Until the Night Turns: Chapter 3

True to her word, Lauryn had Erlend on a plane to Vancouver the next day. He arrived at a little past three in the afternoon. The terminal was crowded, and people were pushing this way and that, hurrying to catch flights or find an exit. Most people jumped aside for Erlend when they saw his 6’8” frame coming toward them. With his carry-on bag in hand, he easily made his way to the baggage area. 

Before leaving Toronto, Lauryn briefed him on the two colleagues who were working the field and keeping tabs on Edalyn. Mason was a field officer who had worked for Eilif Inc. since 1979 and had brought in at least a dozen recruits, the highest count of all the field officers. Leah was the tech genius and the one who would meet him at the airport. According to her file, she'd been with the company since the early 2000s. Leah looked like she was in her early twenties with short blonde hair, a lip ring, and clear-framed glasses that made her blue eyes look twice their actual size. Erlend was confident he could pick her out of a crowd as he made his way to the arrivals area. He had barely glanced around when he heard a woman’s voice call out his name.

“Erlend, over here!” 

Leah was standing on her tiptoes and waving to get his attention.

“You must be Leah?” He asked, walking to her side.

“That’s me. I’m glad you’re easy to pick out of a crowd. Is that all you got?” She pointed at his bag. When he nodded, she grinned. “Nice. Let's go.” Leah led him out of the terminal to the parking garage. 

She wasn’t very tall, but she moved quickly so that Erlend had to keep a good stride to keep up. The moment they stepped outside, Erlend inhaled the crisp sea air. His favourite places were always by the cold ocean. He felt that the air was cleaner, the temperature was cooler, and he loved how the wind rarely ceased.

“You should know, we've had a development in the case,” Leah announced as Erlend ducked under a vehicle height restriction bar at the parkade entrance. 

“Tell me,” Erlend said, straightening back to full height. 

“We’ve been keeping a low-profile watch on the target’s building, as requested by Lauryn. But the Pretorium Group is watching as well. A white Lincoln Nautilus was spotted parked out front all night and morning. That’s their company car.”

“Has Edalyn noticed?” Erlend asked.

“Not yet. But it’s only a matter of time.”

“Damn them. They’re gonna make my job harder,” Erlend scowled.

“It might actually make your work easier,” Leah suggested. They stopped in front of a grey Hyundai Kona. She pulled a key fob out of her pocket and unlocked the vehicle before adding, “Their brand isn’t exactly warm and welcoming.”

He thought about her words. If The Pretorium Group were following Edalyn, he might be able to use that opportunity to offer his assistance and win her trust. He thought about this approach as he folded himself into the front seat of the tiny car. Modern vehicles weren’t built with tall people in mind. He much preferred his motorcycle, where headroom was never a concern and he felt in full control. Leah didn’t seem to notice his discomfort as she expertly navigated the parking labyrinth out to the busy roadway, toward the city. She continued explaining the plan. 

“We’ll return to headquarters. We secured a great apartment right across the street from hers. Mason’s out on her tail right now, so we think the best place and time for you to approach her is at her gig tonight.”

“Why’s that?” Erlend asked. 

“It’s a public place, so you’ll come across as less threatening. There are two paid acts, then an open mic session. You’re signed up for the open mic. Lauryn told us you play guitar, so we got you one. I’m assuming all you need is a bit of time to warm up.”

He knew he was chosen because of his musical background, but he hadn’t anticipated that he’d have to perform. His mind dashed through memories of the last time he’d been on stage. It was a music festival in the Bay Area in the seventies. A week later, he met Lauryn and his performing career was put on hold. Sometimes he missed being on the road, sleeping in a new town each weekend, meeting interesting people, and not giving a shit about the next day. But it was also incredibly lonely. 

Leah slowed the car down as she turned onto a narrow one-way street in the Kitsilano neighbourhood. 

“We’re just here on the corner,” she said as she pulled into an impossibly tight parking spot.

“Across the street to the west is Edalyn’s building.”

