Cécile
I drove towards the RBMC clubhouse. Etienne was beside me and kept looking over his shoulder. It was early hours of the morning. It was past two, but I knew someone would be on the gates and an officer would be around. I was miserable and on edge. I had detoured all over the damn country before heading here. For six weeks, I’d laid false trails and hoped I’d lose the fucker I’d attracted.
Etienne glanced over his shoulder again, looking for a tail. I wasn’t sure who’d been hit the hardest, me or him. Leaving our home in New Orleans had been hard. I’d lived there fifteen years and Etienne for twelve. New Orleans suited us. Now, we were on the run and hunted. All because of my abilities.
“Head there, Cécile. We’ve got no tail,” Etienne said wearily.
“Sure?”
“Yeah, let’s get some rest,” he replied.
I nodded and drove straight for the compound. As we hit the gates, I saw a figure appear out of the darkness. His stance was alert, and I knew he had a weapon in hand.
“What ya want?” he demanded from where he stood. Safely behind the gates, I wanted to also be protected by.
“Warden’s expecting me. I’m Cécile, and this is my friend Etienne,” I called back.
“Wait there. If you try to breach, I’ll open fire,” the person warned.
“Okay.”
A few minutes passed before someone approached us. I recognised the walk and build and nodded at Noble.
“Cécile, Etienne. We’ve been waiting on you. Come in,” he said.
The gates opened, and I drove inside and parked outside their clubhouse. Noble looked at our piece of shit car.
“Not your usual standard of travelling,” Noble noted.
“Nope, and I ache from that pile of crap. It is not a nice drive,” I replied, and both Etienne and Noble snorted. Etienne in agreement, and Noble in amusement.
Etienne reached in the back and pulled two rucksacks out.
“It’s nearly three. The guest rooms have been prepared, hit the sack Cécile and Warden will meet with you in the morning,” Noble said as we headed towards the clubhouse. It was a huge assed building and different to what I expected. The Maine chapter clearly liked their comfort.
We followed Noble down the stairs.
“There’s two bedrooms for you. The kitchen is full of food and coffee. Help yourself. This is where you’ll be staying and you and Etienne have the level to yourself,” Noble said as we entered an almost luxurious lounge area. The bedrooms were placed around it, and I spotted an open door showing the kitchen.
“There are bathrooms in there, small but functional. We prepared those two rooms there.” Noble pointed, and we nodded.
“Get some rest, guys, you both look fucked. You’re safe here. Warden will be waiting for you when you wake up,” Noble said and turned to exit.
“Thank you for getting up for us,” I called, and Noble shook his head.
“All officers take turns in staying up one night in twelve. We don’t leave the gate guard alone,” Noble replied.
“Thanks any way for the welcome,” I offered, and Noble grinned.
“That I’ll accept. Hit the sack, that’s an order,” he said and left.
“Bossy bastard,” Etienne muttered, but we headed for our bedrooms. I didn’t even bother undressing. I collapsed onto the bed and fell to sleep instantly.
◆◆◆
The smell of bacon and eggs cooking woke me, and I yawned as I glanced down at my phone and was shocked. It had gone midday. I sat up quickly and headed for the bathroom. Once I’d done my business, which included brushing my teeth, I walked outside.
Etienne was in the kitchen cooking, but Warden and Undertaker were also present.
“Cécile,” Warden greeted me and passed me a mug of coffee.
“Nectar,” I murmured and sank into an armchair, cupping the heavenly beverage. I didn’t function until I had downed two cups of coffee. Sometimes, I needed more if I’d been woken from a vision or prophecy.
Warden and Undertaker waited patiently as Etienne brought me in a second just as I finished mine first. He then put a plate of bacon and eggs in front of me.
“Scrambled and fried?” Undertaker asked, surprised.
“Best way for eggs. Spread the dippy yolk on the toast. Add scrambled and then bacon on top,” I replied, shoving a mouthful of food in.
Warden’s eyebrows rose. “When was the last time you ate properly?”
“About four days ago. And we haven’t had a proper home-cooked meal since we fled New Orleans,” Etienne inserted.
“You ran?” Undertaker inquired.
“Yes,” I mumbled.
“Cécile, what’s going on? Why not approach Jameson?” Warden demanded.
“Jameson can’t keep me safe,” I replied.
