Invisible Strings

by Aj Estelliam

  Paramedics came and took over as I ran them through the events in rapid detail. As I stepped away to allow them to take over, a scream filled my ears. Looking up, I saw Eve. Her expression was panicked and I moved towards her instinctively.

  ‘Dad!’ she yelled, just as her knees buckled and she collapsed as I reached her.

  Catching her just in time, I lifted her against my body and held her close as her heart hammered against my chest.

  ‘It’s okay, it’s okay,’ I reassured her in a calm tone. ‘We need to get to the hospital.’

  ‘I’m going with him,’ she cried, sounding very distressed and out of control.

  ‘No. Let them do their job,’ I told her, easing her away from me. I knew what would be happening on the drive to the hospital and I didn’t want Eve to go through the trauma of witnessing that. ‘We’ll follow directly behind. It’ll be better for Jack if the professionals can get on with helping him.’

  Before she could answer, I led her to my car as she stumbled and wept incoherently. As I got behind the wheel, I saw the paramedics closing the doors of the back of the ambulance. Revving my car, I swung out of the space and got directly behind them to follow them to the hospital.

  Chapter 14

  At the hospital, we were immediately sent to a waiting area while Eve’s father was taken to intensive care.

  ‘Oh my God, oh my God,’ Eve repeated as she paced the room as I shut the door.

  ‘Can I call your Mum?’ I asked her, looking concerned.

  ‘I…’ she looked up, clearly shocked.

  ‘Give me your mobile, Eve. I’ll call her and tell her to come here.’

  Tears swelled in Eve’s eyes. ‘Is he going to die, Annie?’

  ‘They’ll do everything possible to make sure that doesn’t happen,’ I assured her.

  She sniffed, sadly. ‘But you’re a doctor. What are his chances? I don’t even know what happened!’ she exclaimed.

  ‘He was shot,’ I told her calmly. ‘The bullet hit his stomach which is complicated. I stopped the bleeding immediately though so I think his chances of survival are good. It just depends what internal organs were hit,’ I said gravely, hoping for her sake that her father didn’t pass away.

  ‘Oh God! Mum’s not going to cope with this.’

  ‘I’ll phone her for you, Eve,’ I told her quietly.

  Eve cried more. ‘You don’t understand. Mum is sensitive. This is going to be so hard for her,’ she sniffed.

  I eased Eve against me and held her close. Her body fit snugly against mine and I could feel her soft sobs as they wracked through her body. I didn’t rush her and held her until she finally pulled away. With red eyes, she looked down at me.

  ‘Sit down here for a moment and give me your phone. I’ll call her for you.’

  Eve exhaled heavily and fumbled for her mobile. As she handed it to me, her hand was shaking. ‘Call Val from my contacts. She’s mum’s friend and next door neighbour. She’ll support her and bring her in I’m sure,’ she said, brokenly.

  ‘Okay,’ I replied, scrolling through contacts for ‘Val.’

  After phoning the woman Eve had specified, I sat down beside her. Val had assured me she would drive Alison in and take care of her until she was at the hospital.

  ‘I can’t believe this has happened,’ Eve murmured, shaking her head and lowering her forehead onto her hands.

  ‘You’re going to need to try and be strong-for your mother, Eve.’

  She sniffed, sadly. ‘I know.’

  ‘Come on…shall we get you a drink?’

  ‘No, no,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘I don’t want to go anywhere in case they come with news of my dad.’

  I nodded, understanding. ‘You’re right.’

  ‘Would you just hold me for a minute?’ she asked, her voice strained and very tearful.

  ‘Of course,’ I said softly, and drew her against me.

  Her head nestled into my shoulder and I felt her body quiver as she tried to control the raw emotion inside. She was beside herself with grief and I was praying that her father would make it through this catastrophe.

  We sat there quietly, her body close to mine for long moments. Despite it being new for us, the proximity wasn’t uncomfortable. It felt good to be close to her and her scent was intoxicating.

  After a while, I felt a slight shift inside and suddenly an image came into my mind. My head swam and dizziness took over.

  ‘In my shoes,’ the man muttered, his voice annoyed and angry.

  The room around him was quiet, his statement going unanswered.

