I saw a flash of light emanating from Cameron and heard shrieks of pain from the guards shooting at us. I continued cycling my Winchester, sending a hail of bullets toward the guards. There were more cries as my rounds hit their targets. Another flash from Cameron’s eyes caused even more howls of pain. I couldn’t help but wonder just who, or what, this Cameron Drake really was.
We moved closer to the front door, using whatever we could find for cover. When we realized no more shots were being fired, we carefully stepped out and looked around. I spin-cocked the Winchester, causing Cameron to look at me funny.
“What are you, the Rifleman or something?” he asked with a sly smile. I smiled back and shrugged my shoulders. We eased closer to the door and saw it open. We quickly ducked for cover, and that’s when I saw him — Grandpa Eli, with something slung over his shoulder. He stopped, put two fingers to his mouth and let loose with a loud bone-chilling whistle.
Suddenly, we saw a giant black horse appear out of nowhere. I had seen large horses before, but this was the most enormous creature I had ever seen. It had to be at least 30 hands tall — roughly ten feet. I had never seen Grandpa ride this beast before.
As we watched, Grandpa tossed what he had over his shoulder onto the back of the horse before tying it down. Then he swung into the saddle with ease and looked at us with a grim smile.
“Damn, Grandpa,” I said. “I’ve heard of being tall in the saddle, but this takes the cake.”
“She’s somethin’ else, ain’t she? Yeah, ah like ta take her out for a run ever’ so often,” he said as his eyes flashed.
“Is this for real?” Cameron asked.
“Sure is, son,” Grandpa said. He pulled back on the reins, and the horse raised up on its hind legs. It gave a bloodcurdling neigh as it raised its head, its eyes flashing, its front hooves high in the air above our heads.
“Whoa,” Cameron exclaimed. Grandpa smiled at that.
“Ah’d better get these two varmints to Adrestia’s courtroom. See y’all back at the house,” Grandpa said. He whirled the horse around and nudged its sides. “HEYAHH,” he exclaimed. The horse took off and suddenly vanished from sight.
“Now, THAT’s a horse,” Cameron said. “Is he really your grandfather?”
“Yup,” I said. “My great-great-great-great-grandfather. Served in the Union Army during the Civil War, then in the Texas Rangers. Rode with Captain Bill McDonald.”
“That’s way cool,” Cameron said. “I met him once before but I never knew any of that. C’mon, let’s put some people to sleep.”
…
Adrestia looked around after she and Max materialized in the hospital room. She saw the gaunt man in his bed and struggled as she held back her emotions. This poor soul was in worse shape than James was when Adrestia liberated him from this hellhole. She looked at the IV in his arm and flipped through his chart.
She produced a ring from a pocket and slipped it on one of the man’s fingers before dematerializing. She and Max visited the four other men in the same condition as the first, collecting their charts before placing a ring on their hands. After she saw the fifth man, she looked at her husband.
“I’m going back to the gallery. Be careful, my love. The nurses will be alerted as soon as these men disappear,” she said as a tear fell down her face. Max took her in his arms.
“I know, sweetheart,” he said. “I’ve got a handle on it. I’ll be right behind you. It’ll be alright.” He looked her in the eyes and saw a mix of pain and anger. “Get justice for these men,” he said. She nodded her head.
“I will, my love. Count on it,” she said. They exchanged a quick kiss, and Max stepped back. Adrestia pressed the central stone on her ring and disappeared, along with the man in the bed. Max knew the others had disappeared as well. Then he heard the alarms as the loss of signal from all five rooms hit the nurse’s station simultaneously.
He stood quietly, pulled his fedora over his eyes, and waited for the door to open. He saw a somewhat large woman in a nurse’s uniform enter the room when it did. She saw the empty bed, then looked at Max, surprised.
“What are you doing in here? How did you get in here?” she asked.
“Go back to your station,” Max said in his “command voice.” The nurse obeyed quietly, feeling compelled to do as Max ordered. When Max went into the central part of the ward, he saw a security man step forward, putting a hand into his jacket to draw his pistol.
“FREEZE,” Max ordered. The security man stopped in mid-stride. “SIT DOWN!” Everyone, including the security man, immediately obeyed. “Pull your gun, slowly, remove the magazine and toss them on the floor,” Max told the guard, who instantly obeyed, not knowing why he felt the strange desire to do as he was told without question. Max turned his attention to the head nurse.
“Here’s what you’re going to do,” he told the nurse. “After I leave, you’re going to call 911. You are going to confess to what you have been doing here with these men — kidnapping, illegal detention, everything. You will leave nothing out. You will also direct police to bring a team from forensics. Your boss has been slowly poisoning all of you. He intended to kill you.” The nurse looked at him, shocked at what she was hearing.
“And most importantly,” Max added, “you will say nothing of my existence. I was never here. Understand?”
“Yes, sir,” the nurse said, nodding her head. Max pressed the central stone on his ring and disappeared. After he was gone, the nurse looked at her phone. She strangely felt the overwhelming urge to dial 911 and reached out with trembling hands.
…
“You made it,” Adrestia said when Max appeared in their parlor. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his face. He hugged her back and returned her kisses.
“Of course I made it,” Max said with a smile. “Where are the others?”
“Cameron and Amos are in the other room with Danni and the six men,” she said. “Eli took Skitz and Tina to my courtroom. I’ll be leaving in a minute to deal with them.” They walked into the room and took in the six men lying in their hospital beds. Clara had just served them a bowl of chicken noodle soup and was busy checking their vitals.
“How are they?” Adrestia asked.
“Not good,” Clara said. “It’s a good thing you got them here when you did. Another day and they probably would’ve died.”
“How’s James?” Adrestia asked.
“He is responding well to treatment,” Clara said. “Mrs. Jones has been talking to him since you left.”
“Good,” Adrestia said. “I need to go for a bit, but I’ll be back soon.”
“Very well,” Clara said.
…
Edwin Skitz and Tina Eastland stood at one end of a long table. Several hooded figures sat on each side of the table, consulting their notes. The man who brought them to this place was seated at the table.
“ALL RISE!” a large man at the tall dais in front of them commanded. Tina and Edwin were already standing. The others stood on command and turned as two tall doors opened.
A woman wearing a long robe stepped through the doors and took her place behind a tall podium high above everyone else. She carried what looked like a double-edged sword in one hand. Tina and Edwin trembled as they watched the woman take her place behind the bench. A man stepped forward and took his place next to Tina and Edwin.
“BE SEATED,” the man commanded after the doors closed with a loud bang. Tina and Edwin looked around but saw no seats were available for them. “Court is in session, the Honorable Judge Adrestia Rhamnousia presiding.”