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O RGAN

R EAPERS

S HAY W EST

Booktrope Editions
Seattle, WA 2014
COPYRIGHT 2014 SHAY WEST

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Cover Design by Shari Ryan

Edited by Wendy Garfinkle

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media,


and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or
are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to similarly named places or
to persons living or deceased is unintentional.

PRINT ISBN 978-1-62015-549-3

EPUB ISBN 978-1-62015-565-3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014918736


A CKNOWLEDGMENTS

I suppose for this book I have to give props to my


overactive imagination and the wretched dreams
that often plague my slumber. Without them, this
book would never have come to fruition.
This book is dedicated to my amazing students, most of
whom listen with patient ears while I ramble on and on
about current works in progress or books that are nothing
more than a flicker of thought running around my brain.
C HAPTER 1

“TANI, IS THAT HIM?” Keena whispered.


Tani nodded. “It is. He looks exactly like the drawing Master
Kelhar gave us.”
Keena sighed sadly. “Must we do this?”
“It is our duty.”
Tani swallowed hard against the bile rising in his throat. He had
to remain strong. He couldn’t let his partner know of his own
misgivings. On his world, Harvesting was a duty held in the highest
regard. Because he was chosen, his family was treated almost like
royalty, receiving money from the Crown and the monastery, being
invited to the most exclusive parties, living in luxury. Tani couldn’t
take that away from them.
This world was strange and sometimes terrifying. The buildings
towered so high as to be almost mountainous. The last time he had
come through the gateway, he had nearly been crushed by some sort
of motorized conveyance. It moved much faster than the steam carts
the wealthy people on his world used. Keena had been frightened
and wanted to go back through the gateway, but Tani had wanted a
closer look. He could see no evidence of a steam engine on the
strange contraption and he wanted to know what made it move so
quickly and smoothly.
He wondered what this world looked like in the daylight hours.
A Harvester always worked at night, cloaked in the protective shadows
of darkness.
Tani shook his head, unwilling to get distracted as he moved closer
to the man who was walking slowly in front of him. It was quiet and
no one else was in the vicinity. A gentle breeze blew through the leaves
8 SHAY WEST

of the few trees planted along the sidewalk. The night was warm,
much as it would be back on his world.
Tani crept quickly and silently, moving behind the man, who
didn’t even turn around. He could barely hear Keena as she followed
close behind, ready with the magical stones that would open the
gateway back to their home world.
He tightened his grip on the club in his right hand. The man in front
of him walked through some deep shadows. Tani lunged forward and
brought the heavy wooden club down on the back of the man’s head.

* * *

“So what do you have for me?”


Detective Elliott Robins pulled on gloves as he talked to one of
the cops on the scene. He ignored the gawkers straining to get a better
look at the body.
Bloody vultures.
“Male, Caucasian, name is Gerald Forbes,” the cop said.
Eli wracked his brain, trying to remember the cop’s name. He’d
seen him half a dozen times throughout his seventeen-year career,
but the man’s name eluded him.
God, I need a drink.
“Cause of death?” Eli asked.
“It’s a toss-up between blunt force trauma or multiple stab wounds,
take your pick. We’ll know more when the medical examiner does
the autopsy.”
“Detective, I found something.”
Eli glanced to Sherry Abeyta. The petite medical examiner looked
like a child kneeling next to the body. He walked quickly toward her,
his six foot, seven inch frame easily covering the distance. Eli sidestepped
the little yellow flags with the grace and ease of many years of experience
working in the field.
“What’ve you got?”
“I took a closer look at the stab wounds and noticed something
interesting.” Sherry unzipped the body bag and pushed it open. “Notice
anything about the placement of the wounds?”
ORGAN REAPERS 9

Eli took a minute to examine the victim. The man was lying face
up. His skin was covered in blood and there were several deep wounds
to the abdomen. His chest was opened wide, like he had undergone
open-heart surgery. Eli carefully turned the body, so he could see the
side and part of the back.
“Large gaping wound to the chest and a single wound on the
posterior side of the back directly above the kidneys. Can I assume
there’s another slash mark on his right side?” Eli asked.
Sherry nodded, but refused to say another word.
Eli peered into the chest cavity and hissed in revulsion.
“Are you kidding me? The perp took the man’s frigging heart?”
“And both kidneys.” Sherry covered the victim’s body and
rolled easily to her feet.
“Who knows about this?”
“Just us.”
“Let’s keep it that way. Make sure the press doesn’t get wind of this.”
Eli pulled his gloves off, grimacing as he wiped his sweaty palms
on his slacks. Working crime scenes in the summer was the worst.
He left to find the first officer on the scene, so he could get the names
of the next of kin. He needed to call and tell them their loved one
had been brutally murdered.
It’s gonna to be a long night.

* * *

The alarm blared and Eli shoved it off his nightstand, anger
elevating his heart rate when the annoying peal continued unabated.
He forced his body to move despite the wave of nausea that rolled
through his midsection. He couldn’t afford to be late, not today. He
had a half dozen witnesses coming to the station to be questioned
about the gruesome murder from the night before.
He stumbled to the bathroom, fighting his rebellious belly. He
quickly showered and headed to the kitchen. Eli grimaced at the
empty bottle of whiskey on the counter, grabbed it, and tossed it into
the recycle container. He opened the fridge, hoping to find something
that was even remotely appetizing. The random condiments and
half-empty jar of jelly mocked him.
10 SHAY WEST

Eli grabbed his keys and badge off the side table before leaving
his tiny house. The shrubbery and rose bushes in the front needed a
good trimming and the yard was mainly dandelions, their cheery
yellow heads irritating him more than the alarm had.
There had been a period of time when he thought he had it all.
Promising career, gorgeous wife, a big house in the suburbs. He’d
wanted to be a detective for as long as he could remember and he
worked toward that goal with a tenacity that would propel him to the
top of the academy and through the ranks to become one of the best
detectives in the city, probably the whole country. His peers often
joked that he was psychic or had some kind of sixth sense when it
came to dealing with crime scenes and perps.
When he had come home early one day to surprise his wife, Vicki,
he hadn’t expected to find her in bed with another man. And he damn
sure didn’t expect that man to be his neighbor.
And with one swift stroke, his perfect world came crashing down
around his ears.
Eli refused to listen to Vicki when she pleaded with him for
forgiveness. He went straight to the lawyer and filed for divorce. His
wife ended up with half of everything, including his paycheck. Even
though the financial assistance was temporary, he still felt the pinch.
They sold the house in the suburbs, split the meager proceeds, and
he moved into the city. He considered renting, but rent was sky high,
so he looked into other options and was surprised that he qualified
for enough to buy a small house.
He walked around the house to the carport, shoved his key in
his used SUV, and gunned the engine. The bright light of the new
day hurt his eyes, even through the aviator sunglasses he always
wore. He pulled into the light traffic that was typical for this time of
day and headed for the precinct. Eli stopped by a coffee shop close to
the office and grabbed an espresso and a bagel. His stomach protested,
but he knew he would need the energy to tackle the day.
Questioning witnesses was his least favorite part of his job. Well, his
second-least favorite part. Filling out the endless amounts of paperwork
was worse.

* * *
ORGAN REAPERS 11

“It lives.”
Eli grunted at Detective Janice Connors. He took a large swig of
coffee and a huge bite of his bagel.
“You would look like this if you’d been on that case last night,”
Eli said.
“From the sounds of it we have a real sicko on our hands.”
“You’re telling me. I’ve never seen anything like it. Gunshot
wounds, stab wounds, beatings...” he shook his head. “But this. This
is something beyond anything I’ve ever seen.” Eli rubbed his face.
“By the way, captain wants to see you.”
“Do you know what about?”
Janice smiled, a twinkle in her green eyes. “Oh gee, I remember
him saying something about a new partner.” Janice said as she turned
back to her work.
Eli stared at Janice’s back, unable to believe his captain was
going to saddle him with a new partner. He preferred to work alone,
did better work when he was alone. He groaned and walked to his
captain’s office, knowing that it was better to get this over with. As
he got closer, he could see someone else in there with Captain Platt.
Whoever it was, they had Platt laughing.
“You wanted to see me?” Eli asked, refusing to look at whoever
it was Platt wanted to saddle him with.
“Eli Robins, meet Ava Aguilar.” Captain Platt tilted his head in
the direction of the chair facing his desk.
Eli turned and surveyed the young woman sitting in the chair.
She was tall, but still shorter than him, with long dark hair pulled
back in a ponytail and brown eyes so dark they looked almost black.
Her skin was a lovely shade of mocha. Unlike the other detectives on
the force, she wore a skirt. Ava met his look with a little smirk on her
face, clearly not intimidated.
He turned to face his captain, but the man spoke before Eli had a
chance.
“I don’t want to hear a word about this. You need a partner and
you will work with Ava or I’ll suspend you without pay, understood?”
Eli met Captain Platt’s icy blue eyes and he knew he couldn’t
push on this. He’d been given a long rope after the divorce, but he
was close to choking on it.
12 SHAY WEST

Without a single look back, Eli left Platt’s office and headed for
his desk. The witnesses would begin arriving any minute. He glanced
through the folder and ignored the clatter of Ava’s high-heeled shoes
as she strode up behind him.
“What do we have for today?” she asked.
Eli turned to face her and was annoyed to find that same smirk
on her face.
“Questioning witnesses. Why don’t you just sit here and read the
file to get caught up while I handle the questioning?”
Ava crossed her arms. “Gerald Forbes, dead from multiple stab
wounds and blunt force trauma to the head. Heart and kidneys were
removed, no other evidence found at the scene. Did I miss anything?”
She raised an eyebrow.
Eli grunted and motioned for her to follow.
“Follow my lead, got it?” he said.
“Absolutely.”
Eli hated that smirk. He couldn’t tell if she was mocking him or
if she looked like that all the time.
He burst into one of the many private rooms set aside for questioning
witnesses and took note of the way the man inside nearly jumped
out of his skin. He looked strung out, maybe doped up, Eli couldn’t
tell. But the way the man wrung his hands and moved his eyes about
the room told Eli that he knew something. And it was his job to find
out what.
“Chad Daniels? Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m Detective Robins and
this is Detective Aguilar. We’re going to ask you some questions, okay?”
The man sitting at the metal table nodded slowly. “Yeah, yeah,
okay, I guess.”
“You know why we’re here, don’t you?”
“Because of that guy I found.” Chad ran his hands through his
shoulder-length brown hair. “I wish I could get those images out of
my head, ya know? How do you guys do it?”
“Do what?”
“Look at dead people all day?”
“Believe it or not, we spend most of our day sitting at a desk,
attached to the phone or computer tracking down leads. Why don’t
you tell me everything?”
ORGAN REAPERS 13

“Well, I was walking home from work and had my head phones
on like I always do. It was late, about midnight, maybe a little later. I
didn’t hear anything, but I remember seeing a bright light out of the
corner of my eye, but when I looked up, it was gone. I thought it was
just me, ya know? Late night, whatever. Anyway, I walked toward
where I thought I saw the light and that’s when I saw him. Saw the guy
just lying there on the ground covered in blood.”
“And that’s when you called 911?”
Chad nodded.
“Did you go near the body at all?”
“No, no. I stayed back. No way am I getting close to a dead guy.”
“And you don’t remember seeing anyone in the area or hearing
something out of the ordinary?”
Chad shook his head. “Just that weird light. Like I said, I had my
headphones on.”
“Okay, Mr. Daniels, we’ll be in touch if we have any further
questions.”
Eli left the room, followed closely by his new partner. He stopped
outside the adjacent room where another witness was waiting to be
questioned. He opened the file and glanced at the man’s statement.
Eli narrowed his eyes.
“This guy claims he saw a light, same as the last one,” he said.
Ava frowned. “Is there any construction going on in the area?”
Eli stared at Ava, grudgingly admitting to himself that she was a
quick thinker. “We’ll follow up on that. Any other ideas?”
“What about ball parks?”
“None in that area, as far as I know, or at least not close enough
that the witnesses would see the lights. Besides, midnight seems a
little late for a ballgame.”
Eli walked into the room and questioned the next witness much
the same as he had the first. Other than a few minor details, their
descriptions were the same: they didn’t actually witness the murder,
didn’t see anyone leaving the scene, and they both saw a light.
The rest of the witness accounts were similar. By the time he finished,
Eli was frustrated. He had hoped to gain something he could use,
something he could sink his teeth into, but the only strange thing was
the light they all claimed to see.
14 SHAY WEST

“Aguilar, why don’t you follow up on the light? See if your


construction theory pans out. I’ll dig a little deeper into our victim’s
life to see who might have had it out for him. Oh, and let’s go see the
medical examiner after lunch. Seeing’s how you’re new, you’re buying
lunch.” Eli turned away before his new partner could object.
Eli spent the next few hours combing through the files they had
on Gerald Forbes, and since the murder had only happened the
night before, he didn’t have much to go on. Gerald was single, never
married, worked as an IT tech for one of the universities, had very
few friends. Eli couldn’t see anything in the file that raised any red flags
as to why someone would want to kill the man and remove his organs.
Ava returned just as he finished making a few phone calls.
“No construction in the area and I double-checked on the ball
parks. Nothing.”
“Nothing in his background that I could find either. Well...” He
stood and stretched. “Let’s go and visit the medical examiner.”

* * *

The drive to the medical examiner’s office was brief. Ava sat in
the passenger seat and kept quiet, which was just fine by Eli. His
head was pounding and the last thing he wanted was to talk.
I need a drink.
He parked a few blocks away from the medical center, knowing
he’d never get a spot any closer. He stopped by the small coffee shop
in the lobby, hoping the dose of caffeine would make his headache
disappear.
“You want one?” he asked.
“I don’t usually drink caffeine this late, but what the hell,” Ava
answered.
Eli glanced at her. “You don’t look like a detective.”
Ava gave a small snort before sipping her coffee. “Thanks?”
“You look more like you should be working at Bloomingdale’s
or something.”
“And you look like you belong in a gutter.”
Eli blinked slowly. Ava met his gaze and didn’t flinch. “Yeah,
well, guess I can’t argue with that.”
ORGAN REAPERS 15

Eli led the way to Sherry’s office. It was a trip he’d made so many
times, he could do it in his sleep. While he walked, Eli emptied his
mind, a trick he had learned while in the academy. Things came to
him while he was in this state, flashes of insight that often led to
collaring a perp. His colleagues called it a psychic ability, but Eli knew
it was just letting his subconscious take over.
He pushed his way through the double doors and spotted Sherry,
dressed in blue scrubs, gloves covered in blood.
“Sherry, Detective Ava Aguilar. Detective Aguilar, Sherry,” Eli said.
Sherry nodded at Detective Aguilar. “So you’re saddled with
this guy, huh?”
“He’s growing on me.” Ava glanced at Eli, wearing her little half-
smile. “You know, sort of like a fungus.”
Sherry’s laughter echoed in the cold room. “I think we’re gonna
get along fine.”
“If you two are finished, can we talk about the dead guy, please?”
Eli asked, pointing to the corpse on the table.
“The victim died from blunt force trauma to the head. The perp
cut the organs out post-mortem,” Sherry said.
“Anything else?”
“Nothing much. Other than the organs missing, there’s not much
else to report, at least until the autopsy is completed.”
“Why would someone take organs?” Eli mumbled to himself.
“What about the black market?” Ava asked.
Sherry shook her head. “The organs have a short life span unless
the right equipment is used. To remain viable for any length of time,
they would need to be kept on ice and transported to a medical facility
immediately.”
“So how long are we talking here?” Eli asked.
“The kidneys could last the longest, maybe thirty hours under
good conditions. The heart, only about six.”
“So someone could have taken them for transplantation purposes
and done the work in the middle of the night,” Ava said.
“Not likely. If anything was done without proper hospitalization,
the person probably wouldn’t survive.”
“Could the lights have been from a helicopter or something?”
Sherry asked.
16 SHAY WEST

“It would have made a hell of a racket and kicked up a lot of dust.
None of the witnesses reported anything like that,” Eli said.
“Should we contact the hospitals in the city in case someone shows
up with a kidney or a heart and wanting a transplant?” Ava asked.
“It’s unlikely that would happen. The process of organ donation
and transplantation is highly regulated. A doctor would never take
an organ in a chest of ice and transplant it into a patient without
knowing the details of where it came from. Most of the time, the donor
is brought to the recipient rather than just bringing the organ to be
donated. Then there’s the issue of MHC matching. I doubt that your
perp would know your victim’s DNA sequences,” Sherry said.
“But it’s possible?” Eli asked.
“I suppose, if he worked at a lab or had access to the database.”
“We’ll need to check that angle. Maybe we have some vigilante
taking organs to save some poor soul he deems more worthy.”
“I’ll check and see if the victim’s DNA is registered in the
database and if he happens to match anyone on the organ wait list,”
Sherry said. “And it might not be a bad idea to alert local hospitals
that they could be dealing with black market organs.”
Ava nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Hey, Sherry, call us if you find anything, okay?”
“Sure thing, Elliott.”
“You know I hate that name,” he said as he exited the room.

* * *

Eli’s head refused to stop hurting. The headache, coupled with


zero leads on the case, left him in a fouler mood than usual. And Ava
wasn’t making things any easier. The woman just sat there, not saying a
word. It irked him, though he couldn’t say why.
“Why’d you become a detective?” Eli asked, breaking the silence.
“My father was a cop, a couple of my uncles were cops, older brother
was a cop...” She trailed off.
“So, a family of cops. Makes sense, I guess.”
“I was the only girl in my family, so I learned to be tough from the
time I was little. I never played with dolls; I played with toy guns, just
ORGAN REAPERS 17

like my brothers. I played sports in school, even thought about joining


the military. But Papa convinced me to go to the academy. Said I
would make a great cop.”
“Do you like it?”
“Being a detective? Of course, don’t you?”
Eli didn’t answer because he wasn’t sure how to. Being a detective
was all he knew. He was good at his job, he liked nailing the perp,
but to go so far as to say he liked it...
I’ve been at this job too long.
Ava didn’t push the question, which suited Eli just fine. He’d
barely been with his new partner for a day and he wasn’t ready to
spill his guts to her about his life. If the past was any indicator, he
probably never would.
“I’ll notify the hospitals to be on the look-out for someone coming
in with a cooler of kidneys and a heart,” Ava said.
“Don’t be long. We’re going back to the crime scene. I want another
look around; see if I can’t spot this strange light the witnesses saw.”
C HAPTER 2

ELI PARKED CLOSE to the crime scene. There were still techs walking
around, gathering evidence in the light of day. Yellow tape encircled
a large area. Eli ducked under the tape and walked to where the man’s
body had been located. He could hear the crunch of Ava’s footfalls as
she followed close behind.
“I’m going to do my thing. Why don’t you walk around and see
what you can see, something I might miss?” Eli said.
He stood and gazed at the spot where the victim’s body had lain for
hours before being found by the witnesses. The ground was stained a
reddish-brown color from the blood. A lot of blood. A picture played
out in Eli’s brain, part of the process he used to feel out a perpetrator,
get inside his head.
A man stalks the victim, following his every move, staying in the shadows,
waiting for the right moment to strike. The victim walks into a large area not
illuminated by the dim streetlights. Now is the perfect time. The perp
lunges forward, hitting the man on the back of the head with a heavy object.
The victim falls to the ground, probably dead without ever having seen the
face of his attacker. The perp, without waiting for the man to die, cuts open
the chest cavity, removing the still-beating heart from the man’s body. He
rolls the victim over to remove the kidneys, then rolls the man onto his back.
The perp walks away with his equipment and the man’s organs, disappearing
into the dark.
Eli walked to the investigator working the scene.
“Did you guys recover a weapon? Or any kind of surgical or
cutting tools?”
The man shook his head. “We searched a ten mile radius and didn’t
come up with anything. Whatever the perp used, he must have took it
with him.”
ORGAN REAPERS 19

Eli sighed. He knew that if the crime scene investigators had


found anything, he would have been the first to know. He had only
asked on the chance that they had found something they had missed
the night before.
He spotted Ava walking the edges of the crime scene, pulling on
plastic gloves, most likely requested from one of the many crime scene
techs still working the crime scene. She looked out of place in her skirt
and high heels, but she didn’t flinch at walking through the weeds and
kneeling in the dirt.
“Hey, I found something.”
Eli walked over to Ava.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Not sure, but it definitely looks out of place.”
Ava gave Eli the small object in her hand.
“Doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen. Wonder what these
markings are?”
“No idea. They look like something out of Lord of the Rings,”
Ava said.
“Like something out of what?”
Ava rolled her eyes and smirked. “You really don’t get out much,
do you?” She took the object and handed it to an officer so he could
bag it. “Hopefully this will be the lead we’ve been looking for.”

* * *

“You lost one of the gateway stones? How could you be so careless?”
Keena stood with her head hanging down, shame coloring her
face. The Master of Prophets’ anger was justified; losing one of the
gateway stones was reckless.
“It was just the one stone, Master Kelhar,” Tani said.
“And if every one of you Harvesters loses a stone, what then?”
Master Kelhar asked, slashing at the air with his hand.
“I can go back, see if I can find it—”
“It is too dangerous. That world will have their authorities in the
area and you might be captured and interrogated. No, I will have
our mages craft you another stone. But if you lose one of them again
20 SHAY WEST

you will be stripped of your title and put out of the monastery, is
that understood?”
Keena nodded, relief nearly making her knees buckle. She had
been sure she would be asked to leave.
Would that be such a bad thing?
Keena left Master Kelhar’s study before he could see the tears fall
down her cheeks. She didn’t notice if Tani followed or not; her heart
and mind were too heavy to even care. Being a Harvester was all she
had ever wanted. When she passed the examination and physical tests,
her heart swelled from the happiness coursing through her. She ran all
the way to her family’s home, nearly scaring her mother to death
when she burst through the front door. The whole family had been
so proud, but most especially her papa.
“You bring us much honor, my daughter,” he had said, touching
his forehead to hers.
She had only been a Harvester for a couple of moons; her partner
Tani had been one for nearly two years. She had been thrilled to be
paired with someone so experienced. Tani had never missed finding
the target, one of the few in the monastery to do so, making him a
legend on their world.
The first couple of targets hadn’t bothered Keena much. After all,
the targets possessed things people on her world required for life.
She thought it was worth it.
But the job began to take its toll. One target had had a small locket
containing a picture of what Keena presumed to be her daughter
around her slender throat. Guilt slammed into her like a fist and she
had fallen to her knees next to the woman. Though she tried to control
her roiling stomach, she had vomited as she watched Tani open the
woman’s body to retrieve her insides.
When Master Kelhar came to her and Tani for the latest Harvesting
she had nearly refused, anxiety causing her to shake. Tani finally took
note of her behavior, but waited for Master Kelhar to leave before
broaching the subject.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into me. Instead of seeing bags of flesh
carrying something our people need, I see someone with children, a life
of their own. I wonder what their family does when they see the body,
ruined and broken.”
ORGAN REAPERS 21

Admitting her feelings had been one of the hardest things Keena
had ever done. But her anxiety was allayed when Tani admitted he
was beginning to have second thoughts about his duty as a Harvester.
“How have you done it all these years?” Keena asked.
“I don’t know. Didn’t think about it much, I guess.”
“And now?”
Tani shrugged. “Same as you. What makes our people so much
more worthy of life that we take someone else’s?”
Keena nodded. “Yes, that’s what I keep thinking. The people we
kill have families, people who love them.”
“I know, but what are we to do?”
Keena had been unable to answer then and she was unable to
answer now. She only knew how wretched she felt at the thought of
having to steal some stranger’s life. Part of her hoped Master Kelhar
would revoke her privileges as a Harvester despite how disappointed
her family would be at being forced to live as ordinary peasants once
again. Keena would welcome it.
And she thought Tani would as well.
Though he was ten years her senior, she had been in love with
him from the moment she laid eyes on him. He wasn’t what she had
pictured as the man she would fall in love with. Tani was quiet and
reserved in contrast to her bubbly nature. He was dark where she
was light, in skin, eyes, and hair. The one thing that brought them
together was their duty as Harvesters.
But over the last few moons, she had grown to understand her
silent partner. He was kind, loved his family and wanted the best for
them, believed in the Prophets with an unrelenting fervor, and had a
soft spot for animals. Each day made Keena’s feelings grow stronger.
She wasn’t sure if he returned them or not. He was so difficult to
read. He was as reticent with her as he was with everyone else. But
she often caught him staring at her when he thought she wasn’t looking.
It made her stomach do flip-flops, but she couldn’t meet his eyes in
moments like those. If she was mistaken and he saw the naked hunger
in her eyes, but didn’t return her feelings, Keena thought she would
never be able to face him again.
“Don’t worry about losing the stone. You know Master Kelhar
likes to throw his power around.”
22 SHAY WEST

Keena looked up at Tani. “I can’t believe I was so careless.”


“You made an error. One I guarantee you won’t make again.”
Keena gave Tani a small smile. “I certainly won’t.”
The two stood in silence, watching the sun set over the hills from
the covered porch of the monastery. A lone airship glided by, its
shadow crawling over the ground. Acolytes began lighting the many
torches that bordered the monastery.
“The gateway stone isn’t the only thing that weighs on your mind.”
“You know what bothers me.”
Tani nodded. “I share your concerns, but I’ve been unable to
find an answer as to what to do. If we come back empty-handed, we
will be exiled from the monastery.”
“Would that be so bad?” Keena asked.
“Our families enjoy esteem that no one born into our class can ever
dream of. If we fail, we send them back down to where they started.
Can you do that to them?”
Keena wiped tears from her cheeks. “I understand what we would
be giving up. But isn’t our happiness important too? Are money and
class the only things that matter?”
Tani wanted to argue, but the words caught in his throat. He had
seen the distress in her eyes as he had opened the last man’s body to
retrieve his organs. If he hadn’t had so many years of practice at shoving
his emotions to the side, he wasn’t sure he could have continued the job.
“Perhaps your little mistake will give us a reprieve from our duties.”
Keena smiled. “That would be nice. We have not had much time
to ourselves.”
“What would you do with a whole week, knowing you wouldn’t
be called to work?”
“Go home.”
“I imagine your family’s mansion is quite breathtaking,” Tani said.
Keena smiled sadly. “I would go back to the house we lived in
before I became a Harvester. We didn’t have much, but life was simpler.
I have a lot of happy memories in that tiny house.”
“Surely you’ve built some good memories in your family’s new
home?”
Keena looked at Tani, fresh tears trickling down her cheeks. “Of
course I have. But at what cost?”
C HAPTER 3

“IT’S BEEN THIRTY-SIX hours. What do you two have for me?”
Eli glanced up at Dean Platt. The precinct captain was standing
with his arms crossed over his chest, brows furrowed.
“Nothing yet, Captain.”
“Fill me in on what you do have.”
“A whole lotta nothing. No one saw anything, no fibers or prints,
nothing suspicious on his computer or phone. It’s like a killer randomly
targeted this guy and vanished into thin air.”
Captain Platt rubbed his face before pounding his fist on Eli’s
desk. “We need something. The press is hounding me for a statement.
What am I supposed to tell them?”
Eli shook his head and threw his hands in the air. “I can’t give
you what I don’t have.”
He looked up as Ava approached.
“I just spent the last few hours checking with area hospitals. No
kidney or heart transplants in the last week. The medical examiner
confirmed that the organs would be useless by now. If someone did
take the organs for the purpose of transplantation, the window has
closed,” she said, and she sat on the edge of Eli’s desk.
Eli raised an eyebrow. Ava’s position afforded him an excellent
view of her legs, which he admitted were killer. He’d never understood
that term until now. Always been an ass man. But Ava’s legs made him
want to change his mind about his favorite part of a woman’s body.
“What if the perp didn’t take them for transplantation?” Captain
Platt asked.
“That still leaves us with nothing,” Eli said as he leaned back in
his chair with his hands linked behind his head.
24 SHAY WEST

“It’s not like you to not have some idea rattling around that giant
head of yours,” Platt said.
“My head is not giant,” Eli said.
“Between your Afro and your ego, it really should have its own
zip code.”
“Don’t be hating on a brother’s hair, now. Just because you’re a
little light up top…” Eli rubbed his own hair.
He stood and motioned Ava to follow. “Let’s go back to the victim’s
work place, see if there’s anything we might have missed.”
“Bring me something, Elliott,” Platt yelled after him.
“You know I hate that name, Captain,” Eli shouted over his shoulder.
Eli threw on his jacket as he and Ava walked to the elevators.
The weather was supposed to be in the mid-seventies, but he had
lived in Colorado his whole life and knew the temperatures could
change on a dime.
“Do you really want to go to the victim’s office again or did you
want to get away from Platt?” Ava asked as they drove out of the
parking garage.
“Little of both, actually. Platt can be a real bear when the press is
breathing down his neck. Guess I don’t blame him. I’d hate to have
to deal with those vultures.”
“Oh, they aren’t so bad if you know how to handle them.”
“And I suppose you know how to handle them?”
Ava shrugged. “I’ve had my share of interviews. My old precinct
had me give press conferences whenever they could. Captain said I
looked better in front of the camera than anyone else. Said I had a
way with the reporters that made them back off.”
“Now that’s something I’d love to see.”
The university where Forbes worked wasn’t far from the precinct.
Traffic was light at this time of day and they made it with minimal
conversation. Eli was shocked to find he wanted to ask Ava something,
anything, so he could hear her rich, smooth, throaty voice. His ex had a
high-pitched voice that he’d found cute when they first met, but had
grated on his nerves as the years wore on. He had never said anything
to her; he wasn’t completely nuts. Just tuned out most of the time when
she spoke.
Probably why she cheated on you, asshole.
ORGAN REAPERS 25

Eli silently sucker-punched the voice in the throat, stuck a knife


in its belly, set it on fire, and tossed it off a bridge. The last thing he
wanted was to feel sorry for his lousy excuse for an ex-wife or start
blaming himself for what happened. He was messed up as it was; no
need to add self-recrimination to the mix.
He shoved thoughts of his ex to the side and focused on Ava. He
wasn’t interested in a relationship, not even a one night stand, but he
had to admit she was smoking hot. And totally out of his league,
which was why he felt safe harboring the “what ifs.” Not to mention
that office romances were a strict no-no.
Ava appeared to sense his eyes on her; she met his with an
unflinching gaze and the same smirk that seemed to have taken up
permanent residence on her face. Eli merely smiled and looked back
out the windshield.
Eli parked the car and they walked to a building marked as
Administration. A perky woman wearing gigantic eyeglasses was
able to direct the detectives to the building that housed the IT
department. Someone else showed them where Gerald Forbes spent
most of his time.
The office space looked as if no one had worked there for over a
decade. Gerald had no family pictures, no cutesy mugs made by a
child, nothing personal at all. A Doctor Who desk calendar was the
only thing with any personality in the entire space.
“Hey, can someone get me onto his computer?” Eli yelled.
“Only the boss man can do that. I’ll go get him,” one of the techs
answered.
Out of habit, Eli showed his badge to the man who arrived. The man
grabbed the mouse and gave it a little jiggle to wake up the system. He
typed in a username and password, then motioned for Eli to take a seat.
“It’s logged on as Gerald.” The man shook his head. “I still can’t
believe he’s dead. I mean, he’s Gerald, ya know?”
Eli nodded, but didn’t speak, unwilling the interrupt the man if
he wanted to talk.
“He’s just so ordinary, boring, you might say. Never got caught
looking at websites he shouldn’t.” The man put up his hands when
he saw Eli sit up straight. “Not that kind of website! I just meant things
like Facebook and Twitter. The university knows people look at those
26 SHAY WEST

sites, but they aren’t supposed to use the university computers for
that kind of stuff. Danger of viruses and Trojans and all that. Gerald
was one of the few who actually followed that rule. Work computer
for work only. The man was practically a saint.”
Eli checked the computer and found nothing out of the ordinary.
The only thing on the hard drive not related to Gerald’s work as an
IT tech was a personal calendar filled with everything from doctor’s
appointments to his volunteer time at the local homeless shelter.
The man really was a saint.
As he and Ava walked back to the car, Eli’s blood pressure crept
up as the images of Gerald’s ruined body flashed through his head.
The man worked hard, kept his nose clean, hell, even volunteered to
feed homeless people, for Christ’s sake. It didn’t seem fair for someone
to kill poor Gerald, let alone steal his organs.
“I don’t know about you, but I want to nail the son-of-a-bitch
that killed Gerald,” Ava said as she yanked the car door open.
Eli smiled grimly as he opened his door. “Damn right.” He paused
before he got in. “Hey, why don’t you drive back to the precinct. I need
to do my thing.”
Ava raised an eyebrow. “Your thing?” She left the door open and
walked toward him around the front of the car.
“Yeah, my thing. I disappear into my head and it helps me get
deeper into the case.”
She bit her lips, clearly holding back a smile. “I see. Well, I’d be
happy to drive while you do your...thing.”
Eli got into the passenger seat, ignoring her comment. It felt weird
to not be behind the wheel, but he couldn’t be distracted and drive at
the same time. The last thing he needed was to take out some innocent
pedestrian or smash into a van full of nuns.
As Ava drove, Eli leaned back against the seat and closed his
eyes. Now that he knew a little more about the victim, he thought his
magical brain might regurgitate something that would help him
crack the case.
Gerald got ready for work, dressing in his usual drab slacks and shirt.
He drove his nondescript car to the university, parking in the same spot he
did every day, walked to his desk and began his usual routine of helping
students and staff retrieve email passwords, access the common drives, save
ORGAN REAPERS 27

damaged hard drives. After a long day behind a computer, Gerald left for
the evening, eager to arrive at his destination: the homeless shelter down the
street. He smiled for the first time that day, relaxed and happy to be helping
someone in need. After working several hours, he went home, heart and soul
filled once again so he could work another day.
As Ava pulled into the parking garage, Eli had to admit that he
had nothing. For the first time in all his years as a detective, he had
no gut instinct as to who had killed Gerald Forbes.
C HAPTER 4

THE NEXT FEW WEEKS passed without any leads in the case of
Gerald Forbes. Frustration and badgering from his Captain caused Eli to
drink more than usual, which, of course, meant pounding headaches
and angry outbursts. Not even his sexy partner could distract him.
The case gnawed at him and, even though he would never admit this
to a living soul, it worried him. Most nights ended with him tossing back
a few too many drinks. Each time the phone rang, his heart rate would
skyrocket, certain he was getting the news of more victims. When the call
finally did come, it wasn’t from his Captain; it was from Ava.
“You awake, Elliott?” she asked.
“Don’t call me Elliott. I hate that name,” he said automatically.
“I don’t see why. Elliott is a perfectly nice name.”
“My ex used to call me that. She was the only one who did.”
Ava was silent for a moment. “I see. Well, get your ass down to
the station. I found something you’re gonna want to see.”
Ava refused to elaborate, so Eli was forced to drag himself from
his warm bed and move his stubborn body through the usual
morning routine, though several hours earlier than he was used to.
Why did she have to call so early? His mouth was dry and his tongue
covered in a slimy film that made his stomach lurch. Though he
wanted to scrub his mouth with something akin to a chainsaw, he
settled for his toothbrush, brushing so vigorously he was surprised
he didn’t draw blood. He gargled mouthwash, hoping it would be
enough to kill any remaining halitosis, so he could speak to people
without them dropping dead.
The sunlight hurt his eyes, even through his aviators. He wanted
to go right back inside and crawl into bed. Instead, he trudged to the
ORGAN REAPERS 29

car and slammed the door, regretting that decision when his head
nearly exploded from the noise.
When the pounding in his head settled to a dull throb, Eli put
the car in gear and headed to the precinct. The crawl of traffic and the
idiocy of the other drivers put him in an even fouler mood; something
he didn’t think was possible on this particular morning.
Eli decided to skip his morning coffee and breakfast sandwich. His
stomach felt as weak as a newborn kitten and he wasn’t about to toss his
cookies in front of his new partner. And the idea of eating a greasy
bacon and egg sandwich really didn’t sound appetizing in the least.
He grunted when his fellow officers called out greetings. They
knew enough to leave him alone with his misery. It wasn’t like this was
the first time he had come into the office grumpy and hung over.
“Whatever it is that made you call me at this hour had better be
good,” he said to Ava as he walked up to his desk.
“Oh, it’s better than good. Although I suppose that depends on your
definition of ‘good.’ ” Ava said, using air quotes on the last “good.”
Eli merely looked at her without blinking.
She sighed. “Come with me.”
He followed her to the large whiteboard that contained all the
information they had gathered thus far pertaining to the murder of
Gerald Forbes. The first thing Eli noticed when he got close enough to see
it was that there were a lot more papers up there than he remembered.
“What’s all this?” he asked.
“These are other cases with an MO similar to our Mr. Forbes.”
“That’s not possible. I checked and there were no other cases that
matched.”
“No other cases in this city. But I contacted the FBI on a hunch and
found the mother lode.” She tilted her head to the side. “Well, not the
mother lode exactly, but at least a few cases that might shed some light
on ours.”
Eli looked carefully at each of the pictures, his mind absorbing
the details despite his hangover: four other people, scattered from coast
to coast, all missing organs, none with any physical evidence, and all with
witnesses claiming to have seen a strange flash of light, some before
coming across the bodies, some afterwards.
“Well, I’ll be damned.”
30 SHAY WEST

“That’s pretty much exactly what I said.”


“Does the Captain know about this?”
“Yup. He’s the one who insisted I call you.”
“Damn right you should have called me.”
“So I’m forgiven for waking you from your beauty sleep?”
Eli stared at her lips, curled in her typical half smile. Funny, I
never noticed that little mole before.
“Captain wants us to go over this new evidence, make sure there’s
not something I missed,” Ava said, bringing him out of his daydream.
“Did anyone find a stone like the one you found?”
She frowned. “I don’t remember seeing anything about that, but
I can call the precincts to touch base.”
“Good idea.”
Eli hated going over the endless folders of evidence, witness
statements, background information, time lines, and alibis. It made
his eyes squint and his head hurt just about as bad as it did after a
night drinking whiskey.
He noticed something and shuffled the papers on his desk around
until he found what he was looking for.
“Take a look at this.” He handed the sheet of paper to Ava.
“What am I looking for?”
“Take a look at the dates of the deaths of the victims from Cincinnati
and Los Angeles.”
Eli walked back to the white board and circled the dates in red
marker, making them stand out.
Ava’s eyes widened. “Oh my God, are you kidding me with this?”
“Kidding with what?”
Eli glanced up at Captain Platt and motioned him over to the
white board.
“There’s a little snag in our serial killer theory. See here?” He
pointed to the dates he’d just circled in red.
“Nancy Thompson and Gerald both killed on the same day,
sometime between the hours of two and four in the morning. Christ!”
Platt rubbed his smooth head and paced in front of the white board.
“This isn’t just a snag. This blows our theory out of the water.”
Ava shook her head. “So we don’t have a serial killer. But there’s
no way we have separate killers with the same MO. I mean, what are
ORGAN REAPERS 31

we talking here? Killers who live in different cities, removing organs


from dead bodies?”
Eli rubbed his face. “It’s the only thing that fits the evidence. One
person can’t be in two cities at opposite ends of the country at the same
time. The question is, do we have one original killer and a bunch of
copycats or do we have separate killers who know one another?”
“There’s something we’re missing with this case. See if there’s
anything that connects our victims, even if it seems farfetched. There’s
got to be some common ground with all these victims. Stay in touch
with the FBI. We need to keep on top of any more murders that might
pop up in the future,” Platt ordered.
Eli nodded and shared a glance with Ava. They both knew they
wouldn’t be going home anytime soon. There were four other victims
besides Mr. Forbes, all from different cities, with different jobs and
backgrounds. Trying to find common ground would mean lots of phone
and computer time.
“Better call for take-out. We’re gonna be here awhile,” Eli said.

* * *

“My ear is numb,” Ava said as she hung up the phone.


“Did you find out anything?” Eli asked.
“Nothing we didn’t already know.”
“Okay, so here’s what we have so far: five victims, all from different
cities, three women, two men, three Caucasians, one African-American,
one Asian. Four killed in the middle of the city, another in a park, one
was a heavy smoker, one a heavy drinker, one health nut, the other two
middle-of-the-road; different blood types, different jobs, no connections
between any of them other than the fact that they were all killed by
blunt force trauma and their organs removed. Did I miss anything?”
“Only the light the witnesses said they saw.”
“That’s what is bothering me. It’s the only thing that’s consistent.”
Eli rubbed his eyes. “Who knows, maybe aliens did it.”
“Ha ha, very funny.”
“What else do we have? The light and that strange stone you found.”
“I doubt the stone has anything to do with the case.”
32 SHAY WEST

“You’re probably right. Well, I’m going home for a few hours’ sleep.
You coming?” Eli asked as he grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair.
“I want to contact the FBI and see if they can help us compile a
complete list of murders that fit our killer’s MO. I have a sinking
feeling we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg,” she said, pointing to
the pictures of the five victims taped on the white board.
Eli gave a half wave as he walked away. Part of him wanted to
go back and ask if Ava wanted to come back to his place and have a
drink. But he ignored that voice in his mind and headed for the elevators.
He continued the fantasy of Ava coming back to his apartment
for a nightcap as he drove home. It felt strange to be thinking about a
woman in this way. He hadn’t even been interested in sleeping with
a woman since his ex left. There hadn’t been anyone but Vicki. She’d
been his dream from the moment he had laid eyes on her. The woman
had been so out of his league as to be in another solar system, but he had
pursued her anyway, despite her trying to keep him at arm’s length.
Even though he could grudgingly admit that the job had kept
him away more often than not, she had known what she was getting
into when she agreed to marry him. Eli was pretty sure that was why
he hated her so much. She knew what marrying him meant, and she
still had the nerve to weep and say that he wasn’t there for her, that
she needed a man who was around more, who could put her first,
blah, blah, blah. Her inability to take responsibility for her choices
made him swear off women. What was the point if the next one who
came along would leave him eventually as well?
And yet here he was fantasizing about undressing his partner
and carrying her naked body to his double bed. He shook his head,
knowing he was too exhausted and couldn’t afford to be this distracted
while driving home.
As he pulled into his driveway, Eli was surprised to find his
headache gone and his wits sharp. Even though the new evidence
didn’t seem to lead anywhere, Eli knew it was only a matter of time
before he cracked this case wide open.
C HAPTER 5

TANI WALKED to Keena’s room, his mind preoccupied with the


next Harvesting job. Master Kelhar had sent a messenger earlier that
morning, requesting his presence as well as that of his partner.
As he walked down the flower-lined path, his thoughts churned
as much as his stomach. Keena wouldn’t be happy about being called
for another job. The last one had bothered her. Tani had to admit it had
bothered him too. The thought of taking another life and brutalizing
the body made him want to throw up.
But he had to do his duty. His family’s status depended on it. No
one had ever refused a job, at least not that Tani knew of. The other
Harvesters seemed to be perfectly at ease with what they did.
He knocked softly on Keena’s door, trying to think of a way to
break the news to her that they were set to go on another Harvesting.
She opened the door with a smile that lit up her face. Tani’s own
smile withered when hers faded and his heart ached at seeing the
fear in her eyes.
“We have to go again, don’t we?”
Tani shuffled his feet. “Master Kelhar wants us to come to him
within the hour.”
“Is it really necessary that we go so soon? Why can’t he send
some of the others?”
“They are all out already.”
Her eyes widened. “All of them? There’re more than twenty
Harvesters. We’ve never all been gone at once.”
“I guess there are a lot of people who need the organs.”
“I don’t want to go,” she whispered as she crossed her arms over
her chest.
34 SHAY WEST

“Maybe we should talk inside?”


Tani followed Keena into the domicile. He didn’t even hesitate
though it was considered highly improper for a young man to be
alone with a young woman in her own home. He thought it a silly
custom. No one seems to care that we are alone on another world when we are
on retrieval duty.
Despite the possibility of wagging tongues, his fear of someone
overhearing Keena speak ill of their duties scared him more. It wasn’t
like what they did was something only they could do. It would be
easy for Master Kelhar to find replacements for them. There were any
number of young lads and ladies who would be more than willing to
become Harvesters. He and Keena would be kicked out of the monastery
in disgrace and their families would also bear their shame.
“Tell me about our target.”
Tani talked, while Keena paced the small living space.
“It’s a girl who lives in the same place we traveled to last time.
She’s young, the youngest we’ve ever done.”
Keena’s face blanched. “How young?”
Tani swallowed hard. “Twelve, maybe thirteen.”
“Tani, we can’t take the life of one so young! It’s part of the sacred
rules. No one’s organs can be retrieved who hasn’t been alive at least
thirty years. Master Kelhar told us that when we first started! I...I can’t
do this.” She shook her head.
“We have to. Master Kelhar is expecting us.”
“But I can’t kill a child. Can you?”
Tani wanted to assure her that he could, but the words stuck in
his throat. “It’s our duty. Think of your family—”
“I don’t care about my family! I care about killing a young girl
before she’s had a chance to really live!”
Tani flinched at the heat in her voice. Keena rarely lost her
temper. The reminder—that her family had a better life because of
her work—had always been enough to make her come around. Not
this time, it would seem.
“I didn’t mean that I don’t care about my family.” Keena wrung
her hands. “I can’t believe they would put their own comforts over the
life of a child.”
“What do you suggest we do?” he asked.
ORGAN REAPERS 35

“I don’t know. I need time to think...”


“We don’t have time. If we do not show up at the designated
time, Master Kelhar will come looking for us.”
“We can run, hide out in the forest, maybe seek asylum in
Braenok.”
Keena had stopped pacing and faced him, her eyes seeking
acceptance of her bold plan.
“Master Kelhar will only send someone else to kill the girl. Don’t
you see? We will have lost everything for nothing.”
“Not for nothing! Doesn’t your soul ache every time you take a
life? Do you really think the gods of our world want us to kill a child?
Master Kelhar teaches that the gods love children above all others
and yet he wants to send us to kill one. Both cannot be right.”
“Our texts say nothing of the children of other worlds...” Tani
trailed off. The words sounded false even to his own ears.
“I know you don’t really believe that,” Keena said softly.
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter what I believe. All that
matters is that we do what we’re told.”
“I’m not sure I can do that anymore.”
Tani wanted to shout at her, to tell her that she was being ridiculous
and selfish, but he couldn’t. He wanted to run away with her, never
to set eyes on another dead body ever again. It would be easy for them
to take on new identities, live out the rest of their lives in peace.
But their families would be disgraced, forced to go back to trying
to scratch out a living on a farm or in one of the factories. Tani didn’t
know if he could live with himself knowing he was responsible for
his family’s suffering.
But you can live with the suffering you cause other families when you
take their loved ones from them.
Keena cupped her hands as she gazed earnestly at his face. “I
know you feel as I do. We hold those people’s lives in our hands.”
He couldn’t look away from the naked hope in her eyes. If he
insisted they perform their duty, she would follow. And it would kill
something inside her. Tani couldn’t live with that.
What about Meevo?
Tani swallowed hard against the lump forming in his throat. His
younger brother had been born weak, hadn’t enjoyed things the other
36 SHAY WEST

boys his age did, simply because he wasn’t healthy enough to run and
play. But the money his family enjoyed from Tani’s being a Harvester
meant that Meevo was able to get the best care. His love for this
brother fought with what he knew in his heart was right.
What would Meevo want you to do?
“How much coin do you have?” he asked.
“More than our families would see in several years,” she said
excitedly.
“I have about the same.” Tani thought quickly. “Pack one bag
with clothing, food, and water. We need to be able to move quickly.
Meet me in my domicile as soon as you are ready.”
Tani left Keena’s home and hurried toward his own. The men
were situated on the other side of the monastery from the women.
Great airships floated above him in a sky of purest blue, but he
didn’t stop and watch like he usually did. This wasn’t the time for
dawdling and indulging in a favorite pastime. He and Keena were
about to do something that had never been done: rebel against the
Masters of the monastery.
He threw open the door to his domicile, not even bothering to
close it behind him and ran to his bed, where he kept his knapsack.
Tani tossed it on the bed while he rummaged through his trunk to
find breeches and tunics. He shoved the garments into his knapsack.
Tani was so engrossed in his packing that he didn’t notice the
elongating shadow of someone walking through the open door. The
floor creaked behind him.
“That was fast, Keena—”
The words died in his throat as his eyes met those of Master
Kelhar. The man wore robes decorated with gold embroidery as befitted
his station. His grey hair was close-cropped and his face was a mass
of wrinkles. While most of his features were those of an old man, his
steely grey eyes could stop a grown man in his tracks.
“Going somewhere?” Master Kelhar asked, looking pointedly at
his knapsack.
Tani tried to speak, but his throat was locked up tight. He hoped
Keena wouldn’t come walking in right at that moment.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were planning on going
somewhere.” Master Kelhar’s eyes bored into his own.
ORGAN REAPERS 37

“I was thinking of going out to the hills after this trip. Just thought
I’d get a head start on packing.”
“I see.”
Kelhar stared so long, Tani feared he was about to be taken into
custody. It was only with great force of will that he kept from
fidgeting like a child caught stealing candy.
“You do realize you’re late?”
“No, I had no idea. As soon as Keena arrives, we will come to
the Harvesting chamber.”
“Be sure that you do.”
Tani barely managed a nod as Kelhar turned and swept out of
the doorway. As soon as the Master was out of earshot, Tani ran to
the open door. His heart sank when he saw one of Master Kelhar’s
personal attendants standing under the shade of a large plum tree
with a clear view of Tani’s residence.
He shut the door and cursed under his breath. There was no way
he and Keena could run away. Panic made his heart race, and his
mind refused to come up with a solution. All he could think of was what
the young girl on Earth would look like just before he took her life.
A knock on the door made him jump and gasp. With shaking hands
he opened the door and sighed with relief when he spotted Keena
standing with her knapsack over her shoulder. With an anxious look at
the guard, Tani grabbed her arm and yanked her through the open door.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, rubbing her arm.
“Master Kelhar was here not two minutes ago. And he left a guard
standing watch.”
Keena’s eyes widened. “He’s never done that before. Why would
he be checking up on us?”
“We were late. He came here to find out why and saw me packing.
I told him I was planning a trip into the hills once we returned, but he
didn’t believe me.” Tani sat on the bed and put his head in his hands.
“We have to do something, distract the guard. I can’t kill a little
girl, Tani, I just can’t.” Keena’s voice caught in her throat as the tears
fell down her cheeks.
“What are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to distract
the guard? If I distract him so you can leave, what about me?”
“I didn’t mean for us to distract him…” Keena tossed her pack
on the bed next to Tani.
38 SHAY WEST

“Who else is there? It’s not like we can tell someone else what
we’re planning and ask them to help us out.”
Keena’s shoulders shook as she sobbed into her hands. Tani
patted her back, unsure of what to do to comfort his friend. His stomach
roiled; he feared he would vomit. All their plans had been for naught;
they would have to go through the gateway and harvest the organs
or suffer the consequences.
“We had better go, or Master Kelhar will send the Enforcers,” Tani
said.
Keena stood and stared at him with eyes devoid of emotion.
Tani’s heart ached. This trip would change her forever, and not for
the better, he feared. What about what it’s going to do to you?
Tani ignored the voice and walked toward the front door on
wooden legs.
“Tani, wait!”
Keena was standing at the single window that faced the back of
the house. She had always been jealous of his view: a large aqua lake
surrounded by tall grass on this side and a forest of pines on the
opposite shore.
“Grab your stuff and follow me,” she ordered.
Tani wanted to tell her to stop, to think about what she was doing,
but he grabbed his own pack and ran to the window. She already had
one leg over the sill and in seconds was invisible in the tall grass. Tani
tossed his knapsack out the window and followed, praying to the
gods that no one would notice them crawling out the window.
He could hear his heartbeat in his ears as he followed Keena. It
was the first time he could remember her ever taking charge. Most of
the time she followed his lead. He wondered how she could move so
silently. Each step he took sounded to his own ears like dry grass
crunching under the hooves of twenty oxen.
In moments, they reached the lake. There were a number of people
walking along the sandy shore, rowing in small boats, or fishing off of
the pier. An airship cast a large shadow as it drifted lazily over the
lake. Tani could hear the hissing from the steam engines as it passed
right overhead.
“What do we do now?” he asked.
ORGAN REAPERS 39

“We could either circle the lake until we get to the woods, which
will take time. Or we can grab a canoe and row across. We will be
exposed, but we can make it to the safety of the forest faster.”
“You want to steal a canoe?” His voice rose. Tani didn’t relish
the thought of losing his hand.
“We’re already in trouble for leaving the monastery. Stealing a
boat hardly seems much worse,” Keena said.
A quick glance down at both of her hands gave away her fear,
though she was trying to act brave. Tani hated to admit it, but she
was right. Leaving the monastery meant a worse punishment that
losing a hand. Rebellion against the Masters meant treason and
death, same as it would for the King.
“If we’re going to do this, let’s get it over with.”
Tani took the lead this time. He spotted an empty rowboat and
walked toward it like he belonged on that beach, not hurrying,
gazing at the sky, looking perfectly normal and at ease. He glanced
back at Keena. She had her head down, but matched his pace.
Several people glanced up at them as they passed. Tani waved and
gave a quick greeting before moving on.
When he got to the boat, he threw his knapsack on the bench,
grabbed Keena’s, and tossed it in beside his own. He helped Keena
in and jumped in after her, giving the small boat a little push to get it
off the sand. Tani grabbed the oars and rowed awkwardly. It was a
skill he had never managed to master, though he had spent plenty of
time living near water. His father had tried to teach him, but Tani
just never seemed to get the hang of it.
Keena sat across from him, her back straight and her hands
gripped together in her lap. She kept her gaze on the forest.
“Are you okay?” Tani asked.
Keena attempted a smile, but it barely curled her lip. “I’ve always
been sensitive to the water.”
Tani groaned. Now she tells me she gets seasick. “If you need to vomit,
just lean over the side.”
She gave him a withering look. “I’m fine. You just worry about
getting us across the water without capsizing the boat.”
Tani ignored her jab at his rowing skills and focused on trying to
use smooth, even strokes to propel them through the water. His arms
ached, but he didn’t stop, fear driving him to push despite the burning.
40 SHAY WEST

“Want me to take a turn?” Keena asked.


