The Immortals

Chapter 5

    Caleb took his jacket and wrapped her in it. She would be out for a while and he had to take care of something before he could bring her to safety. He glanced down the alley way. The main street was busy and though nobody was looking their way, he couldn’t risk it. He quickly closed his eyes and thought There is a solid brick wall here. If you look this way, there is no alley, or opening, but only building. You see no people and hear nothing. He knew any human walking by would only see a wall. They would hear or see nothing that was really going on in the alley way.

    Ryan was starting to stand up. Caleb’s fist met his face before he could fully register what was happening. Ryan fell back into the wall his vision immediately blurred. Caleb had at least 8 inches on the man and about 40 pounds of muscle. Not to mention he was professionally trained by Masters in most martial arts and was a master of at least 20 weapons. And all of this was not including his special abilities.

     “What the f**k?” Ryan yelled, trying to get his bearings.

    Caleb punched him in the gut, causing him to fall to his knees. “What did you give her?”

     Caleb needed to know what kind of drug she was given, because it was clear she was drugged, to confirm whether she would be ok. He was pissed at himself that he didn’t see the asshole slip it in her drink or food, but he must have.

      “I don’t know what the f**k you are talking about. She’s my girlfriend and she just got wasted. We were just having a little fun, she wanted it.”

    Caleb punched him in the face again, this time he heard the familiar crunch of a nose breaking. He didn’t have time for this. He needed to get Vanessa out of here and quickly.

    “I’m going to sue your ass for assault. No, Attempted murder! You’re going to spend your life behind bars.”

     “I doubt it.”

     “Do you know who my father is? Who are they going to believe, you and some slut or me?”

     He aimed for the ribs this time, again felt that familiar crunch. “You do not talk about her that way.” Caleb closed his eyes trying to calm himself. He could not beat this man to death in an alley. As satisfying as it would be, the man was not worth the energy or the hassle dealing with the council. He was already going to get an earful when they heard about this, which he was sure they already knew.

    Caleb put his hands on Ryan’s arms and closed his eyes. And as painfully as he could possibly muster, he infiltrated his mind. He could hear Ryan’s screams, but paid them no mind. Nobody could hear them. He quickly scanned Ryan’s memories. He saw the baggy of white powder, registered the name so he could look up the effects. He saw when Ryan slipped it into her drink. He had already ordered her a glass of wine before she arrived and slipped the drug in before she even got to the restaurant. That’s why Caleb didn’t see it as he arrived right after her. He dug a little further, noted the name of his dealer for the drugs, and the dug a little further. It wasn’t the first time he did this. Feeling sick being in this warped mind. Caleb let go of his arms and stepped away, disgusted. Ryan was still screaming in pain grabbing at his head.

      “What did you do to me? You sick f**k!”

    Caleb crouched back down, only inches from his face. He could feel Vanessa beginning to stir and needed to get her out  of here and to safety soon, “The only sick f**k here is you.” His voice was dangerously low. “I would love to kill you right here. Slowly and painfully. Make you pay for every one of those women you touched, but I can’t right now. But I will be back, and believe me you will be praying for death.” Before Ryan could reply, Caleb punched him again. Knocking him out.

     He had to figure out what to do and fast. He did not have time to drop the asshole off at the police station, he needed to get Vanessa out now. Caleb also had a feeling that the bastard was right. He would lawyer up and his father would have him out of jail with charges dropped instantly. But he couldn’t worry about that now. He knew the Council Law. You must let Human Law take its course first before interfering unless it directly affects the mission. This did not. He knew once Vanessa made the decision, all of this would be irrelevant. But he also knew that Vanessa would still remember this night. It wouldn’t matter how many years passed. Caleb could still vividly remember every beating he had as a child even though it was so long ago…so he knew, no matter her choice she would never completely be over this, and Caleb was going to make sure the bastard paid for that, regardless of how long it took or what the Council thought.

    But for now it would have to wait. He quickly reached in Ryan’s pocket and grabbed his phone. He looked at the most recent text message to someone named Trey, his dealer. The last text said I’m getting laid tonight, this b***h won’t know what hit her. Seeing red, Caleb quickly typed up Hey, I slipped the b***h the drugs you gave me. It knocked her out cold. Never even made it to the car. And hit send.

