Chapter 12
1260 Words
It took us a few minutes to get through to this temple of Saint Damus. This thing was massive. It was bigger than the massive Spider back on Rho. I had no idea what the hell I was looking at. I, however had little time to interact with it when we noticed a man looking around.
I looked at the man and looked at Walker then looked back at the man. He looked like an older version of Walker, but…he wasn’t Xavier, no this man was totally different than Xavier, he did not exude absolute evil out of his pores. Walker looked confused by seeing this man, as if wondering why he looked so much like his older brother.
“Hey, you three,” the man said suddenly seeing us.
The man spoke in a very strange accent that I did not recognize. Walker looked even more confused by the way this man was talking.
“Detective Umberto William Xemenez Yariel Zuniga,” the man said flashing some sort of thing in his hand.
“Zuniga?” I said.
“Zuniga?” Walker said.
“Yes…Zuniga,” Umberto said confused.
“Do you know him?” I asked Walker.
“No…” Walker said but he seemed uncertain.
“Oh, I get it, is your last name Zuniga too?” Umberto said
“It is,” Walker nodded.
“And I suppose you are related to the Zuniga Empire?” Umberto said.
“Yes,” Walker nodded again.
“How do you know that?” I almost growled.
“Easy friend,” Umberto said. “I supposed you do not know of Calista Zuniga.”
“Calista Zuniga?” Walker said.
“No, I suppose you wouldn’t,” Umberto said. “You’re one of Baltimore’s kids aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Walker said suspiciously.
“And you don’t know Calista?” Umberto said.
“Never heard of her until now,” Walker said.
“You’re the youngest?” Umberto asked.
“Get to the point.” I demanded.
“You and I are cousins.” Umberto said.
“Cousins?” Walker and I said.
“Yes, cousins.” Umberto said. “Calista Zuniga is your father’s younger sister.”
I looked over at Walker, I was trying to read him. This was another thing that Walker did not mention to me. Though I kind of understood why he had not indulged me in some things, but this was starting to become one too many. Walker, however looked completely confused.
“I have never heard of Calista before,” Walker said scratching his head.
“I suppose not,” Umberto said.
“Explain,” I demanded of Umberto.
“Have any of you heard of SPADE?” Umberto asked.
I quite suddenly thought of that vision I had seen in the temple of Damus. The one where I had seen Uriel and she had talked to me. I suddenly remembered what she had said.
“So, are you a member of the SPADE organization?” I remember Uriel asking, this sent a chill up my spine. I remember not hearing what she had said at the end of the sentence when we encountered that visage.
“Isn’t that what Uriel asked you?” Walker said in an under breath towards me, but he knew I had heard him.
“What is that?” I demanded.
“SPADE,” Umberto pulled out a small card from his vest pocket that he was wearing. It was at this point I had realized he was wearing something similar to what Uriel was wearing in that vision.
I received the card from Umberto and looked at it, it read:
Special Paranormal Anomaly Detecting Emissaries
Umberto Zuniga, Assistant to the Lead Detective
I looked at the card and looked at Umberto.
“What the hell does that mean?” I asked.
Walker grabbed the card from my hand and looked at it. He looked just as bewildered as I did.
“We go and investigate any Paranormal Anomalies,” Umberto said as if it was the most obvious thing ever. “You know we get the usual thing, dead people coming back to life, poltergeist, vampires, stuff like that.”
“Vampires?” I said.
I had heard of vampires back on Kyzlbrahma, they were thought to be creatures that for some reason sucked the blood out of animals such as cattle. We had vampire hunting parties, from what I remember, so I knew that they had to be real. I remember that we had found Rybaks completely drained of blood when I was a pup, and they had caught and killed a vampire who was behind it. But vampires being here?
“Oh yes, and witches and goblins and ghouls all sorts of nasties,” Umberto said. “However, this that I am investigating, I think has something to do with something a lot more macabre.”
“What are you investigating?” I asked.
“The sudden disappearances of girls.” Umberto said, then looked over at Tanya. “I would keep an eye on your friend there.”
“Oh, how convenient,” Walker said. “We are looking for her cousin.”
“Your cousin is missing?” Umberto asked.
“Yeah, that is why we are here,” Tanya said.
“How long has she been missing for?” Umberto asked.
“She was last seen a couple of days ago,” I said.
“How is she?” Umberto said.
“21,” Tanya said.
“What is her name?” Umberto asked as she pulled out a note pad and started jotting stuff down on it.
“Rana,” Tanya said.
“Last name?” Umberto asked.
“I much rather not say,” Tanya said.
“Why not?” Umberto asked.
“Because of who my father is,” Tanya said.
“Who is your father?” Umberto c****d his eyebrow.
“I much rather not say that either,” Tanya said.
“Very well,” Umberto said but he pressed on with different questions. “She like you?”
“What do you mean like me?” Tanya asked.
“I mean is she thin, short, tall, fat?” Umberto said.
“I mean she’s a bit taller than me,” Tanya said. “And she’s an adult obviously so she’s curvier than I am.”
“Blonde like you?” Umberto asked.
“No, her hair is black, more like my sister.” Tanya said.
“And let me guess you won’t tell me who your sister is?” Umberto said.
“No,” Tanya said simply.
“And that is because who your father is?” Umberto asked.
“No, that is because who she is,” Tanya said nervously.
“Fine,” Umberto sighed. “Where was she last seen?”
“Here,” Tanya shrugged. “Well at least heading here.”
“How long ago was that?” Umberto asked.
“A couple of days ago,” Tanya said.
“And SIX sent her?” Umberto asked.
“You know about SIX?” I said looking at Umberto.
“It’s the emblem,” Tanya said pointing at a similar emblem to that weird number six that was outside of the building on a pin that was near her chest.
“So, she did send her?” Umberto asked.
“Yes,” Tanya said.
“What sort of business?” Umberto asked.
“It wasn’t weird, simple job.” Tanya said.
“So, maid services?” Umberto asked, and she nodded. “And the customer?”
“A guy named Eugene Redd,” Tanya said.
“The Tournament Champion?!” Umberto said.
“Tournament?” I asked.
“Champion?” Walker said frowning as if he was trying to figure out something. “Hold your horses, that Eugene Redd? He’s still the champion?”
“You know about him pup?” I said.
“Yes, but Redd is a common last name on Golordia, and Eugene is a common first name.” Walker said. “There is no way I would have known she was talking about that Eugene Redd.”
“That could’ve been why Sammie recognized the name,” I said sighing.
“That’s right,” Walker said.
“What the hell would Eugene Redd want with a young girl as a maid?” Umberto said frowning and rubbing his head.
“UMMMMMMMBERRRRRRRTOOOOO!” A voice called out.
“Sweet merciful lord,” Umberto said sighing deeply.
We turned around towards where the voice called out. A mangled man came walking towards us, well I would call it walking but it was more like tumbling. He would move like two maybe three feet before he stumbled caught himself and continued.
“’mmberto, wha’ ar’ u doings?” the man said as he got closer.
“Who’s the drunk?” I asked.
It was evident that this man was highly intoxicated. He even had this massive bottle of what smelled like a very pungent alcohol. He took a sip before pointing drunkedly at Umberto.
“U’s star’ed pokin’ ’round,” The man said though I was sure he had said something that sounded nothing like this, but this is what I had understood.
“Yes Sir,” Umberto said.
We all turned at Umberto confused.
“This is William Wolton, code named Wild Bill.” Umberto said.
- Writer
