Cozy.
“You guys are aggressively fixated on body parts,” Mia commented.
“Only one!” Jonesy said and Sophie's eyes narrowed.
Nice, the ass fetish back online.
John and I shared a full look, and trudged off to class. Right after school I was gonna have to do another crime scene. Strange that Tiff and I weren't going right away.
I hauled out my pulse to let Jade know but instead of the message I should have sent, I pulsed what was swimming in my head, never leaving my mind:
Initializing
Jade LeClerc
Hey.- CH
Hi, it's good to get your pulse.- JLeC
I gotta see you. Can you sneak out between Science/English and meet me by the restroom? -CH
nods I love you- JLeC
Me too.- CH
Pulse to Hibernate
I watched the green luminescence fade and sighed with relief. We'd sneak a moment and that would get us through today.
I was so done with My Plan. It seemed doable in the beginning but now it was pretty much sucking ass. Having to act like the moon didn't set on Jade's head was not working.
And that assclown Brett needed to back the hell off.
*
I pushed Jade up against the small alcove wall that separated the boysʼ and girlsʼ bathrooms. My palms were planted on the wall on either side of her head, her chest pressed against mine. I could feel her heartbeat, her warm breath on my neck. I moved in and kissed her before she had a moment to think, groaning.
God, I missed her.
She kissed me back, all too briefly, then pushed her hands on my chest.
“What?” I asked, my fingers began to play with her hair, feeling the silk of it.
“You're going to another crime scene?”
My eyes flipped up to meet hers.“Yeah, Tiff and I. Another murder.”
“God!” she half-yelled and a few kids in the hall looked over at us as they poured out of their classes.
I moved reluctantly away from her, feigning indifference for the eyes that found us together.
The green of her gaze darkened and I knew a huge girl rage was coming on. “I need this to end, Caleb.”
Duh.
Some of what I was feeling must have showed on my face cuz she went on, “I mean it. I am tired of pretending,” she said as she lowered her voice, “I want us to be together again.”
Jade put her hand on my forearm, stroking me and that chemistry we had sprung between us.
Our gazes locked, the hall with the other kids melting into the background. I actually did a stupid thing and began to move toward her again, to hell with appearances when Brett walked up.
“Hey guys,” he said with a smirk, shattering that swirling heat. It dissipated like mist under the weight of his scrutiny.
Brett hadn't missed the growth spurt train and we stared at each other for a tense interval.
“Hey Brett.” Jade's voice was unexcited.
He broke the stare, and looked at her with eyes that softened. He was gone on her, even I could tell.
“What are ya doinʼ hanging around with him?” Brett asked, jerking his head in my direction.
She shook her head. “Caleb had a question about a class.”
Our eyes met. Her hand on my skin a burning memory.
“Okay, why don't we go to Science together?” Brett asked, looking between us.
Jade nodded, and my heart paused in my chest. “See ya, Caleb,” she said with a sad little wave.
She walked away with Brett, their size a huge contrast. He was so big compared to her.
The final blow was him glancing over his shoulder and sending me a wink.
The fucker.
Mia walked over, seeing my expression. “Sorry, Caleb.”
“I want to kill his ass.”
She shrugged. “You got to see this through, like Tiff said.”
See it through. I nodded. “See ya later.” I stalked off to class.
I'd made up my mind. They'd have to find someone new. I wasn't gonna risk losing Jade. Nothing was that important.
Even death.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
I looked over at Tiff and she shrugged her shoulders. We were back at Clemen's Cemetery, both on our bikes.
“They didn't pick you up?” I asked.
“No, Garcia said to meet us here.”
That wasn't normal. Usually there was always a cop picking us up to take us to the crime scenes.
“Ya know, it's weird that the killer would do somebody else at this cemetery.”
The same cemetery where all the fun with the Graysheets had been had. Yeah, that. I nodded. “Yeah, this whole setup isn't right.”
We dismounted, and I got my pulse out to let the Parental Unit in on where I was, but Tiff put her hand on my arm.
