The two women appeared in the hall a while later, smelling fresh and dripping elegance in their warm evening gowns.
"I couldn't help but eavesdrop on your conversation, I didn't want you to see the medical reports Spooky, same reason why I didn't want you to go back to that house just yet?".
"What the hell are you talking about, Ruby?!! Some psycho nearly gas me out in my own room, and you don't want me to know about it? I need to see the reports now!!".
""we don't have them kuga, but it's true you suffered from gas poisoning," Kate replied as she advances towards us and added "they never wanted you to know about the poisoning you know, since it did fail, for the detectives they had that side covered, they will rule out any possibility of poisoning from their reports."
"what do you mean they. Who are they!?". "you already know who, Kuga." "I don't think I know a damn thing woman! oh, how foolish I have been? Here I was thinking we are riding the same boat out on the open sea….".
Ruby was extremely quiet. Maybe guarded, will be the right word. Who are these people? What are they hiding from me?
"we can explain kuga."
"what is there to explain? Because of your discretion, the bastards nearly nailed me the second time under your roof. Now I doubt whether all three of us were the target."
"what was the price Kate?".
"saving our lives, that was the price? but we would have told you before you move back to your house."
"why wait that long to tell me! well, it gave them time to come after me. how do I know you are not working for them? perhaps, it was my life for yours, and have to give me up for the hit, right?"
"enough! Spooky!" Ruby lashed out venomously. "I advise mother not to tell you… you just woke up from a coma! You barely made it out alive! I wanted to withheld that information as long as I can, just to make sure you are okay before I tell you." she bristles in fury, with eyes blazing.
"and you think I believe any of that crap, Ruby? But let's assume I believe you… the fact is your actions still jeopardized my life….".
"you can go to hell, spooky. I don't care what you think. do you have any idea what it feels like, when I saw you propped on pillows dying? she asked, battling tears…
"Lycan heights surely don't take prisoners, they wipe the slate clean, and fasten all lose ends Spooky. And right now we happened to be dirt on the crystal glass that must be wiped clean." Kogna added looking at Kate.
Kate walked to me and place both hands on mine, like an affectionate mother blessing her child.
"I am sorry about what my man did to your father, and I am sorry for giving your medical reports to Lycan heights without your permission," she pleaded…
Ruby turned away, and headed to her room, sobbing.
"we are all victims of the malice of the same titan ma'am, and I have nothing against you, now all we have is us, and henceforth, I advise that we share information to keep ourselves safe, before we find a way to reach a compromise with these people."
Kate nodded her thanks tearfully. "and we are grateful…. To have you on our side, kuga."
++++++++++++
Bruised and healing from our emotional wounds, I and ruby avoided each other for two days.
I could feel my nerves stretched stout to breaking point. She wouldn't even look at me in the eye. if she chatting with the rest and I showed up she simply find a way to disappear.
But my pride wouldn't let me yield to the woman. I never thought saying sorry could be this difficult.
"you are a fool kuga," Nana said on the afternoon of the third day. "to what do I owe the honor, Nana."
"your pomposity kuga. But that my dear, is nowhere close to anything honorable. You make that poor girl cry every night. She has lost her ferocious appetite, and I know it has to do with you….".
"Nana…". The old lady cut me off, "don't you Nana me. just fixed my dining table for me. I want the happy moments on this dining table. Men and their pride… I wonder". She shakes her head in dismissal.
She call out to me when I reach the main door on my way out to the garden. "I am serious, kuga. Don't let me come to your room with my spatula and ladle," she warned gravely.
"I hope it wouldn't come to that, Nana."
What the hell am I going to do? How does one apologize to a lady, when she doesn't acknowledge your presence, even when you say sorry? sorry she pretends not to her every time I did say it her.
'go to her room, and go down on your knees Kuga, she is really hurting bad.' "what about me Spooky. I am here hurting so bad, yet no one seem…".
"shut up kuga. If you looking for pitty, I have none to give you…". "get the hell out of my head spooky!"
"damn man, do you talk to your self now? what the hell spooky? Man, pass me that spliff or drop it to the ground."
"it's not the weed Kogna,". "it's the gal, I know Spooky. That's why I stay far away from them. woman is the biggest problem in the world."
"my only problem is I can't stand the tears of a woman, Kogna."
"that one is the problem of all men but we hide it so well, les the women will fake tears all the time," Kogna said as he puff on the burning weed.
"have you ever apologize to a woman, Kogna?". "wrong place to seek advice spooky. I am no Romeo or Casanova, never been. I am in love with only my guns."
"you sure are a bad company to me under this circumstance Kogna." "sish" kogna placed one hand to his lips, "you hear that?".
"her what kog…". A shrill came somewhere within the bush behind the house linking to this garden on the side.
"it sounds like a cat in pain." "it's the princes Spooky."
Kogna said and stood up fully alert… we could hear the struggle in the groves as we approached the underbrush where the cry came from.
None of us carried a gun. I heard a man grunting grumbling in pain like a slaughtered cow, as a dead weight came down crushing on twigs.
