Shadows of Jane

by Amy Hale

  Jane stepped closer and realized she’d seen the girl before.

  The girl looked up at Jane, and time seemed to stand still.

  “This is where it gets scary.”

  Jane blinked. “What? What do you mean?”

  The girl looked sad. “This is where it all starts. No one can help us now.”

  Jane frowned and took a step toward the girl, but she was stopped by the sound of a door being kicked in. The girl screamed as three men with guns stormed through the living room and pointed their weapons at the family. The father stood, and one of the men quickly put a gun to his head, warning him not to move.

  The mother rose, placing herself between the intruders and her daughter. “I will not let you take her. She’s just a child!”

  The leader of the group stepped forward and looked down at the brave woman defending her daughter. “You can’t stop us, so if you know what’s good for you, you won’t even try. Hand her over, and no one has to get hurt.”

  The mother glared at the man. She trembled slightly as she poked a finger at his chest. “Over my dead body.”

  The man laughed. “If you insist.” Then, he thrust a small knife into her chest.

  She let out a cry of pain and then looked down at the blood quickly staining her white blouse. Behind her, the girl screamed at the sight of her mother being attacked.

  Suddenly, the entire house went dark.

  Jane could only see the angry swirls once more.

  Jane woke up to Colt cradling her in his arms.

  He whispered near her ear, “It’s okay, sweetheart. Let him go.”

  His voice soothed her fear, and she took in a deep breath before fully opening her eyes. Once she did, all the items came crashing to the floor in a clamorous mess. She looked around to find Jerry still frozen in place, sweat dotting his face. Macy and Mike gawked at her with open mouths.

  Colt took her hand and led her out the door and then into his truck. Once she was buckled in, he put the key in the ignition, and the tires squealed as he pulled away.

  Colt knew this was bad news. Macy couldn’t keep a secret even if her life depended on it, and Mike would find a way to use this knowledge to his advantage. But Jerry would be the worst. He’d spread vicious rumors in any way he could, making Jane out to be some horrible monster and painting himself as the victim. He’d make sure everyone knew about Jane and her abilities. It would be a literal witch hunt.

  Within minutes, they were pulling into his driveway.

  He once again took her hand and led her inside. “Jane, pack your things. We need to go.”

  She blinked as if seeing him for the first time. “Go? Where am I gonna go, Colt? I have no one. No family. No home. No one!” Her voice cracked as the reality of her situation pushed through the fog in her mind.

  He grabbed her upper arms and looked into her eyes. “You have me, Jane. You have me.”

  He pulled her to him and kissed her as if she were vital to his very existence. She stiffened for just a moment, his actions surprising her for only a few seconds. Then, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. His tongue pushed past her lips, and she followed his lead. She moaned just a little, and it was enough to bring Colt back to the present.

  He pushed her away to look at her face again. “I’d really like to continue this. You have no idea how much I’d like that. But we need to pack and get outta here.”

  She nodded and fled to the room she’d been calling home for the past week. She threw what few things she had into her small duffel bag. Her mind raced with thoughts of everything that had just happened—the fight between Colt and Jerry, the weird vision of the little girl and her parents, Colt kissing her. She didn’t understand how she could be feeling so many mixed emotions at once. When they got to where they were going, she’d sort them out one at a time, but for now, she just needed to concentrate on getting somewhere safe.

  Colt was in the kitchen, throwing some food into a cooler, when she came back down the hall. He’d wrapped the cut on his forearm with a bandage, but some blood was already seeping through it.

  She looked at him with concern. “You might need stitches.”

  He snapped the cooler lid shut and glanced at her bag. “Nah, I’m okay. Ready to go?”

  Jane gave him a silent nod in return. He picked up his own duffel bag and the cooler. Then, he walked out to put them in the back of the truck. She followed and tossed her bag next to his, and then she climbed into the cab.

  Once Colt had locked up, he pulled away from the house and drove toward the only place he knew would be temporarily safe. Very few people knew the exact location of the cabin, and at that moment, he was extremely grateful for that.