Both buildings were small apartment complexes, each one consisting of four to eight flats, judging by the balconies. Erlend grabbed his bag and followed Leah into their building. They took the stairs to one of the apartments on the top level. 

“Mason should be back soon,” Leah said, glancing at her watch.

Erlend looked around at the sparsely furnished apartment. 

“Is it just the two of you?” Erlend asked.

“Yup. Make yourself at home. Bathroom is that way. Fridge is stocked with the essentials. Do you need anything else?” Leah asked.

“Just that guitar,” Erlend said.

“Sure thing.”

Leah disappeared into one of the rooms down the short hall and was back within a minute with the guitar case in hand. The case looked too new for Erlend’s liking, but he said nothing. He longed for his worn-in Martin D-28 back in his Toronto apartment, the one that had been around the world and had the scuffs to prove it, but the new Fender would be just fine for an open mic. 

Leah sat down at a desk by the window, where she opened up a laptop and began typing. Not wanting to intrude on her work, Erlend went outside to the small balcony off the kitchen. He sat in one of the wicker chairs and started tuning the strings. He thought about his upcoming task as he ran his fingers over the frets. If Edalyn’s powers were real, they were beyond anything anyone possessed at Eilif Inc. He’d met telepaths, mediums, and beings with incredible strength, but her ability to see the past through touch was unheard of. Victor’s warning replayed in his mind as he imagined what she might see if she touched his hand. He wasn’t going to be reckless, but if the right opportunity presented itself, he wanted to see her powers in action. The task itself seemed simple enough. All he had to do was present Edalyn with the same offer Lauryn gave him: an excellent salary, a chance to do meaningful work in a place where he didn’t have to hide who he was, and protection. No Hidden One could turn that down, even if it meant leaving this slice of paradise for Toronto. He was lost in thoughts about Edalyn when Leah's voice startled him.

“Mason is back,” Leah announced through the open kitchen window.

“Great, send him out here,” Erlend said.

Mason came out to the balcony dressed in a grey tracksuit and black running shoes, his dark hair glistening with fresh perspiration. Erlend wondered where he could have been. 

“So you’re Erlend Arnason.” Mason sank into a chair directly opposite. Erlend could feel the hostility emanating from Mason and wondered what he had done to earn such a greeting. He was tempted to delve into Mason's thoughts to find out why, but he held himself back. It was against their code to use abilities against each other. The last thing he wanted to do was to break the trust of his new colleagues. 

“Are you disappointed?” Erlend asked.

“A little,” Mason admitted, opening a water bottle. “I didn’t expect to be replaced by a rookie.”

If Erlend had been in Mason’s shoes, he would have felt the same way, but Erlend hated being called a rookie. He had more overall experience, let alone life experience, than both Mason and Leah combined. That had to count for something. 

“I may be new to recruiting, but I’m not completely green,” Erlend insisted. 

“I hope not. This one has powerful psychic abilities and she can’t control them.”

“What do you mean?” Victor hadn’t mentioned anything about her inability to control her powers. 

“Anything and everything she touches gives her visions, and she can’t stop it. That’s why she always wears gloves. Look, whatever you do, don't let her touch your bare skin or she’ll see everything you don’t want her to see,” Mason warned.

Erlend heard the warning, but he still itched to see what she was capable of.

“But it’s not just her touch. She’s got unnatural strength as well,” Mason continued.

“How so?”

“She can run for hours without breaking a sweat or slowing down, and she runs every damn day,” Mason said, wiping his brow. “She only runs. She never goes to the gym or anything else that would be convenient for watching her, because, you know, the touching of equipment. I know we’re all stronger than the average human, but the only one I’ve seen who can run longer or faster than her is Victor. I can’t keep up with her, so I run in the vicinity, watching as she starts and finishes.”

Erlend didn’t challenge Mason out loud, but he was willing to bet he could outrun him, too. 

“Okay, what else you got?” Erlend asked.

