The California sun was set low in the sky, coating the golden coast in a wet, sticky heat. A lone figure sat atop a hill, respectfully looking down towards the ocean and appreciating the sight before it.

The young man took his helmet off, letting his face feel the salty air clearly. He tucked his goggles against the off-road helmet, the strap stretching all the way around.

“This is why I ride,” the rider thought. A beautiful sunset, reflecting off the crashing waves, with nothing but grass, sand, and nature.
But it was time to head home. He pulled his goggles back over his eyes, and the young rider headed back into the suburbs of San Diego. He rolled his bike down a hill, a mixture of grass, sand and dark dirt. The knobby tires gripping the earth below it and sending him forward.

With the coast on his left, and land on his right, he realized there really was no place he’d rather be: In his homeland, on his bike, happy just to be alive and productive.

His good mood was interrupted by a siren and blue lights behind him. The rider glanced in one of his mirrors, and then down to his speedometer. He pulled to the side of the road and put his feet down.

The sleek, aerodynamic police cruiser tailgated him to the shoulder of the road. A minute went by and a California State trooper stepped out of the vehicle.

“Do you know why I stopped you today?” the officer asked in a demeaning manner.

“I can’t say I do,” said the young man.
“You were doing 15 over back there,” the officer stated.
The rider, his tinted goggles masking his face, simply stared at the officer.
“License,” the trooper demanded. “And take off those goggles.”

The young man reached into his wallet and withdrew two cards, then stretched the goggles over the mouthpiece of his helmet.

“Military?” The trooper raised an eyebrow, checking the first I.D.
“Navy reserve.”
“Eli…”
“That’s affirmative.”
“Related to…”
“Yes, the attorney."
The officer took one look at the rider, then back to the IDs, and then handed them back to him.
“Go, I want no part of this.”

Eli withheld every smartass remark he wanted to make. While his father’s reputation had saved him yet again, that same man taught him that once you’ve won a legal battle, you shut the hell up.

The rider started his bike up and rode off, the sky now nearly black.
Eli pulled into a familiar driveway, downshifting and engine braking into the garage. He dismounted his KTM 690, essentially a street-legal dirtbike.

He parked it amongst a collection of other bikes, about a dozen or so, parked very closely together. The 4-car garage itself was very spacious. It housed two sedans, a pickup truck, and an area that looked to have been expanded to be a motorcycle work area/storage.

The young man pulled his helmet off, his face dripping with sweat from riding all day. He dropped his heavy rucksack on the ground.
A door opened, with a young girl standing in the doorway.

“You’re late,” she crossed her arms and pouted her lip.

“I’m never late, I arrived exactly when I wanted to,” Eli smirked.

His sister smiled, and ran to embrace him. Having last seen him at his graduation from Recruit Training nearly a year ago.
“Come on, let’s go see mom and dad.”

Eli followed Marcella through the spacious living room. The back deck had a porchlight on, and Eli had a hunch his parents would be enjoying their nightly glass of wine.

The porch overlooked the shoreline at a modest distance, and now the moon reflected off the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Eli opened the door, his parents turning around in their chairs.

“Son! Welcome home,” his father stood up and shook his hand. “Please, have a seat. Wine?”
“Whiskey?” Eli said questioningly.
“Sure, coming up,” his father went into the house to fetch him a glass.
“How was your week, mom?” Eli hugged her without her having to stand.

“It’s been a long week. The new gym we opened had a mold problem and a roof leak, zoning has been a nightmare, but its looking good now. But my biggest concern is that your sister has been seeing that Reyes kid from down the block.”

“Ooh,” Eli teased. “Jose’s kid? Marcella’s got a boyfriend!”
“Shut up! Carlos is not my boyfriend,” Marcella shouted. “And besides I’m 13, I can have a boyfriend now if I want.”

“Nope, you’re going to be single forever and you better start getting used to it,” Eli’s father emerged from inside the house with a glass of ice and a bottle of bourbon.
“Your favorite.”
“Dad, you know me too well.”
Eli took a swig of the drink and downed it quickly, mostly trying to impress his father.
“So you’re finished with all that job training now?” Eli’s mother asked.

