Kyle:

The car approached the bus stop again and Jessica and I both scanned the kids. Allen pointed out John. John was the tallest of the kids and I actually recognized him from yesterday when we went to school. John was a very dark-skinned child of what I would learn was called "Nigerian" descent, though banshees often referred to themselves as "Biafran". He was dressed in a green jacket with dark blue jeans and a redshirt.

Allen looked back at us in the back seat. "Just to let you know, Banshees have a weird way of talking."

"Some kind of slang?" I asked.

"Um... let's say it's a dialect," Allen replied.

As we got out of the car, I realized that out of context, John didn't look any different from anyone else at the stop. He was the biggest kid there, but not by much, a few of the kids were only a few inches below his brow and one or two looked tougher if looks mattered. I waved at him, remembering I needed Jessica to somehow do most of the talking since she was supposed to be more mature. If I could get our group out of the crowd I could drop that rather... not so promising facade.

I ran up to him and tugged on his right pant leg. "I remember you!" I announced.

Jessica ran up behind me, pushing me back a little. "Can we talk?" she asked. "We're here for help... more than we suspect just you can give. But we do think that you are a way of obtaining said help, through you helping us so what we're saying in short is... help!" The dark-skinned boy shook his head in confusion.

I motioned for him to lean down so I could whisper to him. "Look, I can't help much long as I have to act like I'm somehow the least mature of the group. She means we need to get access to the banshee society as a whole. We've run into a pretty big snag in locating Thomas. Allen explained the situation to you right?"

John walked towards a series of trees near the stop. Looking around to see that no one had followed he spoke up. "Surely t'will not matter much whatever a group of grade-schoolers observe or hear, however better safe than sorry. The police currently are already starting to get concerned regarding this case with the human prison they turned up the day before this day. Not to mention the officer you killed."

I was able to follow- but wow that was formal! "That's public knowledge already?" I asked.

"The police currently are trying to keep a lid on it for the moment, to avoid panic, however, remember I am a banshee. We monitor the police all the time. By the way, I know the cop was... dirty, so do not expect any concern regarding that matter from me." He folded his arms on that statement. I figured it not best to dwell on his last statement.

"Figured you monitored the cops. Whole thing about banshees protecting humans and all right?" I asked.

"I guess that tis the general idea. Really our goal as a society is to be bulwarks of justice. They naturally do not know about us," John answered.

"Naturally," I said with a shrug.

"Alright, here it is," said Jessica speaking like she was being covert. "Tommy left the state on a metal bird get it? We know the terminal he left from and when he left. We figure you can give us the low down on where this little birdy was heading."

"Was that slang?" I asked, mouth slightly ajar.

"I think it was..." John said. "You mean he got on a plane but you only know when it left and where from right?" Jessica nodded. He... he understood her? "Do the police know about Tommy taking off?"

"I left a note, they do now," I said with a nod.

"Well... they will surely follow up on that note in time."

"Can't you guys just look through the airport files yourselves?" I asked.

"Not really," John replied. "We don't really watch major transit hubs, the wolves do though."

"Yea but we already know they're not gonna be much help," I replied.

"True, Tommy tis, not a member of the societies and they do not like getting involved when something tis, not their business." John sighed. "Look, I will be realistic with you. You are looking at a few days for the police to requisition those airplane records, and then a few days possibly for us banshees to intercept the information by some means."

"Well a week is a long time but-" Jessica began but John interrupted.

"That tis a minimum children." He cut the air with his hand, like drawing a bottom line. "And did you two think about if Tommy was made to get on a connecting flight? You two are going to have to get to the state Tommy flew to yourselves, and then probably need to find a way to get back here to tip off the police again and then wait for the process to start all over again."

"A connecting flight?" Jessica asked. "Why would you guys need connecting flights? I mean you can't even fly around the planet yet?"

John gave a half-grin. "You children haven't been on earth very long, have you? Allen did not really explain much about you to my father. Well, you see we can fly across the pacific ocean even, only tis rather expensive so the majority of people take two planes to get to a single destination if tis very far away, like across country or across the world."

"But there's a chance he didn't go that far," Jessica said with a nod.

John started pacing in front of us, looking at the ground with his hands out to his sides. "Even if he didn't you're looking at two weeks minimum just to find out where the kid is and get there yourselves if you're taking normal human means. What is worse, I can put in a reputable word for you, but Pharaohs do not exactly have the best of reputations these days. I can not guarantee the banshees will even try to get you two a flight, so you will be on your own on that end." He put his hands in his pockets with a frustrated shrug.

"You're deciding to trust us," I pointed out.

"I do not have much of a choice," John said, shrugging again. "Finding Tommy is actually something the banshees were already interested in and my household took the responsibility of monitoring the case. You two seem to know what you are talking about, at least from what Allen says about you."

"I'm sure Allen can get us on a plane. He's helped us on everything else," Jessica pointed out.

"HA!" John laughed. "He may like you two, but Allen is hardly... made of money. He can not afford to fly you two all over the country on a wild goose chase, not on his salary."

"What exactly is his job?" I asked.

