House of Long Shadows

"Wait for the detective, fuck her silly, and then fuck everyone else into oblivion," Kitten's avatar suggested. "By the way, which of you stole the capsule I left out the other night? It was a Christmas gift for Master Al. I had to attend to something before securing and hiding it properly."

"I found one in a plastic cylinder," I admitted.

"How have you been feeling?" Kitten asked.

"Feverish, distracted, and filled with energy, am I going to be okay?"

"That depends; let me check your vitals momentarily," she said. "Hoo boy, have you got a surprise coming."

"Kitten. What the fuck did I swallow?"

"You see, it is like this," she began. "I traced the product code, and Numenor only created one sample, yours. Booker himself directed it. It was labeled a going-away gift. What does that even mean?"

'Booker learned that you were dying,' my inner voice began. 'You had lost your arm and lost a lot of blood. When the doctors attempted to type your blood for a transfusion, they couldn't. Much of your biology comes from your mother. To save your life, Booker had his left arm severed and attached to you.'

"Hold the fuck on," I shouted, and the girls looked at me like I had lost my mind. "I'll explain later. I've seen Booker, and he has both arms."

'He regenerated a new limb while I worked hard to stimulate your mother's physiology to keep you alive. You are made of sturdier stuff than you know. To keep you from going batshit crazy, I became Jiminy Cricket and whispered in your thoughts.'

"You saved Emma and me," I said.

'Nope, I can't take credit for that. It was all you. You spotted the scope and dropped. Sure, I yelled, but you were already on your way down. You save Emma and yourself.'

"What is going on with Arya and the guy in the car?"

'I don't know. Arya could be a reporter. I'll tell you this: expect anything if she is related to the D'Amber family. Let's get this party started!'

We were all naked in no time; the alcohol, the music, and the sex lasted far into the night and early morning of the next day. At some point, the detective arrived and stayed for the festivities.

T Minus One Day: November 3

The devastation was glorious. Naked bodies all over, and among them, the police detective. Ivy was cuter than expected with a smoking hot body, short-cropped natural blonde hair, and one discrete tattoo that most swimming suits should hide. Do you feel lucky, punk? I do after seeing her pubic ink. I carried the limp drone to her recharging station and locked her into place. Kitty did as much damage as I did and together laid waste to everyone. What a night.

I turned on the news and dropped the remote to the holographic screen. Police and federal officials surrounded Carcosa's compound. They were trying to negotiate a safe release of what they called hostages. Good luck with that; they believe that Carcosa is the messiah, that he saved them, and that Carcosa deserves every last dime they have. It felt like Waco, Texas, all over again, except the man in charge isn't insane and is a master strategist. Dad, don't hurt anyone. While the standoff continued, the cops used ground-penetrating radar to find escape tunnels.

"Is your dad there?" Arya asked. "Answer me, Al. This isn't an option; I am giving you an order. Where the fuck is Carcosa?"

"Federal Agent D'Amber, I presume."

"I'm sorry, Al. He's a menace, and many innocent people could be hurt or already have been. Answer the goddamn question."

"I don't talk to him," I said. "If I were to hazard a guess, he is long gone. As strict as he is, I don't see him hurting anyone."

"You called him the day of the shooting," Arya growled. "What did you discuss?"

"Whether or not to call the cops," I replied. "They were targeting me after all."

"Two attempts on your life, at least, and you never asked for protection. Why?"

"I don't know," I replied.

"Bullshit, Al, I know you better than that. Why didn't you ask for protection? Tell me."

"I didn't want any. I didn't deserve any. Do you have any idea what life with my Dad was like? He crawls inside your head, scoops out what he doesn't like, and replaces it with himself. I left while there was enough of me to pretend to think for myself. Happy? Now for you, who is the guy in the car?"

"I can't answer that," she said.

"Did you kill him?" I asked. "Was it self-defense?"

Arya's eyes widened in shock as I ignored her and watched the story unfold. How long before they breach the walls of Carcosa's compound? They could drop in via helicopter, which is dangerous but might take the defenders off guard. My mind ran both sides of defense and offense, knowing that Carcosa was gone and on his way out of the country.

"Al, my name is Daria D'amber, and I am a federal agent. Here is my ID."

I glanced at the card and the agency she worked for.

"World Defense? You work for the US portion of a multinational agency. I don't get it. Why me?"

"You are Carcosa's heir, his eldest child, and you know how he thinks. Help us stop him."

"Do you have any evidence of wrongdoing?" I asked, and she shook her head. "I see. You are out of your league. I can't help because I left years ago. I've had minimum contact with him until recently, and that included me bitch slapping him, getting a gift of a car and a few family treasures. Hell, I haven't even driven the Bugatti; you made sure of that. Why should I help you again?"

"Come on, do you blame me for borrowing the Bugatti?"

"Did you bug it? Strip it apart? And god knows what without a warrant. I never permitted you to borrow it. I'll be honest; that pissed me off a lot. I am not happy with you. Did you kill him, the man in the 57 Chevy?"

"The Bugatti is back in the garage," Arya said. "I can't answer that question. How do you know about that?" She asked, and I flipped her off.

