by Carly Fall
They walked out the door, their footsteps echoing in the hall. As their voices faded, Ruby leaned forward and put her elbows on her knees, then placed her head in her hand. She would be eating alone again tonight, and couldn’t help but feel that to her parents, she was simply a more serious problem that needed to be dealt with—something like a broken pipe or a hole in the roof.
Maybe she should just leave—she doubted they’d notice for quite a long time. That being said, someone had tried to kidnap her, and fear ran through her at the thought. If she did leave and her kidnappers succeeded, it could be a couple of days before anyone noticed. Who knows what could happen to her in that period of time. They could rape her, torture her … she shuddered.
However, she felt the need to get out of this house. Maybe her father could arrange for some security to accompany her back to her apartment. She’d talk to him about it, but didn’t hold out much hope. The fact of the matter was that she remained safe right here.
She’d become a prisoner in her childhood home with a family so wrapped up in themselves; it was as if she didn’t exist except as the freak someone had attempted to kidnap. How she longed to go back to her own apartment, or go anywhere, just to escape this house, but she didn’t see that happening any time soon.
Chapter 7
Ruby stood outside her father’s library and listened as he spoke on the phone.
“I think that’s a very reasonable idea,” he said. “Yes, thank you, Joe. I appreciate you understanding my fears as a father. I think she’ll be much safer away from here.”
Away from here? And where exactly did her destination entail? A small part of her grew angry that her life decisions were being made for her, while she also smiled at the thought of getting out of this house and away from her family.
“Sure, I can have her ready for pick-up tomorrow afternoon. That won’t be an issue. Thanks again, Joe.”
She heard the distinct rattle of the phone hitting the desk.
“What are you doing?”
Gasping, she turned to find her brother, John, right behind her. She’d been so focused on listening to her father, she hadn’t heard him approach.
“I’m eavesdropping,” she whispered.
John smiled, his blue eyes gleaming, his blond locks curling at his neck. At three in the afternoon, he looked tired, but he’d probably been out all night and just starting his day.
“What for?” he murmured.
“To see what’s to be done with me with this big dinner coming up.”
“Why does anything have to be done with you? Just put on a dress and smile like you usually do. I don’t see what the big deal is.”
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. She’d forgotten John hadn’t been around all week, and apparently, hadn’t spoken to their parents.
“I was almost kidnapped. Now Daddy’s worried about opening up the house for the big dinner with my kidnappers still on the loose.”
John’s eyes widened and he let out a low whistle. “No kidding?”
She shook her head. “No. Daddy’s in there talking to a man he hired to find the kidnappers. They’re trying to figure out what they’re going to do with me. It’s like I’m some lamp they aren’t sure where to put.”
He laughed and pushed the door open. “Hey, Dad!”
“John!” her father bellowed. “Good to see you, son!”
Ruby trailed in behind her brother and watched the two men hug. It seemed as though John had lost a little weight.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me about Ruby getting kidnapped?” he asked, sitting down on the far leather couch.
“We haven’t seen you, although I’ve tried to call a few times. You never pick up that damn phone, though,” her father answered, taking the sofa across from him. “Come sit down, Ruby.”
After she’d plopped down next to her father, he put his arm around her shoulders.
“I caught her outside eavesdropping,” John said, grinning.
She glared at him as her father chuckled.
“Don’t be a tattletale, John. How much did you hear, Ruby?”
“I heard that you think Joe has a good solution to this pretend-problem.”
“It’s not a pretend-problem, honey. This is a real threat. I want my daughter safe.”
She sighed. “So what’s the plan?”
“I’m having Joe take you to a secure location where you will be watched over by very capable men who specialize in protection situations such as this.”
“Where’s she going?” John asked.
“Northern Arizona, a place called Flagstaff, or just outside of the town, I guess. Joe said the location is secure, and I trust him.”
“You don’t even know him, Daddy.”
“That’s true, but his firm came highly recommended to me through many sources.”
She sat in silence staring at the glass table in front of her, trying to find the positives in this situation. First, she wouldn’t have to attend that stupid dinner. Second, she’d get out of the house. Third, she’d never been to Arizona, so it would be fun to visit a new place.
As far as the negatives went, someone else would still be in control of her life.
Glancing over at John, she found him staring at her as if he thought her some strange exhibit at the zoo.
“What?” she asked.
He shook his head, as if trying to clear his thoughts. “Nothing.”
“They’re coming to get you tomorrow, Ruby,” her father said. “They said they’d be here about three, so make sure you’re packed, and I’ll let your mother know about the plan.”
She nodded, and her father turned his attention to John, asking him about the nightclub deal.
Tuning them out, she decided she would focus on the positives and enjoy her trip to Arizona.
Chapter 8
Garrett stood among the trees, watching Zach walk around outside with Savannah. She sniffed the ground, her tail wagging, and then found a spot to do her business. Zach stood still, and when Savannah finished, she barked, and he took a bag out of his pocket and picked up the pile, tying a knot at the top.
