by Jana Janeway
Her hold on him slackened. ‘Okay. I’ll try.’
****
Elsa’s car was already parked out front when they arrived at the Idyllwild house. It was more like a cabin, really, though not of the log variety. It stood two stories tall and was nestled amongst trees, with the nearest neighbor far from within sight. It was the perfect hideout.
The living room was huge, and already had a meeting underway as they entered. There were a few familiar faces, but most of them were new, which just put Jessica further on edge. Then her gaze landed on Shea.
If Craddock hadn’t been holding her, she would have collapsed to the floor. Relief washed over her, but she seemed more in pain than relieved. At least that’s how it appeared to Shea.
Pushing up off the floor, he headed for her, Stacy right behind him, prepared to start a barrage of questions. But before he could get one word out, she threw herself into his arms.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
‘You can tell him. He’ll find out soon, anyway.’
She didn’t answer Craddock, and didn’t take his offer. “It was just a really long trip. I’m just glad we’re finally here. All of us.”
Pushing his sister at arms’ length, he searched her face for a moment.
Since Jessica didn’t, Craddock explained. “She’s emotional right now. I’ve decided to join Pardaze Ahme.”
Shea glanced past Jessica to Craddock, an incredulous expression growing. “She looks like she’s on the verge of a nervous breakdown.”
“She’s not happy about it,” Craddock told him.
Jessica groaned, pushing Shea away, her hand to his chest. “I’m standing right here!”
People started murmuring due to her snapped response, causing her to become embarrassed. Added attention while she was upset was the last thing she wanted.
“Sorry. It’s been a long trip. Maybe I should just take a walk or something.”
‘Do you think your leg can handle it?’
“I think so. I won’t go far.”
Craddock nodded. ‘But take someone with you. Bibi, or Stacy, or maybe both.’
“Yeah, okay,” she muttered. “Bibi? Stacy? Wanna come with me?”
More murmuring. Of the few words she could make out, some of the new people were remarking on how it must be true. She knew what they meant; they were referring to her connection with Craddock, and their ability to communicate telepathically.
She groaned again, heading for the door they had just entered through, not even waiting for Bibi or Stacy to reply. Distance was needed; she was sick of being seen as a wonder.
“Bibi…” Craddock took her by the arm, leading her towards the door and away from the audience they had gained. “Don’t go far, okay? I’m not sure if her leg can handle it, but try to—” He hesitated. “I don’t want her to overhear.”
“I really don’t want to be put in the middle of this, Doc.”
“I understand. Just… keep her busy for a little while, okay? I’ll owe you big.”
Laughing, rolling her eyes, she quipped, “You have nothing I want.”
****
When Jessica heard footsteps behind her, she slowed her pace but didn’t turn around. She knew it wasn’t Craddock… her connection to him had dimmed shortly after leaving the house.
“We shouldn’t go too far, Jess,” Bibi called out. “We could get lost.”
Jessica stopped then, spinning around to face them. “I don’t need a babysitter,” she groused.
“Just because Craddock asked, it doesn’t mean that’s why I’m here,” Bibi said.
Confused, Stacy asked, “What am I missing?”
“Craddock is treating me like a child, because—” She stopped herself from saying what she was about to. If she told Stacy about her missing hours while on the road, she would certainly tell Shea. Editing her answer, she said instead, “Because I don’t want him to join Pardaze Ahme.”
“Why wouldn’t you want him to join?” Stacy asked, further confused. “They seem like a nice group of people.”
“They’re not just a nice group of people,” Bibi explained. “They exist for a reason. A purpose. They’re about to wage war against the Registry, and Craddock wants to be on the battlefield.”
Stacy’s lips formed the shape of an ‘O’ as realization dawned. “Why would he put himself in danger like that?”
Bibi rolled her eyes. “It’s a male pride thing. Trust me,” she said to Jessica, “I know how you’re feeling. Wade’s gonna be on the frontlines, too.”
“Wade’s a trained agent,” Jessica countered. “You knew that going into the relationship.”
“Doesn’t make it any easier.”
Jessica couldn’t argue that point, so she didn’t. She couldn’t imagine it being any easier if Craddock had been a trained agent. Instead, she asked, “If you find out what the plan is, will you tell me?”
“I’ll tell you the same thing I told him… don’t put me in the middle.”
“So that’s a no,” Jessica muttered, turning to walk away again. She stopped in her tracks and spun around when she heard Bibi gasp. “What?”
Bibi seemed to be in a trance, her eyes glazed over, her body stiff. It was several seconds later before she finally blinked, and several more after that before she replied. “I think I just had a vision.”
****
“We have to step things up.”
Murmurs of both agreement and disagreement followed.
“But are we ready?”
“With Craddock on board, I think we just might be.”
