Darkness of the Hunt

By Doug Lewars

Darkness of the Hunt is the second volume in the Dark Lord Rising series. In Book 1 – Photon of Hope – with almost all life trapped within The Grid and almost all energy quiescent, a single photon resulted in a change in the dynamics and as a result, new life and energy was released to form a new universe. It was a setback but the Dark Lord began the process of once again trapping life and draining the energy from the Multiverse. Over the course of human history, we see agents of the Dark and Guardians subtly altering the course of history – sometimes for the better – sometimes not. Then there was Dath, an unknown warrior on a long-forgotten planet, who saved a comrade at a cost to himself of being drawn into the darkness. But hope triumphed over despair and the Dark could not hold him. He escaped and rose to the realm of the Guardians. Hope was the one thing that could destroy the Dark Realm and so the Dark Lord prepared to cause eons of suffering to the living; and so Dath, or The Wraith as he had come to be known, agreed to return to the dimension of life and to the planet Earth to struggle against the Dark. But the Dark Lord laid a trap to capture the returning soul and direct it to the child of a woman who was bound to him. Then, when all seemed lost, the soul split into two. One half was directed to Alex, the son of Deirdre – one who had sworn her allegiance to the Dark Lord; but the other half escaped. Now the agents of the Dark are tracking the child in which the second half of the soul resides with orders to kill it when they find it. But the Guardians have laid a difficult trail to follow and with only three Earth years to accomplish this, task time is running out for the Dark Lord’s agents. And so, in this volume, we follow the deadly game of cat-and-mouse as Gareth and Linda flee from place to place with their son Bradley while the Dark Lord’s agents draw ever closer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Doug Lewars
• Release date: May 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370827183

Doug Lewars

Although not quite over-the-hill, Doug is certainly approaching the summit. He lives in Etobicoke which is a polite way of saying West Toronto. When not exercising such creative talents as he may possess, Doug may be found gardening or out somewhere fishing. He comes with a large bald spot, a dark sense of humour, and a fondness for chocolate eclairs – or chocolate anything actually.

Book preview

Chapter 1 – Stasis Commands

Darkness that was blacker than black.

Silence that was absolute.

Cold that had never known warmth.

In the dimension of stasis no light would ever shine. It was unchanging. Sitting upon his throne on the dais, the Dark Lord remained brooding over such life as was left in the multiverse. Like statues his attendants stood along the walls waiting for a command that might never come. Time barely crept forward in this realm. Outside the throne room was the grid, vast, seemingly endless - but finite all the same. In its nodes were trapped souls – alive; but in eternal slumber - unaware of the passage of time.

The grid was monitored by guards whose job it was to see that nothing disturbed the slumber of those entrapped within. But once, several billion years before by human standards, there had been an exception. An infinitesimally low probability occurrence had released a small number of souls and some energy and another dimension came to support life.

Of course the Dark Lord did what he could to remediate the problem and gradually more and more souls were recaptured and returned to the grid; but there were many still alive and moving from the dimension of the Guardians to a material dimension in which they could live out physical lives before returning to a higher plane. One such soul had been captured by the Dark Lord’s agents but had escaped; when, instead of breaking him, he had inadvertently been purified so that the realm of stasis could no longer hold him. He was the one the Dark Lord feared, for he had the power to bring hope to all; and with hope, the Dark Lord could not coerce souls into the grid. In fact, so powerful was this one that the Dark Lord knew that someday the seeds of hope he sewed would be enough to destroy the realm of stasis and open the grid so that all life could return to the multiverse.

But the Dark Lord was subtle and understood that the one who stood against him could not for long bear the suffering of others. And so he prepared to launch an attack against all life that must ultimately fail, but would cause eons of agony to those who lived. And of course, the One chose to return to the material world where he might avert this threat at the risk of falling from grace, being recaptured by the ruler of stasis and confined to the grid.

The Dark Lord laid a clever trap that almost worked – almost. When Dath - for that was one of the names of this soul - returned to the dimension of the material, minions of the dark awaited him and attempted to direct him so that he would be forced to reincarnate into the child of one who served darkness. But such was not to be; for, even as he was about to fall into the trap, Dath’s soul somehow separated into halves only one of which was trapped while the other achieved its escape and reincarnated elsewhere. And so, to Listion, chief servant of the Dark Lord, was given the command to search across the dimensions, locate the material body into which the second half of the soul had reincarnated and kill it.

In a small meeting room, sat Listion and three of his agents. Of course this was the dimension of stasis so there was no actual room, nor was there a table and four chairs and none of the entities had physical bodies. But such may be presumed for the sake of analogy.

Were you successful in picking up the trail? asked Listion.

It was not difficult, replied Bosk. The dimension in which he divided was close to the vortex so it was an easy matter to find the correct location. The trail was evident.

Did you track the half-soul to its eventual destination?

We have not done so but we have made a start. We wanted to be sure not to make any mistakes. For the soul was accompanied by the guardians and we thought there might be traps and false trails along the way.

And have you found any?

Not as yet but we are proceeding slowly and carefully.

How many dimensions have you examined so far?

We’ve examined five.

Five. That’s not bad but I’d prefer more haste if that’s possible. I doubt very much that the guardians would have had time to lay traps or false trails because they needed to get the soul to its eventual host-body quickly. I suggest that you press on with all speed so that you can locate the child, preferably before it has had a chance to be born; but of course that’s very unlikely. Nevertheless, we have only three of what the creatures of that world call years; and so it is essential we move quickly. Among these dimensions that interval of time can pass in an instant.

