Ridley - A Shaman's Duty (Chap 8)

1

While Isaac sat down and closed his eyes, getting ready to actually push his powers into the world on purpose, Ridley strolled around the small room. He poked at the CDs, which ranged from gospel to hip hop. 2

Mostly there was rock music. Ridley knew that the wanky guitar solos helped drown out Isaac's voices the best. It was only when a song was wailing into his ears that Isaac looked a little less haunted.3

There was also a ton of porno DVDs scattered among the CDs. He picked up a pile and thumbed through their titles- "Lord of the G-Strings', '12 Angry Men and 1 Horny Woman', and 'Live Free or Die with a Hard On'. He shook his head and bit back a laugh. 4

Isaac should've been a fun, sex-obsessed, but all-around-normal guy. But he was one of those Specials who would have been drugged heavily for pyschosis before mundanes figured out that Specials were among them. When he focused he could actually pluck specific sounds out of others from anywhere. 5

Unfortunately, when he couldn't control the power, he heard everything, everywhere, all at once. It was a lot of stimulation for his brain to handle and he often passed out when he let the full brunt of his own power ride him.6

Ridley knew that it was not a light favor he was asking of Isaac, no matter how much his friend downplayed the whole thing. So he didn't mind when Isaac tried to put off using it for a minute. 7

"So that chick Lavendar seems to have it bad for you, man," he said with a leer.8

"You know, for a skinny little nerd who hangs in his cell all the time, you certainly are a perv."9

Isaac laughed. "I'm stuck here- that's exactly why I am a perv!"10

"Lavendar freaks me out."11

He waved a dismissing hand. "Fucking Three bullshit. They talk big games about the war out there between humans and Specials, then they huddle in their pretty house and curse the world, and don't do anything."12

"Yeah, well." Ridley shrugged. "I'm not going to join them."13

"Would you hit that, man?"14

"Who- Lavendar? Hell no, man. What are you- fourteen years old?"15

Isaac smiled, but lost some of his jubilance. Ridley remembered that he hadn't had such a great life when he was fourteen. He took a deep, steadying breath. "Okay. I'm ready."16

"Are you sure you want to do this?"17

"Just shut up and catch me if I fall so I don't knock my head on the floor, okay? Last time I had a bump on my head the size of an A-cup."18

Ridley swallowed his smile. "No problem."19

Isaac's dark eyes swivelled up to Ridley's. "You remember how this works, right? I need a direction, a person's voice to follow backwards through time. Otherwise, I hear everything in the city all at once and I get to go through an oh-so-fun seizure. So, I'm following your thread backwards, okay?"20

"I understand." 21

"You'll have to guide me from there. It's too hard to concentrate on both the sounds and whatever it is you're looking for. Just make sure you speak softly. Your physical voice could shake me out of control."22

Ridley nodded even though he wasn't quite sure what Isaac meant, and hovered close to the bed as Isaac shut his eyes. Instantly, a warm, glittering cinnamon glow erupted around him, and Ridley marveled at the intensity of his friends' power. It would've been a glorious thing if it wasn't like a cancer that was eating him up from the inside.23

"Get a hold of yourself, Rid," Isaac suddenly said in a different voice than his own. "You can do this." 24

Ridley's skin crawled as he realized Isaac was repeating what he had said as he psyched himself up earlier, walking towards DeMartique. But he understood what Isaac had meant about travelling backwards through him. That part didn't bother him.25

It was the voice that was coming from Isaac's mouth that was scary. It wasn't unfamilair; that gravelly tone belonged to Ridley.26

As Isaac started to replay the short conversation between him and Bob, the receptionist, Ridley leaned closer to his friend and spoke as softly as possible into his ruined ear.27

"Further back, Isaac. I need to know what happened to the girl who died tonight."28

Isaac shivered, but stopped talking for a moment. When he began again, he was using Lavendar's voice. Ridley calmly stopped him again and backed him up further, carefully guiding him back to the crime scene. Ridley listened with interest as Isaac replayed a conversation between Morano and McKenny over whether they should call Ridley to the scene or not. Then he shook his head, and gently backed Isaac up again.29

Isaac was beginning to shake, small shivers that wracked his thin frame, but he gamely clenched his teeth, his power burning Ridley's eyes.30

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Isaac suddenly said in a new voice.31

Ridley frowned. He didn't recognize this new, male voice. Maybe another police officer- someone on scene before Morano and McKenny? Ridley started to turn Isaac away from this voice, when his next words made him freeze.32

"So sorry," he crooned, although the voice didn't sound sorry. "But you were a lot of fun while you lasted. You put up a bigger fight than the other two."33