"Verily... I do not know much about it," John admitted. "But mostly the wolves pay him themselves for special missions. He is one of their best agents for... well just about anything. If you're wondering, he officially works at a gas station, but tis, not enough money to care for a wife and child. Anyway, as I said, he will not be your meal ticket for this, he can not be even if he wants to be."

Jessica grimaced, "Well this is gonna be interesting... but we'll manage somehow."

"I must be honest with you two, I do not like this," John said, looking down again, this time closing his eyes. "A human trafficking ring abducts a child and ships him out of state within a week's time. If these criminals can move that fast it means they are professionals. Truly the concrete prison already said that." He grunted. "If they are moving that fast and with methods like that, they are probably doing something they ESPECIALLY do not want to get caught for."

"Like?" Jessica asked.

He looked up biting his lip. "My wager would be slavery," John replied. "But not too many individuals want a spoiled American child for labor... at least not that are willing to pay much money for him anyway. If someone wants a child bad enough to buy him off the black market and can not just get him legally, they probably do not want him for something pleasant."

"Still... like what?" I asked.

"I really do not know, but I do not think Thomas has long before something terrible happens to him. I hate to say it, but in a week or two, we may be looking for a corpse. I truly not think a sane and stable person buys another person's child from a crime ring." John shook his head. He stomped, a few times. "I really wish there was more pleasant news or anything more effective I could say or do but..." He sighed and shrugged. He then turned and walked away.

Jessica and I stayed behind. Jessica started hugging herself and looking at the ground biting her lip. "Something wrong?" I asked.

"What do you think?" she almost snapped. "John's right- though he said it a lot better than I can..." He shook her head. "Folks don't just buy little kids for slave labor and whoever would do it can't have the best of scruples."

She didn't want to say it, but I felt it had to be said, "They don't want someone to help, they want someone to hurt." Jessica nodded.

"So what are we gonna do?" Jessica asked, unfolding her arms and giving me a wide-eyed stare.

"I don't know. Things take time on this planet apparently."

"We don't have that," Jessica emphasized. "At least Tommy doesn't."

"Quite a predicament," said a voice whose origin I hadn't yet seen. A dark-skinned boy walked out from behind a nearby tree. "Sounds like you haven't got much going for you here... almost like you could use a miracle."

"Why were you hiding over there?" I asked, starting to get leery. "How much did you hear?"

"Oh, everything pretty much. Don't worry, I'm a mutant too."

"What kind?" I asked.

"Warlock," said the boy, sticking out a hand. I took the hand and immediately felt a searing heat travel into my palm. I pulled my hand back quickly almost screaming in pain. "Sorry, I just love doing that, not sure why."

Shaking the pain from my hand I quickly asked Jessica, "What's a warlock?... Might have heard about them..."

"One of the mutant societies is called mystics. They're known as witches and warlocks," she explained. "The females, witches, have incredible telekinesis abilities, and the males well... pyrokinesis. They command fire."

"Well, more the transference of heat," the boy insisted pointing a finger at me. "Though I guess things igniting is generally what you might associate with that now isn't it? My name is Gregory. I admit I've taken an interest in you two."

"How much of one?" I asked.

"Well, more than might be comforting. I'll admit I've been trailing you since I saw one of you shoot a lightning bolt at school. Didn't think anyone saw that, did you?"

"Not anyone who would know what to do with it," Jessica admitted.

"You probably should have been right," the boy admitted back. "But as it is, you weren't."

"How old are you?" I asked.

"Twelve."

"Kinda short there for a-" I began, but the boy snapped his fingers and a plume of flames shot into the air over his head and vanished suddenly. "Actually suddenly I think your height is just fine."

"Really? I thought so too somehow," Gregory said with a smile. "Anyway, it sounds like what you two need, is a miracle... well is just so happens I am a peddler of what you may call supernatural solutions." He said, waving his hands out like he was presenting something.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

He moved to hold his chin. "What if I told you, I knew someone who could find you that boy instantly and get you directly to him?" asked Gregory.

"Well... believe me I've been praying about this day and night, but God hasn't had a lot to say," Jessica said, starting to sound leery herself. "If that's who you mean."

"Ha! God," the boy said. "You can pray all you want, but sometimes he just lets it ring. And ya know, sometimes when He does that, we pick up the phone." He pointed at Jessica this time, giving a small wink.

"God doesn't ignore-" Jessica began but the boy interrupted.

"Call it what you like, but He's not exactly giving you that miracle now is He?" he said. "I know someone who will." Gregory handed Jessica a card. "Burn it and say this rhyme, and he will appear anywhere you need." The boy recited. "Worlds apart, worlds together, stand aside, or burn forever."

"Cryptic," I said, taking the card myself. "Sounds like we're summoning a demon." I gave the boy a confused look, with a hint of anger. Truth was, I wasn't exactly the most faithful of people, but Jessica was, and for her sake, I didn't like people talking down about God around her, and I especially didn't like weirdoes trying to summon less than savory creatures from the other side (even if I wasn't sure that was possible).