"I don't feel obligated to do jack or shit for you anymore," I snapped. "Since you eliminated that threat, read my lips. Get the fuck out. Grab your shit and go. I loved you. You shit all over my emotions, and after last night, I don't need or want you."

"I'll go, but this isn't over. Look at the news. I will be back."

"Get out now, send me your address, and I'll mail your shit to you. Out!" I screamed. "Kitten, remove that woman's security codes and treat her as a hostile."

"Yes, Master," Kitten said, marching Arya off the property.

I wept. Anger, pain, and loss tore at me as the person I felt so close to betrayed me. I never would have slept with anyone else without her pushing me away.

'Liar,' that voice snickered. 'Aw, come on champ, there is zero chance you wouldn't have fucked Emma with her ass hanging out like that. Lying to yourself is a terrible road to go down. Have you ever asked yourself why Emma wasn't wearing panties? She wanted you to fuck her.'

As pleasant as that memory was, real life continually intruded. The standoff was like watching a pot of water on the stove. When was it going to boil? The wait made sense to me when I remembered they didn't have evidence against Carcosa. Perhaps they were expecting the cultists to react violently, but the bird's eye view footage from a drone above the compound showed them going through their routines despite the small army outside their walls. The one thing missing and different from Waco was a single item. Where was Dad? If this was his big standoff, why wasn't he in front of every camera he could access? Why wasn't he preaching the good word of the Great Old Ones? The litany I had learned as a child was still on my lips, though I refused to utter it.

"Where is Carcosa? Answer. He is already gone. That's why he sent the violin. That's why he sent his most prized possession to me. That motherfucker has been gone for a while now. That doesn't answer the question; we know where he isn't, but where would he go?"

"Talk it out," Julia urged. "That always helps me."

"Canada? No, he hates snow and the cold; besides, they are way too polite for his tastes. Mexico has a suitable climate, but I'm not sure."

We spent the following few hours listing countries with and without extradition treaties with the US. We alternated between Cult Watch and thinking things out and hoping beyond hope that my Dad hurt no one. Then Kitten ended any chance of an optimistic ending to this shitshow.

"Do not shoot the messenger, but approximately thirty-one missing persons reports are connected to your father's group. I haven't found any activity on any bank, social security, or social media. They may be off the grid, and many have adopted that lifestyle since AI has grown into their own. I am sorry."

At some point, I fell asleep when I woke; it was after midnight. My stomach grumbled loudly, and I tried remembering the last time I had eaten. I stood, stretched, and looked at the screen. I sat back down when I saw the concrete blocks piled up next to the backhoe. A few of them piled next to each other and shared a design, the sacred seal of the Hermetic Order. They had drained the pool and removed the concrete bottom. I felt my heart sink as I saw ground-penetrating radar drones hovering over the exposed earth. They moved slowly, and I knew there was only one reason for doing this: they were looking for corpses.

"Oh fuck," I cursed and then looked at the scrolling message at the bottom of the screen. "Motherfucker. Ten bodies so far, and the authorities expected the number to skyrocket."

I forced myself up and into the kitchen. My blood sugar was crashing, and I needed something to eat. Kitten offered me handmade French fries and a burger if I could wait a short time while she cooked it. As I ate, I kept my gaze fixed on the screen and the activity of the forensic drones. They meticulously sifted through the exposed graves for clues to the person's identity. Everything made sense, and the most logical was Carcosa. He knew they were gunning for him, and he exited stage left. Kitten set down the bacon cheeseburger, and I barely tasted it as my mind latched onto the big question.

"How did he leave, and where did he go?"

Kitten crumbled to the floor as the lights failed. Something or someone plunged the house into darkness with what could only have been an EMP or electromagnetic pulse. Kitten would survive, but would we still be here when she did?

"Did you hear that?" I asked as Julia woke Emma, who had fallen asleep in one of the recliners.

"I smell smoke," Emma said as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.

Gunfire erupted outside, and I could pick out single shots to fully automatic weapons. Bullets flattened against the bulletproof glass windows as I ordered the ladies into the library. I dragged Kitten with us because, in the worst-case scenario, she could help defend us. A rosy glow appeared near one of the windows.

"The house is on fire," Julia exclaimed. "Al, what are we going to do?"

"I swear to god," Emma snapped and grabbed me by the arm. "If you say it, I will beat you within an inch of your life."

I laughed, and it quieted outside except for the growing crackling sound.

Thoom!

The deafening roar of a railgun rocked the night and changed the balance of power outside. A triple explosion marked a three-round burst as the exchange continued. The fire spread, and I moved toward the hidden switch at the base of one of the shelves. A blast ripped the door from its hinges and hurled it against the opposite wall. I pushed hard against the lid of the hidden compartment. I drew the pistol, thumbed off the safety, and took aim.

"Don't leave the library," I ordered.

Smoke swirled in the open doorway, and when I spotted movement, I aimed and fought the need to squeeze off a round or two. A figure stood in the gap, and my finger curled around the trigger. They wore body armor, including a helmet and face mask.

"Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?" I asked, and they lowered their weapon. "Turn around and walk away."

"Lower your weapon," Arya ordered.

