CHAPTER XVII

  OCTOBER 22ND, 3:00 P.M.

  LAUREL

  "Home, sweet home," Laurel said as she walked up the wooden steps.

  "Don't get too comfy," Tommy said.

  "Ugh, I know," Laurel replied. "What I wouldn't give for a nap in my own bed right about now."

  "Has anyone seen Boone?" Frank asked. Laurel gripped the handle to the front door as she turned around. Leo, Tommy, Frank, but no Boone.

  "He was just with us, right?" she asked. "We didn't leave him in Nepal, did we?" She said as she opened the door. With only two steps into her home, she gasped suddenly. Frightened.

  "No," Leo said. "He was definitely-" He stopped abruptly. He stood just behind Laurel, now seeing what had her startled.

  "Cute pictures, all." Rayshe sat near a low dresser in the back of Laurel's home, holding a picture frame in his hand while he rocked his chair on its rear legs. He gently set the frame back down and folded his hands in his lap.

  "What are you doing here?" Laurel asked nervously.

  "Why?" Rayshe replied. "What's the matter? I'm not welcome?" Laurel remained silent. She slowly stepped further into her home, the rest following suit.

  "Nice to see all of you here," Rayshe continued. "Although maybe not all of you. Missing one?" Rayshe spoke in an intentionally sinister way. Ominously relaxed; coyly. His speech was friendly, but also insincere. Intentional. Laurel felt shivers go down her spine; her heartbeat ramped up. The four of them could not fight Rayshe. They weren't ready.

  "Visiting the wife, most likely. I feel sorry for the guy. Really is a hell of a thing," he said, standing up and leisurely browsing the other picture frames on the dresser, completely unbothered by turning his back to them. "Me, personally? Can't blame him. Could've said something, I suppose." He grabbed another picture delicately by its corner, studying it just like the last.

  "How did you find my home?" Laurel asked. She felt as though her safety was gone. Her privacy was stripped. The place where she once felt comfortable was now compromised. Her sanctuary was violated.

  "Do I even need to answer that?" Rayshe said, peeking over his shoulder. He set the picture frame down gently and turned to face them once again. "You drove my former head of intelligence's car in here. You think we don't track that?" He put his head down and strolled slowly towards the kitchen island. “Frankly, I’m shocked. I thought you’d know better than that. I’ll cut you some slack,” he said, pointing at Laurel. “You’re not seasoned like the rest of them. To think Regis wanted to recruit you to the war so bad. Perhaps he was misguided. But guys, c’mon.”

  "You need to leave," Leo stated.

  "No, I think I'll stay," Rayshe said, leaning against the marble countertop. He lightly traced his finger along the marble designs, tantalizingly nonchalant. "I'm not here to fight. I've learned a thing or two in my years." He planted his forearms against the marble, looking up at them. "The pen is mightier than the sword, as they say."

  "A little hypocritical, don't you think?" Tommy remarked.

  Rayshe fixed his gaze at the robot with an aggravated expression.

  “I don’t think it’s hypocritical at all,” Rayshe said. “If my memory serves me well, it was our late president that punted the nuclear football. The person that you gave a second chance to so he could make that decision. That’s gotta weigh heavy on the conscience, right? Maybe you should have let him rot in Thailand.”

  “Yeah, hindsight’s one hell of a thing, isn’t it?” Tommy commented.

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Rayshe agreed.

  “So what would you have done?”

  “Me?” Rayshe scoffed. “Pssh, I don’t have to answer that,” he laughed. “That’s what they pay YOU for. That was YOUR job. Too bad you chose wrong.”

  Rayshe slowly rubbed his hands together, clicking his tongue

  "I'm disappointed in you. All of you. You know that?" He said to them. "To think, once upon a time, I thought of you as symbols of everything that was great about our country. Held you in the highest reverence I could. Even you," he said, looking directly at Laurel. “The nation’s greatest freedom fighters. Tasked with and successful in,” he mockingly started counting on his fingers. “A lot of fucking missions.”

  Rayshe bit his lower lip inside his mouth as he mulled over his next words.

  "You all are reasonable people, right?" He asked them.

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  "Let's be reasonable."

  "You lost reasonable when you broke him my house," Laurel said. Her anger started to boil.

  "The door was unlocked," Rayshe started. "And you stole from me. We'll call it even."

  Her heart jumped. The hairs on her neck stood on end. She felt the other tense up around them. He knows where they were. He knows they have The Piece. This might be it. It’s now or never. They must get him out of there. They cannot fight Rayshe.

  "Leave, then we'll talk," she responded, trying desperately to hide the nervousness behind her voice.

  "Let me just say this," Rayshe said while holding up a finger.

  "Then I will leave. I promise."

  "Quickly," Leo said. Rayshe sighed, pushing himself up and planting his palms against the corner of the marble.

  “Can’t we all sit down and chat? It’s only proper, right?”

  “We’re fine as it is.”

  “But I’m not. This feels wrong,” Rayshe said, pointing out the uncomfortable distance between them. “I don’t feel like we can have a real discussion like this.”

  Laurel subtly glanced at the others. Tommy’s hand floated next to his gun. Leo’s hand was opened, ready to summon his axe. They were on edge.

  With a swipe of her hand, the house transformed with a gust of wind, turning into an empty room with a singular table in the middle. A light hung down from the ceiling overtop of it.

