Touching Eternity (Touch Series 1.5)

by Airicka Phoenix

  He left the office, making his way quickly through the corridor to the dining room. Derek glanced up from the doorway when he slipped inside. Isaiah ignored him as he scanned the room.

  Garrison was in his usual place, flicking open a napkin and draping it lazily over his lap. Amalie was in her seat, saying nothing as she stared into her plate. Her head came up when Isaiah walked into the room. The relief in her face had him smiling back at her.

  “Help yourself,” Garrison was telling her when Isaiah took his place across from her.

  Amalie didn’t move. She stared at the spatula in front of her to the man motioning towards it.

  “Doesn’t all this look delicious?” Garrison said, ignoring her hesitation to help himself to a large serving of meatloaf. “I swear Ruth never cooked this well while you were gone, Isaiah.”

  Isaiah said nothing. He didn’t think he could eat. All he could think about was those two girls, one of them Amalie’s age, being killed, possibly tortured, because of something their father did. Had they been afraid? Had they begged to be let go? He couldn’t imagine it. He didn’t want to. He knew there was nothing he could have done, but the guilt was as fierce as if he’d physically been there.

  “Isaiah?”

  He blinked and focused on Garrison, realizing the man had been speaking to him for the last five minutes. “Sorry?”

  Garrison motioned with his hand towards the food. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

  No! I don’t want food! He wanted to know if Garrison had killed that family. If he had stood by and watched as they were tortured and…his stomach roiled. A tooth for a tooth? A daughter for a daughter? Was Garrison really that man? Had Isaiah been blind all those years to the monster behind the kind smile?

  “I’m not hungry.”

  Garrison sighed. “You can’t let them upset you, Isaiah. We have to be more careful, but I’m sure that is the last we will see of them.”

  Isaiah felt the heat roll over him, hot and angry. His hands balled in his lap. There were no words that wouldn’t be said in a scream so he bit his tongue until the taste of copper filled his mouth.

  Beneath the table, a tiny foot nudged his, drawing his attention to the wide, blue eyes watching him. The concern on her face was what smothered the sharp edge. He swallowed the rage, already making up his mind not to tell her. She did not need to know about this. She was already scared and constantly worried about him going out with Garrison on these missions of his. So for her, he tucked away the rage and anger and guilt and betrayal. He stored it all up in a tight box deep inside him and forced a smile. She didn’t relax until he’d heaped food onto his plate.

  “Amalie.” Garrison turned to her, pulling her attention away from Isaiah. “I was thinking we could take a drive tomorrow morning. Would you like that?”

  “Where?” Isaiah asked before Amalie could respond.

  Garrison didn’t look surprised by the question or that Isaiah asked it. He continued to watch Amalie. “I was thinking we could show her the lab.”

  It took every ounce of will not to leap to his feet and scream, to backhand all the food, to upend the table, to punch the man in the face. He willed himself to calm down, to think. There was no longer a choice of waiting. He needed to get Amalie out of there before their fieldtrip to the lab, because once there, he had a feeling she would not be allowed back. That would be the last trip she would ever make.

  Chapter 30

  Amalie

  Amalie was already in her nightgown and in bed when Isaiah slipped into her room quietly. Her heart scuttled for a split second before settling as she recognized his figure in the soft light of the moonlight outside. She sat up, excited to see him. Her fingers fumbled as she drew back the blankets, anticipating him joining her. But he ran to her wardrobe.

  “Isaiah?”

  “Get up!” he hissed, his voice unnaturally low. “Get dressed.”

  Heart lodged in her throat, Amalie leapt out of bed and hurried to join him as he rifled through her things. She watched baffled as he tore down random bits of clothes and stuffed them carelessly into the bag he held.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered.

  “We’re leaving tonight,” he shoved several tops into the bag before turning to her. “Right now!”

  Heart galloping now, anticipation, fear, excitement and terror, raged fierce through her veins. She scrambled back, not sure what she should do. He’d never given her directions, except to be ready. He had dealt with everything else.

  “What do I do?” she asked, panic lacing through the words.

  He zipped up the bag, bulging now with everything inside. “Wait here.” He gave her the bag. “When I give the signal, leave. Run out the back door and around to the gates. Stay in the shadows, stay down. I will meet you there.”

  This was happening! It was really happening. The crushing reality was so much more terrifying than the possibility.

  “Isaiah.” She grabbed his finger before he could leave her. “I…”

  There were no words, yet they were spilling from her brain in a rush. So much she wanted to say, but was too frozen to say them.

  His hands were there then, framing her face, pulling her forward until they were inches apart. He kissed her, stealing what little control she had remaining. The salt of her tears mingled between their lips. She could taste them on his tongue. Her fingers shook as they closed in his shirt, gripping him close, too afraid to let him go.

