s just say I get to call my own shots. If someone needs help or special transportation in dangerous places then I’m the right guy, for the right price.”

“So you’re a smuggler too?”

“Well I prefer not to use that name, but sometimes certain people will pay a lot of money to move stuff without worrying about it getting intercepted by criminals, or maybe they would rather not have to deal with customs agents. Above all they want someone who isn’t going to ask too many questions. Money, relics, whatever it is, I will help them out.”

“Let me guess for the right price?” Lexi smirked.

“Yeah that pretty much sums it up. I also specialize in recovering kidnapped victims. There are plenty of kidnappings down here and families will pay anything to get them back. Again for the price, I’m their man. Actually that’s how I got Buddy. One of my clients bred Newfoundland Dogs and he could tell I really liked one of the pups so he gave him to me. Okay now it’s your turn. You’re in the hot seat now. I have a few questions for you.” 

Kidd smiled, he could tell she was relaxed enough to let her guard down a little and give up some information about her sister that could be helpful. “First tell me about yourself. What do you do? Tell me about your sister, your relationship with her.”

Lexi looked down at Buddy who was snoring in a deep contented sleep. Lexi and Ryan were both running their bare toes through Buddy’s thick soft fur. She had the urge to run her toes over the top of Ryan’s foot, but hesitated.

“Well, I have been pretty much stuck in my own world most of my life. We moved around quite a bit when I was a kid. I only have my one sister Kate and she is eight years older than me. I guess you could say I am a bit of an introvert, although I’m not sure if that would be the best word for it. I’m not shy, I just tend to keep my personal feelings inside. I’d say that I became used to being okay with spending time alone, so maybe that’s why.” Lexi stopped as if she were at the edge of a pool and checking the water before jumping in.

Ryan picked up on Lexi’s hesitation and gently nudged her in by sharing more of his thoughts. “I think I know what you’re trying to describe. I feel the same way. I tend to keep people at a distance. I’m perfectly fine talking to people and having friends and all, but I never get too close. I guess it’s like there’s a wall around me that I’ve worked hard to build and keep in place. So yeah, I get it.”

“Yeah. That’s exactly what I’m saying. Well our parents were both archaeologists originally from the Ukraine. They died in a plane crash when I was fourteen. Okay see this is the stuff I never talk about, and I don’t know why I am now. What is it about you that makes me want to open up and share this information that I’ve kept to myself for so many years?”

Lexi took a deep breath and exhaled. She steadied herself with deep breaths that filled her lungs. Some of it was easy to discuss, but other parts she would much rather keep bottled up inside of her.

No. I’m done now.
She silently argued with herself.
I don’t think I want to go over this. I’m perfectly happy petting your cute dog and drooling over you. Isn’t that enough? At least he is a good listener. He seems so...sincere and decent. I should just make up some quick little story. No I can’t lie to him. You had better be worth it, Ryan Kidd.

Talking about these memories was something that she had no desire to do.

“Hey Lexi. It’s okay if you’d rather not talk about all that.”

“No. No it’s alright, but only because you seem like you’ve cracked open your tough shell and told me about yourself. I can tell you haven’t dealt with the loss of your parents and maybe I haven’t either.” 

“I know that it was the defining event that shaped who I am today.” She continued. “I hope that someday you’ll talk to me about your experience like I am going to. Anyway, Kate was twenty-two when our parents died. We were living in England then. We had a house near the college where my parents both taught. Kate was attending college there as well. She was old enough to be my legal guardian. We didn’t have any other family and it was so damn hard."

Lexi had never talked to another individual about this ever. Her eyes filled with unshed tears as the repressed emotions left their hiding place.

“Our parents had planned to be gone for eight weeks. They always worked together and once Kate was old enough to take care of everything that needed a legal adult to handle, they could leave us behind for periods of time. I had made a big calendar and hung it on my wall. I would mark off every day they were gone. On the day they were expected back I had glued a family picture of all of us together. I was so excited for all of us to finally be reunited.”

She looked down at Buddy as she wiped the tears that started to escape. “A man from the university came to the house one day and he looked like he was delivering the mail or something. He gave us a letter. A notice that told us our parents were gone. I was in shock. I couldn’t believe it. I went to my room and stared at that calendar. There were only four days left to cross off. I went into complete denial and the next few days I crossed off the boxes like usual. The last day came and went and then I had a meltdown. My life was forever changed. I think most girls will tell you that at fourteen they started going head to head with their moms, at least to some degree. Not us. We were best friends. She was everything to me.” Lexi’s eyes were flooded with tears and she stopped to wipe her face off.