We will do as you command, said Bosk and with that the meeting was over. The three entities, two of which continued to remain respectfully silent, stood up, bowed and left the room to return to the dimension where another four souls traced the path of the wraith.

When they arrived they found Zad had located the exit and vectors to the next dimension. His description was in a form that is incomprehensible to humans. Suffice to say the searchers had a clearly defined next step and immediately followed it. The dimension in which they arrived was analogous to complex rope knots with individual threads woven into fantastic patterns.

Did he not make use of this dimension on his initial run? asked Bosk.

He did, replied Zad, And I think he back-tracked here precisely because it is so complex that he stands a chance of throwing us off the trail.

Can you detect his presence?

Quite easily, or, at least, the presence of the guardians. With so many around him he didn’t have much hope of hiding.

Very well, let us proceed.

Um, shouldn’t we check for traps first?

No, our orders are to proceed to the end of the path as quickly as possible.

Very well. Then they seem to have made use of this configuration in an attempt to hide - but there is a clear exit over this way.

Good. We’ll ignore the rest and follow this.

They found themselves in a dimension that, by analogy, seemed to be a silver spiral leading down to a point.

It seems too obvious. Do we follow to the end? asked Zad.

They seem to have done just that although one of them separated from the group. Either there is a trap waiting for us or he was hoping that we’d follow him.

Or, more likely, said Zad, He was simply reporting back to one or more guardians who were coordinating the effort. In any case we’ll exercise a bit of prudence and go through the exit in two groups so that the first can find the trap if any and the second can carry on.

There was no trap and when they exited from the dimension they found themselves hanging in space looking over the blue green planet that was their destination.

Once in the material dimension, their scope was limited because none of them had bodies. But being insubstantial left them with the ability to follow the soul trail as it made its way to the planet’s surface. However on the surface they found themselves buffeted on all sides by soul presences and it became increasingly difficult to remain focused on the correct energy signature. Twice they lost the trail entirely and had to double back to a place where they knew it to be. It was obvious that the guardians had realized that they would be followed and had taken steps to cover their tracks. Zad soon realized that it made sense because it was much easier to hide one soul or even a group of them in a city or even a small village because there were so many others that might blend in and obscure things. However these entities had been chosen by Listion for their skill and all the tricks used by the guardians were of no avail. Eventually they tracked the soul to a moderately sized building in a small town that had a population of slightly more than fifteen hundred people. There the trail ended and it was impossible to say whether Dath’s soul remained there or not. Still, it was what they had been sent to find and they could return to Listion with the satisfaction of having successfully completed their mission.

Listion was pleased; but would have preferred to have the mother carrying the infant into which Dath’s soul had bonded, identified as well. However it appeared that the guardians were not so stupid as to make such knowledge readily accessible; so knowing the location where the mother had conceived would have to suffice. Listion was also pretty sure that by the time he could get some of his material agents to the proper location, they would find that mother, father and infant were long gone; however, it’s just as difficult for humans to disappear without leaving traces as it is for souls to cross dimensional boundaries without leaving an indication of their identity; so Listion had no doubt that his hunt would eventually be successful. What did concern him was the demand by his master that such success be achieved within three Earth years. A quick calculation suggested that the pursuit across the dimensions had taken the better part of one year so the child would have been born and that meant that the clock was ticking on his deadline.

Finding physical agents was going to be another problem. At the time Dath arrived, there were nine agents on Earth. One, unfortunately was only ten years old and would not be able to contribute much. Another was over eighty and a third had just celebrated his ninetieth birthday so that left six individuals who might be pressed into service. Of those, two were in China, one in India, one in the Middle East, and two in the United States. It appeared that Dath had elected be born in Canada.

While Listion was not well versed in biological life on Earth, he knew enough to realize that his pawns might not be moved with quite the flexibility that he would like. It might be easy enough to get the two agents living in the United States into Canada, but those in China, India and the Middle East did not have the same flexibility. To make matters worse, both individuals in India and the Middle East were women and subject to the constraints imposed by their respective cultures. Getting them into position would take considerable time if it could be done at all. Those in China had a better chance of going to Canada because they were both reasonably well placed within the Chinese Communist Party. But that in itself posed some limitations - because they were not able to simply drop everything and go. Even one of the individuals in the United States might not pick up and leave without arousing suspicion because he had become a well-respected senior executive in an oil company and his absence would be missed if he did not first provide a plausible reason for his departure. Even worse he had chosen to marry and was encumbered by a wife and three children; so excuses would be required. There was really only one individual to whom Listion could look to for immediate results and that was Mike Gratton.

Mike was twenty years old and a second-year, somewhat uninspired student at Mississippi College where he was working on a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. It appeared that he had either repressed or entirely forgotten his birth memory that was supposed to prepare him for service to the Dark Lord. Well, thought Listion, a little remediation was always in order.

Michael William Gratton (yes his parents had inserted the William out of respect for Billy Graham), was exactly six-feet tall and weighed one-hundred and eighty-seven pounds which would have resulted in him being considered just slightly over-weight if he had a large frame; but with his medium frame he was just plain fat, although his weight was sufficiently well dispersed so that it wasn’t entirely obvious – at least not to Mike. His friends and parents pretty well accepted him for whatever he was. He had brown hair, brown eyes that frequently had a somewhat dazed expression, and a fairly prominent lower jaw. By some entirely irrational quirk of fate he had not acquired a southern drawl even though his parents and most of his friends had one. In fact, people meeting Mike for the first time usually believed that he had been brought up in one of the northern states. It is likely that he had developed a more clipped way of speaking as the result of watching too much television as a small child; because his mother frequently found that the television made an excellent and particularly inexpensive babysitter. So, whenever she found herself pressed for time, she made use of it to keep young Michael occupied. Whatever the reason, it did rather place Mike apart from those he associated with on a regular basis. But they had long since grown use to this oddity.

