He answered on the third ring. “Miss Withers, I’m glad to hear from you.”

“I’m not calling because I want to. I just don’t want you to go off track with this.” Her knees were trembling.

“Off track how?”

“What have you got so far?”

“I’d rather show you in person. If that’s all right with you.”

She closed her eyes and sighed. “Yeah, I’ll meet you halfway in Milwaukie. There’s a park next to Westmoreland Manor. Meet me by the pond.”

There was a hesitation. “Why there?”

“I like to watch the ducks. It’s calming.” As calming as they were she didn’t think it would be able to calm her at all.

“That’s understandable. When would you like to meet?”

“Noon will be fine. It’ll be warm. I don’t recommend wearing your suit.” Plus the fact that it made her more uncomfortable.

*~*~*~*~*

It was in fact very warm that afternoon. Rey chose to wear a pair of denim shorts and a tight white tank top. Even though she wore sunglasses, she found herself squinting in the harsh light of the sun. She had made it a point to show up early. Sitting on the bench, she tossed dried bread at the ducks and asked herself why she was doing this. That answer was easy enough. She didn’t want anymore innocent people to die.

She almost didn’t recognize Agent Kauffman as he approached. The briefcase kind of gave it away. Jeans now replaced the neatly pressed slacks from before. The buttoned shirt and tie gave way to a pale blue T-shirt that was worn loose, the small outline of his gun barely noticeable. He still wasn’t smiling as he sat next to her. “Thank you for seeing me, Miss Withers. May I call you Areylianna?” He tried to politely smile, but he was urgent for help and the smile ended up looking more like a nervous teen’s on a first date.

“Calling me ‘Miss Withers’ is fine.” She didn’t want to get personally involved with this. She would help. That was all. “Where shall we start?”

“You said on the phone that you didn’t want me going ‘off track.’ What did you mean by that?” He hadn’t opened his case yet. “Is this like something you’ve seen before?”

“I don’t know.” She took in a deep breath as a duck dove underwater. “Tell me about your niece.”

This hit a nerve for him; she could see it in his eyes, even behind the sunglasses. “My sister’s daughter is named Aisha. The sweetest girl you could ever know. She wasn’t mean or spoiled. She was raised in a household of love. My sister has never been divorced.”

“Is Aisha an only child?”

“Yes. Katie had thought about having more children, but ended up having a hysterectomy. They had considered adoption, but decided that it was God’s way of telling them one was enough.” He stopped. “Katie didn’t kill her daughter.”

“I’m not saying that at all. I’m sorry if I gave you that impression. I’m just trying to see if there’s any connection in the family life of the victims.”

He glanced out at the pond and rubbed his palm on his knee. “You’re not an FBI agent, or any other form of law enforcement. And you’re not a shrink. What are you?”

Rey took a moment to think about that. “I own a small chain of coffee stores and I help solve murders.”

Kauffman removed his sunglasses and looked her over. “You look too young to be tied down by homicides.” He replaced his shades and opened his case. “As for your family theory, you’re wrong. All four girls came from four different types of families. A Hispanic girl from a meth lab family, a white girl from a high society place, another African girl from a gang area, and my niece from a regular happy middle-wage family. No connection there.”

“Are they all only children?”

“No.”

His answer took her by surprise for some reason. “They’re not?”

He flipped through the file. “Angela Tumwater had a twin sister and Rhea Johnson had a brother.”

“Have you spoken to the twin?”

“No, I thought about doing that when you were around. All the families are in Oregon.” He closed the file. “What are you thinking?”

The sunlight bounced off the water and momentarily blinded her. “There will be more.”

“That’s a pretty glum conclusion.”

She sighed. “There is no conclusion.”

May 1997

The drive to the beach gave way to sunny skies and warmer weather. Rey’s spirits were lifting. The air blowing through her hair as she and Vincent drove along the highway seemed to blow her troubles away as well. It was a great idea to rent the convertible. As they curved through the windy backroads, she flayed her arms above her, smiling brightly as she bathed in the warmth of the sun. “I feel like a little kid!” she yelled to the sky.

Vincent laughed and tried to keep his eyes on the road. “How long has it been since you’ve had a vacation?”

Rey crossed her arms behind her head. “Too long. At least a year.”

He let a hand rest on her thigh. “You deserve this.”

Signs emerged in front of them, cautioning that they were entering a private beach. “Is this really yours?” she asked.

“My family’s had a house at this country club for years. We hardly ever use it. There’s a gardener and a housekeeper there, but they stay in the guest house.”

“Wait, you have a guest house? Why are you working at my coffee shop?”

Vincent laughed. “Actually, I do it because I believe in working for something. I could have it easy, but I wasn’t raised that way. You work for what you have.”

Rey smiled and gasped as the large beach house came into view. “Oh my God! Is that it?”

He only smiled and started up the private driveway to the large Victorian style home. It was gorgeous. The ocean was the only background. It almost looked as if it was resting in the water. As they pulled up to the door, there was a gardener working on a large rose bush that waved to them. Almost robot like, Rey waved back. She was still in awe of the whole thing.

