NO PARENTS ALLOWED

Part III: Prodigal Children

By Hunter Lambright

The Stein Residence

Car doors slammed in the middle of the night. A bald, bearded black man jumped both stairs to the front door of the house and yanked the door open.

“I came as soon as I heard,” he blurted out quickly as he opened the door. Before him, Janet Stein was sitting on a chair, her face buried in her hands. She was shaking visibly from her sobs. Tina Minoru sat next to Janet, a comforting arm around her friend’s shoulder.

Tina looked at Geoffrey Wilder. “Robert’s in the next room,” she said, referring to her husband. “I’ll let him tell you what happened.”

Geoff gave Janet a look of pity before turning into the next room. His face was stone-cold again as he looked to Robert for answers. “What happened?” he demanded of the man he had known for more than twenty years.

“We don’t know what happened,” said Robert. “We do know how Janet found him, though. She said that she went to check on him, because he’d buried himself in our tapes trying to find the kids. He didn’t answer her when she knocked, so Janet walked on in. Then she found him. He was slumped back in his chair. There are these pinholes on Victor’s body, Geoff. I’ve never seen anything like them.”

“What killed him?” Geoff asked.

Robert shrugged. “The punctures weren’t bad enough to cause major bleeding. We have to assume that it was poison. Blowfish would be our best guess concerning animals from Earth, but Frank and Leslie have come up with some extraterrestrial possibilities, each as unlikely as the last.”

“Magic is your domain, Minoru,” said Geoff. “You called them punctures. Are you sure it couldn’t have been anything along the lines of, say, vampires?”

Robert raised his eyebrow. “Sorry, I guess you don’t know a vampire’s MO. There’s never been a documented vampire case, ever, where the vampire left more than two teeth marks. There have been cases of one, but never more. His neck was riddled with these things.”

“Is it possible that this is connected to our children’s disappearance?” Geoff asked. “We haven’t forgotten about that, have we?”

“It’s possible, but unlikely,” said Robert. “The Yorkes are leading Flores and his investigation, checking time-glimpses through their one of our looking glasses, but it’s a no-go situation. Besides, after what our kids saw tonight, why in the world would they want to come back home?”

The Wilder Residence

“I can’t believe I came back here,” said Alex Wilder, looking at his house. “I don’t think anyone’s home…”

“We have to be careful, though,” said Karolina. “We can’t trust anything we see. And we all know our parents have surveillance, too, right?”

“We’ve gone over this before,” said Alex. “I’m going inside to see what I can find. The only place I’m going is my dad’s study. If nothing’s in there, we’ll leave. But if my parents have any more secrets…the study is where they’ll be.”

“I wish I was Gert or Molly,” said Nico, shivering at the thought of what they were about to do. “At least they don’t have to go break into their own houses.”

“Gert was convinced that her parents’ biggest secret was the monster in the basement,” said Alex, smirking at the thought. “And come on, if that’s the big secret, I’ve had enough of monsters for one night.”

Chase frowned. “How can you talk about our parents like that, dude? They may seem like scum right now, but they are the people who raised us, you know?”

“Are you talking about how they raised you, or how they let you get mixed up in all sorts of stuff because they were too busy for you anyway?” asked Karolina.

“Both,” said Chase. “They didn’t care when I smoked pot or drank, and because of that, I respect my old man and mom. It’s not like they’re saints, but they are my parents.”

“Point taken,” said Alex. “But face it, man. We’ve got bigger fish to fry. Have your phone ready to hit anything on text to me, even if it’s blank. I’ll know what it means.”

“Gotcha,” said Nico. “Just hurry back. “This whole thing is giving me the creeps…”

Alex gave the others a half wave before he steeled himself. He belly-crawled up the driveway and around the patio. Once he reached the back, Alex reached into the gutter for the spare key and let himself inside. He didn’t even let the door squeak.

The first thing he did was check his parents’ room. The bed was empty. He’d already seen the empty garage, too, but he wouldn’t take any chances. Heading back to the first floor, Alex nudged open the door to his father’s study.