Tani shook his head. “You just keep a look-out.”
Keena turned around on the bench so she could see the monastery.
The shore didn’t look nearly as far away as Tani had hoped. He prayed
he would have enough energy to get all the way across the lake.
Suddenly, alarm bells pealed out from the monastery. They were
the same ones the Masters used when heavy winds blew down from
the north or when the ice storms hit. The sound sent a chill down
Tani’s spine. That sound meant danger, and it would bring anyone
within earshot.
Keena turned to face him. “They’ll be coming for us!”
“They have to figure out where we are first,” he said through
gritted teeth.
“It won’t take them long to realize we left through the window.”
“But we could have circled around and left from any direction.
They won’t necessarily know we left by the lake route.”
Tani didn’t bother to tell her the monastery had enough men to
scour the countryside in every direction. The panic in her eyes was
something he had seen often in the eyes of the animals he hunted
during his off time from Harvesting duty. His prey would have that same
wild-eyed look just before bolting in a random direction that ultimately
led to them being killed more easily than if they had remained calm.
“We are young and strong and can hide for a good long while.
Get our packs and be ready to run as soon as we hit land.”
Tani pulled from energy reserves he didn’t know he possessed,
and felt the boat gain speed. Keena sat on the very edge of the seat as
if by putting her full weight on the seat, she would make the boat
heavier. Tani would have laughed if he’d had any air left.
When the boat hit sand, his teeth knocked together so hard he
saw spots. He heard a splash as Keena jumped from the canoe and
more thrashing sounds as she made her way to shore.
“What are you doing?” she whispered fiercely.
Trying to catch my breath, thank you very much. He couldn’t say
anything, so he waved at her to show he was okay and forced his legs
to move. Tani was glad he had Keena to grab his pack; he wasn’t
sure his arms could hold its weight.
ORGAN REAPERS 41

He pulled in a sharp breath when he hit the icy water. He forced


his leaden legs to move, breathing easier as he moved up the shore.
Keena was at the water’s edge and nervously shifting her weight
from one leg to the next as she waited for him to emerge. The bells
sounded faint, but his fear refused to subside.
“Where should we go now?” Keena asked.
Tani shook his head. She had been so ready to take the lead, but
now that reality was sinking in, she wanted someone else to take over.
“For now, let’s just move deeper into the forest. We’ll decide
later what we want to do.”
He led them into the woods, not even bothering to look for a path.
The last place they needed to be was on a clear trail to follow. It was easy
at first as they moved through sparse trees, but as they walked deeper
into the woods, their pace slowed. Tani found himself backtracking to try
and find an easier route, only to find his progress thwarted by a tangled
mass of roots or thorn bushes.
After a few hours, Tani stopped and sat on a large boulder. Keena
groaned and flopped down on the ground next to him. It was only
then that Tani realized she had been carrying both packs this whole
time. He mentally kicked himself for forgetting that she had carried
their knapsacks out of the boat when they first landed on the beach.
“Why didn’t you tell me to carry my own pack?” he asked as he
reached for it.
“I figured your arms needed the rest. You were on such a roll I
hated to slow the pace.”
“I can’t believe you kept up with me carrying all that weight.
When we get going again, I can carry yours for a while.”
“I’ll be all right, just need some water.”
Keena untied her knapsack and grabbed the canteen. She passed
it to Tani when she was done and he took it gratefully. Master Kelhar’s
surprise visit had interrupted his packing and he’d forgotten to grab
food and water before they escaped through the window. At least I
grabbed my coin.
“It will be dark soon.”
Tani nodded. “We could make for Braenok or Silver City. Both are
about the same distance.”
Keena bit her lip. “My family lives in Celtoe.”
42 SHAY WEST

“Kelhar knows where we live,” he said gently.


“We have to warn them.”
“Kelhar will have men on horseback traveling to our homes.
There’s no way we can make it before they arrive.”
“Maybe he won’t send men. Or maybe he doesn’t remember.
Please, Tani, I can’t just disappear without knowing what’s going to
happen to my family.”
Tani sighed. They would be putting themselves at great risk, but
he just couldn’t say no. He didn’t like the idea of running away without
telling his family either.
“Why don’t we keep going until dark? We’ll have to stay the
night in the woods. There are no towns close enough for us to reach
before nightfall. We’ll decide what to do in the morning.”
He could tell Keena was less than thrilled at the prospect of staying
in the woods overnight, but she merely nodded and picked up her
pack. Tani admired her courage. She’ll need it before this is over.

* * *

Tani watched the fire as it burned down to red-hot coals. He was


thankful Keena’d had the presence of mind to bring along a firestone.
Though the nights weren’t cold enough to cause hypothermia or death,
they were cold enough to make one very uncomfortable. The fire
was just enough warmth for two people who only had a few changes
of clothing and no blankets.
Next time I run away, I’ll have to pack better.
The forest came alive as the stars appeared in the sky. He could
hear branches crackling as something large moved through the trees,
but whatever it was stayed out of the light. He strained his eyes, but
couldn’t see what was out there. He had spent his whole life in the
woods and he wasn’t scared of the creatures that lived there. But that
didn’t mean there wasn’t danger. Two helpless people would make a
nice meal for a bear or a forest cat.
And there were always other people to worry about. While the
King tried to maintain peace, it was impossible to prevent robberies
and the occasional killing that occurred away from the protection of
city walls.
Kelhar’s men might kill us if they find us.
ORGAN REAPERS 43

Tani wished he could see in the dark like the forest cats. Kelhar’s
men could be creeping up on them right now, swords drawn, eager
to slice them across his and Keena’s soft, white throats.
When a branch fell on his head, he squealed in fright and jumped to
his feet, breath coming in gasps. He glanced up and laughed when he
spotted two round eyes staring down at him.
Blasted owl.
He kept watch until he estimated that half the night had passed.
His eyes tried to close on several occasions, but he refused to give in.
Sleeping meant dying if Kelhar’s men came upon them. When his
turn was drawing to a close, he shook Keena’s shoulder to wake her.
Keena yawned as she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Tani
reminded her to stay awake as he lay back against his knapsack. It wasn’t
the most comfortable pillow, but exhaustion eased him into sleep.

* * *

Tani awoke the next morning before the sun. He could see Keena
in the distance standing with her back against the rough bark of a
pine tree. She was shivering and stomping her feet, breath coming in
puffs of grey air.
“What are you doing so far from the fire?” he asked.
“I was too drowsy, so I stayed away. The cold helped me stay
awake. I hope we don’t have to do this for the rest of our lives,” she
said miserably.
“I don’t think that will happen. As soon as we find somewhere
we can settle, we’ll be able to relax.”
“How long do you think Kelhar will look for us?”
“I doubt he will put that much effort into it. It’s not like he can’t
get others to do our job.”
“I’ve been thinking of that all night,” Keena whispered.
“Best not to. There’s nothing we can do about it.”
Keena stared at him over the remnants of the fire.
“What if there was something we could do about?”
C HAPTER 6

ELI IGNORED the throbbing in his head. For once, it wasn’t caused
by too much booze. He’d had a few drinks before bed, but nothing that
would be considered over the top. This headache was brought on by the
flashing red and blue lights and the discovery of another body.
“We gotta stop meeting like this.”
Eli turned to face the medical examiner, who had just arrived.
“Sherry, please tell me it’s not the same MO as before.”
“Wish I could, but it is the same as the others. Only this one is young.
Her name is Molly Simpson and she was on her way to a friend’s house
only three houses down from where she lives. A man walking his dog
found her in the bushes right about the same time the friend’s mom
called Molly’s mom to say she never made it. The parents got to their
daughter’s body before the cops arrived to cover it up.”
Eli winced as he imagined what that scene must have looked
like. He pulled on a pair of gloves as he walked up to the body. She
wasn’t even a teenager, probably didn’t even have breasts yet. She’d
probably never even kissed a boy.
And now she never will.
He had seen his share of dead bodies, children included, but this
was worse than anything he had ever seen or, hopefully would ever see
again. Her body was covered in blood and her chest cavity was opened
wide, the white of her bones in stark contrast to the red-black blood.
“It’s not just the heart and kidneys this time. Her lungs are missing.”
“Yes. Seems the perp took a little extra this time,” Sherry said.
Eli bent over to get a closer look at the wounds in the victim’s back.
“Looks like this was done by an amateur,” he mumbled.
ORGAN REAPERS 45

“You noticed that too, eh? The cuts are ugly, and I mean ugly,
compared to the last victim. It’s like the perp was in a hurry and didn’t
do things as neatly.”
The theory sounded good, but Eli’s gut told him there was something
more to it than the perp getting careless. This looked like it was someone’s
first time slicing up a body. The cuts on the previous victim had been
clean, almost like the bodies he had seen Sherry handle. But this poor
girl looked like she had been hacked by some freshman in an anatomy
course. Pieces of the lungs had been left behind, as had most of the
branches off the aorta.
“Where’s your new partner?” Sherry asked.
“Talking to the poor guy who found our victim. She has a niece about
this age. I thought it would be easier on her not to have to see this.”
“You’re getting soft in your old age,” Sherry said as she nudged
him with her elbow.
Eli grunted as he stood, pulling off the latex gloves. He spotted
Ava under the street lamp, questioning the first witness to the scene.
Eli hoped the man was able to give them more information than the
previous witnesses. While he waited for her to finish, Eli wandered
around the crime scene.
The girl had been killed about as far away from the first victim
as was possible in the city. Mr. Forbes had been killed on a dirty street
corner near a busy university; little Molly had been killed practically on
her doorstep in a nice quiet neighborhood. He walked back to Sherry.
“I still can’t believe that no one has seen a damn thing with any
of these crimes. Did you find anything on her body, fibers, anything
out of place?” Eli asked.
Sherry smiled. “I didn’t see anything. But a cop pulled a partial
print on a can of soda that was found right next to the body.”
“Do you really think the perp would be that clumsy?”
She shrugged. “Anything’s possible. You always say killers make a
mistake at some point. Maybe this is some point.”
Eli watched as the girl’s body was loaded onto a gurney and into
a waiting ambulance to be taken to the medical examiner’s office. A
crime like this one allowed no one to rest.
“You’ll never guess what our witness saw,” Ava said as she
approached.
46 SHAY WEST

“A bright light?”
“You’re the big winner. Other than that, he didn’t see or hear
anything. No strange vehicles in the area, no strangers hanging around.
It’s like our perp is a ghost.”
“I don’t believe in ghosts. Our perp has just been careful up to
now. Sherry said they found a partial print on a soda can.”
“Please tell me we got that lucky.”
“We won’t know until we run it. But it’s the only thing we’ve got
besides the light and that weird little stone you found.”
“This is good news.” Ava raised her eyebrow. “So why don’t you
look happy?”
“I don’t know. Why would the killer all of a sudden leave a soda
can at the crime scene? There hasn’t been so much as a hair at any of
the others. So, what, the killer decides to have a drink while he’s
chopping up a kid? No.” He shook his head. “Something about this
doesn’t make sense.”
“You think we’re dealing with another perp that likes to chop
people up? That’s out there, even for you.”
“All I can do is work with the evidence we got. This crime scene
doesn’t exactly match any of the others. The only thing in common is
the missing organs.”
Ava rolled her eyes. “Right, the planets are all in some weird
alignment that makes people go crazy and butcher bodies. The
crimes have to be connected. We just have to figure out how.”

* * *

“You clumsy fools!”


Master Kelhar tossed the useless heart on the floor at his feet.
“How am I supposed to attach this new heart when the vessels have
been damaged?”
He stared at the pair of boys standing before him, neither one
able to meet his eyes, both trying hard not to cry in front of him.
“Get out of my sight.”
Kelhar turned back to the body of the young girl on the table. The
light from a low-hanging chandelier created an angelic halo around her
ORGAN REAPERS 47

corpse. In a fit of rage, he ripped the tubes from her body, the fluids
splattering on the floor. He turned off the machine that had been
circulating her life-blood. The gears ground to a halt, groaning and
moaning a lament for the poor dead girl’s soul.
He stared down at the girl’s face and his shoulders sagged. She
would never see another sunrise, dance at the Spring Festival, know
the joy of being courted, or hear the laughter of her children. Kelhar’s
stomach clenched when he realized he would have to tell her parents
they would never watch their only daughter grow up.
Master Kelhar gripped his robes and swept from the room, ignoring
his attendants as they followed closely behind. Lamps dotted the long
hallway at irregular intervals, creating circles of light surrounded by
shadows. His footsteps echoed on the rough stone.
He arrived at General Prixa’s quarters in short order. Master Kelhar
rapped sharply on the door. At the muffled invitation, he went inside.
Prixa was in his nightclothes, rubbing the vestiges of sleep from his eyes.
“Have you found them?” Kelhar asked as he poured himself a
cup of black tea.
“No sign of them as of yet.”
“You do have all of your men out looking?”
General Prixa raised his eyebrows. “Not all of them, no. I won’t
leave the monastery defenseless on account of a couple of runaways.”
“I need those two back here. They are the best Harvesters we
have. The last pair destroyed the organs they retrieved; now a little
girl lies dead in the medical chamber.”
“I have men out looking and some are situated at the homes of
their families. They are two young people with no skills. They will
try to contact their families eventually. When they do, my men will
bring them back here to you.”
“You had better find them. I refuse to let more of our people die.”
Kelhar left without a backward glance. Deep down he knew Prixa
would do his job and find the deserters, but he was furious at how long
it was taking. No one had ever left the monastery. Kelhar couldn’t
understand why these two had left. They had had everything: plenty
of money, prestige for themselves and their families, the respect of
everyone in the Kingdom.
Why would they flee?
48 SHAY WEST

Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter. Tani and Keena had gone
against the directives of the monastery, something that demanded
the highest punishment. He would regret their deaths more than that
of the attendant he had had put to death for allowing them to escape.
As he walked back to his chambers, Kelhar was intercepted by
one of the physicians.
“I have another patient for you, Master Kelhar.”
“Tell me the details,” Kelhar said.
“It is the son of one of the highest houses. He was brought in last
night complaining of pain in his back and belly. Our devices detected
imminent kidney failure, Your Holiness.”
“Did you take a sample of his blood?”
The man nodded and handed him a small vial. “He only has about
twelve hours, a day at most.”
“I understand. I’ll find his match and send a Harvesting team
within the hour.”
Master Kelhar left the doctor and headed for an anteroom just
off the Harvesting chamber. He took the vial of blood and placed it
into a small opening just big enough to hold the tube. Kelhar spun
several dials, the machine hissing to life as water moved through the
interior. The blood in the vial slowly disappeared into the Detector.
In moments, a white strip of paper about a foot long and covered
in black marks unfurled out of a thin slit. Kelhar took the paper and
walked to a second device. He placed the strip of paper into a slot on the
side of the Revealer. The paper moved slowly through the machine.
Kelhar readied the viewing panel while he waited for the Revealer
to finish working. The white strip of paper disappeared and in moments,
a distorted image appeared on the viewing panel. He expertly turned
some dials, the movements almost imperceptible. But the image cleared
until a face was revealed. Kelhar moved the dials so that the face became
an entire person. He hit a button and a piece of paper with the face of
the donor slid out of a panel on the front of the machine.
He reached down, grabbed a lever, and slid it one notch to the left.
The image shifted to that of an aerial view of a city. A few more notches
and the viewing panel revealed an exact location of the donor. Once
again Kelhar printed the information.
ORGAN REAPERS 49

Kelhar took both pieces of paper to the Harvesting chamber. He


ordered one of his attendants to summon a Harvesting pair and
bring them immediately. Kelhar walked around the large circular
chamber, impatience and worry leaving him unable to sit still. The
only Harvesters available for this trip were relatively new. Kelhar
worried they would ruin the precious organs. The newest patient
had one shot. There was one exact match on Earth; if the organs were
damaged or destroyed, the patient would die.
Damn Tani and Keena!
Kelhar wanted to hit something. Instead, he moved to the gateway.
It was easily the most precious thing the monastery possessed. The
history of it was fuzzy at best. Scholars had been unable to come to a
consensus as to how old the thing was. Some reports claimed thousands
of years old while others claimed barely ten. The oldest known writings
did not elaborate on its origins, only how to use it.
He ran his fingers lightly across the gold-engraved wooden surface.
Kelhar swore he could feel divine power coursing through his body. As
far back as Kelhar knew, the monastery had been in possession of the
gateway. The technology was beyond anything this world possessed.
He believed the gods sent the machine to aid those beyond the healing
abilities of the physicians.
Kelhar wished he knew more about exactly how the machines
worked. He had used the scrolls and had the mages speak the words
to bring the ancient machinery back to life. As was the case every
time he pondered their inner working, his head began hurting, a
pain that felt as though it would make his head explode. When his
thoughts moved away from trying to figure out how the machines
worked, the pain subsided. Part of him knew this wasn’t normal, wasn’t
healthy, but he would do anything to avoid the pain.
Kelhar heard the door open behind him and heard the approach
of tentative footsteps. He could pick out the sure and steady footfalls
of his attendants as they led the Harvesters to the gateway.
“The patient you are Harvesting for is special. It is imperative
that you do not fail.”
He turned to face the pair and breathed a sigh of relief. Though
not as talented as Tani and Keena, they hadn’t botched a retrieval for
many months. He handed the eldest the printouts of what the donor
50 SHAY WEST

looked like as well as his location. Both Harvesters climbed a set of


steep stairs to stand on the slick-looking surface of the gateway pad,
knapsacks over their shoulders. Kelhar turned several knobs, moved
a giant lever forward, then punched the gold launch button.
He held his breath as the machine whirred to life, great gouts of
steam puffing from stacks on the top surface. The ground beneath his
feet vibrated with increasing frequency. As the vibrations intensified,
so did the blue light surrounding the Harvesters, until Kelhar had to
look away or suffer damage to his eyes.
In moments, the light vanished. Kelhar blinked in its sudden
absence and waited to leave the chamber until his vision returned. His
attendants followed him, always ready to obey his commands.
Kelhar wanted to go back to his chambers and rest, but he knew
the Harvesters would return shortly and he would be needed to operate
on the latest patient. Instead of turning down the hall that would lead to
bed, he walked to the operating room. The girl’s body had already been
removed and the mess he had made earlier cleaned up. The new patient
lay on the table, tubes emerging from his mouth and arm.
Kelhar’s heart sped up when he considered the ramifications of
losing this patient. The girl had been the daughter of a poor farmer; this
young man was the heir to a fortune. If the lad died, his father could
make things very difficult for the monastery. Without his monetary aid,
the monastery wouldn’t have enough coin to pay the Harvesters, nor
keep their families living in the lap of luxury.
Damn you two! Why did you leave?
C HAPTER 7

“AREN’T YOU GOING to say anything about my idea?”


Tani looked at Keena and shook his head. “You can’t be serious?
We can’t look to the other world for help. Kelhar says we are to
never let them know of our existence.”
“That world has weapons, technology we don’t have. Kelhar
wouldn’t be a threat if we had them as allies.”
“You do realize what you’re suggesting? That we somehow
make it back to the monastery in one piece, gather a set of gateway
stones, sneak into the gateway chamber, travel to this other world,
somehow convince the people there that we are from another world,
and magically find a way to seal the gateway? Did I miss anything?”
“You don’t have to be so sarcastic about it. It’s the only way to
stop people on that world being killed for their organs. It’s not right
and you know it.” Keena stalked off to take the lead.
Tani reached for her, but stopped short. He wanted to tell her
that he would go along with her crazy plan, but he knew it was futile.
The gateway chamber was always guarded, and the only way to get
the gateway stones was to take them from someone. Kelhar would have
confiscated ours by now.
He followed Keena for a time, trying to think of something to say to
make her forget her crazy plan, but once she had ahold of something,
she didn’t let go.
The sound of horses reached his ears. He sucked in a breath and
turned to look down the road they had been traveling.
“Keena! Get off the road!”
Tani turned and ran for the woods. He heard Keena crashing
through the bushes behind him. He found a low depression and flattened
52 SHAY WEST

himself on his stomach, eyes toward the road in the distance. He


cursed himself for not hiding their tracks better. Fear clutched his
heart; if the men on horseback were even half-way decent trackers,
he and Keena would be discovered.
Keena lay next to him, her face buried in the soft grass as though
she were too terrified to look back in the direction they had fled. Tani
wished he could do the same, but if the men came into the woods, they
would have to make a run for it. They would die either way, but
better to die running than trapped like animals. If the gods smiled on
them with favor, they would escape.
Tani spotted the legs of the horses moving at a light canter. The
voices of the men drifted on the wind, but they were too far away for
Tani to make out. The men and their mounts passed by the hiding
spot without stopping.
“Stay here.”
He crept from the depression they had hidden in and moved
forward, bent over in a crouch, eyes darting to the left and right,
straining to hear even the slightest sound. The horses moved out of
earshot and the birds of the forest took to their songs as Tani waited
in the safety of a large stand of oak trees. The birds’ gentle melodies
eased his tense muscles more than the men on horseback leaving the
area did. It seemed as though no harm could come to him and Keena
if the birds were singing.
Tani stood and walked back to where Keena still lay in the depression.
Though he couldn’t hear anything other than the normal sounds of the
forest, Tani resisted the urge to dart in and out of the shadows.
“Are they gone?” Keena asked as she saw him approach.
“I don’t think they were looking for us. More than likely just
passing through.”
Keena smiled as she stood, but her eyes refused to stay still.
“Let’s walk through the woods until nightfall. We’ll keep the
road in sight, but I’d rather be close to the safety of the forest if
anyone else comes along.”
Tani took the lead and the pair walked until almost full dark.
Despite the danger of being spotted, Tani lit a small fire to ward off
the chill. Neither of them could afford to become sick.
“Have you decided about going to see our families?”
ORGAN REAPERS 53

Tani looked at Keena for a moment before looking back at the


fire. “It’s dangerous. Kelhar will have men watching our homes, if
our families are even still there. Kelhar could have had them thrown
out into the streets by now.”
“I will die of shame if they are forced to beg in the streets.”
“The homes belong to the monastery. They can do with them
what they wish. They will force our families to leave and allow the
next Harvesters to move in,” Tani said.
“Do you regret our decision?”
Tani met Keena’s eyes and smiled wanly. “It was the right thing
to do. Our families will understand.”
“Will they?”
He wished he could convince her, but the words wouldn’t come.
His heart hurt at the thought of his mother and father being thrown
out of the manor, their belongings tossed into the dirt. His sisters
would huddle together and cry over their pretty dresses being ruined.
His brothers would try to stop the Enforcers, but would not prevail.
He hoped they had some coin saved. They would need it to start over.
His stomach rumbled. Tani opened Keena’s knapsack and took
out some hard bread and cheese. He passed her a portion and kept
the smallest for himself. The food needed to last until they got far enough
away from the monastery that they could start fresh.
Keena is right.
Tani wanted the voice in his head to be quiet, but it was not to be
denied. They couldn’t just disappear without doing everything they
could to contact their families. Even if it meant their capture.
“We’ll make for Celtoe in the morning. After that we’ll head for
Maris,” Tani said.
“Maris? I never knew you were from the coast.”
Tani nodded. “My family has sailed the seas for generations. My
father was one of the few who would sail through the Razors. Used
to say the gods told him the safest route through the rocks.” Tani
shook his head at the memory.
“Do you know how to sail?”
“I’ve done my fair share, yes. Never cared for it as much as my
father. Part of me thinks he may be relieved at having to leave the
city. He never felt at home there. Not like Mama and the girls.”
54 SHAY WEST

“You grew up on the ocean and yet you could barely get us
across the lake in the canoe?” she teased.
“Like I said, I never cared for it.”
“I’m sorry I’ve caused so much trouble...”
“It wasn’t just you. I didn’t want to take any more lives either.”
“But it’s like you said. Leaving the monastery didn’t make a
difference. We won’t be killing anyone, but the others will. The people
of that world will continue to be killed and mutilated, all so we can
extend the lives of our own people.”
“What do you suggest we do?”
Keena shrugged. “I don’t know. But I feel like we need to do
something.” She stood and paced back and forth in front of the fire. “It’s
something inside of me that won’t be denied, like a voice that just won’t
shut up. It keeps talking and talking and no matter what I do, I can
hear it. We come swooping down on the people of Earth, steal their
organs, leaving behind battered bodies, and come back here with no
one the wiser. It’s not fair and it’s not right. We can tell them the truth,
make them understand. Maybe figure out a way to close the gateway.”
Tani watched Keena as she ranted and walked, unwilling to
interrupt her. He had never seen her this worked up, but he had to
admit he felt the same way.
But that doesn’t mean I want to run off and get myself killed trying to help.
Keena finally sat down. Tani watched her for a time, but she refused
to look away from the fire. She rocked back and forth, humming under
her breath. Tani continued to sit by the fire long after Keena fell asleep.
Her words plagued him. Am I a coward? He risked his life every time he
went through the gateway, yet he had done it countless times. He
had rebelled against the monastery, something no one had ever
done, at least not that he knew of. Does that make me brave?
Tani shook his head. He needed to deal with one challenge at a
time. First, locate their families, then figure out what to do from there.
C HAPTER 8

ELI AWOKE to the sound of his alarm. For the first time in months,
he was wide-awake, not hampered by a hangover. Not that he had
stopped drinking altogether; he just hadn’t been over-indulging. He
actually whistled a catchy tune while in the shower, one he’d heard
on the radio on the way home the night before.
He decided against eating breakfast at home, so he could get to
the office sooner. The Starbucks by the station had a drive-through.
He could get his coffee and a breakfast sandwich in one stop.
The radio was blasting so loudly he nearly missed his phone
ringing. He turned the volume down before answering.
“Yeah?”
“Hey, partner. We got another victim.”
Eli’s heart sank. “Where?”
“The old cement factory off Broadway and Twelfth.”
“On my way.”
Eli left the radio off, good mood deflating like a kid’s busted balloon.
This serial killer was seriously pissing him off. This guy thought he
could come into his city and kill people? Eli shook his head. The killer
didn’t know who he was messing with. Eli had the highest arrest rate
on the force; it was only a matter of time before this perp would be
behind bars.
He pulled up to the scene of the crime, his good mood from
earlier completely gone. He spotted Ava and Sherry kneeling next to
the body.
“Talk to me.”
“White male, aged thirty-five, missing both kidneys,” Sherry
answered.
56 SHAY WEST

“What, that’s it? No other organs taken?”


“Just the kidneys.”
“Any evidence?”
Sherry shook her head. “Body’s clean.”
Eli cursed and turned away from the corpse. He had been sure
the perp would make another critical mistake.
Another dead end.
He walked off to question the cops who were the first on the scene,
hoping they had some information from any witnesses.
“Tell me you have something,” Eli said as he approached the officer.
“No one saw anything. A homeless guy came across the body
early this morning.”
“Did you guys find anything?”
The cop shrugged. “We found the guy’s wallet, couple of pop
cans next to the body—”
“Any prints?”
The cop furrowed his brow at being interrupted. “Not that we
could see, but we bagged them.”
“Anything else?”
“Just a bunch of trash.”
Eli’s shoulders slumped and he rubbed his face, absently noting
that he needed to shave. He walked away to survey the scene. For the
first time since becoming a detective, Eli wondered if he would be
able to solve this case. He thought of all of the missing-organ victims
as belonging to one case. Even if there was more than one perp, they
knew one another, coordinated the killings somehow, they had the
same motive. He just had no idea what the motive was.
Ava approached and stood next to him. “I talked to the homeless
guy. Guess what he thinks he saw a few hours before he stumbled
on the body?”
Eli turned to face Ava. “A white light?”
His partner nodded. “I don’t get it. The only thing all of our cases
have in common is the damned bright light. What does it mean?”
“I’m still going with aliens.”
Ava raised her eyebrow.
“No, really. They’ve been abducting us humans for all these years,
studying us. Now they’re here for our organs to make a nice soup.”
ORGAN REAPERS 57

She burst out laughing. “Did you just make a joke? I think you
just made a joke!”
“It makes as much sense as anything else,” he said disgustedly.
“Until an eye witness describes a tall grey dude with large black
eyes, I’m going with a sick human doing the killing,” she said as she
walked away.
Eli smiled as he watched her. That woman’s got a fine pair of legs.
Unwilling to be distracted by his beautiful partner, Eli walked back
to his squad car, eager to head to the office to see if the print lifted
from the soda can from the previous crime scene matched anything
in the database.

* * *

“You’re telling me there’s no match?”


The technician shrugged. “I wish I had better news for you.
There’s not a match, not even a partial.”
Eli left, suppressing the urge to hit something. The one piece of
evidence the perp left behind and it led nowhere. He found Ava at
her desk, fingers flying over the keyboard.
“Nothing on the print,” he said as he flopped into his chair.
“You have got to be kidding me! It’s like this guy doesn’t exist.
Comes in, butchers his victims, and disappears.”
“Disappears into a mysterious flash of light, don’t forget that part.”
“I can do without the sarcasm, thank you very much,” she said
without looking up from her computer screen.
“What are you working on?”
“I’m looking for a match for the image carved into the stone I
found. Maybe it will give us some clue.”
“Robins, Aguilar, get in my office. Now.”
Eli shared a glance with Ava, wondering what had earned them
the disapproval of their captain. The man sounded highly agitated.
“Close the door and sit down,” Captain Platt said, pointing to
two chairs in front of his desk.
“What’s the problem?” Eli asked.
“What’s the problem?” Platt sat down heavily in his chair. “The
problem is a string of murders and you have nothing for me. The
58 SHAY WEST

press is having a field day with this. They’re calling him ‘The Butcher.’
The phones have been ringing off the hook, wondering if we’re even
looking for this guy. And all I can say is ‘no comment’ because I have
nothing to tell them!”
Platt jumped up from his chair and paced the room. Eli had
never seen Platt this angry.
He’s not just angry; he’s scared.
That alone was enough to make Eli’s skin break out in goose pimples.
Captain Platt was as stoic as they came and had seen the worst of the
worst. Yet this case had him acting like a rookie out of the academy.
“What do you want me to say? We’ve cross referenced every case
from across the country, the print came up with nothing, there’s been
no other evidence other than the stone Aguilar found and the white
light the witnesses claimed to see. There is no common factor that
connects the victims. Would you feel better if I made something up?”
“Of course not!” Platt snapped.
Eli kept silent, letting Platt calm down.
“I’ll issue a statement telling people to be alert for strangers in
their area. Since the killer doesn’t discriminate, we’ll have to warn
against anyone going out alone.”
“We’ve figured out there has to be more than one killer, maybe
even one for each victim. Maybe we can use that to our advantage,”
Ava said.
“How?” Platt asked.
“Ask the public for help. With this many victims and that many
killers, someone had to have seen or heard something. Seems
impossible to keep crimes like this quiet.”
Platt nodded. “I’ll make a plea to the public to come forward with
any information. Get me a list of all the cities where victims were killed.”
“Will do. In the meantime, we’ll keep working, trying to find
anything that will lead us to the perp,” Eli said.
Platt took a seat behind his desk. Eli noticed dark shadows
under the man’s eyes, like he hadn’t slept in days.
Eli left the office, followed by Ava. He had never wanted to
collar a perp as badly as he did this one. It wasn’t just the fact that he
was butchering victims and stealing their organs; it was because he
was good enough to make Eli doubt his abilities as a detective.
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Eli and Ava spent the next four hours poring over all records
pertaining to the victims. He hoped something would magically
appear; something they had missed the other three or four times
they had looked at the files.
“There’s nothing here. We’re wasting our time,” Ava said as she
tossed a folder down on her desk.
“What do you suggest we do?”
“I don’t know. But I do know this is a waste of time.” She held a
stack of papers in her hands and shook them fiercely.
Eli leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head.
“You’re right. But I have to feel like I’m doing something. I’ve never
gone this long with no leads before.”
“Me neither. It’s frightening how many victims are piling up.”
Ava leaned forward on her elbows.
Eli leaned forward, matching her posture.
“I’m starting to believe it will take a miracle for us to catch these guys.”
C HAPTER 9

“HOW LONG are we going to sit here?” Keena asked impatiently.


“Until I think it is safe to continue.”
Tani refused to say anything more, wanting instead to focus his
attention on the large manor directly in front of him. He could barely
make out the front door through the screen of trees, but he was too
scared to move any closer. He and Keena had been watching her
family’s mansion for the past hour, but had seen no one. That made
Tani more nervous than if he had seen it swarming with people. There
should always be someone moving, whether it be her siblings, parents,
or one of the many servants needed to run such a large household.
But there was no one in sight.
“I think we’re safe to—”
Tani gripped her arm so tightly he feared hurting her, but he had
just spotted a man on horseback riding slowly past the house. At
first sight it appeared as though he was simply passing by, but Tani
recognized the man; he had passed by earlier in much the same
manner. The man was more than likely one of the many Enforcers
who worked for Master Kelhar.
“I think it’s an Enforcer. Kelhar is having your house watched.”
“What do we do? I have to know if my family is here, if they’re
safe.”
Tani feared she would jump from their hiding spot, giving away
their position.
“We’ll remain hidden until dark. I’ll try to move a little closer,
see if I can see anyone in the house. Okay?”
She nodded reluctantly, knowing the risk, but finding it difficult
to sit and do nothing while her family could be in danger. Tani didn’t
ORGAN REAPERS 61

blame her. His stomach churned as he wondered what his own family
must be going through. Kelhar’s Enforcers, if they were on horseback,
would be in Maris already, perhaps as early as yesterday. His family
might already be out on the streets, or worse, taken captive.
The rest of the afternoon passed slowly. The Enforcer on horseback
rode back and forth a dozen more times, but no one else approached.
Tani watched the windows and front door like a hawk, hoping to spot a
curtain moving, a shadow passing, anything that would indicate the
house was occupied.
If Keena’s family wasn’t here, where were they?
They ate a cold supper of dried bread and cheese. Tani noted
that they had enough food for another day, two if they ate sparingly.
We’re going to need supplies. Back at the monastery, they would be sitting
down to dinner with their fellow Harvesters, then perhaps a game of
chess or a book by the fire. Tani shivered as the night settled in,
chasing away the last of the day’s warmth. Can’t risk a fire.
“The Enforcer is due back any minute. I’ve been timing him and
he’s gone between fifteen and twenty minutes before he comes around
again, plenty of time for me to go explore. You stay here.”
Tani waited for Keena’s nod before leaving their hiding spot. He
walked hunched over, trying to make himself smaller. He stopped
every so often, listening for any sound or voice coming from the house.
There were lamps lit in several rooms.
The Enforcer will return soon.
Tani walked boldly to the mansion. He slipped through the front
gate, closing it softly behind him. The largest of the windows on the
first floor had the curtains parted. Tani put his hands on the sill and
peered into the house.
All of the furniture was there as though waiting for the family to
return from an evening out. There wasn’t a lamp or doily out of place.
The only thing missing was Keena’s family.
Knowing the risk of being caught, Tani went to the front door
and turned the knob slowly. His heart raced and his breath caught in
his throat. The knob turned easily and the door opened silently. Tani
hurried inside and closed the door behind him.
He walked quickly through the house, skin prickling in the eerie
silence. The house should have been full of the noises of people: idle
62 SHAY WEST

chatter, clinking of a tea cup on a delicate saucer, perhaps the low


voice of Keena’s father as he read to the family in front of the fire, the
whispering of the servants, the clump of feet on the wooden floors.
And yet the house was silent as a tomb.
Tani walked up the stairs to check the bedrooms. These rooms
were as pristine as the ones on the first floor. If the family had left in a
hurry, he would expect to find clothing tossed on the bed or hanging
out of half-closed dresser drawers. But the drawers of the master
bedroom were all closed and the bed didn’t have so much as a wrinkle
in the coverlet.
He checked the smaller rooms, smiling at the bedroom that belonged
to Keena’s three sisters. It looked almost exactly like his sisters’ bedroom,
all full of pink frills and puffy pillows. The large vanity held an array
of bottles and containers. The particulars of being a girl baffled Tani.
His sisters would take hours primping and, as far as he could tell,
they didn’t look different than they had before. But they moved and
strutted around like they were the High Queen herself.
The other two rooms were shared by Keena’s brothers. He found
everything he expected: bits of sticks and rocks, a pair of hand-carved
wooden bows and full quivers alongside, a chest of drawers scuffed and
tattered from years of rough-house play that boys were fond of doing.
What’s that?
Tani noticed some scratch marks that seemed fresh. He bent down
to have a closer look and his breath caught in his throat.
Come to Nana’s
A message! To Keena from her brothers in case she made it back
to the family manor. He ran back down the stairs, eager to tell Keena
that he knew where her family was.
As he passed by the large picture window, he glanced outside
and stopped in his tracks.
The Enforcer was staring right at him.
The man gave a shout and leapt from his horse. Tani turned and
ran for the kitchen, knowing there would be a back exit. Panic set in
as the man came bursting through the door, shouting for Tani to
stop. Enforcers were known for being quick and deadly.
Tani prayed to the gods that he would be quicker.
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He ran into the kitchen, shoving the large butcher’s block on


wheels into the path of the Enforcer. Tani opened the back door and
smiled when he heard the breath whoosh from the Enforcer’s lungs as
he hit the butcher’s block at a dead run.
Tani didn’t bother with opening the back gate; he used one hand
to launch himself over. He darted down an alley, wishing he had
taken the time to learn the layout of the neighborhood rather than just
the manor. It would be far too easy to take a wrong turn and become
trapped in a dead-end alley or by a wall he couldn’t jump or climb over.
He could hear the Enforcer’s footfalls, but they sounded like they
came from far behind. Tani risked turning around. He could barely
make out the outline of the large man coming through the back gate.
Tani forced his feet to move faster as he took turns that would
eventually lead him back toward the manor and Keena. He hoped the
Enforcer wouldn’t expect Tani to run toward danger. As the man’s
footfalls grew more and more faint, Tani slowed a little, relying on
stealth rather than speed to navigate the city streets. He stayed in the
shadows and slowly made his way back to where Keena lay hidden
in the woods.
Tani peeked around the side of a house next door to the mansion
and hissed when he spotted the Enforcer standing in the middle of
the street. He must have doubled back. The man glanced to the left and
right as though wondering which direction Tani had run.
At that moment a dog barked, the sound echoing through the
empty streets. The Enforcer ran toward the sound and away from
the mansion. Tani collapsed against the wall in relief, thanking the
gods for sending that helpful distraction.
He made his way back to Keena’s family home. There was no
one in sight. Tani stayed in the shadows and hurried to Keena’s
hiding spot, hoping she had stayed put and hadn’t come after him.
“Tani!”
He nearly fell over as Keena threw herself into his arms. He
patted her back awkwardly. This was the first time they had had any
contact other than the accidental brushing of hands while they
removed organs.
“I thought for sure that Enforcer was going to catch you. What
made you go into the house anyway? You said you were going to
look in the windows and that was it.”
64 SHAY WEST

“It was worth it. Your family is at your Nana’s house. One of
your brothers carved a note on the side of his dresser.”
“Mama’s not going to be happy about that.”
“I don’t think she’ll ever get a chance to see it,” Tani said gently.
“You’re right, of course.” She forced her voice to cheerfulness.
“When can we leave?”
“After that scare, I won’t be able to sleep. We can walk through
the night if you’re up for it.”
“I can do it if you can.”
Keena handed Tani his pack and shouldered her own.
“Where does your Nana live?”
Keena smiled. “You won’t believe it.”
C HAPTER 10

TANI GAPED at Keena. “Surely you jest!”


“Not at all. Nana moved back to Maris when Granddaddy died.
Mama and Papa tried to get her to move into the mansion when they
moved in, but she refused, saying she couldn’t leave the salty air.”
“I can’t believe you have family in Maris and you never said
anything!”
“It never crossed my mind until you mentioned Nana.”
“We’ll need supplies before we go. But we can’t stay here. We’ll
have to stop in the next village and get food.”
Tani led the way, heart still racing after his run through the
streets of Celtoe. He stayed within the woods until they were far
enough away from town that he felt safe walking closer to the road.
According to Keena there was a village about three hours away. Tani
figured they should make it just before dawn.
At first he kept up a fast pace, but within an hour he was barely
able to put one foot in front of the other. His jaws creaked from
yawning and he could hear Keena’s echoing yawns behind him.
“I can’t go on much further,” Keena said.
Tani wanted to argue, but he knew he wouldn’t make it much
longer himself. He walked off the road, depending on the light of the
moon to mark the way through the thick underbrush. He came to a
spot that was secluded and would offer plenty of protection from
prying eyes. Keena sat down on a fallen log, digging in her pack for
her warm cloak. Now that they weren’t expending the energy to
walk, their bodies felt the chill night air.
Tani took a chance and used Keena’s firestones to start a small
fire. Keena moaned in pleasure as she rubbed her hands together
66 SHAY WEST

near the cheerful blaze. When his stomach gave a loud rumble, Tani
reached for Keena’s pack and grabbed a small piece of dried meat.
He was glad they would be able to get some fresh food. He craved
vegetables and fresh meat.
I wish I would have thought to bring my bow.
He wasn’t too hard on himself. After all, he hadn’t even had time
to grab food or water before he and Keena had fled the monastery.
He was just glad Keena had had time to pack provisions.
Tani told Keena he would take the first watch. She didn’t offer a
word of protest as she lay back against her knapsack, snuggled in
her cloak next to the fire.
He had every intention of staying awake, but his mind and body
betrayed him. His eyes slipped closed and he slept until the sun
came up.

* * *

“I still can’t believe I fell asleep,” Tani said when he and Keena
awoke the next morning.
“We were both exhausted.”
“An Enforcer could have come across us in the night and captured us.”
“We’re fine. Let’s just focus on what we need to accomplish this day.”
Tani continued to silently chide himself as they approached the
village. He had put them in danger. It can’t happen again. His anxiety
rose as they walked down the street into the small village. There
were few people out and about at this early hour and none were on
horseback. That doesn’t mean there aren’t Enforcers here.
Keena reached out and timidly touched his arm. “We should be
able to get some food once the vendors open. In the meantime,
maybe we could stop at a bathhouse? We could both use a bath and
a clean change of clothes.”
Tani couldn’t say no to the eagerness in her eyes. If there was
one thing he had learned living with two sisters, it was that girls hated
to be dirty. A quick glance down at his own travel-stained clothing
revealed that Keena was indeed correct about the two of them needing
to wash up.
ORGAN REAPERS 67

The bathhouse was situated on the outskirts of the village. The


proprietor was sitting on a wooden bench, smoking a long pipe, blowing
smoke rings that disappeared lazily into the air. The old man said
nothing as Tani and Keena approached, merely stood and showed them
where to enter: Tani to the left and Keena to the right.
The bathhouse smelled of damp wood and rose petals. The sound
of clunking metal and the hiss of steam preceded the sound of water
rushing into the large claw-foot tub. Tani stripped off his dirty clothing
and placed it on a chair right next to the door. He grabbed a cake of
soap and a piece of wool and climbed into the tub, easing his body
into the hot water.
He immersed himself in the water up to his neck for a time before
rubbing the soap on the wool and scrubbing himself from head to toe.
He dunked under the water to rinse the suds off, then lounged against
the back of the tub and closed his eyes, his muscles relaxing from the
strain of the past couple of days.
When he opened his eyes, his dirty clothes were gone from the
chair. Tani sighed, wishing he could stay in the water forever and
forget he was on the run and had sentenced his family to a life of
near-poverty. That part hurt the worst. He didn’t know what he was
going to say to them when he saw them again. Tani hated the idea of
his father working long days on the ships again, risking his life to
make a living.
He got dressed in clean trousers and shirt from his pack and left
the bathhouse, feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the new day.
Keena was sitting on the bench next to the old man, running a comb
through her wet hair. She jumped to her feet when she spotted Tani.
“How much do we owe you?” Tani asked.
“Ten coppers apiece. You can come get your clean clothes in about
an hour,” the old man answered from around the stem of his pipe.
Tani reached into his knapsack, pulled out his bag of coin, and counted
out twenty coppers. “We’ll be back for our clothes. Much obliged.”
The old man nodded his head in acknowledgement. Tani and
Keena left to find food vendors that carried something other than
bread and cheese. There were more people moving around the
village. Tani watched everyone with a suspicious eye, wondering if
one of them was an Enforcer, ready to grab him and Keena and take
68 SHAY WEST

them back to the monastery in chains. No one gave the strangers


anything other than a friendly glance and nod in greeting.
Keena stopped by several vendors and haggled over the price of
some radishes, potatoes, and carrots. She handed the food to Tani
and he put it in his knapsack. The next stop was a vendor selling
salted, dried meats. They picked out several large pieces of pork and
beef. The vendor wrapped them in heavy paper before handing
them to Keena.
After getting some bread and cheese, they stopped by an inn for
a hot breakfast before returning to the bathhouse to retrieve their
clothing. Tani ate until he thought his stomach was going to burst. He
leaned back against the wall, covering his mouth when a burp escaped.
“That good, huh?” Keena laughed.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve had a meal like that.”
“Yeah, the food at the monastery is pretty bland. There are times
I miss Mama’s cooking so bad...”
“You’ll get to see her soon and I bet she’ll cook your favorite meal.”
“If she even wants to speak to me ever again,” Keena said miserably.
“You’re her daughter, of course she’ll want to speak to you. I bet
she is worried sick.”
Keena nodded. “I guess we’ll know soon enough.”
The pair kept silent as they went back to the bath house to pick
up their clothing. Tani thanked the man as he shoved his newly-
clean trousers and shirt into his pack. He could barely close the flap
since the knap sack was now full of food.
Tani led the way out of town. Part of him wanted to stay for a
few days, sleep in a warm bed, eat warm meals, read a good book.
He had never been keen on traveling. Though he enjoyed hunting,
he had never liked sleeping outdoors with the weather and the bugs.
He preferred to take day trips to the woods and come back to a nice
warm bed at the end of the day.
Master Kelhar won’t look for us forever. Soon, we’ll be able to settle
down and sleep in warm beds until we grow old.