     He then dialed 9-1-1. “9-1-1 what’s your emergency?”

    Caleb flawlessly changed his voice, impersonating Ryan’s voice perfectly, “I drugged a woman and tried r**e her. Someone found me and beat me. I’m in the alley behind Petrosino’s Bar on 5th street.” Caleb hung up and placed Ryan’s cell phone in his hand. He then walked back over to Vanessa. She was starting to wake up. He fixed her dress the best he could, and keeping her wrapped in his jacket gently carried her out of the alleyway. As he did, he opened the block so it no longer looked like a wall and the alley was visible. He also carefully blocked himself and Vanessa from the humans walking by so they would not see them. Lastly, while quickly walking to his car he scanned the alley with his mind looking for security cameras and saw one. He scanned the last twenty minutes. He saw Ryan drag Vanessa in the alley, they were then blocked from view by the dumpster. He saw himself walk in, but his face was completely blocked, then Ryan was thrown across the alley. Caleb quickly erased the rest of the tape with his mind so when the police looked they would see nothing past Ryan getting thrown.

    Caleb turned his attention to Vanessa. Her heart was beating fast and she was sweating, but her blood pressure was normal. He needed to get her to safety.  Caleb made his way the five blocks to his car he had rented, blocking their presence the entire time. He gently placed Vanessa in the front seat and buckled her seat belt. Her heartbeat was slowing down and becoming more steady, but she was still asleep. Caleb made his way around the car and sat in the driver’s seat. For the first time since he followed Vanessa out of the bar he let out a deep breath. He needed to figure out what to do next. He couldn’t take her to the hospital. He refused to leave her alone, but he couldn’t risk being questioned by the police or the hospital staff. He could alter their minds, sure, but it was exhausting and messy and he would rather avoid it when he could. But he didn’t know much about the drug she was given and wanted to make sure she would be ok.

    He pulled out his phone to make a call. Glancing he saw he already had 3 missed calls from the Elder’s secretary, James, and 2 emails. They don’t waste any time. He was glad to see there were no missed messages from Elder Helene’s secretary at least. But James and the Elder would have to wait. He scrolled through his contacts and selected one of them. The man answered after two rings.

       “This is Dr. Wellington.”

     “Dr. Wellington, this is Brother Caleb Black. I am sorry to bother you this time at night, but I need your assistance.”

     “Of course, Brother. What can I help with?”

    “You are aware that the Elders found the replacement?”

    “Yes, they notified me once it was discovered she was in New York, in case I was needed. Which I assume I am?”

      “Yes, there was some trouble and she is hurt. I can’t risk taking her to the hospital. Can you please meet me at her apartment? I will send you the address.”

       He quickly pinged the apartment to Dr. Wellington. About 5 seconds later, he heard the ding go through the doctor’s phone. “I can be there in half an hour.”

     “Thank You doctor. We will meet you there.”

    Dr. Michael Wellington was one of the many human connections the Council had throughout the world. Every major city had doctors, lawyers, contractors, scientists, computer programmers, and many others who worked with the Council. They all knew of the Council’s powers and their goal and believed in it. Wellington was the on call physician stationed in New York that every Council member knew to contact if the situation should arise.

    Caleb rushed to Vanessa’s apartment. He knew from her text messages that it would be empty. Kelsey was going to be gone for a while, and Tiffany was spending the night at her boyfriend’s. They had at least a few hours before anyone else would be home, and Caleb wanted her to be in her own home when she woke up. She would be confused enough and he didn’t want to make it worse for her.

    Half an hour later there was a knock on Vanessa apartment door. Caleb quickly answered, “Good evening doctor, thank you for coming so fast. She’s in the bedroom.”

     “Of course. Can you please tell me what happened?” Caleb gave a quick rundown of the events of the night.  “I don’t know much about the drug she was given. I want to make sure she will be ok. She has been sleeping for a while now.”

       “Ok, let me look at her and we will see what is going on.” 

    Caleb led the doctor down the hallway and into Vanessa’s bedroom. He had taken off her shoes, but she was still wearing the teal dress. She kept twisting and turning under the sheets as if she was having a nightmare, and Caleb wished he could soothe her mind. But he knew he could not touch her. The law was very clear. Until her complete awakening, she must remain unaltered. No other Council member can use their powers on her or influence her in any way. She must awaken on her own and make the decision on her own. He had already done too much.