Warden and Undertaker sat up straight. I’d just issued insult to the National President.
“Not because of whatever reason you’re thinking of,” I added. “Thirteen months ago, bodies started cropping up, young women aged between fifteen and twenty-five. They were always discovered after a full moon. They’d been raped and tortured before being ritually sacrificed,” I explained.
“Shit. Did you tell Jameson?”
“I’m not sure. The bodies were found in San Antonio, Texas. Wasn’t a Louisiana problem, so quite likely, Jameson wasn’t aware. I was asked by the Feds to come in. Worked with the cops before and have a good, solid rep. I didn’t mind going to help, especially when the youngest victim was a fifteen-year-old child.
“Etienne and I travelled to San Antonio, and I did my thing. I was able to give them some information, and that led them to a suspect. I went home because there was nothing more I could give them. We’re unsure what happened, but the individual fled, and two more bodies dropped. But the serial killer had somehow discovered my connection and was now sending me messages. They were followed by images of the dead girls, and it was horrific.
“We called the Feds back, and they provided some protection, but it didn’t work. The murderer began sending me gifts, and we realised he was focused on me. Which was bad news. The crunch point came six weeks ago when he dropped his last victim. The girl could have been my clone. It was a clear message. Then, my house was broken into by him, and we knew he had his sights locked on me.
“The Feds and cops could not protect me, I was dead if he got his hands on me. He’d sent messages about wanting to explore my brain and use me to find victims. He’s totally insane. Etienne and I packed bare minimum and fled in the middle of the night. Since then, we have been laying false trails everywhere and living off cash. We daren’t use a card and couldn’t show ID’s at a lot of hotels. We’ve been on edge and unsafe for weeks,” I said, drawing in a deep breath.
“Why not go to Jameson?” Undertaker asked.
“Because I’d be putting him and his family in a serial killer’s sights. There’re children there, Warden, I couldn’t risk them. And Jameson’s people, while good, aren’t you guys and you’re the ones I need to survive,” I replied.
“Cécile, are you sure he is targeting you?” Undertaker inquired.
“I’ve got every letter and a picture of every gift he sent me. The answer is yes. He’s definitely coming for me. If I can hide, it gives the feds time to track him down. The guy’s a lunatic and a murderer, but he is human and can’t stay hidden forever,” I replied.
“The Zodiac Killer did,” Etienne mumbled, and I glared at him. Etienne shrugged.
“Shut up, smart ass,” I retorted. Etienne had all the discretion of a bulldozer.
“So, you want protection?” Warden asked.
“Please. Just while Etienne and I decide where to land once the killer’s caught. We won’t be returning to New Orleans. It would be far too dangerous. And we both hate busy cities. New Orleans was palpable because… well, it was New Orleans. Plus, we didn’t live in the city itself. But now we need to find a new home,” I replied.
“What about Camden?” Undertaker suggested, and I was startled. I glanced at Etienne and even he looked shocked.
“We come as a pair,” Etienne said, and Undertaker nodded.
“The offer was for both of you. In New Orleans, you blended in because there were so many frauds. You didn’t stand out except when you started to grow your name. Despite all your attempts, you and Etienne became known. Join us. Cécile, you know all about the abilities our brothers and sisters have. You won’t stand out amongst us,” Undertaker continued, and Warden looked intrigued.
“I’ve been told what you put your prospects through, I don’t want to be cleaning, puke, piss and shit up. That’s a generous offer, but nah, I ain’t doing that,” Etienne said.
“You think about joining, and we’ll talk about prospect status,” Warden replied slowly.
“Don’t you need to vote on this?” Etienne asked.
“Nope. Because we discussed this when we first met you and the consensus was to make you an offer should an opportunity come up. This is the right time to give that. Even if you both decline, we’ll still give our protection,” Warden interrupted before Undertaker could say anything else.
“You would take both of us?” I asked, and Warden nodded.
“Etienne is your anchor; you can’t leave him, or you’d suffer. We don’t like causing innocents’ pain. We ain’t clean, but we have boundaries, Cécile. There’re lines we won’t cross, Jameson knows and allows us to run as we do. The club would benefit from having you, but I think you’d thrive being around genuine people with abilities. Pretending not to be the real deal had to be draining,” Warden added.