* * *
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Tani approached Maris from the north, staying on the outskirts


of town. Unlike Keena’s home, there was no way to approach his family
manor unseen. Maris was larger than Celtoe, which made moving
through the city easier; he and Keena were lost in the crowd.
“Where does your Nana live?” Tani asked.
“I haven’t been to her house since I was a little girl. Somewhere
on the eastern edge of the city, close to the sea, if I remember correctly.”
Tani let Keena lead the way. Her steps were hesitant at first, but
grew more confident as she saw buildings she recognized. After two
wrong turns and some backtracking, the pair was standing in the
shadows of an inn just across the street from where Keena’s Nana lived.
It was a small house, though cozy-looking, with smoke rising from
the stone chimney, and flowers of every hue growing underneath the
matching windows flanking the front door.
“It’s just like I remember it,” she said.
“Shall we go up and knock or—”
Keena cried out and ran toward the house. Tani yelled at her to
stop, but she was already hugging an old woman with hair as white
as snow. The old woman patted Keena’s back and whispered soothing
words that Tani couldn’t hear. He approached and stood in the dirt,
shuffling his feet, waiting for the greeting to come to an end.
“We’ve been so worried about you, little Keena. What happened?”
Keena held her grandmother’s wrinkled hand to her cheek. “I’d
rather tell the whole family at once. I’m not sure I have it in me to tell
this tale twice.”
“And who is this young man?”
“This is—was—my Harvesting partner, Tani. Tani, this is my Nana.”
Tani nodded and smiled shyly under the scrutiny of Keena’s Nana.
He had never felt comfortable around adults he didn’t know. Even
though leaving the monastery had been Keena’s idea, he felt responsible
for what had befallen her family.
“Everyone is inside. Come.”
Tani followed Keena and her grandmother into the modest single-
story house. It reminded him a lot of his family’s home before he had
become a Harvester and they had all moved into the mansion. The only
thing his mother had missed was the ocean view. Their old cottage was
built on the edge of a bluff overlooking the sea. Tani hoped his family
was there waiting for him to return.
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“Have you noticed any strangers hanging around?”


Tani was nervous about approaching Nana’s house so openly.
An Enforcer could be keeping watch in an alley nearby.
Nana frowned. “There are always strangers passing through Maris.
But I have not noticed anyone near my home, if that’s what you mean.”
He reluctantly followed the two into the cottage, eyes darting to the
right and left, ready to run if an Enforcer came out of the shadows.
In moments, the front room of the home was filled with squeals
of delight and tears of joy as Keena greeted her family. Her brothers
were out to sea, having found work on one of the large fishing boats.
Keena’s father was also absent. He had been hired as an assistant to
one of the apothecaries in Maris.
Tani stood off to one side and let Keena bask in the glow of being
with her family. He hoped they would be as supportive when they
learned what he and Keena had done.
It was decided that their tale could wait until Keena’s father returned
from work. Keena helped in the kitchen while Tani brought in wood
from the pile outside. Rather than feel like an intruder, he stayed outside,
chopping wood, feeding the chickens, gathering the ripe vegetables from
the small garden.
Tani sat on a wooden bench alongside the house and listened to
the laughter of the girls as it drifted through the open windows. He
closed his eyes and enjoyed the smell of the salty air. He hadn’t realized
how much he had missed it until now. Back at the monastery, the only
thing one smelled through the open window was blooms of the cherry
trees in the spring.
Nothing compares to the smell of the sea.
Keena’s voice called to him, interrupting his stroll down memory
lane. He walked into the kitchen and sat down next to Keena at the
large table. Her father strode into the kitchen, wiping his hands on a
towel. He was an imposing figure of a man, standing well over six feet
tall with a perfectly bald head that shone in the light of the lamps. But
for all his impressive girth, the man was nothing but smiles—smiles
never reached his eyes.
“I suppose you want to know why we’re here,” Keena said.
“I think we can wait until after the evening meal before discussing
such matters,” her father said, looking pointedly at the younger girls.
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Keena nodded and smiled. The father reached out to take the
hands of his wife and Keena, the rest of the family taking the hand of
the person sitting next to them. Tani found himself holding hands
with Keena and one of her sisters.
“Gods most high, we thank you for this food that will provide
nourishment to our bodies. And though you know my most humble
requests before my lips can utter a word, I ask that you keep watch
over my sons and bring them safely home to their mother and me.
As always, we give you thanks for everything.”
The end of the prayer signaled the beginning of the meal. The
younger girls kept up an endless stream of chatter while the bowls
and platters of food were passed around. It reminded Tani so much
of home that he had to swallow hard several times against the tears
that threatened to fall.
He kept his attention on his plate and simply listened. There was
a tension in the air that the younger girls seemed oblivious to, but
Tani could feel it growing as the food on his plate shrank. The time
was drawing near when he and Keena would have to tell her family
what they had done.
Keena’s father sent the younger girls into the kitchen to clean the
dishes from the meal, while gesturing for Tani and Keena to follow him
out the back door. When Tani noticed that it was only the three of them
retreating to the backyard, his anxiety rose. He and Keena had left the
monastery so quickly; they hadn’t really had a chance to discuss the
repercussions of their actions or how their families would react to
the news.
Keena’s father took a seat on a log that had been carved into a
make-shift chair. There was no other place to sit, so Tani and Keena
stood facing him. The man didn’t speak, simply moved his eyes
between Tani and Keena. Each time their eyes met, Tani wanted to
bolt like a frightened animal.
“I think it’s time you tell me what you are doing here.”
Tani glanced at Keena and swallowed hard. Now that he was
standing here, he had no idea what to say or even where to start.
“Ummm, I—ahem—well, what I mean is we…that is to say—”
“Papa, we left the monastery,” Keena blurted out.
Keena had her head down in shame, unable to meet her father’s eyes.
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“That much I figured out when the Enforcers came and threw us
out of the manor. What I want to know is why.”
Tani wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, mind whirling to
come up with an explanation that would satisfy the angry man.
“We just couldn’t do it anymore, Papa. You don’t know what it’s
like, having to kill and butcher people…” Keena’s voice trailed off
into a sob.
“Why now? You’ve been a Harvester for many moons.”
“They wanted us to kill a child! She was the same age as Nyna.”
“Would you have killed the girl if your sister had been the one in
need of the precious organs?”
Keena opened and closed her mouth a few times, tears streaming
down her face. “That’s not a fair question. It wasn’t Nyna in need—”
“But it was someone’s sister, someone’s daughter and you condemned
them to death by your foolish actions.”
“I’m sure the monastery sent someone else—”
“Yes, and they are still living in a nice mansion with plenty of
servants while we were thrown into the streets like common criminals.
You should have seen your poor mother’s face when the Enforcers
threw her dresses into the dirt…”
Tani simply stood while Keena’s father berated her. These were
all things that had crossed Tani’s mind as they fled the monastery, but
he held onto the belief that his and Keena’s families would understand
why they couldn’t go on killing.
“The girl we would have killed had a family too. What of them?
Do they mourn any less for their loved ones than we do?” Tani asked,
anger burning in his chest.
“I do not care about the people from the other world. I only care
about the ones from this one.” He glared and crossed his arms. “Perhaps
if I talk to Master Kelhar, he will take you both back.”
Keena shook her head, blood draining from her face. “I can’t go
back there, Papa. I can’t start killing again.”
“Don’t you see what our duties are doing to her?” Tani put his
arm around her shoulders. “Have you ever taken a man’s life, ripped
into his still-warm body, felt his blood running down your hands? I
don’t want to ever feel that again.”
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Keena’s father ignored Tani, glared at his daughter. “What of


what your decision has cost this family? Your brothers are in danger
each day they are at sea. Your mother’s hands are becoming worn
and cracked again from having to scrub laundry and wash dishes.
We’re all crammed into this tiny house with no servants. Did you ever
think of us?”
“Of course I did! That’s the only reason why I agreed to become
a Harvester in the first place. I did it so you and Mama could have
fine things and never have to worry about anything. But taking
the lives of the other-worlders feels wrong, Papa. I can’t believe our
benevolent gods would sanction the killing of innocents, even to
save another innocent’s life.”
Keena’s body shook. Tani squeezed her harder, more proud of
her in that moment than he had ever been.
“You dare to put yourself on a level with our gods? How would
you know what they wish? If the Masters at the monastery say the
gods built the gateway for use in Harvesting, who are you to argue?”
Tani stepped back as Keena’s father stood up. The man’s face
was red with anger and his hands were in fists at his sides.
Keena’s shoulders hunched under the onslaught. Tears flowed
freely down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry, Papa. I can’t go back. I won’t.”
Her father’s face turned to stone.
“Then from this moment forward you are no longer my daughter.”
Keena wailed as her father walked past her. She ran after him,
tugging on his arm, but he pulled roughly out of her grip and continued
into the house. Keena’s knees buckled and she hit the ground, still
calling out for her papa.
Tani ran to her and held her as she sobbed. His mind was numb.
He had expected a little anger, maybe disappointment, but he never
expected banishment. His eagerness to see his own family was soured
in light of what had just occurred.
The sound of raised voices, then wailing and crying reached
Tani’s ears through the open windows. The sound made Keena cry
all the harder.
He sat with Keena for what felt like hours. Her tears finally
stopped, but she refused to stand. She lay there on the ground, fingers
moving through the grass, humming a tune Tani didn’t recognize.
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“We can’t stay here. As angry as your father is, he may call the
Enforcers and make us to return to the monastery,” Tani said gently.
Keena met his eyes and his heart hurt at the naked agony he saw
there. After some coaxing, he finally got her to stand. He kept
himself between Keena and the house, as though his presence would
somehow shield her from further emotional pain.
The pair walked back through town. Tani wasn’t sure what to do
now. He was terrified of going to see his family, certain they wouldn’t
want to see him. They probably hate me too.
“We still need to find your family,” Keena said, as though reading
his mind.
“I’m not so sure I want to.”
Tani sighed loudly, knowing he had no choice. He led the way
through Maris, taking short-cuts and back alleys toward the mansion
his family had acquired after he had become a Harvester.
It was clear the manor was deserted even before he got close
enough to see through the windows. There were no lamps lit to ward
off the growing shadows as the sun went down. He spotted an Enforcer
sitting in the shadows in an alley.
“There’s an Enforcer watching the house,” Tani whispered.
“Do you want to get a closer look?”
Tani shook his head. “This Enforcer isn’t on the move. I don’t
want to risk being caught.”
“What if they left a message like mine did?”
“I think I already know where they are,” Tani said.

* * *

Tani’s eyes filled with tears as he walked down the dirt path that
led to his old family home, the one on the bluff overlooking the sea.
He could see smoke rising from the chimney and his Mama was
taking clothing off the line. There didn’t appear to be any Enforcers
in sight, so he moved forward cautiously. His heart sank when he
realized he would probably meet with the same kind of anger and
bitterness Keena’s father had shown.
His mother turned and put her hands to her face. She dropped
the shirt she held and ran toward Tani. Just as his mother flung herself
ORGAN REAPERS 75

at him, he noticed the door open. His father came out, all smiles, and
shouting into the house to bring the rest of the family.
Keena’s father was all smiles at first, too.
His father grabbed Tani in a bear hug while his mother stood
nearby, wringing her hands and mussing with her apron, all while
staring at Tani like she hadn’t seen anything so amazing in her whole
life. His two older brothers mussed his hair and punched him in the
arm, making him wince after about the tenth blow. His two sisters gave
him shy hugs, the kind reserved for a relative you only see every few
years. Isn’t that what you are to them? Tani wished he hadn’t been chosen to
be a Harvester, that he could have stayed on this plot of land overlooking
the sea and been part of their lives.
Little Meevo stood off to the side, patiently waiting his turn. Tani
bent down and let the tears fall when Meevo wrapped his arms around
him and squeezed. Tani moved back and stared at Meevo, relieved
to see the boy had some color to his skin and his eyes looked bright.
“Have you been taking it easy?” he asked.
Meevo rolled his eyes. “I’m not a baby. The apothecary says the
herbs are working and that I can do more now, as long as I stop when
I’m tired.”
Tani smiled as the lad ran off to help with the evening chores. It
wasn’t that many years ago that Meevo would have been bundled
up in a quilt and sitting off to the side. Tani used to get frustrated at
watching his brother sit while he helped clean fish, chop wood,
mend nets, and the hundred other chores that needed doing. Now
he’d give anything to see Meevo taking it easy rather than hauling in
arm-loads of firewood.
He met his father’s eyes. “Papa, we have something thing to tell
you—”
His father waved him off. “There’s plenty of time for that. Have
you eaten? Mama can re-heat the stew we had for supper.”
“We ate already. It’s important, Papa. Something’s happened.”
“Come on inside and we’ll talk.”
Tani followed his father into the house, all while trying to answer
the incessant questions of his brothers and sisters and keep an eye on
Keena. He spotted her with his mother, who had taken the distraught
girl under her arm. Tani couldn’t hear what they were saying, but
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whatever it was brought a slight smile to Keena’s face, and for that,
Tani was grateful.
The family home was just as he remembered it: cozy furniture
with just enough wear so that you didn’t feel uncomfortable sitting
on it, and yet not so fancy that you dared not let your full weight press
into the cushions, a cheerful blaze in the hearth, vases of fresh flowers
scattered around.
“You two sit and I’ll bring us some tea.”
Tani smiled gratefully at his mother, hoping their good mood
would remain after learning that their son had left the monastery.
His father shooed the two younger children out of the room, allowing
Tani’s older sister and two brothers to remain. His mother returned
with tea and a lemon crumble cake. She poured tea and dished out
the cake, giving Tani a few more moments to collect his thoughts.
“Whatever you have to say, son, it’s okay. Obviously something
terrible must have happened to force you to leave the monastery,”
his father said, after everyone had enjoyed a few sips of tea and
eaten some cake.
Tani put his empty plate on a side table and cradled his cup of tea.
“Keena and I refused to do our duties as Harvesters and ran away.”
Keena sat still as a statue, eyes on the plate in her lap.
Tani took a deep breath. “Master Kelhar wanted us to take the life
of a child.”
His father shook his head and his mother raised her eyes to heaven.
“I was under the impression that the Harvesting was for adults
only,” Tani’s father said.
“So did we. But even killing the adults got harder and harder.”
Tani met his parents’ eyes. “I’m sorry I let you down. But we just
couldn’t do it anymore.”
“We’re doing just fine back in our old home,” his mother said.
Tani could see disappointment in her eyes, but he was grateful
for her words. He had loved seeing his mother in fancy dresses and
having her every need attended to. Guilt gnawed at his belly as she
walked outside to finish her work of removing the clean clothing
from the line. Keena followed to lend a hand.
She used to have servants to do this for her.
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“I know where your thoughts take you, but do not fret. It’s true
that we miss some of the things from life at the manor, but it is also
nice to come back to a simpler existence. It is a lot of work to maintain
proper airs when dealing with rich folk. Everyone knew we were
only afforded our station in life because of you; they always kept us
at arm’s distance, since we didn’t come from old money.”
Tani nodded at his father. “I just wish things had gone differently.”
“Taking a life is never easy, son.”
“So you’re not mad at me for leaving and getting you thrown
out of the manor?”
His father laughed. “I admit I wasn’t happy at getting tossed into
the streets, but I figured there had to be a good reason. To tell you the
truth, I never did like the idea of you killing folks just so others here
could live.”
Tani stared open-mouthed at his father. “Keena’s father disowned
her for leaving. I prepared myself for the same thing.”
“For some folks, losing money and prestige matters more than
doing what’s right. I’m glad you’re not one of those.” His father winked.
“Me too, Papa.” Tani sighed. “What about Meevo’s care?”
“You don’t worry about that. Your Mama and I were not careless
with the gold you sent. We saved most of it and have more than
enough to keep Meevo healthy.” His father leaned in close with his
eyebrows raised suggestively. “Now tell me about Keena.”
C HAPTER 11

ELI STARED at the white board that contained the evidence compiled
from all of the cases involving the removal of organs. His heart sank
when he realized he and Ava would need another white board if any
more victims surfaced. Thirty-five so far. How many more will die before
we can catch the perps?
He could no longer deny that there were multiple perpetrators.
Unless Sherry and her fellow medical examiners who had worked on
the other cases had suddenly—collectively—lost the ability to tell
time of death, too many of the crimes had occurred on opposite ends
of the country, simultaneously. The thought of a group of people
working together to butcher innocent people sent shivers down his
spine. It was difficult enough for one person to hide their involvement
in a crime; it was impossible for multiple people to keep quiet. Someone
always talked or bragged.
Until now.
Eli stared at the lines drawn from the photographs of the victims
leading to their age, occupation, marital status, blood type, what car
they drove, where they shopped, anything and everything, so he and
Ava could try to find something that connected them to one another.
Because if these killers are seeking people at random, we may not ever
catch them.
Admitting that to himself was enough to make him want to grab
a bottle of whiskey and swig the entire thing. He had never failed to
catch the bad guys. I’m damn sure not going to start now.
“You know, staring at that thing all day won’t make anything
new magically appear.”
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Eli gave his ever-optimistic partner a sour look. “You never know.”
“How many times have you gone to the fridge for something to
eat, found nothing, checked the cupboards, found nothing, and yet
still returned to the fridge and looked again, just hoping something
delicious was waiting for you?” She leaned back with a smug look
on her face.
“I never have anything in my fridge, so I never bother looking in
there.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. My point is still valid. There’s
nothing here we haven’t gone over a hundred times. It’s time to get
out of here.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Want to stop by O’Doules? My treat.”
Eli met her smirk with a grin of his own. “I’m never one for turning
down a free drink.”

* * *

What was supposed to be a drink turned into several. Eli didn’t


care. For the first time in a long time, he was actually enjoying himself.
And for the first time in a long time, I’m not drinking alone.
The bartender gave Eli a thumbs up when he brought the fourth
round. Eli wanted to refuse, but Ava egged him on.
“Tomorrow is Saturday, you don’t have to be up early,” she said
as she downed her glass in one gulp.
“I didn’t peg you for a drinker,” Eli answered after he finished
his own shot.
“I only drink like this when the bodies pile up.”
“I thought we agreed not to talk about work.”
“That’s all I know about you.”
“That’s not true. You found out that I never keep food in my
refrigerator.”
“That’s true for most bachelors.” Ava leaned forward and leaned
her cheek on her hand. “Tell me something personal.”
“I don’t do personal,” he said, as he flagged down the bartender
for another drink.
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“Oh, don’t be such a spoil sport. I’ll start if that makes you feel
better.” She stared off into space for a minute, and then met his eyes.
“I hate watching girly movies.”
Eli laughed. “Okay, that’s not exactly personal.”
“I figured if I did anything more than that you’d bolt out the door.”
“Fair enough. I’m not surprised by this information. You don’t
peg me as the sniffly, crying movie type.”
“I also love country music.”
“Now that I didn’t expect. I pictured you listening to Lady Gaga
or something.”
Ava leaned back and laughed the throaty laugh that made Eli go
weak in the knees. “I can’t even name a song she sings.”
“Me neither. Her name just popped into my head.”
Ava took a long, slow sip from the drink the bartender sat down
in front of her. “What about you?”
“I like blues and rock and roll.”
She scrutinized him for a moment. “I can see that. I bet you even
play guitar, don’t you?”
“I used to.”
Eli gritted his teeth. It was an innocent comment, but the wave of
bitterness that washed over him made him want to throw his whiskey
glass across the room.
“Did I say something wrong?”
He shook his head. “You want to talk personal? I’ll give you
personal.” He met her gaze and continued in a flat monotone. “I haven’t
touched a guitar since I divorced my cheating ex. Do with that what
you will.” He gulped his drink, threw a couple of twenties on the
bar, and left.
After he got home, he felt guilty about leaving Ava sitting alone
at the bar. He picked up his phone, ready to call and apologize, maybe
try to explain, but he set it down without dialing her number.
I don’t care what she thinks.
He knew the voice in his head was full of shit, but he didn’t argue.
The last thing he needed was to become distracted by worrying about
what Ava might think. Nothing could come of their growing bond
except the inevitable closeness that comes from partners working
gruesome murders. Ava was off-limits. Best just to forget about her
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throaty laugh, gorgeous brown eyes, luxurious hair he wanted to


wrap his hands in...
Eli shook his head. Even if they could date, he knew what the
inevitable conclusion would be. All of his relationships ended badly.
He really didn’t care to even try for another, somehow believing this
time around would be different.
His phone buzzed. He ignored it, figuring it was Ava. When it started
buzzing its way across the coffee table, he picked it up with a growl.
It was Captain Platt.
“What took you so long to answer?”
“Thought you were someone else I didn’t want to talk to.”
Long pause. “How much have you had to drink tonight?”
“More than I probably should have, and not as much as I wanted.”
“You better sober up quick. We got another body.”

* * *

The scene was all too familiar: reds and blues flashing, officers
questioning witnesses and keeping gawkers from corrupting the crime
scene, Sherry kneeling next to a dismembered body, Ava speaking
with witnesses, yellow tape cordoning off the whole thing.
Eli walked to Sherry. He could feel Ava’s eyes boring into his back,
but he refused to turn around. The only thing in his sights was the body
of a young woman splayed out in a grotesque fashion on the sidewalk.
“Here we are again,” Sherry said as he knelt next to her.
Eli pulled on a pair of gloves. “Tell me about her.”
“Name’s Vanessa Parkins, twenty one years old, out for the evening
celebrating her birthday, left to walk a couple blocks home. Another
partier found her.” Sherry pointed to a young man rocking back and
forth at the periphery of the crime scene.
“Cause of death?” he asked.
“Same as all the others. Blunt force trauma to the head.”
“Anyone see anything?” he asked, already knowing the answer.
Sherry shook her head. “Not a thing.”
“What’s missing from this girl?”
“Only the heart.”
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“Hey, well, that’s good news.”


Sherry raised her eyebrow. “No need to be sarcastic.”
“Sorry. My night of drinking was interrupted for this.”
“Why don’t you go walk the scene, do what you do, while I finish
up here.”
Eli knew a dismissal when he heard one. He stripped off his gloves
and put them in the side pocket of his jacket. He did as Sherry suggested,
letting his mind go blank, just surveying the scene and playing out
what most likely happened.
Vanessa exits the bar, a little unsteady on her feet. She wobbles down
the sidewalk, thankful she only lives a few blocks away. Her phone buzzes, so
she grabs it from her purse, fingers flying across the screen as she sends a text or
checks her Facebook status. She doesn’t even hear the perp come up behind her.
A voice shouting his name brought him out of his vision. He
turned to find Ava running at him, holding something in her hand,
smiling triumphantly. As she gets closer, he sees Ava holding a bloody
cell phone.
“You’re not going to believe what we found!”

* * *

Eli leaned forward in his chair. “Is this for real?” he asked for the
second time since seeing the image on his computer screen.
“Apparently our victim was taking selfies to celebrate her big night
and ended up catching the perp as he came up behind her,” Ava said.
The image on the computer was crystal clear, not like looking at
surveillance cameras at banks or ATMs. The killer was in full view,
walking just behind and to the right of Vanessa. Eli frowned.
“What the heck is he wearing?”
Ava shrugged. “I wondered that too. Looks strange.”
“You know what it reminds me of? Those guys at the Renaissance
festivals.”
Ava nodded. “I can see that. Just simpler, like something a peasant
would wear rather than royalty.”
Eli barked laughter. “Our killers are wannabe medieval dudes?”
Ava gave a small half smile. “It’s no stranger than your alien theory.”
“Let’s see if we can ID this guy.”
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“Tomorrow. I’m so tired I can’t even see straight. Besides, in case


you hadn’t noticed, we’re the only ones here.”
He checked his watch. “Don’t you mean today?”
She waved him off. “Whatever. I’m going home for some sleep
and a shower.”
Eli hated waiting, but he knew the tech wouldn’t come down to
the station until morning. He emailed the photos, along with a message
in all capital letters to get on this case ASAP, before heading out for
the remainder of the night.
His nerves buzzed as he drove through the empty city streets.
He knew it was only a matter of time before he would finally have a
name for the person terrorizing the citizens of his town. He smiled
grimly when he pictured the man in the interrogation room. I’ll get
the information about the other killers from him.
In addition to being able to visualize a crime better than anyone
else, Eli also had the ability to scare the hell out of suspects during
interrogation. He was tall and broad-shouldered and used that size to
his advantage. He had been able to crack even the most stoic of suspects.
He was too wired to sleep when he got home, so he logged onto
the computer to search for images that matched the clothing the
killer wore. He was convinced they were dealing with some sort of
medieval cult that operated in various cities across the United States.
When his search proved fruitless, he checked the various news
outlets to see if they had reported anything about killers stealing organs.
The internet was both the savior and curse of detectives everywhere.
It was difficult to hide a crime when everything people did was
photographed and slapped on a social media site in two seconds; plenty
of criminals had been apprehended from such behavior. But on the other
hand, it was difficult to sift through the garbage to find the nuggets of
truth. And it was difficult to keep certain details of crimes out of the
hands of the media.
Eli’s eyes widened and his blood turned to ice. A headline in black
and white from London, England jumped from the webpage:

Butcher Strikes Again!

His hands shook as he scrolled down the page, eyes darting left and
right as he skimmed through the article. It was lacking in details, but at
first glance, it certainly looked as though the killers had gone international.
C HAPTER 12

“DID YOU NOTIFY the FBI?” Captain Platt asked.


“I called them before I called you,” Eli answered.
Eli shared a look with Ava. They had arrived at the precinct well
short of daylight. He hadn’t hesitated calling the FBI, and then his
captain, after he had finished reading the article. The FBI assured
him they would do everything in their power to obtain records of
any murders that matched the MO of the Butcher.
Butchers, is more like it.
He had always hated giving names to killers; it gave them a type
of fame that Eli found highly inappropriate. Murderers didn’t deserve
to have even their birth names known by the masses; only the victims
deserved such treatment. Much as he hated it, it did make it easier to
refer to them by a name other than just “killer” or “perp”.
“While we wait for them to get back to us, I want you two scouring
the web for any more stories like this one.” He gestured angrily at the
London article. “Hopefully they have some footage of the killers or
some other evidence.”
“That won’t help us catch our killers,” Ava said.
Platt fumed. “There has to be some sort of connection between the
Butchers. If we can identify just one, it might be enough to lead us to a
family or a cult or some shit that we can use to nail the other Butchers.”
Eli was taken aback. His captain was usually careful with his
language in front of women.
“If there’s anything, we’ll find it,” Eli said.
“You better, or the body count will just keep piling up. I’ll settle
for nailing one of the bastards. I don’t care what country he’s from,”
Platt said.
ORGAN REAPERS 85

The detectives left Platt’s office, the latest news of international


murders re-fueling their energy. They spent the next several hours
at their desks, combing through news sites from around the world,
exclaiming when they found something they thought matched the MO
for the Butchers. They flagged the pages and sent the data to the FBI
so the Feds could search more thoroughly in their databases.
“I found at least a dozen news stories describing bodies with organs
missing,” Ava said, leaning back in her chair, stretching her back.
“Same here. Gah, I need to get out of this chair!” Eli said, rubbing
his stiff neck.
“Let’s go get lunch. Your treat this time.”
Eli snorted as he stood and followed his partner to the elevator.
As was his custom, he stared at her legs while they walked.
“Can I ask you something?”
Ava smirked. “If I said no, you’d ask anyway, wouldn’t you?”
He shrugged and grinned. “Why do you wear skirts? Wouldn’t
you be more comfortable in slacks?”
She crossed her arms over her chest and arched her eyebrow.
“This is your big question?”
“Just curious, is all.”
“I’ve always worn them. Nothing deeper than that.” She laughed
her sexy throaty laugh. “You look disappointed.”
“I guess I was expecting some sort of story.”
“You mean like this?” She pursed her lips, then smiled. “I use
my legs to get ahead in this male-dominated world.”
“I never thought that! It’s just strange. I mean, what if you had to
chase a perp down in those heels?”
“I bet I can run faster than you in these heels than you can in your
own shoes.”
Eli wanted to call her out, but was actually afraid she might be
right. And losing a foot race to a girl in heels was something his ego
couldn’t handle.
“Where are you taking me for lunch?” she asked.
“There’s this great deli down the street.”
“Sounds perfect. I’m starved.”
The nondescript sandwich shop was situated between two large
office buildings that overshadowed the tiny deli. There were a couple of
86 SHAY WEST

bistro tables out front and a neon sign that said “Open” hanging in
the window.
“How did you find this place? I would have passed by never
knowing it was here,” Ava said.
Eli hesitated before answering her. “My ex and I used to come here.”
“It’s a cute place,” she said in a neutral voice.
The shop was dim and cool, with about a dozen small tables lining
two walls. Eli led the way to the counter. He handed Ava a menu.
“What do you recommend?” she asked as she read the choices.
“What do you like? They have fish, burgers, eggplant, and antipasto
salad.”
“I love eggplant,” she said, handing back the menu.
“Did you guys decide?”
Eli turned to the bored teenager behind the counter. “We’ll take
two of the eggplant sandwiches and a couple of sodas.”
He paid for the food and led Ava to a table in a corner away from
the door. It was peaceful, quiet, and far away from the table where he
and his ex used to sit. When he had suggested the sandwich shop, he
hadn’t really thought about his ex at all. Sitting here in their favorite
eatery didn’t bother him as badly as he thought it would.
Maybe I’m finally getting over her.
They passed the time chatting about the case, taking special care
to keep their voices low. It wouldn’t do to have a customer overhear
evidence the police were keeping quiet. They hadn’t released what
specific organs were taken from the victims and they had yet to mention
they had a snapshot of one of the killers.
The same bored teenager brought them their steaming sandwiches.
Eli didn’t bother to wait until the sandwich cooled before taking a huge
bite. The marinara sauce and melted cheese seared his mouth. He
took a gulp of ice-cold water to cool the half-chewed food in his mouth.
Ava covered her mouth and giggled.
Her eyes closed as she savored the first bite. It didn’t take her long
to adopt Eli’s method of cooling the hot bite of sandwich by drinking
cold liquid rather than waiting for it to cool.
“You’re right. That was the best sandwich I have ever had,” she said.
“I’ve had pretty much everything here and not one thing is short
of superb.”
“I believe it.”
ORGAN REAPERS 87

Just then, both of their cell phones buzzed. They shared a look,
then headed back to the office.

* * *

“What do you have for us?” Eli asked Charlie, the tech who was
running the facial recognition program.
Charlie looked crestfallen. “I wish I had good news for you. But
the face came back with nothing.”
Eli held his temper in check. “Anything that was even a partial
match?”
“Not even close.”
Another dead end.
Eli walked to Platt’s office to break the news.
“Charlie finished with the photo. Dead end, Captain.”
Platt sighed. “I’m beginning to wonder if all the evidence in this
case will lead to dead ends.”
“Maybe the FBI can come up with something. With these murders
happening across the globe, there have to be other pictures, other
prints, maybe DNA evidence.”
Platt smiled. “You just hate to admit this one might be more than
you can handle.”
Eli snorted. “No case is more than I can handle. I’ll nail the bastards.”
He stood to leave, a grim smile on his face. “I’ll nail them all.”
C HAPTER 13

TANI AND KEENA spent a week at his family home on the edge of
the sea. Keena forced a smile whenever anyone spoke to her, but Tani
could tell she was putting on a show. Her eyes had no spark, her forced
laughter no joy. Tani missed his partner and friend.
“Is there anything I can do?” he asked while they sat looking
over the bluffs.
She shook her head, but refused to speak.
“Please, what is troubling you? Maybe I can help.”
“Can you make my family accept our decision the way yours has?”
Her voice broke and she turned again to face the sea, wind blowing
her hair back from her delicate face. He hated seeing her so despondent,
but he didn’t know what to say or do to make things better. Guilt
twisted his heart. His family had been nothing but supportive and
loving about their decision to leave the monastery, going so far as to
accept Keena as a member of the family.
Would you rather they turn you away?
He reached out and took her hand in his, heart breaking at the
slight tremble he could detect. Was it fear of the intimate contact or
despair over the loss of her family? Tani didn’t say anything, merely
held her hand, praying to the gods to bring her comfort and peace.
Tani couldn’t say how long they sat there, but it was long enough
for the storm clouds to come toward the bluffs where they sat. The
clouds were black and purple, ominous and swollen with rain and
bad tidings. He had lived most of his life on the sea and a storm like
this could be deadly.
He knew he should run back to the house, but he couldn’t tear
his eyes from the clouds. They moved slowly across the ocean and
ORGAN REAPERS 89

caused it to swell and undulate faster, the waves crashing against the
granite cliffs far below where the pair sat holding hands as though
they alone could oppose the storm.
A shout from behind brought him out of his stupor.
“What are you two doing out here? Papa is bringing everyone to
the storm cellar.”
Tani turned and nodded at his mother. He followed her to the
eastern side of the house, still gripping Keena’s hand with his own.
His father stood at the entrance, holding one of the doors open.
“Will we be safe down here?” Keena asked softly.
“My family has weathered many a storm in this cellar. We’ll be fine.”
His other siblings sat in a corner playing a game of checkers.
“Want to play a game?” Tani asked Keena.
She shrugged, but didn’t refuse. He found the family’s second
checkers set and set it up at a low wooden table. They sat on the floor on
woven mats, facing one another. Tani set up the board, letting Keena
choose her pieces. She chose to be Royalty, leaving Tani to be the Peasantry.
Keena jumped when the wooden doors rattled in the growing
wind. He smiled, trying to put her at ease, but her eyes never lost the
sheen of terror. Soon the sound of wind-driven rain drowned out the
creaking of the cellar doors.
“Can the water get down here?” Keena asked.
“The steps may get a little damp, but that’s about it. We’re safe
in here; I promise.”
Tani’s mother dished out a dinner that consisted of dried bread,
tart cheese, and salted pork. Keena didn’t have much of an appetite
and merely nibbled at her meal. Every time the wind rattled the doors,
she jumped.
“Will this last much longer?” she asked.
Tani smiled sadly. “A storm this size usually lasts all night.”
“Why don’t you try some of this, my dear?”
Keena looked up at Tani’s mother and took the mug of steaming
liquid from her hands. Keena sniffed at the cup and smiled.
“My mother used to make me warm milk and nutmeg...” she
cradled the cup as she sipped.
“Give your father some time. He’ll come around. We can go visit
after he’s had a chance to calm down,” Tani offered.
90 SHAY WEST

She smiled and sipped at the drink. Before she had even finished
the mug, her eyelids drooped as she fought the effects of the warm
milk. Tani’s mother helped her to lie back against a stack of pillows,
and covered her with a blanket against the growing chill.
“She’ll sleep through the rest of the storm.”
Tani smiled gratefully at his mother and lay back against his own
pillows, knowing that if he slept, it would bring the ending of the
storm that much faster.

* * *

The next morning, Tani’s father led the family out of the underground
shelter. Tani steadied his heart for the damage he knew this kind of
weather could bring. He’d lost count of how many times his family
had had to rebuild their home because it couldn’t withstand the heavy
winds and rain. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the structure
still standing. Most of the windows were blown out and the roof was
badly in need of repair, but seeing the home sitting in the usual place
filled him with hope.
Keena walked up beside him and took his hand in hers. He met
her eyes and was taken aback by what he saw there: a steely resolve that
had been missing since they had left the monastery. It was the same look
he had seen when she had refused to go on any more Harvesting trips.
“While I slept I had a vision, sent from the gods, I’m certain of it.
I know what they wish us to do.”
She met his incredulous gaze with a small smile and squeezed
his hand. The pair stopped short of reaching the house.
“What was the dream...er, vision you had?”
“The gods want us to stop Master Kelhar.”
“Did they say how to do this exactly?”
“We have to destroy the gateway.”
Tani ground his teeth at her short answers. “How?”
“They did not tell me that. But I do know the gateways were never
meant for what Master Kelhar uses them for. I knew the gods would not
accept the murder of innocents even to save our own people.”
Tani didn’t know what to say. He’d never considered himself a
religious man by any means. He believed in the gods, tried to do what
ORGAN REAPERS 91

he thought they would want, but who could ever tell what gods
wanted from lowly people? And here his partner was telling him she
had spoken to the gods and had a direct line to what they wanted.
“You don’t believe me.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that exactly...” he stammered.
She laughed for the first time since leaving her parent’s house.
“It’s okay. The gods told me you would be hard to convince.”
Tani started walking again, his brain whirling with what Keena
had just told him. Was it possible? His heart raced at the thought of going
up against the monastery. They had money and power, something Tani
was short on at the moment. But a small fire burned deep within his
soul at the thought of the gods wanting to use him and Keena for
their purpose.
“The gods said we have to move quickly. Are you with me?”
she asked.
Tani shrugged. “I guess so. Just wish we had a little more to go on.”
“We will have to trust the gods.”
C HAPTER 14

ELI WAITED IMPATIENTLY as Ava updated their victim board.


More like boards. Because of the addition of the international victims,
the one white board had grown to four. Ava had re-done the boards
and categorized the killings based on country, and then by city, as
several murders had taken place in the same area. She added all of
the evidence that had been collected, though most of the victims had
nothing listed for them.
She stood back and surveyed her work. Eli had to admit it made
looking at the crimes as a whole easier because she had color coordinated
the markers she used for age, sex, race, profession, hobbies, where the
victims were killed, evidence found, and organs missing.
Despite all of the victims added to the boards, there wasn’t anything
linking them other than being brutally murdered and having their
organs taken.
“We’ve got seventy-two victims worldwide thus far. I have a
feeling the numbers are larger than that though,” Ava said.
“You think the FBI missed something?”
“There are a lot of people that live in third-world countries that
don’t have technology or social media to report every little thing.
Many of them could have been killed by the Butcher and they would
probably blame rebels or some fascist government or a wild animal
or something.” She threw the markers down on her desk.
“Listen, if you need a break—”
“I don’t need a break. What I need is to catch the sons-of-bitches
who are butchering people and lock them away forever.”
Eli had to admit her vehemence was a huge turn-on. Her face
was flushed; her breathing had increased, forcing her ample breasts
against her button-down shirt.
ORGAN REAPERS 93

“Don’t worry, we’ll get ‘em.”


“Did Platt make the statement to the press about the guy in the
photo on Vanessa Parkins’s phone?” she said to change the subject.
Eli nodded. “He even gave the press the guy’s picture, hoping
someone will come forward.”
“Maybe the techs will get lucky with the other photos,” she said,
pointing to the white boards.
Turned out the photo from the Parkins case wasn’t the only one.
Several cases from London, Tokyo, and Delhi had video surveillance
stills. In all of them, the perps were dressed exactly like the man from
the Parkins case. One photo in particular bothered Eli; it clearly showed
a pair stalking a victim, and one of them appeared to be female.
“We gotta be dealing with a cult. Some weird, sick, twisted cult that
gets their jollies off burning organs for sacrifices or something,” Ava said.
“The FBI said they’d exhausted the cult theory. There’s no cult
that operates in all of the countries where the murders are taking place.
And not one person has come forward with any information that has
led to a name for even one of these people. If they all work in pairs,
we’re dealing with more than a hundred and forty killers.” Even saying
that aloud sounded ludicrous.
Ava groaned and rubbed her blood-shot eyes. “This thing is huge,
way bigger than we thought. Kind of glad the FBI is working it too.”
Even though he hated sharing jurisdiction, Eli admitted they
wouldn’t have gotten nearly the information they had if it hadn’t been
for the Feds. He gazed at the faces of the victims before they were
killed, burning them into his memory. Their smiles would keep him
working despite the enormity of the killings. He got up to study the
video surveillance stills, eyes darting back and forth between the
footage from Delhi and London.
“You look like a wolf on the prowl. What did you find?” Ava got
up and followed Eli.
He grabbed two of the photos off the white board and held them
up to Ava. “See anything interesting?”
She grabbed the pictures. Eli smiled when he saw the truth of
what he had seen light up her chocolate-brown eyes. But as quickly
as the excitement came, it left. She shook her head and walked back
to the boards.
94 SHAY WEST

“This isn’t possible. These crimes were committed hours apart.


Even on a private jet, there’s no way the killers could have gotten from
Delhi to London.”
“Maybe the times of death are wrong. I’m telling you, those are
the same two men in both photos.”
“I admit they look alike, but the footage is so grainy, who knows?”
“Double-check the stats on the two murders and I’ll get these over
to Charlie. His fancy computer software can tell us whether these are
the same people.”
Eli barged into the analyst’s office without knocking. “Charlie, I
need to know if these are the same people. Can you do that?”
Charlie took the photos. “They look the same to me.”
He went to hand them back to Eli who shook his head. “I need
more than just human eyes to say they are the same.”
“I’ll get right on it. The quality is decent, so I should have something
in a few hours.”
“Call me as soon as you get the answer.”
Eli walked back to his desk, but he was too wired to sit and look
through endless files of paperwork. After telling Ava he would be
back in a bit, he went to his locker and changed into running shorts
and a loose tank top. As he laced up his sneakers, he decided to have
Charlie go through the other footage on the off chance that he could
find more killer doubles.
As he ran through the park close to the precinct, his mind churned
over this new finding. It was physically impossible for the pair of killers
at Delhi and London to be the same people. Identical twins? He shook
his head. The chance of having two sets of identical twins, both out
killing people, was more outrageous than any theory he and Ava had
come up with thus far.
Maybe they’re using transporters.
He nearly tripped as he laughed. It just showed his desperation
that he was resorting to science fiction technology to explain a series
of murders. It makes as much sense as anything else.
He walked back to the precinct after his run, drenched in sweat
and eager to give Charlie all the photos they had of the perps. He
ignored the stares as he walked to his desk in his work-out clothes.
ORGAN REAPERS 95

Ava gave him her characteristic smirk as she spotted him. He made
sure to suck in his gut and walk as though his muscles weren’t burning.
“You’re just in time.”
“Charlie’s done already?”
Ava nodded. “Uh-huh. And the computer agrees with you. The
pair that did the killing in Delhi is the same as the ones in London.”
He wanted to celebrate this news, but instead he sat heavily on
his chair, wind gone from his lungs.
How could the victims, thousands of miles apart, be killed by the same
two people within a matter of hours?
C HAPTER 15

“WHAT YOU PROPOSE is dangerous.”


Tani nodded at his father’s words, knowing all too well the danger
of what he and Keena proposed. “It’s the only way to stop the
Harvesters.” He glanced at Keena. “If Keena is telling the truth and the
gods really did come to her, we have to try.”
“Can you get back into the monastery?” his father asked.
Keena nodded, though her eyes looked uncertain. “They’ll never
expect us to return. We can sneak in at night, go to the gateway chamber,
and be gone before Kelhar even knows we’re there.”
His father shook his head. “I don’t know, you risk much.”
“It is the right thing to do, Papa,” Tani said.
“Besides, if it truly is the wish of the gods that Tani and I close
the gateway, they will guide and aid us,” Keena said.
“I suppose there is that.” His father narrowed his eyes as he sized up
the pair. “I suppose you are adults and can make up your own minds.”
Tani almost wished his father would refuse to let them go. He
still wasn’t sure if Keena’s dream was truly from the gods or just her
subconscious trying to find a way to save the people of Earth destined
for death. Either way, he couldn’t let her go alone.
“We’ll leave first thing in the morning,” Tani said.

* * *

The pair said their farewells amidst hugs and tears from Tani’s
family. Meevo stood off to the side, refusing to take part. Tani called
to him, but Meevo ran into the house and slammed the door.
“He’s going to miss you terribly,” his mother said as she gazed
at the closed door. “He took it so hard when you left last time.”
ORGAN REAPERS 97

“Keep an eye on him, okay?”


His mother patted him on the arm. “You don’t worry about him.
You and Keena have a dangerous road ahead and you need to focus
if you are going to succeed.”
Tani gave her one last hug, then grabbed his pack from where it
lay against his leg. Both of their knapsacks were full of food, water,
and blankets, with one change of clothing. They had plenty of provisions
to see them to the monastery. The less they had to stop along the way,
the faster they could put their plan in action.
Whatever that plan is.
Sneaking into the monastery was one thing; getting their hands
on the stones that would allow them to return home was something
else. There was one set of stones for each Harvesting pair. Unless Master
Kelhar hadn’t replaced them, Tani and Keena would have to steal
the stones from fellow Harvesters. And that meant they would most
likely be caught, as the Harvesters would never give up their stones
and not raise an alarm.
We may have to kill them.
His stomach twisted at the thought of killing his fellow Harvesters,
but he knew he was capable of it. It wasn’t like he hadn’t killed before.
One good blow to the head and he and Keena would have the stones.
Tani wished he had been granted the same vision as Keena. Maybe
then he would feel more resigned to the possibility of having to kill
their fellow Harvesters.
“You look like you’re about to sick up.”
Tani looked at Keena and voiced his concerns about the return
stones.
“The gods will provide if we are doing their will. Have faith.”
“Perhaps I’d have more faith if the gods saw fit to allow me to
share this vision,” he snapped.
She blinked back tears. “I’m sorry. Perhaps one of these nights
they will visit you as well.”
He knew he should apologize, but he just kept walking. He had
left the monastery with her, even though it meant being charged with
treason, and now was leaving home to return to the one place they
should never be going. Are we really doing the right thing?
98 SHAY WEST

That question plagued him as they made their journey, as did


the faces of the people he had killed during his time as a Harvester.
He was torn between what was right and what was safe. He wanted
to do the right thing, but did he want to die trying?
He barely slept after they made camp for the night. He’d kept
them walking until well past nightfall, hoping that exhaustion would
force his mind to stop whirling. On their last night on the road, he offered
to take first watch, hoping that would make him tired enough to sleep.
As he gazed into the coals, his eyes drifted closed. He forced them
open only to have them droop again and again.
A man with skin dark as tree bark. A woman with skin the color of bronze.
Around them whirled countless faces, old young, men, women. There were
several people he recognized. Only, their faces were smiling and not covered
in blood. Suddenly the gateway room appeared, the machinery ablaze. A feeling
of peace settled over him at the sight of the ruined gateway.
He awoke with a start, heart hammering in his chest. He looked
over at Keena, but she was still fast asleep. Tani sent a silent prayer
to the gods, thanking them for their vision. He looked to the sky and
noticed it was still a few hours until daylight. He debated letting Keena
sleep, but their mission would be more likely to succeed if they arrived
under the cover of darkness.
Keena was reluctant to leave her blankets. She pulled them over
her face and snuggled deeper.
“We’ll be safer if we arrive while it’s still dark,” he coaxed.
When she finally crawled from her blankets, Tani handed her a
plate with some bread, cheese, and slices of tart apples from his family’s
orchards.
“I think the gods sent me a vision,” he said while they broke
their fast.
Keena’s eyes widened. “What did you see?”
“It’s jumbled now, like a normal dream. But I remember seeing
the gateway chamber on fire. And that somehow we were responsible.”
He frowned. “And there were two people there. Not us, but somehow
tied in with all this.”
“I saw two people as well! Did one have dark skin?” she asked
excitedly.
Tani nodded emphatically. “Yes! What does it all mean?”
ORGAN REAPERS 99

“I’m not sure. Hopefully the gods will make their plans known
when the time is right.”
For the first time since leaving the monastery, Tani knew he was
doing the right thing. And it felt good, better than having all the money
and prestige in the world.

* * *

Tani crept through the tall grass surrounding the well-manicured


grounds of the monastery. It was still full dark and he hadn’t spotted
any sign of Enforcers. It was as though the gods favored them with
no moon and no people.
They had decided to check Keena’s quarters for the return stones.
Tani didn’t hold out hope the stones would still be there. Master Kelhar
had probably already found replacements for the two of them and
the new Harvesters would have possession of the stones.
He could feel Keena close by his side. His breath steamed in the
chill morning air as he watched her domicile for signs of life. If Master
Kelhar had gotten replacements, they would now be living in his and
Keena’s homes.
Tani was about to move forward when a window suddenly showed
the light from a newly-lit lamp. A shadow moved about the house,
probably getting ready for another mission.
Which meant whoever it was might have the return stones.
“What do we do?” Keena whispered.
“I don’t know. It’s not like we had a plan other than getting here.”
This was nothing like the adventure stories Meevo enjoyed reading.
The heroes always seemed to have all the answers and could get
themselves out of any situation. And here he was sitting in the dark
with no idea how he and Keena should proceed.
“We have to intercept whoever it is before they leave,” Keena
insisted.
“But how do we know they have the stones? It could be the other
half of the partnership.”
“Unless you have any better ideas, we don’t have a choice. The
longer we sit here the greater chance of getting caught.”
100 SHAY WEST

He knew he didn’t have long to decide. He prayed to the gods


that they would somehow perform a miracle and allow him and Keena
to find the stones just sitting out on the front stoop of the house. Tani
didn’t like the idea of killing a fellow Harvester.
Who said you have to kill them?
The voice sounded like his father. Tani smiled at the obvious
question. All the two had to do was incapacitate whoever it was long
enough to see if he or she had the stones and make their way to the
gateway chamber. Or find more if the new Harvester didn’t happen
to have the return stones. Then of course there was hoping Master
Kelhar didn’t come looking for the missing Harvester, since he or she
would be late for the trip through the gateway.
The more he thought about the “what ifs,” the more he wanted
to turn tail and run. Let the gods find someone else for their mission
to stop the priests. Maybe someone with a private army. Only there
wasn’t anyone else, no army, no one.
Without thinking, he ran in a crouch toward the front door of Keena’s
home. He sat beneath the window with his back against the wall. Slowly,
he pushed himself up and peered above the sill.
A large woman sat at the small wooden table eating gruel from
the same wooden bowl Keena would have used. Tani didn’t like seeing
a stranger in her home. The rooms and furnishings belonged to the
monastery, but it was still difficult not to think of this place as Keena’s. I
wonder who’s living in my home.
That thought brought more sadness than Tani expected. He hadn’t
been at the monastery long, but he had come to think of it as home.
He hated the thought of someone else in his personal space.
“Did you see the stones?”
He jumped as Keena spoke right next to him and gave her a
withering look. “It’s not like she’s going to keep them on the table. If
only we could search the house...”
Without a word, Keena left his side, disappearing into the darkness.
He wanted to call out to her, but held his tongue. The seconds passed—
they felt like hours. The sky lightened as the sun came closer to peeking
over the horizon. Tani was exposed to anyone who happened to glance
at the house. He moved to the side that was still in shadow. Where
did Keena go?
ORGAN REAPERS 101

Suddenly, the alarm bells pealed out across the monastery. Doors
opened as Harvesters, acolytes, and priests exited their homes, wondering
what was going on at such an early hour. Tani heard the door to Keena’s
domicile open and the woman run out.
It’s now or never.
He bolted from the side of the house and through the open door.
He ran to the small chest of drawers first, knowing that’s where
Keena had kept the stones. He rummaged through the clothing and
other odds and ends, but didn’t see any stones. Panic set in when he
realized the woman could return at any moment.
Tani searched the trunk at the foot of the woman’s bed, digging
through books and assorted charcoal pencils. At the bottom of the trunk
he spotted a black velvet bag tied with a slender piece of ribbon. He
hefted the sack in his hands, mouth widening in a grin. It felt about the
right weight and he could hear several things clinking together in
the bag. He shoved it in his knapsack, then closed the trunk.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Tani turned around; the occupant of the house filled the doorway.
Her face was red and her hands were balled into fists.
“I know you! You’re the one who ran away.”
“I was just looking for something Keena said she left behind,
that’s it. Just let me see if it’s here and I’ll be out of your hair. I don’t
want trouble,” Tani said as he backed away.
“There’s a reward out for you.” The woman advanced slowly,
like a predator.
Tani couldn’t look away from her feverish eyes. He knew he should
be coming up with some sort of plan for escape, but all his brain could
manage was to gibber and shriek that he was about to die.
Suddenly the woman’s face went still as stone and she slowly
toppled forward. Tani stood there stunned as she hit the floor, long hair
splaying out like a fan around her head. He looked up. Keena stood in
the doorway holding a large rock in her hand. She tossed it aside and
hurriedly stepped over the body.
“Help me get her inside!”
Tani ran to the woman and checked for a pulse. He was relieved
to feel the steady flow of blood through her neck. He grabbed her by
the arms and dragged her out from in front of the doorway. Keena
peeked outside, then shut the door.
102 SHAY WEST

“Did you find them?” she asked.


