THEY REACHED THE NEW TUDOR AIRPORT AT AROUND 1:30 AM.
IT WAS QUITE LATE SO LUCKILY THE STREETS WERE EMPTY ALONG MOST OF THE WAY.EVA'S PHONE RANG, IT WAS HER SISTER GUESSING FROM THE CONVERSATION.SHE WAS WORRIED TOO AND WANTED THEM TO COME HOME STRAIGHT BACK TO HER PLACE.
RAIZO WAS WATCHING THE BUILDINGS ZOOM BY AS THEY ADVANCED TOWARDS THEIR DESTINATION.HE HAD BEEN THINKING OF COMING HOME AS SOON AS HE WRAPPED UP THE MATCHES,THINGS HAD JUST CLEARED OUT FOR HIM.JUST THEN HE CAUGHT SOME MOVEMENT IN THE SIDE MIRROR.THERE WAS A BLACK MERCEDES BEHIND THEM.HE WONDERED HOW HE HAD MISSED IT BEFORE, THE ROADS WERE EMPTY AND HE SURE WOULD HAVE KNOWN IF THERE WAS ANYONE ELSE BEHIND THEM, AND IT WASN'T LIKE THERE WAS ANY INTERSECTION THAT THEY HAD CAUGHT UP WITH BEFORE.YET, THERE IT WAS, WITH TINTED GLASSES, GAINING UP ON THEM SILENTLY.
EVANGELINE NOTICED IT TOO, SO SHE TURNED THE CAR SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT SO TO LET HIM PASS, BUT INSTEAD, HE PULLED UP RIGHT NEXT TO THEM.RAIZO KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG, THE GUY WASN'T PASSING THEM AND GOING HIS WAY.HE TRIED TO SEE THROUGH THE TINTED GLASS TO ATLEAST GET SOME HAZY IMAGE BUT NOTHING, IT SEEMED LIKE THE CAR WAS DEVOID OF ANY MATTER, THE MORE HE STARED THE MORE HE FELT DREAD BUILD UP IN HIS HEART.
EVANGELINE WAS ABOUT TO DECELERATE AND PULL BACK BEHIND THE GUY WHEN THE CAR SLAMMED STRAIGHT INTO THIERS SIDELONG, BUT EVANGELINE KEPT IT UNDER CONTROL AND BEGAN TO STOP, RAIZO INSTANTLY PULLED ON HIS SEATBELT FOR GOOD MEASURE.THE CAR HIT THEM AGAIN AND THIS TIME EVANGELINE COULDN'T CONTROL IT, THEY WAVERED OFF THE ROAD AND ONTO THE SIDEWALK.SHE TRIED TO REIGN HER IN AGAIN, AND SHE WOULD'VE ALMOST SUCCEEDED IF THE STREET LIGHT HAD'NT COME IN THEIR WAY.THEY CRASHED STRAIGHT INTO IT, THEIR VELOCITY WAS THANKFULLY LESS OTHERWISE RAIZO'S HEAD WOULD'NT BE THE ONLY ONE WITH INJURIES.THEY BOTH GOT OUT TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND IT LOOKED LIKE THEY WOULD MAKE THE JOURNEY HOME.
THE 'DREADNOUGHT' WAS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN AND HAD VANISHED IN THE DARKNESS.RAIZO LOOKED BACK AND ASKED EVANGELINE IF SHE WAS OKAY, BUT SHE WASN'T LISTENING TO HIM, SHE WAS LOOKING UP AT THE BUILDING ADJACENT TO THEM AND AT THE POLE THEY HAD JUST HIT.THE COLOUR HAD DRAINED FROM HER FACE.RAIZO FOLLOWED HER GAZE AND SAW THAT THERE WAS A JET BLACK RAVEN ATOP THE POLE, AND MORE ON THE BUILDING.THE ODD THING WAS THAT THEY WEREN'T CROWING, AND RAIZO FELT LIKE THEY WERE LOOKING STRAIGHT INTO HIM, LIKE HUNGRY VULTURES OVER A CARCASS, LIKE THEY WERE ONLY SEARCHING FOR ONE REASON NOT TO FEED ON HIS SOUL. THERE WAS NOT ONE PERSON AROUND, THE STREET WAS STRANGELY VERY 'EMPTY'.