“Yeah,” Eli replied. “No more of that. All done, I have monthly drills to attend, but that’s it now. No more training. I can go to school now and find a place.”

“Oh, nonsense,” Eli’s father shrugged. “You should stay here. Let us take care of things while you go to school. We’ve never had any military in the family before. I’m sure it’s hard on you.”

“Plus, we actually kind of like having you around now, you know?” Marcella nudged him.
“Well, I guess that’s fine,” Eli scratched his head. “But I need to start looking at colleges this week if I want to start in the fall.
“I don’t understand you, you’re all about going from one place to another, you need to learn to sit back and relax. Go ride your motorcycle or something. Maybe even with your old man.”

“I was raised by a workaholic lawyer and a fitness instructor, it’s hard for me to sit still.”
“Watch your mouth, boy,” Eli’s father snapped. “I’ll whip you in those turns, you know. You may be able to ride dirt, but on the street your old man’s got you beat.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Eli rolled his eyes. “Street is boring, anyway. Too much traffic and cops. Trails and dirt, you can go anywhere.”
“Put your money where you mouth is, boy,” Eli’s father took a sup of wine.

A few weeks had gone by since Eli’s return to civilian life. Sleeping in sometimes as late as 10, he felt guilty knowing what those who were active were going through. But he made his choice. And going active in the military could be done at his leisure.

One thing that always bugged Eli was that his father seemed very aware of things, ever more so then Eli was. He noticed this in the Marines he met at the San Diego Navy base, especially of those that had seen combat. But Eli’s father insisted he had never been in the military.

Eli contemplated all this as his father rode ahead of him on his beloved Ducati. Eli gripped the handlebars of his borrowed bike, his father’s vintage 2010 Honda CBR, as they swerved through the Mulholland highway.

They were playing a game of cat and mouse, trying to overtake each other through the turns, and Eli just couldn’t seem to win. His father had been riding street and track all his life, while Eli had been riding dirt bikes since he could walk, and that was his strong suit. Finally, his father pulled to a scenic overlook, Eli following in suit.

“Well, I guess that’s another week’s work you owe me,” Eli’s father flipped up the visor on his helmet.

“I was going to do it anyway,” Eli shrugged. “Sorry to disappoint.” Eli’s father smiled and flipped down his visor, revving the engine and heading up the winding road with his son in tow.

Eli sat at a local San Diego coffee shop, sitting outside so he could watch his bike. His phone began to vibrate. He picked up immediately.
“Dad?”
“Eli,” his father sounded a bit different. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah… Why wouldn’t it be?” Eli examined his surroundings, seeing nothing suspicious.
“Good. I need you to come to my office at once. I have something very important to discuss with you, and hurry.”
With that, the line went dead.

Eli pocketed his phone. What was going on?

He tossed his coffee into the trash and put on his helmet, starting his bike up and riding through the city.
He took his usual shortcut through a small park, padding across the grass quickly and then returning to pavement.

The security guard to the office building recognized Eli and immediately opened the gate, nodding to son of the man who owned the 20 story building that employed him out of respect.

Eli stepped into the elevator and rode to the top floor, where his father’s legal office was located.
“Hey, Sheila,” Eli said to the receptionist.
“He’s waiting for you, hon. Let yourself in,” she hit a button and unlocked the door to the offices.

Eli strolled through the artistically decorated hallways and lounge areas, where his father often brought high-profile clients. Photos of his father with celebrities or their cases were hung on the walls. It made him proud of his family name.

Eli entered his father’s office. It had a high ceiling, and ornate trim. There were photos of his family everywhere, as well as framed shots of him on motorcycles leaning through a turn on the track. Definitely a conversation point for clients. His father stood up out of his chair at the sight of him.

“Eli, I’m glad you arrived so quickly. Please, shut the door.”
Eli raised an eyebrow, but complied and closed the door. Leaving just the two of them present.
“Dad, do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

Eli’s father cupped his hands in front of him, and then came forward and put his hands on his sons shoulders.

“Our family is in danger.”

“What? Why?” Eli asked. “Who did you piss off? Did you put someone in the mafia in jail or something?”
Eli’s father paused.