  “What a gracious host,” Rayshe commented, approaching a seat. The others cautiously joined him. “No, no. I’m at the head of the table. Have some respect.”

  Finally, everyone was seated. Rayshe planted his elbows on the table, silently darting his eyes to each person individually.

  "Now, someone broke into my office... and stole something from me.”

  Is he talking about the papers stolen off his desk? Laurel’s mind suddenly got flipped. Does he not know where they just were?

  Does he really think it stops at the stolen documents?

  "I knew who it was, but I didn't want to believe it. But I know..." Rayshe pointed at Frank. "I know it was you." He gritted his teeth. "And that hurts. It really, really, hurts."

  "What do you want then?" Laurel asked, her voice elevated.

  "And I know the rest of you are working with him," he said. "It's no coincidence all of you are here together. You think you got your own little team together. It’s cute, really."

  "What do you want?" Laurel said again, sternly.

  "I want you to answer something for me," Rayshe said. He inhaled deeply through his nose.

  "Do you conspire against me? Are you trying to crush my goal? Do you really think you’d even be able to?" Everybody stayed silent.

  "That's not fair," Rayshe said. "Those are heavy questions right out of the gate. Let's scale it back." He sat up straight and put his hands down flat, resting on the wood top. "Were you at Roger's house the night he departed our world?" Everybody stayed silent. "You took his car all the way back here after?" Silence. Rayshe's patience was visibly wearing thin.

  "Did you break into my office and steal my personal property?"

  "Yes," Frank said firmly.

  "Oh?" Rayshe said surprised. "So one of you can talk."

  "Yes," Frank said again. "And we have grown tired of your interrogation."

  "Why?" Rayshe said. “I thought we were getting along? We are, right? Getting along.”

  Silence.

  “Answer me.”

  “No,” Laurel answered.

  “Somebody else,” Rayshe said. “She doesn’t count. Home intrusion and all. Too much bias.”

  “No,” Frank joined.

  “Ouch,” Rayshe said sarcastically. “You know, you think you’re ready to hear it. You think no matter the answer, you’ll be fine. And then it hits you, you know?” he said, tapping his chest. “Whatever. Can’t make them all happy, can you?”

  “What more do you want, Rayshe?” Leo asked. “Why don’t we just get this over with?”

  "Just one more question. Then we can, ‘get this over with’.” Rayshe stared firmly, holding silence before he delivered his final ask.

  “Why did you steal from me. Specifically, why did you steal, what you stole. What could you possibly do with that information?" Silence.

  "Lost our voices again," Rayshe lowered his head. "But your ears work, yes?" He leaned over the table, folding his hands together. "Listen to me, very carefully. What you took from me was my business and my business alone. You cannot begin to understand what you would get yourselves into if you try to meddle with my affairs. This is so beyond what you are capable of. Beyond what anyone of you could ever grasp. Their’s levels to this line of work. Complexities. You couldn’t understand what I need to do. Why I need to do it. No one ever does, and that’s just the burden I have to bear. " His face strained as he held his rage back.

  "I don't know what it is you intended to do with that information. If you intended to do anything at all. But you will not. Stay home. Stop it, stop it." Rayshe suddenly whispered to himself, smacking his forehead. He rubbed his ears like he was trying to quiet something, but there was no sound. He regained his composure and returned his attention to them.

  “I will say this,” Rayshe continued. “And when I say this, I mean it wholly and honestly. I liked you guys. I really did. I said it before, I’ll say it again. I looked up to you. I looked up to Regis, and you brought him back home. Restored a great nation their great president. It’s a damn shame he went down the route that he did, sullying his legacy. But I can’t blame you for that. In reality, no one can. As much as anyone can dangle it over your head, hell, as much as I can dangle it over your head, we all know you couldn’t have known. It’s as you said Tommy, hindsight’s a hell of a thing. But I digress. To see people I admire, complicate themselves into a situation they shouldn’t be in. Involve themselves into a matter they can’t quite understand. To see them, what’s the word… betray, me. It could crush anyone. They don’t allow me to be crushed. They don’t allow me to be sad. Again, it’s another burden I am forced to bear. But I bear it willingly. Because I believe I am the right person to do it. The only one who can do it. I hold hope that one day you will come around. I think you will…” his voice trailed off. “I think you will.”

  "I will leave here, and I will let you be to yourselves. But you will allow me to do what I need to do," He demanded. "You understand?"

  Silence.

  "Say it."

  "No.” The sorceress was at the brink of a meltdown.

  "Say. It."

  Laurel's anger started to escape. She tried to rise from her seat, but Leo grabbed her shoulder, holding her back.

  "If we do, will you leave?" he asked.

  "Yes.”

  "We understand."

  Rayshe stood quietly, merely staring for a moment.

  "Good," he said finally. "I will see myself out. But one last thing, if I may. Do think on what I’ve said. Sleep on it. It’s in your best interest." With that, he walked slowly, keeping his hands folded together behind his back. The others stood from their seats. He held his gaze on them the whole way as he stepped through the exit.

  With a burst of speed, suddenly, he sprinted away in a blur. The doors slammed against the walls, blasted by the force of his acceleration. A path of destruction ripped through the forest as his unrelenting speed felled every obstacle in his way. And just like that, he was gone.