Chapter Twenty-Four
Vengeance
Flynn reached the middle of the lake. He was in a tiny canoe with no weapon, floating on top of an angered prehistoric dinosaur with a man firing harpoons nearby.
What was he thinking?
A cloud covered the moon and everything around him darkened to blackness as thick as a sheet. He shivered, holding the paddle as a weapon as his eyes tried to adjust.
Nothing. He couldn't have seen Nessie if she'd floated two inches from his face.
Flynn tried to calm himself, listening to the waves lapping against his canoe. Surely a two-ton dinosaur would disturb the waves if it came close enough, giving him time to defend himself?
Right. Like an old moldy paddle was going to do any good. He'd seen those jaws. Here he was trying to protect Nessie and he could become her main course.
Pull yourself together, man.
Tom. He had to find Tom. That man had had the nerve to shoot a harpoon through his sister and he deserved to face some jail time.
Flynn whirled around, trying to find something that stood out among the league of shadows surrounding his canoe. A twinkle of light caught his attention from the right. He turned, watching the blinking red light of Tom's tracker coming right toward him from underneath the surface.
He'd have given anything to see Nessie, but he hadn't ever thought he'd die trying. So ironic. He could already read the headline of the town paper: Local Loch Ness Boatman Killed by Monster.
Flynn raised the paddle higher and took a deep breath. At least he wouldn't go down without a fight.
The blinking light disappeared underneath his canoe. He released his breath and loosened his death grip on the paddle. Maybe she can't see me?
Above him, the cloud passed off the moon and the world filled with silvery light.
"Hold it right there. Don't move." Tom stood in his canoe five feet away, his harpoon gun aimed at Flynn's chest.
Flynn froze, his brain racing with rational arguments to convince Tom not to shoot. "What are doing? You can't kill me."
"Yes, I can, and no one will know any better. You know how deep this loch goes down. One more witness ain't gonna do me any favors." He shook the harpoon gun and his fingers tightened on the trigger. "Drop the paddle and put your hands up."
"Gail saw you shoot Tabitha. She's on her way to the hospital right now. Soon this whole forest will swarm with police." At least Flynn hoped. He tried to keep his voice even. "It's over, Tom. Put down the harpoon."
Tom sneered. "And give up the one prize I've wanted to hunt my whole life? Never."
And he'd thought Blarney was the crazy one. Flynn debated which was more dangerous: staying up here with Tom or jumping into the water with Nessie. Either way he'd most likely be fish meat. "Think about what you're doing."
Tom tied a length of rope to the end of the harpoon. "I have thought about it. Looks like you'll be the perfect lure."
This was it. Decision time. Flynn could hurl the paddle at Tom and make a swim for it. It would take Tom a minute to reload, and Flynn could possibly overtake the betrayer in that time if he swam to Tom's boat.
If he was fast enough. If Nessie didn't eat him first.
Two big "ifs."
Flynn brought the paddle back slowly. He only had one shot.
Just then a black fin broke through Tom's canoe, splintering the wood and sending Tom into the water. The force of the waves tipped Flynn's canoe, but he balanced it forward, holding onto the sides.
Nessie's head came through the middle of Tom's canoe, splitting the boat in half. She lunged at the pieces of wood, breaking the planks into splinters while Tom swam in the opposite direction.
Flynn knew he should try to get away, but swishing the paddle in the water would certainly draw her attention.
When the monster had broken all the pieces to shreds, she turned to Flynn.
Flynn froze, looking her in the eye, which was the worst thing to do when confronting a wild beast. But he believed Nessie was more than that. He'd heard longing in her calls and felt her pain. He was willing to bet his life on his gut instinct. Besides, if he was going to die, he wanted to see the beast he'd been searching for his whole life one last time.
He dropped the paddle. It would do no good, and he couldn't bring himself to fight her. Flynn spread his arms like Tabitha had. "I've been looking for you my whole life. I mean you no harm."
Behind them, Tom splashed.
Nessie turned and dove into the water toward Tom.
