Chapter 22

Rachel

“Is Peri going to join us?”” Derek murmured to Nick as they followed Rachel and Alex into the dining room.

“I wouldn’t bet on it,” Nick replied, shaking his head. “She’s still hunting for clues about this guy.” He glanced round. “Your father’s journal is a gold mine, an’ I know she’s very grateful – ”

“But it is only one man’s opinion of another, and not the be all and end all of things to know about him,” Derek remarked. “Do you know anything about this situation? Have you recalled any more of the conversation you had with Michael?”

“What are they whispering about?” Rachel murmured to Alex.

“It’s probably to do with Peri’s project,” Alex replied softly.

“Ah .. the enigmatic Mr Gulo,” Rachel nodded. “How’s your headache?”

“Gone,” Alex smiled. “The fresh air worked, just as you said it would. And I wanted to say thank you, for your advice on the other thing. Nightmares aren’t so dark when you’ve told someone about them. They lose the power to haunt. Talking about it makes you appreciate that .. people do have nightmares and you’re not the only one.”

“Any time,” Rachel smiled.

“No,” Nick said to Derek. “I still only get impressions. Dark, danger, evil the world has never seen before, an’ there’s a battle coming. I don’t think I’m meant to remember just yet. The time isn’t right.”

Derek frowned as he sat at the head of the table. “It doesn’t sound very promising, does it? Not when you recall Peri’s words of earlier today – Gabriel had to leave in a hurry.”

“The training ground is quiet and Maude told me there’s an atmosphere building over there.”

“Which is bleeding over into every Legacy house. This threat .. how far does it extend? Not only this world, but the other side, and, possibly, Heaven and Hell too?”

Nick hesitated. “And Peri has to fight this on her own? Doesn’t seem fair to me.”

“Not exactly on her own, Nick. You will be there. And so will we.”

“Fair has never been an issue,” Merlin said as she came in. “A lot of things in this world are unfair but they still happen. Fair is a point of view, not something to start a war over.”

She sat down. “Eat. Don’t wait on me. I’m not particularly hungry.”

Derek studied her. So did Rachel. Rachel was the team’s medic and counselor, but she was also a woman and a mother. Merlin was a woman and a daughter. They were colleagues and more than colleagues.

“You looked strained,” Rachel commented.

Merlin smiled quickly. “C’mon, Rachel, tell me what you really think.”

“I just did. There’s no point trying to be subtle around you. You looked stressed.”

“And what do you prescribe?”

Rachel shrugged. “To anyone else, I’d suggest time out, a vacation. Relaxation techniques. A good night’s sleep. But,” she admitted, “you’re not anyone else so .. I prescribe an early resolution to the situation which is causing the stress. An’ that means go an’ kill it.”

There was a moment of silence then Merlin laughed. Her face lit up. “Thank you, Rachel. I needed that. Yeah, it’s good advice, doctor, I think I’ll take it.”

“And eat something,” Rachel added. “Starving yourself isn’t gonna help.”

They ate dinner, discussing nothing of any real importance in an effort to keep it light and avoid venturing into dark waters. Even Merlin managed to eat a portion of her meal, aware of Rachel’s watchful scrutiny.

“Loss of appetite is a sign of stress,” Rachel commented, leaning forward slightly.

“I’m not particularly stressed,” Merlin replied, leaning forward too. “Frustrated, yeah, cos I’m having to wait. But I’m not hungry because .. I’m angry.”

She said it so matter-of-factly, with not a hint of anger in her face or her eyes, that Rachel wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth.

Merlin noticed the others were watching her, that they’d overheard the quiet response to Rachel.

“Nick said, when he saw me yesterday, that I looked numb,” she went on, addressing her remarks to everyone. “I was. And I was vulnerable at that point. I’d learned something that morning which … I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked. Hurt. It felt like .. someone had stabbed me in the heart. Then I was numb to everything around me. And, finally, I was filled with rage. I think all that is a pretty standard emotional progression when presented with some incredibly devastating news.” She glanced down. “I can feel the anger now, like a slow, throbbing powerhouse. And you’re right, Rachel. The only way to get rid of it is to go kill something. Someone.”

