The Talon Family
The Kiss of the Witch Doctor
February
Draft_2
By: Chase L. Currie
The governor of New Orleans was trying his best to keep the sickness nickname the Blue Kiss out of the papers and off the new. He was trying to tell everyone whatever was being said online was a lie or crazy conspiracy theories, none of it was real, none of it was true. Even if the family of the fifteen dead were screaming to the hilltops of about the sickness plaguing the poor area of the city, he said it was all a lie. The more they spoke, the more the governor moved on the warpath to stop them.
While the governor was trying to keep the Blue Kiss out of the public’s mind, Paladin was working hard on trying to find a cruse for the disease, but nothing was working. They tried everything from known sciences to the mystical arts and yet, nothing. More people were getting sick, and a few were close to dying, but they were all in a small area of the city.
Paladin knew it was only a matter of time before the city blew up and everything went wrong. They would let the governor take the hit, and the government eats the damage, their main concern was the people, and if the disease started to spread. Soon Paladin or the government was going to have to lock the city down; it was only a matter of time.
Paladin started to call in a few of their units to help find a cure and where this sickness came from in the city. If they can track it back to the source, then maybe they can stop the disease.
“So, who is all here?” Raphael asked in the car.
“Some of the Twelve,” Helbis read from her phone, “the Mighty Men ---” Both Raphael and Michael smirked a little at the name. She sighed rolling her eyes, “and Gawain’s Marauders.”
“Wonder who is going to get in our way,” Raphael said.
“Cain said we are staying out of each other’s way,” Gabriel said. “Each team have their leads to follow.”
“We shall see,” Raphael said checking his phone to read some girl texting him.
Gabriel turns the car right following the GPS built in the windshield as Michael stared out the back window. They were heading down into the old part of the city to talk to some of the old folk who hadn’t been affected by the sickness, even if they were around people who were dying. The Blue Kiss only plagued the young and could only be transferred by touch or kissing. Most of the young people had gained it from kissing turning their lips blues giving the disease its name.
The night sky opens letting the rain march along with them, and he didn’t think about the blood on his hand or the man. Now, wasn’t the time for him to dwell on anything but the mission. If let his emotion get the better of him on a mission then someone could end up dead, and not just some guy he hated, one of his family could die. And yet, the man’s bloody face kept dancing across the window as he looked out it. He still wanted to kill him.
His phone lights up from inside his jeans pocket, and he pulled it out to read the text from Sesily, “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” he wrote back. “You?”
“A little bored but not too bad,” she said.
“There should be some books in the back,” he told her. “There is also some of my comics back there too, and you can watch TV.”
“I hate TV,” she said, “but I’ll find me something to read.”
“Sounds good, love.” He smiled down at his phone and then glancing up to see Gabriel watching him in the mirror, she didn’t say a word. “Hey love, if I go dark for a while it’s because I’m out of the car, so don’t worry.”
“Oh, I’m going to worry,” she texted back, “but I understand. Be safe and love you.”
All he could write back in time was, I love you too before the car came to a stop. “Heads in-game,” Gabriel said cutting the car off. Everyone looked around the street seeing the small row of shops, cafés, and bars. The buildings were old and a little run down, but somehow all this gave the street some character. It was nice to see a place where real people live, and everything wasn’t so nice looking all the time, even if the streets were empty. It was odd to see the place dead on a Friday night.
Where were all the people enjoying the music?
Where were the couples walking the streets holding each other hands?
Hiding in their houses away from the sickness walking around looking to steal a life.
Gabriel turned in her seat and said, “Alright, we gather what we can from anyone who is willing to talk to us.”
They all nodded.
“The Twelve think this disease is magical somehow,” she said, “so let’s see if they are right.”
“They always think magic is the cause,” Helbis said.
“I know, I know,” Gabriel agrees. “Also, be careful there are reports some the gangs are at each other’s throat, so watch your back.”
They all stepped out of the car at the same time. Michael put his hands into his black leather jacket waiting for Helbis to lead the way. Whenever the family split up it was always Michael and Helbis while the other two when with each other, this time was no different.
Gabriel locked the car, a car far too nice for the area and said before walking away, “Check in every twenty minutes.”
“Alright,” Helbis said walking away from the car and them. Michael followed beside her glancing up at the rain clouds.
“You alright?” She asked making him come back to earth.
“I don’t know,” he said with a shrugged. “I feel bad for what I did.”
Helbis creaked a smirk and said, “No you don’t.”
“I ---” he started to lie. “I am not upset about hurting that guy.”
“Then what is wrong?” She asked knowing where they were going which was away from the market street to someplace else.
“I wanted to kill him.”
Helbis stared at him.
“I didn’t want to hurt him,” he said with dead calm in his tone, “I wanted to kill him.”
“Can’t blame you there,” she said, “but good thing you didn’t.”
“I just never,” he said fighting back his jaw trying to lock up, “felt – not hate – just bloodlust.”
She stopped staring right at him and putting her hand on his shoulder. “You didn’t kill him. You may want too, but you did not because you are a good person. Just next time go a little easy on someone’s face.”
He smiled a little and said, “While, hopefully, there won’t be a next time.”
“Let’s hope,” she agreed starting to walk back down the road.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“Not to a place good at all.”
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