Keeper Hunter

I stood on the sidewalk with the monster of a black ground car at my back and my parents’ steel and glass apartment building in front of me. I turned to thank Lady Broaden but the car had gone. I never even heard it leave. I was alone on the sidewalk, as alone as you could be in this city. For the first time it felt alien. I don’t know whether it was the Keeper or Valkyrie blood flowing in my veins but I felt a stranger, a stranger in a strange land. Yet this was my home I’d lived here for most of my life. Played in these streets. Laughed, loved and cried here but it was as if I seeing it through someone else someone that wasn’t me. With a heavy heart and confusion in my mind I entered the building. Seeing as if for the first time the shabby furniture of the lobby with its worn carpet. I walked across it to a pair of elevators opposite the door out. The door of the elevator opened to my touch and I took it to my parent’s floor. Odd that I felt distant, sort of detached from my life. I was still who I was unfortunately in the light of past events I wasn’t the same woman who had stormed out of the apartment and stamped onto the liner that took me to my destiny. Well that was the best way I could have defined it.

I walked to my parents’ apartment and hesitated unsure. I stared at the door for several minutes agonising over what I should tell my parents. Dad would understand mom would be a whole different prospect. At the side of the door was a touch screen entry console. When I’d arrived after so much time away it hadn’t worked for me. I wasn’t sure if dad had added me back to the system. I touched the screen nothing happened. I guess he hadn’t added me to the system yet. Taking a deep breath and squaring my shoulders I pressed the buzzer under the console. The door opened and I saw my father standing there.

“Your mother’s been worried sick,” he said as he let me in.

“I’m sorry about that. I ran into a problem,” I told him honestly.

“What sort of a problem.”

“Please dad less of the interrogation until I’ve sat down. I need to speak to the both of you?”

“Your mom’s in the kitchen whipping up a batch of that clear ginger beer you like so much.”

“I’ll take it with me when I go,” I replied and winced. I hadn’t meant to tell him that yet.

“Best you sit,” was all he said.

I sat on the couch while dad walked across to the kitchen door.

“Liz, can I have a moment, Gwen wants to talk to us?”

Mom hurried in concern on her face. “What’s wrong Gwen?”

It hurt a little but I had to be strong. I didn’t want to upset her but I didn’t have the time. I had to be on that ship to Paranova. I had to set my ghosts to rest. Best I start at the beginning. “I went to the park,” I stated.

“It’s getting more dangerous in the park despite the extra Security,” dad said.

“Yes I know. I sat on the bench by the lake to enjoy the view. Some asshole tried to stab me in the back.”

Gwen!” mom shouted.

“Calm down Liz, Gwen is unhurt.” He turned to me. “I take it you made him regret that?”

“I did then Security turned up and I was taken to a precinct.”

“Twenty-ninth should be patrolling there today?” dad stated. “That isn’t good?”

“What isn’t?” mom asked.

“The Twenty-ninth hasn’t got a good rep.” Dad frowned. “I take it they spouted that new ordinance from the governor.”

“Exactly. You know those two detectives that were investigated a few years ago but the investigation got swept under the carpet. They were the ones to interview me.”

Dad’s face grew pale. “God Gwen, and you are still here?”

If anything mom looked even more panicked.

“Not helping dad.”

“How did you walk out of there. Will all of Security be after you?”

He was worried I’d slaughtered a whole precinct. I wasn’t that Valkyrie and I wasn’t going down that route either although had been prepared to fight my way out. “No Lady Camelia Broaden got to me first.” I wasn’t going to tell my parents how close to going full Valkyrie on those two detectives.

“Lady Camelia Broaden as in the Empress’ mother?” dad asked shocked.

It wasn’t as half shocked looking as mom was. “Why?”

“Because she has a task for me,” I wasn’t going to elaborate any further on that.

“I see,” was all that dad said. The look in his eyes meant he understood that much at least.

I hadn’t looked at my comms yet she said all the details were on that. I took the chance to glance at the mission. It was pretty clear what it entailed. She had told me to search for clues as to who was supplying weapons to the Black Stripes. It looked from the brief glance I gave it that all the work this side of the border had been done. It was the route once it had left Imperial territory was where they had met a snag. What I didn’t understand was that this could be wrapped up in the time it took me to reach the Confederacy. Surely they had competent agents that were closer to hand. Whatever the reason I had a way to get myself into the Confederacy. What I was going to do once I got there was something to consider for another day. I looked up to see both my parents regarding me carefully.

“I have to do this,” I stated hating every word out of my mouth. “I need to put the ghosts of my past to rest before I can move on.”

“I understand.” Dad glanced at mom. “Gwen has to do this. When she joined Security she pledged to protect and serve. The Empire has called and she must do her duty.”

“But why Gwen?” mom countered. Seeing tears in her eyes cut me to the core.

“Why any of us. We serve the Empire and that is all we can do,” dad said coming to my rescue.

But I wasn’t really an Imperial anymore. I wasn’t sure what I’d become perhaps in a way I was a servant of galaxy. I did know I was the mother of the Keepers in a weird way and I was the scion of the Landottir. The Black Stripes had to be stopped before they plunged the galaxy into a war it didn’t want.

“I’d like to stay but time is against me.” I had to get on that ship. Luckily I hadn’t unpacked all my clothes were in the holdall I’d left on my bed. A bed I wasn’t going to be sleeping in. I had to get out before regret overwhelmed me. Quickly I turned and walked to my bedroom down that tiny corridor that separated the bedrooms and the bathroom. My bedroom was the same as I’d left it four years ago. I guess mom had kept it the same way I case I returned. I had but now I was leaving again. I glanced at the posters I put on the wall and the knick-knacks I’d acquired over the years. The shelf with the trophies from high school and beyond, all things that had made me, me. I look one last long look and walked out. In the living room mom stood dad at her side his arm around her waist. Mom was trying to be stoic but her bottom lip was trembling. The sight of her almost in tears almost broke me. I took a deep shuddering breath trying to keep my emotions in check.

“Just go Gwen, I’ll talk your mother down,” dad said with a nod.

“Thanks dad,” I replied.

“One thing before you go.” He gestured to a couple of bottles on the table. “Take those with you.”

“Thanks,” I said again.”

“Good luck Gwen. I’m proud of you.”

A tear trickled out of the corner of my eye. I had to get out here before started crying. I wasn’t being very Valkyrie but then I wasn’t truly one of them.

Stiff backed I walked to door and stepped through it. Once I let close behind me then I cried my heart fit to burst. It had been a mistake coming home. With a heavy heart I walked to the elevator and took it to the lobby.