The Few (The Abductions of Langley Garret Book 2) Read Free Page B

clearly those who thought of me as a somebody, worth abducting and torturing, I had the pathetic sense of being a nobody, who by necessity should be ignored completely. A knock at my door, which I presumed was Chara's, broke my thoughts and my concentration on my pathetic reflection. I walked slowly to obey.
    Checking my front door's spy hole, Chara was waiting, alone. I let her in without saying a word but there was clearly a heated conversation going on between our minds. She entered, accompanied by her black 'travel-on wheelie' suitcase that squeaked as it obediently followed her. 'The spare room's at the end of the hall.' She nodded and headed off. I stayed in the kitchen and moved Helen's wedding ring a little further back on the top of the refrigerator. It didn't look at all right there, so I moved it to the vitrine and placed it in front of our, well, my pathetic collection of crystal wine glasses. It looked better there. I closed the glass door of the vitrine, satisfied with my placement, yet completely dissatisfied with my state of mind, and of what this Tuesday had brought. As I was lost in wishing it would go away and turn back into the blissfully quiet Monday I had enjoyed, Chara's arms flinging around my neck reminded me that wishes never come true.
    'Don't look so sad Soter. I'm here to protect you,' she said, accompanied by a flirtful peck on my cheek. I didn't answer, only offering a lying half smile in return for her affection – or what ever it was. 'Should I settle on Lang or Soter?'
    'A rose?'
    'Yes. By any other name.'
    'I'm sorry Chara, but I just don't understand. Well, to be honest, I should say, I just don't want to understand any of this. I don't want to get involved in insane mysteries, myths and legends that make no sense at all. My mother is dead, my wife is dead and we both probably should have been, so as far as I'm concerned, that's enough payment. I'm a nobody, living in a little town, and I fill my days by doing a little teaching, and my evenings by drinking a little wine and trying to do a little forgetting. I'd very much like for it to stay that way.
    Chara didn't release her arms' grip around my neck, and in fact, snuggled her head closer. She hummed for a moment. 'I wish I could spend my days as you wish too. Perhaps one day it will be possible but unfortunately Lang, there are those who have other ideas. You don't know who you are, I know. There wasn't enough time on Decem Filios to tell you, but you have to know that you are very important to many and until you understand this you won't find peace, no matter how hard you try to hide or deny. You are Soter, and your destiny is totally non-negotiable. You will deliver us all to safety, preservation and be our deliverance from harm.'
    'It's mythical nonsense. I'm not Soter! I'm just Langley fucking Garret. A nobody who wants to stay that way.'
    'It was all in your mother's letter Lang. You have known it for nearly ever.'
    'It's all bullshit! Utter bullshit!' I spat, and untangled myself from her arms, storming for the relative safety of the sofa in the living room. I sat and made huffing noises as one does when they're pissed off with the world. Chara looked across at me from her face, buried in her palms, and her elbows implanted on my breakfast bar. She just smiled, which pissed me off even more as I felt I was being patronised like a spoilt child throwing a tantrum.
    'Why don't you just take your squeaky suitcase and fuck off out of my life,' I spat, as I looked at my living room window and contemplated, momentarily, jumping through it.
    'I could Lang, I could. But while you try to deny everything, just have a little think about the two men you met this morning. The ones you ran from in fear, instinctively.' I looked across at her. 'Yes, you ran like a scared little rabbit, didn't you? And you were right to do so. But Lang, I have to tell you that without the help of a couple of my friends, they would have completed their assignment,