"It's not a demon," the boy said, raising his hands. "Really, myself I'm not even sure if such things exist. Up to you on what you do with that of course. However, this guy is just another Pharaoh like you. I can explain how the summoning works. There are micro-entities of a technological nature inside the paper that can bounce a signal off human satellites when burned. My... employer, is named Darius."

"Fitting," Jessica said, folding her arms.

"Ah yes, I know the irony," Gregory said. "The Persian King who in the Bible forced men to bow down to his likeness in the place of God. Darius himself doesn't have much of a view on God and you can disregard me if you like, a lot of folks don't like me, but ask yourself this, can you really afford to ignore the offer? Well... can Tommy?" Jessica took the card back seeming to stare at it, "Remember to summon him in private. Darius doesn't like to be called on by just anyone, just... well good people like you two."

"What exactly can Darius do?" asked Jessica.

"What? How about anything? He's a trickster god. He's a member of a society of Pharaohs that have organized to grant the wishes of humans... for a price... using the combined inventions and experience of hundreds of Pharaohs to create technology that can do pretty much anything. From taking you anywhere you want to go instantly, to even raising the dead- well- they admit they can't do that last one, but they're working on it."

"What's the price?" I asked.

"Depends on the trickster, you'll know when you meet him." Gregory turned around. "Oh...looks like the bus is here. I trust you're not actually here to go to school." He turned and walked away.

I shouted after him. "Just how have you been following us?" I asked. The boy stopped. "And if you have... tell me, where did we find the prison?" I wanted to move on and prove this boy was just a random interloper by showing that he had only seen a few select things and was now trying to trick us.

"How is of little consequence. It was on fifth street in an office building wasn't it?" the boy asked back. "One better though, the boy took off out of terminal E5. And hey, do you remember a little conversation you had last night? Seems a little someone was upset about more than just not being able to find a little boy she never met." Gregory looked over to Jessica. "You were feeling inadequate, weren't you? Like if you couldn't find this boy, how could you do what you're supposed to do and protect Kyle? You saw a correlation between the two didn't you?" He twisted his middle and index finger to indicate a "correlation". "But why are you doing this, and why is that all that concerns you? Tell me, have you ever been afraid for just yourself just once in your life? You really are a very good person at heart. Darius will like that... he'll love it."

I quickly stood between the boy and Jessica. "Just how did you know ANY of that?"

"I work with a miracle worker kid. We can do and know anything we want." He looked over at Jessica. "Tell me, something girl, should I be able to do this?" he asked. The boy started to float and walked backward on thin air. Jessica slowly shook her head. "The transference of heat has no such effect does it?" He stood in the air like it was solid ground. "I stand before you two blessed by a different kind of god. Darius gave me powers beyond your feeble understanding and he can do the same for you."

"There is only one God!" Jessica demanded stomping her foot.

The boy chuckled, dropping to the real ground. "Believe what you want on that, but remember, once Pharaoh's were served as gods on this planet, and there was a reason for that when it happened." The boy walked away, this time not turning back.

Jessica looked around. "Well... we're relatively alone here," she noted.

"You're not honestly thinking of trying to get this guy's attention are you?" I asked. "I mean any more than we already have apparently."

"Well what do we know about trickster gods?" she asked. "Nothing really. But if Darius can locate Tommy and bring us right to him well-"

"Doesn't this seem a little far-fetched even for us?" I asked. "What if burning the card does nothing?"

"Then we'll have no regrets," Jessica fired back. "Course think about it. How could Gregory know all that stuff about us? Think about the power he showed. He even knew about our conversation in the tower, and we were alone in there. Doesn't it occur to you someone had to be using some kind of technology to spy on us without our knowing?"

I shook my head. "And then what if burning that paper really does summon someone who likes the idea of worlds burning?" I asked. "I don't like that rhyme, and you can't ignore the company a person keeps," I cocked my head in the direction Gregory had walked away in.

"He seemed a little creepy," Jessica admitted. "But really, what choice do we have? If this Darius is really a bad person I'll just blast him."

"And what about the blasphemy. I thought you only accepted one God."

"It's not like you ever accepted Jesus. I'm not abandoning my faith, in fact, if you remember, that's not a requirement. Tricksters don't use magic, just technology. They might have a creepy setup, but is it so wrong to just use technology to grant wishes?"

"Trying to paint yourself as a god by granting wishes? I don't even believe in a god and I know that's wrong."

Jessica shook her head, "I'm not losing faith. I'm just realizing it's not like God really has taken a role in any of this so far."

I didn't like the sounds of that, but I decided to move on. "If Darius is a real person then he's backed up by a society of technologically advanced Pharaohs with a single-minded goal," I interjected. "I don't think a couple unarmed Pharaohs will be so impressive to him, especially considering that he's a Pharaoh himself. I don't think we can "just blast him" as you put it if something goes wrong."

"Are you forgetting who I am?" Jessica asked.

"Well, you'll forgive me if I don't like the idea of being the unarmed part of this equation myself. Even if it is just myself. Can we wait to summon the creepy genie wanna be until we both have our weapons back?"

Jessica shrugged putting away the card. "Allen should be back in a minute. If it will make you feel better, we'll wait."

"It will."