“I think so.” Tani grabbed the black bag out of his knapsack and
opened it. Inside, nestled in the rolls of velvety fabric, were the five
return stones. He handed them to Keena and slung his pack on his back.
“So what did you do anyway?” Tani asked.
“I found someone that I didn’t recognize and told them I had
spotted the fugitives at an inn in town.” She grinned from ear to ear.
“Let’s just hope your ruse works long enough for us to get into
the monastery.”
Tani walked out of the house as though he had every reason to
be there. Keena’s risky move gave him an idea: if they didn’t act like
fugitives, perhaps they wouldn’t be noticed until it was too late. Neither
was dressed in Harvester garb and both were dirty from their travels. If
the gods truly smiled down on them, they would be able to travel to
Earth with none the wiser until they were already gone.
C HAPTER 16

ELI STOOD OUT on the back porch and turned the steak with one
hand while he drank an ice-cold beer with the other. The setting sun
was on the opposite side of the house, bathing the backyard in cool
shadows. He bobbed his head in time to the music from the stereo he
kept in his shed.
“Smells good.”
He turned to smile at Ava. She had bugged him about dinner until
he had finally given in, on one condition: that she come to his place and
he would do the cooking. She hadn’t given an argument, merely smiled
her half-smile that he’d come to find irresistible and said she would be
bringing the wine.
Eli flourished a pair of tongs. “It’s an old family recipe. Take raw
animal flesh and cook to perfection.”
“I’ll keep it secret.” She sat in one of his patio chairs, legs crossed,
wine glass in hand. Instead of her usual skirt and blazer, she wore
shorts that came down to her knees and a button-down, cap-sleeved T-
shirt. Ava and his ex couldn’t have been more opposite. Where Vicki
had been light, Ava was dark. Vicki had tended to wear clothing that
was very short, very tight, and very revealing. He had wanted to say
something, but she’d been so touchy about the subject that he’d kept his
mouth shut and put up with the stares she got while in public. She’d
figured it was because they thought she looked good. Eli hadn’t had
the heart to tell her they weren’t staring out of appreciation; they
thought she looked ridiculous. His ex would have been more attractive
if she had worn something more age-appropriate that covered more
skin than it showed.
104 SHAY WEST

He left Ava sitting outside while he went in to start the oven broiler
for the garlic bread. He opened the fridge and grabbed the bowl of
salad he had chopped earlier in the day. On a large tray he placed the
salad, bottles of ranch and Italian dressings, two plastic plates, forks,
and napkins, and carried it all out to the back porch.
“You set the table while I get the garlic bread,” he said as he ran
back into the house.
He grabbed an oven mitt from a drawer next to the stove and
pulled the cookie sheet piled with bread from the oven. He shut the
broiler off and put the pieces into a bowl, hissing as he burned his
fingers on the hot bread.
Eli brought the bowl out to the patio and grabbed the steaks
from the grill, inhaling deeply. If there was one thing he knew how
to do, it was grill a good steak.
Vicki never ate meat.
His wife had become a vegetarian after they married and had
tried for years to get Eli to swear off meat, but he had refused. She
wouldn’t cook meat for dinner, so Eli ended up cooking for himself
rather than eat her tofu fake meat crap. She would wrinkle her nose
and eat in the kitchen by herself, saying it made her sick to see him
eat the flesh of helpless animals.
“So it didn’t make you sick when you weren’t a vegetarian a few
months ago?” he asked one night.
“I have grown to realize that eating animals is wrong. I just wish
you would support me in this.” Vicki had refused to look at him.
“I support you just fine. I just ask that you support my decision
to continue to eat meat. I’ve never once tried to tell you to stop being
a vegan, have I?”
“You just don’t understand.” That was her usual way of ending
an argument she had no hope of winning.
Eli’s eyes widened in surprise when Ava picked the biggest
steak on the plate. She didn’t say a word, just raised her eyebrow as
though daring him to say anything. He kept his mouth shut and
speared the second steak off the plate, though it wasn’t much smaller
than the one Ava had chosen. He passed the bowl of salad, letting
her have the first helping. She got a large pinch of greens and placed
it on her plate next to the steak.
“Save some of that for me, will ya?” he teased.
ORGAN REAPERS 105

“There’s a few pieces of lettuce left, you big baby.”


He loved how easy it was to tease her. Vicki hadn’t appreciated
his sense of humor, often growing angry; she would sulk for days
from a simple joke.
Stop thinking about your ex. You have a beautiful woman here, eating
steak no less, and you’re focused on your loser of an ex. Vicki wasn’t good for
you, get over it.
For once, Eli decided he had better listen to the voice in his head.
His ex was long gone, and good riddance. He was sure she’d meet a
fellow vegan and they could both wear skimpy outfits and eat tofu
till they died. He really didn’t care.
For the first time since the divorce, he could say those words and
mostly mean them. He’d said them to people over the years, but deep
down he still cared. Not about his ex, but about how she treated him.
Sitting here with Ava, listening to her laugh, and eating steak, he
realized that he truly didn’t care about his ex. Not what she had done or
what she would ever do to someone else.
Eli wished Ava was just a woman and not his partner. He’d
never go against policy and let their relationship go further than this.
But it never hurt to dream.
He and Ava chatted about the case at first, but it didn’t take long
for them to move to other subjects, things like music and movies. They
steered clear of anything too personal, both sensing that it wasn’t
appropriate to delve too deeply. Rather, they enjoyed skimming the
surface and keeping things light.
Eli’s phone buzzed on the table, bouncing along the glass surface.
He picked it up and answered it right away.
“Captain?”
“I need you back at the station.”
Eli didn’t need to ask why. Only one thing would make him call
on Eli’s day off: one of the Butchers had struck again.

* * *

Eli and Ava arrived at the crime scene. Both wore their street
clothes rather than taking the time to change. She had her badge and
gun, which she displayed prominently in case the officers on scene
failed to recognize her without her customary skirt.
106 SHAY WEST

Sherry had yet to show up on the scene. Eli walked over to the
body and was surprised to find it fresh. As though the victim had
been killed only moments before. It was a male, mid-thirties, dressed
in running shorts and shirt. His body was splayed out in the middle
of a jogging path, but one that wasn’t well-used. Most people in the
area chose to run in the new park built just down the block. But
those that preferred to run in near-solitude still ran in this old park.
It wasn’t maintained like it should be and there was a lot of overgrowth
and weeds choking the area.
Upon closer inspection of the body, Eli found the man’s lungs
and heart were missing.
“Just like the others,” Ava said.
He stood and sought out the officer who’d been first on the scene.
“Any witnesses?” Eli asked, already anticipating the answer.
“Just one. She was running in the area and heard the man scream
out, so she called 911 as she ran over here.”
Eli did a double take and shared a glance with Ava. “She actually
heard the guy scream out? That’s a first.”
“What about a flash of light?”
The cop shook his head. “She didn’t mention anything.”
Eli pulled Ava off to the side. “Go talk to the woman and ask her.
I’m going to scope out the area. Keep your ears open. I have a feeling
our perps are still around.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Just a hunch.”
Eli walked back to the body and looked for footprints or any other
sign that someone had been in the area dismantling a body. The killers
certainly were good at hiding their tracks, but Eli had tenacity and a
burning desire to catch them. As he walked in larger circles away from
the victim, he spotted a partial track, a bent piece of grass, all leading
away from the body. He walked bent over and nearly bumped into the
man who stood up right in front of him.
The man didn’t hesitate. He took off running and Eli bolted after
him, yelling for Ava, hoping she was close enough to hear. The man
he chased was dressed like the other Butchers: trousers, boots that came
to the knee, and a shirt that tied at the neck. The man had a knapsack
on his back that flapped with every jump and stride. Eli smiled when
his own strides brought him closer to the perp.
ORGAN REAPERS 107

Eli took out his gun and yelled at the man to stop, that he would
shoot. The man kept running and didn’t look back. He was running
with purpose, like he knew exactly where he was going.
“Stop or I’ll be forced to shoot!” Eli shouted again.
Eli fired once, aiming for the man’s leg. The man gave a cry and
fell, tumbling head over heels until he finally came to rest on his
stomach. He tried to rise, but Eli was there, placing a foot on the
man’s back, forcing him back down.
He heard someone crashing through the trees. Ava broke from
between two trees, her weapon drawn. When she saw Eli had the
perp on the ground, she turned to survey the surrounding area.
“Did you spot the second one?” she asked.
“He was the only one I saw.”
“If they always work in pairs, there could be anoth—”
Her words were cut off by a brilliant flash of light directly ahead.
That’s where the perp was heading!
“Eli, what is going on?” Her voice sounded strained.
“I have no idea.” Eli bent down and forced the man to his back.
He smiled at the terror he saw in his prisoner’s brown eyes. “But I’m
going to find out.”
C HAPTER 17

THE PERP’S WOUND had been seen to and he was sitting in one of
the interrogation rooms. Eli watched through the one-way glass. The
man looked like a wild animal caught in a trap. His eyes darted
everywhere at once and it appeared as though he was about to cry.
“How long are you going to let him sit in there?” Ava asked.
“Until he’s ready to break down.”
“It looks like he’s ready to do that now.”
“The longer we wait, the better. He’s not going anywhere.”
“I hate this part. I wish we had some machine we could hook
him up to that would read his thoughts and just tell us everything
we need to know.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Eli asked with a grin, and walked into
the room.
The man sitting at the table looked up, but couldn’t meet Eli’s
eyes for longer than two seconds. He’s totally freaked out.
“I’m Detective Robins; this here’s Detective Aguilar. You know
why you’ve been brought here?”
The man nodded, but didn’t say a word.
“This will go a whole lot easier if you just tell us what we want
to know. Now that we have you, it’s only a matter of time before we
get the rest of your group.”
The man merely sat in the chair, trembling, breath hitching in his
chest.
Eli slammed the photo of the most recent victim on the table in
front of the perp. “You get your jollies cutting people up, man?”
The man at the table refused to look at the picture. His eyes were
squeezed shut.
ORGAN REAPERS 109

“Don’t like to view your handiwork, I see. What about your


partner?” Eli snorted. “Some partner. Just ran off and left you.”
“He had to,” the man whispered.
“You didn’t have the organs on you, so I can only guess that
your partner had them.”
The man nodded emphatically. “Returning without the organs is
unacceptable.”
“Return? Return where?” Eli leaned forward, eager for answers.
“I won’t say another word. I don’t care what you do to me.”
The man was terrified, but he had a look in his eyes Eli had seen
before.
“Can you at least tell us your name?”
“Satrick.”
“Satrick? Is that a first name or last name?”
Satrick looked puzzled, but didn’t say another word. He switched
positions in the chair and winced.
“That leg’s hurting again, isn’t it?” Eli stood. “I’d love to help with
some medicine for the pain. But you’ll have to tell us about the rest of
your people and where we can find them.”
When the man refused to speak, Eli and Ava left the room and
returned to watching the suspect through the glass. Captain Platt
joined the pair.
“Did he give you anything?” the Captain asked.
“Nothing. And he’s not going to.”
“I can’t believe the great Eli Robins is giving up so easily.”
“I’ve seen his type before. He’ll die before he tells us anything
useful.”
“We may not be able to nail the others, but we can charge him
for this latest murder. Victim’s blood found on his clothing, and we
found the instruments used to kill the man in his pack.”
Eli nodded. “We got one; we’ll eventually get the others. Maybe if
they think he’s giving up information on their organization, they’ll stop.”
“I’ll prepare a press conference, but make it very clear that there
are more killers out there, and for folks not to let their guard down.”
Platt turned and left.
“Let’s go see if this Satrick fellow is in the system. And if he
matches any of the photos from the other murders,” Eli said.
110 SHAY WEST

* * *

“I found him. He’s responsible for one of the ones from Tokyo. I
bet there are others, but this is the only one we have footage for.”
Ava handed Eli the grainy surveillance footage.
“There’s the other killer. Damn it, I wish we could have caught
him too.”
“You and me both.”
“Has the lab finished with the guy’s DNA yet?”
Ava shook her head. “Not yet. They said tomorrow at the earliest.
Charlie finished with the facial recognition software and came up with
nothing. He gave Satrick’s picture to the FBI to see if they can get
anywhere with ID’ing him.”
“I’ll talk to the Captain and see if he wants to give this guy’s picture
to every news station in the city. It might generate some leads.”
“What’s up with that name he gave us? What was it? Slatick?
Sutick?”
“Satrick. I don’t know. Probably a name they take on once they
join the cult or something they use if they get caught, to keep us off
the trail.”
“Something about this has my skin crawling.”
“I agree. It’s the most bizarre case I’ve ever worked, that’s for sure.”
Ava got up from her desk and updated the white board with the
current information they had about the perp in their custody: name,
approximate age, weight, description, contents of his pack.
“I want to get a closer look at the stuff he had in his bag.”
Eli got up from his desk and went to the evidence room. He checked
out the evidence bag containing the man’s pack and all of the contents
and took it back to his desk. He and Ava donned gloves and carefully
opened the brown paper bag.
The first thing he grabbed was the black bag containing the surgical
instruments. Eli unrolled it and laid it out on the table. He took the
pieces out one by one, turning them over in his hands, looking for
identifying marks.
“Do these look strange to you?” he asked Ava.
She whistled softly. “Do they ever.” She took the scalpel by the
black wooden handle and held it up to the light. There was still dried
blood on it. Her eyes tightened as she handed it back.
ORGAN REAPERS 111

“Look at this.” Eli help up an old saw. “It’s like something an old
Civil War doc would have used. Not all shiny and streamlined like
they use today.”
“The only other thing in here is a cloth with some dried bread
and cheese.”
Eli took the bundle. The cloth looked old and hand-woven. The
bread definitely didn’t look like something you’d buy in the store,
but the cheese could be a hunk of cheddar.
“Check to see if anyone has brought a sample of this to the lab.
And if they haven’t, bring them some.” Eli handed her the bundle of
cloth and food.
Eli walked back to his desk, eager to add this latest bit of evidence
to the white boards. Between the clothing the killers wore, the medical
tools, and the food, Eli wondered if they weren’t dealing with some
sort of cult that was obsessed with living in the past. When Ava got
back, he shared his idea with her.
“Like Amish gone wild?” She frowned and nodded. “I can see
that. You know what it reminds me of? Something you’d read in a
fantasy novel.”
“You mean like Lord of the Rings or something?”
“Yeah. I mean, look. You have the clothing, definitely medieval/
fantasy. The pack with food kept wrapped in cloth? The old tools?
It’s like we’re in a movie.”
“Except that stuff isn’t real. We have to solve this crime in the
real world.”
“I’m not saying that this is a fantasy come to life.” She leaned
forward. “Have you ever heard of those guys that play Dungeons
and Dragons?”
“Yeah.”
“What if we’re dealing with a group that is playing their own
made-up version of Dungeons and Dragons? Maybe they even have
a King and Queen or something they take orders from.”
Eli wanted to tell Ava she was being ridiculous, but it didn’t
sound all that far out of the realm of possibility if he considered all of
the evidence. Occam’s razor stated that the simplest explanation tended
to be the right one. In this case, Ava’s idea was the only thing that fit.
112 SHAY WEST

“If this is true, there has to be some sort of online presence that
ties them all together, helps them to coordinate their attacks. And
they must be a tight-knit group of people since not one has come
forward to claim the large reward,” Eli said.
“I’ll start checking to see what I can find,” Ava said.
“Contact the FBI with this theory. If anyone can find out information
about a covert website operating internationally, they can.”
Eli walked back to the interrogation room to look in on Satrick.
The man still sat at the table, but he didn’t look as frightened as he
did before. If Eli had to put a name to the look on the man’s face, he
would have to say it was resolved.
We got you, didn’t we? It’s only a matter of time before we find the rest of
you and bring your organization down.
C HAPTER 18

THE MONASTERY was strangely empty as Tani and Keena made


their way to the gateway chamber. The few people they saw hardly
seemed to notice them. Each moment that passed without an alarm
being sounded raised Tani’s confidence that they might actually be
able to pull this off.
He rounded a corner and his heart beat wildly. An Enforcer was
coming down the hall right toward them. Tani forced his steps to
remain steady and slow. He kept his eyes straight ahead, refusing to
glance at the man. The Enforcer passed so close he could feel the leather
armor rub against the skin of his arm.
Just when Tani thought he and Keena had gotten past another
hurdle, the Enforcer ordered them to stop and turn around. Tani stood
frozen to the spot, unable to move. He could hear Keena whimpering
behind him.
“I ordered you to turn around.”
The footsteps of the Enforcer drew closer. Tani hoped they could
pretend to be someone else just long enough to get to the gateway chamber.
“What are your names?”
“Landon, and this is Keshwa.” The names of Tani’s parents were
the first thing he thought of.
“What is your business here?”
“We need to see one of the priests.”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “Their meeting chambers aren’t on
this level.”
Tani’s mouth went dry. The excuse had come to him, but he hadn’t
really thought about where he and Keena were. They were several
levels below where the priests would be located.
114 SHAY WEST

“We just got turned around,” Tani answered.


“If you were truly going to see a priest, you would have an escort.
I’ll ask you again.” The man came a few steps closer, his hands going to
the sword on his hip. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”
Tani grabbed Keena’s hand and pulled her down the hall. He
ran like a panicked animal, moving purely by instinct. He let go after
a few steps, needing the pumping action of both arms to run and to
grab a hold of the corners to keep from taking too wide a turn. Keena
stayed right on his heels.
The lumbering footfalls of the Enforcer grew fainter as they ran
for the gateway chamber. Tani thanked the gods the Enforcers all wore
full armor; without the weight, Tani was certain the man could have
caught them easily.
The double doors to the gateway chamber were open. Tani flew
through the doorway and he and Keena each took a door and pushed
them closed. He frantically searched for the large crosspiece of wood
that would bar the door against intruders. The Enforcer could get in
using a second door, but it would take him time to go around the circular
chamber to come at it from the other side. Tani and Keena would be long
gone by then.
He spotted the door block; working together, they managed to
slide it into place between the metal brackets just as the Enforcer hit
the door with his full weight. The doors rattled, but held fast.
Tani and Keena ran to the machines, flipping switches and turning
knobs. They had both witnessed Master Kelhar do it countless times
and they knew the sequence by heart. The steam engines vibrated to
life, filling the chamber with their clanking and rattling. Tani set the
dials to Colorado, and then to the city they had visited their previous
trip through.
“How do you know that’s the right city?” Keena asked.
“I don’t; it just seems right.”
The banging on the door stopped abruptly. He’s going to the other door.
“If you have a better idea...”
Keena shook her head. “This selection does feel right. Perhaps
the gods guided your hands.”
“Are you sure about this?” Tani asked, his hand poised above the
launch button. “Once we get on that platform, there’s no turning back.”
ORGAN REAPERS 115

“I’m certain. We have to do this.”


Tani hit the gold button and ran up the stairs to the launch pad.
The whole thing vibrated with immense power, sending his teeth
chattering. Though he had made this trip many times before, his nerves
were at an all-time high.
Suddenly the smaller door opposite the locked one flew open and
Master Kelhar ran through, crimson robes flying behind him, followed
closely by his two attendants and the Enforcer.
“You two, get down from there!”
Tani could see the man’s mouth move, but no sound reached his
ears. He sighed in relief. He and Keena were past the point of no return.
Even if Kelhar managed to shut down the machines, Tani and Keena
would still be transported to Earth. He shielded his eyes against the
growing brightness. Keena reached out and took his hand. He drew
strength from the feel of her fingers locked tightly with his.
The light began to give way to shadowed shapes that solidified
into tall buildings. In a brilliant flash that left them momentarily blinded,
Tani and Keena found themselves back on Earth.
C HAPTER 19

AS ELI LAY in bed, his mind wandered to Ava. Better than thinking
about the murders. He stared at the ceiling and reminisced about their
steak dinner from days ago. He wanted to ask her to come over again,
but every spare moment had been taken up with the case. Eli went back
and forth between calling it a case and calling it cases. With more
murders popping up on the FBI’s international radar, it just didn’t feel
right calling it a single case anymore.
Eli thought about the killers and their ability to be in two places at
once, killing and butchering their victims. It was a scientific impossibility,
but no one had come up with a theory to explain the video footage of
people showing up on opposite sides of the globe with no way to travel
between the two scenes fast enough.
Could the times of death be wrong?
He had spoken to Sherry about it several times, to the point she
had started saying that the times of death were accurate every time
she spotted him coming. She had checked the reports from the FBI
and didn’t find anything that would lead her to believe the times of
death could have been mistaken.
Either the times of death are wrong or these killers can disappear from
one county and reappear in another.
His mind wandered to the bright light he and Ava had seen after
they had apprehended Satrick. If he hadn’t seen it for himself, he
would have been able to blow off that evidence as not actually being
evidence. But Eli was fairly certain he was of sound mind and he
couldn’t deny what his eyes had seen.
The more he thought about it, the more he liked Ava’s theory of
some sort of gaming community gone rogue. Everything fit.
ORGAN REAPERS 117

Except for the killers being in two places at once.


He looked at the clock and shoved the sheet back. He’d been laying
here for three hours and he was as wide awake as when he’d first
come to bed. He wandered out to the living room to watch some TV,
something that would take his mind off the case and let him drift off.
Eli flipped through channels on the satellite’s guide. Nothing
appealed to him. He scrolled through pages of shopping and music
channels. Why the hell do I pay for this when I never watch most of them?
He settled for a cheesy movie on a science fiction channel and lay
on his side with a pillow shoved under one arm. As he watched some
sort of giant reptile fight against an enormous bird, he let his mind drift.
It flitted from images of Ava to images of the victims to images of the
killers. Eli sifted through the little evidence they had managed to collect,
hoping his subconscious would find something everyone else had
missed. The DNA on the perp still hadn’t been run through CODIS.
The Feds weren’t in too big a hurry, since the guy’s face didn’t match
anything in their databases. The chances of him being in CODIS were
slim to none.
I wonder what Ava’s doing right now?
As the reptilian monster fought against the crow from hell, he
pictured his partner sleeping or even watching TV, as he was, unable
to sleep because of the case. Who are you kidding? You want her to be
losing sleep over you.
He’d never been to her apartment, so he tried to visualize what
it would look like. Since she was down-to-earth and not flashy, he
imagined neutral tones and nondescript furniture, a few tasteful pieces
of artwork on the walls, maybe some family photos. Unlike his ex, her
bed wouldn’t be filled with dozens of pillows whose purpose was
nothing more than to take up space and make it impossible to go to
bed on time, unless you started an hour before you wanted to sleep
to take the pillows off the bed.
Her bathroom would be full of beauty supplies, most of which he
would never be able to guess the use for. It would have the lingering
scent of her musky perfume. That was one thing he missed about his
ex. There was something sweet and comforting about being able to
smell your wife even when she wasn’t there.
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Why are you obsessing about something that can never happen? Eli didn’t
have an answer for the voice in his head. He liked thinking about Ava
and liked spending time with her, but a relationship was out of the
question. Maybe that’s why, the voice said in a sneaky whisper. He had to
admit it made a sick sort of sense. It was safe to fantasize about Ava.
They would never go any further than being partners, never go through
the awkward process of dating and chatting about their hopes and
dreams and fears and blah, blah, blah, never have to take the chance of
opening up and trusting someone again.
You’re a real head case.
The credits rolled and he was still wide awake. With a sigh, he got
up off the couch and made his way back to the bedroom. He bypassed the
bed and headed for the closet. He figured if his brain was going to be
uncooperative in letting him sleep, he might as well get some work done.
The drive to the office took half the time it usually did. Eli enjoyed
driving the city streets late at night. It allowed him to move about faster
and it was so much more peaceful. No honking horns, endless traffic,
people on bikes that didn’t follow the rules of the road, pedestrians who
shuffled along like zombies through crosswalks as they typed away
on their damn phones.
He could spot lights on in the precinct building. There was usually
someone around, even at this late hour. There was always paperwork,
interrogations, stake-outs to plan. Lots of detectives preferred to do
some of their work at night without the distraction of a full building.
It was easier to focus when you were the only one in the office.
While he waited for his computer to boot up, Eli went to see Satrick,
hoping that spending several nights in a holding cell would loosen the
man’s tongue. Satrick wouldn’t be at the station much longer. The Feds
were coming to take him first thing in the morning. Despite having
no identifying information and only circumstantial evidence, they
were moving forward with the prosecution. Although it galled Eli to
have his killer taken away, he knew the Feds had jurisdiction because of
the murder in Tokyo. He hoped there was more physical evidence that
would link Satrick to that murder; he didn’t think a grainy picture
was enough to prosecute.
Satrick lay on the cot facing the wall. It was clear to Eli that he
was fast asleep. He watched the man for a moment, trying to figure
out a way to make him give up his secrets.
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The more he thought about this case, the more his gut instinct
said there was something majorly wrong about everything associated
with the killings. The only way the evidence made sense was if there
were an international killing group. But such a group didn’t make
sense. In all his years as a detective, Eli had never encountered anything
remotely like this. Hell, I’ve never heard of anything like this.
Satrick squirmed and mumbled something in his sleep. Eli moved
closer to the bars of the holding cell, hoping Satrick would say something
that could be used against him.
“No, don’t...”…incoherent mumbling… “just go, Lawnce. Get the
organs back.” ...more mumbling... “Failed”… anguished cry... “Tell
Sarah I love her…” ...a groaning mumble...
The man quieted down and fell back into a deep sleep. The words
Satrick spoke were already jumbling together in Eli’s sleep-deprived
mind, so he decided to watch the video footage.
As it ran, he wrote down the names, guessing at the spelling as best
he could. Eli wrote them down on the white board with “partner?”
written next to Lawnce’s name and “wife/girlfriend?” next to Sarah. Get
the organs back where? Cops had scoured the area and didn’t find any
sign of the other man from the Tokyo photos. Eli assumed this would
be Lawnce. He drew a line with a question mark linking the name
with the photo.
Eli rubbed his eyes. His body was exhausted, but his mind was
buzzing with this new information. He sent an email to the FBI agent
he had been in contact with and told him about Satrick talking in his sleep
and offered to have Charlie copy the video footage and send it over.
Knowing he needed some rest, Eli wandered into the bunk room
and fell onto one of the bottom beds and was asleep as soon as his
head hit the pillow.

* * *

Eli woke up feeling like he’d been up half the night drinking. His
mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton and his eyes felt as though
all of the fluid had dried sometime in the night. He rubbed his eyes,
trying to get the tears flowing. He stumbled to his locker and grabbed
120 SHAY WEST

his small toiletries bag. After he brushed his teeth and splashed his
face with cold water, he felt almost human. He wished there was
something he could do about his hair. Eli tried to floof it up on the side
he’d slept on, but it was no use. Eli scrambled in his bag for a black
rubber band and pulled his hair back into a low ponytail. He hated
wearing it like this, but it looked better than his lopsided Afro.
He walked to the Starbucks by the precinct and picked out a couple
of coffees and breakfast sandwiches. He ordered a latte he remembered
Ava ordering once. Geez, you remember her crazy coffee order? You got it bad.
The precinct was buzzing with activity by the time he returned.
Though these bizarre murders took up much of the task force, there
were still plenty of normal crimes to deal with: burglaries, rapes,
attempted murders, murders that didn’t involve missing organs, one
case of arson, and a kid who thought it would be hilarious to bring a
black plastic rifle to school. Eli wished he were on one of those mundane
cases. Something straight forward, easily solved. He was beginning
to think the Butchers would continue to kill and disappear and never
be caught.
Ava was at her desk. Eli noticed the dark circles under her eyes; her
hair was pulled back rather than hanging loose like she usually wore it.
“Long night?” he asked while handing her coffee and a sandwich.
She nodded as she took the coffee and breakfast. “Couldn’t sleep.
This case is driving me crazy.” She sipped the hot beverage, eyes
closing as she enjoyed the drink. Her eyes flew open and she gaped
at him “What have you done with your hair?”
“I slept here at the station and didn’t shower, all right? The hair
has a mind of its own.”
“You slept here?”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I came back down here to have another go at
our prisoner before the Feds take him away. He talked in his sleep.”
Eli showed Ava the footage. Her eyes regained some spark of life as
she drank her latte.
“Lawnce? That doesn’t sound normal. More like something you’d see
in a Shakespeare play or something. At least Sarah is familiar,” she said.
“I added them to the board. If Lawnce is indeed the partner, we
at least have a name to go with the face.”
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“Still doesn’t help us. I bet if we look up the name with every
possible spelling, we come up empty. It’s like these people don’t exist.”
“Someone has to know who they are, who they really are. If we
keep bombarding the news channels and the internet with the
pictures, someone is bound to come forward.”
“When does Satrick leave?” Ava asked.
“An agent is supposed to come get him in a few hours. Why?”
“Just thought we could question him one last time. Maybe throw
out those names and see how he reacts.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Eli and Ava walked to the holding cell where Satrick was being held.
He was wide-awake and sitting on the edge of the cot, eyes straight
ahead. He didn’t turn around when the pair approached the cell.
“The Feds will be here soon to transport you to a maximum security
facility,” Eli said.
Satrick said nothing and continued to face the wall.
“I sure feel sorry for Sarah when she finds out you’ve been captured
and will likely get the death penalty.”
Speaking the name had the desired effect; Satrick turned to face
Eli, his eyes wide.
“What do you know of my Sarah?”
“Only what you spoke about in your sleep last night. And you
also gave us the name of your partner. Lawnce, I believe it was.”
Satrick stood and paced his cell. Eli watched and didn’t say a
word, knowing that if he interrupted whatever was going through
Satrick’s mind, the chances of the man letting something slip dwindled.
“I don’t want to die here. Please, you must let me out, so I can
return,” Satrick said as he continued to pace.
“I can’t do that, but if you tell me some information I may be
able to get you a deal.”
“A deal?”
“A lesser sentence, maybe life in prison instead of death. Maybe
this Sarah person can come visit you.”
Eli didn’t dare tell Satrick that if Sarah was involved with the
killings, she would likely be prosecuted.
“Only Harvesters can come here. Sarah isn’t a Harvester.”
Eli’s skin crawled at the word “harvester”.
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“Tell us what a harvester is. Sounds like a pretty important job.”


“It’s a sacred duty. Sacred…” he trailed off and sat back down
on the bed and began rocking to and fro.
“Killing people is a sacred duty?” Eli asked incredulously.
“The priests say it’s the will of the gods.”
Eli shook his head and shared a look with Ava. She looked as
perplexed as he did. What sort of priest condones murder?
“Priests told you and Lawnce to kill people and take their
organs? Why would they have you do that?” Eli asked.
“People are sick, they need organs.”
“You guys are stealing them to implant in someone else?”
“Our people need them. Surely the gods mean for our people to
survive.” Satrick looked at them, pleading with his eyes.
“You keep saying your people. What does that mean exactly?”
Satrick frowned and shook his head. He clenched his lips together
and refused to say another word, no matter how much Eli prodded or
threatened him. He was about to begin questioning again when
Captain Platt walked up with a man in a dark blue suit. Gotta be the Feds.
“Agent Dagget is here to take the prisoner into custody. The FBI
said they will keep us in the loop.”
“Did the prisoner divulge any new information while you were
questioning him?” the agent asked.
Eli told the man what Satrick had said about using the organs for
transplanting.
“If they are transplanting organs, they aren’t doing it any hospitals
here. They’ve all been checked—no unauthorized transplants since the
murders began.”
“Any chance a doctor is doing this in his basement?”
Agent Dagget shrugged. “I suppose anything’s possible. But highly
unlikely. It takes a lot of specialized equipment to perform surgeries like
these. I doubt any surgeon has that sort of thing in his home.”
“What about other countries? Are they as strict about organ
transplantation as we are?”
“We have people looking into it, but organs only have a small life
span once they’re out of the body. No way could they be transported
overseas quickly enough to be of any use.” Agent Dagget glanced back
at Eli as he led Satrick away. “I’ll have our people look into the priest
ORGAN REAPERS 123

angle. But at this point, we’re leaning toward a psychotic breakdown.


We’ll have our best guys do a complete psych eval. My guess is he’s
nuttier than a fruitcake.”
Eli wondered if the agent was right. He shook his head. Psychosis
didn’t explain how people could be in two places at once. There was no
denying the video and surveillance footage; Satrick and his partner had
been in the US and Tokyo killing two different people within hours
of the other.
The detectives walked back to their desks, wishing they could
have kept Satrick around a little longer. Eli was certain the man
would have told them more if the agent hadn’t interrupted. The
man’s insane babbling had him on edge. All the talk of priests and
organs didn’t make any sense and yet...
“Uhh...Earth to Eli...”
Ava’s voice broke through his musings. He was at his desk with
his hands under his chin, staring at a black computer screen. He gave
her a small smile.
“Sorry, guess I was distracted.”
“I asked if you wanted to come with me to see Charlie about
Satrick’s DNA.”
Eli nodded once and stood up, nearly knocking his chair over. If
Charlie was asking to see them, he must have something important
that either couldn’t be said in an email or was too long to include.
Maybe this is the break we’ve been waiting for!
C HAPTER 20

TANI’S BREATH left his body in a whoosh that left spots dancing
before his eyes. No matter how many times he had done this, it took
some time to shake off the effects of coming through the gateway.
This place terrified him. Everything was big and loud and stinky, the
complete opposite of his own world.
“You have all five stones?” he asked, not wanting to get stuck here.
Keena nodded as she placed the five grey stones in her knapsack.
He led Keena away from the gateway site to an alley between
two buildings that seemed to disappear into the sky. It was as dark here
as it had been on his own world, but the false lights made it seem bright
as day. Tani wished he knew the names for such things. The only training
he had received was in the proper removal of the precious organs.
“How do we go about finding the people we saw in our vision?”
Keena asked.
“I don’t know. Let me think.”
Noises came from the darkness of the buildings around him, noises
he couldn’t identify. He felt like a trapped animal and wanted nothing
more than to run until he found an open space filled with grass and
trees. This place made him feel smothered.
“You new here?”
Tani turned and spotted someone crawling out of a large, damp
object covered in a blanket. The man coughed and spat a gob of green
goo on the ground. Tani winced. He didn’t have the training of the
apothecaries, but he knew when someone was ill.
“You can sleep here, but just keep yer hands off my stuff.” The
man stared at them through a mop of grey hair.
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Not knowing what to say, Tani merely nodded. The old man,
seemingly satisfied, crawled back into his blanket cave.
“I’m cold,” Keena whispered as she moved closer to Tani.
“Me too. Maybe we should walk around. That might help us warm
up and give us an idea of what to do next.”
Tani moved deeper into the alley, wondering what the strange
assortment of items were beneath his feet. He found that if he didn’t
keep his eyes on the ground, he was most likely going to end up falling
on his face. Though he didn’t spot any more people, he saw many of the
strange dwellings placed along the sides of the enormous buildings.
“Is that a fire over there?”
Tani looked in the direction Keena pointed and sighed in relief;
here was something he recognized. There were other people standing
around some sort of large bin with flames coming out of the top. The
pair approached timidly, but when no one shouted at them to leave,
they rushed forward and rubbed their hands over the welcome heat.
“Never seen you two around,” a young man said.
“We’re new here,” Tani answered, remembering what the old
man had asked them.
The young man nodded, but didn’t push for details. A woman drank
something out of a sack. When she caught Tani staring, she offered him
what was in her hands. Tani took it, nearly dropping it when the weight
hit his hand. Thinking it was water, he took a large swig.
The others around the fire burst out laughing as Tani doubled
over with a coughing fit that turned his face an alarming shade of red.
Keena pounded him on the back while laughing along with the others.
When he caught his breath, he smiled and thanked the woman, and
handed the container to Keena.
“It’s like the spirits we drink back home.”
She took a small sip of the beverage, her face scrunching up as the
liquid hit the back of her throat. Keena handed the container and bag
back to the old woman.
The group stood in silence around the fire. No one asked him and
Keena questions they couldn’t answer. The strangers seemed content to
merely let the pair into their midst without having to know everything
about them. Tani wondered if this was typical of people of this world or
just unique to this group. He wanted to ask them about this place, what
the strange things were all around, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.
126 SHAY WEST

Slowly, one by one, the strangers left the fire, each seeking their
own place to sleep for the night. Tani’s throat tightened when he
realized that he and Keena had nowhere to go. They had fled their
world without thinking about what they would do once they got here.
The old woman stopped and turned. “You guys got somewhere
to sleep?”
Tani merely shook his head, not trusting his voice.
“Figured as much. They’ll have some cots over at the shelter. It’s
only a few blocks from here on State Street.” She frowned when Tani
didn’t answer. “Just follow this street until you come to State Street,
then turn left. The shelter is a few buildings down.” She pointed to a
green sign at the intersection of the strange black road.
Tani nodded, unwilling to admit to her that he couldn’t read the
words on the sign she had pointed to. She turned and continued on her
way. He watched her until she disappeared into the darkness. He
fought the urge to beg her to stay, to show them where the shelter was
or describe what it looked like, anything but leave them alone here.
He glanced at Keena and took her hand in his when he saw a single
tear trickle down her cheek. Knowing she was as frightened as he was
made him feel brave. He pulled her away from the comforting blaze
and into the unknown.
They walked in the direction the old woman had pointed them.
Tani didn’t know how much distance a block covered, but he turned
at the next street, hoping he was guessing right.
When he and Keena had walked many streets over, he realized he
probably hadn’t gone far enough. They moved up one more street and
backtracked, hoping to come upon the shelter from the other direction.
Frustration and a twinge of fear settled over him when he didn’t spot
anywhere that looked like people were still awake. He walked until he saw
the fire, further away than when they started. He moved away one more
street, sending a prayer to the gods that this would be the correct way.
Do they even worship gods on this world?
His footsteps faltered. It was something he had never considered
until now. Can my gods hear me on this world? The thought of his prayers
going unheard and unanswered made Tani feel more alone than ever.
“I think I see light,” Keena said.
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Tani spotted the strange lamps this world used. They didn’t flicker
the way fire or oil lamps did. The light was steady, and whiter than
anything he had ever seen. Curiosity warred with trepidation as they
approached the building. There was a sign hanging in the front, but he
couldn’t read the words. Hoping he wasn’t walking into someone’s
home, he opened the door.
He blinked at the sudden brightness. The lamps of this world were
somehow attached to the ceiling with the light coming from something
that looked suspiciously like glass.
“Can I help you two?”
Tani turned to face the short, stout woman standing before them.
She looked them up and down suspiciously.
“An old woman at the fire told us to come here,” Tani said, wringing
his hands.
“I’m Mrs. McCready. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your cots.
As we go, I’ll explain the rules.”
Tani followed closely behind, not wanting to miss any of the rules.
Where he was from, breaking rules carried a harsh punishment.
“You can stay one night at a time, you have to leave by nine in the
morning, no funny business.” She glanced back and waggled a finger right
under Tani’s nose. “You’re expected to help cook the meals, but you’ve
already missed the evening one, so you’ll have to help cook breakfast.”
His stomach chose at that moment to give a loud grumble.
Mrs. McCready stopped and turned around, a small smile on her
face. “I’ll see if I can find you something to eat before you sleep.”
She led them into a large room filled with cots. Tani had never seen
so many people in one place. Not even the monastery had half so many
people. The room echoed with grunts and snores and the creaking of
bodies moving about on the cots.
“Here’s one you can have and I’ll find another—” she stopped
when she noticed the pair had stopped.
Tani felt Keena’s body go rigid when Mrs. McCready suggested
they wouldn’t be sleeping next to one another.
She walked up to Keena with a warm smile on her face and took
her gently by the hand. “You’re safe here. They just need a place to stay,
same as you.” She patted Keena’s hand, noticing her look of terror was
still there. “But I’ll see if I can find two cots close together of that makes
you feel better. Just remember what I said; no funny stuff.”
128 SHAY WEST

Tani wanted to ask her what “funny stuff” meant, but she was
off and walking along one wall toward an area in the far corner. Tani
sighed in relief and he felt Keena squeeze his hand when she spotted
two empty cots side by side.
“You can put your things under the bed. There’s a bathroom there.”
She pointed to a room with a small amount of light coming from it. “I’ll
see if I can find you a snack from the kitchen. Not going to promise you
anything, since the kitchen help is usually pretty good about cleaning
up every scrap of food.”
Tani sat on the edge of one of the cots, easing his knapsack off his
shoulders. He should have told Mrs. McCready that they didn’t need
food; he and Keena had rations enough for a few days. Still, better to
save what little they had for an emergency.
“What do you suppose is in that room?” Keena asked.
Tani shrugged. “She called it a bathroom. Maybe it’s like the
bathhouses back home?”
Keena’s face broke into a smile. “I could use a nice bath before bed.”
The pair walked to the open door and stopped. Nothing about
this room looked anything like a bathhouse. There was a white basin
attached to one of the walls. Tani moved closer and puzzled out how
one was to keep water inside when it had a hole in the bottom. He
moved one of the silver knobs and jumped back in surprise when water
poured out. He moved the knob back to its original position and the
water stopped.
“What does the other one do?” Keena asked.
Tani turned the left knob and gasped in surprise when he noticed
steam rising from the water pouring out of the spout.
“Where does the hot water come from?” she asked, getting on
her hands and knees under the sink.
Tani got down next to her. “I think it is moved through these
pipes. It’s similar to the steam engines. See?” He pointed to the pipes
disappearing into the wall.
“But where does the water come from? I didn’t see a lake when
we walked up.”
“Maybe they have an underground cistern or a well.”
Keena nodded slowly as though unconvinced. Her eyes widened
when she spotted the second piece furnishing the bathroom.
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Tani followed her gaze and moved closer to the strange white
contraption. It didn’t look like anything he’d ever seen. It had a round
part and a second part that was taller, but more of a rectangular shape.
He noticed a silver knob on the top corner of the rectangular part. He
lifted the lid and gasped when he saw that it was filled with water.
“Perhaps this is the wash basin, and that is for something else?”
Keena suggested, pointing to the sink.
“It certainly looks more like a wash basin we’re used to seeing.”
“Wonder what that knob does?” she asked.
“What are the two of you doing?”
Tani and Keena stood quickly. Tani withered under the gaze of Mrs.
McCready. She no longer looked warm and inviting. If Tani had to guess,
he’d have to say she looked disgusted. She had a small plate of food that
she set down on the edge of the strange contraption that held hot water.
“I asked what you are doing. We don’t allow drugs here and if
you are one of those who eats and then throws up, you can just leave
right now.”
“We’ve never seen one of these before,” Keena blurted out.
The old woman blinked slowly and crossed her arms over her
chest. “How can you not have seen one of these before?”
Keena looked at Tani, but he didn’t know what to say.
Mrs. McCready’s face looked anything but warm and inviting. “I want
to know who you are and what you were doing in front of the toilet.”
What is a toilet?
“We’re from far away and we are used to different rooms than
this,” Tani stammered, hoping he sounded convincing.
“Think I was born yesterday? There’s nowhere in this country
you could be from where you wouldn’t know what that was.” She
pointed to the toilet.
Suddenly her eyes narrowed. ”Your clothes...” She turned and
exited the room.
“What do we do?” Keena asked.
Tani left the bathroom and followed the sound of Mrs. McCready’s
voice. She was speaking very fast and sounded frightened and angry at
the same time. Tani noticed she had something next to her ear.
“What is she doing?”
Tani shook his head. “She’s speaking to someone, but I don’t see
anyone. Maybe the thing in her hand is somehow alive?”
130 SHAY WEST

Mrs. McCready came into the cot room and came straight for them.
“I’ve called the authorities. No sense trying to run. You two will stick
out like sore thumbs, so they’ll get you eventually.”
Tani noticed she carried a knife in one hand and the contraption
she had been speaking to in the other. He didn’t have to know much
to figure out she’d somehow gotten in touch with the Enforcers of
this world.
“We don’t want trouble,” he said as he grabbed his knapsack from
the cot.
Keena followed suit and did the same, her eyes wide in her pale
face. Tani grabbed her hand and turned to run.
He’d forgotten about the rows of cots and nearly tripped over
one containing a large sleeping man. He ran for the door, ignoring
Mrs. McCready’s shout to stop.
At her cry, several sleeping forms sat up, rubbing their eyes,
wondering what the commotion was about. When they caught sight
of the two strangers running through their midst, they stood, as though
unsure what to do.
“Stop them!” she yelled.
Tani felt arms grab his knapsack. He lunged forward, hoping to
throw whoever had grabbed him off-balance, but he was held fast.
Keena shrieked from behind him. Tani turned—she was struggling
against a large man who had her in his grip.
“Easy there, little lady. I won’t hurt you. Just stop fighting me.”
Keena bit him on the hand. The man bellowed and dropped her.
She hit the floor like a sack of potatoes. She scrabbled on the cement
floor, trying to regain her footing. Tani struggled against the arms
holding him, urging Keena to get to her feet and run!
Someone else grabbed her by the feet. A second man held her
arms down, pinning her to the floor. Tani stopped moving. The arms
that held him fast wouldn’t budge. His captor was smart enough not
to have his arms near Tani’s mouth.
“What they done, Missus?”
Mrs. McCready looked triumphant as she pointed to Keena and
Tani with the knife.
“I think we just caught the people the cops have been looking
for. The ones they call the Butcher.”
C HAPTER 21

ELI PINCHED the bridge of his nose. “Okay, Charlie, tell me that again,
but try using words actual people know.”
Charlie rolled his eyes. “Okay. I took your guy’s DNA and ran it
through CODIS. Nothing came up. On a hunch, I ran his DNA through a
program that researchers use to match DNA ethnically for experiments.
My wife works for a lab that uses this software all the time.” He held up
his hands when Eli looked annoyed. “Anyway, I took his DNA and
ran it in this special software. It came up as not matching anything in
the database.” He was perched on the edge of his chair.
“And that means what exactly?”
Charlie groaned and slouched in his chair. “You really aren’t
getting this? His DNA doesn’t match any known ethnic sequences. You
would match African-American sequences more so than Asians or
Caucasians. Ava here would better match Latino populations. This
Satrick fellow should match one of the Caucasian populations. But he
doesn’t. Not even close.” He raised his eyebrows and held up his hands.
Eli went cold. Satrick looked like any typical white person with
dark brown hair and light brown eyes. There was nothing to suggest
that he was anything other than someone of European descent.
“You’re telling me that his DNA profile has nothing in common
with any Caucasians?”
Charlie looked smug. “I’m telling you that he doesn’t match any
ethnicity on this planet.”
“It’s not possible...”
“Oh, it’s possible. I ran the test several times just to be sure.
That’s why it took so long to get back to you.”
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“What about the tests on the food he had with him?” Ava asked.
“Still waiting on that. I handed it over to the local university. Figured
it would be a fun project for budding researchers. I told the professor
in charge that this was part of a murder investigation, so hopefully
they’ll have something within the week.”
Eli leaned back in the chair and put his hands behind his head. This
new information rocked him; and he didn’t like to be rocked like this. In
his world, the perps left a trail of evidence that he followed, eventually
putting two and two together and catching the bad guys. The perps
did what they did for predictable, if sinister, reasons, but it was all
part of what was normal for him.
Nothing about this case made sense, nothing at all.
“Charlie, have you told anyone else about this?” Ava asked.
“Only my wife. I had to have her check my work to make sure I
hadn’t screwed something up royally. The last time I ran the guy’s
DNA, she did all the work and confirmed everything I just told you.”
“Did she have any theories to explain this?” Eli asked.
“None that you’ll want to hear.”
“Try me.”
“Most of the ideas are preposterous, okay? Just keep that in mind.”
Charlie put up his hand and counted on his fingers as he listed them off
one by one. “He is genetically engineered like Kahn, time traveler like
the Doctor, from another planet—”
“You’re right, those are ludicrous,” Eli said. “And what the heck
does time travel have to do with doctors?”
Charlie laughed.
“The ideas may be out there, but it’s not like we have anything
better,” Ava said.
“The genetically-engineered theory isn’t so far out there, not like
the other two. If places can add genes in to our food, can’t they do
some weird stuff to people?” Eli asked.
Charlie shrugged. ”Probably. But my guess is it would be awfully
hard to do. Working on human beings is a lot harder than plants.
Besides, genetically modified food only has one gene, maybe a few at
most, that are changed. To alter a human being’s DNA to the point
that it no longer matches anything in the databases?” Charlie shook
his head. “Seems pretty impossible.”
ORGAN REAPERS 133

“Still, what if the military was messing around with genetic


engineering and their little group of soldiers got loose and is going
crazy killing people?”
“But why steal their organs?” Ava asked.
“Maybe their ‘programming’ went wrong,” Eli said as he did air
quotes.
“If this is something the military was in on, we’ll probably never
know. You really think they’ll own up to it after all this?” Charlie asked.
“It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
“I’ll talk to my wife and ask her the likelihood of being able to give
someone a whole different genetic sequence. But I have a feeling it’s
not going to be easy, even for the military,” Charlie said.
Eli stood. “Let us know when you find out anything about the
food in Satrick’s pack.”
“You really think it’s the military?” Ava asked.
He wanted to answer yes right away, but he hesitated. On the
surface it seemed to fit, but his instincts were telling him there was
something more to Satrick’s DNA not matching any known ethnicity
on planet Earth than a military experiment gone awry.
“Your hesitation tells me you don’t believe it any more than I do.”
“Maybe not, but it gives us something to move forward with. I can’t
go to the captain and tell him about time travelers or aliens from outer
space. Someone that’s been genetically engineered is something we
can wrap our minds around.”
“Still sounds a little far-fetched.”
“Everything about this case is far-fetched. Not one piece of evidence
makes any sense. We have killers who are either identical twins killing
in different countries or we have the same person somehow able to
travel to distant countries in the blink of an eye, their clothing looks
like it came from medieval times, they steal organs and disappear without
a trace. Satrick mentioned something about priests, which makes me
very nervous, and now we learn that their DNA is like nothing on
this planet.”
Ava blinked slowly. “When you put it like that, it all does sound
completely bizarre. But what about the military angle? Come on, if
anyone has access to futuristic technology, they would.”
“But this sounds too complicated, even for them.”
134 SHAY WEST

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I bet they have all sorts of crazy
weapons that we couldn’t begin to imagine.” Ava gave him that
sideways smile of hers. “But you’re not buying it.”
“Nope. Not buying it at all.”
“Then what do you think’s happening?”
“I honestly don’t know. But I’m going to work like hell to find out.”

