Persona (33 page)

Moira and the others share an apprehensive look, as Liam takes yet another step towards the boy. This makes his step back into his house and close the door some more.

“I’m Liam, and these are my friends. You folks should be expecting us.”

The boy takes his eyes off of Liam then, and rakes them across Moira and the others, before finally coming to a stop back on Moira. She is the one to narrow her eyes now, and thinking that he should be more concerned with Liam and not her. But, the look he is giving her isn’t one of concern, but interest. It’s slightly off putting, and she can’t help to notice when Marty moves closer to her.

Liam moves in front of her then too, and clears his throat, making the boy look at him now.

“Yeah, we’re expecting you. Didn’t think you’d have such pretty girls in your party though. Might as well come on in, I’m Paul.”

He finally steps back into his house, and opens the door wider to reveal the inside. Liam goes in first and then they all file in a single line. Once inside, the boy, Paul, closes the door behind them and Moira feels trapped suddenly.

It doesn’t help when a new figure steps into the room, looking kind of smug. It’s another boy maybe a couple years older than Paul, and they look similar enough that Moira thinks they might be brothers.

Paul seeing them eye the new boy, smiles suddenly and walks around them all and over to him. He slaps a hand on the boys shoulder and they share a knowing look together, before landing their eyes on Moira.

“This here is my brother Joseph. Sadly, Pa is still out getting you all your stuff. He should be back soon though, so you might as well wait here.” Paul says a little too happily.

Moira moves closer to Marty still, and when he reaches for her hand, he is giving the new boys a glare of death. Raven and Daisy are hovering around Ray, but the boys don’t seem to be interested in them, just her.

When Liam steps in front of her again, blocking her view, she remembers that her picture is out there with a reward attached to it. That thought doesn’t exactly sit well with her, and she clings to Marty’s hand with her sweating one.

“No offense fella’s but we have things to do, so when will you be expecting, Pa?” Liam says through clenched teeth, as his cinnamon scent invades Moira’s senses.

The boys glare at Liam together, and take a step forward; she knows things aren’t’ going to go very well. Then she feels her persona preparing to rush through her again, and knows that it’s not. At first it feels like spider webs crawling along her skin, and then it changes to tingles traveling everywhere like her body is waking up.

Her vision becomes clearer and she knows her eyes have changed, and she can almost see her hair darkening and rising along her shoulders. Before she fully changes, several things happen at once.

First; Marty releases her hand and grabs her shoulder in a tight hold instead. Second; the new boys turn to her with a look of wonder and Liam turns with an alarmed one; his eyes are violet too she notices. Thirdly; the closed door behind them, opens with a crash causing them all to jump and spin around to face it.

Standing in the now open doorway is an older version of the two boys they just met, and the good thing Moira thinks, is that he is holding a thick manila envelope in his hands. Seeing it, Moira feels her persona flee in relief. In a quick next couple of minutes, Liam and the man exchange acquaintances.

Receiving the folder, and giving their thanks, they all make their way back to the truck hastily and not looking back. Except for Moira, and she definitely doesn’t miss the look the men give each other. And even more, she doesn’t miss the look they give her as she climbs into the truck.

It’s an enough of an uncomfortable look, which makes her feel like she needs a shower. She forces herself to not look back out the window, as Liam peels out of the maze of trash piles.

***

Adirondack Mountains

Peter Fletcher is in a white room, facing a table covered with operating instruments and he doesn’t know how to choose from them. His surprise over his rash of good luck lately, makes him take a while to pick the perfect item.

Out of all the things he’s had to do the last couple of days, and nothing has come through but today it has.

He thinks though, that he’s finally making progress and with a smile, he picks up a drill; he sorts through the different size bits now. Behind him he can hear her moan behind the gag and shift around on the operating bed.

This makes him laugh. Picking a medium length bit and attaching it to the drill, he turns it on and relishes when it comes to life.

He turns then to the woman on the bed, to Paula. He walks over to her now, and searches for a spot of flesh that isn’t already marred with blood, and slams the drill into her. She screams behind the gag.

“Now, tell me more about your son.”

***

Thankfully the drive over the next hour or so was a calm one, since the prior activities to getting back on the road was not. Liam is even more relieved that while getting back on the road, he was able to reach Charles again, just do double check that they wouldn’t have any trouble at the border tolls heading into North Dakota.

With confirmation that they should be in the clear, it was all pass to go, and they actually made it through with no problem. Unless you count the extremely long lines in which they had to wait in.

And according to his passengers, it does count.

He finds himself almost to Dickenson, when he remembers that he is about to see a good friend of his family. Well not his family, more like his father’s old friend from back in the day. So close in fact, the man Gordon was willing to be infected so that he could be a part of his father’s cause.

That was even before Liam was born too, so Gordon has been his honorary uncle for some time. He just hasn’t seen him in a while, and he isn’t sure if his father has or not. Regardless, it’ll be nice to see a friendly face, as they are coming to the end of their trip.

When they get the next batch of paperwork, it’s only one more border toll, and then they are in the clear. Not to mention the twelve hour drive after the fact, but still, it makes Liam feel almost revered.

It’s just about late evening by the time they are pulling onto Gordon’s street, and Liam almost forgot how secluded his place was. His house is the only one on the street and not till the very end of it.

The others notice it too, and any conversation that was going on, dies down.

“Dude, one guy lives here. Alone?” Ray asks.

“It’s kind of sad isn’t it, I’d be so lonely.” Daisy says softly, as she scoots closer to Ray.

“It’s not sad Daisy, it rocks. I would love to have all this to myself; party central.” Raven says as she turns around to address the other girl.

What they are all seeing, are the makings of a once large farm. There are barns on either side of the road, and the occasional silo and hay bail. Liam knows it’s been years since any of it has been used or had any upkeep.