RAIZO QUICKLY GOT INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT OF THE CAR AND EVANGELINE FOLLOWED SUIT.SHE WAS PROBABLY SHAKEN ALREADY, AND THE RAVENS ONLY ADDED TO HER WOES.RAIZO DIDN'T SEEM TO THINK MUCH OF THE SCAVENGERS, BUT HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT EVA, THE WAY HER FACE DRIED WHEN SHE SAW THE CORVINE BIRDS,SO WHEN ASKED HER ABOUT IT, SHE SAID,
"RAIZO, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN BIRDS COME OUT DURING THE NIGHT?ONE OR TWO MAYBE, BUT SO MANY? AND RAVENS? MY GRANDMA USED TO TELL ME STORIES RAIZO, STORIES ABOUT CROWS AND RAVENS, OF THEM BEING THE VASSALS OF EVIL IN OUR WORLD, OF THEM BEING...THE HOSTS OF HELL."
"EVA, CALM DOWN, THEY'RE JUST STORIES, AND THOSE WERE JUST BIRDS! I CAN'T EXPLAIN WHY THEY WERE STROLLING OUT AT NIGHT, BUT IT'S FINE, IT'S NOTHING", RAIZO TRIED TO CALM HER NERVES INSPITE OF HE HIMSELF BEING SHAKEN.
"WE WERE ALMOST KILLED TONIGHT RAIZO, I WONDER WHO WOULD WANT YOU DEAD SO BADLY TO FOLLOW YOU EVEN HERE.WE MUST GET THE COPS ON THIS, YOUR LIFE FALLS IN GREATER DANGER AS TIME PASSES."
"YEAH ALRIGHT, WE'LL BE AT THE BUREAU TOMORROW FIRST THING OKAY.NOW LET'S JUST GO HOME"
THE NEXT DAY, RAIZO WENT TO THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS AND FILED A REPORT.THE CHIEF, MAXIMUS MURDOCH, WAS AN OLD FRIEND OF HIS, AND HE ASSURED RAIZO THAT HE WOULD PUT HIMSELF ALONG WITH HIS TOP DETECTIVES ON THIS CASE.HE ALSO TOLD HIM THAT HE HAD RECEIVED NEWS ABOUT THE VEGAS INCIDENT. "DON'T YOU WORRY ANY FURTHER RAIZO, I'M ON IT.IF YOU WANT I COULD ASSIGN A SMALL FORCE TO GUARD YOU".
"NO....MAX I DON'T WANT THAT KIND OF ATTENTION.JUST DO WHAT YOU CAN TO FIND THIS GUY ALRIGHT, AND THANKS ALOT FOR EVERYTHIN."
WITH THAT, RAIZO WENT BACK TO HIS HOUSE TO PICK UP EVA, THEY WERE GONNA HEAD TO HER SISTER'S PLACE FOR LUNCH. HE REACHED BY HIS GATE AND HONKED ONCE AND SHE RUSHED OUT IMMEDIATELY, WEARING A PAIR OF DARK JEANS, A WHITE TANK TOP AND A BLACK JACKET THAT COMPLEMENTED HER FAIR COMPLEXION. HER DARK BROWN HAIR CAME IN WAVES ALMOST TO HER HIPS. ALL IN ALL, SHE WAS APHRODITE IN HUMAN FORM, THAT'S WHAT RAIZO ALWAYS THOUGHT OF HER.
ROWENA, EVA'S SISTER, HAD A SPACIOUS APARTMENT ON THE 40TH ST. AT THE ARCHSTONE, TRYST HILL. SHE WAS VERY HAPPY WHEN SHE SAW EVA AND RAIZO AT HER DOOR AND HUGGED BOTH OF 'EM, SHE EVEN JOKED ABOUT RAIZO'S HEAD NOT CRACKING UP COMPLETELY SO SHE COULD'VE USED IT AS A JACK-O-LANTERN DURING HALLOWEEN. THEY SAT DOWN FOR LUNCH AND TALKED ALOT ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS. ROWENA WAS ALWAYS CURIOUS ABOUT EVA'S FINDINGS ON HER ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRIPS.SHE HERSELF WAS AN ARCHITECT AND ALWAYS ASKED EVA TO BRING BACK LOTS OF PHOTOS SO SHE COULD USE SOME OF THE OLD DESIGNS.
