Rabid *HF* Chapter 5
By Gene
Gomurr rose from his chair and began to walk around the table. He turned and paced back, stroking his chin.
"What we're looking at here is two problems. One is who are the killers. The other is how to stop them. This requires two task forces. I would like to appoint one."
Grover and Nebula exchanged glances. "Done. Just do it now. Grab who you want, we'll give you the resources you need."
Gomurr smiled slightly. "Don't be so hasty. If there's one thing you should have learned about old wizards - we often ask for all you offer, but more than you're willing to give." He smiled again. "I want Mufasa, Christian, Malachi, Alice and Shaman."
Grover's jaw dropped. "What? Christian's a child. So is Malachi. And Alice isn't even trained for the field."
"They are the ones I need."
"What about Shaman?" Cyclops asked. "Gene just told us a few weeks ago that he'd practically crippled him. PUt him under house arrest. No one's seen hide nor hair of the geezer since. How are you going to get to him?"
"WE'll go to him," Gomurr said. "Mufasa and Alice know the way."
"I don't like the idea of you using the children," Grover said.
"Me either," said Alice. "What does Malachi have to do with this?"
"Each of them has evolving powers they use instinctively. I won't bring them into combat. I want to use their skills to decipher things for me. Ferret things out. They won't be at risk. And it will save much time. Possibly lives."
Grover thought for a moment, then looked at Alice.
"Fine. Go now. Get this done. If anything happens to any of them, you're responsible."
"Of course," Gomurr said.
***
"Why did you say I know where Shaman is?" Alice asked.
"You don't," Gomurr replied. "Khalid does. As do I. But I wouldn't get a warm welcome. Shaman erected defenses of his own long ago. THey're certainly activated at this time, when his powers are inactive. Gene may have put up a mystic shield as well. I could get past them, but one slip and I'd be crippled, possible worse. You and Malachi are the keys. Gene would never hurt the two of you, nor would Shaman." He looked at Mufasa.
"Ready?"
"Yep."
"Take a deep breath."
A circle of energy rose from the ground and formed a tube around the five extraordinary people. When the tube dropped, they were in Shaman's living room.
"We're here!" Alice said, looking around.
"YEs we are," Mufasa said. "Trash it as you please, the place never really changes.
"So I like my house a certain way," Shaman said from behind them. "Is that a crime?" He still wore a cast on one leg, and his right arm was in a sling. His right wrist was in a cast.
"Hello, Christian," he said, ruffling the boy's hair.
"Hi," he replied.
Khalid eyed the interaction suspiciously. "Shaman," he growled.
"Hello, Khalid. Why the hostility? You're the ones entering my home unannounced."
"Still recovering from the truth, Mr. Ahner. Sometimes it carries a sting."
Shaman paused. "I...see. We'll have to talk. I'm sorry."
"Yeah, we'll talk. But not alone. I've had enough hypnosis for this lifetime, old man."
Shaman crutched past Khalid and looked at Gomurr. The two locked eyes for a moment, then nodded. "Gomurr."
"Shaman. Do you know why we've come?"
"I have suspicions. Hello, Alice." He shook her hand.
"Na...Shaman. It's good to see you again."
"And you. Is this your boy?"
"YEs. This is Malachi."
"HEllo, Malachi. I'm SHaman."
"Hi. Mom says you're a different version of my dad."
Shaman blinked, looked at Alice, then smiled. "Yes, I guess that's true. Did you understand what she had to say?"
"Yeah. I've watched Star Trek. It's easy enough, I guess. A lot of people say things about you, but you seem okay."
Shaman laughed and grasped the boy's shoulder. "As blunt as his father. I like that! What brings you all here. A crisis, I assume?"
"Of course," Gomurr said. "There has been a series of acts of violence and killings on the East Coast. Drivers shot. Pedestians killed. Store shootings. Stabbings. Even some fires. We think they're related. Gene was investigating. He's missing, but sent a message to Grover telling him he was on the trail." He handed Shaman the fax.
"At the same time, Toby was working the case for Nebula. She disappeared three days into the case. She was found this morning with wounds from a sword fight and a fractured skull from repeated blows from a sledgehammer. Whoever did it sent photos of the scene directly to Nebula." He handed the packet to SHaman. "Take a look and tell me what you think."