Tom screamed, flailing his arms to swim faster, which only made louder splashes. Seconds later he disappeared under the black water. A stream of bubbles burst from the surface, along with his harpoon gun. The lake descended into silence.
Flynn collapsed in his canoe, burying his face in his shaking hands. Tom's screams replayed in his head. Flynn gazed at the last place Tom had swum before Nessie had pulled him under. The water flowed in tiny crests, serene.
Gone.
Tom was gone. Nessie had taken him.
Blarney's words came back to him. Some say she wakes to grant leif to ane lost soul. While others say she wakes to take it away.
Then he remembered Tabitha and Gail. Clutching the paddle, Flynn made his way back to shore.
****
The ambulance whined in the distance as Gail and Blarney carried Tabitha to the edge of the forest and set her down. Tabitha's face grew paler by the minute. Her eyes were still open, but a glassy, shocked stare had taken the place of the usual spark of life. Gail checked the makeshift bandage she'd wrapped around Tabitha's midsection. Blood soaked the fabric a deep red crimson.
"Hold tight, Tabitha, and try to stay conscious. I'll be right back." She gazed at Blarney. "Stay with her."
He held her up gently so she wasn't resting on the harpoon. "Aye, lass."
Gail stood on the side of the road and waved her arms until the headlights settled on her. "Over here!"
The ambulance slowed and parked on the opposite side of the street. Gail ran to the driver. "She's over here. She's lost a lot of blood."
Paramedics jumped from the back. An older woman pulled out a stretcher. "Check her pupils and prepare an IV."
A team of paramedics went to work stabilizing Tabitha's condition while others unloaded a stretcher. They positioned Tabitha over multiple pillows to prop her up against the harpoon.
"Is she going to be all right?" Gail hugged herself. Every nerve in her body was injected with adrenaline and she felt as though she'd fall apart any second into a blubbering mess. She had to be strong for Tabitha.
"Stay calm, ma'am." The paramedics ignored her question as they lifted Tabitha to the gurney.
Tabitha grabbed Gail's hand. "Stay with me?"
"Of course." Gail followed Tabitha to the back of the ambulance. She expected Blarney to follow, but he remained on the wood's edge as if unwilling to leave the forest.
She squeezed Tabitha's hand. "I'll be right back."
Blarney backed away toward the first clump of trees. Gail shot him an accusing look. "You're not coming?"
"The modren warld's nae place for me, lass." Blarney grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it as the paramedics loaded Tabitha into the ambulance. "Ye take guid care of the lassie. I'm gaun efter Flynn."
"Thanks, Blarney." Gail hoped Flynn was all right. Her eyes welled up, and she swallowed her emotions down. Now wasn't the time for tears.
She jumped into the ambulance, and the paramedics closed the back doors. The last she saw of the old woodsman was the tail of his raccoon hat swinging as his shadow disappeared into the forest.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Diagnostics
Flynn's arms ached as he paddled the canoe to an alcove between the rocky outcroppings of the shore. He waded in the shallow water and climbed the rocks, pulling himself over the leafy edge. Panting, he rolled onto his back and gazed up at the stars.
I almost died. Tom tried to kill me. I can't believe he's gone.
&n
bsp; "Need some help, lad?" Blarney stood above him, offering his hand.
Flynn's heart jump-started. He still had a long way to go and the horror of the night wasn't over. "How's Tabitha?"
"She's in the ambulance richt now, speedin' ta the infirmary. The lass is with her."
The tightness in his chest let up and he could finally take a deep breath. "Good."
Blarney crouched beside him. "Whit of Nessie?"
Flynn coughed with the memory. "She killed Tom." The words sat heavily on his tongue. As much as he hadn't liked the guy and as much as Tom had brought his demise upon himself, no one should have to die that way.
Blarney gazed out at the glassy water. "Ye daena say."
Flynn nodded. "Dragged him right under."
"All these years, I fretted ower her sauft side." He hit Flynn's shoulder. "Leuks like she can fend for herself, eh?"
Flynn shook his head adamantly. "Tabitha saved that monster's life. If she wasn't standing in the way, the harpoon would have gone straight through Nessie's neck. I'm sure of it."