Mason explained how Edalyn stuck to a predictable schedule, always running at the same time, shopping on the same day, and performing nearly every night of the week, except Thursdays. If she had friends, Mason never saw them. It seemed that she was a recluse, which told Erlend she was cautious and hesitant to trust. If she were anything like he was thirty years earlier, she was probably longing to find others who understood her abilities and he could work with that.

“All you have to do is show her you’re the same and you’ll be golden.” Mason sighed. “She’s at a point where she’s ready to accept outside help. I just wish I were the one to do it.”

“How do you know this?” Erlend asked.

“Oh, she’s tried hard to find out where her abilities come from, but she keeps hitting dead ends,” Mason continues between sips of water.

“Doesn’t she have any family who can tell her?” 

“Both her parents died when she was a child. She thinks her powers come from her grandmother’s Scottish family. Maybe they do. We don’t know either, but her maternal grandparents were the ones who raised her. The grandfather is Icelandic, hence the Vigfusson name,” Mason explained.

Erlend frowned. Those details had not been part of his briefing for the assignment. When he thought about it, there weren't really any personal details about her in the file, just notes on her powers. Was that all Victor cared about? 

“What has she learned so far?”

“Not much,” Mason shrugged, downing the rest of his water in one gulp. Then he added, “Oh, and there is one more thing you should know.” 

“What’s that?” Erlend asked.

“I think I spotted a blonde agent from The Pretorium Group on the trails today, but I don’t know if he made contact,” Mason said.

Erlend glared at Mason. “You should have shared that detail first. Do we know who it was?” 

“No. I didn’t get a good look at him. I was too far behind. But his running vest had their logo on the back,” Mason said as he crushed the empty water bottle with his hand, unbothered by Erlend’s reaction. 

If the suspect was tall and blonde, it was probably Nevin himself. Erlend silently cursed Mason for not following Edalyn closer. He could only guess what Nevin might have said to her.

“It’s time to get you ready. Are you gonna wear that?” Mason asked, looking at Erlend’s navy blue suit and raising an eyebrow in judgment.

“What’s wrong with my clothes?” Erlend demanded.

“You look like you belong on Bay Street, not a casual open mic. Come inside. Lauryn sent your measurements over, and we managed to come through.” Mason’s grin made Erlend uneasy. 

He followed Mason into the apartment and down the short hallway into the far bedroom. It was empty, save for a double bed with plain white linen on it and a metal rolling rack that held several clothing items on it. 

“This will be your room,” Mason told him. “Take your pick from the clothes. We chose items that would help you blend in with this sort of crowd, though I’m not sure it’s possible for you to blend into any crowd, is it?”

Erlend ignored the comment and went to the clothing rack. Mason was right, but he wasn’t about to let him judge his height as a weakness.  

“I’ll leave you to it. When you’re ready, we’ll order food.” Mason left the room, closing the door behind him. 

It didn’t take long for Erlend to choose clothes. He skipped over options he would never wear even if Mason offered to pay him, like black leather pants or jeans so ripped you’d see both his knees through them. He also ignored the grey silk collared shirt, bright red polo shirt, and bedazzled grey sweater. The winning combination was a pair of black jeans and a black t-shirt. If he was supposed to try and blend in, basic black clothes would work best. He laced up a pair of black leather boots, then returned to the living room to see if he had Mason’s approval. 

Leah gave him a thumbs-up in approval, while Mason folded his arms over his chest and appraised him. 

“We need to do something with that hair,” he said. “Do you have an elastic? Great, pull it back. That will make you look a bit younger, too. Would you consider shaving?”

Erlend gritted his teeth with annoyance. He always had an elastic with him to tie back his unruly hair when needed, but shaving was out of the question. While he was grateful Mason had managed to provide clothes that fit his impossibly long limbs on a moment's notice, he wasn’t about to let Mason dictate his every move. As he pulled back his hair, Mason finally smiled in satisfaction. 

“Alright, let’s order food,” Leah said, pulling out her phone.

Erlend walked away, letting them sort out the order. He went back to the patio to warm up his fingers on the frets and rehearse how he was going to approach Edalyn to win her over. 

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Up next: Chapter 4 - The Mural (Edalyn)