  By that evening, word had spread about the new girl and the incident at Mike’s. As things tended to happen, the truth became so stretched that it was barely recognizable once it reached the local news sources. They had gotten reports of all kinds with witnesses claiming to have seen anything from the simply odd recollection to the totally outrageous fabrications.

  Local news anchor Peter Grant had a stack of papers in front of him, and he was trying to sort fact from fiction. He sighed as his intern, Emily, placed a cup of coffee on his desk.

  “I can’t believe this, Emily. There is no way any of this can be true, let alone all of it. It’s impossible!”

  She nudged his coffee toward him. “Yeah, it sounds pretty crazy.”

  He shuffled through the papers. “I mean, look at this! People are claiming that her hair turned into flames, and lasers shot out of her eyes. Oh…and here’s a guy who is absolutely sure she’s possessed by demons.” He rubbed his temples. “Did someone dump hallucinogens in the drinking water?”

  Emily shrugged. “Who knows? But something must have happened to start all this talk. You know how small towns are when it comes to gossip.”

  Peter agreed and knew he needed to get to the bottom of it. Since this girl was unknown in the area, he’d need to talk to those closest to her to learn more. He’d heard she was pretty close to Colt Henderson, which surprised the hell out of him since Colt had a reputation for avoiding relationships like the plague. Peter figured he’d start with Colt and move up from there.

  But first, Peter had to figure out what to say on tonight’s broadcast. There was no way he could put this story on hold when everyone in the county had likely heard about it by now. The public expected answers—or at the least, a juicy headline they could talk about until real facts were brought to light. He’d give his viewing audience a little something to wet their whistles, and then he’d give them the whole scoop once he’d done some investigating.

  About an hour later, a man sat in a café just a few blocks from Mike’s Bikes, sipping coffee at his booth and watching a TV placed conveniently for the patrons’ enjoyment. The local news had just started, and he watched with disinterest as he picked at his dinner.

  The waitress arrived and offered him a refill when something the news anchor had said caught his attention.

  He held his cup out. “Can you turn that up?”

  She nodded and went to the lunch counter to get the remote. She raised the volume enough, so the man could clearly hear what the broadcaster was saying, then she filled his cup with fresh coffee.

  He picked up his cell phone and dialed a number. “Hey. Ben here. I think I found her.”

  BUT THEN I HURT THE ONES I LOVE,

  MY SHAME AND ANGER BURN.

  Peter finished up his broadcast and tiredly made his way back to his small dressing area. Confident he was ready for the prime time, he was sick of covering these small-town stories, but it was going to take an amazing feature to put his name in front of the big shots upstate. He knew the story about the Jane Doe with powers was a pretty thin thread to hang his career on, but if any of it were true, he was positive he could do the kind of investigative journalism that would boost his ratings and hopefully get him noticed on a national level.

  As he’d suspected, the studio
phones were ringing off the hook with people offering to share what they knew, hoping it would get them a spot or at least a mention on TV. The problem was that most of it was made up or greatly exaggerated. Everyone had a different story.

  Peter had tried to contact Mike Stevens, owner of Mike’s Bikes, but so far, he hadn’t returned Peter’s calls. Macy Lane had also been suspiciously absent from the shop and her home. Jerry Walters had agreed to speak to him later tonight, so at least that was something. Jerry didn’t have a stellar reputation in the community, but he had been an eyewitness to the event and could at least provide a little more clarity.

  Keys in hand, Peter left the studio with the intent of finding Colt. He and Colt were casual acquaintances, and he hoped Colt would have enough regard for him to allow him an exclusive. After double-checking Colt’s address on his GPS, Peter pulled his silver Honda Civic into traffic and prayed that Colt was home. It took him less than fifteen minutes to find Colt’s house, but as he pulled up front, he noticed all the lights were out.

  Damn! Just my luck!

  Driving away, Peter realized that he’d have to follow his only lead for now. He wasn’t looking forward to spending any amount of time with Jerry, but it was all he had.