  ‘I’ll show ‘im. I’ll show ‘em all,’ he said under his breath, struggling to control the violent feelings that were coursing through him.

  He lifted a gun off the table in front of him and held it out before him, pointing into the distance ahead. ‘Just you wait…just you wait.’

  My eyes sprung open and shock coursed through me. I tried to calm my breathing as I came too but the subtle shift in my position was enough to startle Eve.

  ‘What?’ she asked. ‘What’s the matter?’

  I opened my mouth to tell her but was then interrupted by the door opening and banging against the wall. Eve’s mother whirled into the room like a mini-hurricane and cried out when she saw her daughter.

  ‘Oh Eve! What’s happened?’ she sobbed as she lay her head on Eve’s shoulder and cried noisily.

  ‘He’s been shot, Mum! Shot!’ Eve replied, clearly struggling to comprehend the situation.

  ‘Who would shoot Jack?’ Alison wailed. ‘He hasn’t done anything wrong! He’s a good man! Why would this happen? Oh God, what if he dies?’ she exclaimed and sunk to her knees.

  Eve moved closer and wrapped her arms around her mother, rocking her gently and speaking to her in low tones.

  I moved towards the door and spoke quietly. ‘I’ll just go and try and get an update,’ I said, meeting Eve’s eyes briefly before exiting the room. I couldn’t do any more to help but I could find out his prognosis.

  I headed down the corridor swiftly and followed the signs to Intensive Care. I knew that I would get fobbed off if I went to reception and believed I would find more out from the doctors themselves.

  I found the right place and watched as people came and went constantly. I located the room where Eve’s father Jack was and waited.

  ‘Can I help you?’ a man said, coming out. He was wearing surgical clothes and looked tired.

  ‘Yes. I’m the doctor who managed Jack Grace at the scene. I wanted to check on him before I leave,’ I told him.

  He nodded, swiftly, looking at the lanyard of ID I had placed around my neck. I had used it for work and as I had it with me, I thought it would look the part.

  ‘He’s pulling through,’ he told me, gravely. ‘He lost a lot of blood but is doing well considering.’

  ‘You think he’ll make it?’ I questioned.

  He nodded. ‘Yes. I do.’

  ‘Can I see him briefly?’ I asked.

  ‘He’s unconscious at the moment.’

  ‘I will literally pop in for a minute,’ I told him.

  He shrugged. ‘One minute,’ he replied wearily, leading me into the room.

  I followed the doctor into the room and went to the bedside of Jack Grace. Looking down into his pallid face, I placed my hand on his. I closed my eyes for no more than two seconds and then turned.

  ‘Thank you for letting me in,’ I told her man. I then left.

  As I hurried away from the ICU, my heart was pounding in my chest. I had needed to see him, to touch him, to find out what was going on. My head still swam from what I had seen in those brief seconds when my hand had been on his. I tried to steady my breathing but I couldn’t. Stumbling into a stairwell, I sank to my bottom along the wall. Head in my hands, I breathed slowly, waiting to come to. I had been right in my suspicions, and this had been no random attack or accident. Jack had been targeted, and for very specific reasons.

  I rocked myself as I
remembered what I had seen.

  The man hid overlooking the streets below. His target was due to leave the building soon and he smiled as he thought of the chaos which he would create. As he waited, someone caught his attention. A man.

  Staring down, a slow smile appeared. It was him. It was the other one he hated. Suddenly, he knew what he had to do. It was if he was being led into this very moment for this reason.

  He lifted the gun and aimed. ‘Die, fucker,’ he muttered and then pulled the trigger.

  ‘There you are!’ Eve exclaimed, surprising me by arriving in the empty stairwell. ‘I’ve been looking for you. Are you alright?’

  ‘Yes, I’m fine,’ I told her. ‘I just…I guess I felt tired for a moment,’ I said, easing back up onto my feet.

  ‘The doctor came and spoke to us!’ Eve told me then, her eyes wide and alert. ‘Dad’s going to be okay! He came through the surgery fine.’

  ‘Oh that’s great!’ I exclaimed, mimicking her enthusiasm.