“I can’t tell you. Well, I would, but you wouldn’t believe me yet. And no, it’s not the mafia. But I have reason to believe we might be threatened.”
“And why don’t you tell the police? Couldn’t we go into witness protection or something?”
“You want me to ruin your military career? They would kick you out,” Eli’s father sighed.
“And how do you know that, Dad?”
“I’ve- Taken military cases similar to that before. Lawsuits against the US Government and that sort of thing.”
Eli could tell he wasn’t telling the whole truth.
“And besides, the police wouldn’t be able to protect us from this enemy. Trust me, I know.”
“Okay, so why are you telling me this?” Eli said.
“I need you to take Marcella somewhere safe. The cabin.”
“The Cabin? No one’s been there in years.”
“No one will look for you there. I need you to stay there until you hear from me. I’m going to take your mother somewhere safe.”
“Are you serious? Is this really necessary, are you sure you aren’t over reacting?”
“Eli, I’m sure. And I’d rather overreact than under-react. I want our family to be safe. You and Marcella need to get to the cabin. Take the truck. Make sure you’re not followed. There’s a gun in the glove box.”
Eli’s father handed him a key.
“There’s one more thing. In the glove box there is an envelope. Open it if you know something happens to me or after… Five days.”
“What’s in it?”

“Do not, under any circumstances, open that envelope until you’re sure something’s happened to me or it’s been more than 5 days.”

“Alright, alright, I trust you,” Eli sighed. “Call me when you’ve figured things out, and then tell me what’s going on.”
“I will in due time, I promise. Just go be safe. It might be a few days until you hear from me, but you need to go, and quickly.”
“Okay. When will I see you again?”
“I don’t know, but I promise you will if you follow my instructions. This is all happening for a reason, and you’ll see soon. But trust me when I say we are the men and we need to protect our girls. Understand?”

Eli nodded and opened the door.

“One more thing,” Eli’s father put his hand on his son’s shoulder. “Bring your motorcycle. The KTM dual-sport with the off-road tires. Not any of the street bikes. Trust me. That is very important.”

“My bike? Why? Just tell me what’s going on.”
“There’s no time. Just go!” Eli’s father shouted.

Eli briskly walked out of the office and broke into a run to the elevator once he was out of view of the reception.

“Marcella!” Eli burst into the house. “Marcella!”
Eli searched the house frantically for her.
She sat on the couch, watching a movie.
“Don’t you ever go outside anymore?”
“No,” she responded as she sent a text message.

“They grow up so fast,” Eli muttered. “Look, get up. We’ve gotta go.”

“Huh?” Marcella looked up from her phone.
“Um,” Eli paused. “I’m taking my favorite sister to Disneyland! It’s on Dad. Because I’ve missed you so much, you know?”
"Disneyland? That’s for kids. I don’t want to go there. That’s where all the pedophiles go, too.”
“Ugh,” Eli started to walk away, but then turned back around.
“Okay, I wasn’t going to spoil it, but Carlos is going to be there.”
“What!” Marcella gasped. “I mean, okay, I’ll go.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Go upstairs and pack what you need for a few days. Be back down here in 15.”

Marcella packed her essentials in a hurry, and then raced down the stairs to meet her brother. He was in the garage, a steel ramp propped up against the tailgate of the truck. He rolled his Enduro into the back of the truck, and began strapping it down.

“Why are you bringing your bike?” Marcella crossed her arms.

“Um,” Eli tried to think of something. “I was going to ride on the golf course, and maybe do a burnout on Mickey’s face. Don’t tell dad.”
Marcella giggled, and threw her backpack into the back seat.

Marcella took her seat and put on her seat belt, and Eli backed the truck out of the garage. Making sure all the alarm systems were active on his phone, he set it on the dash and headed to the interstate.

After a while, Marcella could tell something was up.
“How long have you been heading North? Shouldn’t we have made it by now?”

Eli opened the glove box and removed a handgun, and then put it in the doorside compartment next to his leg. Just as his father said, there was a white envelope, and he put it in his jacket pocket.

“Oh yeah, I lied. We’re not going to Disneyland.”

“WHAT?” Marcella burst into rage. “You traitor! You lied to me! I bet you lied about Carlos too!”

