Hybrid (18 page)

Her face tuned red and she grinned sheepishly.

“What time does the party start?” he asked.

“Around 3:30 or 4:00. But all the cool kids are going to show up earlier,” she answered eagerly.

“Oh! I suppose that you'll want to be one of the cool kids.”

“Daaaad,” she whined in perfect teenage girl pitch.

“Fine, we'll go at three. Your mother expects me to be a doting parent, so I'll be loitering discretely.” He paused momentarily. “I know it's not cool to have your parents hanging around, so I'll stay in the background as much as possible, but your mother wants me there.”

“Okay,” she agreed. “Just try not to embarrass me too much.”

“Just for that, I'm going to wear a pink shirt and bow tie,” Erik replied lightly.

“Yuck! Gross! Big fashion
faux pas
, Dad.”

* * * *

Erik and Brianna seated themselves in his usual booth in the back of the restaurant. They had just settled themselves when Shanda walked in. Brianna greeted her with great enthusiasm; the two had met several times and got along well. Brianna was discussing the party with Shanda and reviewing her clothing purchases made at the mall earlier. Shanda carefully studied each article of clothing and put together an outfit that the young girl hadn't considered. Both women disappeared into the ladies’ room, Brianna talking excitedly as they walked, carrying her bags of new clothes.

Erik smiled as he watched his daughter talk excitedly to Shanda. The fact that his daughter and his new romantic interest got along would make things easier. Erik had taken the liberty of ordering for everybody and casually sipped a glass of water.

Fifteen minutes had gone by and Brianna and Shanda still were not back from the ladies’ room. Erik got up and headed toward his office in the back room. He went over to his desk and unlocked a drawer. He took out a pistol case and placed it on his desk. The case contained his Ruger P-89 9mm auto pistol and leather holster.

Erik loaded one of the weapon's 15-round clips and slid it into the receiver on the weapon. He slid the barrel assembly back and let the spring-loaded action jump forward. The action grabbed the top bullet from the clip as it was propelled forward and loaded it into the weapon's muzzle. He activated the weapon's safety and slipped it into the leather holster. Erik then clipped the holster onto the back of his jeans and belt.

He untucked his T-shirt and let it fall freely. It covered and hid the weapon effectively. He then loaded the remaining ammunition clip and slipped in into his back pocket.

Erik figured that he probably was overreacting, but Lisa Reynolds was taken from the park and he was unable to stop the creatures by main force in their prior encounter; Erik would not take any chances when it came to his daughter's safety. But deep down, he wondered if even 30 rounds would be enough against the things he had encountered. The detective hoped that he wouldn't have to find out.

He walked back to his booth and had a surprise waiting for him. His pre-teen daughter had been transformed into a sixteen-year-old cover girl. Shanda had used her fashion sense to give his daughter a pre-party makeover. He sat himself across from the two, and they waited with anticipation for his comments.

“What happened to my baby girl?” he whispered. Brianna had been magically transformed from a little girl into a young woman. Erik peered behind the subtle make-up and clothing ensemble to see the little girl he knew behind this flashy new image.

“Do you like it, Daddy?” she asked.

“I like it, but I think it may be just a little too old for you just yet.”

“Can I please keep it for the party? Everyone will flip when they see it.”

“Right, and your mother will have my hide,” Erik retorted lightly.

“Pleeeaaaaase,” Brianna replied, using all the little girl charm she could muster.

Erik looked at Shanda momentarily; she gave him a quick wink and nod. “Fine, but right after the party, you get cleaned up, okay?”

“Deal! Daddy, you're the best,” she gushed.

“Yeah, yeah, until your mother finds out and you sell me up the river,” Erik replied as both Shanda and Brianna laughed.

* * * *

The three arrived at the Hopedale Park at three o'clock sharp. Erik was amazed to see several ponies, two tables of catered food, and at least three people in clown attire.

“How the other half lives,” he whispered to Shanda.

“Behave yourself, young man,” she whispered back lightly.

They crossed the street and Brianna ran over to where her friends were gathering. Erik and Shanda could hear the other girls’ screams of enthusiasm regarding Brianna's new look.