  ‘I know! I can’t tell you how relieved I am,’ she replied. ‘Mum is with him now, but the doctor said only one person at a time. He’s still sleeping and will be very groggy. He doesn’t need the stress of lots of other people around.’

  I nodded slowly, wondering how to tell her what I knew.

  ‘I’ll go in when Mum comes on…you know, check on him myself.’

  ‘Good idea,’ I said quietly.

  ‘Look, Annie, thank you so much for everything you have done. Don’t feel you have to stick around though-it’s all fine now.’

  I wanted to scream at her and tell her it wasn’t fine and she was in danger but it was the wrong time. I would just stay with her and make sure she was safe myself until I had the chance to tell her properly.

  ‘No, it’s fine. I’d rather stay and make sure you’re okay.’

  ‘I’m fine now…really, you go!’

  I shook my head and took a deliberate step towards her. ‘Eve-I care about you…I’d like to say,’ I said in a quiet, soft voice, my words silky and intimate.

  Her eyes flickered from my eyes to my mouth and back again. When we looked at each other next, there was awareness and heat in the air.

  ‘I, uh…okay,’ she said simply.

  I nodded, pleased. ‘Shall we head back to the waiting room?’ I asked.

  She fell into step beside me. ‘Yeah, let’s go,’ she replied.

  I sat in the waiting room quietly for a long time with Eve and Val-Alison’s friend. When it was Eve’s turn to go in to see her dad, I followed her to the room and waited outside while she visited him. When she was done, I walked her back to the room. I felt worried and panicked about her safety and didn’t quite know how to tell her.

  When we arrived back, Eve’s mother was standing and pulling on her coat.

  ‘Where are you going?’ I asked, before I could stop myself.

  ‘The doctor says Jack will sleep all night,’ she replied. ‘He told us to go and come back in the morning.’

  ‘But, uh…’ I trailed off and looked from Alison to Eve uncertainly.

  ‘We should head home too, Annie. You can drop me off, can’t you?’

  I shook my head. ‘You should go back to your Mum’s tonight,’ I told her. ‘I can come and help too.’

  ‘No, no-you don’t need to do that,’ Alison said, lifting her hand. ‘I’ll be fine. Val is next door and all I’m going to do is go home and sleep.’

  ‘Me too,’ Eve said wearily.

  I exhaled heavily and knew I could hold back no longer. ‘You can’t do that!’ I exclaimed.

  Both Eve and Alison looked at me with alarm.

  ‘Don’t you realise?’ I said, my eyes going from Eve to Alison, back and forth constantly, ‘you’re not safe! Jack was shot-and it wasn’t an accident!’ I said in a rush.

  Both women stared at me in confusion.

  ‘I’ve seen what happened…Alison, I have visions and seem to be a little bit insightful on occasion. What happened to Jack wasn’t an accident! Someone wanted to kill him and he wanted to do that because he hates him. Who on earth would want to kill Jack?’

  Eve gaped at me and Alison was looking stunned.

  ‘I didn’t mean to blurt it all out like that but I can’t bear this! You’re not safe! You’ve got to listen to me about this!’

  Alison looked over at her daughter looking confused and terrified. ‘Eve?’

  ‘Mum, I…I think we need to trust Annie.’

  Alison looked at me again and stepped towards me. ‘Someone is trying to hurt Jack?’ she asked in a breathless tone.

  I sought the right words. ‘I believe so,’ I replied slowly. ‘And also your family.’

  She stared at me, dead in the eyes. ‘My family? As in Eve and myself?’

  I nodded slowly.

  ‘I don’t know what to think,’ she said, shaking her head in disbelief, ‘I mean I get a call to say my husband has been shot!’ she ranted, ‘and now this! I’m meant to believe there’s someone out there trying to kill me, my husband and my daughter? It’s ludicrous!’

  I swallowed against the lump in my throat. ‘If you’ll just hear me out, I think you’ll understand me.’

  She was shaking her head emphatically, her panic clearly rising. I reached out and took her hand in mine, jolting myself into her mind set and instantly reeling at the information I was given.

  Alison pulled her hand back and stared at me, bewildered. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘Come on,’ I said, glancing at Eve. ‘Let’s get out of here.’

  ‘Where is it best to go?’ she asked.

