Harry Gerard. An old man stared back at Derrian.
"He's the owner?" Anacia asked.
Derrian nodded, his eyes glued to the paper. "He is, at least on paper." A frown touched his lips. "It's just not settling with me that he is completely unharmed." He turned to his sister. "I mean, the storm was a strong one. He survived and those two guys didn't?"
Anacia shrugged. "Maybe they did. Maybe, they're not in touch because of something else."
Derrian thought about that. It was a possibility.
"You should go now," said Anacia. "Be careful. And if you need me, then-"
"I won't." Derrian shook his head. "Are you seeing him? I don't think he knows anything. It'll be fine. But if I require you, I'll call you."
She sighed but nodded in the end.
"Take care." Derrian kissed her forehead. "And don't get yourself in trouble."
"I won't," she grumbled.
*****
Derrian checked his appearance in the rear - view mirror. He had abandoned his brown long boots, replaced the black leather jacket with a simple white shirt. He didn't like white. The only thing that remained the same was the pair of black jeans. He frowned. He looked human, and he didn't like that. Disguising like someone he wasn't, he could never be, suffocated him. He sighed and got out of the car, grabbing the file. He went over all the details once again in his mind. The driver, Harry Gerard, was an old man of 70 years who had managed to survive the accident. He lived with his grandson Lucas Gerard.
Derrian knocked on the door. Nobody responded. The neighbourhood was eerily quiet. He knocked again. After a moment, a young man, younger than him, stepped out.
"How can I help you?" he asked.
"I'm here on behalf of the Police Department. I'd like to-"
"But we already told you everything we know."
Derrian blinked. "No, sir. You haven't." Or at least, Derrian had been told otherwise.
"Yes, we have. Besides, I haven't seen you here before. In this town." Lucas gave him a look of suspicion.
Derrian smiled lightly. "That's because I'm not from this town. I've come here on behalf of the Police Department of Madesville Town."
"Why do you guys want to know anything?"
"Because, the accident took place there. It is a case that involves our town."
Lucas nodded. "Your name?"
"Harrison," Derrian spoke right away.
"ID?"
He took it out of his pocket and showed him. Lucas sighed and stepped aside. Derrian frowned. Lucas stared at him, expectantly. "Come in," he said. Derrian nodded and stepped in.
"My grandfather isn't well. So, it'll just be me."
Derrian nodded, looking around the house. It was very different from the Millers' house or Anacia's. 'Was this how all humans' houses looked like?'
"What do want to know?" Lucas asked once they both were settled down.
Derrian was a little taken back from the straight-forwardness but liked it a little. The faster, they got over with this, the better it would be for him. The faster he could get away from there.
"So Mr. Gerard, could you please describe the incident from the beginning?"
"Incident? There were incidents."
"You usually picked up the people around 11pm. Am I right?"
Lucas nodded solemnly.
"How many passengers were there in total when it all happened?"
"Three."
"Three?" Two men were reported missing.
"Yes. Two men and a girl. We picked them all from Madesville Town."
Derrian furrowed his eyebrows and moved slightly on the sofa. "Where were they all headed?"
"Wallflower's Deck."
"All of them?"
"Yes."
"Were they together? The men and the girl?"
"No." Lucas shook his head. "At first, I thought so too. But when I asked the girl, she said I was mistaken."
"Was something off about any one of them?"
Lucas frowned. "No. Actually, at first, three men boarded the bus. Three. But, one of them left the bus all of the sudden. The other two remained seated. I've seen them before - those two men. They boarded the bus every night along with another man. He was not there the previous night but another man was there who, as I already told you, left the ride."
"Why?"
"I don't know." Lucas shrugged.
"Could you describe the man?"
"Tall. As tall as you. He was dressed like those men, most probably he was with them. Quiet."
Derrian made a note of this stranger. "There are only two survivors, you and Harry Gerard, at least on paper."
"I...I don't understand. Where is it going?"
"What happened to the rest of the people?"
"They left," Lucas said. "All of them left before the accident happened."
"Why?"
"We ran out of gas and told them they were on their own. So, they all left."
Derrian frowned. "In which direction did they go?"
"Wallflower's Deck. All of them."
"But." Derrian went through the file again. "You said earlier to the police that two of the men died."
Lucas eyes widened. "N-No, I didn't say any such thing. Why would I say so? Did the police find any bodies? No. Why would I call someone dead?" He was ranting on and on and Derrian could clearly sense something was wrong.
His gaze fell upon the marks on Lucas' neck. "How did that happen?" He pointed at those red finger marks.
"Oh, these." Lucas grew quiet. Derrian could bet that the police, if they had actually questioned him, had clearly not seen this.
"Who did the police question? Only you or was Mr. Gerard was there too?" Derrian asked.
"Only grandpa," Lucas muttered.
Derrian just stared at him.
"Is that all that you wanted to know?" Lucas asked.
"I'm waiting for you to tell me how that happened." He again pointed at the red marks.
Lucas sighed. "When we told them that we ran out of gas, those men didn't believe us. They tried to attack us. They thought we were lying."