"You are trespassing," I growled and raised my weapon for a headshot.

"Your house is on fire," Arya said. "Let me help."

The gunshot sent Arya stumbling forward and made her lose her balance. Arya's back armor protected her but left her bruised and out of breath. As she tried to reorientate, a man moved to the doorway, raised his weapon, and my first round caught him in the throat, the second in the head. I cursed as I raced over in a crouch, grabbed Arya's wrist, and dragged her across the wooden floor and to the library. Her pistol tumbled to the carpeting, and I examined it. A round was caught in the loading mechanism. I dislodged it and heard the soft whine as the weapon recharged. While rail pistols carried a wallop, it took time between shots to revive.

"Door," Arya shouted. I fired blindly and struck the hip of the man shooting at us. A few of the books were damaged, but he lost his entire leg and portions of his waist and groin. I tripped the library's defenses, and the French doors closed and locked. The fire had spread, and we were in danger of smoke inhalation.

"We have no choice," I said as I threw the hidden lever. "Let's hope nothing goes wrong."

"Don't," Emma growled.

The library began to drop down slowly as the mechanism grated and sparked. The screw-shaped devices in the corners started to smoke and arc as they began to fail. Arya cried out a warning as one of the attackers fired their railgun, and before I could curse, the library achieved freefall as it fell. My head struck something, and everything went black.

"Master, move slowly and remain quiet," Kitten urged. Her LED eyes dimly lit the remains of the library and the surrounding area. "We are in danger, and this is below the basement."

"Yeah," I whispered. "That last explosion severed the cable supporting the library. We are in some part of the Smuggler's Cave; if we are lucky, we are close to the distillery."

Kitten and I woke the ladies in the next few minutes and looked for wounds. Arya's armor protected her the best, while Julia had a nasty gash on her leg that required treatment. While she could walk with little difficulty, I feared her wound would attract unwanted attention. I had read the volumes describing the wildlife down here, which wasn't encouraging. Kitten led the way, searching for any signs of artificial structures.

"Wooden planks, this is a good sign," Kitten whispered.

"Great," Emma said. Behind us came the clatter of bending metal. "What was that?"

"The bad guys," Arya explained. "They attached ropes to the top of the shaft and slid down those lines. We have company, Al."

"There is movement ahead of us as well," Kitten stated. "Orders?"

"Leave it to me; go ahead slowly and drift away from whatever is before us. I spotted a loose board I could use. We are going to get out of this, I promise. Oh, and whatever you do, don't scream."

I retrieved the plank, slipped back as far as the illumination allowed, and dragged the flat end of it over our footprints in the dirt. It was slow, but our pursuers were being cautious as they progressed.

"They are trying to cover their tracks," someone exclaimed.

"Shut up, fool, you gave away our position," another enemy snapped.

They closed the distance, but if luck was on our side we could survive this. As I continued to drag the board, my back smacked into something, and I spun to face a carved effigy. The hideous toad-thing stood eight feet in height and, combined with its stony base, was close to fourteen feet tall. I set the board down and caught up with the others.

"Oh, Master, something not in my database is nearby," Kitten said. "I did as you ordered and skirted the range of its movements. What are we going to do?"

"Not a damn thing," I said and looked around. "There are broken casks over there. Move as quietly as you can while I wait here. If you discover a way out, use it."

"You don't need to prove yourself to me," Arya said and I shook my head.

"Stay or go, I don't care."

"Then why did you save me?" She asked.

"A momentary weakness; don't count on it happening again. If you want to do something, get the others to the surface."

I found a niche in the rocks big enough to hide me and waited. Kitten had been correct; the inhabitant that claimed this area as its hunting ground passed by dragging its tail-like tentacles behind it. There was a rough similarity between it and the carving I had struck. The thing left my line of sight, and a minute later, the men hunting us arrived.

"Over here, hero," I whispered. The bullet ricocheted across the surface harmlessly, but the sound of the gunshot got the damned thing's attention. It never uttered a sound as it charged the armed men. They responded with screams, single shots, and automatic gunfire at the thing. For a moment, I thought they might survive and continue hunting us. The monstrosity wasn't alone; its brood flooded the area and overwhelmed the soldiers. I closed my eyes, unwilling to watch them devour the men. The only thing that remained after the mother and her children departed were the bits of metal they could not digest. Once I was sure the things had left, I followed Arya and the others. A collapsed tunnel allowed access to a higher passage and eventually to the surface. I was greeted hugged, and we huddled close. The inferno lit the darkening sky that had once been the House of Long Shadows.

Later:

They found Carcosa's yacht floating in international waters. The boat was empty with no sign of a struggle, though my Dad had stocked the galley with expensive food, wine, and party favors. The forensic drones scanned the ship and collected biological material, which they concluded to have been contaminated by the local fish. No one in their right mind would accept the existence of human-fish hybrids. The authorities reported that Carcosa and his crew as lost at sea and dead. Nature had provided justice for the man who killed over thirty of his cult and fathered dozens of children. The case was closed, and I returned and rebuilt the House of Long Shadows, which I might add the studio made into a feature-length blockbuster starring Emma Watson as the main lead.