“Yep,” Eli kept his eyes on the road. “And let me explain.”
“You liar! Stop the truck and let me out. I’m calling dad.”
“Listen!” Eli hissed. “Dad is the one who told me to do this! Just let me explain.”

Marcella became silent.

“Look, dad told me our family is in danger. That I needed to get you somewhere safe. But I don’t know anything else. Based on how he was acting I think he’s serious. I’m taking you to the cabin to protect you.”

“Where’s mom?”

“Dad’s taking her somewhere safe, too. He said we’d be safe at the cabin and he’ll call me in a few days. Maybe less.”
“Aw, a few days at that dump? This is going to be so boring. There’s no wifi there. Why can’t we just get a hotel?”
“I don’t care. It’s what Dad told me to do. He knows something we don’t. We’re going and that’s final. You’ll survive.”
Marcella groaned in dismay.

A few hours later, the truck bounced along down some of the California fire service roads. A gravel driveway extended up into the woods with a tin slot serving as a mailbox. It looked like it hadn’t seen a letter in decades.

Eli pulled the truck to a stop in front of a rustic cabin. End of the line. Eli flipped a switch near the back of the cabin and the generator started up, porch lights illuminating the now California dusk. Eli’s father truly meant for this place to be off the grid.

However, he still had cell service, so when his father needed to contact him he would be ready.

Dad said I would need the bike. Better get it ready. Can’t imagine why.

Eli unstrapped the bike, and wheeled it down the truck, folding the ramp and putting it back in the bed. He parked it next to the behemoth of a vehicle.

Eli opened the door while Marcella unenthusiastically followed behind him.
After cutting on the lights, the entire cabin was laced with cobwebs and several roaches went scurrying under furniture.
“Eli, when was the last time we were here?”

“Um, definitely before you hit puberty.”

“This place sucks. When is Dad going to call you so we can leave?”
“Again, I don’t know,” Eli scratched his neck, fearing a deadly spider had crawled down his shirt in this death trap.

A day went by. Eli hadn’t brought a lot of food, but survived off of canned beans found in the pantry much to Marcella’s protest. He almost made a run for the store he knew was a few dozen miles down the road, but faithfully obeyed his father’s orders.

By the third day, Marcella had effectively driven him crazy, and there was nothing left to quell his appetite. Eli grabbed his phone and dialed his father.

It rang, rang, and rang, and then went straight to voice mail. Eli was about to dial his mother instead, when his phone display lit up with the caller ID of his father calling him back. Eli answered it.

“Dad?”

“…”

“Dad, it’s Eli. Are you there?”

“Eeeeelllliiiii,” an unfamiliar voice spoke. Long and drawn out. “Tell me Eli, where are you hiiiiiddddiiiing?”

Eli ran to the bedroom and grabbed the pistol, keeping an eye on Marcella in the living room.

“Who are you?”

“Where is your father, Eli? It seems I just missed him. It seems he forgot his phone, as well. I’m very disappointed I didn’t get to see him again after so long, but it’s not too late for us to be friends. Tell me where he is, and you and your sister can live long, happy lives.”

“What have you done, you bastard? Who are you, and why are you threatening my family?”

“I’ve done nothing. Nothing yet. But your father and I have some unfinished business. Him being a lawyer, I’m sure he understands that quite well. None of his office staff seemed to know where to find you, and he was smart enough to know I’d probably go after you two first. Alas, you father is a crafty man. I’ll give him that. I’ll bet that he told you nothing about me, or his past life he was too ashamed to share with his family.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. And my father has nothing to be ashamed of. You won’t get me to talk. And if you threaten any of my blood, you’re dead. Mark my words.”

“Powerful talk. You remind me of your old man so much. So proud of his military son and his beautiful daughter. I will find you, though. You can’t hide forever.”

“You don’t scare me,” Eli replied.
The line went dead.

“Oh holy shit, oh fucking shit I’m actually quite terrified right now,” Eli chattered.

“Huh?” Marcella looked over. “Who are you talking to?”

Eli seized his masculinity and collected himself.

“Nobody, my dear sweet sister,” Eli cocked the gun, and looked over to the window.