“Don't pulse anyone, I had to use my password to unlock this location. We're not supposed to say.”
“My mom won't like not knowing where I'm at after school.”
“She gonna have a cantaloupe?” Tiff asked.
I laughed, I couldn't help it. “Nah, I'm thinkinʼ that would kinda hurt.”
Tiff rolled her eyes. “Ya know what I mean! Is she gonna like, alert the media or something?”
A couple of seconds ticked by. Maybe. “She's kinda a panicker.”
“What about your dad?”
I shook my head. “No, he'll think it through logically.”
“That's great considering how illogical your life is.”
There was that.
We heard voices and hiked the same path we'd just done a few months ago on a hot summer day. The season was different, the feelings the same.
“I hate this place,” Tiff whispered.
I shrugged. “Yeah, nothing good has happened here.”
“It's a frigginʼ trend,” she said.
We got to the top of the knoll where the old wood fence stood, its slats stood like decaying teeth as they wrapped the perimeter of the old graveyard. I caught sight of Smith the Null, Garcia and Jade.
What the hell?
Tiff whipped her head to me. “What the hell is goinʼ on?”
I shook my head. “Not sure, but I don't like it.” Things weren't adding up. Where were the dead techs? The tape—the body?
Actually, there was a body. As we approached, I recognized it was McGraw.
His pulse was in his hand, sightless eyes looking into a sky that was growing dark.
My heartbeat quickened and I said to Tiff in a whisper, “Be ready.”
“ʼKay,” she replied in a shaky voice.
We stood within ten feet of Garcia, Smith and Jade. My eyes sought Jade's and I found terror there. My power welled to the surface like a wave to shore and stopped like it hit a wall.
My gaze shifted to Smith.
“Oh my God, he's tuned up,” Tiff said.
Eff me. My eyes traveled back to Jade, and that's when I saw it. Smith had a gun pressed to Garcia, a defenseless Jade in the middle. Smith reached out with a hand and stroked Jade's hair and she whimpered.
“Don't touch her.” My voice choked with rage.
“I'm sorry Caleb, I never saw it,” Garcia said.
“Shut up, Raul,” Smith commented conversationally, never taking his eyes from mine.
“Your little girl here,” Smith began, sinking his hands into her hair and jerking her against him as she yelped.
I moved forward.
“Don't,” Smith said, cocking the hammer with a dull click and pushing it into Garcia.
Our eyes met.
I was helpless to protect Jade. I could feel my power swirling like smoke in a glass box. Fingers seeking escape, constantly moving for exit.
Finding none.
Tiff moved closer and Smith's eyes followed her. “Stay where you are, death lover.”
Wonderful. My gaze shifted to Jade. “I'll get you outta here, I promise.” My voice broke.
“No one is going anywhere. T
his place is about to get a little more full,” he said toeing McGraw on the ground. “He was a mite too sharp for comfort, but it was her that I was worried about.”
I looked at Jade and her face filled with regret.
“Explain to lover boy how you got my complete attention.”
She glared at him.
He jerked her again, using her hair like a handle.
Jade screamed.
I moved without realizing.
Smith took the butt of the gun, hitting Garcia in the face with it.
Garcia fell to his knees.
“Stay put Caleb, or it will be Jade next. Don't think I won't. I love to hit girls.” He pressed Jade against him, his gun a black disaster in his hand.
My fists clenched, my jaw locking on the enunciation. “Tell me Jade.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I thought, I could talk to one of the policemen about you. That I could tell them how much of a strain it was for us but—” she sucked in a sob.
“Too upset? Fine. I'll explain,” Smith said.
Garcia made his shaky way to his feet. As he did a girl came out of the caretaker's cottage and my memories burst out of me in a sickening rush.
It was the Aura Reader, the one that had been in the crowd when I saved Onyx.
I looked at her and then at John Smith. They looked alike.
