Gargoyle Boyfriend: Amadou 2 (special preview)

You woke in the morning, realizing your phone’s alarms weren’t going off. You then remember that your phone had been dropped at the museum and Rabid probably had it now. You scoff, sitting up in bed and you see a figure standing at your window. 

You walk up to the stone statue, placing your hand on his back. Last night he felt like velvet, but he was back to the hold stone form you had known for so long. Looking up at Amadou, you see his gaze is focused intensely outside. You don’t remember when you fell asleep, but you must have been exhausted. Amadou stayed all night watching out for you. Now, at work, how would a missing gargoyle be explained?

You washed your face, splashing cold water over your skin. You got ready for work, leaving a note taped to Amadou in case you didn’t get home before nightfall. Walking into work you were on pins and needles. You half expected to be grabbed and ripped to shreds as soon as you walked into the door. 

Nothing happened, and no one seemed to be aware of anything that happened to you. It wasn’t until you sat down and turned on your work computer that you finally noticed something wrong. The whole computer was wiped. All your research, all your progress, your data and backups, all of it was gone. The only thing left for you was a document in the center of the screen.

You sit there and stare at that document on the screen. “Well shit.” You click on the document.

“I hope this note finds you well. Just in case you did not get the message last night, I think it is best you give up the ghost. What you will find beyond those paintings is a world you do not wish to entangle yourself in. It is not your world and it is not your place. If you wish to keep digging then this note is your last beckon to safety. Listen to it and last night is the worse of your troubles. If you choose to ignore this note, then I will be seeing you soon.” You screen suddenly goes black and you hurriedly get away from it. 

You go to your editor to talk about it, but then you recall how he insisted you didn’t look any further into the story with Solomon Savage. He could be working for Solomon, or at least being bought off by him. You leave the building, feeling unsafe without Amadou there.

You go by the museum, expecting to see police cars and who knows what out there after the chase last night. You know Rabid had bounced off the walls and touched displays without a single alarm going off. Your chase had created a lot of damage, you had crashed through some of it yourself, so you expected there to be some sort of comotion. Instead, the museum was closed for renovations. No police cars, no cops, not even a police horse around. 

“Not liking this,” you mutter to yourself. You leave the scene fearing you’ll see the museum director or be spotted by one of Solomon’s men. 

If Solomon Savage had Rabid, one of the worst villains in the world, in his back pocket, didn’t that make him a bad guy too? Then again, you couldn’t think of a billionaire who wasn’t a bad guy in one way or another.  Still, having Rabid as your ally wasn’t good, especially if Rabid was only following orders.

That was when you decided to go to the only place you felt safe researching Solomon Savage, the library. It was there you could research without a trail. You could go through old newspapers and articles on hand about him.

Old newspapers revealed his students years where he was a bright but troubled young man. He excelled in his studies, but had issues with authority and constantly bucked the system. Had it not been for his money, he would have been removed from all the schools he attended. 

Later years showed his growing research development business with his partner and cofounder, Dr. Maksim Harlan. The two worked together very closely for years until, one day, Solomon disappeared. It happened shortly after they were researching a comet from space. They had collected samples and then Solomon never reappeared. Most of his work was seized by the government and it left Dr. Harlan abandoned and without a penny to his name. 

You knew that name, but only because of your recent dealings with the Hephaestus academy. Dr. Harlan was a professor there now, working on training future scientists, both super and regular. 

You got yourself a burner phone with what little cash you had and called the school to schedule a meeting with Dr. Harlan. You fib a little bit, giving a fake name and reason for you showing up. It’s getting late as you finish scheduling the meeting and as you step outside a chill goes down your spine. Taking in a sharp breath you quickly go down the street towards home. 

You’re almost there when something falls from a tree in front of you. You go to reach for your mace, but it’s not there. The figure rises before you, towering and then their wings tuck back.

“It’s just me,” Amadou says gently.

“You scared the shit out of me!” You clutch at your chest. “I’ve been on high alert all day.”

Amadou shakes his head. “Why did you even go out?”

You approach him and take his hand. You feel safer now than you did on your own. You grip his palm then look into his eyes. “I had to know. I couldn’t just sit and stew in it. I also don’t want him to get away with this.”