“Warden, you’ve no idea,” I exclaimed. What he said was true.
There were a lot of frauds in the quarter, and hearing them daily spinning bullshit stories to tourists was painful. Especially when I could see what was going to happen to them. In the end, I stayed well away from them all. When some idiot promised a couple love and a long, happy life, and I saw tears and death, it wasn’t a good thing.
“Yeah, I do. Don’t forget a lot of our club were alone until we found one another. I might have had Undertaker and Oracle, but we had to protect Oracle from those who had used him,” Warden replied.
“Or who’d abuse him for being different. Oracle may’ve been jeered and tormented when we claimed he was epileptic, but it stopped everyone discovering the truth. Rather, he was teased and made fun of for something untrue than something true,” Undertaker added.
“And how many times do you think unscrupulous people attempted to grab Vogue and Dynamo? The underworld knows about them, and there’s some individuals who’d love to claim them. Except the women soon showed them they weren’t to be messed with,” Warden said.
“Dynamo only got trafficked because they hit her with a dart from afar. If they’d tried taking her straight on, they’d have failed. And even though they had taken her, they didn’t last long,” Undertaker explained, and I heard the envy in his voice.
“Dynamo still struggles,” I whispered, knowing that was true.
“Wisecrack is working with her,” Warden stated.
I could taste Dynamo’s hate and she wasn’t in the room.
“Wisecrack may be healing her pain, but her resentment is robust. Her memories are just as sharp as they were when you rescued her,” I murmured.
“Do you see something regarding Dynamo?” Warden demanded.
I did, but I didn’t tittle-tattle.
“Dynamo has a long path, Warden, but there is light at the end of it. That’s all I’ll tell you. If Dynamo wants to know more, she can come to me. But it’s not my right to discuss what I see concerning her with you. You wouldn’t like it if I did that to you. No. Trust Dynamo will find her way, but it’ll be a struggle,” I said firmly.
Warden and Undertaker both looked put out. They wanted answers and to heal their wounded road captain. I understood, but my point was valid. It was unethical for me to discuss someone’s future with anyone else but that person. I didn’t have much in my life, but I had ethics.
Warden and Undertaker rose to their feet.
“I’ll inform the others of what you told us. Cécile, you and Etienne will be under lockdown with our protection. Just for a few weeks until we’re sure you’ve not been followed. In the meantime, put together a list of items you need. I’ve no doubt you travelled light. Stay off your credit cards, and you’ll use the clubs to order things. And pay us when you have access to your accounts,” Warden said.
“I have a bank nobody knew about. I’ll transfer money through that,” I replied.
“Get with Cipher. If you give him all your accounts, he’ll drain them into an untraceable account. That way, you can get your funds, but even so, use the clubs card for now,” Warden ordered.
“Can he do that for mine, too?” Etienne asked.
“Yeah. Not a problem. Cipher could do this in his sleep,” Undertaker replied.
“We’ll think of your offer of joining,” I called out as they walked to the exit.
“Do that,” Warden threw over his shoulder.
Etienne waited until they’d left and laughed at me.
“What?”
“Babe, you know full well we’re going to take their offer. Why would we be here? Jameson could and would have protected us. You saw something and came here for a reason,” he said as he picked up our mugs.
“No. I won’t force this on you, Etienne. You’ve sacrificed enough for me. This will be your choice,” I replied, stiffening.
Did Etienne believe I tricked him into coming here? I’d never do that. Poor Etienne was stuck with me.
“Cécile, I haven’t given up anything for you. I can read your thoughts, woman; you really shouldn’t play poker. Don’t forget my past, my own history, and how I feel about your powers. My role is not one easily replaced. Without me, I know what you’d face. But I’m not cleaning up sick, piss and shit!” Etienne reiterated his stance.
I got to my feet and, walked over to him, and wrapped my arms around his waist. “I’d be lost without you.”
“Yeah, you would. You’d still be back in New York, struggling to cope with everything. Or actually, by now, you’d be in a lunatic asylum,” Etienne said cheerfully.
I growled because what else could I reply!
Iona
Warden informed me we had two guests and that they might need stuff. What kind of items was a mystery because ‘stuff’ could cover a lot of things. I grabbed my laptop and bounced down the stairs. I knocked on the door because of politeness, and a man answered. Holy shit. My jaw dropped open as I took him in.