Mike was not the finest student in the world. His target was to obtain sufficiently high grades to warrant a pass; and either through diligence or pure blind luck, he somehow cleared the bar each year. Mississippi College was a Christian religious school so along with the business courses, Mike found it necessary to take a number of religious studies that, in the minds of the faculty, would provide him with some sound moral principles. In this, Mike was a model student because he was quite prepared to accept and believe whatever his teachers wanted him to believe. As with all his subjects, he was able to regurgitate a sufficient amount of the course content to pass exams. He might not have been the most intellectually adventurous student ever to enter the halls of academia; but he probably would have scored well if dependability was measured. So when his screams were of such volume as to wake the entire dormitory at three a.m., it did not go unnoticed and the next day Mike found himself seated in front of a guidance counsellor who prided himself on his ability to provide psychological guidance within a Christian framework.

Tommy Stoke leaned back in his chair and smiled his most reassuring smile at Mike. So, he said, I hear you had a bad dream last night."

That was putting things mildly thought Mike. Uh, yes, he said, But it was just a dream. There’s really no need to waste your time on it.

Now you let me take care of deciding of how my time is or isn’t a wasting. Like the Samaritan in the bible, I’m not one for passing by one of my fellow men who’s fallen by the side of the road. Why don’t you just tell me all about your dream and I’ll see what I can do to help y’all.

No, thought Mike, I don’t think so. This is not a dream for telling to you now or ever.

But of course Mike knew that when Tommy was intent on being helpful, nothing short of dynamite could dislodge him so he decided that he’d better invent a dream the might make Tommy feel that he was being of some use.

Well, sir, he said, I was being chased by the devil across this empty field and as I ran, demons with animal heads kept popping up out of the ground and trying to bite me.

It seemed like it should be acceptable. It had a nice demonic influence that would scare any self-respecting Christian like - up until the night before - Mike had believed himself to be; and Tommy could get into that. The idea of the animal heads on demons that kept popping up out of the ground and trying to attack him was loosely based on Whack-a-Mole, a game that Mike remembered playing when he was much younger.

I see, said Tommy. And was the dark one present in your dream or did you merely sense him?

Oh he was present all right, thought Mike, but not the dark one that you’re referring to. Mike was still in somewhat of a state of shock. It was one thing to discover that all his conceptions of normalcy were false but it was something else to find that he was the servant of an entity that didn’t even appear in popular mythology.

Um, he was mostly shadow, said Mike, But I could see some sort of form within the shadow. He hoped that would cover both contingencies.

I see, said Tommy who found this better than television. And could you describe some of those demons that had animal heads?

Not easily, thought Mike who had never had much ability at creative writing. It appeared however that a good yarn was going to be required so Mike set to work.

Well sir, most of them had dog’s heads but there were a few cats and maybe a few monkeys. Oh, and I think there were a few snakes and maybe some alligators.

Right, and how were you feeling as you ran?

Well I was pretty scared I guess, said Mike. Honestly, thought Mike, do you think I’d have screamed loud enough to wake up the entire dorm if I’d been happy?

Ah guess you were, chuckled Tommy in his most comradely manner, But what I really meant to ask was whether deep inside you really believed this was happening or if some part of you was still aware that this was a dream.

There was never a moment either while sleeping or after he awoke that Mike believed that his experience was anything less than genuine. He knew perfectly well that it had taken the form of a dream but it was as real in his mind as sitting in the guidance office talking to Tommy. And, in fact, it was quite a bit more compelling. Listion was nothing if not thorough.

Well at the time it seemed pretty real but of course once I woke up I realized that it was just a dream.

Well now there are dreams and then there are dreams. You remember that in the good book, Moses came out of prison because he was able to interpret the dreams of the Pharaoh. Some dreams are sent by the one on high to warn us of dangers here on Earth and it’s necessary to take them seriously and not just dismiss them. We’ll go over this dream of yours piece by piece and I’ll interpret it for you.

Mike cringed. Tommy was no Moses nor did Mike want to follow him to the Promised Land. Instead he wanted to get out of this office and start packing to go to Canada. Unfortunately that was going to be something of a problem. Listion made demands. He did not spend a great deal of time and effort explaining how they were to be carried out. Mike knew that he had to go to Canada, find and kill a kid; but that was about the full extent of it, and he was fairly confident that Listion would not be satisfied with just any dead child. Of course Listion had passed on the information that he, Mike, had been invested with magical powers; but Mike had no idea as to what they were, what they could do, or how to invoke them. So their benefits seemed somewhat elusive. He had also learned that he was acting primarily as an assistant for another individual; but again, who that might be or how Mike might contact his senior had been left unspecified.

Even worse, Mike knew that his little screaming episode the night before had resulted in him becoming a bit too well known among the administrators on campus. If he were to simply pack up and leave it would be noted far sooner than was desirable; and, if they hadn’t done so already, they would almost certainly contact his parents. No, he needed to play along with Tommy - at least long enough to slip back beneath the radar - but how long that would take and whether it could be abbreviated Mike couldn’t really say.

So, uh, before you went to bed, said Tommy smiling a bit too broadly, Did you do anything different?

No, not really, said Mike.

Nothing that was a bit, um, unusual? Something that you might not have felt a young Christian man should really do?