Gordon originally bought the farm when Liam was a baby, for the sole purpose for privacy. If someone were to come to this side of the town, they wouldn’t think anything of it, and probably leave. It’s a good idea to Liam, after all his family’s ranch was designed for the same effect. Every man has his right to privacy; others have to make their own.

At the end of the street, there is a large one story house, and as he approaches it he pulls the truck into the driveway beside a Landover. There is a slight tension in the truck over meeting another new person in such a short time, and he definitely senses Moira’s apple flavored persona.

He dismisses it though because, Gordon greets them at the driveway, and Liam thinks the man looks exactly like he remembers him; tall, bulky, and still very little hair on top of his head.

Not waiting for the others, he jumps out of the truck with a smile and saunters over to Gordon, who is also smiling now too.

“My boy look at you, you’re all grown up.” Gordon says with a rumbling voice.

Liam smirks at him and shakes his head. Grown up? Hell, he thinks, he’s been grown up in his mother’s womb. He doesn’t say that, no, instead he extends his hand for Gordon to shake. Which of course he only grabs it so he can pull Liam in for a quick hug. For all of Liam’s grandstanding about being the one in charge and all the responsibilities, for right now, he feels like a boy. Someone who has their parents to lean on for support, the sad thing though, that it’s not his real father he leans on.

Gordon tells him they are just in time for dinner, and waving to the others in the truck; who are all staring out the window, they all go inside. He and Gordon catch up over what has been going on, while the rest of his party ignore them long enough to hound down on all of the man’s food. He wouldn’t have told them to not be so rude, but it has been a while since they ate, and he is kind of hungry himself.

Gordon expresses concern over his mother and Liam has his own concerns about her too, but doesn’t feel like sharing them, and Gordon doesn’t push him on it. By the time everyone has stuffed themselves it’s already late into the night.

After he had been driving the last ten hours or so, they all decided for him, that they plan to stay the night and just leave early in the morning. Honestly, he doesn’t even have a problem with that. They have come so far, and only have a while to go next. He could use some down time before he is reunited with his father. He can only imagine what that is going to be like, especially with his new friends in tow; not to mention Moira.

Who, has been in a better mood since they arrived here, and even better after she ate. So much so, that Liam hadn’t picked up on her scent in a while. In a weird way though, he kind of misses it. Also, he could do without seeing her and Marty so chummy. He is beginning to not be a fan of the boy.

As things are winding down, they are listening to the radio, since there is no TV, in Gordon’s living room by a roaring fire. It’s clichéd he knows, but relaxing all the same. Low and behold, there is another news announcement about their little band of cons.

One that peaks Liam’s interest, after all, it is about his family. It states that Liam Morgan and his mother Paula, who is still missing, might be associated with Marshall Black the lead man in the MBS infection almost twenty years ago. They don’t mention any sources to confirm this, and say it is just speculation. Liam knows better though, and so does everyone else in the room that is staring at him. It was Fletcher.

It would seem that he does have his mother, and must have tortured her for information. Because if he knows his mother like he thinks he does, there is no way she would give information up about his dad easily. In fact, he would bet millions that she is probably near death now because of it. That thought alone, doesn’t sit well with him; not at all.

Ignoring all of their stares of worry, and the way Moira’s apple pie is wrapping around him now, he goes off to take a cold shower. He is just glad no tried to stop him, or he would’ve had to hit whoever it was.

Oh how he would love to hit something, anything at this moment.

Chapter Eighteen

It’s the middle of the night, and like all the times she’s been in a new place and bed; she can’t sleep. Of course this time is slightly different. It doesn’t help that the one person that has been helping her last couple of days, is now in the crossfire. She can only imagine what is going through Liam’s mind, and she wonders if he is wide awake like her.

He usually is, and she also wonders if she should go and check on him. She dismisses the thought as quick as she got it though. Sighing, she rolls over in the king sized bed she is sharing with the other girls, and faces the opposite wall, with the door; the door to leave the room. Closing her eyes, she sighs again.

She feels so girly all of a sudden, and wishes that she didn’t. There shouldn’t be a reason for her to not go check on Liam, but there is. The fact is that they have some strange connection to one another, which leaves her confused half of the time. She has been ignoring it, just like she’s been ignoring the fact that Marty is into her.

Moira doesn’t know if she is into Marty like he is her, but she definitely has some kind of feelings for him. She just doesn’t know what yet, just like she doesn’t know what for Liam. That boy has had her on a roller coaster of feelings for him since she first met him, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better anytime soon.

Little over a week ago, she started this trip with nothing but anger and resentment for Liam, and now? Sighing again, she opens her eyes and figures ‘what the heck, why not?’ and pushes the covers off of her. It’s now or never, and she might as well have some kind of talk with Liam before they are thrust into another world where his father is like a leader of their ‘pack’.

As she tip toes over to the door and slowly pulls it open, as to not wake the girls, she secretly hopes that Liam might be asleep too. Closing the door behind her and stepping out into a dark hallway, she feels nervous and excited at the same time. Why, she doesn’t know, it’s not like she is going to go running for him and confess her undying devotion to him. Is she, laughing to herself, she tells decides definitely no confessions of any kind.

This is just a sympathetic mission to make sure he is alright, and she will take that to her grave.

Moira wanders around the quiet and still dark house, and finds it odd that a single older man would live here all on his own. After leaving the room she was in, she finds herself in a common room or a living room that is near the front door. Walking randomly, she cuts across the room and heads for the nearest doorway.

The house is more like a mansion on one floor, that weaves around in a maze like pattern. It’s enough to make her feel lost after only walking a couple of paces down a narrow hallway. There are a number of closed doors on her left, and a series of large high windows on her right. The light from the moon casts an eerie glow through the windows, and Moira can see in front of her now.