Smith smiled. “You got it; she's my sib, Caleb. Right under all your noses and you never knew. She was pegging all the Nulls, and doing a bang up job, until Garcia called you in.”
His eyes narrowed on Garcia. “Watch him,” Smith said.
Apparently, that meant put a gun on him. His sister walked over to where Garcia stood, blood ringing his mouth, the side of his jaw swelling grotesquely.
She put the barrel of a shotgun against his back and looked at me. “I'm not the shot my bro is here, but the spray will leave a mark.” She barked out a laugh.
Nice girl.
“You did McGraw?” Tiff asked.
“Oh yes. It was a long time coming for him.” He waved that away. “So, as I was saying, your plaything here,” and he shook Jade again and she bit her lip to keep from screaming. “Miss LeClerc came by the precinct today to defend you!” he laughed. “Anyway, I caught her before she came inside and directed her to my car.”
God, this was so awful. She'd been trying to get me out of this mess on the sly, so I wouldn't have to do it myself.
I closed my eyes briefly; Jade was so much more than I thought. And here she was in the killer's arms. Damn. Tears of anger and frustration flooded my eyes.
He went on, “And I was fully tuned, this Empath couldn't get squat off me. She'd never know. But that's not what her strength is? Is it, doll face?” he said next to her ear through gritted teeth. “She can get all kinds of readings off of things, Caleb. She's not just an Empath, she's clairvoyant too.”
Jade was starting to hyperventilate as he held her in a deadlock, her hair straining away from her face.
I'd never wanted to kill someone.
I did now.
“I told her to get in the car, and she touched the door handle. That was it, her face gave everything away. She knew what I was, what I'd done. All that careful planning and deception, ruined by this girl.”
“Come on, John. Whack them already, leave them for the crows,” his sister said.
As if by macabre cue, a crow landed on a grave marker and cawed, its slick inky eyes lighting on McGraw's body.
Her face was turned away and Garcia used that moment, grabbing the barrel of the shotgun he twirled it. On the upswing, he bashed it into her head before she could react and she sunk to the grass like a stone in water.
He trained it on Smith. “Let the girl go, Smith,” Garcia said in a voice garbled by his swollen mouth.
“You'll regret that,” Smith said calmly and flung Jade at Garcia, her hair streaming behind her from the speed of the throw.
Garcia instinctively dropped the gun to catch her and Smith turned the gun on me.
There I stood, paralyzed in the moment.
Suddenly McGraw was standing in front of me, his dead body a shield.
“What the blue fuck?” Smith shrieked.
Tiff looked at me, stunned.
It wasn't my power.
Smith started to unload into McGraw, his dead body jerking as the rounds penetrated.
Out of the woods came Jeffrey Parker, and my head became suddenly light, like it would just spin off. The situation was so acutely insurmountable, I could hardly breathe. In my peripheral vision, I saw Garcia had Jade.
Tiff stood at my right as Smith clicked empty.
He smoothly reloaded and pointed it in my direction as Clyde burst through the opening Parker had made.
Holy shit.
Parker had two zombies with him, I could feel them as they drew nearer.
Smith whipped out another weapon. Flame-thrower.
I saw the blue at its tip and shuddered, he was going to take on the zombies.
Tiff grabbed my hand, and I fed off her like a starved battery while Smith was distracted.
I used my power like a honed arrow and screamed my mental call to Clyde: Protect! I yelled with everything I had, my mind ringing with the command.
I siphoned from Tiff and she sunk to her knees.
Clyde became more; eyes filling in, clothes mending themselves, hair sprouting on his head. A glittering intelligence came alive in his gaze.
Those bright eyes landed on Smith, and with the barest glance at Parker, he and the other two zombies worked in unison, flanking the Null.
Smith had his gun on Parker and the flame-thrower pointed at Clyde, who inched closer. “Call your dead dogs off or I kill you.”
“You've got the wrong AFTD, it is Caleb that is the threat.”
I had let go of Tiff's hand and was a mere three feet behind Smith when he spun on me, gun in hand.