* * *

Tani begged Keena not to resist as they were forced from the
shelter and out into the street. It was difficult to walk with his hands
fastened behind his back. There were more of those strange contraptions,
with flashing blue and red lights, surrounding the building. Men and
women wearing blue uniforms of some sort stood staring as he and
Keena were brought out. Their eyes held anger. Tani cringed against
the man walking behind him.
Suddenly Keena screamed out and thrashed against the man
trying to put her into the conveyance. He shouted to her to relax, that
everything was going to be okay, but she was in full panic mode and
he could tell his words were doing nothing to calm her fears.
“What the hell’s wrong with her?” The man forced Tani to turn
around.
“She’s scared of your contraption.”
“Contraption? You mean the patrol cars?”
“Yes.”
The man gave him a strange look. “Hasn’t she ever been in a car
before?”
“No. Neither have I.”
The man rolled his eyes and spoke into a device attached to his
shoulder. “Looks like we got us a couple of dope fiends. Something
hallucinogenic, maybe PCP. They’ll come clean after a couple days
of detox.”
Tani had no idea what the man was talking about.
The Enforcer managed to get Keena into the conveyance. He
slammed the door and she continued to thrash around for a moment.
Then she sat still as stone, slowly rocking back and forth, staring down
ORGAN REAPERS 135

at her feet. Tani wanted to go to her, hold her, protect her, but he was
being forced into the body of another contraption and told to watch
his head.
The door slammed shut and all was silent. He turned to get a look
at Keena, but all he could see was the top of her head. One Enforcer
had both of their packs and loaded them into a brown bag of some
sort before handing the package over to yet another Enforcer. Tani had
never seen so many in one place.
Two men in blue uniforms got into the conveyance in front of Tani.
The one on Tani’s left turned something and the machine roared to life.
Tani could feel it vibrating. He listened for the hiss of steam, but there
was nothing but a rumbling coming from the front. The Enforcer on
Tani’s right pushed buttons on a small device located between the two
men. The man on the left gripped a black wheel and when he moved his
hands, the contraption began to move, slowly at first, but gaining speed.
Tani’s breath hissed between clenched teeth. The steam conveyances
on his world could not go nearly this fast; in fact they moved slower
than a galloping horse. He thought a horse would never be able to catch
up to this conveyance.
He turned and the contraption carrying Keena was right behind
them. She still sat with her head down. Tani faced front again and tried
to focus on what was to come. He didn’t know anything about the
punishments in this world. It was entirely possible he and Keena would
be put to death before they could find a way to shut down the gateways.
The thought of dying scared him, even though he’d been taught from a
young age that death was nothing to fear, that when a person died they
were taken up into the home of the gods, there to reside for all eternity.
Yet he didn’t want to die, especially not on a world of strangers with
terrifying machines that sped through an even more terrifying landscape
of metal and darkness. We have to tell someone who we really are.
Instinct told Tani to keep quiet and observe for now, that the time
wasn’t right to speak of who he was and where he and Keena came
from. Telling these strangers the truth went against everything he’d been
taught at the monastery. Secrecy was necessary, the priests always said,
never let them see you, and never tell them anything if you are caught.
To Tani’s knowledge no one had ever been caught. Or if they
had, the priests kept it very quiet. Still, Tani thought he would notice
if a fellow Harvester suddenly stopped showing up for meals or training.
136 SHAY WEST

The conveyance pulled into the mouth of a tall building. Tani


wondered if it was some sort of monster that was going to eat him.
The Enforcers didn’t seem nervous, and anything that happened to
the conveyance was going to happen to them as well. Unless they take
me out and feed me to it.
The contraption pulled next to another that looked just like it.
The Enforcers exited and opened the door to the back where Tani sat
waiting for his punishment.
“Please, I don’t want to die, I’ll do anything,” he babbled before
he could control his tongue.
“Who said anything about dying?” the Enforcer asked, turning
to face his partner. “This kid’s high as a kite.”
“High or not, he’s a damn killer and he’ll most likely be put to
death. Just not today.”
Tani’s bowels turned to water. They know I’m a Harvester! He would
have to tread very carefully. He wondered how they would torture
him. The rack? Drawing and quartering, perhaps? Each idea was more
painful and horrifying than the last.
The conveyance carrying Keena arrived. The Enforcers pulled her
from the vehicle. She still refused to look up. Tani tried to move closer,
but the man that held tight to his fastenings didn’t allow him to budge.
“All right, you two, let’s go.”
Tani was pushed ahead of the Enforcer that spoke. He listened to
the man talking behind him, trying to get an idea of what was going
to happen to him and Keena once they entered the building. He was
certain it was going to be far worse than anything his imagination
could conjure up.
The Enforcers walked toward a wall. Tani couldn’t see any doorway
or even a handle. One of the men in blue pushed a button on the wall and
part of the wall slid open to reveal a hidden chamber. They all piled
into the tiny room.
The same man pushed another button and suddenly the room
moved. Tani and Keena stumbled against their captors, their ears unused
to balancing while the floor was moving.
“These two are gonna have a helluva time detoxing if they can’t
even stand up in the elevator,” one of the men said after helping Tani
regain his balance.
ORGAN REAPERS 137

At least I know what this is called now. The elevator doors opened
and Tani was pushed forward into a room teeming with Enforcers.
Though not all of them were dressed in the blue uniforms, they still
carried themselves with authority. The same looks of anger and disgust
met them in this new place. Tani hung his head in shame, though he
wanted to shout at these people that he had only done what he was
supposed to do. Surely the fact that he and Keena had changed their
minds and refused to ever Harvest again should count for something.
“Put ‘em in a holding cell. Robins and Aguilar will want to question
them,” one of the Enforcers said.
Another Enforcer took him and Keena to an area where one wall
was nothing but bars. Tani noticed someone asleep on a bench along
one wall. There was another of the strange basins like the one he had
seen in the bathroom of the shelter. The metal confinement devices
were removed and the door slammed shut behind them.
Tani took Keena’s hand and led her to a bench opposite the
sleeping man. He sat next to her, still holding her hand. Tani couldn’t
say how long they sat in that cage, but his stomach grumbled and his
bladder became more insistent as the minutes passed. Tani didn’t see
anything that resembled a chamber pot anywhere. His eyes rested on
the strange water basin against the wall.
Maybe that is its purpose?
Tani blushed when he noticed all the people walking around the
cage. Back on his world, relieving oneself was something done in
private. He wasn’t sure he would be able to do anything with all of
the people watching.
The need to empty his bladder became unbearable. It was either
ask where a chamber pot was, assume the basin was for that purpose,
or allow his bladder to empty on its own and be stuck in wet clothing.
Rather than ask the Enforcers, Tani chose to ask the other occupant
of their cage. He stood above the sleeping form and cleared his throat.
When that did nothing, he gently shook the man’s shoulder.
“Wha, wha’s happenin’?” The man rolled over and blinked a
few times before covering his eyes.
“I need to ask you a question: what’s that thing over there?”
The man turned his head and looked in the direction Tani was
pointing. He screwed up his face and rolled back over, mumbling
138 SHAY WEST

under his breath. When the man didn’t move or say anything else,
Tani grew more insistent.
“Please, sir, I need to know if that is the place where I’m supposed
to relieve myself.”
The man turned part way over. “Relieve yourself? You mean
take a piss?”
“I guess so,” Tani stammered.
“You must be drunker’n I am.”
Tani had no idea what the stranger was saying, so he kept this
mouth shut.
“If’n you gotta take a piss, just go to the toilet and do it.”
“Right here in front of everyone?”
“No one out there gives a crap ‘bout you takin’ a piss.” The man
rolled back over.
As the situation with his bladder was becoming dire, Tani decided
he would have to relieve himself in the strange basin. He stood there,
relief warring with humiliation as his bladder emptied. It felt like it
took forever. Tani stared at the wall until he was finished.
“What, you ain’t gonna flush?”
Tani turned toward the man on the bench. “Flush?”
“Geez, kid, you really need to lay off the sauce. Push that little button
on the side.”
Tani moved back to the basin—toilet—and hit the button. He stepped
back in shock when the water swirled in the basin before disappearing.
He put his face close to the basin, hoping to get a closer look at where
the water went. Must be a collecting basin beneath here.
“Now what are ya doin’?”
Rather than tell the stranger he was wondering where the water
went after he flushed, he left the basin and sat back down next to Keena.
She must need to relieve herself as well. She didn’t respond to his questions,
so he took her and led her to the basin, explaining how to use it. Tani
gulped when she undid the laces on her pants, not seeming to care that
he was facing her. He turned around, shielding her as best he could
from the stranger on the bed. He needn’t have bothered; the man was
facing the wall and snoring louder than before.
When she finished, Tani demonstrated how to flush the toilet. For
the first time since their capture, she showed signs of life. She moved
closer just as he had and watched the water as it swirled and disappeared.
ORGAN REAPERS 139

“Where is it going?” she asked.


“I have no idea. I wish we had such things back home.”
“And where would home be?”
Tani whirled at the sound of the deep voice coming from behind
him. He and Keena had been so engrossed with the toilet they hadn’t
heard the newcomers approach their cage. The man had the darkest
skin Tani had ever seen. The woman had lighter skin, but it was a
hue he wasn’t used to seeing. Most of the time if someone had dark
skin on his world, it was from too many hours in the sun.
They are the ones from my vision!
“I’m Detective Robins and this is Detective Aguilar. We’re going
to ask you two some questions.”
The dark man—Robins—ordered him and Keena to put their hands
behind them and walk slowly back toward the door. The detectives
placed the metal restraints on their wrists, then led them out of the
cage. The man asleep on the bench never stirred.
Robins directed the pretty lady detective to take Keena into a room
while he led Tani into another. He could hear Keena struggle when she
realized they wouldn’t be kept together. He didn’t know what to do to
comfort her, so he called out that everything would be fine. The words
sounded hollow to his ears.
The man called Robins told Tani to sit in a chair on the opposite
end of a metal table and took a seat in an identical chair. The man’s
face looked drawn and tired, with dark circles under his eyes.
“You were read your rights when you were arrested. If you want
to speak to a lawyer at any time, just say so and we’ll see about getting
you a public defender. But it would go easier on you if you answer
my questions.”
Tani blinked at the man, unable to understand anything he was
saying. Many of the words were unfamiliar, but he did understand that
this Enforcer was going to ask him some questions, questions Tani was
sure he wouldn’t be able to answer.
Detective Robins placed something on the table. Tani leaned
closer, gasping when the piece of paper showed a perfect likeness of
a fellow Harvester.
“Satrick!” he blurted out before he could stop himself.
“So you know this guy? One of your fellow killers?”
140 SHAY WEST

Tani shook his head, wondering how this man had a likeness of
Satrick. Of all the things the detective could have done, this was the
last thing he expected. I wonder if they showed this to Keena? He prayed to
the gods that she would keep silent.
“Nothing to say? Just tell us how you know him and his partner,
Lawnce.” Robins placed another piece of paper on the table that clearly
showed that man’s face.
This was something the monastery had never mentioned. They
always seemed worried about capture, but these people had means
of taking someone’s likeness and putting it down on parchment. Tani
wondered if it was some sort of painting or drawing. He had always
been amazed by the talent of artists on his world, able to create such
beautiful works of art. But this was somehow different, as though
someone had captured Satrick’s and Lahnce’s likeness without the
use of canvas and paints.
“I bet your partner in the other room is spilling her guts as we
speak. If she gives us what we need, she’ll get the deal, not you. You
could end up going down for the whole thing.”
Tani didn’t know what Robins was saying, but the spilling of guts
was something he understood and it was usually something that
happened following torture. The thought of these people opening up
Keena’s tender belly and pulling out her innards was more than he
could bear. Maybe they use innards for some sort of ritual?
“Please, don’t hurt Keena. You don’t have to torture us.”
The detective’s eyes widened. “Who said anything about torture?”
“You said she will be spilling her guts.”
The dark-skinned man blinked and gave a strange bark of laughter.
“Not literally spilling her guts. It’s an expression that means to tell
someone all your secrets.”
“Then why would you say such a horrible thing? Where I come from,
the spilling of guts is only done as the harshest form of punishment.” Tani
couldn’t believe he was chastising an Enforcer.
“And where exactly are you from?” the man asked.
Tani shook his head.
“I suppose the priests told you to keep quiet if you were ever
captured?”
Tani’s mouth opened and closed, but no sounds came out. How
does he know about the monastery?
ORGAN REAPERS 141

“Is it the priests that make you steal organs?” the man asked.
Tani lowered his head. Satrick must have told this man everything!
“Since you seem reluctant to talk to me, I’m going to go see if I
can get your partner to talk.”
Before Tani could protest, the detective exited the room.
C HAPTER 22

ELI LEFT THE SUSPECT in the room. He still didn’t know the man’s
name, but at least he knew the name of his partner. Keena, he had called
her. He opened the door to the room where Ava was questioning the
female suspect and motioned her to come out into the hallway.
“You get anything?” he asked.
Ava crossed her arms and glared through the one-way glass at
the suspect as she sat at the table. “Not a damn thing. She just sits
and stares at the table. Didn’t even say anything when I showed her the
picture of Satrick.” She glanced up at Eli and narrowed her eyes. “What
the hell are you smiling about? If you got something, just say it.”
“I know her name is Keena,” Eli said, nodding his head. “He knows
about Satrick and Lawnce, so I am willing to bet he knows the rest of the
killers. You should have seen how he reacted when I mentioned the
priests. Whoever they are, they sure have this guy spooked.”
“Charlie better be able to tie them to some of the murders, or else
we’ll have to let them go. Just dressing funny isn’t going to be enough
to hold them.”
“I know. And if we let them go we lose our best chance of getting
information.”
“What makes you think they’ll be any more forthcoming than
Satrick? He hasn’t said one word to the Feds and I doubt he ever will.”
“I don’t know. My gut’s telling me there’s something about these
two that’s different.”
“Do you want to take them back to holding or question them
some more?” Ava asked.
“Why don’t we put them in a room together and see what happens?”
Ava grinned. “I like the way you think.”
ORGAN REAPERS 143

* * *

Tani smiled in relief. Seeing Keena unharmed and with her guts
still inside her body made his knees go weak. Despite the assurances
of the dark-skinned man that she was fine, Tani felt better having
seen for himself.
The man called Robins left the room. Tani managed to move the
second chair next to Keena’s.
“Did they hurt you?” he asked.
She shook her head. “The lady said they have Satrick in custody!
Does this mean he will be put to death?”
“I don’t know. These strange people could be capable of anything,”
he answered in a low whisper.
“I wonder if Satrick is here. Maybe they would let us see him.”
“This place is so big, with hundreds of rooms, probably like this
one. Or maybe he is in a cage like we were earlier today. But I doubt
they will let us see him. The Enforcers on our world don’t allow criminals
to visit with family or friends.”
“Do they know?” she whispered, eyes widening in alarm.
“The dark-skinned man named Robins asked about the priests
and organs. They must know.”
Keena’s shoulders sagged. “Then we committed treason for nothing.”
“Not for nothing. I have a feeling they don’t know as much as they
led us to think. If they did, they would be asking about the gateways,
the stones, how to close them, wouldn’t they?”
Keena met his eyes and some of the fire returned to their depths.
“That’s true. The only thing the lady mentioned was Satrick, asking
how I knew him, where the others were. Some of the words she said
were strange and I didn’t know what they meant.”
“My detective said much of the same. Only he mentioned priests
and organs, so Satrick must have said something to them.”
“What will they do with us?” Keena asked, voice cracking under
the strain of trying to keep from crying.
“I don’t know. I wish I knew more about the criminal systems
here. The priests should have taught us more of this world. Didn’t
they ever think one of us might get caught?”
144 SHAY WEST

“They must not have. I don’t think Master Kelhar would send all
those Harvesters if they truly thought they would ever get caught.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Tani sighed. “We must decide what to do.”
“What can we do, locked up in here? I don’t even have the gateway
stones,” she said miserably.
“I don’t know, but we better think of something, or else the people
of this world will continue to die.”
“The man and woman are the ones from my vision. Surely the
gods mean for us to tell them the truth?”
Tani shrugged. “I don’t know. But if the gods mean for the dark-
skinned man and the pretty woman to help us, surely they would
have sent them visions of us?”
“Maybe they cannot hear the voices of our gods,” Keena said,
sounding horrified.
“Perhaps not. Maybe that is why the gods need us. To be their
voices to these strangers.”

* * *

Master Kelhar paced the gateway chamber, praying to the gods


to bring him inner peace. Ever since Lahnce returned without Satrick,
and Tani and Keena had used the gateway to return to Earth, his mind
had been whirling with the implications. Lahnce was certain Satrick
had been captured by that world’s Enforcers. He had barely gotten
away with the precious cargo he carried.
“Shall I return and see if I can find him?” Lahnce offered.
“No, there are probably more Enforcers in the area, and you would
only risk being captured,” Kelhar answered.
Word had spread through the monastery of Satrick’s capture and
Tani and Keena’s defection. The Harvesters were nervous and many
didn’t want to do their duty. Though Kelhar couldn’t blame them, he
needed them to continue collecting the organs. He wasn’t ready to let
people die when what they needed was so close.
That meant sending Enforcers to bring back the defectors, and to
find where Satrick was being held and bring him back as well. He sent
one of his attendants to find a particular pair of Enforcers, men who
would follow orders and never stop until they completed their mission.
ORGAN REAPERS 145

His attendant returned in short order, followed closely by the


two men. Both were large and muscular, but the similarities ended
there. Cees kept his hair long and tied back with a strip of leather, while
Saxon kept his head clean-shaven and oiled so that it shone in the light
of the torches. Cees had blue eyes that looked more suited to merriment
than enforcing laws. Saxon had dark eyes and a face full of scars.
“You will find these three and bring them back,” Master Kelhar
ordered, showing them likenesses of Tani, Keena, and Satrick.
“How are we supposed to find them?” Cees asked.
“I don’t care how you do it. Question the locals, ask the Enforcers
of that world, just find them!”
“What if they won’t come back peacefully?”
Master Kelhar turned to face the machinery that powered the
gateway. “You know what must be done.”
The Enforcers nodded once before leaving to gather supplies. The
longer Tani and Keena remained on that world, the greater the chance
they would be discovered, captured even. Each trip through the gateway
meant the risk of more Harvesters being found out. If that happened,
Kelhar feared the humans would somehow find a way to close it.
Our people would die needlessly.
Master Kelhar walked around the gateway chamber, touching
the machines, stroking the knobs and levers. These machines gave
him the power to help his people. He didn’t believe the gods would
allow them to have such an amazing device if it wasn’t meant to save
those who were dying. His duty was to save his own people, to provide
the best possible care. He had lost count of the lives he had saved.
Every time he saw one of his former patients alive and well, his heart
swelled with love and thanks to the gods.
Kelhar knew nothing he did had any effect; it was the divine action
of the gods working through him that saved the people. And yet some
small part of him felt the pride that came with a job well done. He tried
to quash those feelings, knowing them to be sinful, but he couldn’t help
it. When he washed the blood off his hands after a delicate surgery, he
would often smile and mentally pat himself on the back. He knew it
was wrong and always asked for forgiveness, but the emotions ran
through him after each operation just the same.
146 SHAY WEST

The Enforcers returned, each carrying a pack. One would have


the five return stones and both would have an ample supply of food and
water. They walked onto the pad as Master Kelhar readied the machine.
“I’m sending you to the exact place they traveled to. Find them
as quickly as you can.”
The men nodded and stood waiting for the gateway to activate.
They had never traveled before, yet they stood stoic and unafraid. As
they disappeared in a flash of light, Kelhar sent prayers to the gods to
watch over them in their quest and to bring them and the people they
were in search of back where they belonged.
C HAPTER 23

“DID YOU HEAR all that?” Eli asked.


Ava was shaking her head slowly. “If I wasn’t standing right
here, I’d never have believed it.”
Eli couldn’t believe that what he heard was real. Oh, it was obvious
the pair would know Satrick, but the rest of what they said...he shook
his head. Nothing in all his years of being a detective could have
prepared him for this. He was glad Ava was standing here with him. If
he had been alone, he might have convinced himself that he had
heard wrong.
“Could these two be hallucinating or something?” he asked.
“Do they look like they’re on drugs? No pacing, pupils reactive,
voices not slurred. My guess is they’re stone-cold sober. Besides, how
would drugs explain them claiming to have seen us in visions?” she
gave a little shiver.
“That part creeped you out too, huh?” He rubbed the top of his
hair. “You realize what this means, don’t you?” he asked, his voice
low, so no one around could hear.
She gave him that sexy half smile. “I was right all along?”
Eli snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s all you gotta
say? This can’t possibly be what we think it is. Maybe when they speak
of another world, they mean the compound where they live.”
“I suppose so.”
“But you don’t believe it.”
“I want to, believe me, I do. But it doesn’t fit with everything else:
their clothing, strange food, being in two places at once.” Her words came
faster. “What if we really are dealing with something paranormal here?”
148 SHAY WEST

Eli wanted to tell her she was being ridiculous, but he couldn’t
make the words come. Tani and Keena spoke of things that didn’t exist
on planet Earth. The arresting officers told Eli about the pair acting
strangely when they were being placed in the vehicles and when they
got into the elevator. The cops thought they were on drugs, but Eli
wasn’t so sure.
“Guess this also blows my military theory.”
“If they were in the armed forces, they would have never spoken
about stuff like this. People from this world know we have cameras
and microphones in the interrogation rooms,” Ava said.
“But since they aren’t from here...” Eli left the sentence hanging.
“Exactly.”
“I wonder if the Feds ever got anything back from Satrick’s
psych eval?”
Ava shrugged. “I’ll go find out. You keep an eye on our friends.”

* * *

“I wonder when those detectives will be back.” Keena asked.


“Don’t know. But when they do, I’ll ask about getting something
to eat.”
“Are we going to tell them the truth?” Keena asked.
Tani slouched back in the chair, wishing his hands were free, so
he could run them through his hair. For some reason, that always
helped him think more clearly.
“I suppose we have to if we’re going to stop the Harvesters from
killing more of them.”
“What if they won’t believe us?”
Tani met her eyes, wishing he could take her hand and squeeze
it. “We’ll make them believe.”

* * *

Eli waited impatiently for Ava to return. He wanted to burst into


the room and demand the pair tell him everything, that he would
believe whatever they said. For the first time since taking on this
bizarre case, Eli thought he and Ava might finally be seeing the light
ORGAN REAPERS 149

at the end of the tunnel. If these two could tell them about the killings,
he could close the book on this case and hopefully move on to one a
little more normal.
Ava sauntered up holding a folder. She handed it to Eli without
a word. He skimmed the pages and sighed in disgust.
“Satrick’s fine?”
“According to the experts he’s not delusional at all.”
“Wonder if they would change their tune of they could hear these
two talk.”
“Did you see the last bit?” she asked pointing to the folder.
“Yeah, bastard passed a polygraph.”
“Passed a polygraph and admitted to killing twelve people.”
“At least he’ll be standing trial. I was afraid he’d avoid punishment
by using an insanity plea.”
“If he’s sane, then so are these two. Wonder how many people
they killed?” Ava asked, staring at them through the one-way glass.
“I have Charlie working on matching them with any footage we’ve
got. Hopefully he’ll have an answer for us sometime in the next
few days.”
“In the meantime, let’s get to work on these two.”
Eli opened the door to the interrogation room. Tani and Keena
sat upright and stared at the table. Eli had seen frightened people
plenty of times in his life and these two were definitely afraid.
Afraid of us or someone else?
“Have you two decided to talk to us?” Eli asked.
Eli didn’t miss the look Tani and Keena shared.
“Speaking to you goes against everything we’ve been taught.
We’ve risked much to come here,” Tani said.
He wanted to push the young man into saying more, but Eli
knew the best course of action was to remain silent and let him speak
in his own time. Patience was not his strong suit, but rather than
blow this chance, Eli forced himself to stand still.
“If we tell you what we know, will you guarantee our safety?”
“I can guarantee you won’t be hurt, but you must understand
we can’t simply let you go. People have been killed and that means
someone must be punished,” Eli said.
“Is Satrick going to be punished?”
150 SHAY WEST

“He is being held by the Feds and will go to trial eventually.”


“What is a feds?”
Eli blinked slowly. “The federal government.”
Tani shrugged. “They are another type of Enforcer, yes?”
“I suppose you could say that.”
“Your world is very strange.”
Eli’s heart raced and his palms began to sweat. He cleared his
throat. “What do you mean ‘our world?’ ”
Tani frowned. “I thought you knew.” He pointed to him and
Keena. “We’re not from this place.”
C HAPTER 24

ELI WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN more stunned if the man sitting in


front of him had sprouted two heads. Tani had said it so matter-of-
factly, as though this was something Eli should have known. How
could we know?
Ava didn’t say a word, just sat and stared at the young couple.
Eli was a good reader of body language, and it was clear that these
two were close, closer than friends. I suppose killing brings people
together.
“Will you explain what you mean by not being from here? You
mean, not from the US?”
Again, the young man looked confused. “I mean not from your
world. We come from somewhere far from here.”
“How far?”
Tani shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Eli held up his hands. “Wait, if you are not from here, then how
can you speak the same language?”
“Again, I do not know. The priests never could explain how this
was possible.”
“Priests?”
“Yes, the ones at the monastery.”
Eli waited for the young man to elaborate. When no more was
forthcoming, he breathed deeply before speaking. “What monastery?”
“The one where the priests live.”
Ava reached out and grabbed his arm, knowing he was about to
lose his temper. “Perhaps you should just tell us who you are, where
you come from, and why you are killing people.”
Tani looked nervous as though aware of Eli’s growing anger and
impatience. “There’s a lot to tell.”
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“It’s okay, we have plenty of time,” she said.


Eli sat back with his notebook and pen at the ready. He didn’t want
to miss a single detail of the interview. Though the proceedings would
be recorded, he always liked to take notes himself. It helped him think
of new questions to ask, spot holes in the testimony.
“Keena and I were chosen to be Harvesters—”
“What the heck is a harvester?” Eli asked. Ava shot him a glare.
“Sorry for interrupting. Please, continue.”
“Harvesters are the name of the people who come here to take the
organs.” Tani paused. When he noticed Eli wasn’t going to say anything,
he continued.
“You must understand, being a Harvester is a duty of great
importance. It means a place of high standing for us and our families,
more money than we could spend in a lifetime, huge manor houses,
prestige...” He shared a sad look with Keena.
Eli could read that look. It was full of regret. Before he knew it,
his anger built to high levels.
“Let me get this straight. You came to our world, killed people,
took their organs, and for what? A nice house and some cash?”
Tani couldn’t meet his eyes. “It’s complicated. Please, try to
understand. The priests have a lot of power, almost as much as the King.
In some cases more than the King. This was one of those times. To defy
the monastery carries the same punishment as high treason. We are
the first, to our recollection, to have ever done so.”
Try as he might, Eli couldn’t summon even the tiniest bit of
sympathy for these two. All he could see was the faces of the victims,
hear the cries of their family members when they realized their loved
ones were never coming home.
Someone knocked on the door. Captain Platt peeked into the room
and motioned him and Ava out into the hallway.
Curious, Eli followed him around the corner, so they could watch
the suspects through the one-way glass. His captain rarely interrupted
an interrogation.
“What the hell do you two think you’re doing?”
Eli was taken aback by the anger in Platt’s voice. “Interrogating
the suspects.”
“Sounds like you’re listening to a fairy tale.” Platt gestured to
the window. “You’re not actually buying this bullshit are you?”
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“What they are saying sounds crazy, I know, but—”


“No buts about it. They are completely off their rockers and I
won’t have you wasting any more of the department’s time. Is there
any evidence linking these two to any of the murders?”
“Charlie’s working on it.”
“Tell him to work faster. Either get a confession out of those two,
or I’ll call Agent Dagget to come and pick them up. Maybe the Feds
will have better luck.”
Eli stared at his captain’s back as he walked away.
“We can’t let them go,” Ava said.
“We won’t have any choice. Unless Charlie can find direct evidence,
we won’t have enough to hold them.”
“Then we’ve got to get them to confess, give us specific details
about the people they killed.”
“Part of me wants to hand them over to the Feds for a psych eval.
Maybe if they see there are three of them, they’ll look harder to find
out what’s wrong.”
“I’m not convinced there is something mentally wrong with
them.”
Eli raised his eyebrows. “You actually believe them?”
“You don’t?” she countered.
“I think they believe it.” He watched the pair through the one-
way glass.
“I may not have known you very long, but I think I know you
well enough to know that you do believe them, at least a little.” She
moved to block his view. “Your gut is telling you that there is something
off about this case, has been from the beginning, and that these two have
the answers. You’re just afraid because they aren’t conventional answers.”
“You saying you’re not afraid?”
“Of course I am. But that won’t stop me from going after the truth,
even if it means thinking outside the box.”
Eli laughed. “We’re not talking outside the box here. Hell, we’re
talking so far outside the damn box it’s not even funny.”
“If we turn them over to the Feds, we’ll never find out the truth.”
“We have our orders.”
“Surely we can question them a little more before we hand them over.”
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Eli hesitated. He’d never gone against his captain’s orders before
and he didn’t plan to start now. He had an impeccable record and he
intended to keep it that way.
And yet every instinct he possessed told him there was more to
this case than a bunch of mental patients running loose, stealing
internal organs from unsuspecting victims. If there was even a slight
chance that Tani and Keena were telling the truth about being from
another world, Eli had to hear them out.
He grabbed Ava by the arm and led her back to the interrogation
room. He positioned his chair so that he was nearly nose-to-nose with Tani.
“Listen and listen carefully. My boss doesn’t believe you are from
another world; he thinks you have a disease.” He tapped his head, hoping
Tani got the idea. “You have to tell us what we need to know, and
quickly, or else we have orders to hand you over to the same people that
have Satrick. If you confess everything to us, we can help you.”
“Tani, we have to tell them everything! Perhaps they can find a
way to shut down the gateways,” Keena urged.
“Gateways?” Eli asked weakly.
“The priests on my world possess a machine that opens a doorway
to this world. They are convinced it was sent by the gods for us to use
for this very purpose: to Harvest organs to keep our own people alive.”
“Where are these doorways?” Ava asked.
“All over the place. However, the gateway stones allow us to
travel back from anywhere.”
“So all we need are these stones to shut down the gateways?” Eli
asked.
Tani shook his head. “It’s not that simple. Shutting down one
gateway still leaves many more open all over the surface of your world.
I don’t even know if it’s possible to use the stones to close a gateway.
We’ve only ever used them to travel back home.”
That explains how they were able to travel between two places on
opposite ends of the globe so quickly!
Eli stood and paced the room. His mind was whirling with this
information. It was crazy and yet it made a strange sort of sense. The
evidence matched with what these two had just told him, and yet his
mind fought against the impossibility of it all. Gateways between
worlds? Impossible!
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“How do we stop your people from coming here?” Eli asked.


“It doesn’t matter now,” Tani said miserably.
“What doesn’t matter?”
“Even if there was a way to close one gateway, we don’t have
the stones.”
“What happened to them?”
“In Keena’s pack. One of your Enforcers took it from us.”
They’d be in evidence by now.
“You’d have to destroy the machine back on my world. But once
you did that, you couldn’t return. So we did it all for nothing,” he said.
“Eli, we have to get them out of here,” Ava said.
“The captain never said how much time we had to get a confession
out of them. I’ll turn them over to the Feds only as a last resort...” he
trailed off as she shook her head vehemently.
“No, Eli. We have to help them close all of the gateways. Don’t
you see? If we give them over to the Feds, the murders will continue
and it won’t matter how many of them we capture, they’ll just keep
coming.” She looked to Tani, who nodded emphatically.
“Ava, we can’t go against orders. There’s got to be another way.
Maybe if I talk to the captain, he’ll change his mind about turning
them over to the Feds.”
“I doubt that. And even if he does, that doesn’t solve our problem.
We have to get the stones from evidence and help these two stop the
machine on their world.”
“We can’t just let them go, Ava. It will mean our badges and jail
time. You really want to risk everything?”
Ava chewed her bottom lip. “Of course not, but I can’t just sit by
while the Feds lock them up. If they are telling the truth, it will take
something drastic to stop the murders.”
“She speaks the truth.” Tani said. “On my world, there is no shortage
of people who want to become Harvesters. They will keep coming as
long as the machine is working.”
“And what guarantee do we have that if we let you go, you won’t
decide to go back to helping your friends?” Eli asked.
“We left our world to try to stop the priests. If we return, we will
be put to death.” Tani hung his head.
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Eli walked to the corner of the room, trying to shut out their voices.
It was a crazy plan, letting the pair go. They would be recaptured
quickly—they stuck out like sore thumbs in their clothing. Eli wanted
to go back in time and pretend he had never heard what these two
had to say. He felt bad that they had defected from their world, but
at the same time, they had killed people, how many Eli didn’t know. He
had to be the voice of victims on this world, not give up his career
for a couple of people that were most likely crazy.
“You’re not seriously considering handing them over to the
Feds, are you?”
He turned to face Ava. ”What else are we supposed to do? If we
defy orders, we’ll be arrested, as will they in short order,” he said,
waving his arm in Tani and Keena’s direction.
“Stop thinking like a cop, dammit! No one at the FBI will ever
believe them. They’ll be locked up and probably sentenced to death,
or to life in a mental ward. In the meantime, we’ll be stuck with dead
bodies piling up. You say you want to speak for the victims? Then
dammit, do it!”
“How can I speak for the victims if I’m in jail?” he snarled.
“If we help them, there won’t be any more victims.”
“And who will stand trial for the ones already dead?”
Ava looked away.
“That’s what I thought. We have more than seventy victims,
Ava. Seventy!” He grabbed her arm for emphasis. “What about justice
for them?”
“I know, I know, and I don’t have all the answers, but I do know
that these kids are the best chance we have of preventing another
seventy!” She wrenched her arm out of his grip.
Eli covered his face with his hands and groaned. Why did I have
to get stuck with such a head-strong partner? His gut and his head were
at war and the head looked like it was going to win out.
“We came here hoping to find someone to help us stop Master
Kelhar. The gods sent us both a vision, a vision of you both, and the
gateway machines on fire. Please, help us.” Tani’s eyes were frantic.
Eli looked between Tani and Keena. They were both younger
than he and Ava by about a decade. He knew they wouldn’t fare
well at the hands of the Feds. Does it matter? They killed people!
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He shook his head, trying to shut up the voice. The victims’ faces
paraded through his mind as though asking if letting the two go
would be fair to them. They had never asked to be assaulted and their
organs removed. Eli had grown up knowing that there was right and
wrong and wrong was to be punished at all costs, no exception. But
here was Ava asking him to go against everything he held dear for
the sake of two strangers who were most likely out of their minds.
For the first time that he could remember, Eli had no idea how to
proceed with a case. And that scared him almost as much as the thought
of another seventy victims.
C HAPTER 25

THE FEDS SAY Satrick isn’t crazy.


He had seen the official report all decked out in a manila folder:
Satrick was in his right mind, and a polygraph showed that he spoke
the truth about whatever it was they questioned him about.
Polygraph.
Eli walked up to Ava and stuck his finger right under her nose. “If
they pass a polygraph, I’ll consider believing what they have to say.”
Ava threw up her hands. “We don’t have time for this—”
“Make. Time,” he said through clenched teeth. “If I’m not convinced
they are telling the truth, I will either hammer them until I get a confession,
or turn them over to the Feds.”
“How are you ever going to convince Platt to let us give them a
polygraph?”
“Leave that to me.”
Eli left the office, forming a plan of action as he walked to Captain
Platt’s office. His captain was no pushover, and once he made up his
mind, it was usually a done deal. He glanced at the white board that
contained the endless parade of victims. I hope those two are worth it.
He knocked on Platt’s door, waited for the invite to enter, then opened
the door slowly.
“Captain, I’d like to do a polygraph on the suspects to see how it
matches up to the one the Feds did on Satrick.”
Captain Platt leaned back in his chair and steepled his hands
under his chin. “Go on.”
“They are saying the same crazy stuff Satrick did. I just want to see
if they do any differently on the test. If I can catch them in a lie, I can call
them on it, rattle them a little.” Eli tried to appear nonchalant despite
his thundering pulse.
ORGAN REAPERS 159

Platt waved his hands. “Fine, just make sure you have your
confession by the end of the day. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Captain.”
Eli left the office, surprised his plan actually worked. Platt usually
didn’t put much stock in polygraphs, said they were too easy to fool.
But Eli figured that since these people weren’t from here and didn’t
know about the test, they wouldn’t be able to control their bodily
functions enough to fool it. Satrick seemed to fool it.
It was the only explanation that made sense. Satrick had somehow
been able to fool the machine into thinking he was telling the truth,
keeping the Feds from digging any deeper. Eli thought that it was
something the killers must have been trained to do in case they were
ever captured. The closer he got to the interrogation room, the more
the idea blossomed in his head. I can’t believe I almost fell for their
bullshit story.
He found Ava in the interrogation room. An officer already had
Tani hooked up to the machine. The young man sat there with his
hands in his lap looking like he was about to take his last breath.
“The machine won’t hurt you. It has the ability to pick up when
you’re lying,” Eli explained.
“Everything I’ve told you was true. Why would I lie?”
“I had some time to think about that when I was seeing the captain.
See, I think you and the others that are a part of your strange group are
trained to lie when captured. But this machine will get to the bottom
of everything.”
Eli ignored Ava as she tried to get his attention. He’d exaggerated
the usefulness of the machine, but he hoped Ava would keep quiet
about it. If the suspects didn’t know he was lying about what it could
do, they might let something slip.
Keena sat in the corner, head down, hair hanging over her face.
Perhaps we need to question them separately again.
He walked over to Ava. “Maybe you should take her and question
her again in a separate room.”
She shook her head. “I want to see her reactions to the questions
we ask. You focus on Tani and I’ll keep an eye on her.”
Eli nodded. Her idea made sense. The two were obviously close.
If Keena reacted to something Tani said, it might give him an angle to
work. How am I supposed to work with the kind of story they’re feeding me?
160 SHAY WEST

When the technician indicated the machine was ready, Eli began
questioning Tani.
“State your name for the record.”
“Tani.”
Eli sighed. “Please state your full name.”
Tani frowned. “That is the only name I have.”
He tried a different tactic. “What was the name you were given
when you were born?”
“Tani.”
“Come now. No one uses only one name. Isn’t it true that Tani is
the name you took after becoming a killer?” Eli didn’t try to hide the
anger in his voice.
Tani shook his head. “No. It is the name I have always had.”
“So you’ve been a killer all your life then?” Eli leaned forward to
see the lines on the paper coming out of the machine.
“No, of course not. I have only been a Harvester for two turnings
of the seasons.”
The lines ran straight and true, barely moving from the center
line. Eli looked at the technician who merely shrugged his shoulders.
“How many people have you killed since becoming a Harvester?”
Eli decided to go for the jugular.
“Five.”
Eli sat back in his chair, stunned that the young man had revealed
that bit of news so quickly.
“What were their names?” he asked softly.
“We never knew their names, only what they looked like.”
The lines didn’t deviate in the slightest. Eli continued to question
Tani on things he had mentioned: the priests, the gateways, the organs,
being from a different world. Tani never hesitated before answering.
“Are you sure this thing is working right?” Eli asked.
The technician raised his hands. “As far as I know.”
“As far as you know?”
“Want me to try a different one?”
Eli shook his head. “No. Let me try something.” He faced Tani again,
patience wearing thin. “When I ask you if your name is Keena, answer
yes, okay?”
Tani didn’t say a word, just sat there looking miserable.
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“Is your name Keena?” Eli asked.


“Umm, yes.”
The machine spit out paper with lines that clearly indicated Tani
was lying. We know the machine works. But that still left Eli with a problem.
Either the lad was telling the truth or he was convinced he was telling
the truth. Eli had dealt with his fair share of delusional suspects and
they all believed they were something they weren’t. Hell, one suspect
was convinced he was a superhero and tried to prove it by taking a
dive off the top of a building. That was after he’d killed his wife and
kids, thinking they were villains.
Eli turned to the technician. “Thanks, but I’ll take it from here.”
The tech shrugged and left the interrogation room.
Ava walked up and sat on the corner of the table, exposing her
spectacular legs. “Convinced yet?”
“The only thing I’m convinced of is that these two think they’re
from another world. It’s a scenario they’ve obviously been fed over and
over until they either believe it or they can give a good impression that
they do.”
Ava shook her head. “That doesn’t fit the evidence we have.”
“I’ll find something to explain all that.”
Ava faced Eli. She was angry, angrier than he had ever seen her.
She’s even sexier when she’s pissed. Her cheeks were flushed and her
eyes flashed.
“You won’t find a damn thing and you know it! You’ll never be
able to explain the flash of light, their strange DNA, how they can be
in two places almost at once.”
“We don’t know anything about their DNA as it hasn’t been run
yet. Maybe they are perfectly normal.”
Ava snorted. ”Give me a break, Robins. You’re reaching. The only
explanation that works with the evidence is their story and you know it.”
“I know what is true, not some strange tale that sounds like
something out of a bad sci-fi book. We’re detectives, Ava, and trained
to look at the evidence. Their story can’t possibly be true.”
“Why?”
Eli laughed at the seriousness of her face as she asked the question.
“What do you mean?”
“Why can’t it be true? Just because you’ve never come across
anything like this doesn’t mean it’s not true. People have been
162 SHAY WEST

speaking of strange occurrences all over the world for centuries.


They can’t all be crazy.”
“I’d rather bet they’re crazy than that they’ve seen aliens or Bigfoot.”
Eli wished he could take her seriously, but the idea of another world
was preposterous. It was more likely they had stumbled on some
sort of cult that held to an ancient belief of burning human organs as
part of some sacrifice to a medieval god.
“What will it take to convince you?” she asked.
“If I see a gateway open up right in front of me and if someone
from this other world comes through it, then maybe I’ll believe.”
“Geez, not asking for much, are you?”
Eli turned to Tani. “Is there a place where your kind arrives for
each visit or is it a different place each time?”
“When we come here it’s usually the same place.”
Eli leaned forward eagerly. “Can you show me where it is?”
“Of course, but it will do no good.”
“And why is that?”
“Unless the gateway is activated, the area looks like normal
scenery.”
Eli blew air out of his nose. “Of course it does. Pretty convenient.
When is someone scheduled to come here again?”
Tani shrugged. “I don’t know. If someone here matches the person
that is dying on my world, then they will be targeted for Harvesting.”
“Wait a second, you’re telling me your world has the ability to
do MHC matching?” Ava asked incredulously.
Eli didn’t pretend to know everything about organ donation, but
he knew enough to realize that for someone to get an organ, they had to
match on a genetic level, at least as close as the doctors could get.
“I don’t know what any of that means. I just know the person
here is a match for the person that is ill on my world.”
“If your people have the ability to genetically check for viable
people here, why don’t they just do the same for people who have died
on your world and take their organs? Why kill people here?” Ava faced
Tani with her hands on her hips. Eli was glad her anger wasn’t directed
at him.
“The gods on my world forbid the mutilation of the dead. It is
written in our sacred texts,” Tani explained.
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“But the gods are perfectly okay with killing someone? Most
religions I know of don’t look too kindly on murdering people,” Ava
said disgustedly.
“The priests believe the machine was given to us for this very
purpose. Master Kelhar believes the gods want him to save the lives
of our people at all costs.”
Ava turned to face Eli. “Can you believe this?”
“Tani, didn’t your priests ever consider the possibility that this
machine of yours was simply meant for visiting and not killing?” Eli asked.
“This is one of the reasons we came here for help.”
“How do these machines work exactly?” Eli asked.
“We do not know. Master Kelhar found the scrolls and got the
machines working again.”
“Is it some sort of magic or do you have technology like ours?”
Tani shook his head. ”We don’t have technology like yours. Our
mages can perform some of what you would call magic, but it’s mainly
used in healing and speaking to the gods.”
“Well, forgive me for saying this, but it sounds like your priests
have been talking more to devils than to gods if they have convinced
your people that killing is perfectly fine,” Eli said, his temper flaring
once more.
“They would never do such a thing,” Tani said looking horrified.
“Since you never questioned them until recently, how can you
be sure?” Eli asked, satisfied at seeing the look of doubt that crossed
Tani’s face.
Eli was at an impasse. He had questioned the suspect and wasn’t
entirely convinced he was telling the truth. Tani said he didn’t know
the names of any of the people he had killed. Unless Eli could get
him to confess to specific murders, he’d be forced to hand him and
Keena over to the Feds—the very worst-case scenario—to let them go.
Part of him wanted to do that and be done with it. He needed to focus
on finding real evidence, not wasting his time listening to stories.
“I’m going to speak to the captain. We need to give Charlie the
time he needs to see if he can match these two with any of the footage
we have thus far and to do the DNA analysis. I’m not handing them
over to the Feds until we have chance to nail them, Eli said.
“I’ll go push Charlie. I’ll start looking through the photos and
see if I can find anything.” Ava left the room.
164 SHAY WEST

Eli turned to face Tani and Keena, placing his hands on the table
so that he leaned over them. “Your time is running out. I’m taking you
back to your holding cell for now, but when I return from speaking to
the captain, I want to hear the truth, not some cock-and-bull story about
being from another world. My patience with you has reached its limits.”
Eli took the pair back to the holding cell. It grated, knowing that
if he couldn’t get them to confess or if Charlie couldn’t tie them to a
victim, he’d be out of options.
At least if they’re in the custody of the Feds, they aren’t running free.
C HAPTER 26

“TANI, THAT MAN was very angry.”


He sat next to Keena on the bench and took her hand. “Remember,
he’s an Enforcer. They aren’t on our side.”
“The lady seemed like she wanted to listen.”
He shook his head. “She will do what the dark-skinned man says.”
“What are we to do?”
Tani swallowed the lump in his throat. Fear threatened to steal
his wits, but he couldn’t lose it; Keena needed him to be strong. She
looked so small and frail sitting in the bench with her hands between
her shaking knees. Slowly, gently, Tani pulled her close until her head
rested on his shoulder. He felt her body tremble as he held her close.
“We will keep trying to convince these Enforcers that we speak
the truth,” Tani said.
“What if we can’t?”
He hated seeing the look of despair and defeat in her eyes. He
wanted to promise her everything was going to be fine, but he was
beginning to think they had made the wrong decision in coming back to
this world. They could have stayed and perhaps lived full lives, maybe
raised a houseful of children.
But they would always have to live in fear of the Enforcers and the
priests and for Tani, that was no way to live. He squeezed Keena’s
shoulders.
“At least we’re safe from Master Kelhar here.”

* * *

Cees glanced at his partner, Saxon, making sure the man placed
the five gateway stones safely in his knapsack. He wanted to leave this
166 SHAY WEST

place as soon as they apprehended the defectors. Even though it was


the dead of night, this world was full of strange and terrifying sounds.
“We should have told Kelhar to bugger off. We don’t belong
here,” Saxon said as he slung his pack on his shoulders.
“Doesn’t matter. We have a job to do.”
Cees turned in place, trying to gain a feel for where Tani and
Keena might have gone. He spotted something that looked like a
flame far off in the distance.
Without a word to Saxon, he set off toward the faint orange glow.
As he walked, Cees wondered what manner of magic made the tall
metal trees glow at their tops.
Suddenly, something came out of the dark, a beast with two
white eyes. It growled and squealed as it drew near.
“Hey, you idiot, get the hell out of the street!”
Cees and Saxon covered their ears when the beast let out an
angry blaring sound.
“Was that a person inside that monster?” Saxon asked as the
thing passed by.
“Perhaps the beast fed prior to coming out here. Perhaps we should
move, so we lessen our chances of encountering another one.”
Cees’s heart raced as they moved closer to the massive towers
made of stone. Everything about this world was large and loud.
Nothing looked familiar. Saxon stayed right on his heels, nearly
walking over him in his desire to stay close. Cees didn’t blame the
man. It would be too easy to lose oneself in the endless shadows,
perhaps to be swallowed up by some other manner of monster.
As the pair got closer to the orange light, Cees breathed a sigh of
relief. It was a fire, something he recognized, something familiar.
There were people standing around it; he could hear them laughing
and the low murmur of their voices.
“Hey Mona, here’s another couple of sharp dressers like we seen
earlier.”
Cees frowned at the man who had spoken.
“Where you guys comin’ from anyways, some sort of Renaissance
fair?” a second man asked.
“We are searching for two young people,” Cees said.
“They friends of yours?” the one called Mona asked.
ORGAN REAPERS 167

“In a manner of speaking. We need to find them.”