  “I love you.” He pressed each word against her lips, sealing them, tattooing them, marking them there forever.

  “I love you!” she choked.

  He pulled back, still holding her face. He smiled, smoothing away the tears streaking her cheeks. “We’re going to get out of here! I promise! I will never let him hurt you again.”

  It was too much to hope, but she refused to say so. She wanted every one of his words to be true. She wanted to be standing on the other side of those gates with him, away from the nightmare crushing her now. She wanted so badly to be free.

  “Be careful,” she whispered.

  He nodded. “You too.” He hesitated a split second, searching her face. “If I’m not there in five minutes—”

  Her stomach clenched, twisted. The pain brought fresh tears to her eyes. Her hand flew up and covered his mouth. “No! Don’t say it! You have to be there. I won’t go without you.”

  He caught her wrist and kissed her fingers. “Listen to me! If I’m not there, I want you to go! I will catch up with you.”

  She shook her head. “I won’t!”

  His fingers gouged into her shoulders. He shook her lightly. “You will because they won’t be looking for me! I can sneak right by them. But they’ll know to stop you. I will find you! I will always find you! I swear!”

  The logic was undeniable, yet the thought of leaving him alone to face her father sent her insides into a spasm and her throat closing in fear.

  “Promise me!” He shook her again.

  “Isaiah—”

  “Promise!” he hissed.

  She shook her head. “Not until you promise to not let anything happen to you.”

  “I promise to try. It’s the best I can do!” he said when she started to shake her head again. “I can’t see the future, but I do know that I will fight until the day I die to love you and keep you safe. I will never give up.”

  It was the best she could get from him, she realized. “I want to be with you forever so…I’m holding you to that.”

  He smiled, pressed a kiss to her lips and stepped back. “Wait for my signal.”

  “What’s your signal?”

  He reached the door, glanced back with a mischievous grin. “You’ll see!”

  Then he was gone and she was left alone with the riot of snakes fighting in the pit of her stomach. She contemplated just throwing up and getting the nauseous feeling over with, but stopped herself. This wasn’t the time to be weak with sickness. She needed to be strong, brave. She needed to get herself and
Isaiah out of that house. She promised herself a good vomiting once they were in the clear.

  Thinking fast, she hurried to the wardrobe and pulled out the first dark thing she spotted, which turned out to be her mother’s cloak. She wrapped it over the white of her nightdress and fastened the clip at her throat. She took up the bag once more and waited.

  The signal came when all the lights flickered and went dead. No alarms sounded, which was a relief. She didn’t think she’d be able to concentrate if sirens were signaling her escape. Instead, the world was silent as she ran to the door and yanked it open.

  Darkness as thick as a winter blanket pushed against her, a solid force resisting her attempts. She closed her eyes to avoid the unnatural sensation and put out her hands.

  “Careful!” her mother’s soft whisper filtered through the impenetrable black. “Right!”

  Her fears were stoppered as she edged in the direction she’d been given, down the winding corridor. She kept one hand on the wall as she ran. It was that and her mother’s whispered guidance that kept her from falling head first down the stairs.

  Below, voices rang as guards shouted to each other. Someone said something about checking the power grid and Amalie prayed Isaiah had gotten out of there. She told herself he would have. He wouldn’t have loitered. She quickened her pace.

  “What is this?” The sound of her father’s voice booming through the absolute darkness crippled her. Her knees buckled and she nearly sank to the ground. Terror cinched her throat. She meshed her damp palms into her mouth to muffle the whimper pushing to get out. “Someone get these lights back on!”

  He wasn’t talking to her! He hadn’t noticed her. But it was only a matter of time before he realized she was missing.

  Relief wedged a sob in her throat.

  “Now!” her mother hissed. “Go!”

  She waited until she heard rushing feet and her father’s voice further away before she started up again, running heedlessly in the opposite direction to her father.

  “Keep going! I love you! I love you!”

  Amalie whirled around to face the void behind her. “Mom?”

  “Go!”

  Amalie hesitated. “I…” she faltered. What did one say to the woman who abandoned them? What do you say to a woman who had selfishly chosen her own safety over the safety of her only child?

  “I love you! I love you!” Each word shattered between sobs. “I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough. I’m sorry I left you. I’m sorry.”

  Amalie dampened her dry lips. “I love you, Mom.”

  A howl met her whisper, a howl of pain and defeat, of joy and acceptance. It punched her square in the chest. She nearly staggered beneath the blow of agony.

  “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” her mom kept repeating between great gulps of breath.

  “I have to go,” Amalie whispered, already edging away. “Goodbye.”

