Page 12 of Dark Medicine (Strange Gifts #2)

The Duck Pond was a quaint country pub aptly named because of the duck pond behind the building. Adam parked the car in the far corner of the small lot and turned in his seat to face the building.

“They’re in there,” said Spook. It appeared to be mostly locals in attendance, a soccer game blaring on the televisions held their attention. “Roman is trying to call someone, but he can’t get through to them. Maybe someone from the camp. The other one, George, is on a tablet. He’s e-mailing someone. Wait. I have the address. I’ll look at it.”

“Damn, brother,” said Kane, looking at his friend with a grin, “you are one handy dude to have around. Don’t ever be ashamed of this, Spook. What you have is amazing.”

Spook smiled at his friend. A few months ago, he wouldn’t have spoken about this to anyone. But when Kane met Aislinn, the beautiful woman found her way into everyone’s heart, including Spook’s. He was a different man now, no longer hiding from his friends.

“Okay, same plan,” said Kane. “Flip and I will go in with Adam and you holding back. They would recognize Adam right away. Spook? Can you make sure no one calls the police until we’re ready? I don’t want them interfering in our little party.” Spook grinned at his friend and nodded.

“Let’s go,” said Flip, standing to his full height.

The flannel shirt stretched tight across his chest, his loose-fitting jeans cinched at the waist, further emphasizing his muscular build. Flip too hid his gifts from his friends until a few months ago. Adam long suspected that Flip was ‘special’ like the others but never pushed. Again, Aislinn encouraged him to step out of the shadows and admit to his gifts.

Kane opened the door to the pub, the contrast of the bright sunlight faded into darkness as he stepped inside. The small pub contained about ten tiny round tables and chairs and a long mahogany bar. Roman and George, seated in the corner, whispered to one another, their heads close together in conversation.

Heads turned to see the two large men, eyebrows lifting in curiosity. Flip stood at the bar and ordered two beers. The bartender sat the cold beverages in front of him, and Flip downed both in record time, licking his lips and running the back of his hand across his mouth. The bartender’s eyebrows lifted, and he grinned.

“Take it easy, lad. I’ve plenty,” he smiled.

“Two more,” said Flip. Kane grinned at his friend. He knew that Flip’s capacity for alcohol was legendary. He’d seen the man drink a case of beer and never flinch. “You know the boys in the corner?”

The bartender looked up at Flip, the smile disappearing from his face. There was evident fear and concern filling his features.

“They’re trouble, lad, even for a big boy like you,” he said softly. “I’m askin’ that you nae wreck my bar.”

“I promise,” said Flip, laying down three one-hundred-pound notes. “But I can’t promise they’ll be cooperative.” He winked at the older man and stood, walking to the table where George and Roman still whispered.

“He’ll kill us if we don’t deliver the girl,” said George. “I think we need to just pick up and leave while we can.”

“That’s why yer a fecking eedjit,” said Roman. “He’d find us in no time, and besides, the money is too good to turn away from.”

A dark shadow covered the table, and Roman turned, his face covered in bruises. He craned his neck backwards, staring up at the cause of the darkness.

“Stand up,” said Flip quietly.

“Feck off, you gorilla,” said Roman, sneering up at Flip.

Flip looked at Roman and then George. George stood quietly as his shaking hand started to move toward his jacket, his back to the wall. Flip could see the fear in his eyes as he spotted Kane behind him. His hand suddenly stopped, and he let his arm fall. Roman stared at the young man with anger in his eyes.

“Ya fecking coward!” he yelled. George glared at the older man and then back at Kane.

“I… I don’t want any trouble,” he said tentatively.

“Is that so?” said Kane, stepping forward. “Is that why you tried to take my friend? Is that why you allowed that sick old fucker to spread his disease to those young girls? What kind of man does that make you?”

“I… I…” George fumbled for words but had none. This wasn’t his life. It was Roman’s, and Roman was his only friend. He had nowhere to turn, nowhere to go.

Flip looked down at Roman, still seated, and grabbed his throat, lifting him off the ground. His feet kicked out, but Flip easily deflected the blows. The man’s foot connected with the table next to him, its contents spilling on the floor.

“Now, son, I asked that ye not ruin me pub,” said the bartender.

“No worries, sir,” said Flip, “we’re going outside. Aren’t we, boys?”

Flip carried Roman by the throat all the way out to the parking lot, where he tossed him to the ground, gasping for breath. Roman rolled over, a knife in his hand, and Flip kicked his wrist hard, hearing the cracking of his bones. The man screamed and crawled backwards, landing right at the feet of Adam.