Her breath was almost taken away as she stepped into the gigantic entryway. “That’s it,” she said. “You’re going down to minimum wage.”

He chuckled and carried their bags to the stairway. “No more talk about work. This is your break.” He motioned out the door. “If you’d like to go down to the water, I’ll catch up.”

She took a deep breath. The air was a lot cleaner there than the city’s. “I think I will.” She jogged down the small path, eager to see the water. Leaving her shoes in the dry sand, she crept up to the waters, letting the waves wash over her feet. This was what she wanted. Peace. Pure and natural peace that wasn’t interrupted by honking horns, squealing breaks or any of that.

“Look out!”

The warning came too late and Rey met a frisbee with her forehead. She stumbled and fell into the water, her head plunging down. She swallowed a mouthful of water before catching her footing in the sand and bringing herself up out of the water.

A pair of hands met her and helped her up. “I am so sorry! I didn’t see you there!” The man checked her forehead. “Oh, that’s gonna leave a bruise.”

She blinked a few times. “Well, I hear that’s coming into style.” He wasn’t a bad sight to see, but he wasn’t the greatest either. His black hair needed combed, his loose T-shirt hid his upper body, although his arms were muscular. He wore baggy shorts and had a tan. She was pretty sure he was a surfer.

He smiled. “Glad to see you’re all right. I’m Tony.”

“I’m Rey. Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself amidst the concussion.” She stepped away from the waves and sat on the sand. “This is a private beach, you know.”

He nodded. “That’s what I was going to tell you. My mother is the housekeeper here.”

“My boyfriend is her employer’s son.”

His face dropped slightly. “Boyfriend huh? Yeah, I should have figured. So Vincent’s back. Guess I better go say hi.” He extended his hand. “I’ll help you up. You might want some dry clothes.” His eyes rested on her chest, which was practically exposed in her soaked white tee.

She crossed her arms after she stood. “Yes, I would. Thank you.”

As they hit the bottom of the trail, Vincent approached. Seeing Tony holding her up, he quickened his pace. “What happened?”

Rey pointed to her forehead. “Tried to catch a frisbee with my mouth and missed?”

“I’m sorry, Vincent. I didn’t know you were going to be out here and I didn’t see her on the sand,” Tony explained.

“It’s all right, Tony. Accidents happen,” Vincent assured him.

*~*~*~*~*

Up at the house, the three of them sat at the suntable by the pool with some glasses of iced tea. Rey’s dry apparel felt much better. She had briefly met Tony’s mother, Rebecca, as she was serving them. A very quiet woman, unlike her son who loved to talk.

“So, here comes Vincent,” Tony began, “With this girl flung over his shoulder and staggers over to the pool right there. He says: ‘Maybe this will warm you up’ and tosses her in!”

Laughing, she jabbed Vincent. “No wonder you never drink anymore.”

“Much more fun to watch you get drunk.” He winked.

Tony glanced at the sunset. “I’d better bail. Have to get up early tomorrow. Don’t want to miss those morning waves.” He stood from his chair. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Rey. I’ll see you again.” He waved briefly before heading around to the guesthouse.

“Tony and I grew up together. He’s like my brother.”

Rey laughed. “More like frat brother. I can’t believe you used to be so wild! You seem so collected now.”

He scooted closer to her. “I have something to focus on.”

She could feel herself blush. “I feel so used.” She giggled as she leaned in to kiss him. But their kiss was halted abruptly as sirens blared. “What the Hell?”

Vincent jumped up. “Police. It sounds like they’re heading next door to the MacKenzie’s house.” He grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.”

They jogged about a block over to another large house. Three squad cars were outside; two policemen were talking feverishly on the radios while another comforted the couple of the house. Vincent quickly ran up to them. “Karen, Paul, what happened?”

As Rey caught up, she saw that Karen’s eyes were bright red from crying. “It’s Elizabeth!” she cried. “Elizabeth’s gone!”

Rey froze. In her dream, Elizabeth was the girl that was taken. Now this? Her head began to spin. She found herself walking towards the house, wanting to get a better view. She wanted to know what was going on. Something drew her there. She needed the details.

Instinctively, she snuck into the house while the police weren’t looking and crept up the stairs. There was tape blocking the girl’s bedroom. “Police Line: Do Not Cross.” She touched the tape with her fingertips, almost not believing it was there. The sheer plastic was cool as she removed it from the doorframe and stepped inside. The room was clean and neat except for the tousled bed. Rey closed her eyes for a brief moment, letting her mind search the room for what her eyes couldn’t see. A wave of heat washed over her, making her shake. The girl had not been taken. The girl had left on purpose.

“Who the hell are you?”

She spun around, face to face with an officer. “Oh! I just, I mean, I’m just looking?” She didn’t mean to end that sentence like a question. And the officer was not that dumb.

“What’s your name?” He eyed her.

“Rey!” Vincent appeared from behind the officer. “How did you get up here?” He snatched her arm. “Let’s go.”

She hesitated, even in his grasp. “I wanted to see.” She stated plainly.

