Available Darkness Season 2

that moving fast could cause the fire to spread. Stop. Drop. Roll. She was about to drop to the ground when another instinct took over — not from her own memories, but something from the alien inside her. It somehow pulled the fire from her clothes and skin, like a magnet, collecting it in a ball, floating it in front of her. Then it sent the ball of fire in a blast at the stairway, where the fire began to race up the walls.
    Run , her instincts said, and she turned and fled into the night, her skin already healing from the flames.

    * * * *

CHAPTER 6 — John

    John and Tiny followed Shadow’s scent through the tunnels.
    John was damned good at hunting Otherworlders and Halfworlders alike, and Shadow had left his stink all over. They followed him on foot into the old sewer system, and eventually to where his path ended, in an ancient looking dusty basement. From what John could sense, they were in the basement of an apartment building, filled with residents, many of whom were still sleeping.
    “He here?” Tiny asked.
    “Yes,” John said. “Though I’m guessing if we can sense him, he can sense us, and is waiting.”
    “Waiting with more of that magick voodoo shit, I bet.”
    “Maybe,” John said. “So, you wait here. I’ll stay connected.”
    “I ain’t letting you go up there alone.”
    “Just pay attention to me, OK. I’ll be fine. I don’t think he’s looking to hurt us, anymore. He’s looking for something. I’ll see if I can help him find it, and send you a flash if something goes wrong.”
    “A flash ? Is that what you call that shit where you’re talkin’ in my head?”
    “Got a better word for it?” John asked.
    “An instant message? Or maybe a poke?”
    “A poke?”
    “Yeah, a poke, like on Facebook.”
    John shook his head, “You crack me up, Tiny.”
    “What?” Tiny asked. “You’re not on Facebook?”
    “No,” John said. “What the hell am I going to do on Facebook? Make friends?”
    “Ah, I see, you’re probably all on MySpace and shit like Larry.”
    John laughed again as he headed out the basement door and began ascending the stairs. He made it six flights before the stairway ended on the top floor. There were more than 20 apartments on the top floor, all of them filled with either sleeping, or at least relaxed, people — all but one.
    He could sense the frantic energy coming from Shadow. He tried to focus on the man’s thoughts, but couldn’t read them, which likely meant Tiny was right. Shadow was waiting, like before. John couldn’t afford to be taken by surprise, again. He considered finding a phone and calling Mike Mathews, telling him to light the place with agents.
    If John did that, he might not learn who the vessels were, or how to find them, though.
    He could sense Shadow’s desperation, and knew the man was afraid. John hoped Shadow’s betrayal would favor his fortune. He could offer Shadow protection from his enemies. Assuming Shadow thought he could trust John to keep him from Omega, that had to be something he’d consider.
    John approached the apartment where Shadow was hiding, stopped outside the door and knocked lightly.
    “Shadow? It’s John. I want to help you.”
    “Go away, John!” Shadow answered, his voice high-pitched, stressed. “I don’t need any help.”
    “You know I’m not leaving. And you know you can’t make it alone any longer. They’ll find you. If I did, they will too. Let me help. We can protect you.”
    “Like you protected my family? No thanks, John. I’ll take my chances going solo.”
    “ I will protect you. You have my word.”
    Shadow was silent. John waited anxiously for something — either an opening of the door or an explosion. Nothing but silence answered him back.
    He’s making another portal to escape!
    John wondered if he should bust the door down. If Shadow was armed, or waiting with more magickal weapons, bursting through the door could be a death sentence. But there was too much at stake for John to play it cautious now.
    Turned out, John didn’t have to bust through the door. It opened on its own, and Shadow appeared, looking cautiously in the hallway. “Where’s the Hulk?”
    “He’s standing guard nearby, to make sure we’re safe.”
    Shadow nodded and opened the door the rest of the way. John stepped inside and saw several duffel bags sitting in the middle of the otherwise empty apartment. There wasn’t even furniture, at least in the living room. John wondered how many such