The study was a magnificent room. The bookcases and desk were all made of mahogany, and the carpet and walls were burgundy. A small, green-tinted lamp lit the desk and its mess of papers. Alex took in this sight for what he hoped would be the last time before he went up to the desk.

Sitting down in his father’s chair, Alex paused to glance at the top sheets of paper. Business figures. Stocks. It was all Greek to him. Then, as he went further and further down the top stack, the information became juicier. Drugs were being shipped to someone called the Pusher Man. Criminal contracts from Los Angeles-based super-villains.

“Amazing,” Alex whispered.

“Welcome, Wilder,” said a voice in front of Alex. “Voice composition recognized.”

“Who’s there?” asked Alex, shell-shocked that he’d been caught.

“Query recognized and transferred,” said the voice. “I am W.A.T.E.R.—Wilder Automatic Tech Emitter and Receiver. I stow information on the crimes of Los Angeles, the deals made by the Wilder family, and commissions paid by those willing to commit criminal deeds.”

“Uh…cool,” said Alex. “What can you tell me?”

W.A.T.E.R. replied, “I can tell you anything from criminal deals to contracts to stocks and figures to empowered villains and employees to…”

“What can you tell me that’s important because I don’t have much time,” said Alex.

A sudden creaking noise behind him frightened Alex. He leapt out of the chair and turned around. “If time is a problem, you invented my portable system.” Sitting on the mannequin of a head was a headset, complete with visor, earphones, and mouthpiece.

“This is…perfect,” said Alex.

W.A.T.E.R. said, “You did invent me, after all.”

Great, thought Alex. My dad really is that pompous.

“Thank you, W.A.T.E.R.,” said Alex. “But really, I have to go. Thanks.”

“Goodbye, Mr. Wilder,” said W.A.T.E.R. “Access time logged. Logging out.”

And Alex froze there for an instant, because he knew that right then, his father would know he had been there.

He feared they would have even less time that they thought.

The Stein Residence

“Did you glean anything from his mind?” asked Geoff, turning to Gene and Alice Hayes. They were the two mutant members of the Pride. “Did he see anything before he died?”

“He’s dead,” said Alice. “I’m sorry, but his mind is blank. He’s an empty slate.”

Geoff frowned. “No word on catching traces of poison?” he asked the Deans. Their alien technology had been proven to find things that human technology could not in the past.

Frank looked at his handheld computer and frowned. “No reading. It’s my best hypothesis that the poison reacts quickly in the brain and/or the heart, before being released as vapor from the mouth or nose or through his pores in the last moments after death, when the body’s most basic functions still perform on that lowest level.”

“So, that leaves us with nothing?” Geoff asked.

“Not quite,” said Leslie Dean. “While the Minorus believe this may be the cause of blowfish poison, our scanners have actually picked that up before. We have two possibilities from other worlds, but neither of them fits the bill. The first of the two spreads the poison via leeching onto the victim and inserting it into the skin. The second of the two creatures has poison that leaves the corpse jaundiced.”

“So, that leaves us with nothing?” Geoff asked again.

“Not exactly,” said Catherine Wilder, who was digging furiously through her papers. She finally pulled one out in triumph. “The Little Shoppe of Horrors. How cute. They’re freelancers who sell on our turf. Their first year goes without commission, which was measure of good faith on our part. That year expires in three months. Let me see…here it is. ‘We sell any kind of creature for any kind of job. These creatures are natural creations from the body of our father, Arturo Falcone, as a result of his mutant gift. Their abilities range so much that we have no listing of their abilities. Call in advance to see if we have the creature you’re looking for…’ They look like they could be the killer’s suppliers.”

“Give them a call,” said Geoff, looking at Robert. “Ask them if they had any clients earlier this evening or this week who bought a creature specializing in poison…”

The Minoru Residence

Nico snuck into the family library. She remembered her childhood in this place. She saw the table where she had set her stuffed animals for a tea party with her father. She could see the bean-bag chair that she had lounged in, reading books of almost every nature. She even felt herself tearing up over the lamp that she had always turned on when she came to the library because she couldn’t sleep.

But enough was enough. Nico lifted her parents’ velvet rope and crossed into the back section of the library. The windows were covered by heavy, purple drapes. Each book on the shelf had a black spine, except for one.