Mike wasn’t bright but Listion had snapped him into a new awareness that he hadn’t experienced before so he realized exactly where Tommy was going with his line of questioning. He was looking for a confession. What sort of confession wasn’t clear. Possibly he was checking to see if Mike had taken drugs or it was also possible that he wanted to know if Mike was feeling inordinately guilty about masturbating. In the past, it was true, Mike had experienced a measure of guilt whenever he satisfied himself; but compared to the morality of the role into which he had fallen, something as innocuous as a hand job was hardly the sort of thing to inspire guilt.

Er, what sort of thing? asked Mike to buy some time.

Tommy was in his element. In his mind he had already analyzed the problem and concluded that Mike was punishing himself with a dream for having masturbated. Of course Tommy was also open to the possibility that rather than punishing himself, the Lord had intervened and sent the dream as a warning; but in either case, Mike’s problem was guilt and guilt was something that Tommy knew all about. In a past life, he - or she at that time - had lived as a Franciscan nun and had learned how to wield a pretty mean whip. In fact, she had set something of a record within the order and it had been felt by even the mother superior that she somehow carried things a bit too far. Tommy might not remember his past life but he knew very well about guilt in all its lasciviousness.

Well, you know, we men are sometimes tempted by the sins of the flesh if you take my meaning.

Oh, I see. No, last night I was studying for my mid-term to I was too busy to even think impure thoughts.

Oh, said Tommy plainly disappointed.

It was at that moment that Mike had an idea that was truly inspirational – at least for him. Not only, he thought, would it get Tommy off his case, but it would give him an alibi to take a trip north.

Uh, there is one other thing I remember in the dream.

Yes? said Tommy eagerly.

Well, when things were at their worst - when the beasts had me surrounded and the shadow was looming behind me and I couldn’t seem to run anymore - and I was so terrified that I was screaming - well I woke up. But just before I woke up - in the distance - I saw a figure all in white. I couldn’t see very well but I think there may have been a halo or some sort of radiance about it. But, like I said, it was far away and it was waving to me, like the way you wave someone to come to you, and then, just before I woke up I heard a voice say, ‘your work is in Canada’. And then I woke up. And I guess with the fear and all the commotion as everyone came running - well I guess it just sort of slipped out of my memory; but talking to you, and remembering the dream, just made it come back.

Amazing! breathed Tommy, You’ve had a calling! That figure was surely an angel or maybe even Jesus himself.

He made himself look stern. Son, your dream is telling you that if you continue in the ways of sin you will be torn apart by demons and ensnared by the evil one. But if you listen to the Lord and follow him, um, to Canada you said, then that will be your salvation.

Do you really think so? asked Mike. Inwardly he was congratulating himself on his triumph.

I’m positive son. The Lord is surely calling out to you just as sure as I’m here in this room and your only hope of salvation is to answer the call just like the disciples. You remember they dropped everything to follow the Lord. Well you too have had your summons and if you obey you will surely find the grace of salvation.

Just pack up and leave?

Today!

But I don’t know what the Lord wants me to do once I get to Canada.

The Lord will surely point the way to you for he knows all things. Just like he sees each and every sparrow - in fact, each and every feather on each and every sparrow - he sees and looks after his children.

You do believe don’t you son?

Yes I do!

And you truly want the salvation that awaits you?

I truly do want it!

Then son, your way is clear. You must follow the way of the Lord and heed his summons to go to Canada where his path awaits you.

I’ll do it! I’ll drop everything and follow my Lord’s calling!

That’s the spirit! That’s the kind of faith that Jesus looks for in his disciples! Son, I can’t tell you what will happen when we get to Canada but I know in my heart that the Lord will provide the necessary guidance.

Um, we?

Son this is the chance of a lifetime! Jesus has summoned you and he did it in such a way that you had to come to me for guidance. It’s clear that Jesus wants me to travel by your side to help you in every way I can and I’m not one to back away from the Lord’s calling. When I pledged my life to the Lord I knew that I might someday have to pack up and go wherever he sent me and it appears that time has come.

Mike was too horrified even to speak. Tom took that as a sign of affirmation and appreciation.

Son, he said, You see already how the Lord is providing for you and taking care of you. Just a minute ago you were alone and facing an uncertain destiny, and now you have me by your side to look after you with help and guidance. Why already your path has become easier. And son, it will continue to get easier. Oh I know there might be some dark times ahead. When Jesus was in the wilderness I’m sure he wondered from time to time which way his path would lead; but he followed his heart and everything worked out for the best in the end.

If, thought Mike, you count being nailed to a piece of wood as being for the best.

But sir, he said, Surely you can’t leave the campus.

Oh don’t you worry about that. The young men and women on this campus will somehow carry on without me and I’m not the only guidance counsellor here. And, you know, he said reflectively, I think there are some of the administrators who will be glad to see the back of me. The devil has clouded their eyes and instead of thinking of me as a bedrock of Christian morality I think they somehow regard me as a bit of an old foggy.

I wonder why, thought Mike. Um, don’t you have a wife and children?

I did, said Tommy sadly, But the ways of darkness clouded my wife’s eyes and she left me and took the children with her. Of course I’ve forgiven her and would gladly take her back if she could but see the correct path to follow; but I despair of her every finding it. And what breaks my heart is that she is leading the children into the path of sin. Unfortunately there is nothing I can do. I tried reason. I tried prayer. Unfortunately Satan is a power to be reckoned with; and too many of the corrupt and the unjust have found their ways into the courts of the land and their decisions regarding child custody are tainted with sin.

Um, perhaps I just imagined that last bit. I’m not entirely sure the figure was all in white.

Son you’ve got to believe! You’ve got to be strong! You’ve got to have faith.

I believe, thought Mike, that I’m supposed to be strong enough to murder a kid somewhere. And believe me, I’ve got faith - although not perhaps in the manner you’d like.