  On the way to Jerry’s, Peter passed The Rusty Hinge and decided to stop in just in case Colt was enjoying his favorite beverage there. Walking in, he scanned the dimly lit room and then made his way to the bar. It was unusually crowded, and the noise level was way above his preferred tolerance level.

  Peter took a seat and looked around.

  “Hey! You’re that guy on the news, right?” James stood behind the bar, looking at Peter, while he handed a beer to a beefy man covered in tattoos.

  Peter tried to smile and pretend that he wasn’t completely out of his element. “Yeah, that’s me. Peter Grant.”

  He extended his hand across the bar, and James shook it.

  “I’m James. What can I get ya?”

  “I’ll have a beer. Thanks.” Peter wasn’t a huge fan of beer, but he’d drink it to keep from standing out.

  James handed the drink to him, and Peter took a sip.

  “Hey, James, have you seen Colt Henderson in here tonight?”

  “Nah. I haven’t seen Colt in several days. Since he took up with that hot redhead, he’s cut back his bar time.” James smiled. “Can’t say I blame him. If I had that at home, I wouldn’t be here either.”

  Peter chuckled. “She’s a looker, huh? I haven’t seen her yet.”

  James let out a low whistle and shook his head. “I’m telling ya, she walked in here one night, looking like she’d stepped off a fashion magazine. By the end of the night, she had just about every guy in the place rolling his tongue back up. Too bad the fight made them leave. I would have loved to talk with her a little more myself.”

  “A fight? Did some guy hit on her or something?”

  James filled another beer and handed it to a waitress. “Sorta. From what I understand, that drunk slob Max pulled her into the men’s room, and she kicked his ass. It was a disaster in there. She somehow managed to break every damn window and mirror we had in there. Colt came in later and gave a vague explanation. He apologized and then paid for the damages. She must know some martial arts or something. The guy’s a big fella. That’s him over there.” He pointed to a small table near the jukebox.

  Peter smiled and passed James a twenty-dollar bill and his card. “Thanks so much, James. You’ve been really helpful. If you hear from Colt or see him, please give me a call. I really need to talk to him.”

  James stuffed the money and card in the pocket of his jeans and gave Peter a nod. “Will do, man.”

  Peter grabbed his beer and pushed his way through the crowded dance floor until he reached Max. “Hi, I’m Peter Grant. Mind if I join you?”

  Max glanced up from his almost empty glass and gave Peter a sneer. “Why the hell would I care who you are, and why would I want you to join me?”

  Peter looked at Max’s empty glass. “Because I’m the guy who’s gonna buy your drinks for the rest of the night. All I want is a few minutes of your time and some information.”

  Max looked less irritated but still seemed unhappy about having company. “Sure. Have a seat.”

  Peter flagged down the waitress and ordered another beer for Max. “Now, I need to know what happened in the men’s room when that girl Jane got into a fight with you.”

  Max went pale. He looked into the new beer that had just been placed before him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “C’mon, Max. I already know most of it. I just want to hear your side of the story. I want to give you the chance to get the truth out there.” Peter knew he was pulling at straws, but if his hunch was correct, this story might be bigger than he’d originally thought.

  Max hesitated. “I dunno. Colt told me to keep my mouth shut, or I’d regret it. I don’t wanna cross him.”

  “Don’t worry about Colt. Something else happened with Jane today that has brought her…abilities public. I just want to make sure we’ve got the whole story. Nothing you could say will make things any worse for her at this point.”

  Max seemed to consider that for moment. “Well…if that’s the case, I guess I can tell you. You’re still buying the beers, right?”

  “Absolutely. I’ll cover it all. You just tell me what happened, and don’t leave anything out.”