Shaman glanced at the note, then the pictures. After a minute, he looked at Gomurr. "Let's get some concrete evidence before we act." He began to go down the hall on his crutches, past the kitchen and toward a door.
"You already know who it is?" Alice asked.
"We have a good idea," Shaman said. He opened the door and crutched into a larger room with a bank of computers and monitors.
"If I had my powers I could find out the information faster, maybe solve this quickly on my own. Without them, I'll have to use 24th Century know-how."
"Don't you mean 21st century?" Malachi asked.
"No," Shaman said, smiling. "These computers are from the 24th century. The master computer here is from the 30th. She's very handy."
Shaman called up a map of the East Coast with highlighted areas showing the locations of the attacks.
"As Gene mentioned, these are all within driving distance. The culprits involved could easily drive from one location to another, rest or plan for a day or two, then act again. And all the incidents in the cities, from one side of a city or one suburb to another, took place in the time it would take to drive to another location. All of the incidents involve firearms or stabbings except for Toby. Now what made Toby different?"
"She was sent to stop this person," Khalid answered. "She was a professional."
"THat's right," Shaman said. And what was different about that crime scene?"
"The writings," Alice said. "Toby was being mocked. And she fought back. There was combat. THe others simply died."
"Right again. The culprit simply disposed of or wounded all the rest of the people, but when it came to the woman who was there to hunt him and stop him, he made an example of her."
"Why do you say, 'he'?" Malachi asked. "Aren't there two of them?"
"Yes and no," Shaman said. He looked at Malachi and Christian.
"Why don't you two go back to the living room and watch some tv? You don't even have to use the remote. Just say "Computer" and tell her what show you want on. There's snacks in the fridge."
The boys ran back to the living room, and when they were gone, Shaman cast a glance at Gomurr, Mufasa, and Alice.
"You know what we're dealing with now, don't you?"
"I think I know what you're getting at," Mufasa said.
"I want to be sure," Gomurr said.
"I hope we're wrong," Alice said.
"We'll review the evidence," Shaman said. "Gene left a lot of clues for us."
"How can we be sure it's Gene?" Alice said.
"When you look at the clues, you know it's him," Gomurr said.
"THat's right. Start with the letter. He doesn't say there's two killers or suspects or anything. HE says there are two at work there. THat they're in opposition, fighting for control. He says the strikes are random. He says he'll try to telegraph where the next strike will be. That's an odd choice of words, isn't it?"
"He could have just said,'Warn' or 'Tell'. HE's an editor. He wouldn't waste a long word like that."
Mufasa nodded. "He's using the boxing or martial arts term. When you give away where your next punch is coming, you're telegraphing your moves. That means he's the one making them."
"Oh God," Alice said.
"Look at the address of the house where Toby was found," Gomurr said. "It's in Southeast D.C., one of the nastiest areas in the city. It makes a great place to hide out, to have a battle, to hide a body. But so does the Northeast side. Why choose this place?"
"What if it wasn't chosen? What if the battle found him?" Alice asked.
Shaman shook his head. "Gomurr knows. The location was a clue, too. He waited there, knowing he was hunted. He wanted it to happen there, so he could leave another clue. THe house was on Madison Street. Gene is from Wisconsin, MAdison is the capital. The address was 1971 South. 1971 is the year he was born."
Alice held her hand over her mouth and choked back a sob. "So you're telling me he's the killer? HE did that to Toby?" Khalid put an arm around her.
"Yes," Gomurr said. "But it's not that simple. The clues. The indications of two forces at work. Gene is telling us something."
"Easy enough. Something's taken him over, or he's fighting against something. He wants to be found. Wants to be taken down. But this thing won't let him."
"That's our next job," Gomurr said. "We find out what it is and how to get rid of it. Shaman, I'd like you to join us. WE're going back to the WHite Court Headquarters. WE have to inform Grover of what we found and take action from there."
"Of course I'm coming with you. You drive."
End Part 5
Gene
Original and Longest-Running Editor
White Bastard/King's Pawn--HellFire Club
Knight of the Long-Necked Bottle
Forbidden by Law to Eat Onion Rings
Selectively Sterile
Wielder of Unbridled Contempt for Humanity