Chapter 29

“Well, I’ll be. I didn’t expect to see you. Not yet anyway. How’d you get here?”

There it was, that familiar voice again. He turned to see his dad standing behind him and immediately jumped to his feet. “Father!” he said, wrapping the shorter man in a tight grip.

Peter laughed. “It’s me all right. How are you?” he asked, patting Christian on the back.

“I’m wonderful,” Christian admitted. “It’s so great to see you.”

“It’s great to see you, too, son. I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Me, too,” Christian replied, looking around. Some large houses were visible in the distance, children playing in the lane, women walking together, chatting. “Where are we?”

“Why, we’re here, of course,” Peter said, opening his arms wide. “It’s the best place one can be. Everyone is here.”

“Everyone?” That sounded exciting. He was glad he’d get to see everyone.

“Yes, everyone,” his father assured him.

It seemed like perhaps that couldn’t be right, but since Christian couldn’t remember where he’d been before, he had to assume his father knew what he was talking about. “Would you like to show me around?”

“Most certainly. Come along!” Peter gestured with his arm and led Christian off toward the friendly sounds of everyone.

As they walked along, Peter introduced him to several people. Christian couldn’t remember ever meeting any of them before, but he was so glad to know them now. They all seemed so kind and happy to see him. Everywhere he looked, the scene was beautiful. Lovely homes, colorful flowers, trees with vibrant leaves, it was the most perfect paradise he could ever imagine.

“You know, son, I’m glad you’re here because there’s something I wanted to tell you, something I’m not sure I told you enough before.”

Hearing his father speak of “before” was confusing, since neither one of them seemed to know what before was, but he didn’t interrupt his father’s thoughts to ask. “What’s that?”

“Well, I just want you to know, I’ve always been proud of your work ethic. I’ve always admired how intelligent you are, how you work so hard for the things that you want, how you’re not willing to settle for second best. I don’t think I ever told you that enough… before. So, now that you're here, I just wanted to make sure you know how much I love you.”

Hearing his father’s kind words brought tears to Christian’s eyes. For once, he wasn’t ashamed for his father to see him cry. “Thank you, Father,” he said. Christian opened his arms, and Peter embraced him. Feeling his father’s strong arms around him made him feel safe and at peace, like he was finally home after a long journey. Christian let his father go and looked around, thankful that he was here. Here seemed like a wonderful place to be.

* * *

Time seemed different here. Different from what, Christian wasn’t sure, but it was different than what he had experienced before… wherever that was. He’d seen the town, met the people, laid on his back staring at the sky, gone to his father’s house for lunch consisting of pastries and strawberries, and was wandering down the street again by himself when something odd happened.

He’d been looking at a woman in the distance, marveling at her long brown hair and how skillfully she rode her horse. There was something familiar about her, and she seemed to be coming closer to him. He wasn’t quite sure who she was, but her lavender eyes did look familiar. He was just starting to puzzle through it when thousands of tiny blue light began to dance before him, obscuring his vision of the rider. Confused, Christian spun around, trying to figure out what was happening. No one else seemed to notice the lights, only him. And then he saw a familiar face.

“Jess?” he asked, a flood of memories coming back to him. He’d died! Brandy had stabbed him, and he’d passed away, there in his bed. She’d said she was sorry, said she loved him. Now, she was in danger. Jess was here to bring him back. That blue moon he’d spoken of the night Christian had died, it had worked. The portal was open.

Before he could even consider what he’d be leaving behind, Christian leapt through the opening. It felt strange, as if his body was completely weightless for a moment, like he was not bound by his flesh at all, and then, he was solidly back inside of his body, sitting on the ground in the mountains, staring at a bewildered Jess--naked.

Not caring about his state of undress, Christian flew to his feet. “Where is she?” he asked. “Where’s Brandy?”

Jess tossed him a pair of pants and he began to pull them on frantically, thinking they had little time. “I was going to tell you before you decided to come through,” his friend said, his voice weak. “I’m sorry, Christian. I did all I could.”

It wasn’t registering. He refused to believe what the Hunter was hinting at. Once his pants were on, he yanked on socks and the boots Jess had sitting in front of him and then pulled on the dark blue shirt. “What are you talking about?” he asked, not wanting to hear the answer.

Jess wouldn’t look at him. He focused on the ground instead. “She’s gone, Christian. I… I’m so sorry.”

“Gone? Do you mean… she left?” He knew before Jess even answered that that wasn’t what he meant at all.

“No. Granger… took care of her. I wanted to help. Hell, as soon as I got you outta there, I went back, even got as many of the others on board as I could to try to free her, but by the time we worked our way down to the basement… it was too late. She was already gone.”

Tears stung Christian’s eyes as he tried to process what had happened. He couldn’t remember a damn thing about where he’d been, though the idea that he was happy there was at the forefront of his mind. That and that he’d been with his father. Was that possible? But there was something else. Someone else….

“Christian, listen, Granger’s on a tear. The team’s scattered, trying to get away from him, those who helped us out anyhow. He’s using the others to hunt them down. He needs to be taken out--and quick. It’s the only way his minions will ever stop.”

Christian understood what Jess was saying. He owed it to those who’d tried to free Brandy to make sure Granger never hurt anyone else. “What about her brother?” Christian asked.

“Brother? What brother?” Jess asked.

“Brandy said she had a brother, that he wasn’t old enough to Transform, and that Granger was keeping him in the basement. She said that was why she had to kill me--that if she didn’t Granger would kill Franklin.”

Jess looked perplexed, He spread his hands wide and shrugged. “I didn’t see no kid when I was down there, but that don’t mean Granger hadn’t already done something with him.”

Unsure of what to think about that, Christian decided to let it go for now. It was possible that Granger had moved the boy. Or maybe Brandy had made him up because she was scared that Granger would kill her if she didn’t do as he said but she didn’t want Christian to hate her. Either way, the only thing Christian could do now was kill Granger. “Where is he?”

“In his office,” Jess said.

Christian nodded. “You’ll have to come with me. I can’t kill him myself.”

“I know.” Jess looked a little worried.

With a nod, Christian headed for the horses Jess had brought. He’d been so certain he’d come through the portal, he’d brought Christian’s, too, Trigger Finger Four.

As Christian climbed into the saddle, Jess asked, “What’s it like over there, Christian? You ‘member much?”

“I don’t remember anything,” he admitted. “But I have a feeling it was beautiful.”

Jess’s head rocked back and forth and he climbed into the saddle, a look of resolution settling over his wrinkled face. He started to pull out, but Christian reached out and grabbed the reins. “Not today,” Christian said. “I’m not letting you die today.”

A sheepish grin took over Jess’s face, and he relaxed slightly. Christian meant it. He couldn’t blame the Hunter for being nervous, going into the lion’s den, but he was going to make sure Granger and his assholes didn’t take one more person he cared for, not that night.