Chapter 12

Chapter twelve

He used a pair of wire cutters to cut through two blue wires that sat among the rest of the colored wires on the control panel. After he threw the cutters into the yellow metal tool box at his feet, Gabriel retrieved a roll of red wire from the tool box along with a roll of black electric tape. He sat the two rolls on the control box and reached into his buttoned up grey wool coat and pulled out a small pocket knife. His blue diamond eyes glanced to Zachary, who stood in the cold wind, right in front of the gate. "See anything?"

Zachary stood with his hands in the pockets of his brown leather jacket that ran from his shoulders to just below his waist. The lifted lapels and collars twitched from a cold breeze that passed over him. The red glowing eyes stared into the woods down the hallway of cable. "Someone is out there with her." He said in a stern voice.

"One of them?" Gabriel asked as he cut into the tape.

"I am not certain, but I do hear light footsteps behind four heavy ones."

"Deer, perhaps?"

"That I doubt. I hear no whimpering or screams of fright, which worries me."

"How can that worry you?"

Zachary glanced over his shoulder to Gabriel working on the control box. "I did mention that one was a telepath, correct?"

"You did." Gabriel said after a small groan as he cut into the thick wire with his pocket knife.

Zachary nodded and slowly turned his attention to the woods. "A thought occurred to me, if this woman has control over humans, could she not have control over Ezra as well?"

Gabriel paused for a moment and looked up as though he were in thought. "I don't think so, Ezra's mind is too far gone at the moment."

Zachary smirked. "Why do I feel like that is wishful thinking?"

Gabriel sighed and stared into the control box. Steam rolled out his mouth as he sighed. "Well, it looks like the gun shot just fried some of the circuits. It shouldn't take me long to fix this." He started to wrap a naked wire with a strip of the black tape. "Zach, you'll have to forgive an old soul like I, but I have to address this worry that I have."

Zachary gave a small chuckle. "Nothing to forgive, my friend, what is it that troubles you?"

"I saw how you looked at Miss Martha Thomas. Over the years, I have seen many forms of your face when a beautiful woman enters your presence, but ... I have never seen your face so twisted in confusion when you look at her." Gabriel said as he continued to work on the wires in the electrical box.

Zachary lowered his brows in confusion, but kept his gaze strong on the woods. "I fail to see the trouble you have."

"Well ... What do you plan on doing with the woman and her shape shifting cousin?" Gabriel asked.

Zachary took in a deep breath. "I am ... Uncertain. At first, all I wanted to do was help the poor lad Richard, but when I awoke to the situation, I ... I lost control over my senses." The red glow in Zachary's eyes dimmed slightly. "Half of my being wants the best for them and if they decide to leave the manor, I will not stop them. However, the other half, and I am ashamed to admit this, wants to keep Martha here with a self-fish intent."

Gabriel stopped his work and stared at the back of his friend.

Zachary shrugged. "Many beautiful women have flocked to Club Red, but all I see is the painted flesh and lost ambition in their eyes. Martha, on the other hand, is the first woman I have seen in many years with a passion in her eyes. I sense more than just a beautiful woman when I stand next to her, I sense a beautiful soul." He chuckled. "You must forgive my old soul, but for fifty years I have lived in both torture and happiness for you and your wife, Gabriel. My soul aches when I see the two of you enjoying your romantic life, but I am happy for the both of you. I guess, the real truth is I had lost hope for love."

Gabriel smiled and returned to his work. "And when you see this pretty red head, you feel those butterflies flutter and your pulse race?"

Zachary laughed with a boyish giggle. "If I had a pulse, I would assume it would race." He held the smile on his face as the laughter faded. "I dare not say that I can see a future with this woman. I cannot say for certain that we are entwined and destined by God to be soul mates, but I can say that I finally believe in love at first sight." Zachary glanced over his shoulder to Gabriel. "Abba did answer my prayer a long time ago when I asked him to not allow me to live eternity alone by sending all of you, however, I believe he is answering my prayers to allow my heart to soar once more in love."

Gabriel closed the lid to the metal box and pulled up on the red lever before he threw the rest of his tools and tape into the tool box. He smiled and walked over to Zachary's side, who still kept his gaze to the woods. "This woman has had an effect on you, my ancient friend, I have never heard your poetry with such heart." He reached out and grabbed one of the many bars in the black Iron Gate. Gabriel's frame straightened as his diamond eyes lit up like two blue light bulbs. He nodded. "It's working." The mighty giant released his grip; the blue eyes lost the glow.

Zachary nodded. "Good job." The red light in his eyes began to grow stronger. Zachary smiled and followed Gabriel over to the tool box. As Gabriel closed the lid to the box, Zachary removed his hands from his pockets; the right hand pulled out a pair of brown leather gloves. He started to slip the gloves on and as he did, his long black painted fingernails started to shrink, but held their razor sharp ends. "I need you to find Bugsy. Be careful, if he is cleaver to escape from that guest room, he might try to elude you."

Gabriel nodded and grabbed the handle on the tool box lid. "And where do you suggest I keep him?"

Zachary flexed his fingers in the tight gloves and shrugged. "Well, you could distract him with the delights of the club. Tell Kat that all his drinks are on the house."

