Thanatos

Chapter 15

Contrary to what Megan and the others had expected, only a limo appeared with the light. The black car rode soundlessly through the rain, coming to a stop just as it got within a few feet of the standing trio. The car's headlights switched to the parking ones and a man highlighted from the front passenger side though the vehicle still idled.

The man was of an average height but enormous build when he stood. His skin tone appeared to be of a darker shade than the average European; or he could have been tanned or just obscured by the dark night - Megan wasn't sure which.

He looked up at the trio and even as she couldn't see his face clearly in the little light that the cars could provide in the night, a chill ran down her spine when his eyes fell on her. She suddenly felt her heartbeat increase, like a doe caught in the sight of the hunter and she cowered a bit.

As it turned out, Megan wasn't the only one subdued by the aura of the mysterious man. Sammy, who was shaking before had gone very still now, but as in petrified. Even Kei that wasn't easily bullied by another had to rest against the hood of the Jeep as fear exploded around her.

No, not fear, Megan corrected her thought. Terror.

The terrifying man stepped forward, seemly undisturbed by the rain beating mercilessly against his black suit. He was soon joined by a second man with an umbrella but his strides were long and fast – an impressive feat for a man of his height – and he moved ahead of his helper within a short distance to be in the rain again before he reached the Jeep.

His face came into clear view when he got close; black eyes looking almost obsidian in the reflection of car lights staring at the trio without any feeling. They were a very sharp contrast to the gentlemanly smile on his lips as he greeted them in a slightly Italian accent, "Good evening, ladies and gentleman. I hope you haven't been waiting too long in the rain."

"That's the man who visited me before," Sammy whispered to Megan.

Yes Megan, it's showtime, her mind spurred her and she shook off whatever she was feeling to stand straight.

Kei stood with Megan, apparently stirred by her action. The duo was ready for the next phase of events.

But Sammy cowered even further.

"Hey, big man," Kei whispered, half-kicking him by the side to presumably get him into gear. "You're up."

He didn't move an inch.

"Sammy, is there a problem?" Megan asked.

"You need to ask?" he returned her a look like she was blind. "That's the frigging ND in front of us. There's probably like five of them in the dark somewhere right now just waiting for the optimum time to kill us."

More like twenty actually, Megan thought but didn't tell him that. She got the point anyway.

"Look, you already called them," she said. "They're already here and seen you with us, which means you're already one with us in their eyes. Now, you can either stick with the plan, or you can just go ahead and lie down on the ground and let them get you over with already."

Megan wasn't sure why her words sounded so much like a threat Kei would make – she guessed the latter probably had more influence on her than she thought – but it seemed to work as Sammy finally stood up straight and proceeded to take the few steps to face the mysterious man in front with the duo in tow.

"Sorry for the late response. My legs caught a little chill in the rain," he said as he extended a handshake.

"Of course, Mr. Jordan. I understand," the man replied with a little chuckle that seemed to suggest that he more than understood what had happened earlier with Sammy.