by Lita Bronwyn
CHAPTER 7
They pulled up at The Fortress and parked in front. The lot was nearly empty
They hurried in to find Mrs. J clearing out her desk. Piles of books and papers were everywhere in her office.
“Hi Mrs. J., what’s going on?” Amelia asked
“Oh Amelia, I’m so glad you came in, I was fretting terribly about not seeing you before I left.” Mrs. J. said as she walked over and gave Amelia a quick hug.
“Where are you going?” Amelia asked, confused
“Is everything alright?” Gabriel asked
“No, my dear, everything is not alright.” Mrs. J. replied
“I’ll be going to see my sister in Nova Scotia.” She announced
“For how long? Is she okay?” Amelia questioned
“Oh yes, she’s just fine. I’m taking a sabbatical. I’m unsure how long I will be gone, but Mr. Simmons from the History department will be overseeing the library in my absence.”
“This is so sudden, what’s wrong Mrs. J.?” Amelia pressed.
Mrs. Jones walked around them and closed the office door.
“I have been informed by some very powerful people that my services are no longer needed in the capacity of Historian for The Fortress.”
“What people? What is going on?” Amelia demanded
“Oh, my dear, it’s best if I don’t divulge too much to you.”
Gabriel leaned on one of the nearby bookcases and listened intently
“Have you noticed any strange goings on lately Amelia?” she asked
“You have no idea.” Amelia said as she shook her head.
“That’s just it, I do have an idea, and that’s why I have to leave for now.” Mrs. J. explained.
“Mrs. Jones,” Gabriel began “is there anything we can do to assist you?”
“Actually, there is, bring this with you to Virginia.” She said, as she handed him an old wooden box. It looked old and weathered, about the size of a grown man’s fist.
“I don’t know what’s in it or how to open it.” She explained
“But you need to give it to the man you are going to see, he is expecting you.”
“Mrs. J., how did you know about that?” Amelia asked
“We will bring it to him, Gabriel answered. “Will he know what to do with it?”
“I’m not sure, but I can’t bring it with me.”
“Can someone please, just tell me, what the hell is going on here?’ Amelia exclaimed
“My dear girl, it has been an honor and a privilege working with you, and watching you become the strong, powerful woman that you are. I will see you again once all this is over, and we will sit down and have a nice long chat. For now, please, just trust me.”
“Yeah, I seem to be getting that a lot lately.” Amelia replied
“Amelia, let’s just send Mrs. Jones off, with our best wishes and do what we came here to do.” Gabriel offered.
“Well, Mrs. J. I’m sure gonna miss you, and I can’t wait till we can sit down and have that chat.” Amelia said
Mrs. J. walked over to Amelia and looked at her sternly.
“Amelia, stay safe, and don’t trust anyone but Gabriel. I mean it. Good luck to you both. She pulled Amelia in for a hug, and Amelia wrapped her arms around Mrs. J. tightly and fought the tears, and the burn that had surprised her in the back of her throat.
“Thank you for everything Mrs. J. You’ve been so good to me. I’ll miss you.”
“And I you sweet girl, but we shall see each other again, remember, we have a date for a chat and a cup of tea.”
“It’s a date.” Amelia said
“Okay, off to find the book I suppose. I can’t believe she’s leaving.” Amelia groaned “and why did she tell me not to trust anyone but you?”
“Well it’s obvious that she is more involved in things than any of us thought. I think we should let that go, just for now, and do what we came here to do, agreed?” Gabriel asked
“Agreed.” She replied
They headed down the hall to Amelia’s office, passing row after row of antique literature that had been read by probably, only a handful of people. Taking their age into consideration. Gabriel was amazed by them all. He walked right into Amelia’s back.
“What it is? What’s wrong?” He asked, immediately on guard, looking all around the library. She stood, hands on her head, looking into her office through its no longer locked, wide open door. Drawers pulled out and dumped on the floor, papers and files and books strewn everywhere. Keepsakes knocked to the floor in pieces. Tears welled up in her eyes. Gabriel took her gently by the shoulders and put her behind him, as he entered the room, looking around to see if the intruder will still there.
“Clear.” He declared after taking a walk around the spacious office. He walked to the door where Amelia still stood. He wrapped her in his arms.
“I am so sorry this happened.” He spoke softly to her.
“I just don’t understand” she choked out “why would someone trash my office like this? What did I ever do to anyone?” her voice trembled
“I think they may have been looking for something specific Amelia.”
Her eyes scanned the room, she turned back to the open door she had come through. On a hook, on the back of the door, hung her bag. In that bag was the book, she just knew it was still there. She walked over to the door and closed it softly. Gabriel’s eyes followed and he knew. He knew that the book was still there, and he knew that’s what whoever trashed the place was looking for. Amelia looked inside the bag and smiled an exhausted smile at Gabriel. He smiled back, “best you just leave it in there for now, and let’s get the hell out of here.”