The officer was not amused. “Do you know this woman?”

Vincent nodded. “This is my girlfriend. I live next door. I’m sorry about this.” He stared at Rey oddly. “I really am.”

He managed to pry her away from the room and outside. “What were you thinking? Have you gone completely mad?”

She was still entranced by what she felt in that house. “Elizabeth wanted to go. It was time for her change. She couldn’t help it.”

He shook his head. “I am not even going to try and figure out what the fuck you are talking about. Let’s just get out of here.”

“They’ve got one,” she said. “Six more to go.”

*~*~*~*~*

Rey sat in front of the fireplace and watched the water through the large bay windows. She hadn’t spoken to Vincent since they left the MacKenzie’s house. What could she say at this point? For some reason everything was connecting for her. Her dreams, what the old bum had said, the girl’s bedroom. They were all connected. It was time. But what for? This made no sense. Her mind was rambling. A walk. That would do her some good. Fresh air. No incoming frisbee’s. Rey smiled at the thought of the surfer boy who had “bumped” into her. Tony was a really nice guy once you got to know him. And upon further inspection she found that his appearance was quite likeable.

It was cold out that night, so she had elected to wear a sweater. The wind was blowing gently through the trees as she made her way down the trail. The full moon was brilliant against the water. She stepped into the surf, once again letting the water crash over her feet. Closing her eyes, she twirled with her arms open like a child.

“Glad to see you made it, Miss Withers.”

Rey stopped at the sound of another voice. “Pardon me? Do I know you?”

It was an Asian man. He stood about six inches shorter than her and he was robed in red. His English was flawless. “I know you. You are the Gana-Kei. You are here to stop the Becoming.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Have you had the dreams? From the past?”

She froze. “How did you know?”

“They are the dreams of the past Gana-Kei. They share their experience to help you learn about what you are to face.” He stepped closer and handed her a book. “This is for your eyes only, young one. It is the journal of the Gana-Kei.”

She took it instinctively. “But what does this mean? What’s the Becoming?”

Even as he spoke she could sense it. “Near the dawning of time, this world was split into two parts. That of the light and that of the dark. Each realm was separated then, each to their own. But then there was a cataclysmic event. The guardians of each realm were struggling to hold the folds shut so that the realms would not blend. But there were those who wanted the blending to that they could destroy the other.

“Seven warriors from the dark realm tore through the folds, killing the guardian and merging the worlds. Total chaos spread from this as the dark warriors began to slaughter the people of light. It seemed that no one could stop them and that soon both realms would belong to the dark.

“But I am getting a bit ahead of myself here. I forgot to tell you of the councils. Both realms designated a ‘council’ to govern over them. The Dark Council was what sent the seven warriors.

“So the Light Council had to do something to counter this brutal attack. They chose one person to receive all the magical and physical power to defeat the warriors.”

Rey nodded. “The Gana-Kei.”

He smiled. “Yes. The Gana-Kei. The name means ‘She of the Mystical Light.’ She was bestowed with the powers of the Council and sent out to the fold to destroy the warriors.”

“The warriors were female also?” she asked.

“Yes, for women were the bringers of life and thus also had the power to take it away. These warriors of Dark also had no soul. They were merciless and vengeful. They hated the people of Light for keeping them away.

“When the Gana-Kei reached the battlefield, the fight did not last long. Physically, she was more than they could handle. But these warriors could not be killed like you or I. The Gana-Kei released an orb of sorts. The Wistnahara. The orb took the darkness from the warriors, making then feeble women.

“The Light Council took the orb and froze it in the moon. Where they believed it would stay for eternity.

“The realms were merged. Nothing could set them back. So the people of Light and Dark began to merge as well and now are like all of us today. Both light and dark.”

Rey pressed her lips together. “But the orb didn’t stay.”

He shook his head. “That point in time, the moon was in a docile mode. But as the rotations are completed, every three years, the orb is released back down to Earth and the seven warriors are chosen.”

“And the Gana-Kei?”

“It is in her blood, passed down through the generations. She awakens when the warriors are chosen to fulfill her destiny as well.”

“So the Becoming?”

“The Becoming is the change that the women go through to be the warriors. The Gana-Kei must reach them before it happens. She must obtain the orb and deposit the dark back into it and give it back to the moon.”

She shook her head. “I don’t understand...”

“You will.” He smiled to her then stopped. “Ah! I have almost forgotten something else! I must be getting old.” He chuckled. “The Council is still here. They are embodied in two people. One for the Dark and one for the Light. They will not make themselves known. But it is the Dark one that is picking out the warriors. If you can find them then you might be able to stop this at the start.”

Rey looked at him for several minutes. “So you think I’m this Gana-Kei?”

He nodded. “And I am your Resarbi. Your teacher. I am here to prepare you.”

Rey looked at the book in her hand. It was the journal of the Gana-Kei. It felt right in her hands and she knew it. The dreams, the warnings, the disappearance of the MacKenzie’s daughter... It all began to fall together for her.

She looked up at him. “When do I begin?”

To Be Continued...

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