She pushed her plate away. “Derek’s gonna ask you to make a choice tonight, whether to help me or not. Let me just say that, if you choose not to help, that’s fine with me. I won’t consider it as a matter of abandoning an ally.”

They looked to Derek. “After we’ve eaten,” he responded. “Decisions like this should not be taken on a partly empty stomach.”

Merlin didn’t say another word. The coffee was poured and passed around the table. Still she didn’t speak. Maybe Merlin felt that she’d said enough for now and it was up to them to indicate their concerns.

Finally, Alex, who was disturbed over the blunt talk of killing someone, asked, “Are you going to ask us to help in someone’s death?”

“Peri does not murder innocent people, Alex,” Derek replied. “She is an Enforcer.”

Merlin’s lips tightened into a line.

“But this does sound an awful lot like revenge,” Alex commented.

“You’re right,” Merlin agreed abruptly. “It does because it is. But it’s also justice.”

“I think it’s time we heard the whole story,” Nick quietly suggested.

“Whatever you say will be treated as highly confidential,” Derek added, looking sternly at the others seated there. “It will not leave this room. Is that clear?”

Rachel nodded. Alex said, “Of course.”

Merlin hesitated, not thru reluctance to speak but to gain control over the rage which had flared again at Derek’s innocently spoken words.

“That photograph … It was taken in fifty seven,” she began. “My Dad was two years old. That was the year it happened. I don’t know when exactly. My grandfather an’ my great grandfather have both gone to ground so I can’t ask them for specifics. The only other two people who know this are Michael an’ Gabriel .. an’ they’re doing something else, looking for their own answers.”

She paused again. “Gulo .. is the codename for an Enforcer called Reuben Meyer. My grandfather Peregrine was Reuben’s best friend. I guess it was reciprocated, for a while anyway. When Reuben’s father – Red Meyer – was killed, my great grandfather Ox kept an eye on Reuben. I heard all this earlier today from Red Meyer. I tracked him down because he’d been to see Joseph. Reuben wasn’t .. a stable personality. He didn’t care much for the rules. He hated taking orders .. and he had little or no faith. I don’t know what happened to him, what triggered it, but … ”

She stopped, her hands closing into fists. The knuckles shone white thru the tanned flesh.

“I always believed that none of us had ever crossed the line. It’s what my Dad told me. It’s what all the parents tell their kids. It’s what I’ve told you. And it is a lie. Reuben Meyer is a rogue. A renegade. He’s the only one to .. give in to temptation an’ abuse his power. He killed my great grandfather in cold blood in front of Peregrine .. just because he could. He didn’t just kill an innocent person, he murdered another Enforcer.”

Rachel’s hand went to her mouth. Alex swallowed and looked away.

“But .. there’s a punishment, right?” Nick breathed into the horrified silence.

“Yeah. That much still holds true. Reuben was banished downstairs,” Merlin nodded. “An eternity of pain an’ torment awaited him. That’s the rule. You break the rules, you get punished. No hope of appeal. Ever.”

“He deserves it,” Rachel said quietly.

“What form of torment is this punishment?” Alex inquired.

“I’m told it’s a wheel made of fire.”

“Fire,” Alex repeated, her voice hollow. “A big, burning wheel, turning slowly over a lake of fire.”

“Oh, my God,” Rachel exclaimed softly, twisting to stare at Alex.

“I guess so,” Merlin nodded. “Ordinarily, I’d be content knowing that Reuben’s gotten what he deserves. But – ”

“He’s escaped,” Alex cut in.

“What?” Derek demanded.

“He’s escaped,” Merlin confirmed. “How did you know?”

“I thought it was a nightmare,” Alex replied. “A man being roasted alive. I’ve dreamed it every night for the past .. ten nights. At the end, he sits up, he’s free of the restraints. If I’d known what I was seeing, I would’ve told you.”

“It wouldn’t have made sense to me if you had,” Merlin sighed. “I didn’t know about Reuben Meyer or the form of the punishment until yesterday.”

“I can see why you were so shocked an’ angry,” Nick murmured, squeezing one of her still tightly clenched fists.

