Chapter 9
New York
Cassandra's eyes adjusted quickly to the dim light of the hotel room. The drapes were drawn against the late afternoon sun... She saw Phillip's student sitting on the floor... clasping the drowsy boy the Swordmaster had begged the psychic to help.
Cassandra had considered just using the voice on Phillip and getting what she needed... but she had always had a soft spot for children.
"Take him to a professional!" she had tried to tell the Greek.
"I can't... he'll be one of us someday. It's complicated Cassandra. Little Sister and I both feel that if we can access those memories he can't quite recall... we might be able to help him."
So... here she was. Across the room... Phillip's small student eyed her evenly... her head tilted to one side as though she were listening to someone none of the rest of them could hear. In her arms... the boy lay pale and drawn... whimpering slightly. His forehead was wet with sweat and his breath came in small gasps... his hands clutched at the air spasmodically.
Cassandra knelt by the pair and ran one hand over the boy's brow. It was cold and clammy. She sat back on her heels... uncertain as to what she should do next. She looked at length deeply into the girl's green eyes and saw curiosity and apprehension.
"I'm only here to help the boy."
The girl nodded and rocked him again. The boy struggled in her arms letting out a ragged breath. When he opened his eyes... Cassandra saw they were blue. He raised one hand into a fist and rubbed his eyes. "Gee... did I nod off again?" He smiled weakly at the girl. "Ellie?" He reached for her and held her tightly. The girl smiled and held him back but she stared at Cassandra.
Cassandra stood and turned to the Greek. "You and your student will need to leave me alone with the boy. It's the only way I might be able to help."
"No... I stay, " the girl said.
The Greek shook his head, "As I tried to explain... we will not leave him."
"Then I cannot help." Cassandra made to leave.
"Help how?" The boy's sudden question made her pause.
Cassandra turned and stared down at him. "Help you to remember that which you fear to."
The boy nodded. "Then that's what we need to do." He broke free of the girl's embrace and stood facing the wild-haired immortal. "Ready when you are."
"No..." the girl began.
"Ellie... we both know this has to end. If she can end it... we need to take the chance. Trust me. Trust my judgment this time." Cassandra noticed the change in inflection as the boy spoke the final words... as if there was another voice guiding what he said. The girl... Ellie... must have noticed it too. Her breath caught in her throat and then she nodded. Nodding, she stood and walked slowly toward the door.
The Greek picked up a long sword case, as if reluctant to leave it behind pausing a moment before he joined the girl. "We'll be right outside... don't try anything Cassandra... you'll be sorry if you do."
Cassandra watched the door close behind them. Then she turned to the boy who had taken a seat in one of the two chairs near the window. He regarded her solemnly and with an air of maturity belying his tender years. "Shall we get started?"
***
It was dark by the time Phillip and Eleanor re-entered the hotel room. Cassandra was standing at the window... gazing down thoughtfully on the lights of the city. Derrick was curled into a ball and sleeping soundly on Eleanor's bed.
Immediately, Eleanor crossed to the boy to check on him while Phillip, after replacing the sword case where it had been, crossed over to Cassandra.
"He should sleep through the night without interruption. Tomorrow... he may have many things to talk to you about."
"What did you learn?" asked Phillip.
Cassandra shook her head. "He's evidently seen a great deal of violence in his young life. He must have seen his family murdered... his earliest thoughts seem to be of his older sister lying dead and bloody just beyond his reach. He carries a great sense of guilt that he could not save her. Then the woman who raised him next apparently was also killed. After that your student found him. He seemed to think she was his sister come back for him. But apparently whatever you two have been involved in lately has stirred up these early half-forgotten memories of blood and guns again."
Phillip nodded sadly. "Yes... it's not been pleasant."
"Even if he is one of us," Cassandra whispered, " you should turn him over to authorities and let them deal with him. We... should never raise children!"
"He's attached to her. He won't leave her. What can we do?"
"Well... he'll likely need real therapy... much more than I can do... but I've put a suggestion in his mind so that when the memories come... he will realize that they are just that... memories... They cannot hurt him... He is safe and warm and happy. He may well feel the need to talk about whatever it is that he clearly remembers." Cassandra shrugged. "It is all I can do."
"May it be enough." Phillip murmured. "You didn't mention..."
"Of course not. But I gather he is suspicious... Something about bullets bouncing off some friend of yours."