The past two days had revealed just how self-sufficient Zach had become. Garrett had tried to help him with different things, but Zach had told him to get lost. Finally, he’d backed off, and Zach had only asked for his help once—when he’d needed oregano for the spaghetti he cooked.
In his bear form, he stood on his hind legs and clawed at a tree, then rubbed his back against it, marking it, letting other bears in the area know this was his turf.
He sniffed around the peripheral edges of the forest some more, hoping to stay downwind from Savannah. That damn dog had an incredible sense of smell and had charged him yesterday. Thankfully, he’d seen her coming and had shifted back into his human form.
After the explosion and waking in the hospital in Seattle, Washington, the government had set him up in a really crappy apartment down in south Seattle, right by the airport. So close, in fact, his bed shook depending on what way the planes took off. Shortly after arriving there, he’d felt something building within him, almost like another force growing, wanting to take over his body. To fight it, he’d worked out relentlessly, thinking perhaps it was a level of rage he didn’t understand, anger at being discharged, being relocated to Seattle, and the extreme hatred for his overseers and what his life had become.
Imagine his surprise when he sat in his apartment and one moment he was just an average guy, then the next, a black bear.
Needless to say, panic had ensued as he’d stared at his reflection in the blank television screen. He’d stared into the same tawny eyes he saw every morning in the mirror, yet, a black bear had gazed back at him, a light-yellow glow hugging his fur.
He’d been so freaked out and panicked, he’d roared, and then suddenly, he’d returned to his human form. As he’d run his hands over his naked body, he’d noticed nothing different. He’d looked human, his breath had come in short spurts as
his panic had receded, and the clothes he’d been wearing had been lying in tatters to his right.
A loud knock had sounded on his door, and he’d looked around hoping whoever it had been would go away.
“What the hell’s going on in there?” the apartment manager, Frank, had yelled.
Garrett had stared at his clothes and glanced back over at the television, seeing his reflection once again. Yes, he’d been human and not a bear.
“Garrett!” Frank had screamed.
He’s not going away.
He’d run into the bedroom and plucked some sweats from the floor, then moved back into the living room. Panicked, he’d turned on the television, found Animal Planet, and muted it. Taking a deep breath, he’d opened the door.
“What’s up, Frank?”
“I heard something,” Frank had said, trying to look over Garrett’s shoulder.
At age sixty, Frank stood at a thin five-foot-six with beady black eyes and a completely bald head. He’d also been retired military and worked for Garrett’s keepers, the government that had issued the experiment that had left him with the odd ability to change into a damn bear. “It sounded like a … a dog, or bear, or something pissed off.”
Stepping to the side, Garrett had wiped sweat from his forehead as he’d motioned for Frank to enter. “I was doing some push-ups and watching some television.”
Frank had gazed at the T.V. and then around the room again. “You know I got a no pets policy.”
He’d nodded. “Yeah, I know, old man.”
Garrett had had no idea if Frank knew of his ability, but had figured it would be best not to ask. How would that conversation have gone? Hey, man, did you know I can turn into a bear? He hadn’t seen that working out too well.
“Okay, soldier. Just keep it down in here.”
“Yes, sir,” he’d mumbled as he shut the door.
Realizing what he had been feeling inside him really was had both scared him and freaked him out.
A scent carried through the mountain air, and Garrett recognized it as that of a bobcat, probably about a quarter of a mile away. They tended to keep to themselves, but he also knew Savannah would be easy prey. He’d have to keep track of that little bastard and make sure he stayed away from the dog.
After getting over the shock and fear of his ability, he’d driven up to the mountains of Seattle and practiced changing back and forth. Soon, it became second nature to him, and he’d found out he loved being a bear.
With this ability also came an intense loneliness when he’d realized how isolated the skill made him. His keepers had made it clear he couldn’t talk to anyone about it, and they’d promised him death if he did. When they’d come for him, knocked him out, and brought him to the room where they shot James Freeman, he’d known they meant business.
As he foraged around the trees, he marveled at how acute his sense of smell became in bear form. The rotting foliage, the fresh blossoms of the trees, that damn bobcat that seemed to be getting closer, the stench of the mountain lion scat a few feet away, not to mention the horseshit from the stalls … it all coalesced into one large unpleasant assault on his senses. He often wondered if a real bear felt disgusted by its surroundings, or if he did because he was still human at his core.
Done being a bear for the day, he concentrated on becoming human again. His joints popped as waves of energy coursed through him. It didn’t hurt, but it didn’t exactly feel good. More of like a full body ache one might get with a low-grade fever.
The transformation took about thirty seconds, and when complete, he got up from all fours and stood. Naked, he looked at the golden glow on his skin which would dissipate in a few moments. He glanced around the forest to make sure he was alone and then made his way down the hill toward the cabin. He’d yet to show his ability to Zach, but they’d discussed it at length. He almost wished Zach could watch him transform, but obviously, that would never happen.
He didn’t know what to think about Zach’s talent. He took full responsibility for Zach’s blindness—he’d been the one in charge that night. But to see bits of the future while gazing in the mirror? Would he want to know the future? What if Zach saw things he couldn’t fully understand, but they meant something terrible would happen?