  ‘My place,’ I replied. ‘I don’t think it’s safe at your home or your Mum’s.’

  ‘Okay. Let’s go-no arguing Mum, we’re going to Annie’s house. You’ll hear her out and then we’ll figure out a way of getting to the bottom of this.’

  Alison looked over at Val in desperation. ‘But Val!’

  ‘Can see herself home,’ I said in a quiet, calm voice. ‘Thank you for your help today,’ I told her.

  She nodded, and seemed relieved to leave the scene somewhat hastily. Once she was gone, we left too-hurrying down to my car and driving away from the hospital quickly.

  In the car, none of us spoke. The tension was palpable and I struggled just to maintain a regular breathing pattern. I was very unsure about telling them everything I knew and was very aware of the fact that long-hidden revelations were about to come out that would change Eve completely.

  Pulling up outside my home, I steeled myself for the onslaught. We headed in and while Eve and her mother sat down in the lounge, I went and made a cup of tea for everyone.

  Back in the lounge, they were clearly ready for me to talk. They both looked at me anxiously and I didn’t know where to begin.

  ‘Please, Annie,’ Alison said, finally. ‘Just tell me what you know!’

  I sighed, heavily. ‘Okay…it began when my mother died…’ I started.

  Chapter 15

  I skimmed through my story about how I had begun to see visions of peoples’ lives and Alison stared at me intently throughout. I could feel her unease filtering through me. I knew what was bothering her and I couldn’t protect her from it either.

  ‘So, that brings me back to your situation,’ I murmured.

  ‘You said someone tried to kill Jack today,’ Alison exclaimed. ‘Why on earth would they? Jack has no enemies!’

  ‘Perhaps not,’ I conceded. ‘But you do, don’t you, Alison?’ I said, gently.

  ‘What are you…?’ she broke off, almost open-mouthed with shock.

  ‘This is about you, Alison. You and Eve mainly. Jack was part of it and therefore the man who shot him is angry with him.’

  Eve was looking completely baffled. ‘Hang on, hang on…my Mum has enemies? Someone wants me dead too? You’re going to have to go backwards-tell us everything you have seen,’ she requested.

  I sighed. ‘Okay. It all began many years ago…’

  Eve frowned my way. ‘W
hat do you mean years ago? I don’t understand.’

  ‘This goes back to when you were a baby, Eve. I’m sorry…I really am-but you’re about to hear some things I am well aware that you don’t know about.’

  She stared at me, unspeaking for a moment. I watched as she moved her gaze to her mother and noticed the tremble in her bottom lip as she fought with emotion. A tear slipped down Alison’s cheek and she opened her mouth to speak.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Eve,’ she murmured, brokenly. ‘I should have told you…’

  I watched, waiting to see if she would continue. She didn’t, so I spoke for her while she lowered her head, ashamed.

  ‘Eve,’ I said, and reached for her hands in support. I met her eyes and held them, hoping she would maintain her emotions while I uncovered the facts of her past. ‘Jack isn’t your father,’ I told her clearly. ‘Your father was another man-a man who was violent, abusive and…evil. He broke your mother so many times, Eve, and she finally ran…she ran as far away as possible. The catalyst was you, Eve. She knew that you were on the way. Being abused by a man was something she wasn’t prepared to put you through…’

  Eve’s eyes had filled with tears and I could see millions of questions burning to be asked. Nonetheless, I carried on, determined to say everything that was necessary.

  ‘Once Alison was safe in Avon Cove, she hid for some time. During that time, she met Jack-on the very beach where you’ve worked and lived for so long. Jack fell in love with Alison immediately, and despite the danger they faced and the fact she was pregnant, he loved her. He assured her that he would protect both her and you from anything. He’s been good to his word, until this very day. Your biological father has found you all. He wants you dead. He wants Alison and Jack dead. He’s a very disturbed and violent man. I’m sorry, Eve. I’m so sorry,’ I said, clasping her hands tightly.

  Eve stared at me for a long moment before turning to her mother.

  ‘Is this true?’ she asked, coldly.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Eve,’ Alison replied, crying.

  Eve pulled her hands away from me and stood. Without a word, she walked out of the room.