Gabriel gave a snort as he stood up. "Of course, and what do you plan to do?"

Zachary placed his hand on Gabriel's right shoulder and walked with his tall friend. "I want to make a perimeter check. Obviously, the guests have been running about and all I want to do is gather them." He patted Gabriel's bold shoulder. "I will make a quick call to the lovable sheriff and join in the club. We will keep watch on our elusive character until dawn."

Gabriel nodded. "Just make sure Ezra is alright."

Zachary smiled with a wink. "Of course." He stopped, turned and ran towards the gate.

Gabriel turned and watched Zachary's frame fade quickly into a black fog. The fog sped through the gate bars and down through the hallway of the cable fence into the woods.

The mighty man returned to his stride on the cobble stoned hallway that led through the many lawn lamps and carved bushes. His breath came out slowly as steam as he adjusted his grey wool coat. The tool box in his right hand squeaked with every limp of his leg. As he neared the glass portion of the manor, Gabriel stopped at the sound of a woman's angry voice speaking in French. He turned his attention to the open door that led to the basement. He sat down the tool box and walked up to the open basement door. "Victoria?" He asked in a louder voice.

The woman's voice continued to roar with curse words spoken in French.

Gabriel gave a chuckle as he started down the stairs. He spoke in her French tongue with perfection. "Hey, Victoria?"

As Gabriel neared the inside of the basement, lit by yellow lamps, Victoria's French tongue ran wild as banging and loud noises started to rise. He stepped into the basement and stopped.

Victoria, a middle aged, petite framed black woman ran around wild. Her bald head reflected the lights overhead and she walked around in her black pant suit; over her small chest was a yellow vest that held back a black silk tie. On both of her hands were fingerless gloves and around her waist was a thick golden belt. The belt clicked as she walked around in her black leather boots. She twisted her head to look at Gabriel and as she did, the long gold earrings clicked. Victoria frowned at Gabriel as she stopped her pacing at a turned over table. She pointed down at the smashed instruments and spilled liquid. "I'm gone for five minutes and this is what happens!" She roared in French.

Gabriel looked down at the fallen equipment and shrugged. "Maybe the lost spirits decided to toy with you?"

Victoria shook her head, the earrings clicked and clanked as she did. "They say they didn't do it. They say that some man ... Some stranger was intruding about."

Gabriel looked at Victoria with a worried glare in his blue eyes. He started over to the fallen table. "Did they describe him?"

Victoria looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You know something I don't know?"

Gabriel knelt down just outside of the spilled liquid and shattered glass. "Zachary stumbled onto some strangers on the way home."

Victoria rolled her eyes, scoffed and slapped her hands on her round hips. "Always bringing strays home."

"Did they describe him?" Gabriel asked again in French.

Victoria shook her head. "It is all mixed, but something has them stirred. Marie, as usual, is the only one making sense." She stopped and glanced around as though someone was talking to her, but there was no voice. "She says that ... All she keeps repeating is that she tried to warn him."

Gabriel nodded and pointed to the liquid as he looked up to Victoria's dark eyes. "What is this you were working on?"

Victoria sighed and squatted down, facing Gabriel. "A transparent formula. I started working on it not too long ago and never had a chance to test it."

Gabriel nodded. "But I see more than one chemical on the floor."

Victoria nodded. "The other was a muscle relaxer. I was going to show Zachary, but there were negative results."

Gabriel looked at Victoria in confusion. "Negative results?"

Victoria sighed. "Apparently, it causes delusions and increases paranoia in the mind. One of the rats was docile until I gave her my formula; she started to bite and snap whenever I got near her."

Gabriel pushed himself up. "Well, Zachary will be back after checking for the strays. One of them shot out the control panel for the fence."

Victoria bounced up onto her feet with worried eyes. "Ezra?"

Gabriel shook his head. "I think she is fine. Zachary heard her walking in the woods."

Victoria let out a sigh of relief. "Good ... Good."

Gabriel nodded and started towards were he came from. "I need to get my tools inside, then I will help you with this mess."

Victoria nodded, once she did, the woman held up her left index finger. "One second." She turned and ran over to the door that led into the manor. There, she picked up a pile of clothing. With the clothing in hand, Victoria walked quickly over to Gabriel. She held out the clothing to the large man. "I found these scattered about. I wasn't sure if they belonged to one of Zachary's strays?"

Gabriel took the clothes and started to look through them. He discovered a thin black leather wallet, a disposable pay by minute phone and a small yellow device that was more screen than plastic. With contents in hand, Gabriel dropped the clothes and opened the wallet. He searched the wallet and found a driver's license I.D issued in the state of Wyoming. "William Ryker?" He stared hard at the picture of the man and shrugged. "No one I have ever seen." He handed the wallet over to Victoria to study as he looked over the yellow hand held device. With his scared hands, Gabriel pressed the power button on the device and the screen lit up.

"What is it?" Victoria asked.

"It seems like some tracking device." He frowned. "We do have a problem, Victoria. I do believe that one of Zachary's strays is testing your transparent formula at this very moment."

Victoria sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, can this night get any worse?"

Gabriel shook his head slowly. "Careful, we don't need to jinx this house further."