Amelia slung the bag over her shoulder and they headed out to the front of the building. Night had begun to move in on the day. The sky way a dark gray, filled with heavy clouds. It made the campus seem even darker than usual. They both moved quickly and quietly as they walked towards the car. They both climbed in, softly clicked the doors closed and then took off like a bat out of hell.
“Okay Gabriel, what the hell do we do now?” she asked franticly as the wind blew her hair all around her face.
“We stick to the plan.” He said calmly, “We take the book, and now this little box, to Virginia, and see what we can learn.”
“But Mrs. J. said not to trust anyone.”
“She also said to go to Virginia and see this guy Amelia. This is how we put the pieces together, isn’t that what you want? Cause I know I do.”
“I know. You’re right, but I’m suddenly scared as hell and trust me, that doesn’t happen very often.” She explained.
He reached for her hand, and as he gripped it snugly, the pink glow twisted itself around the two of their hands and forearms.
“Amelia, I know that all of this is freaking you out. I also know how strong, courageous and intelligent you are. Keep your wits, and I’ll take care of the rest. I have already told you on more than one occasion. I will not let harm come to you. I meant it.” He said. His eyes, hard as steel. “Please just trust me.” He asked
She Leaned over the console and kissed his lips softly. Looked him in the eye and said,
“I do.”
For a quick second he just kind of stared at her. The words already echoing in his mind, “I do.”
The arc between them cracked, and pulled him from his momentary day dream.
“Good”. He kissed her quickly. “Now let’s get to Virginia”
“Okay, double date postponed.” She announced as she began texting J.
“Wanna swing by my place so I can pack a bag?”
“That’s where I was headed.” He confirmed
“Okay, so how long do you think we’ll be gone?” she asked
“I’m not sure, pack enough for a few days at least.”
They pulled in at the dorm, he walked around and let her out. As soon as they entered the huge double doors, the security guard walked over to them.
> “Hi Amelia” he said
“Hey Joe, how are ya?” she asked
“Not too good.” He replied sadly
“Why, what’s going on?” she asked
“It’s Sara. She’s in the hospital.”
“The hospital? Is she okay? What happened?” she asked nervously
“Well, her boyfriend Tommy flew in to surprise her, and he came to ask me how to get to your room. As you know, for security reasons, I couldn’t just send him up there unescorted, so I brought him.”
“Tommy’s here?” she interrupted “Where is he?” she asked as she looked around her
“He’s with Sara, at the hospital.” Joe explained
“So what happened?” Amelia pressed
“We got to your room and there was no answer when we knocked. I knew she was home, because I have been here since 5 am, and she never left, and her car is still here. So I used my emergency key.”
“Joe, please get to WHY Sara is in the hospital.” She said impatiently
“When we went in, the room was totally trashed. Like, not even from a party trashed. Someone either had an epic, movie type battle in there, or you were robbed. It was such a mess, I couldn’t even tell if there was anything missing, but Sara was there, she was laying on her bed, fully dressed, shoes and all. Her eyes were wide open, but she was completely unresponsive. So we ended up having to call the paramedics.”
“Oh my god!” Amelia clamped her hand over her mouth and burst into tears. Gabriel stood beside her, holding her tight.
Me and Tommy checked it out, and there wasn’t anyone there, and I locked the door after the paramedics took her out, so you’re all set to go up if you want.”
“Come on beautiful, I’ll go up with you.” Gabriel said
Joe straightened his posture and looked at Amelia questioningly.
“It’s Okay Joe, I’ll be alright.” she reassured him.
“I’m awfully sorry something like this happened” he said sadly “I called Gary and he said it was as quiet as church around here last night, and the first activity I saw all morning was Tommy showing up. So I have no idea who could have done this, or when for that matter.” He explained
“Or why.” Amelia said softly through her tears. “Thanks Joe” she said as she gave him a quick hug
“I sure am sorry Amelia. Please let me know how Sara is when you hear anything?” he asked
“Of course Joe, thanks again” she said
Amelia led the way and slowly walked over to the elevator. She didn’t have the strength to walk the stairs right now. It dinged and the doors opened. They stepped inside and Gabriel pressed number 3. He held her close whispering into her hair, “I’m so, so sorry that this happened.” He held her close like that until they arrived at her floor. They left the elevator and headed down the short hallway to Amelia and Sara’s room. As promised, the door was locked. Amelia reached into her bag for her keys and opened it.
It was like a scene from Animal House. Joe wasn’t kidding when he said it was trashed. Amelia looked around the room and began to cry again. She looked all around the room, paced a bit and then walked over to Sara’s bed and plopped down on it. As she sat there, her face went from sad and upset, to angry.
She picked up the snow globe she had given Sara for Christmas and threw it against the wall with everything she had. It exploded into a watery mess of glitter and fake snow all over the wall and carpet. She began to cry again. Gabriel came and sat beside her. “I’m sure Sara is going to be just fine.” He tried to reassure her. Based on the little information they had, he knew it wasn’t very likely.