“Not much for small talk, are ya?” the first man said as he scratched
his scraggly hair.
“I sent ‘em over to the shelter over on State Street,” Mona answered.
“Show me where to find this shelter.” Cees stepped closer to her.
“It’s a few blocks away, over on State Street like I said,” she said,
eyes growing wide.
“Look, we don’t want no trouble. Just go a few blocks in that
direction and you’ll find it,” the second old man said, pointing
toward a group of tall buildings.
Cees signaled Saxon to follow as he led the way in the direction
the old man had pointed. He had no idea what a shelter was or what
it looked like, but he didn’t want to cause a scene. He and Saxon
would have an easier time finding Tani and Keena if they avoided
unwanted attention.
The far off rumblings of the metal machines reached his ears. His
eyes roamed the unfamiliar territory, hoping he would catch sight of
one of the beasts before it nearly killed them like before. There were
more of the strange branchless trees with lights on top. He ran his
hand across the surface. It feels nothing like bark, and yet what else could
grow so tall and thin?
He avoided gazing up toward the sky. The height of the buildings
made him dizzy and weak-kneed. He kept his face still as stone, so
as not to give away the fear threatening to send him back to his own
world. I have a duty to perform and I will only return when I have the
defectors in custody.
“We should have asked what this shelter looked like,” Saxon
said, his voice a low growl.
“We’ll find it.”
The other man merely grunted in response. Cees knew Saxon
wouldn’t question his authority even if he thought the decisions
were in poor judgment. Cees almost wished he would. He had no
idea how to proceed, and every second spent in this loud and smelly
world made him wish he would have refused to come. Then it would
be you Master Kelhar would be seeking.
There was one building that appeared to have lamps lit even at
this late hour. Perhaps that is the shelter. Cees approached slowly, unsure
168 SHAY WEST

of what other strange things would come at him. He was grateful he


hadn’t seen any more of the loud metal beasts, but that didn’t mean
there weren’t unseen monsters lurking in the shadows.
He walked to the window and peered inside, hoping to catch a
glimpse of the pair he was after. If not, he would at least get an idea
of the layout and have time to form a plan of action. He and Saxon
would need to capture Tani and Keena, somehow find where the
Enforcers of this world had taken Satrick, and take them all back home
using the gateway stones. And all without being taken into custody
by the Enforcers of this world. Cees had no idea what punishment
was like here, but he had a feeling it would be more brutal than anything
on his world.
Saxon positioned himself so that he could see if anyone or anything
was coming up from behind. Cees wished he had a full detachment, but
that many men would be too difficult to keep track of, and it was much
more difficult to bring that many people back through the gateway.
They would have to go a few at a time, increasing the chances they
would be caught before they could all return.
We shouldn’t be here at all.
Everything about this world was so foreign, so menacing. Tani,
Keena, and Satrick had probably been killed by some horrid beast or
put to death by the Enforcers. Searching for them was a waste of time,
and would likely end up with him and Saxon returning empty handed.
“What do you two think you’re doing?”
Cees whirled. A tall man was standing behind him with his arms
crossed over his chest. He wasn’t a particularly large man, but his
voice held authority that Cees found easily recognizable.
“I’m not going to ask you again. What are you doing?” The man
kept his eyes on both of them.
Cees only had a split second to make a decision. Fight this man
or try to gain what they needed by cooperating.
“We are looking for friends. We heard they might have come
here,” he said.
“Why didn’t you try going inside instead of standing out here
like a couple of peeping toms?”
“I don’t know anyone named Tom. I am called Cees,” he said.
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“Well, ‘Case,’ ” the man said, waving his hands in the air, “I don’t
really care what your name is. It’s illegal to look in through windows.”
“We didn’t mean to cause trouble. We just wanted to find our
friends.”
“So you said.” The man sighed. “Come on inside and take a look
around. It’s a little late to be waking someone up, isn’t it?”
Cees followed the man into the building. His eyes never stayed
still for more than a moment, searching for their targets, but also looking
for possible escape routes if it became necessary. While it was possible
to use the gateway stones inside a building, they worked better when
used out on the open. There were few areas in this place where the
stones could be used safely.
If I have no other choice, I’ll use the stones in here.
“If your friends are here, they’ll be in the sleeping room.”
The man led them to a large common room that held dozens of
people. He couldn’t tell at first glance if Tani and Keena were here.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
A woman stepped into the room and pointed right at Cees and
Saxon. She held something in her hand. A weapon of some kind? If it
was, it didn’t look very dangerous. She placed the object in her hand
against her ear.
“Yeah, I need officers at 1267 State Street immediately. There are two
more people here that match what the police are asking about on TV.”
Cees had no idea what she was talking about, but her demeanor
spoke volumes. In three strides, he was right in front of her. He tore
the object from her hand and placed it to his ear. Strangely, a voice
came from the device. Cees threw it to the ground and stomped it to
pieces, almost certain it had to be inhabited by demons of some kind.
“Hey, you can’t do tha—”
Her protest ended in an indignant squawk as Cees pushed her
into a chair. He leaned in close. Saxon had the other man held against
the wall.
“I need to know about two people that might have been here
recently. They are dressed like me, a male and a female.”
The woman nodded. “The police came and got ‘em.”
“The police?”
“Yeah, for the murders they done around here.”
170 SHAY WEST

“Where would these police have taken them?”


“To the police station,” she said slowly.
“Where is the location?”
“I don’t know exactly where it is. Somewhere on Federal, I think.”
“I need to know exactly where that is.”
“You...you best be leaving now. The police will be here any
minute,” she stammered.
Cees glared at her, his blue eyes anything but merry. “First you
will tell me exactly where to find their station.”
C HAPTER 27

“WHAT DID the captain say?” Ava asked as Eli came back to his desk.
“He’s agreed to give us until tomorrow. If Charlie can’t connect
these two with any crimes, we have to let them go,” Eli said as he sat
down heavily in his chair.
“What about giving them to the Feds?”
Eli snorted. “Just got off the phone with them. The feds don’t want
Tani and Keena unless we can get some hard evidence. Said they have
a tough enough case against Satrick with only the video footage. There
has yet to be any DNA evidence linking Satrick to the murders we
know he committed.”
Ava jumped a little as he slammed his fist down on the desk. His
frustration was at peak levels since this whole thing started with the
murder of Gerald Forbes all those weeks ago. He hated the idea of
having to let the two suspects just walk out of the station.
“Maybe we’ll get lucky and Charlie will have something, just
enough so we can hold them a little longer, question them more.”
“You don’t think we’ve talked to them enough? You really want
to hear more of their crazy story?”
“I think we have to. We owe it to the victims. If there’s even the
slightest chance they are telling the truth, we have to help them or the
murders will just continue.”
It was hard to meet her eyes, like deep pools waiting for him to
jump in. It was getting hard to deny his attraction for her. Maybe she
would quit.
He shook his head. He would never ask that of her. Besides, if
she quit, he’d never get to look at her killer legs every day.
“Care to fill me in on the joke?”
172 SHAY WEST

Eli cleared his throat, embarrassed at being caught daydreaming


about her. Her eyes were narrowed, a sure sign she was agitated. He
was beginning to know her so well.
“Sorry, just wondering how you can still think those two nutcases
are telling the truth.” He noticed the photos on her desk. “Any luck
with that?”
She bit the inside of her cheek and took her time before answering.
“Not so far, but I’m not nearly as fast as the computers Charlie uses.
It just makes me feel like I’m doing something, you know?”
“Maybe I can help.”
Eli took a stack of photographs and scanned them to see if they
looked anything remotely like Tani and Keena. Some of the photos
were so grainy it was impossible to see any details. There were any
number that could have been one of those two, but not enough that
would stand up in court.
He checked the phone every few seconds as though looking at it
would cause it to ring, and that it would be Charlie with a miracle.
Eli would take anything: partial DNA match, surveillance footage of
the two, anything that would link Tani and Keena to the killings.
At Ava’s insistence, the pair left the office to go get lunch. Eli would
have rather stayed at the office, but his partner was not to be denied.
“I need to get out of here, you really need to get out of here,” she
said as she pulled him out of his chair.
“But what if Charlie calls while we’re gone?” he asked.
“He’s got your cell number, right?”
Eli couldn’t argue. He let Ava lead the way to a little sandwich
shop just down the street. Normally he would enjoy a walk on such
a nice day, but his mind was preoccupied with too many things. And
it didn’t help that he would have preferred to wait by the phone to
see if Charlie called.
But after a hot meatball sandwich slathered in marinara and dripping
with melted cheese, he admitted Ava had been right. She had chosen a
table outside under the shade of a tall tree. Traffic was fairly light on
this street, so he actually got to enjoy the sounds of the little sparrows
as they hopped around the tables looking for crumbs.
He was careful to keep the conversation off Tani and Keena. He
was enjoying himself and didn’t want to get into a fight with Ava.
ORGAN REAPERS 173

They would just have to agree to disagree about whether or not the
two were telling the truth.
Eli’s phone rang just as they entered the police station. It was Charlie.
“What do have for us?” he asked, heart racing.
There was a long pause on the other end. Eli’s heart sank.
“I wish I had good news. The computer didn’t come up with
anything matching your two suspects. And their DNA matches Satrick’s
as far as ethnicity, but nothing in our database, which is what I expected.”
So that’s it then.
He stormed up to his office, ignoring Ava as she tried to calm
him down. He hated letting suspects walk, especially ones he knew
were guilty.
Captain Platt was waiting at his desk.
“Charlie just told me the news. You gotta let ‘em go, Robins.”
“Yeah, I know,” Eli said through clenched teeth.
“That doesn’t mean you two can’t keep an eye on them, see where
they go. Who knows, they may lead you to the compound where the
others are hiding out,” Platt said over his shoulder as he walked back to
his office.
“Gee, hours alone in a car with you. Sounds great,” Ava said with
a smirk.
Eli thought hours alone in a car with Ava wouldn’t be all that
bad. He could spend hours staring at her legs and smelling the musky
perfume she always wore.
He went to evidence and got their knapsacks. Everything had
been placed back inside.
“We put all of their stuff back inside. I have photos of everything
though, just in case something else shows up at another murder,” the
man behind the counter said.
“The only thing in common with the other cases is the food we
found in Satrick’s pack and the strange stones,” Ava said as she turned
one of them over in her hands.
“Be careful. Maybe getting human germs on it will render it
useless for our visitors.” Eli laughed.
“You’re a riot.” Ava put the stone back in one of the packs and
shoved it into his arms.
174 SHAY WEST

He sighed as he followed her to the holding cell. It wasn’t that he


enjoyed upsetting her, but he just couldn’t take it seriously. Stones
that take someone to another world? He shook his head at the absurdity
of it all, and wondered what he’d done in a past life that made him
deserve to deal with this nonsense.
Tani and Keena were sitting on a bench holding hands. Their
eyes were haunted as they met Eli’s eyes. He stared for a minute,
searching their depths for the truth. A person’s eyes were the windows
to the soul, and Eli was good at seeing what a person wanted to hide.
These two aren’t hiding anything.
He opened the door and beckoned the two to come forward.
“You two are sprung. Let’s go,” Eli said.
Tani and Keena shared a glance and stood slowly. They walked
toward Eli, still holding hands, looking like scared animals about to
go to slaughter. Eli handed them their knapsacks. The pair held them
to their chests, looking around the police station with wide eyes.
“What are we to do?” Tani asked.
Eli shrugged. “Not my concern anymore.”
“Please, we need your help. We can’t go home.”
“Again, not my concern. All I have to do is escort you both to the
front door.”
“May I speak to you a moment, please?” Ava tugged his arm and
led him away from the holding cell. “Can’t you see how scared they
are?” she asked.
“Don’t really care. I care about how scared the people they killed
were, right before their organs were removed.”
Ava rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m not
saying you need to take them in or anything, but the least we could
do is tell them how to get to the nearest shelter or something.”
“Fine. Is that all?” he asked through clenched teeth.
She didn’t respond as she whirled and walked back to the pair
standing in front of the open door to the holding cell. Ava beckoned
them over to a counter while she used her phone to look up the location
of the nearest shelter. She wrote the address down on a piece of paper.
Eli watched the exchange and felt a small pang of sympathy for the
pair. They looked even younger than they had in the interrogation
room. Keena kept her eyes on the floor while Tani listened to the
directions Ava was giving him while showing him the paper.
ORGAN REAPERS 175

She walked up with the pair, giving him a dirty look as they
passed by. He wished he knew what to say to make everything go
back to the way it was before the strange pair had told them they were
from another world.
As they walked to the elevator, Eli had to laugh, as it was clear Tani
and Keena went from terrified to curious in seconds. They whispered
together and shrugged when they encountered pretty much everything
between the holding cell and the elevator.
Either they really are from another world or deserve an Oscar for their
performances.

* * *

Tani exited the elevator with Keena in tow. Freedom loomed in the
form of a large set of glass doors. And it had never looked so terrifying.
He glanced back at the detectives standing by the elevator. The woman
looked like she felt bad, but the dark-skinned man had a face made
of stone.
Putting on a brave face, Tani exited the building into the harsh light
of day. He shielded his eyes and blinked back the sudden moisture.
The sunlight seemed twice as bright in this world. Maybe it’s all the
light-colored material on the buildings and underfoot.
It looked as though each enormous building was covered in glass
that reflected back the sun a thousand-fold. There was some sort of trail
that led off in two directions that ran parallel to the black area where
the strange metal beasts moved in strange patterns.
Tani stood with his back against the door, avoiding the throngs
of people moving back and forth in front of the building. He had never
seen so many people, not even on festival days. Most simply walked by
with their heads bent, staring at things they carried in their hands. Some
had similar devices against their ears and were talking loudly as they
walked. A few of the passers-by stared, which made Tani nervous.
He followed the grey material underfoot until he came to an area
where it intersected with more of the same material. Tani glanced at
the paper in his hand and threw up his hands in defeat.
“How is one supposed to find their way with so many roads all
intersecting at once?” he said as he turned in circles.
176 SHAY WEST

Keena wordlessly took the paper from his hand and frowned.
She looked back the way they came, then faced forward again. Suddenly,
her eyes grew large.
“The name on that blue sign is the same as on the paper. See?”
Tani took the paper and slapped his forehead. “It’s like the old
woman at the fire.” He pulled Keena along down the street indicated on
the map. “Remember the shelter? The old woman told us the shelter
was on State Street and we found it once we saw the sign. It must have
said ‘State Street.’ ”
He took her hand, hoping she couldn’t feel his trembling from
fear. This world was terrifying, but he needed to be strong, to figure
out a plan. They couldn’t return home; they’d surely be captured the
moment they got back. And yet the thought of being stuck here was
almost worse than the thought of death at the hands of the Enforcers.
Tani looked at the paper again, wondering how they would know
they were close to the shelter. The woman had written things in their
strange language and he couldn’t read any of it. There were also
numbers written at the top. He wondered at the significance of them.
He glanced at the buildings, shading his eyes. He noticed most
of the people walking by wore something over their eyes. Protecting
them from the sun? We will have to see about obtaining some for ourselves.
He also saw numbers above the doorways to the buildings and
noticed they seemed to go up as he and Keena made their way forward.
Tani glanced back down at the paper. If the number the woman
detective wrote down corresponded to the number on a building,
they needed to keep going.
“I’ll watch for the numbers, you see if you can find a shop that sells
something like what the people are wearing on their faces,” Tani said.
Tani wished for a breeze as they walked along. He and Keena
walked in the shade as often as they could, as it gave them some relief
from the sun. His stomach gave a loud growl and he wondered if there
was a glade or meadow nearby where they could stop and have a bite
to eat. He didn’t know how far down the shelter was. It could be two
buildings down or a hundred. There were some tables and chairs
outside a pretty building decorated with bright lights.
He led the way to one of the tables under the shade of a large
tree. Keena took her knapsack off her back gratefully and grimaced
as she sat back against the back of the chair.
ORGAN REAPERS 177

“I’ve always hated wearing sweaty clothes.”


Tani had to agree, but unless they found a bathhouse, they’d be
stuck wearing the clothes they had. We could always wash the ones we
have on. He hadn’t noticed any creeks or ponds as they walked.
Keena pulled out several bundles of cloth. It was clear they had
been opened, then tied shut again with clumsy knots. Tani didn’t
care as long as the food was still good to eat. They hadn’t been gone
long enough for the food to spoil, but perhaps the conditions of this
world were different enough that it would ruin faster here than on
his world. He needn’t have worried; the cheese, salted meat, and
bread were fine, if a bit stale.
The two ate in silence, keeping their faces down, trying to remain
as unobtrusive as possible. Tani didn’t want to be taken prisoner by
the detectives again. The water in his small canteen was warm, but
his body required it, so he forced it down. I’ll refill it once I find a
spring or a well.
The two resumed their trek, Tani looking at the numbers on the
buildings and Keena peering into the windows to see what was inside.
“Have you ever seen such wondrous things?” she asked.
Tani put his hands on either side of his face as he looked into the
window. Inside were several chairs along the walls. There were people
inside the chairs and another person stood behind them cutting their
hair with tiny silver tools.
“It’s just like home,” Keena said as she grinned.
Sort of. He didn’t have the heart to say anything. She seemed so
happy to have seen something familiar. Back home there wasn’t an
entire building dedicated to something so frivolous. If one’s hair got
too long, he hacked at it with a sharp knife and went about his business.
He had to admit that the very short styles worn by the men on this
world did look much more comfortable than his own shoulder length,
messy hair.
Keena toyed with her hair as she watched the women inside get
their hair clipped in the most unusual styles. She blinked in surprise
when one of the people with the cutting instruments picked up another
strange looking device and aimed it at the lady in the chair. Eventually,
the woman’s hair swirled about her head.
178 SHAY WEST

“I don’t believe it! It’s a device that actually dries hair,” she said.
Tani mumbled a reply, losing interest. He moved down the street
and peered into another window. This one held an array of colorful
items Tani couldn’t begin to identify. There was nothing on his world to
even compare. The woman behind the counter was bedecked in jewelry
that covered her arms, ears, and neck. She even had things sticking out of
her nose. He grinned when he spotted a display case holding what
appeared to be the eye shades the people of this world wore.
He moved back to Keena who still had her nose plastered against
the glass watching the women get their hair cut. “Come on, I think I
found the eye shades.”
Tani opened the door to the building, the tinkling of the bell
startling him. The woman gave them a warm smile as she walked
around from behind the counter to greet them. She wore a long flowing
skirt of bright purple fabric and a shirt so red it made Tani think of
fresh blood. He swallowed against the bile rising in his throat. She
jingled when she walked, much like the door when it opened.
“Welcome! Is there something I can help you find?” she asked.
“We are interested in purchasing some of those eye shades,” he
said, pointing to the display case.
“We have many to choose from. Let’s see if we can find the pair
that fits your aura.”
Tani had no idea what an aura was or how the eye shades would
match up, but he was certainly glad he had picked this establishment;
he didn’t want to call attention to himself by having his aura mismatched.
The woman grabbed several pairs of the eye shades and had him
and Keena try them on while looking into a mirror on the glass counter.
She shook her head and placed the pairs back in the case, mumbling
to herself before retrieving another pair for each of them. When she
was satisfied, she clapped her hands and led them to another part of
the counter.
“Alrighty then, with tax it comes to $89.86”
Tani reached into his pack and grabbed his coin sack. “I do not
know how money works here, but I have this.” He spilled out gold and
silver coins onto the counter.
Her eyes hardened and she lost her friendly smile. “Is this some
sort of joke?”
ORGAN REAPERS 179

“I...I don’t...this is all the coin we have,” Tani stammered.


“Well, guess you better get to a bank and trade that in for real
money, then you can come back and see me.” She grabbed the eye
shades off the counter and put them back in the display case.
“Please, what is a bank?”
She rolled her eyes. “The joke’s over, sonny. Leave before I call
the police.”
Tani put his coins back in his pack with shaking hands. No matter
what he and Keena tried, they only seemed to make people angry. He
pushed the door and walked back out into the bright sunlight, the
jingling of the bell stopping abruptly when the door closed behind him.
He turned to Keena. “Let’s just get to the shelter. We can look for this
bank later and see if we can get the proper coin to use on this world.”
She reluctantly agreed and he led the way once more. The numbers
on the buildings were getting closer to the one on the sheet of paper
in his hand. The buildings were also becoming more run-down, their
exteriors chipped and shabby, and their windows dirty, many of
them broken.
There it is!
Tani looked at the sign above the door and noticed that one of the
words matched one of the ones on the paper. Maybe that’s the word for
shelter? He wanted to ask someone, but he figured it would call attention
to himself if he admitted he didn’t know how to read.
He walked up the steps completely unaware of the two figures
following in the shadows.
C HAPTER 28

“ARE YOU SEEING what I’m seeing?”


Eli nodded as he looked through the binoculars again.
“Guess the crazies are coming out of the woodwork. Wonder if
they were sent to kill the two, or just bring them back to wherever it
is they’re from?”
Eli noticed how careful Ava was not to mention an alternate world.
The men following Tani and Keena made the hairs on his arms stand on
end. They didn’t carry weapons of any kind, weren’t significantly
enormous by any means, but something in their demeanor made Eli
afraid for the safety of the two they followed.
“We’ll follow slowly and only intervene if it looks like they mean to
do Tani and Keena harm,” he said.
Ava took several photos of the pair with her cell phone and
immediately sent them to Charlie. Eli smiled. She was a good cop, quick
witted and eager to bring down the bad guys. Just like me.
He tried to focus on the men walking down the sidewalk rather than
his partner. The thoughts running through his head were distracting and
impossible. He and Ava could never be anything more than partners.
Eli knew the reasoning behind such a rule, but it also sucked big
time. Detectives and other cops were the only ones who truly knew
the job and the toll it took. It was difficult to maintain a relationship
with someone outside of the force. They just didn’t understand the
requirements, hated the late night phone calls, the days being gone,
always wondering if your spouse was indeed on a case or screwing
their partner.
Though he had never cheated on his wife, he had been married to
the job. But a good detective had to be; it was impossible to solve
ORGAN REAPERS 181

murders without immersing oneself completely into the seedy underworld


of crime. Eli had done the best he could, but Vicki just couldn’t handle not
coming first in the relationship all the time. He had put her ahead of
his work when he was able, but it hadn’t been enough. Nothing I did
was ever enough.
He clenched the binoculars, willing the bitterness to the back of his
mind. Eli wondered if the rest of his life was going to be filled with
thoughts of his ex and how much he wished he had never married her.
Eli put the car into gear and pulled slowly back into traffic, keeping
the two men far enough ahead, so that if they happened to stop, he
would have plenty of time to park the car without being seen.
Tani and Keena had stopped and were staring at the paper Ava had
given to them with the address of the shelter. Eli frowned, wondering why
they were staring at the paper like they had never seen writing before.
They probably keep up the act all the time.
“I just thought of something.” Ava turned slightly to face him.
“What if these two were kidnapped when they were babies and raised
on some sort of medieval compound out in the middle of nowhere?
Maybe they live like the Amish or something, so being in a city is
freaking them out.”
“That sounds plausible, but what about their DNA? And the
strange story about the gateways?”
“Sounds like you’re starting to believe them.”
“Not necessarily. I just want an explanation that fits all the evidence,
not only parts of it.”
She sighed. “Agreed. Maybe these two will shed some light on
the issue.”
Tani and Keena resumed their journey. They stopped one time
to stare into the windows of a hair salon and shop that sold candle,
crystals, incense, and hardware for the smoking aficionado. The two
men made sure to stay back, hiding in shadows or moving in-between
buildings to stay out of sight.
“They’re not friendly, whoever they are,” Eli said.
“Is your spidey sense tingling too?”
“Has been since this damn case started.”
The pair had finally managed to find the shelter after a short pit stop
at the candle shop—what were they doing in there?—and were walking up
182 SHAY WEST

the steps when the two thugs made their move. Eli parked the car
and he and Ava got out, hands close to their firearms, but leaving
them holstered for now. They were too far away to hear what was
said, but it was clear that Tani and Keena were terrified.
Eli signaled to Ava to take the right while he approached from
the left.
“You will come with us quietly or we have orders to terminate
you,” the man with long hair was saying as Eli walked up.
“Everything okay here?” Eli asked.
The long-haired man turned slowly. “This is none of your concern.
I have been sent to retrieve these two.”
“I heard that part. I also swear I heard you say you were going
to kill them if they didn’t come with you.”
“I have my orders.”
“From who?”
“It is none of your concern. These two will come with us now.”
He reached for Tani’s arm.
Eli stepped between the two, forcing the big man to let go of Tani’s
arm. The two stood nose-to-nose, neither one willing to budge. The
man’s eyes were cold and dead; he would kill the pair and leave without
ever thinking twice about it.
“No one’s going anywhere until we have some answ—”
Without warning the long-haired man shoved Eli against Tani,
and both fell down in a heap. Eli heard Ava cry out, and a thud as
she hit the ground. The two men ran down the street faster than he
expected from someone their size. He untangled himself from Tani.
“You two,” he pointed at Tani and Keena, “stay here.”
Eli took off after the two men. Ava followed closely behind him.
The crowd parted for them easily, as the two running had already
cleared a path. They had too much of a head start. We’ll never catch them.
He called into the station and informed them of the situation,
urging them to talk to Charlie and get the pictures of the suspects Ava
had sent with her cell phone, and to have officers in the area on high alert.
Eli kept up the pursuit in case the perps changed direction, easily keeping
them in sight, but unable to gain any ground. His radio squawked as
officers called in their locations, zeroing in on the two men.
ORGAN REAPERS 183

He stopped running and stood panting with his hands on his


knees as Ava ran up beside him. She was winded, though not as badly
as him. She kept up with me in those damn heels.
“We need to get back to Tani and Keena in case those assholes
double back,” Ava said.
He noticed a gash on the side of her head, still oozing blood. “You
okay?” he asked, pointing to her head.
She waved him off. “I’ve had worse playing football with my
brothers.”
“Still, should probably get that looked at.”
“Later. Let’s go check on Tani and Keena.”
The pair jogged slowly back to the shelter. Eli kept up with the
rapid conversations happening on the radio. Just when it seemed like
they would capture the suspects, they would dart into an alley or climb
a fence. However, the officers were tightening the noose and it wouldn’t
be long until the two men would be left with nowhere to run.
Tani and Keena were right where they left them, though a
sizeable crowd had gathered around the shelter. Several people were
fussing over the pair.
“What are we going to do with them?” Ava asked as they stopped
jogging to walk the rest of the way.
“I’m sure they can still stay at the shelter.”
“What if we can’t catch those two?”
“We’ll catch them.”
“And what if more come? Look at them, Eli.” She pointed to Tani
and Keena. “They’ll be helpless if more men come.”
“What do you want me to do, take them home with me like stray
pets?”
“No...well, maybe. I don’t know.” She stopped and wiped some
of the blood from her head.
“I was joking, Ava.”
“Well, why couldn’t they stay with you just for a few days? You
have the house with the extra rooms. Might do you some good to
have the company.”
“I have no interest in babysitting those two. They’ll be fine here.
I’ll have a couple of officers keep an eye on the place. Come on, don’t
look at me that way.” He stared at the ground and shuffled his feet.
184 SHAY WEST

“I didn’t say anything.”


“You don’t have to. You think I’m a shit. It’s written all over your
face.” Eli rubbed his hands through his hair and growled. “Fine, you
win. They can stay with me just until those two assholes are dealt with,
understand? Once they’re in custody, back to the shelter they go.
Remember, we’re hoping they will lead us back to the other crazy
murders. Can’t follow them if they’re at my house.”
Ava beamed. “That’s all I was thinking, just a couple of days.”
The look of relief that appeared on Tani and Keena’s faces when
Eli walked up was enough to make him feel guilty for refusing to let
them stay at his house. I agreed at the end. Gotta count for something.
“All right you two, let’s go.” Eli beckoned Tani and Keena forward.
“Why are you arresting them? They ain’t done nothin’ wrong.”
Eli faced the old man who had spoken and put on his best
everything-is-going-to-be-okay smile. “They aren’t being taken into
custody. We’re moving them to a safe location until the suspects have
been apprehended.”
The old man frowned and scratched under his snowy-white
beard. “Well, if you say so...”
Ava flashed him her thousand-watt smile. “We’re watching over
them personally, sir.”
The old man grinned and shuffled his feet. “That sounds like a
right fine idea. And thank you, ma’am.”
Eli snorted as the old man walked away. “I said the exact same thing
and he doesn’t believe me. You say it and he’s falling all over himself.”
She smoothed her hair. “Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Eli.”
“Jealous, my ass,” Eli mumbled.
“Are you taking us back to the metal cage?” Keena asked as they
walked to the car.
The fear in her voice was tangible. “No, you’re not going back to
the station.”
Ava cleared her throat loudly and motioned with her hands to
tell them more. He sighed. “Actually, you’re coming with me. To my
place.” It felt ridiculous to be saying that.
“That is very kind of you,” Keena said.
She was so small and frightened, hugging her knapsack to her
chest like a child would hug their favorite blanket or toy. The more
time he spent with them, the more he felt sorry for them.
ORGAN REAPERS 185

It’s part of their plan.


Eli knew he needed to keep his wits about him if he had any
hope of solving this case. He couldn’t let his feelings get in the way
of his job. No matter how young these two were, they had killed people,
butchered them. They would need to face prosecution. As soon as we
find some real evidence.
Suddenly, the chatter on the radio intensified. He stopped so he
could listen more closely. Everything was jumbled and coming fast: the
perps jumped a fence into an abandoned lot, flash of white light, no sign.
Eli slammed his fists on the hood of the car. He grabbed Tani by
the front of his shirt and shoved him against the side of the car. He
ignored Ava’s protests and Keena’s wailing.
“I’ve had it with this bullshit! Who are those guys and where did
they go? I want answers, dammit, and I want the truth.” He punctuated
his words by shaking Tani.
“They are Enforcers and work for Master Kelhar. They were sent
to bring us back and to find Satrick and bring him back as well,” Tani
said shakily.
“How can they disappear? Nearly every murder is associated
with this strange flash of light. What the hell is it?” Eli refused to
release Tani from his grip.
“They used the gateway stones. They’ve returned home.”
“Not this shit again. I’ve had it with your stories. If you don’t
start telling me the truth, I’m leaving you both here, and you can
deal with this on your own.”
“It’s not a story, please let him go!” Keena cried out.
“You can’t leave us alone. Master Kelhar may send others to
come for us,” Tani said.
“Then. Tell. Me. The. Truth,” Eli said through clenched teeth.
“What if we proved it to you?”
Eli turned to look at Keena. “Proved what?”
“That we really are from another world. Would you help us?”
she pleaded.
“What did you have in mind?” Eli asked.
“I have a set of stones. I can open a gateway back to our world.”
C HAPTER 29

ELI RELEASED TANI and the young man slid to the ground. Keena
cried out and ran to him. Ava was standing with her hands on her
hips, glaring at Eli.
“Don’t be pissed at me. I’m tired of this bullshit about another
world.”
“Keena just said she could prove it to you,” Ava said.
“Okay, fine. I’ll play along. What do you need for this gateway
activation ceremony? Some hash? Maybe a little peyote?”
Tani stood with the help of Keena. “All we need are the stones.”
“Shall we do it right here in the middle of the sidewalk?”
“We require a large area that is clear of trees and buildings. It’s
possible the stones will work in a crowded area, but I’ve never tried it.”
“Fine. We’ll go to the same place the perps used. It’s not far from
here,” Eli said as he opened the door to the car.
He slammed the door much harder than he needed to. They
were wasting time on this fool’s errand, time they could be spending
looking for evidence to nail these two to the wall.
Ava’s phone rang. Eli could only hear half the conversation, but
it was clear that she was speaking to the captain, and his angry voice
coming out of the phone indicated he was thoroughly pissed off. She
tried to interrupt a few times, but finally just sat back and nodded
and said mmmhmmm a lot and hung up.
“That was the captain, and he’s not happy about losing the two
thugs. He’s got several patrols searching all the nearby buildings.
He’s convinced the flash of light is a trick to distract us so the perps
can hide somewhere, then escape when we aren’t looking.”
“That sounds like a rational theory. Did he say anything else?”
ORGAN REAPERS 187

Her eyes were sad when they met his. “There have been a couple
more murders. One in Detroit and another in India somewhere.”
Eli faced the front, too angry to say anything. Even though the
victims weren’t in his town, he felt responsible somehow, like he had
failed them. The two in the back seat should be on trial for the lives
they took, and yet here he was, babysitting them and keeping them
safe. Who’s going to keep the victims safe?
“Unless we can stop Master Kelhar, the killings will continue.
You must believe us.”
“I believe you about that, just not about the other crap.”
He glanced at the two in his rearview mirror and saw Keena wipe a
tear from her eye and clutch her pack to her chest even harder. I refuse
to feel sorry for these murderers.
The ride to the empty lot the perps disappeared from didn’t take
long. Eli parked the car and exited, his senses on alert in case the two
men were hiding in the area. There were several patrol cars nearby,
and he could hear the muffled sound of voices coming from the
nearby buildings as the officers searched them from top to bottom.
“All right, show us what you got,” Eli said as he leaned back
against his car.
Tani looked around at the other officers and whispered, “Are you
sure you want us to do this in front of all of them?”
“Why shouldn’t they know?”
“Your kind doesn’t seem to do well with strange phenomena.”
I can’t believe this kid is being sarcastic with me.
“Just send the officers to an adjacent building or something,” Ava
said.
“Don’t get irritated with me,” Eli said, his own temper flaring.
“I just want to see this, to finally have an answer, and here you
are, being your usual stubborn self.”
“I’m being stubborn?” he asked incredulously.
“You could easily send those officers away. You’re just being
difficult about it.”
“I just don’t—”
“Please, stop! We risked our lives coming here to find help, and
all we found is mean people who would rather lock us up than listen
to what we have to say. If you don’t help us, the murders will continue,
I promise you that,” Tani said, coming between him and Ava.
188 SHAY WEST

Eli had to give the kid props. It took guts to stand up to someone
that stood taller than you by about a good foot and a half. But Tani
refused to back down, meeting Eli’s gaze with a glare of his own.
“Fine, I’ll send them across the street. Happy now?” he shot at Ava.
“Thrilled,” she said through clenched teeth.
He made a call with the radio ordering the cops to a building
across the street. Most of them got into their vehicles and drove out of
the vacant lot, but he could still hear some in the buildings, searching
for the perps.
It’ll have to do.
He leaned back against the side of the car and crossed his arms
over his chest. “Do your thing.”
Keena glanced at Tani, who gave her a slight nod. She opened
her pack and took out the five stones.
“It’s just like the one I found,” Ava whispered.
“Why are you whispering?” he asked.
She glared at him. ”I don’t know. Don’t people always whisper
when stuff like this happens?”
He laughed. “I honestly have no idea. This is my first ‘stuff like
this’ I’ve ever done.”
Keena arranged the stones on the ground, checking the markings
before she placed it in a circular pattern. She stepped back.
Suddenly, a flash of brilliant white light nearly blinded him.

* * *

“What do you mean, you failed?” Master Kelhar asked.


“The Enforcers of that world came just when we found Tani and
Keena. They gave chase, but they have the ability to coordinate an
attack like I’ve never seen. They had us surrounded. It was either return
or be captured,” Cees said.
Master Kelhar wanted to scream at the two men to return and
complete their mission, but he held his tongue. He didn’t know enough
about this other world; perhaps it was impossible to get their hands
on the defectors.
“Since we can’t get them back, we must have a watch on this
chamber at all times, is that understood? You two will take the first
watch. At no time is this room to be left empty,” Kelhar ordered.
ORGAN REAPERS 189

Cees and Saxon nodded. Kelhar could see the relief plain on their
faces. He had never known Cees to be afraid of anything, not even that
time he had taken on a dozen armed men who thought he would be an
easy target to rob. Kelhar smiled. Those men had been in dire need of my
healing services.
Master Kelhar walked back to his chambers, his silent attendants
following close behind. He was disappointed Cees and Saxon had been
unable to bring Tani and Keena back. Fear gnawed at his belly, making
him walk faster than his usual sedate pace. He wasn’t sure what damage
those two could do, but he didn’t want to find out.
If we can’t bring them back, we’ll apprehend them if they dare return home.
C HAPTER 30

THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!


Eli shielded his eyes from the glare coming from the area covered
by the stones. It was taller than him, maybe as much as ten feet, but only
as wide as the area set by the stones. He peered into the light—don’t go
into the light!—and was astounded to find that he could see some kind
of shadowy shape on the other side—poltergeist!—but he couldn’t
make out what it was.
Keena calmly walked around the perimeter and picked up the
stones, placing them carefully in her knapsack.
“The gateway will only remain open for a few more seconds
before it collapses,” Tani said.
In a blinding flash, the gateway disappeared, leaving the empty lot
in its place. There was no evidence there had ever been anything there.
He gave a start when he realized Ava had been speaking to him
and he hadn’t even heard a word she said.
“What’s that?”
She laughed. “I asked if you believed now.”
He couldn’t say anything and was surprised he even had the capacity
to nod his head. His brain was working to come up with some rational
explanation for what he had just witnessed, but it was failing miserably.
It was a gateway to another damn world!
Tani and Keena merely stood off to the side and let him process
this information. He was glad for the quiet; he didn’t think he could
handle anyone speaking to him or touching him for the moment. He
imagined this is what people felt like when they claimed they saw
aliens or ghosts. Shit, maybe they really do see that stuff.
ORGAN REAPERS 191

Part of him didn’t think it was fair that he was being forced to
rethink everything he thought he knew. The world was centered in
reality and yet he had just peered through a portal into another world.
“What was it I saw through the gateway?” Eli asked.
“Probably the machinery that powers it,” Tani answered.
Eli nodded like it made perfect sense even though he had no
idea what Tani was talking about.
“Why don’t we get out of here and go get something to eat? I bet you
two are starving,” Ava said as she walked up behind Tani and Keena.
Food. That was simple enough. Normal. It took several tries for
Eli to open the door.
“Maybe I should do the driving.” Ava came around to the driver’s
side of the car.
Eli nodded and let her into the driver’s seat. It spoke volumes as
to his state of mind that he was agreeing to let her drive. He always
drove; it was his thing. Eli knew he’d never be able to navigate out of
the empty lot, let alone in busy traffic.
“How the hell are you so okay with this?” Eli asked when they
got onto Federal Blvd.
“I already mostly believed them. Besides, you should see my
yaya when she’s—”
“Your who?”
“My yaya, my grandmother. Anyway, she practices what you
call voodoo.” She glared at Eli when he laughed uncontrollably. “It’s
not as weird as you might think. She didn’t sacrifice any chickens or
anything, but she always had holy water and incense and would
pray to the saints every day.”
“And what about you?”
Ava grinned. “I pray to the saints, but I don’t use the water and
incense, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I guess I just always pictured it as some dude with dreadlocks
running around with voodoo dolls, cursing people and hurting them,”
Eli said.
“You’ve obviously seen way too many movies. Most people that
practice voodoo are praying to God for the same things everyone else
does: health, long life, prosperity. They just go through the saints rather
than speaking directly to Him.”
192 SHAY WEST

“I can see why you had an easier time believing them.” He shot
her a glance from the passenger seat. “Hey, you wouldn’t ever, I don’t
know, curse me or anything would you?”
She turned slowly and smiled, but it never reached her eyes.
“Don’t piss me off and you’ll never have to find out.”
Eli wanted to laugh, but his partner was dead serious. Don’t piss
her off. He noticed that during the exchange the two in the backseat
hadn’t said a word.
“You two are awful quiet back there,” he said.
“We do not mean to be rude with our silence. We just didn’t
understand most of what you were saying,” Tani said.
“I can’t imagine how strange this must all be for you,” Ava said.
“You have no idea,” Tani mumbled.
“So what’s the plan?” Eli asked.
“I thought we’d stop by the store, grab some food, and go back to
your place for dinner and conversation. A very long conversation,” she
said while glancing at Tani and Keena in the rearview mirror.
Eli directed her to a small local market close to his house. He hated
shopping in big stores. All the people crowding the aisles made him
want to scream in frustration. He instructed Tani and Keena to stay
in the car.
“Why can’t we bring them with us?” Ava asked.
“They stick out like sore thumbs. Until we can get different
clothes for them, it’s best to keep them on the down low.”
“Let’s stop by my place and grab something for Keena. I’m sure
she’d rather wear my stuff than your old sweats and T-shirts.”
Eli agreed and they walked through the store in silence, both trying
to absorb what had happened in the empty lot. That, and it wouldn’t
do to have the few customers in the store overhear their conversation
about gateways to other worlds.
“So what are you thinking for dinner?”
“What are you in the mood for?” she asked.
“I’m more worried about what those two eat.”
“The food in their packs looked normal enough: dried meat,
cheese, and bread.”
“Why don’t we feed them something they’ve likely never had
before? Really impress them,” Eli suggested.
ORGAN REAPERS 193

He led the way through the aisles, hoping the store would have
all of the ingredients. He really didn’t want to stop by another store
on the way to Ava’s. He was anxious to get Tani and Keena alone so
they could talk about their story. Their true story.
Ava followed quietly while he grabbed the ingredients. Thankfully,
the store had everything he needed. He took the heavily laden basket to
the counter.
“Ah, Mister Eli, long time no see.”
Eli greeted Mrs. Hinsung. She looked to be about a hundred years
old, but had the energy of a toddler. She was always here when he came
in. He wondered if she ever took a day off. Mr. Hinsung would be
wandering around, stocking shelves or in the back office working the
books. With as few customers as he saw in the store, Eli was worried he
would come by one day and it would be all boarded up.
“Been busy keeping the city safe,” he said as he took items out of
the cart one by one and laid them on the counter.
She glanced around him and smiled at Ava before glancing back up
at him with a knowing wink. “You no tell me you have lady friend.”
“Mrs. Hinsung, this is my partner, Ava Aguilar.”
“She too pretty to be a police officer.”
“That’s nice of you to say, Mrs. Hinsung,” Ava said, blushing.
“This a lotta food for two people,” Mrs. Hinsung noted as she filled
a paper sack.
“We’re having some of the other detectives over to the house to
discuss the case we’re working on,” he said.
“You work that case with the Butchers, yes?” Mrs. Hinsung asked.
“That’s the one. We think we’re close to making a break.”
“Good thing, too. Streets not safe.”
He paid the bill and handed one of the bags to Ava. “Thanks,
Mrs. Hinsung. See you soon.”
“Next time I see you with lady that’s not partner. You need a
nice lady.”
Eli groaned inwardly as he waved good-bye over his shoulder.
“She’s sweet,” Ava said as they walked to the car.
“She’s a busy-body.”
“Oh, she’s just a nice old lady who worries about you, is all.”
Eli grunted in lieu of a response.
194 SHAY WEST

When they reached the car, Eli and Ava handed the bags to Tani
and Keena, then climbed into the car. Eli took the driver’s seat this time.
He felt he had enough control of his mental state to drive to Ava’s.
He kept the talk light, wanting to wait until they arrived at his
house to really delve into the deep stuff. Ava didn’t live close to him
at all, so it was quite a drive to the other side of town. Should have
thought about going there before we went to the store.
He stayed in the car and watched as Ava ran up the steps to her
building. He loved the old homes in this area of town. Most, like
Ava’s, had been converted into several apartments, but they still had
the original stonework, moulding, windows, and other items that
gave them character. Eli’s house wasn’t as old as these, but it wasn’t one
of those cookie cutter homes either. Vicki had nagged him to move into
a house in one of those new subdivisions, but he’d refused. He hated
how close together the houses were, and there was no yard to speak
of. Most only had dirt and rocks. He liked a home with character,
with a yard, mature trees, and flowers.
Ava returned in moments wearing jeans and a T-shirt and carrying
a rather large tote bag filled with items.
“How did you get all that so quick?” Eli asked as she got in the car.
“It’s my get-away bag.” At his look of confusion she continued.
“I always keep a bag packed with clothes and overnight stuff just in
case, you know?” she raised her eyebrows suggestively.
“Ah, I see.” He scratched his chin. “Do all girls have one of those?”
“Beats me. All I know is this little bag has saved me from the
embarrassment of not having a toothbrush or clean underwear.”
Eli turned around at loud whispers coming from the backseat.
At first glance, it looked like Tani and Keena were arguing about
something.
“You two aren’t fighting are you?” he asked as he turned the car on.
Tani shushed Keena and cleared his throat. “We were wondering
what those things on your face are called and where we might obtain
some of our own.”
“You mean these?” Eli asked reaching for his sunglasses.
“Yes. We assume they are to protect your eyes from damage from
the sun. We tried to buy some, but the woman said we needed to go
to somewhere called a bank and get the right coin.”
ORGAN REAPERS 195

“They’re sunglasses and they are not only to protect from the
sun, but they also look cool,” Eli said as he looked at his reflection in
the rearview mirror.
“What does one’s appearance have to do with the temperature?”
He couldn’t help but laugh. It’s like talking to toddlers or something.
Adult toddlers. “We’ll get you some tomorrow.”
Eli took the highway back to his house, shaving off some time.
He kept glancing in the rearview mirror to see Tani and Keena’s
expressions as they drove on the elevated roadways. Their eyes were
big and they held hands the entire time, whispering and pointing out
the windows.
How strange this must all seem to them.
Now that he had seen the truth first-hand, he saw their reactions
through a different set of eyes. They were genuinely scared and awed
by this world and probably wished they had never come here. But come
here they did. They came to find help to stop the people on their world
from ever coming here to kill again.
But they killed people.
Eli didn’t want to listen to that voice in his head. That voice was
Logical Eli, the one who didn’t believe in fantasy worlds and such
nonsense. That Eli wanted to see the guilty punished.
But New Eli thought perhaps the world wasn’t quite that black and
white. He didn’t deny that Tani and Keena had killed, but they had also
sacrificed a lot to come here, that much was evident from their interaction
with the two men who were here to take Tani and Keena back.
Whoever sent those men doesn’t want these two on this world.
That made Eli wonder if it was indeed possible to somehow shut
down the gateways and prevent any more people from being killed.
C HAPTER 31

