Hunter's Moon

Chapter 30

            Leaving Mei and Matthew with Simone, Taylor answered her phone half way up the stairs, “Hello?”

            “Taylor, Ed. Juli woke up and we talked a bit. Doctors said she may be in and out like that until she fully regains her strength. They're going to keep her here overnight for observation. But otherwise she's fine.”

            “That's great to hear.” Taylor was at the top of the stairs. “The group of us will have to – wait, hold on, a car just pulled up”

            Three people climbed out of the car, one carrying a shotgun, another carrying pistol, and the last carried an honest-to-God sword. The pistol carrying driver was female, auburn hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, dressed in denim jacket and jeans. A Wonder Woman t-shirt was hiding behind the jacket.

            Shotgun boy had brown hair, cut short, very close to the scalp. He had jeans, combat boots, and a faded and worn leather jacket. Sunglasses blocked his eyes but Taylor saw him say something and laugh at his own joke. No one else did.

            Sword boy had a dour expression on his face, emphasized by an eyepatch he wore over his left eye. He had just an over-sized t-shirt hanging untucked under and open button-down plaid shirt, same size as the t-shirt. Grey sweatpants and sneakers completed a look, along with his disheveled black hair making him look like he'd just rolled out of bed.

            “What the – Hey Ed, yeah going to have to call you back,” Taylor said, hanging up.

            She had intended to run back down the stairs, but by the time she hung up the phone the three, two men and a woman, had reached the front door and tried opening it. Did the woman look familiar? Taylor looked around and saw one of the repeating crossbows on the kitchen counter. She ran over to the counter, and hid behind it, pulling the crossbow down with her.

            The locked door refused to open, then after a few seconds of silence, she heard the sounds of a key being used to unlock the door. Once unlocked, the strangers opened the door and moved in. Taylor kept the crossbow trained on the first one in the door.

            “Careful boys, we don't know who it is that's in here.” the woman said.

            Shotgun boy replied, “You got it, Murph.”

            It was only a matter of seconds before their search would lead one of them within viewing distance of her hiding spot. Taylor decided to take her chances. She stood up, keeping the crossbow trained on Murph. “I hope you have a good reason for being here.”

            Instantly there were two guns aimed at her, and then Murph said, “Course we do. But I seriously doubt you do. Who are you and what are you doing in my house?”

            “Your house?” Taylor asked incredulously. “Sorry, no. I know the owner. You aren't him.”

            Shotgun boy spoke up again, “Older guy, real crotchety, stick in the mud type?” he took a moment to remove his shades and slide them into a jacket pocket.

            Taylor shrugged her assent.

            Murph held up a hand, “Dean, shush,” then turned to speak to Taylor again. “The owner you say you know. Robert Brand, correct?” Murph reached with her free hand into her pocket.

            “Whoa! What are you doing?”

            “Settle down, I've already got guns on you. What am I going to do? Pull out another gun? Really?” Murph pulled a picture out of her pocket and pushed it onto the kitchen counter, and then stepped back, giving Taylor space.

            Taylor tried to look at the picture from where she was, but had to take a step or two toward it to pick it up. The picture was of Robert, Murph, Dean, and Swordboy standing in front of the house.

Taylor had seen the picture before. Her eyes darted to the location above the fireplace where another copy of the photo was framed and hanging. She returned her gaze back to Murph.

            “Okay, so you know him. You lower your weapons, we can talk this out.” Taylor said.

            “Hardly. We've proven we know him, but you missy, are still just a stranger.” Dean said.

            “Dean!” Murph said. “Did I or did I not tell you to shut your bloody pie hole!”

            The four people in the room suddenly all turned to respond to a new noise in the room. Cal the collie walked in from the bedroom. The dog looked at the three newcomers, and then walked past them straight to Taylor, and started pawing at her leg gently.

            Murph watched the interchange between the dog and Taylor. Murph lowered her gun and motioned for Dean to lower the shotgun. “If Cal trusts you, then I know you're good.”

            They all gathered in the living room: Matthew, Taylor, Murph, Dean, and the quiet Sword boy, who, it turned out, was named Harris. Mei had agreed to take Simone home, and help smooth over the perceived kidnapping. Matthew and Taylor had been filling the three newcomers in on the events of the past week. When they were done, the three looked at each other, as if they were having a conversation without actually speaking it.

            Harris looked to Matthew and Taylor. “Sounds like he was training you two to be his next apprentices.”

            “Apprentices? What? You mean take this up as a profession? Do this for a living?” Matthew asked.

            Dean nodded. “Yeah, it's not as glamorous as you think, but having already lived a week in our shoes, I think you've got a good idea of what it's like. Though, not all of it is quite so . . . interesting shall we say?”

            Taylor laughed. “That's good. I'd hate to think that we'd have to avert global apocalypse every weekend. Now tell us. Why did you show up armed to the hilt? You also mentioned something about this being your house?”

            “Well, as you know, there's quite a wealth of knowledge in the books here. A metric ton of information that if it fell into the wrong hands, would be bad on an entire variety of levels. We were trying to make sure that no one got their hands on it with either malicious or ignorant intent. When we saw your car parked out front, we knew someone was here.”

            Matthew nodded. “And your owning the house?”

            “Well, I am his next of kin.” Murph smiled.

            Taylor shook her head. “No, he told me his only family was a niece named Karen.”

            “Yup, that's me. Karen Murphy.” Murph smiled. “But to be completely honest with you. I've got too much on my hands traveling around with these two to actually be able to take care of a house. How about if I give it to you? If you continue along this path with us, you can use it as a base of operations.”

            Matthew and Taylor looked at each other. Could they really take more of this life? Would they want to? They had decided to help Simone, but she was safe now. For the moment anyway. But that did not stop other things from being out there that were dangerous.

            “Well?” Murphy prompted.

            “We wouldn't know where to begin. We're still so lost in all of this.” Taylor answered. “Not to mention we're in the middle of taking classes here at the university.”

            Matthew shook his head. “No. Taylor, this feels right. It's like I was meant for this. Murphy? I'm in. Taylor, I'm not forcing you to join me, but I know that I for one am in.”

            Matthew leaned forward in his chair toward Murphy and shook her hand.