We needed no gun, when we saw the two bloody bodies lay on the dead organic materials on the ground.
Instinctively, I rushed to her side, she was bloody all over but still breathing. Unfortunately, the big man lying beside her didn't make it.
the wounds on his mutilated body represent the macabre of a beast. It had been a long gruesome battle, the spread of blood in the vicinity attest to that.
Ruby shakes absently in a daze, traumatize and looking bloody. her yellow eyes stared into space, blankly. she totally zones out of consciousness to a different dimension all together.
The dead man looked familier as kogna turned him over. "Blazer!"
I have always thought I understood what fear is.... this was fear beyond horror whatever that is out there... it's definitely huge.
my heart melted for Ruby. Something was happening to me though, making me forget what was happening or where I was. my head feels heavy at the emerging migraine.
I carried Ruby into my arms and walked into the house to her room. "oh lord, what happen kuga?" Kate asked in a shiver, when she saw the bloody sight of Ruby. I didn't want Nana to see any of this. This will wrench her weary heart.
"what happened out there Ruby?". Obviously she didn't know I was even there. "please, could you leave this to me?". "what is going on Kate".
"please you have to leave now…". "this is not over kate…". I walked out the room to meet kogna at the hall. Kujo was there.
"what are you doing here Kujo? You should be out there making sure the parameters are secured. How did the man break through your security Kujo?"
"that's why I came to tell what I know."
"there is a big cat in those groves boss." "how long has it been there?" Kujo hesitated and said, "the day after you came home.
I....today marks the fourth day since I have been advising the madam not to venture into those woods."
"what madam kujo?". "the pretty tall one. The wounded one."
"and why didn't you tell me Kuja." "the madam tell me not to tell anyone".
"what on Earth kujo.... well, at the end of the month go to pretty mother to pay."
"sorry boss, I wanted to tell, but the thing vanished from my head like smoke." he gnawed and scratch his head dubiously.
what about the dead man? How did he break through you shield."
"he didn't. he came through the groves…".
"that is impossible kujo. That side of the mountain is too steep for the big man to make his way up. nothing can come through that side, it's a death trap."
"yes boss, it is. But it wouldn't be a trouble for Ananda…".
"what is that? what do you mean."
Kujo swallowed had, and looked a little frighten, as though afraid someone will hear him.
"please a glass of water boss." "Kogna, please bring the man some water."
When Kogna was gone; Kujo drew closer to me and said in a whisper, "the dead man, must be an Ananda."
"what the hell Kujo. I don't even know what a damn Ananda is…" . "the man is part cat part human boss."
"bullshit! What sort of snuff do you sniff now, Kujo? You better quit before it screw up you mind. I know the dead man from the city for as long as I could remember, and he maybe cunning and cagey but he is not a damn cat."
"I am very sure the puma is still out there somewhere in the grooves, track it down to its lure or whatever…. Bring me its carcass before I move back to the city. What the hell!"
"but boss…". "no buts kujo… go out there and hunt it down, triple your security if need be… this damn mountain town is getting you all spooked with some superstitious folklore crap. I Don't want to hear anything of the sort from you…".
Kujo bowed as he stood up. the look he gave me was that of a man I didn't know. The look was so subtle like a whiff of stench in a storm, it came and disappeared at the same time.
"have a good they boss. I will bring the madam some herbs that will help her heal… sorry about all this boss." He said as Kogna handed to him a bottle of water. he took it and stalked out.
"tell me what you know about blazer."
"no time for all that Spooky. If blazer is able to locate us, it wouldn't be long before they catch up to us. We have to get out of her spooky."
"I am not going anywhere Kogna. I am in my home, let the bastards come get me. we can't run forever."
"has the missy tell you anything about the attack?"
"no Kogna, what I don't understand is… look, I don't even want to think about it. I cant imagine I nearly lost her to some them monstrous puma, while I was fuming about a crappy apology."
"she did fight well from what I see…. And there was no puma Spooky. The princess killed blazer. That is what you are finding hard to understand."
"what the hell are you talking about Kogna." "you saw the scene Spooky, it was only the two of them fighting.
Did you see the blood covering the missy body, most of the blood ain't hers. She killed blazer with her bare hands and teeth spooky. But you choose to see whatcha want to see."
"what is wrong with everyone today? There must be some poisonous spooky virus in the in the air infecting the way we think.
come on Kogna… you are the most pragmatic person I have ever known. You surely don't believe any of what you are telling me…
look, there is an explanation for all this, for now let's just wait for Ruby to get better."
"where is the phone and .38 revolver you retrieved from the body?". "here you go spooky, he was never able to make the final call though.
It seems like the man came here alone, looking for something. I sure as hell wouldn't be surprised if he is here for the women."
"and what will he want with the women?".
"that is what I am trying to figure, spooky. Catch up with you later, I want to make sure the body is fully burnt to ashes.
I don't believe in ghost stories, but such a damn spooky maintains you got over here man," He said and walked out.