“Well, hello there, old friend,” said Adam with a murderous grin.

“What the feck!” said Roman. “Call for help, Georgie!”

“Yes,” said Adam calmly, “call for help, Georgie, go ahead.”

George reached for his phone tentatively but frowned at the black screen. He dropped the device and shook his head. There was dark magic with these men. They were too big to be of the Fae, but maybe they were trolls?

“It’s… it’s dead,” he said to Roman.

“And so are you,” said Adam. “Unless you can answer some questions for me.” Roman sat stock still, his legs tucked beneath him as he cradled his wrist.

“I’ve nothing to say to you,” he said, stubbornly staring at the parking lot.

“Let’s try this again,” said Flip. He never moved from his spot but easily lifted the vehicle that Roman was leaning against off the ground, holding it above his head. The man grew wide-eyed, terror filling his face as Flip slowly brought the car back down, nudging against his body. Roman groaned, and George crossed himself, crying.

The older man shook his head, his wrist still clutched against his body. What sort of witchcraft did this man possess? The boss would want to know about him.

“Now, I’m losing patience,” said Flip. “Why did you try to take my friend? Who wants her?”

“I’ll tell you,” said George, “please, don’t hurt me.”

“You coward!” yelled Roman, standing on weak legs. Flip turned for just a moment to see George’s frightened face, and in that split second, Roman took off behind the pub.

“I’ve got him,” said Spook, racing after the man.

He raced around the building and saw Roman running on a path around the duck pond, his short legs faster than Spook would have guessed. He looked over his shoulder, judging the distance between him and Spook, and then took a hard turn down a trail in the woods.

Flip looked at George, his mouth wide open, his face broken out in sweat. The man was shaking uncontrollably now, most likely certain that his life was ending on this day.

“Who. Is. He?” asked Flip through tight lips.

“I-I don’t know. I told the other man, him,” he cried, pointing to Adam, “that I never met him. Roman knows him. All I know is that he’s an American with a lot of money.”

“An American?” questioned Kane. “How do you know that?”

“I heard him talking once without the voice thing.” Kane and Flip looked at one another, confused. “You know the thing that makes his voice different. He was telling Roman that he was enjoying the beaches of California, but he was sick. That’s why he wants the girl. He knows she can heal. He said, ‘all my millions, and I’m still dying.’ That’s exactly what he said. I swear!”

“How does he know that she can heal him?” asked Adam.

“I-I don’t know. I swear to God, I don’t know,” he cried. Spook walked around the corner of the pub and shook his head.

“He disappeared into the forest,” he said breathlessly.

“Ye’ll never find him,” said George. “The forest is his home. He knows the trails, but I know that he’ll follow the caravan, the one you were at…” he looked away ashamed.

“Why are you with him?” asked Adam.

“I have no one else. He gave me a home.” George looked twenty, but Adam guessed he was much younger. His face had no signs of facial hair, his muscles not fully developed yet, and his eyes showed a youthfulness that still had not diminished.

“Where are your parents?” asked Kane. The boy shrugged, and Kane let out a long slow breath, folding his arms across his chest impatiently.

“They kicked me out for fighting at school,” he said quietly.

“Go home,” said Kane. “Ask for forgiveness, and go home. Roman will lead you to your death.”

“I can’t,” he said, sniffling. “They told me I couldn’t come home. It wasn’t the first time I was caught fighting.”

“Shit!” said Kane, running his hands through his dark hair. He wasn’t about to let the boy return to the gypsy family. He would take him back to the inn and try to convince the old man and his wife to put him to work. They owed Kane for not tearing apart the house when Fiona’s room was broken into. This would be their penance. “You’re coming with us.”

The boy looked up at Kane, half filled with hope and fear. His eyes grew large and then suspicious, all in a matter of seconds.

“Don’t worry, we won’t hurt you,” said Flip in an exasperated tone.

It was too much to hope for that someone might actually take an interest in his well-being. He’d prayed that he could find a way to get out from under Roman but didn’t have the courage. Were these men actually willing to give him a chance?

“I might remember something else,” said the boy shyly. “The man, the American, he said he would find the ‘others’ too, but he needed the girl first. Maybe he was talking about all of you?”

Kane stared at Adam, then Flip and Spook. What the fuck was happening, and who in the hell was this man? The key was their gifts and how they’d received them. Kane thought of Aislinn and Fiona back at the inn with the Brennan sisters. His future wife was waiting for him. Priorities. He would marry the woman of his dreams, and then he would find the man responsible for this chaos.