He thought back to Lucas, and his ability to see people die before they actually did. Lucas called it a curse, and had almost lost his mind because of it. Thankfully, he had Gabby to ground him.
Man, he was glad he didn’t have that shit to worry about. Give him a furry bear ass and a bobcat getting a little too close any day.
Chapter 9
Garrett returned to the cabin to find Zach sitting in the living room enjoying a glass of whiskey and petting Savannah. Strolling in, he didn’t bother to cover up as Zach couldn’t see him, anyway.
“Put some clothes on, Garrett,” Zach said, taking a sip of his drink.
Stopping in his tracks, he glanced over at his friend briefly, wondering if the whole blindness thing was an act.
“I saw you strolling through the living room this morning in my mirror,” Zach said. “The light seemed filtered as it came into the window, and I guessed this would take place in the late afternoon, which it now is.”
“It figures one of your visions would involve my amazing body.”
Zach rolled his eyes. “Go get dressed, you egocentric prick.”
Garrett chuckled as he walked down the hallway. As he was picking up some jeans from the floor, he heard the satellite phone, the dedicated line for Joe to reach him, ringing, and he ran down the hall to grab it.
Zach stood at the kitchen counter holding out the phone to him.
He took it and hit the ‘talk’ button. “Hey, Joe.”
Thanks, man, he mouthed to Zach. Garrett rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. Instead, he gently punched Zach in the shoulder, and Zach walked away with a wave Garrett could only guess meant ‘you’re welcome.’
“Hello, Garrett. I’m sorry I’ve been out of touch the past few days. How are things going?”
“Great. Zach’s settled in and we’re just hanging out waiting for you.”
“Good, because I’ll be there tomorrow evening with a new assignment for you.”
“Oh yeah? Who?”
He listened as Joe told him about the twenty-three year-old daughter of a billionaire oil tycoon who had almost been kidnapped. Her father wanted her in protective care as he worried for her safety, especially since he was hosting a large dinner at his home with some worldly and important people.
Shit.
He’d had a couple of clients, and they’d been older gentleman and quiet, not wanting to do much but sit around and watch television. They’d been easy—pretty much keeping to themselves. Little had been required from him.
A twenty-three-year-old billionaire’s daughter put everything into a whole different ball field.
He imagined her tall, blonde, rail thin, with fair skin and an attitude and ego big enough to jam herself up in doorways. She most likely had some eating disorder and preferred to sleep in until noon after partying all night with celebrities and major league athletes.
A snotty, spoiled, entitled brat—that’s what he knew would walk through that door tomorrow. He’d seen it before.
He remembered being around thirteen and taking the subway from the Bronx to upper Manhattan where he helped his Nana clean the houses of some of the city’s wealthy citizens. He’d hated it as he looked around at all the upper-end furnishings of the townhouses and large, lavish apartments. He’d marveled at the shiny, silver appliances in the kitchen, the smooth walls, usually colored in some soothing brown or grey, the gleaming floors, and the thick carpets. He couldn’t help compare the home to the two-bedroom shithole apartment he shared with his Nana and its light blue kitchen appliances with rust stains or the yellowing linoleum below them, the plaster-cracked, thin walls that never seemed to keep the heat in, or the noise and cold out.
He could almost see the floorboard benea
th the threadbare, dark brown carpet covering the living room floor, and despite the promise of a new paint job from the landlord, the brownish paint that used to be white chipped and cracked from age.
He and Nana had tried their best, but the cockroaches always seemed to find a way in despite how clean they’d kept the apartment.
“Be thankful you have a roof over your head, boy,” she’d used to tell him when he’d complained. “You and me got the blessing from the Lord above, and that’s all we need.”
As he’d scrubbed the rich people’s toilets, the kids who lived in those fine homes would sneer at him, while the parents ignored him. Wealthy people looked down on human beings in lower social classes as people to be used to clean their houses, trim their lawns, cook their food—whatever their needs, someone could fill it. And, as he knew firsthand, that translated into a complete lack of respect, as if the wealthy dealt with a nuisance instead of another living, breathing human.
Yeah, he knew exactly what he would be dealing with tomorrow, and it irked him to no end.
“Maybe she’d be better off with someone else,” he said. “Like Brody. If she’s rich, she’d probably love the yacht.”
“By Sea is not an option right now. You, Garrett, are my only choice. I’ve met the young lady, and she seems delightful.”
What. Fucking. Ever.
“How long is she going to be here?” He rubbed his eyes, resigned to his fate.
“No longer than ten days.”
He sighed. Ten days of being in the company of some entitled bitch’s presence? He could handle it, and reminded himself he was a goddamn Marine. If he could deal with the theatre of war, he could certainly put up with some rich snot for a few days.
“Okay, I’ll get the place ready.”
He said his goodbyes to Joe, turned off the phone, and set it on the counter. He stared out the window into the trees, feeling the need to shift into a bear again and roam the forest, taking his mind off his upcoming visitor.
“I take it we’re having a guest?” Zach said.
He nodded and turned around, leaning on the counter and crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah. She arrives tomorrow.”