“What are you talking about, Mom?” Rebecca shrugged away Selina’s hand and moved into the kitchen, where she pulled the smoking casserole dish out of the oven. She felt as though her world was spinning out of control and needed to do something that would make her feel grounded.
“We don’t have time to explain everything right now. It’s all about keeping you safe.”
Rebecca slammed the dish down on the counter, hopping to the side as the lid flew off and clattered to the floor. “Dammit, Mom. What are you keeping me safe from?”
Craig moved away from the window in the living room and pulled a dishtowel out of the refrigerator door handle. He used it to pick up the glass lid, which he placed into the sink, before wiping up some pasta sauce from the counter where the casserole dish sat. “How about I give you a condensed version? We can explain the rest when we get to where we are going.”
“Please,” Rebecca said as she sat on Terry’s lap, the only place where she felt safe.
Seating himself at the dining room table, he nodded in the direction of the living room window, which prompted Selina to go and take over the the street watch. “Where to begin?”
“How about by telling me who Raven is,” Rebecca said.
“Raven is a witch, centuries-old, and also your mother.”
“Okay, let’s say I believe that, which may or may not be the case; you said that she got out. Was she in prison?”
“A prison of a sort.” Craig sighed heavily and rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands. “There are things in this world that most people believe to be the stuff of legend. They are all real, and a good many of them are imprisoned here in San Francisco.”
“Woah,” Terry said, his eyes wide as saucers. “Are we talking some Cabin in the Woods shit here? I loved that movie.”
Craig slammed his fists into the table and stared down Terry until the young man looked away. “This isn’t some Hollywood bullshit, son, and the things that may be coming for your ass are not some actors who spent hours in a chair getting makeup slapped on. These things will fuck you up and enjoy doing it.”
Terry blinked furiously. “I’m s-sorry,” he stammered. “I don’t know what’s happening here.”
“Then you had best shut your yapper and let me explain. But know one thing, son. Selina and I are here to protect this girl. You don’t mean shit to us.”
“Don’t talk to him that way. He is going to be the father of…” Rebecca covered her mouth before the rest of the sentence escaped. The room fell into silence, all eyes on her as she tried to think of a way to take back the words that had just slipped out.
“You’re pregnant?” Terry asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m sorry, baby. I don’t know for sure yet. I took a home test that looked like it was positive. I have an appointment with my doctor in a couple of days, but I guess I’ve already convinced myself that I am.”
Pulling her in close, Terry hugged her hard. “I love you.”
They jumped and broke the hug as Craig pounded on the dining room table again.
“What is wrong with you?” Rebecca asked. “And who are you if you are not my dad?”
“Selina and I aren’t married, and we aren’t your parents, but we feel like a family after all this time. We do love you like a daughter, but the truth is that we work for a man named Spencer Thorn.”
“The billionaire computer guy?” Terry asked.
“Computer guy and collector of monsters. Plus, he owns this whole subdivision. Everyone who lives here works for Thorn in some capacity or another, but that doesn’t matter right now.”
“It matters to me,” Rebecca said.
“I understand, but that little nugget you just shared complicates things.”
“How so?”
“When your mother escaped, she took a few other inmates with her, including one that loves to feast on pregnant women and children.”
Rebecca gripped the table, knuckles turning white, and tried to stop the room from spinning. “That’s not funny.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“Wait,” Terry said. “Are you telling us that those things are coming here? How would they know where we are?”
“Yeah, how would they?” Rebecca asked.
“Trust me, Becky, if your mother wants to find you, she will.”
“I’m not sure why she would want to.”
“Because you are probably more powerful than she is.”
Rebecca laughed. “I don’t have any special powers. Heck, I need Terry to open jars for me.”
“Trust me. They are in there, and she will find a way to bring them out.”
***
The van tore through the security gate and drove off into the night, weaving on the road as the wheels fought for purchase. Raven moved through the cramped space in the rear of the van and tore a ragged hole in the makeshift cage built into the hold. Just beyond the cage, on either side of the vehicle, were a pair of racks holding all manner of weapons. “Mortals and their pathetic little toys,” she murmured as she slipped through the gap and into the passenger seat.
The vehicle was on the highway now, heading towards the city off in the distance. Raven peered back into the hold at the creatures packed in there. She knew that hiding in plain sight would not be an issue for her, but not so much for her new friends. They needed somewhere to hold up while her strength returned, but where?
Raven looked beyond the city skyline and saw some lights twinkling off in the distance, seemingly hovering above the water. She pointed at it and said, “Go there. I need to see what that is.”
The van sped along the highway, moving smoothly in and out of traffic. With each passing mile, the lights shone brighter, and a structure built upon a rock in the middle of the bay came into clearer view.