Braving herself, Nico pulled the book from the shelf. The book was bound in a white cover. It had a footprint on the cover. She didn’t notice the fact that the foot had six toes. Under the foot was the book’s title: The Abstract of the Past, Present, and Future Pride. Nico flipped open the cover. The entire book was written in gibberish. She was tempted to shelve the book and continue looking, but Nico decided not to. If anyone could tell what the book said, it would be Alex.

She looked down the second row of bookcases. All black covers. She pulled one of these off. A History of Black Magic in the Middle East. She put it back and read the cover of the next one. Encyclopedia of Magic v. II: Charms to Enchantments.

Perfect, thought Nico. My parents are witches.

Nico peered down the third row of bookcases. This time, something intrigued her. At the end of the row was a glass case. Inside the case was a black staff with a golden ring at the top of its headpiece.

“Whosoever touches the Staff of One,” she read aloud, “must do so knowing that its black magic consumes all…Huh. Creepy.”

She turned to walk away, but inside, she was fighting something powerful off. “Take it,” said a voice inside Nico’s head. “Touch the Staff of One.”

“Why?” asked her other half. “Why should I?”

But that half of her was blocked out by the overwhelming spell that linked her to the Staff. She had no idea now, but her soul was linked to that Staff from the day she was born…

When Nico snapped back to reality, she was surrounded by shattered glass. The Staff of One was nowhere to be seen.

Time to go, thought Nico, now scared and confused. She ran out of the house, clutching the Abstract like a security blanket.

The Little Shoppe of Horrors

Brrring! Brrring!

“I got it!” said Matti, as his brother Primo snapped to attention.

“Little Shoppe of Horrors,” said Matti, as Primo moved to help a customer who had just walked in. “Matti Falcone speaking.”

“Hello, Mr. Falcone,” said Robert Minoru on the other end. “This is Member 2B of the Pride. We understand that sometime this past week you may have sold a creature with poisonous abilities. This has come to our attention because, regrettably, if you did sell that creature, it caused the death of one of our members tonight.”

Matti’s voice caught in his throat. “I’m…sorry. Excuse me for a moment. Let me check my sales lists.” He did no such thing. He knew exactly who they had sold Nice Boy to. Nice Boy was the only one they’d had in the shop this week with poisonous abilities. There were usually others, but they sold like hotcakes to so-called gangs in Los Angeles.

He hummed a second and flipped through some papers like he was searching. “Hmm. Let’s see. Yes, we did sell a creature similar to your description this week.”

“Can we have a name?” asked Robert. “Certainly a name is worth the kindness we have given you in the past.”

“I would…” started Matti nervously, “…but this one is a regular. We’ve never known the name, and respected the Buyer’s privacy, you see, because he—or she, for that matter—is a frequent shopper.”

“Can we have a physical description, then?” asked Robert. He had to know if the description matched the tape that he and Geoffrey had rewound painstakingly without Victor’s technological knowledge.

Matti shrugged. “A cloak. The cloak hides facial features and body type. Voice modifier. This one is a pro.”

“No,” said Robert. “That matches our tape. We’re very disappointed that your shop sold the creature that led to one of our deaths, but we’re willing to forego any future problems, Mr. Falcone, if you send us copies of the rest of your stock lists and allow us to rely on your shop if the need ever arises. Does that seem fair?”

“That place should burn,” said Geoff to Robert. “I can’t believe you’re offering them amnesty.”

“They’re kids,” Robert said, cupping the receiver. “After tonight, I have some sympathy for any kid who has to get involved with us. Like ours.”

“Fine,” said Geoff. “Just…get on with it.”

“Thank you for your generosity, sir,” said Matti. “And also, sir, should the Buyer ever return, I assure you we will ask questions on your behalf.”

“Thank you, Mr. Falcone,” said Robert. He hung up the receiver. “We’re still nowhere, Wilder.”

“I know,” Geoff frowned. “I can’t shake the feeling that something’s not adding up, but we have other things on our plate…”

The Stein Residence

Chase snuck up on his parents’ shed in the backyard. He’d always known they were doing something illicit back there, but had never guessed that it was anything more than brewing beer (just because they swore on their lives to him that they didn’t drink). He saw the others in the shadows. Alex gave him a thumbs-up, wishing him luck.