“Get on the floor, I need to do a sweep of the yard. And take this,” Eli handed her the pistol.
“Won’t you need it?” Marcella looked up to her big brother.
“I’d rather you have it than I. I just need to make sure nothing is out there.”

Eli took a deep breath and exited the cabin, walking out into the cool night air. He looked up, and was greeted with the unfamiliar sight of stars that he saw so little of from living in San Diego’s light pollution. Cautiously, he crept around the porch, shining a flashlight all around the truck, his bike, the back yard, and the woods surrounding the cabin, and then he came back inside.

“Safe,” Eli let out a sigh of relief.

“Eli, this is getting ridiculous. I’m actually getting pretty scared,” Marcella frowned. “Don’t you think its time to call the police?”

“Dad said the police wouldn’t be able to protect us. And when a multi-million dollar lawyer tells me that, I have to trust what he’s saying is true.”

“But we’re out of food, and I heard you on the phone earlier. Someone wants to hurt us. And it’s been 3 days. We haven’t heard from Mom or Dad. This place is terrible, I’m so hungry and I want to go home. I’m scared.”

“Me too, Marcella,” Eli sat on the floor with her and held her in a protective embrace. “Me too.”

Eli pulled the envelope out of his jacket pocket. He felt it up and down, there seemed to be a small bulge. There was definitely a letter inside, as well as something else. But he remembered his father’s instructions. He would open the envelope tomorrow night if he didn’t hear from his father.

Four days of hiding, and there was nothing left to eat in the house. Eli searched the cupboards top to bottom but found nothing but rats. Why did his father even own this shit hole of a vacation home? Surely he could afford having some kind of service take care of the place.

Eli brought Marcella a glass of water, which she eagerly gulped down.
“Water suppresses the hunger. Dad told me that once,” Eli sighed.
Marcella wouldn’t even return his gaze. She looked miserable. It made his heart lurch inside to see his sister like this.

“I’m taking us away from this place tomorrow morning. We have no more food. We’re going to go get a hotel on my account, so we can’t be tracked. Whoever they are, they have dad’s phone so they’ll probably track us on his credit card too.”

“Finally,” she gave a relieved huff. “But can we go to Taco Bell tomorrow morning for breakfast?”

“You’re damn skippy we’re going to Taco Bell tomorrow,” Eli smiled.
“Now get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Eli saw Marcella to bed and slept on the couch, gun ready. It would be nice to get a real room with a shower and no bugs crawling all over you. His expensive clothes were already matted with dirt just from being in this place. It didn’t bother him as much as Marcella. His military service had humbled him. Marcella knew only the privilege of wealth.

“Eli?” Marcella rubbed her eyes and walked back into the living room.
Eli lay on the couch with a single lamp lit, cradling his father’s pistol and standing watch.

“Yeah?”

“I think I may have heard something outside.”

“It was probably just an animal. Don’t worry about it. There is coyote and deer up here in the mountains.”
“It sounded like two legs, though. One foot after the other. Like a person.”

Eli was quiet for a moment, and then there was a knock on the door.

The two siblings looked at each other. Eli held the gun close and put a finger to his lips, then turned the lamp off.
“Get in the closet. Don’t make a sound no matter what you hear.”

The knock sounded again, this time with more force. This was going to get ugly.
Eli hid behind the short end of the couch, resting his arms on the cushions and ready to fire the moment the door opened.
The doorknob rattled now. Eli could see the silhouette of a man walking outside the window through the curtains.
Eli heard the hollow steps of dress shoes echo into the hardwood porch outside, and it sounded like whatever man had come to the door was leaving. Eli eased himself up, and began creeping closer to the door.

Big mistake. The door swung open, putting a hole in the wall and breaking it off its hinges.

The black silhouette of a man stood in the doorway. His eyes glowed a turquoise blue, but there was no other feature he could make out in the light. Or maybe, the man was just pure black.

Eli fired the pistol out of reflex. It hit the man in the head, but it passed through like nothing had happened. Eli blinked. He fired again, but the man seemed to be bulletproof.

“Eli, I presume?” the man spoke. The voice was the same he heard on the phone.

Eli held the gun high.

“That’s not going to do you any good, you know,” the man brushed some of the dust off his suit.