"She's a brave young lass, and she needs ye richt now." Blarney pulled him up. "Let's git ye to yer caur."
Leaning on Blarney, Flynn climbed the hill to the road. The events of the night swam in his head, replaying over and over again. "Tom tried to kill me."
"Me tauld ye nae to trust that daftie."
"Nessie saved my life." Flynn thought back to the way she'd eyed him as he'd stood helplessly floating in that canoe. "She took Tom's life instead."
Blarney nodded. "She knows."
Flynn wasn't sure if Nessie was aware of his intentions, or if Tom's splashing had drawn her to target him instead. Surely she could have come back for Flynn as he'd paddled to shore, but she hadn't. Maybe she'd had enough blood?
They emerged from the forest and Flynn took a good look at the curve of the road. He'd driven this way so many times; he knew exactly where he'd parked. His car was a half-mile down the hill.
"This way." Flynn started down the hill.
"Guid luck, lad." The heaviness in Blarney's voice sounded like he said good-bye.
Flynn whirled around. "You're not coming with me?"
Blarney shook his head. "Me place is here with Nessie. Ye gae on, leuk efter the li'l lassie and make shuir ye tell the guid doctor hou ye feel."
The good doctor? He was going to the hospital for Tabitha, not for his injuries. Flynn scratched his head as he searched the distant mountains. Oh, he meant Gail.
"Thanks, Blarney. So, I'll be seeing you around then?"
A light wind whispered in the trees as Flynn searched the edge of the woods for the old man. Blarney was gone.
****
Gail sat in the waiting room at Raigmore Hospital, twining a thread around her finger until she blocked the flow of blood and her fingertip numbed. Tabitha had gone into surgery to remove the harpoon almost an hour before. Any minute now, the doctor would come through that door with good news or bad.
Please, please, please be all right. The poor girl was already in a weakened state. On top of the chemo treatments, the tumors, and the experimental drugs, to suffer all that blood loss… Gail couldn't imagine. Thinking about the harpoon wound made her stomach twist.
The double doors parted and Gail shot up from her seat.
Flynn came through. Mud covered his clothes and he smelled like dank lake water, but he was all in one piece.
Gail ran into his arms. She'd never been so happy to see anyone in her life. She buried her head in his shoulder as he held her close. "I was so worried about you."
"I'm fine." His voice was tense and Gail pulled back to gaze into his eyes. She wiped a splotch of mud from his cheek. "What happened out there?"
Flynn's eyes were unsteady. She'd never seen him this anxious. "Tom tried to use me as bait, and Nessie dragged him under. He's gone."
"You mean dead?"
Flynn nodded and Gail's stomach sank with the finality of the moment. Dead. Tom was dead. A strange, sticky guilt came over her. She'd never liked the man and now he was gone. She wasn't mournful in the least and she didn't know how to feel about that.
"What about Blarney?"
"He returned to the woods." Flynn scanned the tables of old magazines. "Have you heard any news yet on Tabitha?"
She pursed her lips. "No. Still waiting. The hospital called your parents. They were six hours away, raising money for cancer research, but they should be here soon."
"Thanks. Let's hope the news comes soon."
Gail took his arm. "We've got to get you some clean, dry clothes."
"Naw. I'm fine. I want to be here when the doctor comes in." He collapsed onto a sofa and rubbed his forehead. "What a night."
"You're telling me." Gail sat beside him, and he draped his arm across her shoulders and pulled her close. If not for Tabitha's situation, they would have been celebrating the sighting of Nessie. Even now, Gail wondered how much Tom's cameras had captured.
If he'd remembered to turn them on.
Gail knew better than to speak badly of the dead.
She slumped against Flynn, listening to the sound of his breathing. Together they'd get through this, no matter what happened. She'd be there for him when the news broke, whether it was good or bad.
Her eyes grew foggy and she drifted off to sleep.
****
Yellow-breasted finches chirped above her head as Gail followed a path through the forest. Buds decorated the branches in small green pods. Snow melted at her feet, trickling into a nearby stream that gurgled with life. Insects hummed around her.