CRACK!

His mother’s garden shovel was the perfect tool to snap off the rusting lock on the shed door. Chase opened the creaking door and walked inside, having no idea what he would find.

He waltzed inside, seeing nothing but gardening tools and other equipment. That was funny, because all of the equipment was the same as the stuff that they kept in the garage. Obviously, this was a ruse of some sort. Chase had seen the movies. He walked up to the peg board on the wall until he found a tool that was locked into position.

After two minutes, he found it. The dark blue-handled trowel was stuck to the wall. Chase rotated it in a radius around its peg twice. Then, he heard a cracking noise and laughed. It had actually worked.

The peg board split in half, going two feet in either direction, to reveal steps that went down somewhere. This had to be where his parents…did whatever they did. The light was on, but Chase thought nothing of it. He figured that the light came on automatically because no one would be able to access the area unless they knew it was there—or guessed it was.

“What are you doing here, Chase?” asked Karolina’s father, Frank, as he turned around from the table he was at.

Leslie Dean also looked up. “Chase? Are you all here?”

“No. I…uh…” he turned to run.

“Wait, Chase!” shouted Frank. “There’s something you need to know before you run away again!”

“Oh, yeah?” asked Chase. “What’s that?” Surely they were only stalling for time.

The Deans stepped away from the lab table. Chase’s jaw dropped as he saw his father’s body.

“Your father was murdered tonight, Chase,” said Frank solemnly.

Outside, Two Minutes Before

It was pure luck that Alex looked toward the house. It was pure terror in his veins when he saw the many figures behind the drapes. “Oh, crap,” he said in absolute terror. “Run, guys! Run!” He couldn’t believe that they had come in the back way only to not realize that everyone was here. Had they come around the front, they would have seen the cars in the driveway.

Alex sprinted away from the backyard and Nico immediately caught on as she, too, looked up. Karolina, however, didn’t react until Alex was halfway across the yard. She started to sprint, but squealed as a thick hand grasped her wrist.

“Gotcha,” said a voice into her ear, as she felt a thick mustache graze it.

Karolina screamed.

The Hostel

Molly woke up in the dark. “Mom?” she asked, confused. “Dad? Where are you?” She got up off the moth-eaten covers and walked out of the room. Memory flooded back to her as he realized where she was.

“Gert! Where are you?” she shouted. There was no response. Molly moved toward the front of the hostel. She could hear a scratching noise on the front door. Molly peered out the eyehole. She saw a teenage boy with black hair and a pierced eyebrow.

“Who’s there?” she asked. “Are you here because your parents killed someone too?”

The boy stuck his hands in his pockets. “No,” he said. “But I’m lost. Can I come in?”

“My mom told me not to talk to strangers,” said Molly. “Even if she is a bad guy…”

“I’m cold,” said the boy. “And my feet hurt. Can I please come in?”

“Okay,” said Molly. “But you can’t tell anyone that I talked to you and we have to find Gert, too.”

The door opened. “Thanks,” said the boy. He rubbed his stomach. “I’m hungry.”

“We don’t have much food,” Molly said. “But you’re really skinny, so I’ll find out what we have, okay?”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” said the boy. He couldn’t believe that he had left that evening only to find this girl in his haunt.

“Ge-ert!” Molly shouted. She shrugged. “I guess she’s in the bathroom.”

“That’s okay,” said the boy. “Do you people live here now?”

“I guess so,” Molly shrugged again. “I’m Molly, and I like penguins. What’s your name?”

The boy shrugged. “My name’s Topher,” he said, licking his teeth. “But tonight, my lady, look into my eyes. And then, you may call me Death…”

As Molly looked at Topher to ask what he meant, she made eye contact with him. “What do you…?”

Suddenly, she felt very, very sleepy.

“Be a good girl, Molly,” said Topher. “Fall asleep.” He licked his fangs again. “I told you, I’m hungry…”

Then he let out a malicious laugh that could be heard throughout the Hostel. If something didn’t happen soon, the youngest Runaway stood no chance against a real vampire…