She shrugged. “Reuben owes me a blood debt and I will have it settled. That’s where the revenge comes in. But it’s also justice. He’s escaped from Hell an’ he’s back in the world. That means I have to find him an’ fight him, an’ I have to send him back. He isn’t a demon or a devil. He’s a rogue Enforcer. He has power, an’ he isn’t afraid of abusing it. And he has human cunning an’ intelligence which has been steeped in over forty years of evil, thanks to his surroundings. He won’t be an easy enemy to take down .. but I have to try. I can’t walk away from this one.”

“Escaped from Hell … ” Derek frowned. “It has been known to happen.”

“Yeah, if the soul is innocent an’ in the wrong place thru an administrative error, there’s a chance they can get out,” Merlin agreed.

“But the Soul Chaser comes after them,” Alex said.

“That’s right.”

“So .. how is it possible that Reuben Meyer escaped?” Derek inquired curiously.

“Won’t the Soul Chaser come after him?” Rachel warily ventured.

“I can answer both of you at the same time,” Merlin replied. “According to Gabriel, nothing happens in Hell without Lucifer knowing about it which means that Reuben escaped, he was allowed to escape or he was released. Someone like that .. the Soul Chaser won’t come after him. Reuben can do a lot of evil. Why would they want him caught? Michael’s mustered an army to go down there an’ demand the answers from his brother. It was agreed at the start that, if an Enforcer went rogue, the punishment would be severe and for eternity. That agreement’s been breached. What I have to do is .. mop up the consequences.”

She sat back. “So .. that’s the situation. Now you have to decide whether to help or not. Like I said, if you choose to stay the hell away, I won’t blame you.”

“I think it’s more complicated than that,” Derek murmured, rising to fetch the coffee pot. “There is the small matter of my dream.” He began to refill everyone’s cup. “At first, it made very little sense to me, as Rachel can verify. Then Alex made a remark and it started to come into focus. And, now I have heard the full story, I believe we have to help.”

He sat down again. “I dreamed I was in a desert and there was a man there. For some reason I cannot explain, I believe he was an early member of the Legacy. Something reached across time to connect us in some way. He spoke to me and said only three words – repay the debt. I don’t know what that debt is but I do know this situation and our help in resolving it is what he meant by repaying whatever it is the Legacy owes the Enforcers.”

Derek looked up, his eyes dark and keen. “It is possible he was speaking only to me. Therefore, I will pledge my support and assistance to this effort, but, like Peri, I will not hold it against you if you choose to stay away.”

“I’m in,” Nick said promptly. “I got no choice. Michael’s ordered me into the field.”

Rachel and Alex thought it over. “I’m not sure what I could do,” Rachel said after a long moment, “but I’ll help however I can. Like Derek, I feel I owe it to you.”

Alex nodded. “So do I. Count me in. Whatever I can do, I’ll do it.”

Merlin was stunned. She’d told them the worst and they were still willing to stand with her.

“Thank you,” she whispered, and couldn’t find anything else to say.

“We’ll meet again in the morning,” Derek decided. “The end battle may be yours alone to fight but there is a lot we can all do before the end comes. We’ll discuss our options tomorrow. Nine sharp, in the library.”

*****

Before Rachel turned in, she made a phone call home to Kat and then went to ask Derek if she could borrow Winston’s journal again.

“Hardly pleasant bedtime reading,” he remarked as he handed it to her. “Why do you want to go over it again?”

“Because I didn’t really read it the first time,” Rachel replied. “I was searching for instances of a name an’ I wasn’t taking any real notice of the context. Plus .. I know your father had his faults an’ weaknesses because he was a human being but this is his journal, Derek. I feel I’m breaking a confidentiality oath.”

“It’s for a good cause. When he wrote this, my father hadn’t entertained any thoughts of … He was dedicated to his work, Rachel. It was only later that he .. fell from grace. He would understand.”

She smiled briefly. “I’ll return it in the morning.”

“Sleep well .. if you can,” Derek responded.

“Right … ”

Rachel collected a glass of warm milk from the kitchen and went to her room. She deliberately closed the door, prepared her room with the journal on the bed and the glass on the nightstand, then took a quick shower, wrapped her body in a terry robe and, with the rain pattering on the window, began work.