Gird yourself in the armour of faith! Pick up the sword of righteousness! Believe in the Lord and he will be a beacon unto you that you might pass through the vale of darkness and be led to His truth.

Mike wondered if somewhere, somehow Listion knew and was laughing.

Chapter 2 – Picnic for The Quarry

Another sandwich? We brought plenty, said Linda.

Thanks Gareth took another chicken-salad sandwich and set to work. The fresh air had given him an appetite. I’d better not have too many, he said looking down at his stomach.

:Linda giggled, It’s okay. I’ve always rather liked stuffed toys.

Gareth pretended to glower. Is that all I am? Just another toy?

You’re better than a toy, she said poking him in the stomach, You jump when I poke you.

Oh well, sighed Gareth, Better to be a good toy if I’m going to be a toy. At least that way I won’t get sent to the trash as quickly.

I would never send you to the trash, said Linda.

Well that’s a relief.

Not when there’re yard-sales.

You wouldn’t!

Linda thought for a moment. I guess I’d need a pretty big table to put you on.

And I’d see to it that you had difficulty keeping me there.

I doubt I’d have to keep you there very long. You’d be sold in a jiffy.

Do you really think so? I guess I’m just overwhelmingly popular with the fair sex.

Well that of course; but the fact that I’d be asking such a low price that the bargain hunting instinct would come to the fore and they’d fall all over themselves to purchase.

A low price? Fifty million dollars at least. Maybe fifty billion.

I was thinking more along the lines of a dollar-ninety-eight, or maybe fifty cents.

Hey, my watch is worth more than a dollar-ninety-eight. He looked at the somewhat battered watch on his wrist. The plastic strap had long since given way and was being held together by duct tape. Even new the watch had not cost him more than ten dollars but had lasted for almost fifteen years and kept perfect time.

Well maybe not much more, but more I’m sure, he added.

If they see the watch I’ll have to cut my price to a nickel.

Ah come on! I’m worth at least a dime.

Well maybe, she conceded, But perhaps I’d be better off keeping you. After all, if I sold you I’d still need a daddy for Bradley and you’re already housebroken - mostly.

Gareth took the opportunity to sneak another sandwich. They were particularly good and he was rather hungry. They were sitting in the shade of some weeping willow trees close to a pond fringed with cattails. Gareth had spread out a blue blanket with black stripes so they didn’t have to sit right on the ground; and with the tree as a backrest and sun reflecting sparkles off the pond in the light breeze, it was all very pleasant. It was also quite secluded; because even though they hadn’t walked far from the village in which they were living, the countryside was rural and there weren’t many people around.

By the pond, a red-winged blackbird found a tree limb that made a nice perch and proceeded to announce his presence and warn off any other blackbirds that might be thinking of encroaching into his territory. Sparrows were investigating the ground for any seeds or nuts that might be available and a couple of starlings were holding a debating match in a nearby bush. From the pond some frogs declared themselves to be available if there were any lady frogs in the vicinity while overhead was the sound of an airplane winging its way westward because they were located only about five miles from an airport.

Linda looked around. I don’t see anyone.

I wouldn’t expect to. There’s less than forty people in the entire village and I wouldn’t think they’d be around.

Well you can’t tell, said Linda, Someone might be out for a walk or something. Still I guess we’re secluded enough so that I can feed Bradley.

It doesn’t matter, said Gareth. Nowadays you could feed him at Yonge and Bloor in the center of Toronto and no-one could make you stop.

What you can do and what I want to do are two entirely different things, said Linda as she unbuttoned her top. Some women don’t care who looks at them. I do.

She picked up Bradley and then hesitated, Don’t peek!

Gareth laughed, Honey I’ve seen you dozens of times when we’re in bed together.

She turned her back. That’s different. There are some things for which a girl wants a little privacy.

How is that different? Once I’ve seen you without your clothes on, I’ve seen you without your clothes. You haven’t changed since last night to the best of my knowledge.

Last night I was with you. Now I’m with another man.

He’s only two months old.

Meanwhile Bradley had set to work. He was not the most dignified of eaters and accompanied his work with considerable slurping and smacking noises."

I’m sure when you were two months old, said Linda, You didn’t want someone watching you as you ate.

I’m sure I didn’t care as long as the spigots were turned on. However with Linda’s back turned Gareth took the opportunity to scarf down the last of the sandwiches. Then he noticed a package of Linda’s homemade chocolate-chip cookies. Quietly he opened the package and ate one. Bradley wasn’t the only one who was taking advantage of the interlude.

By the time Bradley finished and Linda buttoned her blouse and turned around, Gareth had put away almost half-a-dozen of the cookies. He idly wondered if chocolate-chip cookies could be considered an addiction. Was there a support group called Chocolate-Chip Cookies Anonymous? More likely it would be called CCC Anonymous or perhaps C-cubed Anonymous. Already Bradley, who was completely sated, was beginning to doze off, which was one of the things babies did that seemed quite a good idea to Gareth, who leaned back against the tree and partially closed his eyes in the warm sunshine. Meanwhile Linda turned back to the picnic basket and pulled out the somewhat depleted package of cookies.

She looked puzzled. That’s odd. I thought I packed more of these. Then she gave her husband a suspicious look. While my back was turned were you at the cookies?

Cookies? asked Gareth wearing his most innocent expression, Don’t mind if I do, and he reached out his hand for one.

Linda smacked it. You were into the cookies weren’t you? she said accusingly.

Gareth tried out his most innocent puppy-dog expression. Can you possibly believe that your own husband who loves you dearly would sneak extra cookies while you were engaged in feeding his only son and heir?

Yes, she said, That’s exactly what you did.

