The night of the Hunter meteor storm I thought it was best to not work so that I could ensure a good, full, night's sleep before the impending "barn hunt" that was sure to occur the following morning. As an added bonus I didn't have to watch, what I'm sure was a very touching triangle love story unfold between Duke, Audrey and Nathan. While I set out clothing for the adventure and got my supplies packed I thought about what I would do if Audrey did or did not disappear the next day. I fell asleep going over 'what ifs'.
I woke to a call from Nathan.
"Arla took Audrey." Suddenly Duke took the phone. "Arla stole my boat. Can we use yours?"
"Of course, I'll meet you there." Instead of the jeans I had planned, I put on camo pants and a black tee. I grabbed my supplies, put on my holster and barely remembered to lock my door in my rush to get to the Docks. No one spoke except to tell me where to direct my boat. When we got to the island, the two men ran off like they had directions. Halfway up a hill Duke called out for her and she responded.
"How did you get here?" Audrey.
"That would be me."
"Where's Arla?" Duke.
"She's gone, but Howard- the barn is gone. I gotta find Arla. She has my son." Audrey said just before a meteor went across the sky and crashed into the lighthouse.
"Um I'm sure that it's me but I thought the meteors are supposed to pass over Haven… Why is it hitting us?" Duke.
"Because I won't go into the barn. And they're gonna come faster and faster until I find my son and he tells us how to stop this." Audrey.
When we returned to the mainland we stopped by Haven Joe's Bakery based on a tip from Audrey. Audrey and Nathan split off to go check hospitals while Duke and I went to the Docks to see if any boats had been taken. I tried to not show Duke that I could tell he was in love with and worried about Audrey. He still seemed like he hadn't fully admitted it to himself yet. At some point Duke stepped away to make a call. When he came back he told me that he had contacted Arla and had a plan to get James to Audrey. I "borrowed" a boat from the Docks to take Nathan, Audrey and I back to the island while Duke waited at my boat for Arla to bring James. Nathan and Audrey waited behind the barn for Duke to arrive and I snuck off to hide in a tree as a look out.
It's amazing how quickly those three forgot that I was supposed to be there as well but it's for the best, they tend to need saving. After Duke and Arla brought a very sick James to the barn, Audrey and Nathan confronted them. In the commotion, no one was able to stop James before he got inside the barn. After what was, I'm sure, a touching moment of loyalty, Nathan and Audrey entered the barn and left Duke outside to watch Arla.
Because it wasn't stressful enough what with meteors falling from the sky and all, Guard cronies with machine guns fanned out from behind the barn, quickly surrounding the two. Jordan appeared to be leading them and all her focus was on Duke.
Silently I dropped down from my tree and switched the bullet clip I had had in the guns with a tranquilizer clip. I took out half the group before they noticed me. Slowly with my arms raised I joined Duke and Arla.
"I just want to normal again. I'd think you would want that." Jordan to Duke.
"He'd rather have Audrey." Arla.
"I told you. Shut. Up." He turned to look at her to better make his point and finally registered that I was also there.
"Both you and Nathan, in love with a woman you can never have. It's almost sad." Then Jordan turned to me just as I pointed a gun at her. "And you, you're in love with him (indicating Duke) aren't you?" Duke looked at me in shock.
"Eh, shit happens."
"I see what you did there. You should join us. We could use your skills. What's your trouble?" Jordan to me.
"I'm fine where I'm at thanks, not all of us have to play the jealous bitch." Her lip twitched but I continued. "What makes you think I even have a trouble?"
"It's Haven."
"Fair enough. I'm a Muse of Music and I've learned more in the last 2 months than in the last 6 years. If you even want to experience something similar to what your trouble does to people, don't hesitate to give me a call."
"Shall we give it a try then?"
"Awesome." And then I pulsed her. She fell to the ground screaming and clutching her head. I smirked, Duke stared. Before I decided whether or not to do anything else, Vince came.
"Vince? Get out of here before you get hurt." Duke.
"Take your men and go." Vince to a guy next to Jordan.
"But-"
"Guns are not gonna solve this Kirk. Go home."
"Yes sir." Jordan recovered just then.
"What!? Why are you listening to him?" Jordan to Kirk.
"Cause he's the boss. We're leaving." Kirk to the rest of the team.
"You!" Then she ripped off a glove like she was going to intentionally use her trouble on someone, so I punched her. Suddenly I was wonderfully glad to have been wearing fingerless gloves.
"You're in the Guard." Duke. Dave and Dwight came as well. Vince pulled up his sleeve to show us the magically reappearing maze tattoo of Duke's nightmares.
"They work for me. Always have." Vince.
"That explains a few things." Dwight. Jordan had put herself together and walked over.
"Vince, please, you're going to make sure Audrey goes away right?" Jordan.
"It'll be her choice." Vince.
"I've lost too much, I won't let it all be for nothing." Jordan.
"Leave now Jordan." Vince.
"So what does this mean for us Vince?" Duke. "That tattoo-"
"I'm not going to kill you Duke." Vince.
"I appreciate that." Duke.
"In fact, I'm the reason the others never went after you. And believe me, they wanted to." Vince. Then Audrey came out just long enough to take Arla in with her.
When Nathan came out holding a blonde woman in his arms, we all assumed it was Audrey and pleasantly surprised when it wasn't. Nathan filled us in about what had happened inside while we waited. When Audrey returned a black man in a suit followed her.
"He was wrong." I heard Audrey tell Nathan. "Killing him. It won't work." Then she walked over to Dwight and apologized about the mess. Followed were the Teague brothers, then me.
"I'm not sure what to say." Audrey.
"It's alright. I'll try to keep everyone out of trouble while you're gone. I have a present for you before you leave." I grabbed her into a hug and touched our foreheads. I focused on her sound and then projected it back at her so that she could hear it. She stumbled but I held her until it began to loop.
"It's beautiful." Audrey.
"It's yours. That's your soul's sound."
She looked alarmed. "How did you?"
"It doesn't matter, what matters is that I'll play it for you again when you return. And I promise that I will fill you in about everything so you don't have to do this run-around again."
"Thanks. You're always so helpful and good to everyone here."
"I try. I, Fae Navaeh Haven wish you safe travels in your creepy magic barn. Now, go tell the boys you love them. I'll see you later." I blatantly refused to watch as she interacted with Duke and Nathan, so when Dwight, Dave, and Vince started to leave, I followed them slowly. When I looked back, Audrey was handing Nathan's gun to Duke. Duke held off Nathan until Audrey reached the barn door and then Nathan managed to push past. He didn't make it to the door before it shut him out. The black man in a suit was still outside though.
"I thought it was made very clear, that won't work on the barn." The man said to Nathan.
"That was made clear, but what about hurting you?" Nathan pointed the gun at the man just as Jordan shot Nathan in the back. Clearly Nathan still couldn't feel, he had to turn to check that he was shot. Not caring, he shot the man. Jordan shot him. Duke caught Nathan as he fell and shot Jordan. I raced back up the hill.
Holes of white began to appear in the man and barn alike. All of a sudden the man disappeared but the barn was still disintegrating, like it was being slowly pulled into a white vortex. Arla's body, which had been laid against the barn, was sucked in through a white hole.
"Get her Duke. Go. Save her." Nathan.
The last I saw of Duke was him screaming her name as he dived head first into the vortex right before it disappeared completely. I came out of my shock first and, with a little help from Dwight who I had to call back, we managed to coax Nathan back to the mainland. It would be a long time before we could trust him to function properly and take care of himself again.