WHEN HE ARRIVED at his house, Eli put the groceries on the kitchen
counter, then went in search of something for Tani to wear. Eli was much
taller and broader than Tani, so anything he had would be much too big.
It’s either that or the kid goes naked. He joined the others in the kitchen.
“I’ll start dinner. Ava, why don’t you show these two how to work
a shower? Tani can use the one in my room and Keena can take the
one in the hallway. Oh, and check in the hall closet. I think I have an
extra toothbrush.”
Eli unpacked the grocery bags, wishing he could be there for Tani
and Keena’s first introduction to modern plumbing, but the curry dish
he was making needed to cook for about an hour, so he needed to
get it started. He grabbed a beer from the fridge, and set to work on
chopping the onions and mangos.
In a few minutes, he heard water running from both bathrooms.
He had a large hot water tank, so he wasn’t worried about them running
out of hot water. Ava came into the kitchen with a smile on her face.
“You should have seen those two! I had to explain how to use most
everything. Poor kids. Only thing they knew was the bar of soap.” She
laughed. “They think you’re some sort of royalty since you have this
huge house all to yourself and a magic storage area for hot water.”
“Should I make them bow?”
“I knew I shouldn’t have told you that. Have another one of
those?” she asked, pointing to his beer.
“In the fridge. Help yourself.”
He busied himself with dinner, trying to formulate a plan of action
in his mind. He had about a million questions he wanted to ask and not
a lot of time to ask. There was still the little matter of the continuing
ORGAN REAPERS 197

murders and what to do about them. And he supposed Tani and


Keena would have their own questions.
He set the stove on simmer as he placed the lid on the pot, and
sat down at the small kitchen table to wait for Tani and Keena. Ava
joined him and they kept an eye on the hallway to wait for their guests
to join them.
Tani shyly walked up to the table, swimming in the sweats and
T-shirt Eli found for him. If the sweats hadn’t had a drawstring, they
would have fallen right off. Keena came down the hall a moment
later looking much better in her clothing. She and Ava were a little
closer in size, so the jeans and shirt she wore fit a little better.
“Thank you for the use of the clothing. It is strange, but surprisingly
comfortable,” Tani said as he took a seat at the table.
“Yes, thank you. Even with our position of high standing, we
never enjoyed such luxury,” Keena said.
“You think this is luxury? You’d probably faint if you saw some
of the mansions in the mountains,” Eli said.
“Where is your fire?” Tani asked.
Eli blinked. “My fire?”
“For heating the water.”
“Well, it comes in a tank, so we don’t use fire.”
Tani nodded. “I suspected it was magic of some kind.”
Eli laughed. “It’s not magic. Come on, I’ll show you.”
He led the way to the hall and opened the door to the closet that
held the furnace and hot water tank.
“This is where the hot water is held and this device heats the home
when it’s cold,” Eli explained.
Tani got down on his hands and knees, observing every inch of
the water tank. “I thought you said it wasn’t heated by fire?”
Eli looked where he was pointing and sighed. “It’s a pilot light,
so it’s not fire exactly. It burns gas.”
“It looks like fire,” Tani said.
“Well, it is, sort of.” Boy, this is difficult.
“Your world is very strange and wondrous,” Tani said as he stood.
Ava was at the table and showed Keena a small compact.
”I was just showing her how I do my make-up. Apparently only
ladies of ill-repute wear this stuff on her world.” Ava grinned.
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“I always knew there was something you weren’t telling me,” Eli
said as he sat down at the table.
The four sat in silence. Despite the questions milling around his
head, Eli couldn’t speak. It was as though there were too many things
happening, and his brain couldn’t make the necessary adjustments
to make his mouth work.
Ava clapped her hands and rubbed them together. ”So, why
don’t you tell us about where you’re from.”
“A place very different from this,” Tani said as he looked around
the house. “This place is loud and everything is so big. The loudest
things on my world are the steam engines.”
“Steam?” Eli asked. “We used to use steam-powered engines.”
Tani gave a small smile. “Maybe our worlds aren’t so very different
after all.”
“Hang on. I need to get something.”
Eli jumped up from his chair and went to his office. He came
back carrying his laptop.
“I thought some visuals might help us to understand things a bit
more.” He opened the computer and invited Tani and Keena to gather
around. “This is called a computer, and with it I can access information
in other places, on the other side of the world even.”
“How is such a thing possible? To send messages long distance
we have to use pigeons,” Tani said.
“It uses invisible waves that travel through the air and bounce off
satellites that are high above this planet.” He shook his head at the look
of confusion on Tani’s face. “Never mind, it’s not important.”
He brought up a Google search page, typed in some keywords,
and chose to view the images. Eli smiled as Tani and Keena gasped.
“That’s very similar to what we have. Only ours is bigger and
doesn’t seem as streamlined.”
The next half hour was spent looking at pictures of various steam-
driven machines, medieval pictures, Victorian era pictures, modern day
photos depicting things like motorcycles, airplanes, rockets, space
ships, and other things that were totally foreign to Tani and Keena.
When the timer went off, signaling dinner was ready, he and Ava
went to grab everything from the kitchen. Eli turned the oven on to
heat the naan and Ava grabbed the salad from the fridge. Eli took a
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big whiff of the mango curry chicken soup and sighed in contentment.
This had always been one of his favorite meals, but living alone meant
he tended to make microwave dinners or grill a steak as opposed to
cooking large pots of anything.
“I hope you like this. I’m guessing you probably have never had
anything like this,” Eli said as he brought the pot of soup to the table.
He went first, putting a large spoonful of rice in the bottom of a
bowl, followed by a couple ladlefuls of the soup. He heaped salad on
his plate followed by globs of Ranch dressing. He watched as Tani
and Keena took their first bites and smiled when their faces broke
into grins.
“I don’t think I’ve had anything quite this good,” Keena said.
“The main spice is called curry. Well, technically it’s a blend of a
lot of spices,” Eli said.
Eli ate until he thought his stomach would burst. He glanced
into the pot and smiled when he spotted a few dregs of soup left and
a few bits of rice clinging to the pot. He and Ava brought the dirty
dishes into the kitchen. Eli filled the pots with water and put the rest
of the dishes in the dishwasher. He grabbed a soap cube, placed it in
the container, and started the machine.
“What manner of device is that?”
Eli glanced up at Tani who was standing in the doorway of the
kitchen. ”It’s called a dishwasher. It uses hot water to clean the dishes.”
His mouth dropped open. “You mean you do not wash them by
hand?”
“Some of them we do. Some things will get damaged in the
machine.”
“But why use it at all? Wouldn’t it be faster to wash by hand?”
Eli shrugged. ”I suppose in my case it would, but the machine
uses water that is much hotter than human hands can touch and that
gets the dishes cleaner than just doing them in the sink.”
“Your world is full of wonders.”
“Wait until you see the washing machine,” Ava said as she
grabbed another beer.
“A what?” Tani asked.
Eli and Ava spent the next several hours showing Tani and Keena
the various technological wonders around the house: the microwave,
200 SHAY WEST

washer and dryer, TV and DVD player, the BBQ outside on the patio.
Each thing Eli and Ava showed the pair led to tons of questions,
explanations, and comparisons to their own world. The four went
back to the table. Ava flopped down into one of the chairs.
“I hate to break this up, but it’s getting late. I’m going to head
home,” Ava said, yawning and stretching.
“Are you sure? We haven’t even started talking about the gateways
yet,” Eli said as he took a seat.
Ava waved her hands. “I’m sure. I can hardly keep my eyes open.”
Eli stood. “I’ll take you back to the station to get your car.”
“Nah, it’s all right. I’ll take a cab. You guys stay and talk. There’s
still a lot of ground to cover. You can catch me up in the morning,”
Ava said as she grabbed her phone from her purse.
Eli knew he should do the chivalrous thing and protest, but truth be
told, he wanted to stay and talk with Tani and Keena. They had barely
scratched the surface of the similarities and differences between their
two worlds, let alone discussed the gateways and how to close them for
good. He continued to show Tani and Keena pictures on the internet
and barely heard Ava shout good-bye when her cab arrived.
“Do your people have a King, someone who makes the decisions?”
Tani asked.
“Some countries do, but it’s mainly just for show. Our government
is made up of several groups of people who work together to make laws.”
Tani frowned. “That seems rather complicated.”
Eli barked laughter. “You have no idea.” He met Tani’s eyes. “Time
to tell me about the monastery.”
Tani nodded. “The monastery is the one thing that can override the
King, but no head priest has ever gone against the King. Until the scrolls
were found pertaining to the strange machinery. It had always just
been there in the basement. It was unlike anything anyone had ever
seen. No one knew what it was for or how to run it, so it just sat there
collecting dust and myths.
“It took years for the priests to copy what was written on the delicate
scrolls to the books to be archived in the library. But it was Master
Kelhar who took an interest in them. He holed up in the library for
weeks, barely eating and sleeping, cross-referencing the scrolls to earlier
writings and our Holy books.
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“One day he gathered everyone together, claiming to have figured


out the purpose of the machinery in the basement.” Tani smiled and
shared a glance with Keena. “Remember the first time we officially met?”
She snorted and crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her
eyes at Eli. “Our families happened to be visiting the monastery during
our yearly pilgrimage, along with many other families. It was a fun
time to meet up with friends while the adults prayed in the chapel.
Anyway, he and I ended up being dared to go down to the basement
and touch the machine.” She fixed Tani with a glare. “He made me
go first and locked me in the room.”
Tani rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks going red. “I spent the
next several years apologizing every time we met back there.”
“I should have made you grovel even more.”
“I can’t believe you’d lock her in a scary basement,” Eli said,
covering a smile with his hand.
“It was awful. I pounded on the door and screamed till I was hoarse.”
“I let you out. Eventually.” Tani pursed his lips together.
“You’d better not be laughing at me.”
Eli burst out laughing at how much Keena looked like Ava when
she was angry. I think all women look like that.
“Finish telling me about Master Kelhar,” Eli said, jaws creaking
in a yawn.
“Would you rather wait until morning?” Tani asked.
Eli waved him off. “I’d rather hear at least this much before bed.”
“Master Kelhar claimed the gods had spoken to him in dreams.
That, coupled with what was written in the scrolls, made him certain:
the machine was used to make gateways to another world. And he
also said that we could save many of our sick and dying with the use
of the gateways. He didn’t spell it all out right away, of course.”
“I imagine telling everyone that the gateways would be used to
murder people wouldn’t go over so well,” Eli said.
Tani looked guilty. “That is what I think as well. But at the time it all
seemed so logical. Each year he would claim to have more information
from the gods, another piece of the puzzle. He seemed sincere.”
“How long did it take for him to speak of harvesting organs from
the people here?”
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“I can’t remember exactly, but it was many years after the initial
discovery of the scrolls. That was when he started recruiting the
Harvesters.”
“Who does the actual transplantation of the organs?”
“Master Kelhar mostly.”
Eli leaned forward. “How does he have the knowledge to do that?
On this world it takes a team of specially-trained surgeons to do
such a thing.”
“Some of the machinery in the basement is used for keeping a
body alive while the organs are being replaced. I’ve never witnessed
the surgeries, so I don’t know how it works. But he claims the gods
gave him the knowledge to transplant the organs.”
“Doesn’t that seem fishy to you? What if someone came to you
and said they had a dream and could all of a sudden build a rocket
ship. Would you believe them?” Eli asked.
Tani shook his head.
“And yet your people believed this Master Kelhar about the
surgeries. He was able to perform the extremely difficult surgeries just
fine by having some sort of dream?”
“Of course not. It took him many surgeries to perfect the technique.
But once he did, he was able to save people who would otherwise
have died.”
“He practiced on the patients?”
“Of course. How else was he supposed to learn?”
“Doctors on my world practice on cadavers prior to working on
a living being.”
Tani looked horrified. “It is against everything we believe in to
desecrate the bodies of the dead.”
“But you have no problems practicing on the living?” Eli asked,
his anger returning.
“Master Kelhar said it was the will of the gods,” Tani said in a
small voice.
Eli stood. ”Well, you’ll have to excuse me, but I think your gods
can go screw themselves.”
C HAPTER 32

ELI STARED at the ceiling as the alarm blared. He reached over and
turned it off. Didn’t even need to turn the damn thing on. He hadn’t slept
the whole night, but he didn’t feel as groggy as he knew he should.
His mind was alert and churning through the information from the
previous evening. He was divided between wanting to know more
about Tani and Keena’s strange world, and wishing he’d never heard of
it. The more he heard about Master Kelhar, the more he wanted to
travel to that world and put a bullet in the man’s head.
So many deaths lay at his feet.
He hopped in the shower and scrubbed his skin as though trying
to erase what he had heard from the previous night. He wasn’t sure
how to proceed with the case. According to Tani and Keena, there were
dozens of killers back at the monastery. He knew it was impossible
to get them all and bring them here to serve justice. And what was to
stop Master Kelhar from training more?
Eli was afraid Tani was right; the only way to stop the head priest
was to destroy the machines that ran the gateways. But how? Destroying
the machines meant traveling to Tani and Keena’s world and planting
some sort of explosive. Which meant that whoever planted the bomb
wasn’t going to be leaving.
By all rights it should be Tani and Keena who planted the bomb,
but if they were right about their punishment, they would be put to
death. They deserve it for what they’ve done. Eli didn’t want to listen to
that voice, but he couldn’t help it. Regardless of how much he liked
them, that didn’t change the fact that they had killed five people. He
had a job to do and the law to uphold.
Maybe Ava has some brilliant plan up her sleeve.
204 SHAY WEST

He went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Eli started the coffee,


making a full pot, unsure if Tani and Keena drank coffee. Do they even
have coffee where they’re from? He grabbed eggs, bacon, and bread from
the fridge. He pursed his lips and reached for the onion and tomatoes,
having a sudden urge for some scrambled eggs. He chopped the onions
and tomatoes while the bacon was cooking. As he was scrambling the
eggs, Tani and Keena walked shyly into the kitchen.
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Keena asked.
Eli shook his head. “I think I have it under control. The coffee
will be ready in a few minutes. Not sure if you know what that is or
not, but I have to have it to function in the morning.”
When the coffee was done brewing, he showed them how to add
creamer and sugar. The pair licked their lips and took their coffee to
the table. Eli scrambled up the eggs along with the onions, tomatoes,
and some cumin and pepper. While the eggs were cooking, he put
several pieces of bread in the toaster. He put the bacon on a paper towel
to drain as he scooped the eggs into a large bowl. The toast was hot as
he pulled it from the toaster. He hissed and dropped it on the plate.
He slathered the toast with butter.
Eli took the food into the table along with some jelly for the toast.
“You have bacon!” Tani exclaimed.
“You know what bacon is?” Eli asked.
He and Keena nodded emphatically.
He loaded up his plate with eggs, surprised he was so hungry
after the enormous amount of food he ate last night, but as soon as
the bacon had started cooking, his belly rumbled.
“What a strange way to cook eggs,” Keena said as she eyed her fork.
“It’s called scrambled eggs. The fun thing about these is you can
put stuff in them: vegetables, cheese, meat.”
“We eat them boiled mostly, but I’ve had them fried before,”
Keena said.
Eli nodded. “We boil them too. We have a holiday called Easter
where we boil eggs and decorate them and hide them for kids to find.”
“And then what do you do with the eggs?”
“Eat ‘em, I guess.”
“Sounds like a very strange holiday,” Tani said.
“I suppose it does, doesn’t it?”
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The three of them ate every bite of food, much like the night before.
Eli took the dishes to the sink and groaned when he remembered the
dishes in the dishwasher were clean. For some reason, he had always
hated putting away clean dishes.
Screw it, I’ll leave them for when I get home.
He ignored the other voice in his head that said he would be even
more irritated coming home to a sink full of dirty dishes. Eli stood for a
moment trying to decide if he wanted to bring Tani and Keena with him
or leave them here. Captain Platt will go ballistic if I bring them.
“Okay, you two, here’s the deal. I have to go into the office today
and I can’t take you with me, so you’re going to have to stay here
until I get home.”
“We understand,” Tani said.
“I suppose you can’t read my language, can you?”
Tani shook his head.
“Reading’s out of the question. Guess you guys can watch TV.”
Eli showed them how to work the remote and how to move through
channels using the satellite guide.
“Since you can’t read, you’ll just have to pick something and
watch.” He shrugged as he handed Tani the remote.
He showed them where to find the stuff to make sandwiches for
lunch. Eli opened the cupboard where he kept the chips and other
assorted snacks.
Eli left, hoping he wasn’t making a huge mistake. Guess there’s no
way for them to burn the house down. As he drove to the office, he dialed
Ava’s cell phone.
“You better be on your way to the office,” he said when she answered.
“Give me a break, Robins. I’m already here.”
“One of these days I’ll beat you.”
“Not likely. How are our two visitors?”
“Fine. Full of breakfast and coffee. I showed them how to work the
TV remote, so that should keep them busy until I get back home.”
“Oh, God, Eli you didn’t!”
“What the heck else was I supposed to do? They can’t read, so
giving them a book was out of the question.”
“Anything would be better than giving them the remote. Can
you imagine what they’ll think of us when they get a load of our
entertainment?” She groaned.
206 SHAY WEST

“Fine, tomorrow you can come up with their itinerary,” he said.


“I might just do that. Anyway, get your ass in here.” She hung up.
Eli tossed his phone on the seat and turned on the radio. He bobbed
his head to the hip-hop song. He didn’t know the lyrics, but the tune
was catchy. God, I need to get out more.
Eli hit the steering wheel and kicked himself for not paying closer
attention to the time when he left the house; he was sitting smack dab in
the middle of rush hour traffic. The extra time spent barely crawling
along left him with plenty of time to think. He still didn’t know what
to do about Tani and Keena or how to shut down the gateways without
putting them in danger of losing their lives. Much as he wanted to see
justice served, he didn’t want to see the pair die. Tani and Keena had risked
their own lives to come here and speak the truth about the murders.
That’s gotta count for something, right?
Eli found Ava sitting at her desk pounding away at the keyboard.
“There’s been another murder in Cincinnati.”
“Just the news I didn’t want to hear,” he said as he sat down.
He sifted through the stack of papers on his desk, heart sinking
as he gazed at the face of the young woman who had been killed. After
this many murders he should be better able to handle it, but every time
he saw another bloody face and ruined body, his stomach turned.
“The captain is flipping out. He wants us to lean hard on Tani
and Keena and get them to turn on the others and tell us where their
compound is,” Ava said.
Eli rubbed his eyes, suddenly exhausted. “Well, we can just march
right into Platt’s office and tell him we know who did it. It was Master
Kelhar from another world with a gateway.”
“Very funny.”
“You got any bright ideas?” he asked.
Eli and Ava spent the rest of the day talking to the FBI, getting the
details about the Cincinnati case, and adding the information to the
white board wall.
“No evidence from this killing,” Ava said.
“Even if we did, it wouldn’t make any sense,” Eli said as he moved
closer to the white board. He opened his mouth, but closed it with a snap.
“What?” Ava asked.
“What what?”
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“You acted like you were going to say something, then changed
your mind.”
“I just had an idea, is all.”
“And that idea would be?” she coaxed.
Eli hesitated.
“With all we’ve been through, you seriously think you can’t tell me?”
“I just thought that maybe we should bring the captain in on it.
Maybe even the FBI. I hate knowing the truth and having to keep
quiet about it.”
“We can’t tell them. The last thing we need are a bunch of trigger-
happy fools with the ability to travel to another world.”
“I know, that’s why I didn’t want to tell you the idea. But it
doesn’t feel right to keep this information from the captain.”
“The captain would lock us up in the loony bin.”
“Not if we had Tani and Keena open a gateway,” Eli said.
“I suppose that would convince him.”
“Maybe we should wait a few days before we bring the captain
into it. Talk more with Tani and Keena, find out more about how those
gateways work. Maybe we can find a way to stop Master Kelhar; and
no one else even has to know about the other world,” Eli said.
“Sounds good to me. I’d rather keep this a secret if we can,” Ava said.
“Want to come by again after work? I can grill up some burgers
or something.”
“Sure. So fill me in on what I missed last night,” she said.
“Over lunch. I’m starved,” Eli said.
They walked across the street to a little diner. It wasn’t Eli’s favorite,
but he didn’t feel like walking very far. While they waited for their
order, Eli told her about the discovery of the gateway machinery and
Master Kelhar’s misguided idea of what the gateways were supposed
to be used for, making sure to keep his voice low so the others nearby
couldn’t overhear.
“Maybe he really had some sort of vision,” Ava said before she
took a huge bite of her club sandwich.
“If he did, I doubt it was from a benevolent god. More like from
a devil. Or he was eating some herbs that made him go nuts.”
She shrugged. “You could be right. It’s not the first time some
wack job made a lot of people think he was speaking for the divine.”
208 SHAY WEST

The more Eli thought about it, the more sense it made. The guy
had to be completely off his rocker. Normal, sane people didn’t come
to other worlds and kill others to steal their organs.
“If they would just take the organs from their own people, they
wouldn’t need to come here for them,” Ava said.
“Tani and Keena are more horrified of cutting up a dead body
than they are of killing someone for the organs they need.”
“That’s messed up.”
Eli didn’t argue. He finished the last bite of his French dip and
soaked his fries in the remaining au jus.
On the way back to the station, Ava made him stop at a gas station.
She went to a rack of cheap sunglasses and picked out a couple of pairs.
“Figured Tani and Keena would like them.”
He’d almost forgotten their fascination with the sunglasses he
and Ava wore. Everything fascinates them.
The afternoon passed quickly. Eli kept his eye on the clock, eager
to get back to his house. He hated leaving Tani and Keena alone for
this amount of time. There was no end of trouble they could get into.
After he finished the endless pile of paperwork pertaining to the
enormous case, he grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and
headed to the elevator.
“Ava, I’ll meet you at my place. I gotta hit the store on the way
home,” he called out over his shoulder.
“Want me to bring anything?”
“Grab some beer!”
He stopped at Mrs. Hinsung’s store on the way home, dodging
questions about Ava while he paid for his groceries.
“Ava and I are just partners, Mrs. Hinsung. It’s against policy for
us to see each other, even if we wanted to,” he explained.
“You been alone too long,” she said, giving him a motherly frown.
“I like alone. Good-bye, Mrs. Hinsung.”
Tani and Keena were sitting on the couch watching Independence
Day on TV. They were riveted to the screen, and jumped when the
alien shoved Brent Spiner against the glass of the operating room.
“If you watch too much of that, it will rot your brain,” he said as
he walked by.
Tani stood and approached. “Is this based on real events?”
ORGAN REAPERS 209

Eli guffawed. “No, it’s a movie. Make-believe.”


Tani nodded. “Like a play?”
“I suppose it is, yeah. Never thought about it like that.”
Eli grabbed the fixings for dinner out of the bags and placed them
on the counter.
“Can we help?” Tani asked.
“I think I can handle it.”
“Please, if we are to live here, we need to learn everything we
can so we can fit in,” Tani said.
Eli stopped and looked at Tani. “What do you mean, live here?”
Tani looked genuinely confused. “Since we can’t return home,
we have no other choice than to stay here on this world.”
Eli scratched his head. How do I put this? “Tani, I didn’t know you
and Keena thought you could stay here. Look, it’s not that simple.”
He felt wretched at the look of fright on Tani’s face. Keena joined
them in the kitchen, grabbing Tani’s hand.
“You can’t just come here to live. You need a social security number,
birth certificates, all sorts of things that you just don’t have. If you get
caught without that stuff you will end up in jail.”
“But we can’t return home, don’t you understand that? This is the
only place for us,” Tani said, his voice starting to crack.
“Why don’t we talk more when Ava gets here? Maybe she can
think of something.”
He felt like a schmuck at the hope that blossomed in their eyes. He
knew damn good and well Ava wouldn’t be able to come up with
anything either. With no documentation of any kind to say they even
existed, they would never be able to stay. If they did they’d be homeless,
unable to get jobs, rent a place. The thought of them living like that
made Eli’s stomach turn.
As he got dinner ready, he watched Tani and Keena on the couch.
They sat close together, their heads touching. They talked in whispers;
Eli couldn’t hear what they were saying.
Ava arrived with the beer, something Eli needed at that moment.
“What’s going on?” Ava asked, obviously sensing the tension.
“Tani and Keena brought up the possibility of staying here.
Permanently,” Eli said.
“How do you feel about permanent house guests?” she asked
with a smirk.
210 SHAY WEST

“No, not here here,” he said indicating his house, “but here in the US.”
Ava’s mouth formed an “O” and she winced. “I see.”
“You don’t think it’s a good idea either,” Tani accused.
“It’s not that I don’t think it’s a good idea; it’s that it’s not possible.
You don’t have the proper documentation,” she said.
“Can’t you find some? Or make it? Your people can do so many
wondrous things. You have people traveling the universe and meeting
aliens, why can’t you get us the materials we need to be able to stay
here?” Tani asked.
“Eli, what’s he talking about ships and aliens?” Ava asked.
“Obviously something they saw on TV today,” he said, pinching
the bridge of his nose. “Unless you have proper documentation, you
just can’t stay here. You would end up in jail or on the streets, with
no way to buy food or—”
“But we have coin, lots of it.”
“But it’s not the same thing as the money we use here,” Eli explained.
“Can’t we trade our coin for some of what you use?” he asked
desperately.
“Possibly, but not enough to live on your entire lives.”
“Why can’t we just go find a small plot of land and build a house?
We won’t bother anyone and I swear we won’t kill anyone.”
Eli looked at Ava helplessly. I wish our world was as simple as that.
“Why don’t we go out on the patio while Eli gets dinner ready? Do
you two want a beer?” she asked as they passed by the fridge.
“If it is like coffee, it must be good,” Tani said.
“It’s better than coffee, trust me.”
Eli watched as they walked outside, hoping she could explain
things a little better so the two would understand. He felt awful, like
he’d just broken it to them that there’s no such thing as Santa. They don’t
even know who he is.
Eli mixed the ground beef with a packet of onion soup mix and
shaped chunks of it into patties. He turned on the oven for the fries and
chopped the salad. When the oven was warm, he went outside to turn
on the grill.
Ava was showing them her driver’s license and explaining to them
about birth certificates and social security numbers. Tani and Keena
nodded, both looking dejected.
ORGAN REAPERS 211

We’ve gotta find some way to help them.


Talk turned to more mundane things, mostly Ava trying to explain
that most of what they saw that day on TV probably wasn’t real. He
shook his head at the indignation in her voice when Tani and Keena
couldn’t stop asking about the Kardashians and other reality TV shows.
“Those dumb shows aren’t reality anything. They are a bunch of
crap that will drop your IQ by a hundred points each minute,” Ava
said earnestly.
“What’s an IQ?” Tani asked.
Eli laughed.
After dinner, the group moved into the house, as the weather was
starting to take a turn for the worse. Dark purple clouds moved overhead
and the ominous sounds of thunder rolled in. The first fat raindrops
struck the glass patio table as Eli brought the last of the condiments
in the house.
Keena jumped at a loud crack of thunder.
“Do they not have thunder where you come from?” Ava asked.
“Yes, but the last storm we were in nearly destroyed Tani’s home.”
“My family lives on the coast of the sea, and the storms there can
be very dangerous. We have a cellar that protects the family, and
that’s what’s important,” Tani said.
“We have weather like that here. Hurricanes by the sea and tornadoes
on land. They can destroy entire towns in a matter of minutes,” Ava said,
her eyes growing sad.
“What is it?” Eli asked.
Ava gave a small smile. “Just lost in old memories. My aunt,
uncle, and cousins were killed in a tornado a few years ago. We were
really close.”
“I’m so sorry, I had no idea.”
“It’s okay.”
Eli turned to Tani and Keena. “I’m curious about how those stones
work to open the gateways. Can you explain it to me?”
Tani shook his head. “I only know that they must be placed in a
particular order and the gateway opens.”
“So those have to be some sort of magic, I take it? I doubt there
are little steam engines hidden inside.”
“Master Kelhar had the mages create them.”
212 SHAY WEST

“Doesn’t it bother you to be using technology without the slightest


idea as to how it works?”
“There are a lot of things I don’t know. I don’t know how to build a
steam engine or airship, but I can ride in them. I’ve even driven a steam
engine for a little bit. I can do all that without knowing how they are built.”
Eli nodded grudgingly. “I see your point. But the thing is, someone
on your world knows how those things work and how to build more,
am I right?”
Tani nodded.
“Okay, so who on your world besides Master Kelhar knows about
the stones and the machines that run the gateways?”
“Master Kelhar is the only one with any real understanding. No one
else has access to the original scrolls or the books that have been copied.”
“Doesn’t that strike you as odd? One man having so much power?”
“Not really. Like I said earlier, the monastery has always had
power.”
“But now most of that is in Kelhar’s hands, is it not?”
Tani shrugged. “I suppose so, yes.”
“What would happen if someone took that power away?” Eli asked.
Tani looked horrified. “No one would dare go against the
monastery...”
Eli raised an eyebrow as Tani trailed off. “Someone has already
gone against the monastery. What more can they do to you?”
“What can we do? We don’t have power or weapons or influence,”
Tani said as he looked at Keena.
“I don’t know yet, but I’m sure we can find a way,” Eli said.
C HAPTER 33

“DO YOU SEE these markings? These stand for the five elements:
fire, water, earth, air, and spirit,” Keena explained.
Eli picked up one of the stones from the table and examined it.
He could see that each of the five had different symbols on it. The one
Ava found was this one here.
“What is this one?” Eli asked.
“That one is fire.”
“It’s the same as the one we found on one of the crime scenes,”
Ava said.
Keena’s cheeks turned red. “I dropped one of the stones just
before going through the gateway.”
“I imagine Master Kelhar wasn’t very happy about that,” Eli said.
She shook her head.
“So you just place these in a circle and that’s it? A gateway
opens?” Eli asked.
“You have to put them in a specific order around the circle, but
yes, that’s all there is to it,” Keena said.
“Could I use them, or is it something only someone from your
world can do?”
“I think anyone can do it. The stones do the creating, not the person
who places them.”
Eli glanced at the clock and he groaned. It was past eleven at night.
I need some sleep. “I think it’s time to call it a night.”
“I agree. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Ava grabbed her things from the
side of the couch and left, closing the door softly behind her.
“Can I ask you something?” Tani asked timidly.
214 SHAY WEST

“Of course, you can ask me anything.”


“What will happen to Satrick?”
I’d forgotten about him. “I take it you want me to be honest with you?”
“Of course.”
“He will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. The evidence
we have is circumstantial, but it’s enough to put him behind bars.”
“And you can’t get him out like you did us?”
Eli shook his head. “A different agency has him.”
“The Feds, I remember now,” Tani said.
“They have him on video with two victims. Since we can’t explain
how he was in two places at once, the Feds won’t seek the death penalty.
But they can certainly keep him in jail for the rest of his life.”
“I see.”
“Look, Tani, you have to see this from our perspective. What
would happen to Ava or me if we were to come to your world and
hurt someone, kill them?”
“If the Enforcers caught you, you would likely be taken to the
stockades, taken before a tribunal, and sentenced to die by hanging.”
“Wait, they hang people on your world?” Eli asked, putting his
hand to his neck.
“The commoners. If you are royalty, they chop off your head.”
Eli shook his head, trying to imagine what it would be like to
kneel down, just waiting for the blade to come slamming down on
the back of your neck, severing your head from your body as blood
poured from your still-twitching corpse.
“Well, even if Satrick were to get the death penalty, he wouldn’t
be killed in that fashion, I can guarantee it.”
“How would you do it? I mean, how are people of this world
punished?” Tani asked.
“It depends on what they’ve done. If it’s something small they often
will do community service.” He sighed at a blank look from Tani and
Keena both. “They are given things to do that help other people. Like
picking up garbage along the roads, painting buildings, stuff like that.
“Now if they do something just a little bit bad, like steal something
that belongs to someone else, they are sent to jail for a little bit of
time. The more they steal, the longer time they have to spend in jail.”
ORGAN REAPERS 215

“That’s where Keena and I were kept? The place with bars?” Tani
asked.
“Sort of. You were only in a holding cell. Jail would have a whole
bunch of rooms with bars. You might spend several months to years,
but you would eventually get out.
“Now if you do something really bad like kill someone, you will
go to a bigger jail, called prison, for a very long time. And sometimes
you can get what we call the death penalty.”
“How are people put to death?” Tani asked.
“Something we call lethal injection. They strap you down and inject
drugs that make you sleep and you never wake up.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad. I would rather that than to be hanged,”
Tani said.
“Dead is dead, son, no matter how it’s done,” Eli said.
“I suppose that’s true. I saw a hanging once.” Tani shuddered. “The
man’s neck didn’t break when the trapdoor opened. He dangled there
and choked to death.” Tani looked panicked. “I can’t die like that, at
the end of a rope.”
“If Ava I have anything to say about it, neither of you will die.
We just need to figure out a way to destroy the machines on your world
and see to it that you two can go back there without the specter of
death hanging over you.”

* * *

“Tani, are you still awake?”


“I am now,” Tani said as he rubbed his eyes.
“I couldn’t sleep. All that talk of death and hanging...Tani, I can’t
go back home, not if it means I’ll hang! I just can’t.”
Tani sat up and took her in his arms, letting her sob into his shoulder.
He didn’t like the idea of returning home any more than she did, but
neither could they stay here. Eli had made that clear. To say he had
been disappointed would be an understatement. Tani pictured him
and Keena living out their days on this world where they would be
safe from Master Kelhar’s Enforcers.
Eli had shattered that dream. Now Tani didn’t know what he
and Keena would do. Every time he thought about their situation,
216 SHAY WEST

his stomach felt as though it would empty itself, and his heart raced.
When they had left home, they hadn’t thought everything through;
they just wanted to do what was right.
Please, gods, help us find the way.
Keena sat up. “I got your shirt all wet.”
“It’s okay. Tomorrow I’ll have Eli show me how to use the dryer.”
Keena tiptoed out of the room, and he saw the light turn on in the
bathroom, then the sound of her blowing her nose. He was surprised
when she returned to the room he had been sleeping in rather than hers.
Without a word, she crawled into bed with him and snuggled next
to him. His body responded to her closeness. He swallowed heavily and
tried to get his mind off how smooth her skin felt against his, how her
hair smelled like something he’s never smelled before—something
called coconut—and how what they were doing was very wrong.
“Keena,” he croaked.
She put a finger against his lips. “I’m not asking for anything but
to be near you. I just can’t be alone tonight.”
Tani nodded, hoping she wouldn’t notice the obvious physical sign
of his feelings. If she did, she gave no indication. Soon, her chest rose and
fell with the regular rhythm of sleep. Tani smiled at her slight snore.
He hoped his eyes would close, but sleep eluded him. His mind
churned with the implications of what Eli had told them. If they
couldn’t stay here, they would have to return home. And that option
put them in harm’s way.
Maybe we can escape the monastery, hide out somewhere.
He sighed as his throat tightened. Master Kelhar had sent Enforcers
to bring them back, which meant he had no plans of letting them go. He
would have the gateway room under guard. They would be captured
the minute they returned home.
If we are captured, how are we to destroy the machinery?
C HAPTER 34

THE NEXT MORNING, Eli decided to introduce Tani and Keena to


one of his favorite breakfasts: Cheerios and ice-cold milk. It was his
favorite mainly because it was fast and easy. He hadn’t slept well
last night either and it was beginning to take its toll.
At least you haven’t been drinking as much.
That thought came as a surprise. He’d been so preoccupied with
the murders, the FBI, and learning that there were other worlds out
there to pay much attention. Waking up with a three-alarm hangover
was much worse than just the simple lack of sleep. Lack of sleep was
something he was used to. He’d guzzle the coffee and maybe have
an energy drink in the afternoon.
I’m definitely taking a sleep aid tonight.
Tani and Keena were fascinated with the cereal and milk. There
was nothing on their world that resembled it. They giggled like children
at the cereal floating in the milk.
“It’s even better when you put a little sugar on it,” Eli suggested.
The three sat and enjoyed their coffee and cereal. When Eli went
to put the dishes in the dishwasher, Keena stopped him.
“You have to let us help. We are not used to being waited on,
and feel rather useless,” she said.
Eli relented and went to his room with the master bath to brush
his teeth and finish getting ready.
“Stay away from reality TV today, you two. Ava’s right, it’ll rot
your brain.”
He’d never admit to her that he watched that kind of stuff. Although
he didn’t watch religiously like some people, every now and again it
was hilarious to watch the Kardashians or the people from Jersey
218 SHAY WEST

Shore make complete asses of themselves. Most of the time he watched


things like Criminal Minds or Longmire. He didn’t know why he
watched shows like that after working around that stuff all day, but
he was hooked.
The ride to work was much better than the previous day. What a
huge difference an hour makes. He stopped by the coffee shop to grab
him and Ava a cup of coffee. There hadn’t been any left; Tani and
Keena were sure developing an enjoyment of the caffeine.
As usual, Ava was already at her desk.
“How the hell do you do it?” he asked as he handed her a cup.
“I’ve always been an early bird. Never have been able to sleep in.”
“Anything new?”
She shook her head. “The captain said he wants to meet with us
this afternoon, but he didn’t say why.”
“At least there weren’t any more murders last night. That’s good
news at least.”
Around noon, Eli’s phone rang. It was Agent Dagget.
“Just thought you’d like to know we are moving forward with
the trial against Satrick. The evidence is circumstantial, but we think
we can win the case. The guy isn’t exactly denying anything. Still
keeping quiet and not saying much actually. What happened with
the two you captured?”
“We had to let them go. Not enough evidence to hold them,” Eli said.
“Word is that they’re staying with you. That true?”
He didn’t like Dagget’s tone. “Just until we catch the guys who
tried to kill them.”
“So you’re keeping them safe so you can squeeze them for information,
that what you’re saying?”
“Pretty much.”
A long pause. “Make sure to keep us in the loop if you do find
out anything.”
“Of course.”
Eli hung up, the taste of bile at the back of his throat. Dagget had
been fishing, which meant the FBI suspected the detectives knew
more than what they were saying.
He ain’t wrong.
“What was that all about?” Ava asked.
ORGAN REAPERS 219

“The lovely Agent Dagget just wanted to let me know they are
going forward with the trial against Satrick, and that he knows Tani
and Keena are staying with me.”
“I wish there was something we could do for Satrick,” Ava said.
“I know, but that’s out of our hands. The only ones we can help
are Tani and Keena.”
“How are we supposed to do that? I’ve been wracking my brain
and can’t think of anything where those two don’t end up dead at
the hands of that head priest guy.”
“I think I have an idea, but I need to work on it a bit more, iron
out some details before I tell you.”
Ava raised an eyebrow. “Knowing you, it’s crazy as hell.”
“And dangerous as hell. But it just might work.”
Eli refused to say anything more about his plan, mainly because
he wasn’t one hundred percent certain what he was going to do, but
as the day passed, a plan solidified in his mind. I just hope everyone
will agree to it.
“You two, my office.”
Eli had been so lost in thought he hadn’t heard Captain Platt
approach. He stood and followed Platt into his office. He heard Ava’s
footfalls coming right behind him.
“Close the door,” Platt ordered.
Ava complied before taking a seat in a chair in front of Platt’s
desk. Eli wiped his sweaty palms on his slacks. His captain looked
irritated. Better than supremely pissed off.
“You still got those two kids staying at your house?”
Eli cleared his throat. “It was for their protection, until we catch
the two thugs that tried to kill them.”
“Since when is it your job to take in strays? Wait, not strays, suspects
in a murder investigation!” Platt slammed his hand on the desk.
Okay, now he’s supremely pissed.
“They’re just kids with no money, no ID. It just didn’t seem right
to leave them out on the streets.”
“Kids, right. Well, in case you forgot these ‘kids’ have killed people!
We may not be able to prove it, but we all know it’s true.” He looked
between Eli and Ava.
“It’s not permanent, just until we catch the two guys that disappeared.
Then they can return to the shelter.”
220 SHAY WEST

“The thugs that disappeared. That reminds me, the cops on scene
said you ordered them to search the buildings across the street. Did
you see the perps in those buildings?”
“No, sir, but I didn’t want to take any chances that the perps
were hiding over there and we ended up missing them.”
“Really? That’s strange. One of the cops reported seeing a strange
flash of light just moments after you ordered everyone to leave. Now,
call me crazy, but it seems from my end that you wanted to be alone
with those two murdering kids, away from prying eyes.”
Eli swallowed, trying unsuccessfully to get some spit in his suddenly
dry mouth. “How long have you known me?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Just answer the question.”
Platt raised his eyebrow and placed his hands on the desk. Eli
knew he was pushing it.
“Sixteen, maybe seventeen years.”
“And in that time have I ever done anything out of line?” He waved
his hands as Platt rolled his eyes. “Okay, let me rephrase that. Have I ever
done anything way out of line? Anything that would jeopardize a case?”
Platt pursed his lips and exhaled a long, drawn-out breath. “No.”
“I am asking you to trust me, to trust us,” he pointed to Ava.
“There’s something going on here that I can’t tell you, but Tani and
Keena are at the center of something, well, let’s just say, unusual.”
“So unusual you can’t tell your own captain?”
Eli sighed. “All I’m asking is a few more days. Then we’ll explain
everything.”
Platt stood staring at him for so long Eli feared he had gone too
far. But when Platt sat down heavily in his chair, Eli knew he’d won.
“I’ll give you a few days. Only because nothing about this case
makes any sense, but my gut is telling me that you’re right about one
thing: there’s definitely something unusual going on.” He pointed a
finger at Eli and Ava. “But don’t push your luck. Unusual or not, we
still have a job to do and killers to stop.”
Eli left the office, sighing in relief. The captain was giving him a
lot more leeway than he would have any other detective on the force,
and Eli knew it. He hated taking advantage of Platt, but he had to
keep an eye on the big picture. Focusing on finding evidence on Tani
and Keena would be a waste of time. And the killings would continue.
ORGAN REAPERS 221

“Maybe we should just come clean to Platt,” Ava said as they


walked back to their desks.
“Not yet. We’re protecting him by keeping him in the dark.”
“Protecting him?”
“We’re treading unknown waters here. And if everyone agrees
to my little plan, it will be even worse.”
Ava’s eyes widened. “Worse how?”
“It could mean our badges. Or even our lives.”
She sat back in her chair and looked him right in the eye. “I’ve
come with you this far. Whatever your plan is, let’s hear it.”
“Not yet. I want to tell Tani and Keena about it. It involves them too.”
She nodded, though looked thoroughly irritated. “I guess I can wait.”
Eli saw Captain Platt arrive out of the corner of his eye. The man’s
face told Eli everything he needed to know.
“We got another one.”
C HAPTER 35

“I CAN’T BELIEVE they did this in broad daylight,” Ava said as they
drove to the crime scene.
“Bastards are getting bolder,” Eli said, swerving between cars,
blues and reds flashing.
The murder happened on the other side of town in one of the
suburbs. Eli flew past dilapidated buildings, most of them abandoned.
Roofs were caving in, windows broken, weeds and vines choking
fences and yards. There weren’t many people out and about on the
cracked streets and sidewalks.
He saw the flashing blue and red lights near an over-grown field.
He spotted Sherry Abeyta climbing out of the white coroner’s van.
She moved through thick weeds that were almost as tall as she was.
In moments, she disappeared from view.
“Shall we?” Ava asked.
Platt hadn’t given them any information about the victim, so Eli
had no idea what they were about to walk into. But he knew what
they would find: someone with their chest cavity splayed open, the
white of the ribs peeking out from red flesh, their belly opened from
sternum to navel, various internal organs removed with surgical
precision, blood soaking the ground, glazed eyes and the stench of death
over the whole mess.
He pulled on a pair of nitrile gloves as he moved through the
thick weeds, Ava following close behind. He heard muffled voices
coming from the left. He pushed the brush aside and winced when
he caught sight of the body.
It was a young boy, maybe eight or nine. He’d been blonde at
one time, but his golden locks were saturated in crimson. His mouth
ORGAN REAPERS 223

was open, like he had died screaming. Eli swore he could still see
terror in his brown eyes.
“Christ, it’s another kid,” Ava said from behind him.
Sherry glanced up at the detectives as they approached, and Eli
winced at the anger in her eyes. “Damn it all to hell, Eli, why haven’t
you two caught these sons-of-bitches yet?”
“We’re doing all we ca—”
“Like hell. Word is you’ve got two of them staying at your place!
That’s not the Eli Robins I know,” she said as she continued to examine
the body.
Her words stung. “You do know me, Sherry, and if I tell you we’re
working on it, you can bet your ass I’m working on it.”
“Well, do it faster. I’m tired of coming to crime scenes like this.”
Sherry had been a coroner for more years than he’d been a detective.
Eli imagined she’d seen the worst of the worst. For her to say she was
tired of it spoke volumes.
“Ava and I will nail the bastards or die trying.”
Sherry sighed and rubbed her face with the crook of her arm. “I’m
sorry, guys. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
“It’s all good. Believe me, we’ve had enough of this case too,” Ava
said, kneeling down for a closer look.
“As far as I can tell he’s only missing his heart. His abdomen and
back are intact,” Sherry said.
“Any other evidence?” Eli asked.
“None that we could find. Just like the others.”
Not surprising. “Let us know if you happen to find anything,” Eli said.
He and Ava walked back to the car, knowing there wasn’t anything
more they could do. Sherry would call if she found anything, as would
the CSIs on the scene. Eli knew they wouldn’t find anything, not so
much as a single footprint. Like it matters even if they do.
Any footprint, fingerprint, or DNA they happened to find wouldn’t
match anything in the databases anyway. Only Ava and I know the
truth. He didn’t talk as they made their way back to the station. The
plan he had earlier for stopping Master Kelhar was no longer going
to work. There was another important piece he needed to add into
the mix. It was necessary, but it was going to complicate things.
I just hope everyone agrees.
224 SHAY WEST

When he left that afternoon, he told Ava to come over between


six and six thirty.
“I’m ordering pizza,” he said as he walked to the elevator.
“I’ll bring the beer,” Ava said.
Eli smiled. He was beginning to enjoy the evenings hanging out
with Ava. Stop right there. He sighed, knowing the voice was right.
He ignored the smirks and pointed looks from the other detectives. They
were only teasing. They all knew Eli walked the straight and narrow
when it came to the job; he’d never do anything to jeopardize it.
My plan just might.
He would just have to be happy fantasizing about his hot partner.
He damn sure wasn’t ready to actually start a relationship with anyone,
even Ava. He enjoyed her company, but he’d never be able to open
up to her or truly trust her in the way that needed to happen in a
relationship. He trusted her with his life as it pertained to the job, but
it wasn’t the same thing.
Eli rolled the window down and turned up the radio, enjoying the
cool breeze that flowed through the car. It wouldn’t be long until this
weather gave way to winter’s biting cold, so he planned on enjoying
these fall days as long as possible.
Tani and Keena were watching TV when he got home. Both bounced
up off the couch, eager to have real human contact. Eli didn’t blame
them; the TV was a poor substitute for the real thing.
“What sort of nonsense did you two watch today?” he asked as
he put his keys and badge on the table next to the door.
“Lots of things. There was a program about a period of your history
called the Wild West. Very violent, but very intriguing. Then there was
a show all about food and cooking. We never realized there were so
many different things to cook,” Keena said.
“We did watch something today that was disturbing,” Tani said.
Eli braced himself, wondering if he and Keena had managed to
find something pornographic or something.
“There were a lot of people and they were doing very mean
things, very bad things. This one girl was having relations with a man
who was not her husband and she was plotting to also kill her husband
to take his money.”
Eli had no idea what sort of nonsense Tani had watched.
ORGAN REAPERS 225

“Don’t forget the part about the guy that wakes up from that
thing called coma and finds his wife with another man,” Keena added.
Eli bent at the waist laughing. “You guys watched a soap opera?”
“I don’t understand what that show had to do with soap,” Tani
said, clearly confused.
Eli had to sit down at the table. He laughed until his sides hurt
and tears fell from his eyes. The looks of utter confusion on the faces
of his guests only made him laugh harder.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh, it’s just...” he trailed off as more
laughter burst forth. How long has it been since I’ve laughed like that?
“I am not even sure I can explain what soap operas are. But they aren’t
real either. Well, I guess they are kinda real, but just way more dramatic.”
“Tani and I want to help with the meal tonight,” Keena said.
Eli smiled and shook his head. “Tonight someone else is going to
do the cooking and will bring it to us. Come here, I’ll show you.”
He beckoned them closer while he opened his laptop. He punched
in the URL for Pizza Hut and rubbed his hands together greedily.
“I already know you two like meat, so I figured we’d get a pizza
loaded with everything.”
Eli chose the size, sauce, and toppings while Tani and Keena looked
on in awe. He added a large order of breadsticks and a bottle of Coke.
He had an account, so check-out was a quick affair.
“Now we wait for them to bring it to us,” Eli said.
“You have people that will bring you food?” Tani asked.
“Isn’t it great? I use this website a lot, actually. It’s easier to order
a pizza than to cook when it’s just me.”
“Just you? But I thought you and Ava...” Keena trailed off.
“We’re partners at work and that’s all. That’s not to say we’re
not close because most partners are, it’s part of the job; but we aren’t
together like I think you’re thinking.” Eli gave the two a knowing
glance. “What about you two?”
“Oh, we’re not...I mean, we’re partners, certainly, but...” Tani
stammered.
“I just assumed when I heard you talking in the room the other
night.” He shrugged. “Well, you know.”
“We were just talking. It is forbidden for unmarried people to
do...” Keena flailed her hands.
226 SHAY WEST

“What happens if you get caught?” Eli asked, sure he didn’t


want to know.
“The two people are forced to marry and there is no dowry,”
Tani said.
“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Eli said.
“It’s awful. Without a dowry, the young couple is forced to beg
until they can get on their feet,” Keena said.
“The families don’t help?”
Tani shook his head. “The families uphold the laws and traditions.”
“Do you have arranged marriages?” Eli asked.
“The upper class and royalty do, yes, but commoners are allowed
to marry whomever they choose,” Keena said.
“And do you two plan on marrying someday?” Eli laughed at the
expression on their faces. “It’s not a secret. It’s obvious how you two
feel about each other.”
“We’ve never discussed it before. This is highly improper,” Tani
said, shuffling his feet.
“It’s perfectly proper here. Anyway, I think you two are good for
each other.”
Keena looked at Tani sadly. “We’ll have to see how everything turns
out with all of this before we even think about living a life together.”
Tani merely nodded.
“I think I have a plan, but I want to wait until Ava gets here to
go over it,” Eli said.
The three sat on the couch and watched TV to wait for Ava. He
refused to let them watch any more soap operas or reality shows. He
scrolled through the channels and landed on one of his favorite movies.
Eli settled back and explained the awesomeness that was John
Wayne to Tani and Keena. The pair sat riveted to the screen, unable to
grasp that none of it was real. Eli went to the table, grabbed his laptop,
and showed them pictures and videos of movies being filmed.
“Personally, I hate watching how they make the movies. Kinda
ruins the magic, so to speak,” he added, forgetting that these two actually
believed in magic.
A knock at the door signaled the arrival of the pizza. If it had been
Ava, she would have knocked quickly, then walked right in. He
grabbed his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans and paid the young
ORGAN REAPERS 227

kid at the door. Eli juggled the two large pizzas, breadsticks, and Coke.
His stomach gave a loud rumble as he caught a whiff of the pizza
wafting through the cardboard box.
He placed the food on the counter and grabbed some paper plates
from the bottom cupboard. Just then, Ava arrived, her arms loaded with
six packs of beer.
“Perfect timing, partner,” Eli said as he side-stepped the open
fridge door.
“That’s me! I always arrive when the food’s ready,” she said as
she put the beer in the fridge.
She came back up with four bottles of microbrews. Eli was normally
a MGD drinker, but since working with Ava, he found he liked the fancy
crap she tended to drink.
Eli laughed at the looks of ecstasy that passed over Tani and Keena’s
faces when they bit into the moist, gooey pizza. They ate so fast, Eli
feared they would choke to death. He couldn’t blame them; it was
hard to eat slowly when the food was this good.
Tani and Keena giggled when they took their first drink of carbonated
beverage.
“You gave the kids Coke? They’re gonna be on a sugar high,”
Ava scolded.
“It’s not like it’s a school night,” Eli said taking a huge bite of a
breadstick slathered in marinara.
Ava laughed and put her hand over her mouth to prevent
spewing food all over the kitchen table.
After dinner, the four sat at the table. Eli knew they were waiting on
him to begin, as this was his show, but he wasn’t sure how to broach the
subject. What he was going to ask them to do would be dangerous.
He took a deep breath and began speaking.
C HAPTER 36

“JUST TO WARN YOU, this plan of mine is crazy and dangerous,


but it’s the only thing I could come up with. If anyone has their own
ideas or stuff to add to the plan, I’d love to hear it.” When no one
objected, he continued.
“We need to destroy the machines that run the gateways. That
much I think we can all agree on. The question is how to do it.” He turned
to face Tani. “What sort of weapons do you have on your world?”
“Swords and knives.”
“That’s it? No firearms, explosives?” Eli asked.
Tani shook his head. Eli sighed. He’d been expecting this, but he
had been hoping for a miracle.
“Okay, then we’ll have to bring our own weapons with us.” He
frowned. “We can do that, right?”
“You can bring anything you want through the gateway,” Tani said.
Eli rubbed his hands together. “That’s good news. Okay, so here’s
what I was thinking. We go through the gateway and use explosives to
blow up the machinery.”
Ava blinked and leaned back. “Just like that, huh? Waltz on in
there and blow the thing up?”
“Give me a minute, there’s more. And I don’t think you’re going
to like it.” He glanced at Tani and Keena. “We also need to destroy
the scrolls and any other writing pertaining to the machinery, so that
no one can ever rebuild it.”
“Eli, you have lost your mind.” Ava crossed her arms over her chest.
“It’s the only way to close this case for good. If we don’t destroy
the machine, more of them will keep coming and the dead bodies
will just keep piling up. If we only destroy the machine that runs the
ORGAN REAPERS 229

gateway, but not the writing that describes it, Master Kelhar will be
able to repair or rebuild it. Then we’re right back where we started.”
“What you ask is impossible. The scrolls and books are kept in
Master Kelhar’s private chambers,” Tani said.
“That’s why we need you two to come along on this little trip
through the gateway. We need to find Master Kelhar and steal the books
and scrolls. The fastest way to do that is to have you both lead the way.”
“Eli, can you hear yourself? Taking these kids on a job like this?
It’ll never work,” Ava said.
“That’s only because we’ve never done anything like this. But
it’ll work. It has to.”
“This is a very bad idea.”
“Do you have anything better? Because if so, I’d love to hear it.
We’re out of options and out of time.”
Ava opened her mouth to protest, but closed it again, shaking
her head. “If we’re going to do this, we need a solid plan.”
Eli nodded and got up from the table. He came back with several
pieces of printer paper and some pencils. He handed them to Tani
and Keena.
“I need you guys to draw the monastery. Every detail. Outside and
inside. This is important. I need to know the location of doors, windows,
trees, bushes, anything that can provide cover, where the Enforcers are
stationed, how many people occupy the monastery, everything.”
“We will try our best,” Tani said, taking a pencil and beginning
his drawing.
Eli turned to Ava. “We’ll need to get our hands on some explosives.”
“Oh sure, let me just run to the corner market and get some.”
“I’m serious, Ava. If we’re going to disable the gateway machinery,
we have to blow it to kingdom come.”
She reached across and took his hands in hers. He didn’t quite
know how to respond, so he left them there. She had a look on her face
he couldn’t decipher.
“What I’m about to tell you, you can never repeat, nor ask me
anything about it, nor ever ask me to do anything like this again.
Understood?”
Eli swallowed and nodded, unable to make a sound.
“I can get the explosives.” She held up a finger when he opened
his mouth. “You can’t ask, remember?”
230 SHAY WEST

He was beginning to regret his promise to keep quiet. If she can


get what we need, who cares?
“Okay, so that part is taken care of. Once those two finish the
layout, we’ll be able to make a more solid plan.”
“I take it we’re going armed?”
“To the teeth,” he said with a grin.