Erik looked down at her. “You're a hit!”

“Her friends obviously have good taste,” Shanda replied with no trace of modesty.

“Clearly,” Erik replied, trying not to laugh.

The two sat on a park bench on the opposite side of the park, Erik watching over his daughter like a brooding hawk watching a mouse in a field.

“Are you going to tell me what happened out there?” Shanda asked.

Erik took his gaze off his daughter and looked at her. “I'm still not really sure; even now it seems so farfetched that I can hardly believe it.”

“What, Erik? What happened?”

“Something's out there, up in those woods. I saw it. Steve saw it. Something that isn't human, nor is it animal.”

“Can you describe it?” Shanda asked intently.

“You can't really see it, not at first, it can hide itself somehow. But when it's close, the sun seems to fade and it gets chilly. It's black; its body is as black as the darkest night. It's cold and hard, almost like iron on a cold day. I ruined my knuckles exchanging pleasantries with it.” He held up his hand. “I got the bruises on my forearms from blocking its punches. All I can say for sure is that it's sentient. When it held me, I could feel it looking at me, evaluating me for something. I could feel its hate and anger.”

He paused, looking back over at his daughter who was playing happily with her friends. “I can only describe it as sentient evil.”

“Can I share your experience?” she asked.

“No,” he said firmly. “Believe me, you don't want those memories.” He paused. “I don't want these memories.” Erik stood and stretched.

He looked back down at her. “I hit that thing with dozens of rounds, punched and kicked it harder than I've ever hit anyone, even with my alternative strength, it still wasn't enough. Steve put eight rounds into it with that portable hand cannon he carries and it's still out there. Whether we hurt it or not, I really can't say for sure. I only know that we managed to piss it off a great deal, not like that's an accomplishment to brag about. That thing killed Andrew Henderson, a young jogger named Carol Carlin, and it could have killed us, too, if it wanted, picked us off as we retreated, but they just let us go.”

“They?” she asked.

“Yeah, there was the one that I fought, and then there was this really big thing that arrived as we were heading back down the mountain. I think.... “He paused and then turned away.

“You think what? Don't hold back, say what's on your mind,” Shanda insisted.

“All right,” Erik agreed reluctantly. “I have no proof, and no real rationale, but I believe that the creature we fought has something to do with the disappearance of Lisa Reynolds. I think that she's up there somewhere.” He pointed to the large mountain that loomed in the background.

“I think that thing came here, using its cloaking ability and simply carried her off, and I have no clue as to why. There are too many unanswered questions, too many pieces of the puzzle still missing. I know that something happened up there, something recent that drew these things out. The answer is up there, somewhere. The key is getting there without those things interfering.” Erik sat himself back down.

“Are you going back up there?” Shanda asked.

“Nelson is coming back from New York in a few days. I'll meet with him and we'll decide the next course of action with the local authorities. I'm sure, after Steve's report, the police will want to be involved in the next step and probably the town officials. We need to keep people out of that area; there's no need to antagonize these creatures more than we already have at this point. These things have to be neutralized,” he replied.

Erik and Shanda walked around the park hand in hand, enjoying each other's company and watching the girls take turns riding the ponies.

“She's really growing up,” Erik commented as he watched his daughter riding one of the horses. “It seems like only yesterday, she was just a baby and now she's into makeup, fashionable clothes, and being embarrassed to be seen with her father,” Erik observed with a note of sadness tinged in his voice.

“I think you're being pretty hard on yourself. She bragged about you non-stop while we were in the ladies’ room. She thinks you're wonderful, Erik. She was bragging about how most of her friends have a dad who is always too busy with ‘boring stuff,’ but her dad is a real-life PI, doing exciting things, always there when she calls, and has an office less than ten minutes from her house.

“She sees all the good in you that you don't see in yourself; Brianna knows she can always talk to you and that you'll always be there for her no matter what. She knows that her dad loves her unconditionally, and that's very comforting for a kid,” Shanda remarked.

“Thanks, I want her to have what I didn't growing up,” Erik replied.