“What do you want from me?”
“Answers,” the man said. And then, he turned into a black cloud. It rushed Eli and went up his mouth, entering his mind.
The most indescribable pain Eli had ever experienced over took him. He fell to the floor and blacked out.

Eli awoke, sitting in a chair that had been propped up. The lights were on. And the man who attacked him stood there with no expression, other than a pair of angry, glowing blue eyes.

They made eye contact for a few moments, and then Eli looked him up and down.

He wore a black suit, and a shiny watch. His shoes were very polished. His face had no mouth, no nose, and no ears or hair.

“My masters have commanded me to bring them your father. And I couldn’t search your mind. I’m not sure why that is.”

“You were in my head?” Eli felt sick, violated. “What are you?”
“Nothing you could comprehend. I’m not here to tell you about the past. I am looking for your father. Tell me where he is and I will let the rest of your family live.”

“I don’t know,” Eli said. “He’s missing. You called me from his phone. You know I don’t have any contact with him.”

Eli’s phone floated out of his pocket. The man looked at the screen, and then it floated in front of Eli’s face.
“Unlock it.”

Eli simply stared dumbly at the phone that was literally levitating in the air.
“Unlock it,” the man said. Eli typed his four-digit pin onto the screen and it gave access to the device.
The man searched recent calls and messages. Nothing compromising that would give his location away.
“So, you may not know anything,” the man said. “But then again, you may."

The man hit Eli again.

“I don’t know what he did to you, but I’m sorry.”

Right temple this time.

Eli sat there, shocked by the impacts.

“I can’t help you,” Eli said calmly. “I don’t know what you were hoping to get out of me, but I know nothing of my father’s crime. Neither does my sister.”

If I raise my voice or beg, he will only torture me further.

Oh shit, maybe I should beg. Too late, he’s got a gun.

BANG

Knee cap. Hot. HOT. HOT!!!

Eli pleaded with him now. Stop! No point. Pride! Screaming makes the pain dim.

Eli screamed with pain, he had been shot in the knee. He writhed on the floor with agony.

“I’m going to leave you alive, to deliver a message to your father,” the man said. The man snapped his fingers, and immediately Eli’s knee had healed. When Eli looked back, the man held a kicking and struggling 13-year-old girl draped over his shoulder.

“MARCELLA!”

“ELI!”

“Tell your father I will trade the girl for him. Do not think I will have mercy a second time.”

Eli struggled to stand, but rose to his feet. The pistol was set on a table, and he grabbed it quickly and fired a few more rounds into the man, which accomplished nothing. It only made Marcella scream.

“You know my demands.”

“Eli!!!”

With that, the man summoned a glowing white hole with a flick of his hand, and jumped through. It immediately closed, taking him and Marcella with it.

Eli collapsed to the floor.

“MARCELLA!!!” he roared. He fired the remnants of whatever ammunition he had into the ceiling. The pistol clattered to the floor and he buried his face in his hands.

He pounded at the walls, busting holes in the dry wall.

“No! Nononononono!”

Eli sat against the wall. Cradling his knee. That thing had taken his sister. It wasn’t human. It was not of this world. It had shot him and then healed him right before his eyes. It made his phone float in mid-air. It bust down a door with its mind, and entered Eli’s head.

He sat there for some time, and began to cry. His flesh and blood was taken. His family was broken. And he had no idea why. It was something his father had done to that thing. His father was an honorable man. Surely this was backlash for something honorable.

Eli reached into his jacket and retrieved the envelope his father had given him. He hastily tore it open. Inside was a letter, and a set of keys. One of them was plastic and metal and had the Honda emblem engraved on it. The other looked like a novelty key from the middle ages. It was long, and had two prongs at the end, with what looked to be a horse’s head carved into the handle.

Eli read the note.

“To my Dearest son Eli,

If you are reading this, then I have failed at my task to keep you safe. If my suspicions are correct, Marcella will have been taken and not you. If this is the case, it is up to you to save her.

One of the keys in this envelope will work in any door. The key will take you to where Marcella was taken. Anything that can fit through the door will pass through to the other side. It was given to me by my greatest enemy and my greatest friend, who is one of the leaders of the land. I’m not sure where the key will drop you, but you should seek out the Princess of the Sun when you arrive. She will be able to help you.