* * *

Eli looked over the pictures of the monastery. If Tani was right
about the dimensions, it was big, bigger than he expected. Damn, it’s
gonna be hard to cover everything. Eli rubbed his grainy eyes, wishing
there were another twenty hours in the day. “Hey, it’s getting late.
Why don’t we finish this tomorrow?”
“Great plan. I can hardly keep my eyes open,” Ava said.
“You okay to drive home?”
“I’ve driven way more tired than this,” she said, as she got up
from the table. She smiled as she looked down at Keena and Tani,
both with their heads on the table.
“I’ll get these two to bed. You head out. See you at the office
tomorrow.” He yawned so hard his eyes watered.
He woke up the pair asleep at the table and waited until they
shuffled to their rooms before turning out the lights and heading to
his own room. He quickly brushed his teeth and pulled off his shirt.
He contemplated taking a shower, but decided to wait until morning.
He removed his pants, placing his gun on the bedside table. He crawled
under the covers and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
C HAPTER 37

ELI GRABBED THE DRAWINGS of the monastery before he left


for the office. He wrestled with bringing the pictures or leaving them
behind. Bringing them meant a chance someone would see and wonder
what he was doing with rudimentary schematics. If Platt caught him,
he’d demand to know what was going on. But leaving them behind
meant a whole day of planning wasted. The sooner he could figure out
what the plan was, the sooner they could close the gateways for good.
Ava was already at her desk, and even had a cup of coffee waiting
for him.
“Did you bring the drawings?” she asked in a low voice.
“Sure did. And I think this might be easier than I was thinking
last night.” He scooted his chair around the side of his desk and Ava
did the same.
“At first I was worried about the location of Master Kelhar’s quarters.
But see here?” He showed her a window just outside the gateway
chamber and another near Master Kelhar’s chambers. “Tani and Keena
can exit the window, sneak around the outside of the building, and keep
under cover of the bushes that run along most of the building. There’s a
few places where they lose cover, but we’ll have to risk it. If Tani is
right, Master Kelhar’s private library has its own window. They can
go in, burn the scrolls, and be gone without Kelhar ever knowing
they were there.”
Ava nodded. “And what do we do while they’re gone?”
“We set up the explosives.”
“We’ll need to have them show us how to set the machine for
home before they go to Master Kelhar’s quarters. I really don’t want
to get stuck on another world, Eli.”
232 SHAY WEST

He looked up at the sound of fear in her voice. He hadn’t really


thought much about what would happen if they couldn’t get back home.
“I don’t want to either. So we’ll have them get everything ready and
show us how to activate the machine. Then we set the timers and off for
home we go.”
“What happens if we meet some opposition?”
“We take them out.”
“Just like that, huh?”
“I’m not for wanton killing, but we have more than seventy
victims who deserve whatever justice we can dish out. Since we can’t
punish the ones who did the actual killing, this is the next best thing.
We take out their damn machine, so they can’t come here ever again.”
She sighed. ”You’re right. I hate to think of killing innocent people,
but you’re right. If we don’t do something, even more people will die.”
“How soon can you get the explosives?”
“I already got in touch with my contact and he can have what I
need by tonight.”
“That soon?” He rubbed his face. “Guess that means we can
leave as early as tomorrow.”
Ava took a deep shuddering breath. “This is crazy, absolutely crazy!
We’re sitting at our desks discussing a plan to blow up machinery on
another world.”
Eli’s pulse raced. He’d been unwilling to believe the truth until it
showed up and nearly blinded him. But now that he knew who was
really behind the killings, he had to act. Eli thanked the cop side of
his brain for that. He could waste time denying the truth, or he could
act on the evidence.
“So it looks like I’m coming over again tonight?” she smirked.
“You have been spending an awful lot of time at my house lately.
You gotta be careful. People around here are gonna start talking,” he
said, as he moved his chair out of range of her flying fists.
Eli walked over to the white boards, knowing that if everything
went as planned, there wouldn’t be any more pictures of victims to
add. There was a separate board dedicated to the best surveillance
footage they had of the killers. Platt had given every one of them to
the press in the hopes that someone in the general public would call
in with information. Eli and Ava played along, knowing that no one
ORGAN REAPERS 233

would be calling with any solid leads. Part of Eli wanted to tell the
public the truth: that soon they wouldn’t have to worry anymore about
being butchered in the streets, that he and his partner had everything
well in hand.
They’d lock me in the nut house.
Ava walked up beside him. “Tell me this is gonna work.”
He looked down at her and smiled. “It’s gonna work.”
She breathed deeply and let out a sigh. “I’m going to go do something
normal and mundane and having nothing to do with other worlds. I’ll
see you at your place with the goods.”
Eli busied himself with the endless amounts of paperwork that
accompanied the job. He hated not being able to put all of the information
he and Ava had obtained in the last few days into the file folders.
Normally, they would be about four inches thick by this point in
the investigation.
Even if he and Ava were successful in shutting down the gateways
for good, no one here would ever know about it. The victims’ families
would blame the police department, tell them they weren’t doing their
jobs, demand they do something. There would be the occasional news
broadcast with Platt asking for information, and a few leads would
trickle in, but none would pan out. The cases would all go cold.
Ava left the office before he did. “See you later. Save me a beer
or four.”
Eli found endless tasks to do, telling himself he wanted to complete
them before going home. But a small voice in his head giggled and
accused him of being afraid. Once he had the explosives in hand,
there would be no turning back.
You’re scared of being on another world.
That was the real kicker. Sure, he was afraid of dying, the same
as the next guy. Not that he obsessed about it or anything, but he wasn’t
at peace with the idea either. He’d never been religious or even
spiritual, so the idea of death was a scary void of unknown.
But setting foot on another world was something that made his
brain go lalalalalalala, like little kids with their fingers in their ears,
ignoring their parents. The thought of being left behind made his blood
run cold. Is their world even in the same galaxy? The same universe? He’d
never been good at physics, so these thoughts of other worlds were
enough to make his head want to explode.
234 SHAY WEST

He finished up and made himself walk to the elevator, despite


wanting to do anything he could to put off going back to the house.
Chasing perps, picking over dead bodies for evidence, questioning
suspects, hell, even exchanging gun fire were parts of the job he knew
and loved. Putting the bad guys behind bars was what he lived for.
Traveling to other worlds wasn’t what he signed up for.
But it’s what you got.
His anxiety rose in small increments the closer he got to home. When
he passed the Hinsung’s store, he was shaking so badly he wondered if
he’d be able to make the turn onto his street.
As he pulled into his driveway, the shaking had stopped, as had
the racing of his racing heart. Numbness had settled over him like a
soft blanket. Eli gladly wrapped himself in its familiar warmth. He
was used to this feeling, he could deal with it. He just hoped it lasted
until this damn fool mission was over.
Tani and Keena were sitting outside on the patio. Eli shook his head
when he saw them holding hands, but being careful to remain with
their bodies apart. He just couldn’t understand the mentality that
demanded people not engage in anything sexual in nature until they
were married. It seemed antiquated and needless. What was a marriage
certificate anyway? Just a piece of paper that meant that when things
went south, it would take another piece of paper and a lot of headaches
to get things back to what they were before the original piece of paper.
The magic piece of paper didn’t make his marriage last, didn’t make
his ex think twice before cheating on and eventually leaving him.
Gee, you’re a barrel of laughs.
Eli grabbed a beer and opened the door to the patio. Tani and
Keena let go of each other’s hands and looked guilty.
“Relax, it’s just me. I’m not going to stone you to death for holding
hands,” he said as he flopped down in one of the patio chairs.
“It’s so difficult to get rid of the ideas we’ve grown up with. A boy
and girl can’t hold hands until they are officially betrothed,” Tani said.
“It’s not like you guys haven’t held hands before.”
“We’re just more aware of how our behavior would look to those
on our world since our discussion yesterday. If we have to return there,
we can’t forget our place.”
“I’m sorry. I wish there was another way...”
ORGAN REAPERS 235

“It’s not your fault. We don’t belong on this world any more than you
belong on ours. We’ll find a way to elude Master Kelhar’s Enforcers.”
Eli clapped Tani on the shoulder. “Maybe we can come up with
some way to help you guys while we finalize the plan tonight.”
“That means we’ll be leaving soon,” Keena said.
“The sooner we destroy the machines, the sooner we can stop the
killings,” Eli said.
The three sat outside trying to enjoy the cool evening, each lost on
their own thoughts. Eli smiled when Tani and Keena’s hands found one
another’s again. Those two couldn’t fight it even if they wanted to. Eli took a
swig of his beer and hoped Ava would return empty-handed. If she
came with the explosives, it meant they would have to go through with
his fool plan. He was fairly certain it would work, but he’d never
planned anything like this. Raiding a suspect’s home was a walk in the
park compared to this.
When his stomach gave a loud rumble, he decided to introduce
the pair to the culinary delights of Thai food. He called in an order
and walked back outside, leaving the sliding glass door open so he
could hear the doorbell.
“Does it hurt going through the gateway?” Eli asked, taking a
swig of his second beer.
“It tingles a bit, but no, it doesn’t hurt,” Tani said.
“Are you alert when you come out the other end?”
“There’s a bit of time to acclimate, but it doesn’t usually take long.
Why do you ask?”
“If there are guards in the room, we’ll need to act quickly. We
can’t afford to be disoriented.”
“I wish I could tell you there wouldn’t be any, but there will. I
can’t say how long yours will last.”
Eli sighed. It wasn’t what he’d been hoping to hear, but at least
he knew what to expect. He and Ava would need to be on high alert
as soon as they passed through to take out any guards who might be
in the room. Who are you kidding? There’ll be guards.
The doorbell rang. He jumped up and grabbed his wallet from
his back pocket. He handed the smiling delivery guy at the door some
cash and told him to keep the change.
236 SHAY WEST

He brought the food into the kitchen and opened the various
containers, sniffing each one before he put it back on the counter. He
grabbed some paper plates and plastic silverware out of the cabinet,
knowing he wouldn’t want to wash dishes tonight.
He hollered at Tani and Keena to come load up their plates.
“Aren’t we going to wait for Ava?” Keena asked.
“Ava is getting us something very important that we need for
our journey. I’m not sure how long she’ll be, so I figured we’d eat
now. She can eat when she shows up.”
The food was hot and in large quantities, which was just how Eli
liked it. He even liked it leftover. It was the only thing he really liked
as leftovers. Most everything else he would just throw away, knowing
he’d never eat it the next day.
He showed Tani and Keena how to use chopsticks. Surprisingly, the
two picked up the trick rather quickly, much more quickly than he had.
They deftly maneuvered the wooden sticks to pick up slices of beef and
broccoli dripping in sauce, and popped everything into their mouths.
“I will miss the food of this world,” Tani said as he sat back in his
patio chair.
“Perhaps you two can start a restaurant.”
“We couldn’t make the food without the spices. Perhaps we can
improvise with what we can find on our own world,” Tani said.
“I can send you with spices and recipes to help you get started.”
“That is most generous,” Keena said as she shared a glance with
Tani. “Do you think we could really do it?”
“Absolutely. Here, I’ll show you some recipes and gather a bunch
of spices together.”
Eli spent the next hour copying recipes onto new sheets of paper
and gathering the spices. I can always buy more. Tani and Keena smelled
each one, trying to figure out if they had something similar on their
world. With a grin, Eli grabbed his phone and sent a quick text to Ava,
hoping she got it before arriving at his house. He knew it would add
time to her already busy evening, but he didn’t want to leave the two.
Besides, I still have a lot more recipes to copy down for them.
Tani placed the spices and sheets of paper inside his knapsack as
though he was dealing with something delicate that would break if he
wasn’t careful. The trio watched TV while they waited for Ava. Eli
ORGAN REAPERS 237

checked his phone every ten seconds, hoping for a text to let him know
she was on the way, but it remained silent. He tried to lose himself in the
program about life at the bottom of the ocean, but he was too distracted
to enjoy it.
Ava finally arrived around nine. Eli met her at the door, knowing
that if she had managed to obtain the explosives, she would bring
them inside rather than leaving them in her car. She was lugging two
large tote bags. She handed them both to Eli and gave him a withering
look before going back out to her car and grabbing her purse and a
smaller plastic sack. He put the bags on the floor.
She shoved the plastic bag in his hands. “Next time you get the
urge to grow a flippin’ herb garden, don’t pick the night I have to get
explosives, m’kay?”
Eli held up his hands. “They aren’t for me.”
He gave Tani and Keena the plastic bag. “I had Ava grab you seeds
for all of the herbs in the recipes I gave you. The spices in the containers
won’t last forever. This way, you’ll have a steady supply of herbs.”
“You’re giving them spices?” Ava asked incredulously.
“We are going to start a restaurant with the recipes from this
world,” Tan said excitedly, brandishing the pieces of paper.
“Isn’t that against some interstellar law or something?” she asked.
Eli rolled his eyes. “It’s just some herbs and spices.”
“Right. Until the land is overrun with basil and oregano.”
“Just imagine what a pretty-smelling world that would be.”
She rolled her eyes and didn’t say anything else, which was fine
by Eli. Maybe what he was doing wasn’t the best thing, introducing
a plant species to an alien world, but if it gave Tani and Keena a little
hope, it was worth it.
Eli retrieved the bags with the explosives from near the front door
and brought them into the kitchen. He carefully opened the top of
one of the bags and whistled. He was no expert, but what Ava had
brought seemed very complicated.
“I know I swore never to ask, but Ava, geez, where did you get
these? This was done by a pro.”
“Yes, they were,” she said.
Eli raised an eyebrow. “And that’s it?”
“That’s it.”
238 SHAY WEST

Eli hated not knowing, but she had kept her end of the bargain
and he wouldn’t push her about it. There were three of the devices,
each complete with a digital timer. He placed the one in his hand
carefully back in the bag.
He looked at Ava, Tani, and Keena, the ones who would share in
this adventure with him. They looked at him expectantly and he didn’t
know what to say. Should I be giving them a pep talk or something?
“I was going to wait and use the gateway in the morning, but I
think we stand a better chance if we hit them at night.”
“There will be fewer people in the chamber during the overnight
hours,” Tani said.
“That’s what I figured. Okay, let’s go over the plan one more time.”
C HAPTER 38

ELI DROVE through the dark city, the street lights flashing a rhythm
over the windshield. No one spoke. He knew each of them had to come to
grips with what they were about to do, and no amount of idle chatter was
going to make it better or easier. He didn’t even bother with the radio.
He drove them to the same abandoned lot where he had first seen
the gateway. It seemed fitting somehow. The car entered the lot with
a soft crunch of gravel beneath the tires. He sat in the car after coming
to a stop, wanting to make sure there was no one in the area. It wasn’t
an area known to be frequented by the homeless, but that didn’t
mean there wasn’t one or two lurking in the darkness.
Ava exited first and stood by the side of the car with her arms
crossed over her chest as though warding off the cold. Or fear. She
tried to hide it, but Eli could see it in the tightness around her eyes,
the stiff way she walked. I’ll get us both back alive.
He opened the door; the creaking sounded much too loud in the
quiet parking lot. Eli went to the trunk and grabbed the tote bags
containing the explosive devices. Tani and Keena stood to the side.
Eli handed one of the bags to Ava and she slung it over her shoulder.
He took the second and laid it on the ground.
Eli handed Tani and Keena each a small handgun he’d taken
from his personal collection. He and Ava had fought about it, but Eli
refused to send the pair into danger without arming them. If one part of
the plan failed, Earth would be in danger of more murders. Eli wanted
to ensure that didn’t happen.
“You two remember how to use those?” Eli asked.
In unison, both cocked their weapons and pointed them at a broken
light pole. Eli smiled. They hadn’t had time for target practice, so he
240 SHAY WEST

would just have to trust their aim. He grabbed two shotguns from the
trunk and tossed one to Ava. She caught it with one hand. Impressive!
He grabbed a couple of flashlights, gave one to Tani and kept
one for himself.
“Everyone ready? Stick to the plan. Remember, the most
important thing is to destroy the machines.” He looked meaningfully
at Ava. She nodded once.
Keena took off her pack, grabbed the velvet bag containing the
five gateway stones, and emptied them into her palm. She placed
them on the ground one by one. Once the last one was in place, a
brilliant flash of light erupted in a circular pattern. Keena picked the
stones up and put them back in the velvet bag.
Tani and Keena passed through first. They had warned that the
passageway would only stay open for a few moments. Eli took a deep
breath, glanced back at Ava, and plunged into the light.

* * *

He choked and gasped, trying to clear his vision. He heard a gunshot


and shouting, but couldn’t focus. He moved forward and nearly fell
down the stairs. Once he was away from the light of the gateway, his
vision cleared.
He reached for his gun and blinked, trying to discern friend
from foe. Another shot rang out followed by a grunt and a thud as
something hit the floor.
“Move away from the gateway. Once it closes, you’ll have an
easier time seeing.”
Eli followed Tani to the edge of the room. He heard Ava come
through, crying out in fear.
Suddenly, the room dimmed as the gateway winked out. Eli
blinked a few times, relieved to find his vision returning. He looked
around the room. Two men lay on the ground, each bleeding from
gunshot wounds, one to the chest and one to the gut. The one that was
gut-shot lay moaning on the floor, trying to move toward the door.
He spun to face Tani. “What were you thinking firing a gun in
here? If more Enforcers come, this mission is over before it even starts!”
ORGAN REAPERS 241

“The room is specially designed to hold in sound. I don’t know


how it works, but even with the machinery running, you can be right
outside the door and not hear a thing.”
Eli shook his head. That’s what I get for giving him a gun.
He walked up to the man pulling himself along the ground and
bent down to get a closer look. He’s not going to last much longer.
“Can we expect more of your friends to show up anytime soon?”
Eli demanded.
The man’s mouth opened and closed, but he only managed to
mewl like a new-born kitten and continued moving inch by inch
toward the door, leaving a blood-soaked trail behind. Eli pushed the
man on his back and gently pushed on his belly with one hand while
holding his other hand over the man’s mouth.
The man’s eyes bulged and his face turned red as he let out a
muffled scream of agony.
“Let’s try this again. Can. We. Expect. Company?”
The man nodded, held up a hand, and bent each of his fingers
once, followed by his index finger a second time. Eli frowned, wondering
what he was getting at. Once again, the man held up a trembling hand,
bent his fingers like he had the first time, pleading with his eyes.
“Are you counting?”
The man nodded emphatically, his breath puffing out his cheeks
around Eli’s hand. Eli thought for a minute.
“Your relief comes in six hours?”
The man nodded again, tears leaking from his eyes.
More than enough time.
“We need to find something to gag him with so he can’t sound
the alarm,” Eli ordered.
Keena reached into her knapsack and pulled out a shirt. Ava ripped
it and handed a long strip and a wadded-up ball to Eli. He hurriedly
shoved the wadded cloth into the man’s mouth and tied it in place.
He pointed to Tani and Keena. “You two. Show us how to work
these damn machines.”
Tani and Keena hurried to the machines and pulled levers and
pushed buttons. The sound of steam reached Eli’s ears. He could hear
water running through pipes on all sides and in the ceiling. He didn’t
understand anything about the machine, let alone how it could be
used to open a gateway. It’s got to be magic of some kind.
242 SHAY WEST

“The machine is set for your town. When you are ready to return
home, push this button here.” Tani pointed.
Eli nodded. “Get going. When you finish burning the scrolls and
books, come back here. If you don’t return within the hour, I will set
the charges and we leave.”
Tani and Keena ran to the window, opened the shutters, and climbed
through. Eli tried to figure out how long it would take the pair to make
it to Master Kelhar’s library based on the map Tani drew. If all went
smoothly, it should take no more than a few minutes to get to the
room. The part that would take longer was searching through the
scrolls and books to find those pertaining to the machinery. I hope an
hour is enough time.
Regardless, he and Ava would set the explosives to detonate in
one hour. If Tani and Keena were unsuccessful, he hoped the wrecked
gateway room would deter any further traveling.
C HAPTER 39

TANI PEERED out the window. Seeing the coast was clear, he leapt
to the ground and turned to help Keena. He needn’t have bothered;
she made the jump as easily as he. The two made their way silently
along the side of the building, keeping to the bushes whenever
possible. Tani wasn’t worried about being spotted at this time of
night. What worried him was what was going to happen once they
reached the window leading to Master Kelhar’s personal library.
Tani had no idea if the room was guarded. He sent up a prayer
to the gods that they would find the library empty. The other uncertainty
was the location of the scrolls and books that Master Kelhar had used to
figure out how to run the machinery. He had no idea where to look
for those. He only hoped he and Keena could find what they needed
in the short hour they had to look.
His heartbeat and breathing sounded much too loud to his ears.
Deep down he knew no one could hear him unless they were as
close as Keena, but he still tried to breathe shallower.
Tani ran his hand along the rough surface of the red bricks. He
glanced up when they passed underneath the large windows leading
to Master Kelhar’s private chambers.
There’s a lamp lit!
Tani reached back and grabbed Keena’s arm, willing her to be
silent. Their eyes met in the darkness. Tani was quite certain the same
fear he saw in her eyes was mirrored in his own. They had to move on.
Staying here paralyzed with fear used up precious time. He moved
forward slowly, eyes glued to the lighted window.
Suddenly, a shadow moved to the window. Tani grabbed Keena
and pulled her against the side of the building. He could tell by the
244 SHAY WEST

silhouette reflected on the grass that it was Master Kelhar. The only
time he’s awake at this hour is if he has a patient.
Tani’s heart sank. If Kelhar was awake it meant that he was
awaiting the return of Harvesters with the needed organs. Eli and Ava!
There was nothing he could do to help his friends other than to
complete the mission. When the shadow moved away, he pulled Keena
forward and hoped they wouldn’t run into any more surprises.

* * *

Master Kelhar took a deep breath of the cool night air. He had once
enjoyed the mornings, but he found that he rather enjoyed the darkness
more as of late. It held so many mysteries and a beauty all its own.
He walked back to his ornate oak desk to await the arrival of the
Harvesters. His desk was covered in half-opened scrolls and old musty
books. Kelhar stroked them, unaware he was smiling as he did so.
They have brought me so much power. Kelhar knew it was wrong to
think such things, but pride swelled in his chest just the same. I’ll do
anything to protect that power.
He picked up the scrolls and books littering his desk and placed
them in the cabinet to the left. He grabbed a delicate gold key on a
piece of leather and turned it until he heard the soft snick of the lock
engaging. He placed leather cord around his neck. Kelhar smirked
when he pictured his young patient waiting for him in the surgery room.
How very ironic that the very machine young Tani despises is the one that
will save his brother’s life.

* * *

Tani sighed in relief when he found the window to Master Kelhar’s


library dark. He boosted Keena up and grimaced at the screeching of
the hinges. He reached up and took her proffered hands and grunted
as he hoisted himself up and over the window sill.
He jumped to the carpeted floor and moved away from the window.
When he was situated among the shelves, he opened his pack and
reached inside for the device Eli had given him before they went
ORGAN REAPERS 245

through the gateway. He couldn’t remember what it was called, but


he knew it produced light. He had found one in a drawer in the
kitchen and had nearly blinded himself the first time he turned it on.
Tani clicked the button on the bottom and a circular beam of light
appeared. He played it along the floor and walls, amazed at how well
he could see. He motioned for Keena to follow.
He picked a spot against the wall and started searching for the scrolls.
Keena moved as far down as she could and still stay within the light.
The only sound to be heard was the scratching of paper and sighs of
disappointment. Tani had hoped they would find the scrolls right away
and be able to get back to say good-bye to their friends. He hated the
idea of never seeing the two ever again. But he admitted it was
probably for the best. Unless there was a guarantee that the machinery
could only be used for good, it couldn’t be used at all.
The pair moved along the walls, then to the shelves in the center
of the room. Tani began to panic when he realized they were almost done
searching the room with no sign of the scrolls they were looking for.
“There’s nothing here,” Keena whispered frantically.
“There must be something we missed,” he said.
Tani walked back through the room, praying he’d find a cabinet
or chest they had missed, but there were only the shelves along the
walls and the two in the middle of the room. He met Keena’s eyes
and fought the tears.
The scrolls aren’t here!

* * *

“Do you think they’ve found the scrolls yet?”


Eli shrugged. “I have no idea.”
He looked at his watch, surprised that it was keeping the same
time as earth. How is that even possible? Tani and Keena still had forty
minutes left. So why am I so jumpy?
He moved about the room, senses on high alert. He wanted to
chalk it up to being on a different world from his own, but there was
something more. He just couldn’t put his finger on it.
“Okay, you’re freaking me out.”
246 SHAY WEST

Ava walked up behind him, holding the shotgun in both hands


like she was expecting someone to come bursting through the door
any minute.
“Sorry. I just can’t sit still.”
“There’s more to it than just your usual impatience. I can feel it.”
Call it cop instinct; call it a sixth sense, but he had learned to listen
to it over the years. He motioned Ava to an area behind the machines
that would give them good cover and allow them to see both entrances
into the chamber. She knelt down and kept her eyes moving.
“Don’t you think it’s strange that the torches were lit when we
arrived?” Eli whispered.
“Maybe they always keep them lit.”
Eli shook his head. “Think about it. When do you usually leave
lights on?”
“When you’re expecting someone.”
Eli pursed his lips as he met her gaze. He looked at the gateway
platform, a sinking feeling in his gut.
“If someone’s expected back, that means that Master Kelhar is
up and around. Didn’t Tani and Keena say he was the only one who
performs the surgeries?” Ava asked.
“I do seem to recall something like that.”
If Kelhar is awake, Tani and Keena could be in trouble.
Suddenly, the gateway platform erupted in blue-white light. Eli
shielded his eyes so he wouldn’t be blinded. He could hear muffled
voices, and then the light winked out. He peered around the side of
the machine and saw two people rubbing their eyes and walking a
little unsteadily down the stairs. One was carrying a large chest.
“Hold it right there!”
Eli jumped out, holding the shotgun at the ready. The two people,
one man and one woman, halted in their tracks. The woman opened her
mouth to scream, unaware of Ava sneaking up behind her.
“You scream, you die, got it?” Ava said, poking the woman in
the back with the shotgun.
The woman’s legs gave out and she hit the ground, her breath
rushing out in a slow wheeze. The man, still holding the chest, glanced
to the left and right. His eyes widened when he caught sight of the
two dead men.
ORGAN REAPERS 247

“You killed them,” the man said in a rush.


“Yeah, and you just came back from my world after killing someone.
Tit for tat,” Eli said motioning the man to sit down.
He set the chest on the ground. “If I don’t get this to Kelhar, the
patient will die.”
“That’s too bad. There ain’t going to be anymore operations,” Eli said.
He and Ava kept their guns trained on the two Harvesters. Eli
motioned Ava closer.
“We can’t have them in here when the bombs go off.”
“Agreed. So we wait till the hour’s almost up, then let them leave.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He looked at his watch again. Twenty-five
more minutes.
Damn it, Tani and Keena, where are you?

* * *

“What do we do?” Keena asked.


Tani took a deep breath. “We have to search Master Kelhar’s quarters.”
“Tani, we can’t do that, we’ll be caught!”
“We don’t have a choice! Eli and Ava are counting on us.”
“I don’t want to die, Tani,” she cried.
“Neither do I. But we took lives, Keena, innocent lives. And while
we were saving someone in the process, it was wrong. We have to
answer for this somehow. If that means we die trying to keep Master
Kelhar from being able to use the machines again, so be it.”
She looked deep into his eyes and the sadness there broke her
heart. She leaned in close and brushed her lips against his, sending
an electric shiver up and down his spine. She pulled away and gave
him a wan smile.
Without thinking, he grabbed her face and kissed her, sending the
full force of his feelings for her into that one kiss. His tears mingled
with hers as he kissed her mouth, her nose, her cheeks. She whispered
his name and curled her hand behind his neck.
Tani broke away, his sense of duty overriding his wanting to stay
with her in this room. We cannot fail.
He helped her to her feet and held her close, stroking her hair.
He wanted to keep her safe, more than anything in the world. She
burrowed into his arms as though she never wanted to let go.
248 SHAY WEST

Tani sighed and pulled apart, running his thumb across her
cheek. “We’ll get out of this. We will run away, far away. We’ll open
that little restaurant and raise our kids and live happily ever after.”
She smiled. “I like the sound of that.”
He led her to the door and turned the light device off before opening
it. They exited the library into a dark hallway. He could barely make out
the various cabinets and pillars displaying various religious artifacts.
He could see a light coming from a room at the end of the hall. It’s
the surgery room.
The doors to Master Kelhar’s quarters were closed, but Tani could
see a sliver of light underneath. He paused, unsure of where to go. If the
scrolls aren’t in his library, they have to be in his quarters. He pulled Keena
along, hugging the wall.
The door to Master Kelhar’s quarters opened. Tani dropped to
his knees, sending up a prayer to the gods that the pillar would hide
him from sight. He could hear Keena breathing heavily by his side.
He squeezed her hand.
Master Kelhar exited followed by his two attendants. He went
across the hall to the surgery room, dressed in black robes that fit his
body more tightly than his ceremonial ones did.
Tani met Keena’s eyes and hoped she could read what was in his
thoughts. She closed her eyes and tears trickled down her cheeks. Once
Master Kelhar was out of sight in the surgery room, Tani leapt up, ran
around the pillar, and made for the door to Kelhar’s quarters. He opened
the large double doors and closed them as soon as Keena was inside.
“Look for something locked. A cabinet, desk, anything. And hurry.
He could return at any moment,” Tani said.
Tani frantically searched the room, trying to be as quiet as possible.
He rifled through drawers, not really believing he would find anything
that was unlocked.
“Tani, I think I found something.”
He ran to a large oak desk. Keena was bent down trying to open
a drawer.
“It’s locked and I can’t find a key anywhere,” she said.
“He’s probably got it with him.”
Tani thought for a moment, knowing the hour was dangerously
close to being over, and made a decision. He grabbed a heavy marble
ORGAN REAPERS 249

statue off Kelhar’s desk and smashed it against the lock until the
wood gave way. He yanked the drawer open and grabbed the scrolls
out, shoving them into Keena’s hands.
“It’s them, Tani, I’m sure of it.”
“Take them to the hearth.”
He followed her, his arms loaded with scrolls and several books
that were at the very bottom of the drawer. Without hesitation, he
threw everything into the fire, watching for a moment as the paper
curled and charred. Keena threw her armload in.
“Let’s get back to the gateway chamber,” Tani said.
They opened the double doors, peering into the darkened
hallway. Tani led the way, turning to the right to head back to the
library so they could go out the window.
He could see the light from the surgery room from the corner of
his eye. It beckoned to him. Ignoring Keena’s whispered protests, he
turned to the left and padded silently toward the open door. He could
see shadows moving around.
Knowing he was getting too close, but unable to help himself,
Tani peered around the edge of the doorway and his breath caught
in his throat.
Meevo!
C HAPTER 40

TANI BLINKED, certain he was seeing things. That can’t be my brother!


He looked again, just to be sure. His heart sank. Meevo was lying on a
metal table, so many tubes emerging from his body that he looked like
their mother’s pincushion. Meevo! Tears spilled down his cheeks.
“What the hell are you two doing here?”
Tani spun around, coming face-to-face with an Enforcer. The man
made a grab for Keena, but she spun out of his grip.
“Run, Keena!”
He didn’t see which direction she went. The Enforcer was large,
a human wall of muscle. Tani tried to run around him, but the man
grabbed his knapsack. He squawked as the man pulled him off his
feet to land heavily on his back.
“What is going on here?”
Tani looked up to the face of Master Kelhar.
The head priest smiled and crossed his arms. “Well, well, what
do we have here? Our little renegade has returned.” He looked around.
“Where is your partner?”
“She took off running,” the Enforcer said, kicking Tani in the gut
as he lay on the ground.
“There’s no need for that,” Master Kelhar chided. “However, I
do think you should pick him up.”
None too gently, Tani was hauled to his feet, arms pinned behind
his back.
“What’s this?” Master Kelhar took the gun and turned it over in
his hands.
Tani coughed, clutching his belly. “Be careful with that! It’s a weapon
from the other world.”
ORGAN REAPERS 251

“How does such a thing function as a weapon?”


“It fires projectiles at incredible speeds.”
“Fascinating.”
Tani struggled against the Enforcer. “What is my brother doing in
there?” He asked, jutting his chin in the direction of the surgery room.
“His kidneys finally gave out, poor soul. The Harvesters are on their
way with some brand new ones,” Kelhar said, still holding the gun.
Tani sagged against the Enforcer, the strength leaving him.
“You see how foolish it was to leave? The gateways will save your
brother’s life.” He stepped closer, eyes widening. “You aren’t here alone,
are you?”
Tani swallowed hard, but refused to say anything. He didn’t know
how much time had passed since he and Keena had left the gateway
chamber, but he knew it must be almost up. He expected to hear the
deafening sound of an explosion any second.
“You.” Kelhar pointed to one of his attendants. “Gather some
Enforcers and go after the girl. You.” He pointed to the Enforcer who
held Tani. “Bring him.”
Kelhar led the way to the gateway chamber, walking so fast he
was practically trotting. The Enforcer dragged Tani along. He tried
his best to slow down, but he was no match for the Enforcer. If he didn’t
walk, he knew he’d be dragged.
The doors leading into the gateway chamber were closed. Master
Kelhar shoved them open and marched inside. Tani could hear raised
voices as he was shoved along. The Enforcer pushed him inside the
room and Tani hit his knees. He looked up at Eli and Ava, barely able
to meet their eyes, knowing he had failed his friends.

* * *

Eli jumped as the doors opened. He stared at the man striding into
the room. Master Kelhar, I presume. The man looked at the two dead men
and glared at Eli.
“Are you responsible for this?” he asked, eyes blazing in anger.
“Sure am,” Eli said with a smirk. “Also responsible for that.” He
pointed to the steps where the two Harvesters were sitting.
252 SHAY WEST

“Let them go this instant!”


“Nah, I don’t think so. See, we have a problem with all the deaths
on my world, so we’re here to put a stop to it.”
“If I don’t get the kidneys to the surgery room, my patient dies.
His brother dies!” Master Kelhar pointed to Tani.
Eli met Tani’s eyes and his insides turned to ice at the look of
pleading in Tani’s eyes. We can’t alter the plan!
“The killing is done,” Eli said.
Master Kelhar smiled slowly, but it never touched his eyes. He put
his hands behind his back and paced in front of the gateway platform.
“Oh, I think it’s you who are done. Enforcers are on their way
and when they arrive, they will take you into custody.”
Eli pointed his shotgun at the wall next to the door and fired.
The blast echoed in the room. Master Kelhar ducked and covered his
head as shards of wood flew outward. He stood and wiped the splinters
off his robes.
“It seems we are at an impasse,” the man said.
“Not really. See those things there with the wires sticking out of
them? Those are explosives. When we set them off, this entire room
plus most of the surrounding area will be demolished.”
Kelhar cackled. “You think that will stop me? I can have the
machines rebuilt.”
Tani shook free from the Enforcer. “Keena and I burned the scrolls
and books.”
Kelhar turned his fake smile to Tani. “My dear boy, do you really
think I would need to rely on those? The gods will help me rebuild.”
“The gods. I’m sick of hearing about your gods. Sorry, but if your gods
are telling you to kill, they aren’t the sort you want to follow,” Eli said.
“Blasphemer!” Kelhar did something strange with his hands. It
reminded Eli of people using hand gestures to ward off evil spirits.
“It is not for you to question the will of the gods.”
“Maybe not, but it is my job to bring justice. And that means
destroying these machines and keeping your kind from ever setting
foot on my world ever again.”
“Let’s say you succeed. You will sentence others to death. How
is that justice?”
ORGAN REAPERS 253

“Everyone dies in their own time, Kelhar. It’s not right to kill
living people to steal their organs.”
“The gods decide what is right.”
“Back to that again.” Eli rolled his eyes.
“They speak to me. I feel it in my bones that what we do is right,”
Kelhar said, gripping his robes over his heart.
This dude is batshit crazy. “Even some of your own people think it’s
wrong! If the gods want you to do this, surely they would have come to
them as a burning bush or something to get them back on the right
track,” Eli said, pointing to Tani.
“It is not up to me to question who the gods choose to speak to. But
Tani and Keena should have trusted me and my connection to the gods.”
Eli barked laughter. “This is the problem with religion. All it takes is
for someone in power to claim they are speaking for a divine entity and
everyone is just supposed to follow them? We’ve had guys like you on
my world and I guarantee they are rotting in the pits of hell for what
they did.”
Kelhar shook his head sadly. “You will never understand.”
“I’m glad I don’t.”
Kelhar held out his hands. “You want to blow up the room, then
please, don’t let me stop you.”
Eli blinked slowly, wondering what sort of trick this was.
“No, I mean it. If you honestly think that what you’re doing is right,
then by all means, blow up the room.” Kelhar grinned. “But you’ll be
taking all of us with you.”
C HAPTER 41

ELI HELD THE SHOTGUN pointed at Kelhar. He glanced over at


Ava, but her face was unreadable. The tension in the room climbed
as everyone waited to see what he would do.
Suddenly, Kelhar laughed, his voice deepening into something
that sounded inhuman. Eli stepped back, his arms prickling in goose
pimples. What the hell crazy shit is this?
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with, boy.” Kelhar’s voice
managed to sound animalistic and insulting at the same time.
Can’t argue with him there.
The man—is he really a man?—grinned, and to Eli it looked like
he had far too many teeth in his mouth. My God, are they pointy?
“You cannot stand against the gods, boy.”
There’s that word again. “I can damn sure try,” Eli said with a grin of
his own. “Besides, if I set off the bombs, you’ll be dead. Then who’s
going to rebuild your precious machines?”
The Harvesters, Enforcer, and his two attendants backed away
from the man they had once called priest. It was clear even to them
that the man was off his rocker.
“You don’t think the gods will protect me?”
“Buddy, I think your benevolent gods left you long ago.”
Kelhar laughed again, the sound echoing in the room. “Oh, you’re
right about that. I never said which gods I was referring to.” He winked.
Suddenly, the sound of a pistol rang out in the chamber. Eli turned
to Ava, wondering if she was the one who did the shooting, but she
only held the shotgun.
Master Kelhar’s mouth opened and a small dribble of blood leaked
from one corner. His expression was surprised at first, then his face
ORGAN REAPERS 255

contorted in pain. His knees buckled and he fell forward, wheezing.


Eli’s eyes widened. Keena.
She stepped into the room, training her gun on the Enforcer who
had been holding Tani. The man simply stared at Master Kelhar lying
on the floor, choking to death on his own blood.
“You’ve killed him, you’ve killed him!” the Enforcer said.
Eli dropped the shotgun as Tani flew at him, fists flying at his chest.
If the kid had been any bigger, the blows would have sent Eli to his
knees. He held Tani’s hands, his heart breaking as Tani struggled until
he finally hit his knees, sobbing against Eli’s legs.
He looked at the Harvesters still sitting on the steps leading to
the gateway platform.
“Can you still use the organs?” he asked.
The man shook his head. “Only Master Kelhar can perform the
surgery to save the boy.”
Tani turned to Keena, still standing in the doorway. “Why?”
She shook her head, lowering the pistol. “I don’t know, I didn’t think.
I just saw him there and after hearing what he said, how he laughed, it
sounded so evil...and...I don’t know. Shooting him was the only thing I
could think of.” She looked at Tani helplessly.
“You could have waited! He could have saved Meevo.” Tani buried
his face in his hands.
Eli knelt next to the distraught boy. “I’m sorry, Tani, more than you
can ever know, but let me ask you this: would you have sacrificed your
brother to save the little boy back on my world? He had a family too,
people who loved him, and he’s dead now. Was it fair to take his life
just so your brother can live?” he finished softly.
Tani snarled and pushed Eli’s hand away. “I don’t care about that
other child, I didn’t know him.” He glanced up with a sad smile on his
face. “Meevo was kind and gentle. He refused to even kill a bug.”
“You don’t mean that. You didn’t want to be a Harvester anymore
because Kelhar wanted you to kill a child. You are angry and sad
and I understand that, but Keena didn’t have any choice. Besides, you
heard Kelhar at the end. Do you really want a man who’s in league
with evil gods or whatever you have here on your world doing anything
to your brother?”
Tani sniffed, but refused to stand up or look at any of them. Keena
stood in the doorway looking scared and resolute at the same time.
256 SHAY WEST

“Eli, we still have a job to do,” Ava said, visibly shaken.


He sighed. “Everyone needs to leave this room.”
“What are you going to do?” one of the Harvesters asked.
“We’re going to destroy this machinery.” Eli stood and offered a
hand to Tani.
Tani, with anger still in his eyes, took Eli’s proffered hand. “I will
never forgive you for this.” He looked at Keena dully. “Either of you.”
The words stung. Eli motioned the Harvesters to exit the room.
They complied, leaving the chest with the useless kidneys inside. Tani
followed, defeat evident in the drooping of his shoulders. The Enforcer
knelt next to Kelhar’s body, wheezing and choking no longer.
“Unless you want his body burned, I suggest you take it with
you when you leave,” Eli said.
The Enforcer stood and shook his head, moving his hands in the
strange shapes to ward off evil spirits. Little late for that. The man left
the room, leaving the corpse on the floor.
Keena turned and looked back at Eli and Ava. “Don’t worry
about Tani. I’ll look after him.”
Eli nodded, wishing there was something he could say to make
things better. Keena will help him through the grieving process. He wished
there was some way they could communicate so he would know the
pair were all right. He didn’t think they would be in danger now that
Master Kelhar was dead. There had been other witnesses to his strange
little demonic outburst, so that should go a long way to getting the two
cleared of any wrong-doing. Then again, their rules aren’t our rules.
“Let’s get this over with. I want to go home.”
He looked at Ava and nodded. Eli wished they had more time to
examine the machine, to see how it worked. Who cares, as long as it gets
you back home! Besides, if it’s associated with evil mojo, then you don’t want
nothing to do with it. Eli hit the gold button Tani had pointed out earlier.
The pair jogged up the steps of the platform and stood in the center.
The floor vibrated as the brightness intensified. Eli closed his eyes and
hoped they wouldn’t end up on some other wacked out world.
C HAPTER 42

ELI HIT HIS KNEES, choking and gasping, trying to shake the
afterimages masking his vision. He heard Ava next to him cursing in
Spanish. Are we home?
It certainly sounded like home. The sound of heavy traffic reached
his ears, as did the cacophony of honking horns. He wiped his eyes
trying to get a better view. Wherever they were, it wasn’t the vacant
lot they had left from.
“Where the hell are we?” Ava asked.
“Beats me. I’ll let you know when I can see again.”
Eli stood on wobbly legs and blinked, his vision slowly returning.
He spun in a slow circle, trying to get his bearings. The buildings looked
like they hadn’t been lived in for years. The sidewalks had weeds and
grass growing between the myriad of cracks. He didn’t recognize any of
the buildings and the street signs were too far away to make out. Most
of the streetlights were dark, lending to the eerie landscape.
“I think I know where we are. Looks like the east side of town.”
Ava shrugged. “I did a drug bust here once.”
“Well, we can’t go wandering around with our guns.” Eli grabbed
his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Sherry’s number. “Hey, I
need a huge favor.”

* * *

“I can’t believe you won’t tell me what you two were doing nearly
twenty miles from where you left your car,” Sherry said.
Eli shoved the two shotguns in the trunk and closed it. “You wouldn’t
believe me even if I told you.”
258 SHAY WEST

“You don’t think I’ve seen some pretty weird shit in my line of
work?”
He shook his head. “Not like this.”
“Fine, have it your way. But next time you need rescuing, I
might not be so inclined to drop everything and come running in the
middle of the night.”
“We really owe you one, Sherry,” Ava said.
“Yeah, yeah.” The coroner got into her car and drove away.
Eli unlocked the door and climbed into the driver’s seat. He put
the key in the ignition, but hesitated before turning the key. He sat
back against the seat, breath leaving in a gasp.
“Hey, you okay?”
He looked at Ava and shook his head. “Tani’s brother is going to
die.”
Ava’s eyes were filled with sympathy. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“I know, but the kid still hates me.”
“He’ll get over it.”
“I wish we could check up on them or something, you know? I
hate not knowing if they’ll really open a restaurant and get married
and have kids.” He threw up his hands helplessly.
“At least we solved the case. Well, sort of. That’s something anyway.”
Yeah, something.
He started the car and pulled out of the abandoned lot, heading
for home.

* * *

Eli blinked, willing the sun to take a hike and come back in a few
hours. When it continued to cheerfully blaze through his window, he
threw the blankets off and headed for the shower. The hot water did
little to help him shake off the exhaustion. Nor did it help to wash
away the memories of the past night.
As he drove to the office, he wondered what he was going to tell
the captain. Eli didn’t want to leave Platt in the dark, but without proof,
the captain would never believe the truth. But if he didn’t tell the man
what really happened, he would be plagued with the case going cold
ORGAN REAPERS 259

and wondering if the killers would resurface. It would mean a lot of


sleepless nights.
Telling him the truth will cause those too.
As usual, Ava was already at her desk, looking as good as he felt.
Her skin was pale and she had dark circles under his eyes. Even her
normally thick and shiny hair lay dull and limp against her skin.
She had her computer window open as though she was hard at
work following up a lead, but she stared at the screen with her eyes
glazed over.
“Morning,” he said as he sat down.
“I wish it wasn’t. I could have slept about ten more hours today.”
He nodded as he rubbed his face. He noted absently that he had
forgotten to shave that morning. Eli dreaded speaking to Captain Platt.
The man hadn’t been happy that Eli had invited Tani and Keena to stay
at his house, but he’d be even more pissed when he found out the
two were gone and wouldn’t be coming back.
The Feds ain’t gonna be happy either.
“Have you thought about what you’re gonna tell Platt?” Ava asked.
Eli gave her a small smile. “No, but I’ll think of something.”

* * *

Tani held Meevo’s hand, tears running down his cheeks no matter
how hard he tried to stop them. His brother looked so tiny in his bed,
like the quilt covering his failing body was eating him alive.
His father came in and rested a hand on his shoulder, giving a
small squeeze of comfort.
“It’s all my fault, Papa. If I hadn’t refused to do my duty, Meevo
would be alive.”
“My son, you know how your little brother loved all living things.
Do you think he could live with knowing that his life was only possible
because someone else lost theirs?”
Tani gazed into his father’s sorrowful eyes and shook his head. It
hurt to admit the truth. He wanted to hate Keena for shooting Master
Kelhar and he wanted to hate Eli and Ava for destroying the machines.
But as he looked at his brother, kind and gentle Meevo, the hate drained
260 SHAY WEST

slowly away, like the water after a heavy rain, leaving behind an
emptiness that would take time to heal.
The household stayed in mourning long after Meevo’s passing,
each one feeling his absence and the loneliness that comes with it.
Tani helped around the house, mainly just to keep from thinking
about his brother.
But as the days passed, he missed Keena. She had returned home,
her father and mother willing to take her back after word spread about
Master Kelhar’s connection to something dark and dangerous. Most
didn’t want to believe their beloved priest would actually be connected
to the dark gods.
That also made it easier to say good-bye to his brother. The dark
arts were forbidden, but most especially to priests. The monastery
had changed since the explosion and the talk from the Enforcer and
two Harvesters who had witnessed Kelhar’s downfall. The surgery room
had been cleared of all the equipment and the Harvesters sent home.
One day Tani awoke to the sun shining on his face. For the first time
in a long time he smiled, eager for what the day would bring. As he
worked in the fields, his thoughts turned to Keena and the treasure he
carried in his knapsack. He hadn’t even told his family about the
priceless gift from Eli and Ava. The more he thought about it, the more
excited he became at the thought of opening a restaurant.
When he came in from work that day, he brought his family together.
“I have something to tell you,” he said as he pulled the spices
from his pack.
E PILOGUE

“WHAT DO YOU THINK?”


Tani glanced up at the sign and smiled. “’Meevo’s.” He pulled
Keena close and rubbed her growing belly. “It’s perfect.”
“Do you think he would like it?”
“He is looking down right now and smiling.”
Keena pulled away. “You finish with the tables and chairs. I need to
finish sewing the curtains or we’ll never be ready for our grand opening.”
He watched her waddle away, thinking she looked more beautiful
than the day he had first laid eyes on her. She disappeared inside the
building that would soon be their new restaurant. As he sanded the
piece of wood that would be a table top, several passers-by stopped to
say hello or to welcome them to the area. Tani shook many a hand and
tipped his hat to many a lady. He couldn’t wait to see their faces when
they tasted the recipes with spices that they’d never had before.
Keena waved from the window as she placed a large pot full of
tiny green herbs grown from the seeds Eli and Ava had given them
on the windowsill.
Tani smiled as he turned back to his work.
Many thanks, my friends.
O THER W ORKS BY S HAY W EST

NOVELS
Portals of Destiny Series
The Chosen (Book One)
Shattered Destiny (Book Two)
Resigned Fate (Book Three)
The Mad Lord Lucian (Novella)

Adventures of Alexis Davenport Series


Dangerous Reflections (Book One)
Twisted Reflections (Book Two)
Desperate Reflections (Book Three)

ANTHOLOGIES
Orange Karen: Tribute to a Warrior
Horror in Bloom
Battlespace
Ancient New
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