Chapter 221 B4. 15.2 – Target Acquired

I strutted past the guards before they looked at my face. How good were their memories? Answer: Not good enough to notice they hadn’t seen me enter the building. They probably assumed nothing was wrong with people already inside.

Stepping outside, I hastened my pace to the parking area. I didn’t give Adrian the opening to ask me questions with the guards nearby. Adrian chased after me in a brisk walk.

“Mr. Clifford, wait,” he said. “What was that about the BID and Corebrings?”

“Not near the hotel,” I said. A few more yards to the parking area. There was no one around. “The walls have ears,” I added, having heard this cool line in a movie before.

“What about your meeting?”

“That can wait. Where’s your car?”

“Over there,” Adrian said, pointing at a matte black SUV.

I walked towards his car. “Safer to talk inside.” Safer for me. The tinted windows would obscure anything that would happen inside.

“Wait a minute.” Adrian stopped walking. “Tell me what’s all this about.”

I had to dispel Adrian’s suspicion. Quickly. I needed to put his mind off-balance so that he wouldn’t think about how weird our situation was. “I’m offering you a way out of the sinking ship.”

“What sinking—?”

“This ship.” I gestured at the hotel. “Big Marcy is allying with the Tea Party. You’re aware of that, right? Do you think that’s enough to save us from the government?”

“But you said that Big Marcy will sacrifice—”

“I said that so the girls won’t panic. Think about it. Multiple Adumbrae showing up to kill dozens of people. This isn’t a small matter. And it’s still going on. The BID, the Corebrings, practically anyone will assume there’s a hidden Purple Bloom somewhere in La Esperanza.”

“Uh, is there?” Adrian blankly asked.

“Of course, not,” I replied. “Doesn’t matter. Everyone who can kill us thinks that. It doesn’t help that the PCM experimented on Adumbrae. The BID found their laboratories underneath La Esperanza, including their test subjects. Not to mention a powerful Adumbrae like Red Hood showed up. Do you see what I mean?”

Adrian nodded. “I understand, Mr. Clifford. The BID will stop at nothing to find this Purple Bloom. They won’t be satisfied with catching a few important people who turned out to be Adumbrae.”

“Exactly,” I said. “And because there’s no actual Purple Bloom, the BID just won’t stop…”

“Until they find me,” Adrian said, looking down at the pavement. By making him focus on the danger he faced, he stopped being suspicious of me. To be fair, he was in real danger. The BID did think there was a hidden Purple Bloom because of the rumors I spread.

“What’s your plan when the BID comes? Nothing, that’s what.” I maintained my snappy tough talk to keep Adrian hooked. “It’ll be too late by then. That’s why I looked for other ways to protect myself. And I have this feeling it’s safe to tell you. That you’ll also want to join.”

“Join what?” Adrian asked. “I-I’m willing to do anything to survive.”

I surveyed the parking area. A car had just arrived. I gestured to Adrian to come closer. In a whisper, I said, “I went to Red Hood for protection.”

Adrian’s eyes widened. “Huh? Seriously? You’ve met Red—”

“Shut it! Are you trying to get us killed?” I intentionally used ‘us’ instead of ‘me’. I was impressing upon him that secrecy was also in his interest.

“No! I was just—”

“We’ll continue talking in your car.”

“Ye-yes. You’re right.” Adrian almost dropped his keys while unlocking his car door. He blinked rapidly, showing that he had trouble processing my revelation.

“Get in, get in,” I urged, rounding the car’s front to reach the passenger’s seat.

I closed the door. Adrian looked at me before glancing outside. And then, he closed the door on his side. I shouldn’t let up the barrage of information.

“Red Hood is the future,” I said. “You’ve seen how strong she is. Big Marcy couldn’t do anything to her. That’s the sort of protection we need.”

Adrian frowned. “Are you saying we have to fight the BID? Shouldn’t we hide?”

“We should hide,” I said. “You’re right about that. But for how long? And how long will you stay hidden? We need power. We can’t rely on Big Marcy for protection. Not only that, Red Hood can help us become stronger.”

“I, uh, I’m not too sure about this,” Adrian said.  