  Not a single person noticed when she threw herself out into the cold night. Giddy elation propelled her into the shadows carpeting the gardens. Her breath washed out in front of her in a puff of white. Her feet crunched on frost, sounding like gunshots all around her. At the corner of the building, she slowed, pressing her hand into her heart to keep it from bursting from her chest. Gingerly, she poked her head around the corner and surveyed what lay ahead.

  There were no guards. The gate stood ajar.

  Suspicion rooted her feet to the ground. Where were the guards? Why was the gate open? Had Isaiah done that? Had he somehow drawn the guards away? Had the gates opened when the power had been shut off? That didn’t make sense.

  Her gaze swept over the gardens. Not a single soul in sight.

  Carefully, she inched forward, slipping around the corner and taking three steps when the hand closed over her mouth, stifling her scream. She was dragged backwards, away from her goal.

  “Quiet!” a voice hissed into her ear.

  Numbing horror kept her quiet. Her body shook, but not from the cold.

  “Don’t scream!” She didn’t think she could even if she wanted to.

  But the owner of the voice didn’t seem to care either way as he turned her to face him.

  “Derek!” she gasped.

  The pale moonlight spilled over his light hair and shone in his silvery eyes as he peered down at her.

  “How did you—”

  “I’m not as stupid as you like to think,” he muttered. “It didn’t take very much guesswork to figure out what you were planning.”

  “I never thought you were stupid!” she protested. “But please don’t take me back! Please don’t—”

  “Shh!” he whispered, pressing his finger to his lips. “I’m not—”

  “Get away from her!”

  One second, Derek was standing in front of her. The next, he was thrown backwards and another dark, hulking figure had taken his place. It took Amalie a moment to realize what happened.

  “Run!” Isaiah shoved her towards the gates as he turned to Derek with a gun in his hand.

  She grabbed his arm, wrenching it out of course, away from Derek. “Isaiah, no!”

  “Amalie, go!” he hissed, trying to shake her off. “I’ll hold him off!”

  “I’m not going to stop you from leaving!” Derek growled, dusting dirt and snow from his clothes as he rose. “But you’re being stupid about it. The gate is always guarded, even more so when it’s open like that. Just because you don’t see them, doesn’t mean they’re not waiting to stop whoever tries to go through.”

  Chilling fingers of realization crawled down Amalie’s throat.

  “And why should we believe you?” Isaiah challenged.

  “Because I’m not the bad guy!” Derek answered. “I don’t want to see her hurt any more than you do.”

  “Because you love her?” There was a warning in the question, as if Isaiah was daring him to say it.

  “No,” Derek said quietly. “Because I couldn’t save Tabatha.”

  Amalie felt rather than saw Isaiah relax. He straightened, but his fingers remained tight around the gun. “Why don’t I believe you?”

  “Well you really don’t have a choice, do you?” Derek snarled. “I’m not going to stop you.”

  “That is disappointing to hear.” A sharp voice cut through the night like a sword. None of them had heard the small army descending on them until they were surrounded.

  Garrison stepped forward, his green eyes taking in the trio with a sneer that rivaled the blistering cold. “What is the meaning of this?”

  Isaiah pushed Amalie behind him, not that it did much good. “We’re leaving,” he said, a warning in the words.

  Garrison looked as though he’d been slapped. His face lost all color, becoming as white as the snow beneath their feet. “I beg your pardon?”

  Amalie felt a tremor run through Isaiah. “I love her. I won’t let you take her to the lab.”

  For a long moment, even the wind forgot to blow. The silence was unnatural, but it was nothing to the shock and betrayal on Garrison’s face as he stared at them as though they were aliens.

  “What are you doing, Isaiah?” The words were barely a whisper, but they rang with anger.

  “I’m taking her somewhere safe,” Isaiah answered without hesitation. “I’m taking her somewhere you can’t hurt her anymore.”

  Garrison looked like he wanted to say something. His mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. So he stared at them, not looking like he believed what his eyes were showing him.

  “You—you don’t mean…” his voice trailed off. He rubbed a hand over his face. “No. This isn’t right.” He laughed suddenly, loud and long. “I know what you’re doing! This is your way of proving to me that you’re better at watching her than Derek. I get it. Okay, fine. Derek is relieved of his guard duties. You can watch Amalie. Now stop this nonsense. Come inside. It’s freezing out here.”

  It was a way out. They could take it. End this whole night without bloodshed.

  “No!” Isaiah’s snarl
whipped through the night. “I’m not taking her back to that prison.”

  All amusement faded from Garrison’s face. “What are you doing, Isaiah?” This time the question was as hard, cold and brittle as the frost around them.

  “What I should have done years ago!” Isaiah lunged. The hand she wasn’t holding, the one still clutching the gun, whipped out, but the punch aimed for Garrison’s face never landed when another figure lurched forward and did the deed.