She really wasn’t sure what positive use she could be in this but she could read Winston’s words and think about them. Maybe she could gain some insight into what Reuben Meyer’s mind and thought processes were like forty four years ago. It was analysis at a distance and via a biased source, so not totally reliable standing alone. However, she also had Alex’s ‘nightmare’ to use. Rachel hoped that, tomorrow, she and Merlin could get together and put their findings into one mental picture – Rachel from Winston and Alex, and Merlin from Reuben’s father.

She sipped the milk, knowing it would make her drowsy. She wanted that. The words in the journal would enter her mind, fragment, separate, swirl around, and reform. In the morning, she would waken with another view – that composed by a doctor trained to recognize signs.

“Okay, Winston,” she breathed, opening the journal at the first marked page, “earn your pay this month. Help the Legacy settle its debt.”

‘Gulo is not what I expected,’ she read. ‘I admit I have had few dealings with them in the past and can number the times to less than five, but they have always shared certain character traits. Gulo is different. We discussed today what to do if we find the first sepulcher. He said it would be better to destroy it but, eventually, we reached a compromise which surprised me. He said there was a way to work between the rules if you first know what the rules are. I gained the impression that he would allow me to attempt to open it, provided he was there to deal with whatever may emerge. Our conversation concluded with a short debate on temptation, each asking the other if he were strong enough to resist. We did not reach an answer, but I know I am strong enough. I am not so sure about Gulo. He had a strange light in his eyes as we parted company.’

That’s interesting, Rachel thought, looking up from the journal. If I compare Reuben to Peri – and she’s the only other Enforcer I know well enough for comparison’s sake – I’d say Peri is definitely strong enough. She might compromise in the same way, in the same situation, but only because she knows us well. There’s been a few years for her to get to know us, our ethics, our principles. Any other Legacy house, any other Legacy member, any less amount of time, she’d insist on destroying any evil immediately. Reuben had known Winston .. a week? Peri has been known to work between the rules. Her first marriage to Nick is the case in point. But that’s the only time. The marriage rule didn’t impact specifically on the job, it was right out there on the margins. And now that rule’s been changed. Shows how critical it was, doesn’t it?

And what’s more interesting is this entire exchange between Winston Rayne and Reuben Meyer. Did Winston succeed in planting the idea of yielding to temptation in Reuben’s mind, or did Reuben succeed in putting the idea in Winston’s head that it would be okay to open the sepulcher ..? Look where that led. Indeed, look where it all led.

She read on.

‘Today we reached the first location but found nothing of the sepulcher. Gulo and I talked about the Legacy. I am feeling torn between the need to be absent from home for long periods and the desire to stay with my wife and children. Gulo made me realize that the choice is a bitter one but one I must face. My first priority must always be to the Legacy as it was for my father before me, and my family must pay the price of that devotion.’

So .. while he didn’t care much for the rules, Reuben did understand the need for discipline and dedication. It wasn’t as if the ideas were totally alien to him. People accused of crimes who are not mentally competent don’t see what they’ve done wrong. They can’t be judged like the rest of us. But he did understand. He knew what he was doing when he murdered Peri’s great grandfather.

‘I fell over a temple. A few broken columns jutted out from thick undergrowth and I fell over one of them. It led to an astonishing discovery. The sepulcher was not there. Gulo and I have to wait until a team sent by the government arrives to unearth the remainder of the site. Gulo is quite excited by this. I would have believed that he would be eager to move on to the third location and then to return home but he isn’t. He appears content to remain here as long as is necessary to finish the work .. which is neither Legacy nor Enforcer work. I asked him about this and he told me he enjoyed the chance to do things outside the norm.’

Rachel looked up again, thinking about this entry. Peri’s no different in that respect. She enjoys doing regular stuff as well. But, if something comes up which means regular has to be put on hold, she’s gone. First one out the door. It seems from this that Reuben, while knowing about his responsibilities as an Enforcer, really did hate taking orders. The rules didn’t define who he was. He attempted to define them.

She was starting to get an impression of the man, and it wasn’t good. Rachel paused in her reading to drink the rest of her milk and she considered what Peri had told them earlier in the evening.

