Alpha and Omega – Hearseeno

welkinalauda:

“You and I both know you’re not going to pull the trigger.”

She pulled the trigger, sending a bullet past Sam’s left ear and into the pillar behind him. Sam ducked. She skittered back two steps on her ridiculous heels, getting herself out of arm’s reach while Sam was still cowering from the gunshot.

In Sam’s defense, he’d had a very trying day.

“Now, if you’d be so kind as to back up a bit, and let me finish…?”

Sam backed.

“Thank you. My condolences on the loss of your brother,” she said, sounding like she meant it.

“You want move this along, lady? My brother is dead and you just sent my best friend out into the cornfield.”

“It’s not ‘lady,’ it’s Toni.”

“Whatever, lady.”

“Right. The Elders wish to offer you initiation into the Men of Letters, and the course of training that goes with it. I’m here to escort you to London so you can get started.”

“What?”

“As I said. The old men are tired of you barging around like a bull in a china shop. They want to teach you how to handle the crockery properly so maybe you won’t break so many things.”

Sam stared at her, his mouth working silently. After a moment, he slid into one of the chairs behind him,

gaze

unfocused on the map table. Toni lowered her gun.

“What if I won’t go?”

“Then they’ll think of something else. But you should know I’ve changed the locks on this place. You have less than an hour before you’ll be compelled to leave.”

That got Sam back on his feet. She lifted the gun again.

“What are you talking about?” Sam shouted.

“If you want to know what I did, and how to reverse it, come to London.” When Sam did not immediately respond, she went on, “Tell you what. I’ll be waiting at the airport in Kearney until six o’clock. If you want to take up the offer to study with us, join me there. But either way, you’d better pack quickly.”

Keeping the gun pointed at Sam, not turning her back, she circled round the other side of the map table to the stairs, then up and out and away.

*****

The next day, a battered red truck was found in the passenger lot at Kearney Regional, doors unlocked, keys on the seat with a note reading, ‘FREE TO A GOOD HOME.’