Edgar
I tried calling a vision about the victim like you suggested, Cal, but I can’t get anything solid. Just an overall feeling that something will happen soon. Sorry.
I thanked him then checked Discord. People were replying to Cal’s post with concern, but so far no one seemed to be getting hysterical.
After making sure Cal was still sleeping, I opened my emails. My DM account had one with the subject line, “New to town”.
I clicked on it.
Hi, Mr. Shaw. I got your name and email from an Adventurer I met in Austin this past week. I just moved to Wimberley from Albuquerque. It’s a long story, but I needed a fresh start. Anyway, would you have time soon when I could meet you and do the thing? I’ve got a car so I can come to you. I’m working at Build Barn most afternoons and evenings, but my mornings are free, and I usually have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off, so whatever works is fine.
Thanks,
Mia Chavez
I sat up, my heart pounding. Build Barn. I looked at my watch. 8:50pm. A quick googling revealed that the Build Barn in Wimberley closed at 9pm.
Mia had included a phone number. I was about to call when a surge of fear crashed through the connection from Cal. He jackknifed off my lap, sitting up and panting.
I rubbed his back as I clicked on Mia’s phone number. “Is it tonight?”
He nodded, rubbing his face. “I think so, but I still don’t know which Build Barn location.”
“I do. Wimberley.”
He turned to look at me. Then he jumped up and ran toward his bedroom, shouting, “I’ll be ready to go in five minutes!”
Mia’s number rang and rang before finally going to voicemail. Fuck. Hopefully she was still on shift at work and hadn’t left yet.
“Mia, this is Greg Shaw. Thank you for your email, but I need to tell you that several Wonders have been murdered recently, and our Seer believes the next attack will occur in a Build Barn parking lot. Do not go outside the store. We’re on our way to pick you up. Please call me when you get this. I’ll try you again when I’m in the car and have an idea of our arrival time.”
I hung up and looked at Ms. Jackson. “I know you’re not a weapon, but do you want to come with us anyway?”
They nodded and strode toward the door. Hopefully no one would notice them on the way to the car, but we’d deal with that later.
Cal dashed out of his bedroom and ran into the office.
“Let’s go, Cal!”
“Ready!” He emerged from the room carrying the two Klingon weapons that had been hanging on his wall.
“Good call. Ms. Jackson’s going with us.”
We exited the apartment, Cal carrying two large deadly weapons, and a black panther pacing by our side. In the elevator I told Cal about Mia’s email.
Amazingly, we didn’t run into anyone on the way to my SUV. Ms. Jackson hopped in the back seat, and Cal propped the weapons on the floor next to his feet.
“Um, maybe those would be safer in the cargo area.”
He shook his head. “Not if the fog monsters are already there when we arrive.”
Fuck. “Okay, but be careful if I have to stop suddenly.” I programmed the address into my phone.
“Yep.” He pulled out his own phone. “I’m posting the location on Discord in case anyone can come help us.”
I grimaced. “Are you sure? What if we’d be, I don’t know, bringing the fog monsters an all-you-can-eat buffet?”
He raised an eyebrow at me. “Do you have any combat experience?”