Ridley's blood chilled as he realized Isaac had caught hold of the killer's voice. He made no movement, afraid to interrupt. Isaac continued to shake, eyes still closed, but he was starting to sweat and his fingers grasped at the bed sheets. 34

Isaac suddenly inhaled loudly and Ridley watched him carefully, guessing that the killer had sniffed something. "You weren't the one, mishael, but I'll find her soon ..." 35

Isaac's head suddenly snapped back and he made a gurgling sound. His power blazed, flooding the room with burning amber light. Smoke was drifting from his head and shoulders, and the smell of burned hair filled the room.36

Ridley suddenly realized that Isaac had lost control. Ridley grabbed him as he fell back on the bed, holding his ears, and making muffled, screeching sounds.37

His hands grabbed wildly at the bed sheets. "Please!" he shrieked.38

A flare of inspiration made Ridley fumble across the bed and seize Isaac's headphones. He slid them over his friend's ruined ears and punched frantically at the laptop's keys until the music blared. 39

Instantly, Isaac stopped bucking and relaxed back on the bed, holding the earphones tight as the music drowned out all of the voices. Ridley winced at how loud the music was playing, but smiled as Isaac sighed deeply and opened his eyes. 40

He blinked tiredly up at Ridley. He looked even worse than before. "How did it go? Did I help you at all?"41

Ridley smiled and patted his shoulder. "You were fuckin' great, man. I owe you big time for this."42

Isaac grinned brightly, hearing him easily over the music blaring in his head. "Really?" he asked softly.43

"Sleep, man. Rest up. Sorry I put you through that, but call me when you're feeling up to it. I'll have to buy you a lapdance or something."44

Isaac's eyes brightened at the mention of a lapdance and he yawned. "Okay. But I'm gonna rest now." 45

Ridley waited until Isaac had drifted asleep before he left. The three at the desk looked surprised that he was walked so calmly down the hallway.46

"Is everything okay, sir?" the woman asked.47

"I hope so," he replied without pausing. He hurried past Door #5 without a glance, feeling his back muscles twitch in memory of his stay here. Worried emerald sparkles danced in front of his eyes and he shook his head violently to clear them, sick of the invading colors. 48

So, Isaac had been able to help a little before his power fried his synapses. He now knew that the killer's voice was certainly male and seemed young. So, Lavendar had certainly just been yanking his chain. He truly owed Isaac for his trouble and made a mental note to go see him more often even if DeMartique still gave him nightmares.49

And 'mishael'- what was that? Was that the dead girls' name?50

When Ridley got back to his car, able to finally breathe freely since he was out of that place, he sat there for awhile. Why did the name seem familiar? 51

Unable to think of a way around it, he finally pulled out the cell phone Morano had left at his house. He couldn't decide if it pissed him off that she had left it there, or pleased him because it showed that she was thinking of him. 52

After glaring at the piece of plastic for a few minutes, he finally dialed her number and ignored the staticky bursts of sunfire gold and carnelian that popped into his head. 53

She answered with a growl. "I'm busy."54

"You think I wanted to fuckin' bother you?" he snarled back. He forgot to watch his tone and his car shuddered uneasily around him, unsure about his mood.55

She sighed and when she spoke again, it was in careful, smoky tones. "What do you want?"56

"The girl who died earlier tonight- what was her name?"57

"Why do you need to know?" she asked suspiciously.58

He gritted his teeth. Everything was always war between them, even simple answers to simple questions. He took deep breaths to try to relax when his silent growl made the car's metal frame groan and the streetlight on the corner flickered in fright.59

"Can't you just give me her damn name?" he finally whispered.60

"I need to know why, Ridley," she replied, not giving an inch.61

"No, you don't."62

He could almost hear her thinking, that sexy brain in action. It bothered him that she could still affect him so much even over the phone. 63

"Is this something that would probably piss me off?" she asked slowly.64

He smiled despite himself. "Perhaps."65

She was quiet for a long moment, then finally sighed. "Fine. I better not fuckin' regret this, Ridley."66

"Regret what? All I'm asking for is a name. What harm can there be in that?"67

"Amelia Brown was her legal name. But she went by Elektra in the Den of Sin books."68

Ridley nodded to himself. "Thanks, Morano."69

"You better not be investigating this case when I told you not to, Rid-"70

"What's that, Morano?" he asked, grinning. "I- I can't hear you-"71

"Ridley-"72

"What? Huh? Oh, this must be a bad connection! Thanks, Morano." He flipped the phone closed and tossed it on the seat beside him.73

So, the killer had called her 'mishael' even though that wasn't her name. And Ridley knew he'd heard the name before. He was going to have to do some thinking.74

He pulled out into the street and made a U-turn, heading towards home. First things first, though. He needed to find some food before he passed out. Food might be the very thing to jog his memory.75