I stared down the slick black metal hole facing me, and my stomach dropped just as Clyde barreled into him. They fell on me, their combined weight pinning me to the ground.
“Caleb!” Jade screamed.
Smith released his gun and pulled a knife from the waistband of his pants, the hover pulse falling from his pocket and zipping into the blade as it tried to reconnect with his body.
The blade arced, the dying sunlight glinting off the metal as it descended.
Clyde's teeth sunk into Smith's neck, an arterial spray splattering my face. Clyde and the zombies mewled at the smell of copper in the air.
They surged forward, Smith a squirming gurgling mass on top of me. They yanked Smith off of me.
The zombies fed.
I lay on my back. My enemy, Jeffrey Parker, stood above me as his black shadow spread over my body, outlined by the fiery red ball of the sinking sun.
Garcia walked over, the feeding of the zombies in the background a grotesque music. He had Jade in his arms, face broken up.
I sat up. “Is she okay?”
“Passed out.”
I looked to where Tiff was throwing up. Great. Parker was watching the zombies drag Smith in a detached way, Smith's arms flailing less and less. Then they stopped.
“You're going to let them kill Smith?” I asked him.
Parker nodded. “Do you think this is the worst I've seen? I've done?”
Garcia and I stared at him.
Smith's sister began to stir on the grass.
Garcia laid Jade down and turned his attention to Parker. “I know who you are and who you work for.”
“You know nothing.” Parker said, his gaze steady. “I won't hurt the girl.”
Garcia's eyes took in Tiff and me.
His smile was cold. “Or them.”
Garcia strode over to Smith's sister, handcuffing her and using zip ties to secure her ankles together. She wasn't going anywhere.
Jade lay beside me pale and unmoving.
Without the Null tuned up my power was there for the using. But it would be an impasse. Pa
rker was a five-point too. Without the nifty life-transference, but more experience.
We were equal. I was shaky; Tiff was barfing.
I stood, that was an improvement. We faced each other.
“They don't know, Caleb. They don't know I'm here.”
Who?
“The Graysheets?” Garcia asked, coming over.
“Graysheets? Oh, who I work for. That's what you call them?” he laughed. “I guess that works. Yeah, they don't know. But we have Caleb on a monitoring system right now. His clever father put a lot of heat on them last year. We needed to lay low. The respite will not last forever, Caleb. They will come for you. McGraw is who alerted me that you were in danger.” He scrubbed his face, looking at McGraw, a zombie with spots of fading daylight leaking through his body. “He was a good man,” Parker said in a hollow voice. His arms were planted on lean hips, a nerdy look replaced with determined hardness.
Garcia snorted. “Him?” McGraw turned his rotting eyes to Garcia and the cop stepped back.
“Yes. He was deep undercover.”
“I'll say,” Garcia said, moving his jaw from side to side and wincing from the movement.
I kept my eyes on Parker, and walked the few feet to Jade, her chest rising and falling.
My eyes flicked to Parker, then shifted to the zombies, who returned my interest with steady regard.
They stood, leaving Smith's body, their mouths decorated by his blood. In the twilight it looked black. My stomach turned at the sight and Smith's sister started howling.
“Shut up or I send them to you as well,” Parker said smoothly.
She shut up.
“You need to leave. You've killed the murderer.”
“By zombie,” Tiff said, wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her hoodie.
Garcia nodded. “And take them with you.” The zombies turned to look at him. He shuddered.
Tiff and I couldn't relate. They had done something terribly necessary and they were ours. Somehow.
Jade groaned and made a tiny movement.
Parker looked at his two zombies then Clyde. “He's yours now. You can't just raise whatever you want. Did you call him?”
I shook my head.
He nodded as though that made sense. “He'll come now whenever you need him. It's just what it is. Be prepared. Zombies don't stay as they were for people like us, they become more.”
The Death Series, Books 1-3 (Dark Dystopian Paranormal Romance): Death Whispers, Death Speaks, and Death Inception Page 59