THIS TIME IT WAS ROME AND EVA HAD BROUGHT BACK DOZENS OF PICTURES FOR HER. IN ONE OF THE PHOTOS, THERE WAS A DEEP PIT KIND OF A THING BELOW A BEAUTIFUL ARCH.
"HEY, WHAT'S THE PIT FOR? YOU FIND SOME TREASURE OR SOMETHING?" RAIZO ENQUIRED.
"CAN YOU SEE THE INTRICATE ENGRAVINGS ON THE ARCH RAIZO? WE WERE TRYING TO DECIPHER WHAT THEY MEANT, WITH THE HELP OF THE LINGUISTICS DEPT GUYS WE HAD WITH US, BUT THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT THEY MEANT, SO WE ASKED THE LOCALS, BUT THEY TOO DIN'T KNOW." EVANGELINE EXPLAINED. "YOU SEE GUYS, WE DIDN'T WANT TO DISTURB THE SITE INCASE THERE WAS SOME SACRED PLACE BELOW IT. BUT THEN DR.DREIZEN, THE PERSON WHO LED OUR TEAM, WANTED IT EXCAVATED. HE BELIEVED THERE WAS A TOMB BELOW IT."
"SO, DID YOU FIND IT?" ROWENA ASKED.
"WE WOULD HAVE HIT ON SOMETHING HAD WE COMPLETED THE EXCAVATION, BUT WE MANAGED TO DIG OUT ONLY 3/4TH OF THE PIT. THE LOCALS AND WORKERS THAT WE HAD APPOINTED FOR DIGGING, WELL THEY...THEY STARTED DYING..." "DYING??" RAIZO ASKED, "DYING BY WHAT? WAS THERE SOMETHING POISONOUS IN THERE THAT THEY BRUSHED UP AGAINST?"
"WE DON'T KNOW RAIZO," EVA SAID, "WE STARTED DIGGING THE PIT, AND AFTER 4 DAYS, WHEN THE WORKERS WRAPPED UP AND WENT HOME, TWO OF THEM WERE MISSING THE NEXT DAY. WHEN WE ASKED, THE OTHERS SAID THAT THEY HAD MYSTERIOUSLY DIED IN THEIR SLEEP. THIS CONTINUED FOR ANOTHER TWO DAYS, TWO PEOPLE WOULDN'T RETURN. SO FINALLY, WE GAVE UP THE EXCAVATION ON THE THIRD DAY, AND RETURNED. GOOD THAT I CAME BACK, THAT'S WHEN YOU GOT SHOT ISN'T IT."
"HMM", RAIZO SAID. HE WONDERED WHETHER THE COPS HAD GAINED ANYTHING ON THE VEGAS INCIDENT. ALL OF IT WAS A LETDOWN, JUST WHEN HE HAD THE CHAMPIONSHIP.HIS THOUGHTS WANDERED TO THE DREAMS, HE THOUGHT ABOUT THE SIMILARITY IN LOOKS, OF LEO AND DR.COLT.MAYBE HE HAD SEEN HIM SOMEWHERE ELSE...MAYBE--"RAIZO?" ROWENA TRIED TO GET HIS ATTENTION.
"DO YOU WANT SOME MORE? ...THE LASAGNA?"
"UHHMM...NO, THANKS...M DONE"
ROWENA PROPOSED THE THREE OF THEM GO FOR A MOVIE, WOULD BE FUN, SHE SAID. AND THEY DID HAVE FUN THAT EVENING, AFTER THE MOVIE THEY HAD DINNER AT A RANDOM FOOD COURT, VISITED THE CHRYSLER BUILDING(RAIZO HAD CONTACTS IN THE PLACE SO THEY COULD VISIT THE TERRACE TOO) AND THEN RETURNED BACK TO ROWENA'S PLACE.