“Didn’t you become an Adumbrae for strength?” I shook a clenched fist for emphasis. “You’re aware of the danger, yet you pushed through. You didn’t need to do this. Not like you have a deathly illness like Vanessa… or me. You did it for you.” Tapping his ego was like attaching hooks to him.

“I did it for me…”

“Now, you’ll be in danger if you stay where you are,” I said. “It’s only a matter of time. Do you think running to another country can solve this?”

“If that’s what it takes,” Adrian replied. “I-I can hide abroad until the situation calms down.”

“Will it ever calm down?” I shook my head. “You’re not considering the entire picture. Once your family is branded an Adumbrae, that’ll stick. No amount of hiding will—”

“Okay, I get it!” Adrain hit the steering wheel. “I get it, I get it. What do you propose I should do? How will joining Red Hood help me? Have you met Red Hood?”

“Once,” I said. “In Barstow. Red Hood had already transferred her base of operations there. She moves fast and will never be caught by the BID or Corebrings. Some people I’m sure you know invited me—I can’t mention their names yet unless I’m sure you’re joining us. And what could Red Hood offer?

Her group is made of real Adumbrae, unlike us fake ones. You won’t believe the powers they have. Illusions, erasing memories, hypnotism… They can derail the BID’s investigations. They can completely erase your ties with Big Marcy.”

“Hang on,” Adrian said. “We need to return to Red Island for maintenance. We can’t betray Big Marcy, or we’ll turn into real monsters.”

“We’ll be in the company of true Adumbrae,” I said. “They’ll help you control your body while becoming stronger. Take me as an example; you haven’t seen me because I’ve lessened my maintenance sessions. I’m proof.”

Evident on Adrian’s face that he was starting to get convinced. But he still had some concerns. “Why would Red Hood help us? Shouldn’t she hate us? We’re fake. We still have our minds! They’re… they’re practically aliens taking over human bodies. I don’t under—”

“You’re right—you don’t understand.” My nervousness had disappeared. I was in the groove of lying. “I was the same as you at first,” I said, trying to sound relatable. “But then, I understood that Adumbrae are creatures of power.”

“And so?”

“They target the feeble minds for takeover. You and I are not feeble minds. True Adumbrae respect strength. They don’t care that we’re humans or like them, as long as we have strong wills. Hearing your reason for becoming an Adumbrae, I knew that I should invite you.”

I targeted Adrian’s sense of self-importance. Hopefully, he would forget that he wanted to come along with me, not that I invited him along.

“I was supposed to scout for prospective members at the Latch tonight,” I added. “But that can wait since I already found you.”

“I… This is unexpected.” Adrian stared at the dashboard. “I need time to think.”

“The only answer is yes,” I said, adding harshness in my voice. That line could be interpreted as a threat. “You know that this is the right path. Once you’ve joined us, you can bring your family as well. I know that you want to preserve your current life. That wouldn’t be possible if you’ve gone into hiding.”

“You’re right…”

“Perhaps you need to talk with one of Red Hood’s subordinates,” I said. “An actual Adumbrae. He’s here, in Summerlin. I’ll lead you to him right now.”

“We’re meeting an Adumbrae?”

“Right now,” I repeated. “This is your only invitation. If you’ll reject us… Anyway, you didn’t become an Adumbrae being indecisive.”

Adrian pushed the gearshift forward and revved the engine. “Tell me where to go.”

I directed Adrian to drive to a location without street cameras that Cecilia had researched. Along the way, I spouted more lies about the power and influence of Red Hood. Too bad that Adrian wouldn’t be able to spread my story.

Did I feel any guilt for what was about to happen to him? Not really. After hearing all those things he said about Deen, he was a certified bad guy. But I couldn’t end him. I’d leave that to my original self.

“Once you feel the changes in your body,” I said, “you know that you’ve made the right choice. I take that your powers have manifested?”

“Yes. A bit.” Adrian shrugged.

A guarded response. Some suspicion lingered in Adrian, and he wanted to keep his power a secret in case he’d be in danger. If it were a combat ability, I was pretty confident I could take him on. But it’d be a headache if it was something stealth-related. Or if he’d suddenly turn into a cockroach and scurry away.

