6)

The same feeling, that anger, almost fear that I felt when I had seen the gift basket at the gate woke me up. A glance at the clock showed me that I had been down for less then an hour as I sat up on the side of the bed.

I tried to analyze what I was feeling and what I came up with was this, someone was here, now, in the place that belonged to me, without my knowledge or permission.

Which explained why the buzzer for the front gate was now going off.

I had set it to flash a light on all the intercoms around the house, but the buzzer sound was coming from my phone so I could use it to see if someone was pranking me by doing a ding dong ditch.

I blinked away the last of my nap as I looked at the phone showing a live image from the camera mounted on the intercom out by the gate, I was expecting to see the sheriff come round again. Instead I had a little Asian girl.

Solid build, like a athlete, early teens or even younger, hair tied back, looking annoyed.

She had another girl, a sister maybe, dressed up more girly and looking pretty beat, along with a little boy more interested in looking over at the cement panel set into the wall next to the gate showing a grecien woman pouring out a amphora, or at least I assumed that what was he was looking at. Might have been the Milkweeds that were flowering.

All three of them had matching duffels, except for maybe the colors, but I had only sprung out for black and white cameras.

The bigger girl hit the buzzer again, leaning in like she thought holding it down would make the thing keeping making a noise. Impatient little thing.

I tapped the phone to turn on the mic without showing who was looking back. “Can I help you?”

She jumped back a bit and look embarrassed about being startled, then dug into her faded jean jacket pocket to hold up half a heart shaped locket set in a circle. It was split in half by a lightning bolt shaped edge with the letter J.L on one side and half of a plus symbol in the middle.

“My grandma gave me this and told me to find the owner if we even needed help and couldn't go to her.”

…?

“Who is your grandmother?”

“Brianna Caine”

Well...that’s unexpected.

I typed in the code to open the gates. “Come in and let the gate close behind you, I’ll drive up and pick you up.” I cut the feed.

Bri’s granddaughter didn't listen any more then she did, but the time I got my shoes on, in the truck and up the drive she was halfway to the house, two tired little kids dragging their feet behind her, not that she looked much better off.

She shook off the boy’s hand from hers and said something to the other girl who pulled the boy behind her, then the little miss stepped up front and took some kind of stance, almost like someone trying to set their feet for a fight, but a lot smoother then that, like something she did everyday, then she asked me “Who are you?”

As soon as I stepped out of the truck I knew. Chalk it up to being another benefit of being a supernatural creature. A super sniffer.

Why didn't she just tell me, ever? Why disappear without a word? Was is it the girl’s mother or father?

“I guess... Well, apparently I'm your grandfather.’

She frowned. “Bullshit. My dad tracked his old man down once, he was some loser security guard. She looked at the big truck and the grounds, a little less sure of herself. “Unless you just work here?”

“Nice one kid, way to make a first impression. I came into some money and decided to retire to someplace nice.”

She looked me up and down. “Yeah, good first impression old man, mussed up hair, stained shirt.”

I pulled out the shirt as I looked down. “Stopped for the ribs earlier and I was taking a nap when you starting leaning on the buzzer. Still no call for you to be rude.”

She folded her arms, dam Bri, she’s got your same stubborn look when she’s losing a argument.

“Maybe if you answered the thing the first three times, but I guess old people need their sleep.’

The younger girl spoke up “Sarah, we’re tired, stop trying to pick a fight and see if he is going to help us.”

The little miss, Sarah, blushed, but I cut her a break. “I got guest rooms and will feed you, but I’m going to need to speak to your parents.”

Both the older girls went pale, and the boy looked around looking confused at the change in mood.

If anything asking about their parents put Sarah even more on guard. “Our parents are on the run, Grandma told me we had to find someone to help us hide from the people coming for us.”

“What? Who would be coming for you?”

Sara gave me a guarded look, like I might change my mind about letting them stay if she spoke, the younger girl wasn’t so guarded, or maybe she was just more tired.

“Great grandmother, and her coven. And on mom’s side, Great grandfather and the clan.”

So it’s the father that’s mine.

...I have a son.

...and he took one look at me, then just walked away. Right, think about that later, not time sensitive.

“Why are your families...You know what, not a discussion to have in the driveway, let’s get you all inside and feed you before we get into this.”