EVANGELINE WANTED TO PACK UP SOME STUFF SHE HAD LEFT THERE, SO SHE SAID SHE'LL STAY THE NIGHT WITH ROWENA. RAIZO DIDN'T MIND STAYING ALONE, SO HE DROPPED EVA AND HEADED BACK TO HIS HOUSE. ON THE WAY WAS GEORGE'S WORKSHOP, THE GUY WAS A GREAT MECHANIC AND STAYED UP IN THE GARAGE TILL QUITE LATE IN THE NIGHT, SO RAIZO DECIDED HE SHOULD GET THE CAR REPAIRED AS IT WAS JUST 11:30PM, AS IT IS, HE HAD PRESSED HIS LUCK QUITE HARD DRIVING THAT DENTED DISGRACE AROUND THE CITY.
HE DROPPED HIS CAR AND AFTER PAYING GEORGE A LITTLE SOMETHING IN ADVANCE, HE KEPT HIS WALLET IN HIS LEFT JACKET POCKET, AND FELT THE OTHER FOR HIS CELL SO AS TO TAKE DOWN THE MECHANIC'S PERSONAL NUMBER, ONLY TO FIND THAT IT WAS EMPTY. HE CHECKED HIS JEANS AND THE CAR TOO, BUT THE GIZMO WASN'T THERE.HE REMEBERED TO HAVE TALKED TO HIS MANAGER WHEN THEY WERE ON THE ROOFTOP OF THE CHRYSLER BUILDING, HE GUESSED HE MUST'VE DROPPED IT THERE.SO HE TOOK GEORGE'S SPARE CAR AND PROCEEDED TO THE CB.HE LEFT THE CAR IN FRONT OF THE ENTRANCE AND EXPLAINED TO THE GUARD THAT HE'LL BE BACK IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
TAKING THE ELEVATOR, HE REACHED THE ROOFTOP AND BEGAN SEARCHING FOR HIS PHONE WITH THE FLASHLIGHT THAT HE HAD BORROWED FROM GEORGE.THERE WERE SURPRISINGLY NO STRONG BREEZES THAT TIME.HE WENT AROUND THE PLACE AND FINALLY FOUND HIS PHONE SITTING ON THE FLOOR NEAR THE HANDRAIL, HE BENT DOWN AND PICKED IT UP AND SAW THAT HIS MANAGER HAD CALLED HIM AGAIN, TAKING IT TO BE SOMETHING IMPORTANT, RAIZO DECIDED TO RETURN THE CALL AND STARTED WALKING BACK TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOFTOP. WHEN HE WAS ABOUT TO TURN FOR THE DOOR, HE SAW SOMETHING, FROM THE CORNER OF HIS EYE, SITTING FURTHER ON ONE OF THE EIGHT EAGLE HEADS.
HE LOOKED BACK AND SAW THAT IT WAS A GUY, IN A LONG BLACK COAT THAT WAS FLAPPING IN A SUDDEN BURST OF A STRONG BREEZE. RAIZO FELT A SENSE OF ISOLATION AND CHILL TAKE OVER HIM, HE THOUGHT OF JUST LEAVING THE GUY TO HIS BUSINESS AND GOING BACK HOME, BUT HIS 'KIND' HEART SAID OTHERWISE,
"HEY BUDDY, WHAT IN THE WORLD DO YA THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
THE PERSON TURNED HIS HEAD SLOWLY, AS IF JUST DISTURBED FROM A DEEP THOUGHT OR SLUMBER AND PROCEEDED TO GET UP AND TURN,
"WOAH EASY THERE FELLA', YOU'RE GONNA BE A VEGETABLE IF YOU MISS A STEP THERE"