“What is happening?” she yelled, he arms open wide as though an explanation was going to fall from the skies into her lap.
“Well, it seems as if this book is more sought after than we first thought.” Gabriel stated the obvious
“Let’s get your things together, the sooner we get to Virginia, the sooner we can get to the bottom of all of this.”
“Okay, but I need to call the hospital first.”
“Of course beautiful, whatever you need to do.” Gabriel tried to comfort her
Amelia fished through her bag for her phone, tapped, swiped then dialed.
“Hi, I’m looking to get information on the condition of a patient.” She said
“Sara Andrews. Yes, I’ll hold.”
Even though he could hear the woman on the other end of the line form across the room, he sat next to Amelia on the bed and held her hand. The arc that appeared around their hands was brighter and stronger than usual. Amelia didn’t notice, as she was looking around the room, while she waited for the woman to come back on the line, but Gabriel noticed, and it made him wonder.
Another voice came on the line, “Shift nurse, third floor.” She stated “Um, yes, hi, I’m looking for info on a patient that was brought in by rescue this morning, Sara Andrews.”
“No, I’m her roommate.” Amelia said
Gabriel heard the woman say that she could only divulge patient info to family members
“Well is her boyfriend still there with her?” Amelia asked “could I speak with him?”
She was placed on hold again. Yet another voice come on the line. It was Tommy.
“It’s Amelia, what’s going on? Is she okay? What happened to her?”
“Hey Mel” he replied in a gravelly voice. “I don’t know what the hell happened to her Mel. It doesn’t make any sense. The doctors said that there is nothing wrong with her.”
“She’s okay then?” she asked hopefully
“No, she is definitely NOT okay, she is still unresponsive. They have to keep giving her artificial tears because she won’t even blink.” He sobbed
“Oh my god.” Amelia had her hand over her mouth again, as if it would hold her anguish inside.
“She’s on all kinds of monitors, hooked up to all types of machines, they want to keep an eye on her involuntary systems. They’ve slowed, but not to a point where she is in need of intubation or anything, but the doctors seem to think she’s going to decline from here on out. It’s a guessing, waiting, friggin horrible game.”
“Tommy, I am so, so sorry. Have her parents been notified?” she asked
“Yes, but they are on vacation in Australia, so it will be a couple of days before they can even get here.”
At this point, Amelia had gotten up from the bed and begun pacing. When she heard that, she just stopped and hung her head back in exasperation and looked at the ceiling. She blinked hard. She wasn’t sure that she was seeing what she was seeing. There was what looked like a burn mark right above Sara’s bed.
“Okay, you’re gonna stay with her right?” she confirmed not taking her eyes off the ceiling.
“Of course, they’ll have to throw me out before I’d leave her, you know that Mel.”
“Okay, just making sure. I actually have to go out of town for a few days, yes, shitty timing, I know, but it really can’t be avoided. I was just coming home to pack when I found out about Sara.”
“Mel, what the hell happened in there? The place is a mess.”
“I know, I’m here now. I don’t know what happened, but I’m hoping my little trip will bring us some answers.”
“Huh?”
“I know, doesn’t make sense, but for now, just trust me. You are welcome to come crash or shower here, or whatever you wanna do. I’m leaving in like ten minutes. I’ll call you from the road to check in, and if anything changes with Sara, please, please call me. I will have my cell on 24/7.”
“Okay, Mel, will do. Be careful and I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Thanks Tommy, talk to you soon.”
Amelia tossed her phone down on the bed and continued to look at the burn mark on the ceiling.
Gabriel followed her gaze. He immediately stood up and rushed to Amelia’s side. Still looking at the scorch marks he said, “Amelia, grab a bag, put some clothes in it, and let’s go. Now.”
“What IS that?” she asked,
still looking up
“Nothing good. Hurry up, what can I do to help?”
“Okay, um, can you go into the bathroom and grab the shampoo and conditioner out of the shower? The yellow bottles, and the toothbrush and paste from the sink closest the door?” she asked
He was on the move, gathering her items. She quickly opened her drawers and collected her clothes, cramming them into an overnight bag. She stopped by her night stand and grabbed her framed photo of her, j and Sara.
“Gabriel, all set.” she called
“That was fast, great, let’s go.” He said
They hurried out the door and out to the elevator, she pressed the down button.
“Amelia, are you okay, love?” he asked as he rubbed the small of her back
“I’m worried sick about Sara, this is just a lot. This is unparalleled craziness,, and I have never felt so many things all at once in my life. But,” she looked up at him. Taking in everything that he was, all that they were, all that they could be. “If you’re with me, I feel like I can handle anything.”
“There will never be a time that I’m not with you, unless you send me away, and even then, I would still be with you Amelia.”
She gave him a small smile and leaned against him.
“Mr. Alexander, has anyone ever told you that you’ve got a way with words?”
“Not in a very long time.” He smiled