This had to be Etienne. This Cécile was a damn lucky woman. Etienne was tall, black and fucking gorgeous. He was as tall as the brothers; he had to be six foot four or five. His shoulders were made for a linebacker, and his waist was trim. Etienne’s chest was as broad as Lord knows what, and jeans hugged thick, muscled legs.
“Yeah?” he rumbled, and I swear his voice made me shiver all the way through my body. Once I was done with this, I was hunting Warden down and banging his brains out.
“I’m Iona. Warden’s old lady. He said you needed to order some stuff but didn’t specify exactly what. Then again, he’s a man; why would he?” I asked, and Etienne let out a bark of laughter.
“Cécile, this one is for you,” Etienne called out and moved out of the way.
I entered and gaped at the woman who stood there as she stared back at me.
“You!” she exclaimed, which didn’t sink in at first.
Cécile was beyond stunning. She had almond-coloured skin with striking bright hazel eyes. Her lips were a peachy red colour in the shape of a cupid’s bow. Cécile boasted an hourglass figure that would drive men mad, and her hair was the shade of honey. She was about five foot six tall and had a natural warmth about her.
“Hi,” I said and then realised what she’d cried. “What do you mean me?”
“Sorry, I spoke out of turn. I thought I recognised you,” Cécile replied, looking embarrassed, and moved towards Etienne. It was almost as if she sought his protection. I studied her more carefully.
“You have got special abilities. The same… thing as the others,” I stated, and Cécile looked worried.
“You know about us?”
“Girl, I grew up with Warden, Undertaker and Oracle. I’ve been around those who are special for years,” I replied, trying to put her at ease.
“Yeah, I know,” Cécile whispered.
I tilted my head, running through the abilities I was aware of. “Are you a medium?”
“No, I do not see spirits, don’t wish that on me! I was more a prophet, but I seem to be leaning more towards being a seer or psychic. I am receiving visions of what will happen but also, I’m able to see the here and now,” Cécile answered.
“You’re another Oracle,” I said, grasping what Cécile meant.
“No, not an oracle… oh, you mean Oracle the person. Yes, like him, but more advanced,” Cécile replied.
“Because you have your anchor. I’m Warden’s, he says. I don’t quite see it, but I’ll go with it. Plus, it’s huge fun getting Warden riled up. So come on, tell me, what did you see about me?” I demanded as I sat down in an armchair and curled up.
Cécile regarded me as if I was an alien. I suppose I was, in a way. From my own experiences, I’d seen how individuals reacted when confronted with something different. Throw in powers that weren’t meant to exist? People became monsters.
“Just like that? No doubt or accusations?” Cécile asked, sitting down.
“Nope. If you were a fake, the club would know. Which means you’re the real deal. So come on, lady. Tell me what you saw!” I demanded.
I understood Cécile’s hesitation. Being accepted for what you are isn’t something that happens to most people. Someone always judges you or tries to change you. Life was so cruel and unfair. What the judgemental idiots didn’t realise or even try to understand was they didn’t ask to be born differently.
They went on about God’s will and abominations and blah blah, but if God was the all-seeing and powerful entity, they said, then he gave them abilities. Which means the ‘burn them at the stake’ twits were burning God’s gifts to mankind. That was how I saw it, and screw anyone who didn’t agree.
“You were a lot older than you are now. And you were surrounded by the club, and everybody was laughing and joking. It felt as if you were the glue that held everyone together. Iona, that’s your name, right? You were very important. Warden was there, and there were lots of children. I don’t know if any were yours, but the vision left me with an overwhelming sense of love and commitment,” Cécile said.
I stared at her, open-mouthed. “Have you ever been wrong?” I asked finally.
“No.”
“Never?”
“No.”
“That’s not what I expected. I’m one of the most disliked people in the club,” I explained.
Cécile frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Very. Let me tell you a story.” “I’ll put the kettle on,” Etienne said. “Start without me; I can hear very well in the kitchen.”
Etienne’s wonderful ass caught my attention as he walked away, and I stared, bemused. I may love Warden, but Dear God, Etienne was temptation wrapped in one sinful package.
“That’s how I first felt when I saw him,” Cécile admitted, and we giggled.
“You and I are going to be great friends,” I stated and began telling Cécile everything.