Evidence my good woman - you must present evidence before the court. I call upon yon blackbird to testify for me. Let him address the court because he was witness to all my doings as your back was turned and he can confirm that no cookies were scarfed.

The blackbird chose that moment to depart for another tree where he thought he might better survey his domain.

Ha! said Linda, He fled when you asked him to perjure himself.

He did not, said Gareth, He left because he knew I was innocent and that he had nothing with which to accuse me.

A likely story, said Linda, Besides you’ve got crumbs on your chin.

I do not, said Gareth immediately wiping his face.

Ha! Trapped! said Linda triumphantly, If you didn’t have any of the cookies then why did you wipe?

Reflex action, replied Gareth, Besides, I might have had some crumbs from the sandwiches.

Linda took another look in the hamper. You ate every one of the sandwiches.

Well it seemed that you were finished and it would have been a shame to waste them.

So instead you waisted them, she said giving him a poke in his belly. I was figuring to use the leftovers for our lunches tomorrow.

Not a good idea. Chicken salad is notorious for harbouring all kinds of little bacteria that leap out and attack you if you keep them for a second day.

They were sealed in air-tight bags and it’s not too hot today. They’d have kept.

Well there’s no danger of spoilage now.

I think I’m probably spoiling you.

Nope, he said, You’re not. My mother spoiled me years ago. All you’re doing is adding to it.

I may have to put you on a diet.

Perish the thought and pass the cookies.

She handed him a cookie and took one herself. Not a bad batch, she said.

An excellent batch, he replied, Most chocolaty.

She looked at Bradley who had fallen asleep. He was a good baby compared to the stories she had heard from some mothers. He slept through the night right from the beginning. At first she had woken him up for his two o’clock feeding; but after a while of trying to feed a baby that just wanted to go back to sleep she gave up and let him set his own schedule. It worked out well for Linda because she wasn’t sleep deprived like some new mothers.

It appeared that Gareth was also well on the way to dreamland. His eyes were closed and he was breathing deeply. Linda chewed thoughtfully on her cookie and eyed her husband. At twenty-eight he was in good condition and, although he was probably carrying a few pounds too many around the middle, he was far from fat. He had brown naturally curly hair that most girls would kill for and which always seemed to wind up on men. Linda thought it was most unfair; but at least if he had the nice hair she had him. His face was boyish with wide eyes and he grinned readily. Linda supposed that his neck might be a bit too wide to be considered cultured; but it was also common for males to have thicker necks. Besides, he was not one to be found in the art galleries of New York or London. He much preferred the outdoors, working in the garden, cutting wood for the fireplace or tramping through the bush. He had wide well-muscled shoulders and large hands that could be amazingly gentle and careful when he was looking after Bradley. The thought of those hands brought a flush to her cheeks and generated warmth elsewhere in her body.

As Linda sat contemplating her son and her husband, a rabbit chose break from cover. It shot through the glade startling Linda and making her jump and let out a tiny scream. Then it vanished into a tangle of bushes on the other side. Instantly Gareth was awake and alert.

It’s nothing, she said, Just a rabbit startled me.

Okay, he replied, It’s just we can never be really sure about … well about anything.

I know, she said, But we’re probably safer living here than most places.

Yes, I know. But you know I worry. Every time one of those planes land it could be someone coming to try and find us.

I worry too but worry won’t do us any good. Derek suggested this place and said it would probably be safer than anywhere else we could go. We just have to keep our wits about us and move on if we suspect anything. Plus our neighbours are good people. But they do like gossip and that will work in our favour. If anyone comes snooping around asking questions they’ll tell us right away and they won’t give away anything about us.

That’s true. But from what Derek says, the people who will be tracking us are highly skilled so we’ve always got to be careful.

Well really, if you think about it we haven’t left much of a trail. We were living in Oakville, and I gave birth in Oakville Hospital. When we left we did so suddenly and we didn’t tell anyone besides Mr. Wong where we were going and he’d die before he told. Both of us lost our parents at a fairly young age and neither of us has any siblings. We let our friends think we were planning to move out west and then drifted away from them so that we could depart anonymously. I can’t see any way in which we could be traced, she said.

Neither can I but somehow I’m not entirely convinced that they won’t find us. They might use magic or something like that.

Linda considered. Neither she nor Gareth believed in magic prior to meeting Derek - but the guardian had convinced them with a couple of demonstrations. Still, if finding them by magic was all that easy they would not likely have had the time to flee from Oakville - much less find a new home in an out-of-the-way place like Blissville.

I don’t think we have to worry about the magic, she said slowly, If it was really powerful we’d already be dead. So I think it’s probably just another tool that our enemies have. I think they’ll have to do most of their tracking just like any human and that won’t be easy for them. Yes, I agree that we have to be careful and that we can’t ever be really safe, but I think we’re in a pretty good place here.

She moved so that she could sit beside Gareth and cuddle into him. If they find us they find us. Maybe we can run away and maybe not but I’m not going to dwell on it. I’m happy and I wouldn’t trade you and Bradley for any other life I could imagine. Besides, even if we are in danger there’s some danger everywhere in life. For example a storm could suddenly come up and lightening hit that tree. She pointed to a large maple to one side of the glade.

Or, she continued, We could go out to do our grocery shopping and get hit by a car.

Or, she added, Your tummy could explode from eating all the cookies and the blast could kill us all!

She took the opportunity to grab him by the belly and start tickling. Soon they were wrestling around on the blanket and a few minutes later … well, it was just as well that Bradley was asleep and that the area truly was secluded.