BUT THE CLOAKED ANONYMITY TURNED AND STARTED WALKING LIKE HE WAS USED TO WALK ON HEIGHTS LIKE THAT, AND THEN JUMPED DOWN FROM THE EAGLE HEAD, STANDING AT A DISTANCE IN FRONT OF RAIZO. HE OBSERVED THAT THE GUY WAS CLAD ENTIRELY IN BLACK, HIS WAISTCOAT SEEMED AS IF IT WAS MADE OF A CLOTH THAT CHANGED TO DIFFERENT TEXTURES OF BLACK, WITH A MATTE FINISH FOR A SECOND, AND A DEEP SHINY GLOW THE OTHER. RAIZO OBSERVED HIS FACE AND LOOKS, WHICH ACCORDING TO HIM WOULD TAKE ANY WOMAN'S BREATH AWAY. LONG, RIPPLING, JET BLACK HAIR THAT CAME TO HIS SHOULDERS, A FACE LIKE THAT OF A ROMAN LEGIONNAIRE, HARD AND EDGY,WITH A BEARD OUTLINING HIS JAW THAT ENDED UP POINTEDLY UNDER HIS LOWER LIP AND A MUSCLE-DECORATED STATURE THAT FIT THE ENTIRE ROMAN-LEADER DESCRIPTION. HOWEVER, WHAT CAUGHT RAIZO'S ATTENTION, WAS THE PERSON'S EYES, SUCH DEPTH WAS THERE IN THOSE BLACK ORBS, THAT CAN BE PRESENT ONLY AFTER YEARS AND YEARS OF WORLDLY EXPERIENCES. IT WAS LIKE LOOKING INTO A DEEP, DARK AND BOTTOMLESS ABYSS, WHICH HELD EVIL AND DEMONS THAT WERE BETTER NOT THOUGHT OF, EVER. RAIZO FELT THE SAME SENSE OF DREAD TAKE OVER HIM THAT HE HAD FELT LAST NIGHT WHEN HE TRIED TO LOOK INSIDE THE BLACK CAR.
"IT WAS YOU LAST NIGHT WASN'T IT, YET YOU DARE TO STAND BEFORE ME AGAIN? YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE," RAIZO SAID, ANGER NOW BUILDING UP INSIDE HIM, SIDETRACKING THE FEAR.
"IT IS YOU, RAIZO, WHO IS IN A PLACE HE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN", THE MAN SAID, HIS VOICE SMOOTH, DEEP, CALM AND INTIMIDATING.
"YOU'RE GONNA GET IT FROM ME YOU *******" AND RAIZO RAISED HIS HAND TO PUNCH HIM SQUARELY IN HIS FACE, BUT HE STOPPED SUDDENLY MID ACTION, AND HIS HAND FELL BACK TO HIS SIDE IN ONE SMOOTH MOTION WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION,HIS ENTIRE BODY FELT LIKE IT WAS TIED DOWN BY A SET OF THICK CHAINS
WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED? RAIZO THOUGHT, THIS GUY WAS SURELY INTO SOME VOODOO SHIT. "WHO ARE YOU?" HE ASKED, "AND WHO IS IT THAT WANTS ME DEAD SO BADLY?"
"THERE ARE MANY THAT WANT YOU DEAD, RAIZO RICHARDS, NOT FOR WHAT YOU ARE, BUT FOR WHAT YOU WILL BE-A DANGER, AND A RISK." THE GUY SAID.
"JUST-TELL-ME-YOUR-NAME. I SWEAR I'M GONNA GET YOUR ARSE KICKED FOR ALL OF THIS", RAIZO SAID THROUGH GRITTED TEETH.
"FOR NOW RAIZO.... YOU ARE NEEDED ELSEWHERE" HE SAID, SPEAKING AS IF HAVING A VERY DIFFERENT CONVERSATION ALTOGETHER AND DISMISSING RAIZO'S WORDS. HE THEN PLACED A PALM AT THE CENTRE OF RAIZO'S CHEST WHERE HIS HEART WOULD BE AND MURMURED SOMETHING UNDER HIS BREATH.RAIZO FELT A DIZZINESS TAKE OVER HIM, HE FELT LIKE HE WAS BEING PULLED INTO A VACUUM.
"AND YES, TO ANSWER YOUR REQUEST,
I AM........ RAVEN"
RAIZO RETAINED CONSCIOUSNESS ENOUGH ONLY TO CATCH HIS NAME, AND THEN, LIKE SAND SLIPPING THROUGH HIS FINGERS.....THE WORLD SLIPPED OUT OF FOCUS.