     Before the doctor went to examine Vanessa, he looked back at Caleb, “Just so you’re aware I already received a phone call from Elder Marcus’ secretary informing me to call him as soon as I am done here.” Caleb flinched. He wasn’t surprised exactly, but it always amazed him how quickly the Head Elder learned of news.

    “I’ll call him as soon as I am sure she is ok.”

    “Call him now please. I will be a few minutes anyway and he should hear from you before he hears from me.”

      Caleb sighed. He knew the doctor was right, but it was still a call he was avoiding. “Ok I will call now. If you need anything please let me know. We should have some time, her roommates should not be home for a while.”

    The doctor nodded and went in to examine Vanessa. Caleb hesitated for a second. She just looked so fragile lying there. He just wanted to hold her in his arms and erase everything from her memories. Just let her go back to her normal happy life. But he knew he could not do that. Too much was at stake.

     Caleb made his way back into the living room to make his phone call, suddenly regretting his push a few years ago to modernize the Council. Until ten years ago the elders had never even used a landline phone before, until he pushed to modernize so that they can stay relevant and not fall behind. And now he was getting calls and emails on his smart phone.  He was starting to miss the days where they sent a letter by messenger.

    The phone did not even complete one ring before the Elder’s secretary James answered. “The Elder has been waiting for your call, Mr. Black.”

     “Good evening, James,” Caleb replied ignoring the disapproval in the secretary’s voice, “I apologize for missing the Elder’s call, but I was preoccupied with other matters.”

    “Yes we are aware.” Caleb held back the retort.

    “Well James, is Elder Marcus available now please?”

      “Yes, please hold,” the secretary put down the phone and Caleb was left in silence waiting. While he did, he scrolled through Vanessa’s phone that he had taken out of her purse while bringing her home. He knew her password of course, so he checked her missed text messages. Three from Kelsey. She was beginning to get worried since Vanessa did not text her when she got home. Caleb would have to handle that. One from Tiffany asking how the date went and one from her mother checking in since she hadn’t heard from her in a few days. He  would let Vanessa answer that one. But he would respond to Kelsey after his call with the Elder, so she didn’t come running in here panicking.

    Caleb heard some rustling coming from the other end of the phone and then a deep voice, “Good evening Brother Black.”

    Caleb felt himself straightening up, even though Elder Marcus was thousands of miles away, “Good Evening Elder,” he replied formally.

     “It has been quite an eventful night for you.”

    Caleb wondered how much he saw. Sometimes the Elder’s visions were exact interpretations and sometimes they were more feelings. “Yes, Elder, I am not sure what of the events you are already aware of?”

     “I did not see much. The girl was in an alleyway and she saw you and recognized you, before she has been fully awakened.”

     Caleb sighed silently. Of course that’s what he saw. “Yes Elder. I apologize, but I assure you she only saw me for a second, and it could not be helped. It is my duty to protect her and I was not going to leave her there.” Caleb then told the Elder in exact detail what went on that night and why he showed himself to Vanessa.

    The Elder was silent for a while pondering what Caleb told him, and probably trying to foresee the impact of the events. “As long as you don’t interfere much going forward, I don’t forsee this causing any issues. But, she can not see you again Caleb. Not until she’s completed the full awakening. You must leave before she wakes up.”

    Caleb expected that, but he still wasn’t happy, “And I am just supposed to leave her completely alone in her apartment, scared and confused with no explanation?”

    “Send someone to stay with her. You keep complaining that she has too many connections to the human world. Contact one of them.” Caleb bit his tongue. He knew the Elder was right, even if he wasn’t happy about it.

     “Yes, Elder. As soon as the doctor tells me she is ok, I will leave.”

     “Good,” Elder Marcus paused, “Caleb you have to tread carefully. I am not sure why, but it must be this girl. We need her to stop what is coming. I am sure of it. If her awakening fails, we all fail, and I do not forsee us or the entire world surviving this.” Caleb stayed quiet, stunned. He knew both Elder Marcus and Elder Helene were insisted that this woman was the one, but they never explained why until now. He realized how much is at stake.