"Were you?"
The silence answered him.
"Why?"
"Because grandpa didn't want to go to Wallflower's Deck."
"But didn't you pick those men every night?"
"It was grandpa's decision, not mine."
"What happened after you got into the fight?"
"They left reluctantly." Derrian could sense a lie but he didn't push any further.
"Did anything seem wrong? Unusual?"
Lucas thought about it. "No."
"Would you mind if I took a look at those marks?" Derrian asked, getting up.
Lucas lowered the collar of his shirt. Derrian examined the marks. "Did you show them to a doctor?"
He shook his head. Derrian traced his fingers upon the marks. They were big, bigger than human fingers, but of perfect size of a Bhurader's claws.
"Their hands," Lucas started. "They seemed to have large hands, larger than mine." His eyes fell on Derrian's hands. "Or yours."
"Anything else?"
Lucas shook his head.
"What about the girl? Where was she all along?"
"Right there. But she got off soon."
"Did she notice it too?"
"The strange size of hands? No. I don't think so."
"Was there anything unusual about her?"
Lucas shook his hand.
"Was she from here?"
"No. The next town. Your place."
"Madesville?" asked Derrian.
"Yes."
"What was her name?"
"Mia."
"Mia what?"
"That's all she told me. Mia."
Derrian thought about all of it. The dots were half-connecting. Some piece of the puzzle was still left hidden. "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Gerard."
"Is that all you wanted to know?"
"Is there more you've got?"
Lucas shook his head.
"Then, this is all, I guess." He nodded over to Lucas and left the house.
"Anacia," Derrian called her.
*****
"Are you sure?" Anacia asked, looking at the wrecked bus.
Derrian nodded. "We need to check, at least."
"What did the human say? Does he know anything?"
Derrian shook his head. That was the problem. The human wasn't saying anything. There were facts he was hiding, no threat to his kind's identity, but certain important things, nevetheless.
"He's saying those men left but they didn't. They didn't leave for Arathos, and if they did, where did they go?" The question itched him.
"Wait here till I tell you to come." Anacia got out of the car and went ahead straight towarda the bus. The front portion was completely shattered due to the tree which had been removed by then and was placed aside. The entire area was a 'No Man's Zone' with yellow tapes drawing boundaries.
Derrian looked around for any sign of humans. There were none. His thoughts went back to the conversation and he wondered whether Lucas would double-check him or not. Even if he did, Harrison's name would pop up, not his.
Anacia signalled him to follow and he stepped outside. They got to the bus.
"How many were there?" Anacia asked.
"Two."
She looked over at him. "I don't think they can die. You're imagining the worse. What's two humans next to two Bhuraders?"
"I'm not taking any chances. Besides, there were three humans, a girl as well."
"What happened to her?"
"The same that happened to the two men, as Lucas claims. Where are you going?"
"In the bus."
He followed her in from the back door. The front was a wreck.
"Could you not hypnotize him into telling the truth?"
"I am not a Pharentou. Besides, it would take me years to practice hypnotism. Why don't you ask Wenson to give you the potion?"
"It's forbidden. No Bhurader can use Pharentou blood."
"Not if the king allows."
"He won't. As much as he loves his people, Moito knows not to upset them."
Anacia turned over to find any signs of mockery but all her brother's face held was sincerity. She turned again and began looking for something. Anything. Anything that would help her find traces of the previous night.
"I can sense them," Derrian said, brushing his hand over the last seat. "They were seated here."
A Bhurader could sense another one of his kind only and only if he was dead. Anacia took in a deep breath.
"Derrian," she whispered. There were claw marks on some scenes.
"Where are their bodies?" Derrian murmured. "They had to be here."
"What did Lucas say?"
"The Police found no bodies."
Anacia moved to the wrecked front, ignoring Derrian's plea to step back. "Anacia, step back."
"Let me see this." She bent down and observed the red stain.
"What is it?"
"Step back!" Anacia drew her energy and threw it in his direction. An invisible barrier built between them. Derrian roared behind it, tapping it hard. It didn't budge.
"It's still wet," Anacia whispered.
"What is it? Anacia, you need to step back. It could hurt you."
"No, it would hurt you," she hissed at him. He wasn't understanding it. It wasn't just any other blood. Just to be sure, Anacia dared touch it. It burnt through her skin. She flinched.
"Anacia, please." Derrian's voice was a mere whisper.
"It killed them." She got up and stepped back, wiping her hands with her jeans.
The barrier vanished as Anacia commanded and Derrian stepped ahead. "Are you okay?"
"Stay back."
His confused eyes met hers.
"It killed them both," she said, pointing at the blood that still hadn't dried. "It's still wet."
"Is it...?"
She nodded. "Erde blood. It's dark, full of anger and vengeance. I felt it. It killed your men."
Derrian's eyes turned a darker shade.
"It's a powerful one, this Erde. I've never felt this kind of energy. If this Erde is out somewhere, you all need to be very careful because she's angry. And an angry Erde always has a motive."