“Yes. That is where we need to be. Go.”
They drove on in silence, eventually reaching downtown San Francisco and the crowds converged around Fisherman’s Wharf. Raven looked out across the water at the island, which was so close, yet so seemingly far away. Scanning the road ahead, she pointed to an access street off the main road. It led down to a smaller pier, where a couple of boats bobbed up and down in the water.
The Aswang, who was still donning Rankin’s image, backed the van down the narrow thoroughfare and arrived at the dock. An older man watched the arrival of the vehicle warily as he hosed down his boat, wondering why it would be in a place that rarely saw any traffic.
Raven stepped out of the vehicle and approached the man, a smile painted on her face. “Hi there,” she said, waving as she walked.
The old man looked around, believing that someone that beautiful had to be talking to someone else, but he was the only other person on the dock. “Can I help you?” he asked.
“We need to go there,” Raven said, pointing out across the water. “Will you take us?”
“You want to go to Alcatraz? Lady, there are tour boats that will take you, but I’m afraid you’re out of luck.”
“Why is that?” Raven asked, touching the old man on the shoulder and giving a little squeeze.
“Well, it’s closed for one thing. It’s going to be that way for another couple of weeks while they perform some maintenance or upkeep shit. For another, our boats aren’t allowed to dock there.”
“Well, that sounds like good news to me. We’ll have the place all to ourselves. Wouldn’t you like that? I’d be more than happy to reward you.”
The old man was very aware of the hand on his shoulder and the fingernails digging into the flesh beneath his shirt. The spot where she touched him felt warm, and he enjoyed the sensation of the heat now flowing through his body. “I-I’m not sure.”
Raven leaned in close, her breath tickling his ear. “Of course, you are. You would love to take us there.”
The old man nodded. “Yes. Yes, I would.”
“What is your name?”
“Charlie.”
“Good. Now, Charlie, my friends are going to come on your boat, but I need you to stay calm.”
He nodded dreamily, the smallest of smiles touching the corners of his lips as the creatures marched past him and onto the boat. “What are they?” he asked.
“Never you mind, dearest Charlie. Take us to our destination.”
The boat cut through the choppy water with ease and, within a matter of minutes, was pulling up to the dock at Alcatraz. Charlie looked at the group assembled in his boat and said, “One of you needs to take those ropes and tie us off.”
Raven hopped off the boat as it glided up to the dock, tying the ropes and securing their craft. As she was about to step back on and take care of Charlie, she heard someone shouting off in the distance. Turning towards the sound, she saw a man running down the hill leading to the dock, waving a flashlight and looking less than pleased.
He was gasping for breath by the time he reached the dock, large sweat stains spreading from under his armpits. His pants, which were much too short, were held in place by a belt that strained at the buckle as it tried to hold back the massive belly trying to break loose. “You can’t be here,” he gasped. “We are closed.”
“Who are you?” Raven asked indignantly.
“Security. I…”
“How many of you are here watching this place?”
The man opened his mouth to chastise the woman, but the words he wanted to say refused to come. Instead, he said, “Three. There are three of us, no more, no less.”
“Thank you.” Raven looked at the man, clapped her hands, and dodged the spray of blood that flew her way as his skull caved in. She pointed at one of the creatures in the boat and said, “You, find the others and take care of them.”
The pale humanoid figure dropped down on all fours and sped past her, tearing up the hill and into the darkness.
Raven closed her eyes and sniffed at the air, her head moving slowly from side to side. After a moment, her eyelids fluttered open, and she pointed towards the city, a trail of green light emerging from her fingertips. “Charlie, you will take Silas back with you, do you understand?”
The old man nodded as though in a trance.
“My beloved Silas. Follow the path I have created for you and get my daughter. Charlie will bring you back when you have her.”
The little imp hopped up and down excitedly, eager to make the witch happy.
Raven watched as the boat slipped away and headed back to shore, the sounds of agonized screams carrying across the rock as the Rake did her bidding. She turned and looked out across the Pacific as the fog began to roll in. The mist started to move faster as she sucked in her breath, pulling it closer to their new home and blanketing the area until it became impossible to see more than a couple of feet into the distance. She turned and exhaled, pushing the fog towards the city and providing cover for Silas as he began his mission.
Fully spent now, Raven felt her knees give out from under her. The Aswang caught her as she fell, holding her upright and leading her to the main building on Alcatraz. “Thank you, sweet one. Let us rest, and then we can get to work.”
Liking Raven more and more.
Rebecca and the others seem whiny and don't much have it together. I don't see how they can hope to stand up to Raven.