If Peregrine was Reuben’s best friend .. didn’t he see any of this? Winston saw it as being strange enough to note in his journal. I can’t believe Peregrine just let his friend – his best friend – slide away without either seeing it or doing something to help. Enforcers are a paradox – a tightly knit group of loners – but they are always there for each other. They care deeply about each other. Profelis and Alopex and Aquila .. they would never just stand by and watch one of them self destruct. So why did Peregrine let it happen to Reuben? Had they decided, in effect, to turn their backs, wash their hands of him? Is that why Reuben is so angry? And, if he was so close to Peri’s family, who would he seek out now in order to have his revenge? The last living representative – Peri herself.

The scene is being set for a battle royal …

But maybe Peregrine did try to do something. Alex said yesterday that Peregrine and Gulo had returned to the city, that Gulo had been curt in his words with that Peake guy, yet had apologized later. Enforcers can be curt .. when they’ve been activated. They’re all business. By all accounts – few as they are – Gulo hadn’t been activated when Peake went to visit. Peri’s not usually abrupt in her speech when she’s being herself, an’, when she is, there is a very clear reason. Can I assume, therefore, that Gulo was losing it and the apology came about due to Peregrine’s efforts to calm his friend down?

That seems more like it to me. Didn’t Joe and Shauna call her Peri because she is very like her grandfather? Peri would take action. I’ve seen her deal with Nick when he’s losing it. So I think it safe to use her as an example of Peregrine’s behavior and personality. If Peri would act in that situation, so would Peregrine. Therefore .. Reuben was resistant to help. I’ve had patients like that. They appear to listen and genuinely want to change but, inside, they don’t. They can wear a mask, disguise their behavior … Peri can tell when someone’s lying. They all can. So .. if they didn’t anticipate this self-destruction, if Reuben could blind the Enforcers to that degree by choosing his words so carefully that they just couldn’t tell, he must be very clever indeed.

She looked back to the journal.

‘We are nearly at the third and final location. Tonight, Gulo and I had a very strange conversation about the Devil. I asked a question which, I suppose, was rather flippant but Gulo surprised me by answering it in all seriousness. I asked if he’d ever met the Devil. It could have been possible, after all. Gulo said that he hadn’t nor would he. He seemed very sure. Then we talked about what we would ask the Devil if we did ever meet him, then debated for some minutes on the differences between Legacy and Enforcers. In parting, I told him he was not a typical Enforcer. He seemed to like that.’

I bet he did, Rachel considered. It played into his delusion that he was special, that he stood outside the structure and the rules. It was probably that remark which finally pushed him onto the road of no return.

Rachel turned to the last marked page. ‘Today, I arrived home in the city. Gulo came with me to see me safely back to the island. It was his duty, he said. When we arrived, Barbara was upset and it marred the homecoming. What spoiled it even more was Gulo destroying the evil presence in the foyer of the house. I’m glad he did it, but Barbara fainted and Derek saw it all. He’ll probably have nightmares for some time.’

She sat up slightly. Derek must have been a child but he saw Gulo in person. Hey .. I remember, he told us once, when Nick first brought Peri here, that he’d seen an Enforcer kill a child. This must be the time he spoke of. I wonder if he knows.

Rachel set the book aside and settled down, then, on an impulse, picked it up again and idly scan read the entries which came after. It was late by now and the rain made a soothing noise in the background. Then she blinked and read the latest entry again.

‘I had a visitor today and, at first, I was concerned that I was under investigation. But it appears I’m not the one whose motives are being questioned. An Enforcer came to the island and asked me about my impressions of Gulo. He seemed disturbed by what I told him. Our conversation concluded with the request that I not make direct contact with Gulo again. It appears that Gulo is a problem for them in some way, which must be rather strange because they’ve always been such a united force for good. There again, I have never met such an individual as Gulo. A deep thinker, a man of passions yet cold and somewhat selfish. Gulo is, even to me, a little scary.’

Wow, that is some confession, Rachel mused, finally putting the journal on the nightstand. And if Winston can admit that, I guess the rest of us really have to watch our step.

*****

“You got any idea where we’re gonna find him?” Nick asked quietly. “The world’s a pretty big place.”

“He doesn’t need to pick his ground but he will. He’ll find somewhere he feels comfortable. That comfort will give him strength as well as the hope that it’ll put me off balance.” Merlin stubbed out one cigarette and lit another. “I can’t believe we’ve all lived this lie, Nick. No one’s ever crossed the line … What a load of bullshit! And we fell for it!”