    “As you know, Elder Helene did not want you as her trainer. She is looking for any excuse to replace you, though I can not understand why. Luckily it seems she did not share these visions of tonight’s events with me, so for now you are safe. Nothing about this girl is completely clear to me, but for some reason I feel you must be the trainer, but, I also fear you are having feelings for her, outside the role as her protector and trainer. And if I feel these feelings are interfering with the final goal, I will have you replaced”

    Caleb did not know how to answer that. He knew there was no point to lie to Elder Marcus, but he also knew there was no way he was being replaced. “Elder, I will admit that this girl is fascinating, and I am…intrigued by her. But I assure you it has not and it will not cloud my judgement. Do not replace me. I can do this. I have been on this council for over 300 years now. I am not a young pup with no experience. Let me prove myself and why I was chosen.”

     “Brother Black,” Elder Marcus began sternly, “You think 300 years means anything to Helene or I? That is a blink of an eye. You are a newborn compared to us and still have a lot of learning and growing up to do.” Caleb heard him sigh into the phone, “That being said. I still feel you must be the one. Don’t make me regret it please.”

    Caleb cringed feeling like a small child being reprimanded. “I won’t Elder. I’m sorry if I over stepped, but I assure you I am capable of this. My feelings towards the woman are irrelevant. I will do my job.” Caleb paused for a second, “Plus I feel her awakening is soon. The surge of power she had tonight was tremendous. She will be a force fully awakened.”

     “Yes, I feel that as well. Be careful Caleb and I hope to not hear from you until her training begins.”

      He understood the dismissal. “Yes Elder. Have a good night.”

    “Yes, have a good night. Oh and Caleb, about the boy, remember the Law. Let the human’s handle him. You did enough.” The phone disconnected.  

     “Well that seemed pleasant,” Dr. Wellington stood at the entrance of the living room, a small smile on his face.

    Caleb grunted, “It went as well as it could, I suppose. How is she?”

     “She will be fine. She was given a really high dose, but her heart is strong. She will be asleep for a while and when she wakes she will be very groggy and confused. She may not remember everything. And she will be extremely thirsty with a massive headache. But after about 48 hours or so the drug should be completely out of her system, and within 24 hour she should no longer be feeling any major side effect. There should not be any permanent damage, physically at least. Mentally, well that’s another story.”

     Caleb felt his anger growing again. He honestly didn’t care much about what Elder Marcus felt on the subject. He would see what the Police did, but he had serious doubts anything would come of it, and he had absolutely no intention of allowing the tiny bastard to walk the streets unscathed. He would handle it if he needed to.

    A few minutes later the doctor left. Caleb stood at the doorway of Vanessa’s room watching her. He knew he needed to leave. Sighing, he opened Vanessa’s phone and quickly texted the group chat with Kelsey and Tiffany.

                Hey can you please come back to the apartment ASAP. I need you guys.

                Nessa, what happened? I’m calling you.

                No! just come home. Please. Ben too.

                Nessa, you’re acting weird AF. Are you ok?

                Just come home. Please.

                Of course babe, Ben and I will be there in 15 minutes.

                I’m leaving Sammie’s now, I’ll be back in 45 minutes.

                Thank you.

    Ok that was good enough. He hoped they didn’t completely panic until they made it back to the apartment. Ben and Tiffany would be there in 15 minutes. He had enough time. He quickly rummaged through Vanessa’s desk until he found two pieces of paper and a pen. He wrote two notes, and left one on the coffee table for her roommates and one on the bed for Vanessa. That would have to be enough.

    He waited in the room with Vanessa until he heard the key clicking in the lock. Right before he left, Caleb very gently pushed a lock of curly hair out of Vanessa’s eyes. Then he slipped out of the room. He heard the living room door slam shut, “Nessa babe! Where the hell are you!”

    He walked right past Tiffany and Ben as the rushed into the living room, but neither of them could see him. “She’s probably in her room, stay out here Ben, I’ll let you know if it’s ok to go in.”

     “Wait Tiff, look.” Ben gestured towards the note on the table. Satisfied that Vanessa will be taken care of, he slipped out the door, completely unnoticed.