The couple continued watching Brianna and her friends for the next hour and a half, stealing an occasional kiss when the mood struck them. Erik noticed that the ponies were getting restless; he watched with minor concern as the owner was struggling to control them.

“Erik!” Shanda whispered in alarm. “Something's here, stalking the girls. I can't see it, but I can sense it.”

Erik looked throughout the park grounds, focusing his vision, but he couldn't see anything. Fifty yards away, the children played, unaware of anything but their innocent fun. Erik walked quickly over to where the party was, Shanda following close behind him. As he closed the distance, he noticed that his daughter was staring at something and pointing. Erik looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a patch of darkness. His mind shrieked with panic and he ran toward his daughter, screaming for the other girls to leave the park area. The girls looked at the direction Brianna was pointing at and froze. They were terrified, frozen into inaction.

After a quick sprint, Erik was beside his daughter. Several of the other mothers had gone to their children as they all pointed out the closing patch of darkness.

“Get your children back!” Erik commanded. “It wants your children.”

Mothers and children were panicking. Children were crying with fright as the afternoon sun seemed to dim and the temperature in the park suddenly dropped twenty degrees. Brianna hadn't moved since Erik came by her side.

“What do you see, honey?” he whispered.

Brianna's eyes were transfixed on the corner of the park, her finger still pointed in that direction. “It's a tall man, I think. I can tell that it wants me. It's calling to me, Daddy. I'm scared. Please don't let it take me. I can tell it wants to take me.” She screamed in mindless terror.

Erik reached behind his back and pulled his Ruger from its place of concealment. He wrapped both arms protectively around his daughter, his gun pointing in the direction of her finger.

“Bri, point me in the right direction. I won't let it hurt you. No one is taking you anywhere.”

She gently guided his hands so that the pistol was aiming at the heart of the dark anomaly.

“Daddy,” she whispered, “it's coming right for us.”

“Go back with Shanda and the others, now!” he told her.

“Daddy, I don't want to leave you.”

“Go, honey! Please,” he whispered. “Shanda!” Erik shouted, breaking the eerie silence. “Take Brianna.”

Shanda came up quickly and took Brianna. “I can just barely see it, Erik; it's just like you described. It stopped when you pulled the gun. All the children can see it, but the parents can't. All they can see is the darkness and they can feel the cold.”

From behind them, the ponies were shrieking in panic.

“All right, you two, get back!” Erik he stood up. He holstered his weapon and began walking toward the darkness.

“I know you're there!” Erik called out to the inky darkness. “Maybe you can hide from them, but you can't hide from me!” Erik focused his eyes, concentrating his extra senses on the darkness as he continued forward. Slowly, he saw the man-like figure materialize. The figure had stopped its approach and assumed an aggressive stance. Erik paused a scant twenty feet from it and assumed a basic combat stance he used in Kung Fu.

“You can't have the children!” he shouted, his voice booming above the silence, challenging the being of darkness. “You can't have my daughter or any other child here.”

The thing responded with silence. Erik finally saw the blood-red eyes looking right through him. He could feel the hatred, the sheer malevolence; yet, now he also felt desperation, a hunger that was beyond his ability to define. The hostility threatened to overwhelm him. Erik fought his own emotions, fought down his own fear and doubt. He knew he couldn't defeat this thing physically, but he would not let it have his daughter or any other child there, not while he drew breath.

It was then when he felt another presence, something bigger. He glanced up into one of the massive oak trees and spotted the large creature he'd seen earlier. He slowly stepped back. Without warning, the red-eyed creature attacked. Erik barely had time to avoid the oncoming creature. He tucked his body low, dropping his center of gravity. As the creature collided with him, he used his leverage and the thing's forward momentum against it. Erik sprang up; his sudden action lifted the creature off the ground.

He utilized all of his strength and hefted the monster's bulk high into the air. He let the creature's momentum drive them both backward. At the last moment, before they both would topple over, he turned his body and slammed the creature into the ground as hard as he possibly could. The thing impacted the ground with a loud, sickening crunch. The momentum forced Erik forward. He dove over the creature and executed a forward roll, righting himself quickly.