Spring. Her favorite season.
She took a deep breath, smelling the heady scent of early blooming lilacs.
Where am I going?
Gail checked her back. No backpack. No water bottle. She wasn't even wearing her hiking boots. The soles of her tennis shoes were already soaked through. How could she have taken off in such a condition? She knew better.
Disoriented, she decided to follow the path. Surely she'd remember once she reached the end.
The path twisted around an old oak tree, leading to a small basin filled with icy, sparkling water. On the opposite side crouched a man in a green rain poncho. Her hopes rose sky high.
"Dad?"
The man turned toward her and his kind face broke into a smile. He hadn't aged a day since she'd last seen him. "What a great day for a hike, huh, sport?"
"Where are we?"
"White Mountain National Forest, of course. Where else would we hike on a day like this?"
Discrepancy stirred in her gut, making her entire body tingle with the feeling of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Something was off about this whole day. Was it the fact she'd forgotten her backpack and hiking boots? A distant memory of a black lake haunted her, and she pushed the thought away.
"Have you found any tracks?"
"Better yet, I found this." He pulled something from the pocket of his jeans. Between his fingertips he held a scale. "You found one just like it, remember?"
Reality rushed in with an unwanted flood of memories, twisting her stomach. Loch Ness, the harpoon, Tabitha, Flynn, the phone call from her mother.
This wasn't real. Gail scanned the mossy banks. Water trickled into the stony basin. This wasn't a memory. They'd never been here before. So it had to be a dream. Would the world dissolve now since she'd figured it out?
No. Gail had to hold the dream together. As imaginary as it was, this might be her only chance to say the words she'd stored up inside her all these years. "I'm sorry I didn't go with you that day in the Alps. Maybe I could have—"
He waved her words away before she finished. "Nah. Don't worry about that, sport. I'm proud of you for following your heart, for making the biggest discovery in over a century. I knew you had it in you."
Gail nodded, hearing the words that could have healed her so many years ago.
Her father's face grew solemn, his eyes melancholy. "Even if no one believes you, the important poin
t is you know Nessie is real. That's all that matters in the end."
Was this her dad talking? Had he truly believed that, he wouldn't have gone out that wintry day. Proof meant everything to him. "We have proof this time, Dad."
He stood, wiping his hands on his pants. Gail's heart fell as the scale tumbled into the water, glimmering in the morning sunlight filtering through the trees above.
Her father turned away, and his words rode the wind back to her. "You don't need proof to believe."
****
"Gail, hon. Time to wake up."
Gail stirred against Flynn's warm body. Was he calling her hon? She must still be dreaming. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to recapture the image of the spring forest and her father. There was so much more she wanted to say, even if he was only a dream.
"The doctor's right outside."
Gail's eyes fluttered open to the fluorescent lighting of the waiting room. "What?"
A man wearing a white coat pushed through the double doors. He spotted them on the sofa and walked in their direction.
Gail tightened her grip on Flynn's arm. This was it.
The older doctor squinted wearily. "Gail Phillips and Flynn Mahoney, I presume?"
They shot up from the sofa and nodded in sync.
"The operation was successful. The harpoon failed to penetrate any major organs. There was some hemorrhaging, but we managed to keep the blood loss under control."
Hemorrhaging? Gail shifted on her feet, wishing the doctor wouldn't try to skate around the facts.
Flynn took in a deep breath. "So Tabitha's going to be okay, right?"
The doctor nodded, scratching the graying wisp of hair on his head. "She's unconscious right now, but her condition is stable. She'll be fine." His gaze shifted from Gail and back to Flynn and a smile brightened on his face. "In fact, she'll be more than fine."
"What do you mean?" Flynn took Gail's hand.
She squeezed his palm.
The doctor continued in a calm, practiced manner. "She came in with a small bump on her head, so we did a few scans, and I talked to her primary care physician and reviewed her charts. It seems she is the only patient that has shown results with the experimental drug treatment therapy."
Love on Loch Ness Page 15