Meeting a Stranger

May 1991

I spent the better part of two weeks with Jessica. She was devastated by her father’s death. I think seeing her crushed brought back emotions I had denied for many years. I’m still human, after all. I cried with her, and when she and I could cry no more, we began to talk. I told her I worked for an eccentric older man. She told me she was starting classes this fall at Albany University. Life just seemed to calm down for the two of us.

Mason never did contact me again. But somehow I knew he was watching. He was always going to be watching Jess.

I'm going to miss Jess.

March 1996

I met a very interesting character tonight. He asked me to call him Hound, so I figure he is probably one of Gabriel’s men. Gabe once told me about some of his men, and even regaled me with tales of his private guard, nicknamed The Black Horde. I got the impression from Hound, he may have been part of the Horde. It was quite like a distant memory coming back to me from nowhere. It’s hard