Chapter 3 – Second to The Hunt

Peter Parkenson looked at his calendar and winced. He had a nine o’clock meeting with his third line managers, a ten o’clock meeting with legal, an eleven o’clock meeting with Finance, a twelve o’clock meeting with Planning, a one o’clock meeting with Strategy, a two o’clock meeting with the director of IT, and a three o’clock meeting with the board that was expected to run until seven. He had twelve projects to review with respect to funding and he needed to prepare a press release with respect to the new oil development project because he needed some public support when it came to the environmental assessment - or, failing that, at least not outright hostility. He clicked forward but could see no unscheduled time for as far as he cared to look. Simply put, he was right up to his eyeballs in work and now Listion wanted him to go north and murder some unsuspecting baby. He might have felt better about it if the baby in question held a seat on the board of directors. There were a few of them he wouldn’t have minded bumping off.

Peter was fifty-eight years old and had been born in 1942. He had a normal childhood and eventually graduated from university at the age of twenty-four with an MBA from the University of Chicago. He had been waiting expectantly for a summons to perform whatever duty might best serve Stasis; but when the call didn’t come, he looked around for work and began working within the internal audit department of a large oil company. He figured that, without specific instruction, he was free to work whatever mischief might be possible in the world and, through a combination of competence, game playing and outright back stabbing, he moved through the corporate hierarchy until he rose to a senior level. Along the way he had ended the careers of numerous promising young men and women and another lot whose performance was less than stellar but were occupying positions that were inconvenient to him. In the long run, the benefits he brought to the company pretty much balanced the damage he had done - so as an agent of evil he had not accomplished much; but, as an agent of Stasis he had done quite well. Somewhere along the way, the satisfaction of corporate achievement had replaced his desire to inflict suffering and, apart from numerous reorganizations that saw some individuals tossed callously aside while others entered to take their place, he stopped paying much attention to his responsibility to the Dark Lord. He figured that if the Dark Lord - or his first lieutenant, Listion, wanted his attention they’d ask for it. Now they had.

At no time did Peter give even the slightest consideration to refusing the commission. Once one was an agent of Stasis, one did not turn down assignments; nevertheless, Peter had more than a few complications in his life. In addition to his business schedule that was filled to the brim, he had decided that since it appeared he was to live out his life on reserve so to speak, he might as well adapt to the culture so he married an attractive young woman who came from a good family and had a considerable number of excellent business contacts; and, with her, he sired three children. He had thought to bring his children up to be utterly ruthless and, to some extent, may have succeeded; but the most observable result of his parenting was that they became remarkably self-reliant and the youngest was just finishing university while the older two had good positions in business and were rising rapidly in their own spheres. None of them displayed even the most minor indication of social deviance and, in fact, would by any standard be considered model children.

Life had settled into a reasonable routine of business meetings, paperwork and social networking and, if there was some degree of distance in the husband and wife relationship, neither seemed inclined to worry about it. And now chaos.

A senior executive does not have the ability to simply close his laptop computer, turn off his cellphone and blackberry and head for Canada without someone noticing - and quickly too. Resigning suddenly and for no reason would create problems both within the company and outside of it. Certainly it would attract far more attention than Peter could cope with. A leave of absence was the best solution, but some sort of explanation was required and Peter was in excellent health as were his wife and children so he couldn’t use a medical excuse. Telling the board of directors that he needed some time away from the company in order to take a trip to Canada and murder a baby was not likely to draw a sympathetic response.

He stared out the window at the trees and well-manicured landscape that made up the industrial park in San Jose where the corporate office was located. The sky was hazy but that was not uncommon. Perhaps, he thought, an acquisition or a corporate merger might be an excuse acceptable to the board as an excuse to travel. He checked his notes. Red Star Oil and Gas might be a candidate. It had been hurt by a shift in the economy that saw less demand for some of the high-end petrol distillates that were its stock in trade and it had recently laid-off several employees. Clearly it was in trouble. It might not be the greatest acquisition in the world, but he thought it was worth exploring and, if he thought that, he could probably convince his board of directors that some fact finding should be done and that he would be best suited to surreptitiously enter into negotiations with the Red Star management team. Under normal circumstances he wouldn’t need to be involved and could delegate the work, but he thought he might manage to convince those around him that with the economy in a state of flux, negotiations would need to be more delicate than usual and therefore dealing in person might be for the best. It was worth a try and it was a better idea than walking into the CEO’s office and handing him a letter of resignation - especially if the page was mostly blank.

Peter opened a new spreadsheet and began to put together some numbers. He knew better than to falsify anything - but there are numerous ways one can put together a business presentation; and, depending on what one wishes to accomplish, some numbers can be emphasized and some can be left in the fine print.

Two days later he stepped into the CEO’s office. It was only seven thirty but neither of the men was accustomed to working nine to five and he could rely on his boss to be at his desk.

Morning Buck, he said wondering for about the millionth time how any parent could name his or her son ‘Buck’.

Oh, good morning Peter, said the CEO looking up from his notebook.

I’ve been thinking about taking a few days’ vacation and maybe taking a trip up to Canada.

Buck frowned, Peter I know you’ve been working hard and you’re certainly owed the time, but just at the moment we’ve got a lot of deals on the go and I’m not sure we can afford your absence at the moment.

Do you think this might change your mind? asked Peter handing over a printed copy of the spreadsheet he had worked out.

Buck examined it with curiosity and then he started looked closer, examining the numbers while performing some calculations of his own in his head. This is pretty impressive, he said leaning back in his chair.

I thought it was myself. And that’s why I ran the numbers.

Still there’s no guarantee.

Of course not - and that’s why I thought it would be best if I took a trip north by myself and passed the word around that this was just a vacation.