I glanced at the street sign we passed. We entered a less populated part of Summerlin. For sure, the properties here had already been sold, but their owners were yet to build mansions. Street lights were sparse and not all of them worked. I saw the shadowy silhouette of a distant house; it didn’t have lights.

I pointed at the house. “That’s our destination.”

“An Adumbrae lives there?” Adrian slowed the car. He was hesitating.

“Temporarily,” I replied. “The house is under construction. Don’t be afraid. I’m with you. And know that the Adumbrae will sense fear, so clear your mind and steel your will.”

“Got it,” Adrian said. The car accelerated.

“By the way, I’ll show you my powers,” I said. “To calm you down, in case you think this is a setup.”

“I don’t think that, Mr. Clifford. But… I’m interested to see your powers.”

“I can shapeshift into other people. Don’t be surprised. I don’t want you crashing the car. I’ll change to something very different from my appearance. A girl.”

I scratched the bottom of my chin, imagining my mask’s edge. This was the last opportunity to spare Adrian. Then I reminded myself that he was an Adumbrae.

I took off my mask.

“Hey, Adrian.” The cute Erind Hartwell was back. And I was pleased that my Adumbrae sensing sense was still sensibly active. I could inexplicably tell that Adrian was far weaker than me.

“Wha-what? You transformed, Mr. Clifford! Holy shit, this is amazing!”

He doesn’t recognize me? Probably because it was too unlikely that this mysterious Mr. Clifford would turn into his law school classmate. I thought of toying with him, but I’d rather that he didn’t put up any resistance and wreck the car. I had to drive this shit downtown.

Since Adrian was driving, he kept glancing between the road and me. I revealed myself before the car came to a stop so he’d have less chance to react and use his powers. He might poof away or something.  

“You look familiar…” Adrian’s brows met as he gave me a puzzled start. “Did you—?”

“Watch where you’re driving?” I shouted, pointing at random stuff.

“Huh?” Adrian jolted, facing the road and slamming the brakes.

Unprepared, he got flung forward, stopped by his seatbelt. In contrast, expecting this to happen, I had tensed my core and become a rigid board. I grabbed Adrian’s throat, my left hand holding the back of his neck, my right hand to the front.

Before he could react, my fingers pierced his skin and stabbed into his flesh. I closed my hands with all my strength. My right hand crumpled his windpipe while my left hand ground his spine into many pieces. Blood spurted on the windshield.

Adrian thrashed in his seat, his death throes. I violently shook his neck to disconnect his spinal cord from his brain. More blood flew everywhere. He flung his arm at me, hitting the side of my face. It did hurt. But I kept my hold on him.

Four seconds later, he collapsed. I let go.

“Hmmm…” I observed his corpse. His head flopped to the side.

Not my cleanest kill. With bloodied hands, I tore away the clean part of Adrian’s shirt and wiped the windshield with it. Streaks of blood remained, but I could see enough of the road to drive.

On to my mission. I held Adrian’s shoulder with one hand and pulled his right arm with the other. The arm came right off. I folded it into the thermal bag that had reappeared upon returning to my original body.

The metallic odor of blood filled the car. The driver’s seat was slick with blood bubbling out of Adrian’s neck and arm.

“What if I just left the car here?” I asked Adrian.

As expected, he didn’t answer. I didn’t fancy the idea of sitting on blood while driving to my planned place to ditch the car. Plan B—return home while in my Blanchette form. But before leaving Adrian, I thought of an experiment to try.

I opened my right palm. Golden liquid rose from the crystals, illuminating Adrian’s body. Pretty gory. His parents would be horrified finding their son’s body in this state. What would they think had happened? What would the 2Ms think?

Whatever their conclusion would be, I’d make them more confused.

I touched the golden liquid onto Adrian’s head. He started to calcify or petrify. Not sure what term to use.

This is going to be fun. The Tea Party and the 2Ms, investigating Adrian’s death, would realize a shapeshifter had infiltrated the Roost. But was it the same shapeshifter who turned Adrian into a plaster sculpture? Perhaps another enemy Adumbrae did it? I’d build the illusion of the many Adumbrae members of Red Hood’s group.

Then I turned the floating golden blob into my Blanchette mask and wore it.