The Morningstar Brigade

Chapter 32

XXXII

URIEL

Day Five. Eight Days Remain.

Safehouse Chamber, Haven Chapel

Uriel stumbled out of the transport clutching his mouth. "I am very glad that I was unconscious for that last time around," he choked out as he attempted to get his bearings. He glanced around the small chamber. It was a dimly lit, metal plated room with a hull door for transport entry, almost identical in every way to the one beneath Sanctuary's chapel. The room was totally empty, save for a small ladder leading up to a hatch in the ceiling.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Kat said, leaping out of the transport and thrusting her fist into the air. "Let's do that again."

"Yeah," Isaac moaned, crawling pathetically onto the exit platform, "What's not to love about being turned into a human bullet? Wooo."

"Enough playing around, kiddos," Artemis replied brusquely, tossing each of the three their bags as Uriel and Isaac got to their feet. "Fisher Amos is expecting us, so he'll open the chamber the moment the coast is clear and let us up. Look professional."

"Well, I'll be," came a voice with a hint of country twang as the hatch opened up. "Is that really you, Artemis?" asked a lean, elderly man wearing jeans and a worn plaid shirt beneath a black Brigade overcoat. He whistled to himself happily as he slid spryly down the ladder into the chamber.

Artemis couldn't suppress a smile as she walked over to the man, hand extended. "It's good to see you, Fisher," she said happily. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to come around in a while. Things have been... complicated."

"Don't you dare give me a handshake; handshakes are for people who don't care about each other. Come here, you criminal," he playfully chided Artemis as he embraced her in a hug.

Artemis looked uncomfortable for a moment, but then sighed and put her arms around the Fisher. "You do this just because you know it makes me squirm, don't you?"

Amos smiled impishly. "I'm sure I haven't got the slightest notion what you're talking about." He turned to Uriel, Isaac and Kat. "And who have we got here? Some new blood, I'd say?" he said happily.

"I'm Kat, that's Uriel and Isaac's the dumb one. It's nice to meet you," she said, gesturing to the boys.

He whistled. "Kat herself." Amos took up her hand proudly as he looked her over and then wrapped her in a quick hug. "She got all of both your bests, Arty. You should be proud."

Artemis blushed slightly. "I am."

"So, you're just introducing us now? That's a thing?" Isaac grumbled. "I've got some constructive criticism for the way you're identifying me."

"Did they say your name was Uriel?" Amos asked, a twinkle in his eye as he turned to the young Shepherd.

"Yes sir," Uriel replied with a nod.

"You wouldn't happen to be Eli's boy, would you?" he pursued, stroking his wispy, white beard thoughtfully as he studied Uriel.

Uriel's eyes widened with surprise. "Yes sir, I am. But how did you know who I am?" he asked.

Amos clapped his hands together, a wide smile on his face. "I knew it! See, I haven't gone senile just yet," he said, poking Artemis in the ribs with his elbow. "As for how I know, Uriel, it'd be hard to forget. Eli didn't come up to the Keep much once he started taking care of you, but when he did, he'd never talk about anything else. 'Uriel started walking, Uriel learned a new word, Uriel pooped using the big boy toilet...' The man was a broken record," Amos said with a chuckle. "It's funny, you even look just like him when he was your age. But anyhow, I'm keeping you all cooped up in this awful little room while I'm rambling on. I know you're in a hurry. Let's head upstairs and get you settled in."