The Wild Ones - Part 2 - The Catalyst

4.

"This looks like the place," Tom said.

The four stood across the street from a large, Georgian house. It was equipped with the usual horrendously big gravel drive, grandiose black, electric gates, and unnecessary ivy scampering its way up the side of the building. There were two floors and what looked like a loft conversion. Overall it was approximately the size of three standard family homes shoved together.

"Oh great. We get to hang around with the pretentious posh child of a convicted felon. You sure this is the place?" Becky asked, taking off her sunglasses to visually tut at the building a little more clearly.

"I think so. They're the only Blacks around here. Plus, look, there's some journo sniffing around." Tom pointed across to a scrawny man in his early forties who had half his face pushed between the fence railings.

They watched as he continually jabbed at the intercom system before peering through the gates once more. He scrabbled some notes down in a pad, took a clearly wonky photograph of the premises with a small camera, and got into a car down the road.

"Figures that they're not letting anyone in," Lily said.

"Would they even be in? I mean, surely they're down the station bailing out father dearest," Becky replied.

"Well, we might as well try. I mean, maybe he is there and he'll see us and recognise us and let us in," Max suggested.

Everyone stared at him as if something that simple was impossible. Even so, they all shrugged and headed across the road.

Tom, having studied the journalist's technique intently, took his turn at jabbing wildly at the intercom system. After a while it beeped and the sound of static followed by the voice of a woman came through.

"Yes?"

Tom was slightly bemused and looked at the others for support. None was given.

"Uh, hi, um, we're looking for Daniel. Daniel Black."

"Why?"

"We just want to talk--"

"The Blacks have nothing more to say and would appreciate if further contact was made solely through legal means," the woman interrupted, robotically spouting a pre-prepared line.

"No, we're not--"

"Thank you. Goodbye." The static ended.

Tom looked back at the others who sighed. Becky leant back against the metal gate and dug holes into the gravel with her heel.

"We have to meet him somehow. Just making ourselves known in some fashion might trigger him to get in contact."

Lily nodded before looking back at the building. In the distance she saw that one of the top floor windows was slightly open.

"I guess I could fly up there. Maybe sneak in, have a look around, wait for them to come back."

Everyone stared at her in confusion. Even though they hardly knew her, Lily didn't seem like the criminal type.

"You do get that that would be breaking and entering right? It being illegal and all," Max said.

"Well I wouldn't be breaking so it'd just be...entering; trespassing. God knows they've probably got a half dozen paparazzi hiding in their shrubbery right now anyway. How about I go in, have a look around, try and find something useful, and then come out within...ten minutes? That OK with everyone?"

They all shrugged in thought, none of them particularly a fan of such a direct action.

"We can't let you go alone either way. If this guy's really a murderer who knows what's going on in there," Becky said. Max and Tom nodded.

"Well I'm the only one who can fly. Unless you're really good at burrowing Becky," Lily said with a smile. Becky rolled her eyes.

"You could carry someone right? Hawks are fairly strong," Max suggested.

"Hawks don't carry humans Max," Lily said, as if talking to a child.

"No, I know, but if one of us were to turn into a smaller animal..." Max trailed off and looked to his brother. It clicked for Lily and Becky who turned to look at him too. He sighed.

"Wellthis certainly won't be humiliating," he said.