Okay, so that was eating at her as well.

“You didn’t know. You couldn’t fall for it because you didn’t suspect anyone was telling you .. a not so straight picture.”

She closed her eyes for a moment. “And to know it was Michael who began this lie … I know why he did it. An’ it makes sense but .. I should’ve been told. My Dad should’ve been told. This is my family, Nick. He hit at my family.” She shook her head. “When I track him down .. there’s gonna be nothing left to punish.”

He could understand that. It was a reaction which came from hurt and anger, and from the blood. Talking it out helped but talking strategy helped more because it was practical. Nick sat on the bed next to her.

“How you gonna do it?”
“I don’t know yet.”

“Well .. is he gonna have a body which can be destroyed? I’ll go armed for bear but I need to have an idea what to take.”

“I don’t know. When I find out, I’ll tell you.”

“I want you to promise me that you will. You cannot shut me out, not on this. I have to be there with you. We fight this side by side, an’ we take the consequences.”

She hesitated, her face working, then she sighed. “I promise. I’ll keep you in the loop. I’ll let you fight beside me.”

“Okay.” Nick felt one concern slide away. “Now .. you’d better start going over all your training. How .. routine is it, what you’ve been taught? Is what you know the same as everyone else?”

“Most of it, yeah.”

“An’ has it changed over time?”

“Not really.”

“Then you need to work on what you know an’ the others don’t. Reuben’s gonna have the basic moves, same as you. You gotta surprise him.”

She nodded.

“An’ remember all the special training you’ve had.”

“Sure.”

“You want me to come with you? Must be lonely training on your own,” Nick commented.

She smiled. Sometimes he could be as transparent as glass. This was Nick’s way of asking for extra training in her methods, her moves, and it was also a nice way of staying with her, keeping an eye on her, helping her cope.

“Yeah. I’d like that. We can work on some new stuff.”

“Ready when you are,” he said, lying down.

*****

Rachel woke early and paused, startled by something. Then she realized – the rain had stopped and a weak sun was shining. She lay back against the pillows with a sensation that, with the return of the sun, all was right with the world .. and then she knew it wasn’t. The feeling was fake, a mask. Until Reuben Meyer had been sent back to where he belonged, the world would never be right.

And that responsibility, that burden, lays on the shoulders of someone not even thirty years old. I know she won’t be alone but Peri is the only one equipped to fight this threat. She’s been up against some big things, fast things, she’s been hurt but she’s always come thru. Now she’s fighting one of her own. He may be a traitor and a renegade but, once, he was an Enforcer. I’m not surprised that she’s feeling a little unsure.

Rachel rose quickly, showered, dressed and did her makeup. There was a reason for this – she wanted to put on a show that everything was normal and under control. Merlin didn’t need people around her being abnormal, asking how she was coping, was she all right, or making something of their own nervousness. She needed business as usual, plans and ideas.

Downstairs, Andrew was putting the finishing touches to breakfast. There was a strange atmosphere in the house today, he thought then hesitated and shrugged slightly. Stranger than usual. Not quite like someone had died but more .. like war had been declared. It was somber yet brisk. Shocked yet purposeful. People were quiet because they were thinking – about reasons and about consequences and, at the same time, acknowledging that it was too late to turn back.

Derek came down to breakfast first. Rachel followed him into the dining room. He looked grim, as if he hadn’t slept much at all.

“You okay?” she asked. “Having second thoughts?”

“Never, not about this,” he replied.

“Derek, it wouldn’t be unreasonable. It’s a .. huge an’ dangerous situation. An awful lot’s at stake.” She watched him. “Instant agreement then a chance to think about everything often brings feelings of unease.”

“I know. But I haven’t had second thoughts, Rachel. I know exactly what I have committed to. I’ve known for a very long time.”

“But .. you only heard yesterday,” she responded. “Or is it because of your dream?”

“No.” Derek shook his head. “I know because I committed myself to the Legacy many years ago. Yes, I would face unknown dangers in the future but my commitment never wavered. This business with Reuben Meyer is just another unknown danger, another situation to resolve. In the Legacy’s past, right back at the beginning, we didn’t know what we would face but we knew we had to face it. No doubt, we died in droves .. but we were replaced and the Legacy went on. The Enforcers knew better than us what was out there, and they helped us deal with it. Now .. it is our turn to help them. Why would I have second thoughts about that?”