  “I had several beers and needed to take a piss, so I went to the men’s room. Just as I was zipping up, this hot girl stumbled in. I thought maybe she was up for a little fun, so I started to show her a good time. I guess she changed her mind at the last minute. I had her against the wall when, out of nowhere, she tensed up, and then I was in some serious pain.” He leaned forward as if afraid to speak the words too loudly. “I don’t know how she did it, but every piece of glass in the room shattered, and I swear, half of it was stuck in my back and arms. I tried to protect myself, but…well, I’m gonna have some scars.”

  Peter had no doubt that Max deserved every scar he’d gotten. Peter tried to push past his distaste for the man, so he could get the rest of the story. “So what happened then?”

  “Then, Colt bolted through the door, being all Mr. America or whatever, and he got her out of there. She was completely untouched by the glass. Colt said that I’d better not tell a soul, or he’d come after me.” Max downed the remainder of his beer. “She’s a witch or something. What happened in there…wasn’t natural.”

  Peter tried not to smile as he stood up. “Thanks, Max. You’ve earned your drinks. I’ll tell James to put the night on my tab, so have a good time. Just get a cab when you’re done, got it?”

  Max waved him away and then signaled the waitress for another beer. Peter passed the bar as he left and informed James of his impending bill and told him to call with the total.

  Peter climbed back into his car and drove to Jerry’s house. If Jerry’s story was anything like Max’s, Peter knew he was looking at the story of the century.

  Colt was frying eggs on the small stovetop in the cabin. He was trying not to worry about Jane, but this latest display of her gifts had rattled her. She wasn’t ready to talk about it yet, so he was giving her time.

  They also needed to discuss that kiss, but he wasn’t sure where to start. He knew he couldn’t give her a long-term commitment, and the last thing he wanted to do was lead her on, but damn, he couldn’t get that kiss out of his mind. He didn’t know how she felt about it since she hadn’t brought it up either. Maybe it didn’t mean anything at all to her, and she had just reacted in the moment.

  He frowned at the thought. He wanted her to obsess over their kiss at least as often as he did, and he knew that made zero sense for a guy trying to avoid commitment.

  Jane stepped out of the bathroom, stretching her arms above her head. The motion made her tank top rise a bit, and Colt got a nice glimpse of her stomach. He turned back to the eggs and tried to think of anything but wanting to see
more of her bare skin.

  “How many eggs do you want?”

  She poured herself a cup of coffee. “Just one, please. I’m not very hungry this morning.”

  She sat at the table and sipped her drink while staring out the window. Colt plated the eggs and toast. Then, he joined her at the table and sat her meal in front of her. He watched her for a moment and wondered if she was even aware that he was there. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts. He didn’t know if he should interrupt or leave her be until she was ready to eat.

  She closed her eyes and sighed. Then, she opened them and looked at Colt. “Thank you for helping me. I don’t know where I’d be if it wasn’t for you. What happened yesterday…” She heaved another deep sigh. “This isn’t what you signed up for, Colt. Because of me, you’re fighting with your coworkers, and you might have lost your job. I’m sure the rumors are flying. Your reputation could be ruined. You don’t deserve that.”

  Colt pointed his fork at her. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about any of that. My coworkers are asshats. I couldn’t care less about them. As for my job, I’ve been dying for a reason to quit and start my own shop, so no loss there.” He took a bite of his eggs and chewed as he thought for a moment. “I’ve never put any stock in rumors and the small-minded people who share them. And my reputation? Anyone who really knows me won’t let gossip change their opinion of me.”

  She gave him a shaky smile. “Oh, Colt. I don’t deserve you.”

  He stopped mid bite and put down his fork. “You don’t deserve me? Well, that’s probably true. You deserve better, but sadly, you’re stuck with me right now, so you’ll have to make it work.”

  Colt gave her a small smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He seemed sad. Jane didn’t know who he was sad for—her or himself. She should never have involved him in her mess. She should have walked away after the incident in the bar and told him to leave her alone. It was what any decent person would have done. But she was selfish and wanted the comfort of his friendship. Even now, she felt sure she should let him go, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him good-bye just yet. He was her one source of happiness since she’d emerged from her accident with no memories.