However, waste no time. You will need to locate Marcella at once. I guarantee you that I am safe. If it has found you and tried to get my location out of you, then it does not know where your mother and I are. I am working on keeping everyone safe from where I am now.

I regret getting you involved with this, but I found out about the return of this enemy too late. Words cannot express how proud of you I am, my son.

I will join you soon in the other world. But do not wait for me. You need to go now, and quickly.
Be safe. Stay alert. I will be in touch.

-Dad”

Eli looked up to the ceiling, feeling angry and helpless at his situation.

He looked down at the hole in his jeans, where the man had shot him earlier.

“This is crazy,” Eli shook his head. He took the key over to the nearest door he could find that wasn’t kicked down, and stuck the key with the horse carving into the lock. He opened it, and what he saw made his jaw drop.

There was a white void, just like what he had seen the man disappear into with Marcella.

“And bring your motorcycle. That is very important.”

Eli remembered these words, and then began to piece it together.

“He knew this whole time. He knew this was going to happen.”

Eli looked outside. Sure enough, his bright orange KTM 690 dual-sport motorcycle leaned on its kickstand, awaiting orders by its master.

Eli opened the back seat of the truck and retrieved his helmet, jacket, and gloves. He switched his shoes out for his steel-toe riding boots.

His helmet was made for off road use, and instead of a visor, it had gold-tinted goggles strapped around the diameter of the helmet, as was his preference. On the top it featured a sunshade, and with a tilt of his head it would keep the sun out of his eyes, much like a baseball cap. His gloves were light, flexible cloth, and made to breathe at lower speeds and keep in less heat while riding trails.

The last thing he put on was his camelbak. It was a small backpack with a sack of water on the inside, with a hose that protruded outside the top of the bag and hooked to a clamp on his shoulder, allowing him to hydrate easily.

Eli couldn’t thing of anything else he had in the truck he could take. His father stressed in the letter to go as quickly as possible, and find Marcella quickly. As much as he wanted to leave and gather provisions before he followed his father’s crazy instructions, it was not worth risking Marcella to him.

He started the bike and pulled it into the house, riding through the living room and facing the door he had chosen, the bedroom door. The white void illuminated the room like the screen of a TV, bathing it in pale light.

Eli stretched the goggles and then placed them over his face. He had no idea what was going to happen. He could die simply by touching this, for all he knew. But his father seemed to think otherwise. It would be worth it to see his sister again.

Eli eased his bike forward. His handguards dug into the trim of the door slightly, but he would just fit.

Eli pinned the throttle, shooting through the door and into the void. Everything became very bright. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

But then it got dark. Very Dark.

…And nothing happened.

Definitions
KTM: Austrian motorcycle manufacturer. Very popular in the southeast and southwest United States for its high-performance two and four-stroke dirtbikes, enduros, and supermotos.
Enduro: Slang for a street-legal motorcycle originally designed for offroading use.
Dual-Sport: A 4-stroke motorcycle designed to be street legal but still have limited offroading capability.

Author's Note

Any of y'all remember when I said good bye forever? Yeah I lied. This one's gonna be a lot more lighthearted, I promise.

(And already 1 guy's been shot and a girl's been kidnapped. Well, we'll get there I swear.)

Technically, this story is meant to be a sequel to Whiplash, a story I wrote a long time ago. You do not need to read Whiplash to read Sins of the Father, I am writing this as its own standalone story. But between chapter updates, it is something to do. There will be some inconsistencies but they will be minor. I'm not going back to revise anything.

I am in the military and it takes me a long time to write, especially with my current situation. That is all I can say. I haven't seen any of the show for the past two years, the last thing I remember watching was the second season. I really don't have time or ability to watch at the moment, so if someone wants to PM me and briefly run me through the important stuff of what I've missed, it would save me effort and help the story, too. Spoiler's be spoilin'.

Enjoy, you glorious bastards. Yep, I totally lied about never writing anything again or sequels. Just trying to keep you on your toes.

-MC

PS: Petty Officer, if you are reading this... I can explain. Please don't kick me out.