Rachel glanced at the table top then met his eyes. “Y’know, Derek, sometimes you make me feel ashamed.”

He smiled quickly. “There’s no need, Rachel. You’re only human and you’ve only been in the Legacy less than ten years. When you’ve put in as much time as I have, seen as much as I’ve seen, you’ll think along similar lines.”

“Good morning,” Alex greeted as she came in. “It’s stopped raining.”

“I noticed,” Derek nodded. “Did you have your nightmare again?”

“No .. and I’m a little disappointed,” Alex admitted.

“That’s a genuine Legacy answer for you,” Rachel grinned. “Only we could feel disappointed that we didn’t suffer nightmares.”

“Now I know what it all means,” Alex explained, “I wanted to take a closer look at everything. Examine it for clues. Did he escape on his own, or did someone help? I never noticed anyone else there before but the fire was pretty bright so there were lots of shadows and pockets of blackness. And it was very hot so I couldn’t get too close. Someone else could’ve been there.”

“It is no longer a nightmare,” Derek commented. “It has become a research tool.”

“I keep asking .. why me? Why did this vision come to me while I slept?” Alex frowned, sounding exasperated.

“Because .. I’ve already had a dream, Nick has been given his orders even if he can’t remember exactly what they are, and Rachel ..?”

“Spent last night trying to get a mental image of the enemy an’ his state of mind,” Rachel supplied.

“You were the only one with a gap to fill,” Derek said. “Peri did say the atmosphere and tension on the other side is bleeding across to sensitive locations like Legacy houses, and you are a person sensitive to psychic disruptions.”

“I guess. But I didn’t see anything last night,” Alex sighed.

“Then you must use what you saw before,” Derek told her.

Nick came in, limping slightly. “Morning. Can we eat? I’m starved.”

“You hurt your ankle out running?” Rachel frowned.

“Nah. This is just …” He paused, his eyes narrowing in thought. “What d’you call it? Sympathetic? Peri an’ I went training together last night and I think I hurt my ankle even though my ankle was here. It’ll wear off.” He went to start piling food on his plate.

“Is she ready to face him?” Derek asked quietly.

“I couldn’t touch her,” Nick confessed. “She’s fast. Light on her feet. Awesome. An’ angry.”

“So’s he,” Rachel pointed out. “Nick, are you sure – ?”

“I have to do this,” he cut in, glancing round in warning.

“I know but .. aren’t you scared?”

Nick blinked as if the question surprised him. “Y’know .. I’m not. Wary, sure. Cautious, absolutely. But not scared.” He gave a lopsided grin. “I feel strong.”

Merlin came in last. As usual over the last couple of days, she wore a faint frown and her eyes were distracted.

“Good morning,” Rachel greeted.

“Is it? I guess it’s stopped raining so it can’t be all bad.”

Rachel regarded her. “Sit down. I’ll get you something to eat.”

“I’m not hungr – ”

“I don’t give a damn what you want or don’t want,” Rachel briskly interrupted. “You can’t fight him in spirit. You need to have reserves, Peri, or he will wipe the floor with you and he’ll kill Nick. I don’t want that to happen. I happen to like the arrangement we have here. I like the people I work with. And I am not gonna let you put that in jeopardy because you’ve lost your appetite thru fear and worry.”

A sudden and thick silence descended and every eye turned to Merlin to see how she would react.

Rachel leaned in closer. “Okay, so you don't have all the answers. We’re going to help you find them. You’re a warrior. We’re into research. It’s what we do best. Now .. I told you last night that the only way to resolve this was to bring it to a swift conclusion by going an’ killing something. You have to be in the best shape of your life – physically, mentally and emotionally – if you’re gonna win. That means you have to let go of what happened in the past. If you don’t, you risk losing everything. But maybe that’s what you want. Like Reuben, you’ve had enough.”

Merlin sat down at the table.

“That’s more like it,” Rachel declared. “If Reuben Meyer wants a war, then by God we are gonna give him a war.”

“Bravo,” said a voice in the doorway.

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