Phillip smiled as he scratched at his beard, "Yeah... well... we sorta figured we might have to explain a few things to him... but settling his mind about these memories and... what recently happened... seemed the top priority."
"Yes... well... if we are finished... can you take me back to the cemetery?"
Phillip nodded, "I can or... if you'd like a taxi..."
"No... I think I'd like for you to drive me." Cassandra pulled on her long coat as she nodded farewell to the girl. The psychic watched as the girl brushed the boy's hair out of his eyes and leaned down to kiss his forehead. Ellie was totally focused on the boy, seemingly unaware of the other immortals. Then Cassandra opened the door and swiftly exited into the hallway.
"I'll be back shortly," she heard the Greek say as he closed the door and took her arm to escort her to the elevator. Once in his car... Cassandra smiled... it was safe now for her to use the voice... there was still payment for the afternoon to be considered... and she knew what payment she now wanted.
***
Eleanor glanced up as Phillip re-entered the room. He threw the bolts on the door and removed his coat, flinging it onto the desk chair. With his hands on his hips, he stood looking out the window for a time and then turned to her with a wan smile. "Well... that didn't go too badly... did it?"
"I'm still worried about her."
"Well the boy didn't know Adam's other name... and neither one of us would mention it... I know better... always have... and you barely said a dozen words."
"Still... she makes me nervous."
"How's Derrick." Phillip finally asked.
"Sleeping... He's just sleeping. I guess we'll see tomorrow if it lasts."
"Tomorrow... " Phillip's voice trailed off and he stared once more out of the window. "Maybe we'll hang around here another day or so before I try to make plane reservations. Just to be on the safe side." He pulled out a chair and sat down at Eleanor's laptop. "I think I'll check messages in case 'Adam' has been in touch."
"He hasn't... at least not since this morning. I still think we should have told him what we were going to do."
"It would just worry him... might distract him... He has other things to think about right now." Phillip murmured as he pulled up email accounts and did some checking. Finally he closed the laptop and rubbed his head. "Think the TV will bother him? That damned sword is playing with my mind again."
"No... go ahead. It doesn't like not being claimed. I wish... Adam... had held onto it." Adam was what Derrick knew Methos as, so the duo had been attempting to use only that name for their ancient friend for the time being... Still... sometimes it was hard. Eleanor lay down on the bed again and tried to get some sleep. Surprisingly, she dropped off fairly quickly... the past few days had been more of a strain on her than she had realized. In dreams though... strong arms were once more about her... and a cherished voice whispered ancient words of love...
Phillip scanned quickly through the channels until he found an infomercial... on knives. He chuckled and settled down to watch a simple knife cut through steel. "Right," he thought. "Are people really that gullible?" Gradually his eyes closed... and a voice whispered in his mind... Bring it to me... find it and bring it to me.
When morning came... Eleanor opened her eyes and saw Derrick sitting in the bed beside her... his head against the wall regarding her with great interest. On the other side of the room, she could hear Phillip's snore and the low murmur of the TV. She smiled at Derrick.
"You're not really my sister are you?" the boy asked.
Eleanor shifted slightly and then sighed. "No... I'm not."
"But I did know you from before... didn't I." Derrick's voice was calm.
Eleanor creased her brows and considered her next words carefully. Finally she looked deeply into his blue eyes and said simply, "I don't know... sometimes you remind me of someone I once knew... someone who died many years ago."
"You're not Ellie... she's dead... but..." Derrick shook his head. "you are Ellie... somehow."
Eleanor reached out to the boy, "I'm whoever you want me to be... if you need to call me Ellie... that's fine. If you need to know what my name is... I'll tell you."
Derrick looked at her hand on his arm and then clasped one hand about hers. "My name's not even Derrick... is it."
"Now that..."Eleanor said brightly, "is something only you can answer."
"My sister Ellie... she used to call me Rick..." the boy looked thoughtful. "Where did Derrick come from?"
"I don't know," said Eleanor truthfully. "Perhaps some other memory was trying to come through and got confused with who you were."
The boy shook his head. "Cassandra told me to talk to you about whatever I remembered. Trouble is... it's all kinda jumbled together."
"Well," said Eleanor sitting up beside him with a patient grin. "I'm all ears... as it were. Take your time and tell me what you can... even if it doesn't make sense. We'll sort it out later."
Derrick nodded and leaned into her embrace as Eleanor put one arm around him and hugged him tightly. He took a deep breath, and began to speak.