Maybe - do you think you have to go yourself?

I really don’t know how they’ll react to this proposal but I believe it would be best to keep things quiet and informal at this stage. I don’t want to spook them; so, yes, I do think it would be best if I went myself.

Yes I think you’re right. If they do go for it do you think you can get them to agree to this offer?

I hope so. Actually I’ve got seventy-five cents wiggle room per share so I can improve the offer if necessary; but actually I ran those numbers as a most probable case. I was planning to go in a full two dollars lower. They’re not in the greatest of shape and they may just bite at the lower offer. No point in making a nice profit if we can make a killing.

Buck laughed, I think I chose well when I promoted you to that position. By all means get a bargain if you can. Okay, we’ll keep it quiet and let on to everyone around here that you’re just taking a small vacation. After all, they’ll still be able to reach you by phone and by e-mail so it won’t seem overly suspicious too them. Are you going to take Lillian?

Peter hesitated. He certainly didn’t want his wife with him if he needed to do some work for Listion but it would be rather suspicious if he left her behind. I’ll be pretty busy while I’m up there so it wouldn’t be much of a vacation for her. I think I’ll ask her if she wants to come just in case she wants to do some shopping or sightseeing in Canada for whatever reason. But I’ll let her know that if she chooses to come she’ll likely be pretty much on her own. That way she’ll know in advance what she’s getting into if she comes.

Buck nodded, Sounds good. When do you plan to leave?

I was figuring that I’d leave this coming Monday and try and meet their people for dinner that evening. That will give me a feeling as to whether it’s even worth pursuing or if I should just turn around and head back. Then, if they show the slightest interest I’ll continue meeting with them to see what we can arrange.

Okay, and thanks. If you can pull this off I think that Red Star will become a valuable asset.

That settled, Peter returned to his own office and prepared for another day of meetings.

Lillian Parkenson regarded Peter as possibly the most rational individual she had ever met and she had met more than a few senior individuals in the world of business. So when he announced his plans to quietly investigate the possibility of a merger with, or acquisition of Red Star, she was immediately suspicious. There was nothing suspicious about the acquisition itself. That made perfect sense as did entering into negotiations surreptitiously; but what made her suspicious was something about the way he pointed out that he would be largely occupied and that as a vacation it would be somewhat lacking. She could not put her finger on why she was suspicious – certainly he had taken numerous business trips and never failed to invite her or to explain his own commitments so that she would not have unrealistic expectations. But there was just something about this time, about his manner - that, even as it seemed perfectly normal – yet it was somehow different.

If being on her own troubled her, Lillian would have divorced Peter years before. He had always worked long hours and frequently on weekends as well. In fact, the times he socialized with her were mostly business networking opportunities. He couldn’t be said to be a stranger to his children; but as a father, he had been somewhat less than stellar in the more emotional aspects of parenting. It hadn’t seemed to have caused the children much grief; and, in fact, they had grown up to be very ambitious in their own right.

George, the oldest had just made senior partner in the law firm where he worked at corporate law. Eric was a director of sales for a major clothing retail chain and Yvette was about to graduate summa cum laude from Yale with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, an MBA, and a doctorate in Global Finance. Already three of the world’s largest banks were vying with each other to obtain her services. In short, the children were bright, aggressive, and likely to rise to the top in their chosen careers; and, while it was true, that they were not likely to be available to their parents when said parents became elderly, it was also true that Lillian fully intended to be sufficiently wealthy that she would be able to purchase the best possible care for herself and not be in anyway dependant on her offspring.

Of course I’ll come dear, she said, I’m perfectly capable of making my way to the more interesting places without a husband having to lead me around like a pet sheep. I’m sure it will be delightful.

Peter did not by any change of expression convey his feelings of dismay. He was a remarkably good poker player but inside he winced over her decision. This was not going to be easy.

Chapter 4 – Beginner’s Mistake

At least it was summer. It was summer and the air conditioner was working. That was about all Deirdre could find good about her circumstances. She wasn’t exactly the greatest fan of Toronto but had decided to return in order to have her baby and she thought it might be best to keep him in Canada until he grew a little older. The downside to that arrangement was that Deirdre was somewhat obligated to stay. It wasn’t that she had to look after Alex herself. A nanny took care of most of the work; and, if breast milk is the most nutritious for infants, then Alex could just drink more of the other because he was fed from a bottle from the day he was born. Only one nurse had dared to question Deirdre’s parenting skills with respect to the decision not to breast feed and that nurse was no longer employed.

At least living in Toronto did allow her to spend more time with her husband and she rather liked that. If Sebastian hadn’t yet come to acknowledge or believe in his wife’s magical skills, he was at least astute enough not to make an issue of it; and he had definitely come to appreciate both her intelligence and her judgment.

She stood up and walked over to the door that led to the balcony of her luxury penthouse condominium. It was an exceptionally nice apartment but fell far below the standards of the villa she had rented in Greece. Still, Sebastian seemed to think that - in addition to keeping a roof over their heads - it was probably a good investment. In fact the couple owned two condominiums in the same building. One, three floors down, was considerably smaller although it had been designed with three bedrooms while the penthouse had only two. One was the nursery, the second was for the live-in nanny and the third was for another attendant who, among other things served as a butler and chauffeur for her husband. Although it had never been stated, Deirdre was fairly confident that the gentlemen - in addition to his other duties - could also pass as a thoroughly competent bodyguard should the need arise. The cleaning and cooking staff did not live-in but came during the day to perform their functions.

On this particular day in mid-July, the cleaners were not scheduled and the cook had left a light lunch already prepared and would not return until later to prepare the evening meal. Deirdre checked her calendar and found that