“This is too important for might!”
“Relax. We’re ready. I wouldn’t be suggesting it if we weren’t.”
“We would probably have a stronger case if Jessica herself were to—”
“No,” Craddock stated firmly, interrupting the man he didn’t know. “Jessica is not to be involved in this.”
“We have enough witnesses to swear that they have Chimie – hell, even the Registry acknowledges that! With his connection to her, with her thoughts literally being inside his head, it’s not even a secondhand account anymore.”
When more murmurs of agreement took the immediate attention away from them, Jeramey gave Craddock a subtle upnod. He had his back on the issue.
“We need a concise starting argument, and all the evidence summarized and cataloged.”
“I can do that. I worked as a paralegal for years.”
“Great. You work with Carl. And don’t forget to get a statement from Craddock.”
“I’ll get the appointment secured. I know someone who owes me a favor.”
The meeting seemed to be winding down. If he didn’t speak now, he would lose his chance to.
“Can I add something real quick?”
All conversation ceased, every eye in the room on Craddock, essentially giving him the floor.
Struggling for a moment, trying to find the right words, he studied the knap of the carpet he was sitting on. With Shea in attendance, he had to choose what he would say carefully.
Sensing his dilemma, Marcy spoke up. “Jessica can’t know any details about this mission. She’s worried, and in her… delicate condition… stress isn’t good for her. And Shea,” she said to him directly, “you shouldn’t tell Stacy, either. They’re friends. Friends talk.”
****
“What kind of vision?” Stacy asked. She didn’t immediately make the leap to something psychic, even though Jessica had told her that Bibi claimed to be one.
“The bad kind.” Bibi’s wide-eyed stare remained on Jessica.
Jessica’s blood instantly ran cold, her heart racing. “It was about Craddock, wasn’t it?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Upon seeing Jessica’s panicked expression, Bibi relaxed hers. It didn’t help.
“Bibi! Was it about Craddock?”
“Yes,” she answered, but then quickly amended, “No. Not in the way you think.”
The vague comment
did little to ease Jessica’s concern. “Out with it, Bibi! I need to know!”
“It was about… well, all of us, more or less.”
“Be more specific. Please.” She wasn’t above begging. Her nerves were wound about as tight as they could be.
“We were… captured, I think.” Bibi seemed confused by her own words.
“You think? By the Registry?”
“No. They were… Human.”
They stared back at one another, as if doing so would bring about some kind of clarity. But neither of them could make any sense out of it.
“You guys can come back in now. The meeting’s over.”
When Jessica’s eyes landed on Craddock, the odd feeling of panic he sensed from her pulled into focus. He set out at a run, her thoughts becoming more coherent the closer he got to her.
‘She’s not psychic, Jess.’
‘What if she is? What if she’s right?’
He gathered her into his arms as soon as he reached her. “You couldn’t keep your mouth shut!”
His glaring at her, accompanied by the snarky comment, put Bibi on the defensive. “She was inches away from me, Doc! She saw my face! What was I supposed to do?”
“Lie!”
“And tell her what? She’s not stupid!”
“Planes crashing! Suns exploding! Anything but shit about me!”
‘Shouldn’t we at least consider that she might be right?’
‘Her so-called vision doesn’t even make sense. Why would the Humans want us, unless we broke the law?’
‘Maybe my parents did go to the police. Maybe we’re wanted people now or something.’
‘Stop this.’ “Bibi, tell her your visions aren’t usually accurate, before she loses her mind again.”
Conflicted, Bibi stared back at Craddock. She wasn’t at all comfortable with lying about it; it seemed an insult to her gift to do so. But by the way he glared at her, and by the way Jessica looked at her with fear, she felt she didn’t really have a choice.
Sighing, she muttered, sincerely enough, “Craddock’s right. Some days are better than others, and I have been wrong before. What I… saw… it was vague. Brief. I really wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Are you worried?” Jessica asked, still in Craddock’s arms but facing Bibi.
Now she would have to lie outright. “No. It wasn’t enough to really get any kind of understanding.”
“See?” Craddock shot Bibi a grateful look, discreetly, then pulled Jessica back against him and led her towards the house. ‘You promised to try, Jess.’
‘If I could just know the plan…’
‘No. But I will tell you this… it doesn’t involve us breaking the law.’
That settled Jessica’s anxieties, but only a little. Then they skyrocketed again when they entered the house and every eye in the place landed on them.
‘They think I’m a freak, and a nutcase.’
‘No one thinks that, Jess. You’re being paranoid.’
He led her away from the group of people, heading towards the kitchen. There were more people in there. Sighing, he kept walking, straight out the back door.
The backyard wasn’t one as such, but it had a bench that had seen better days, and had the advantage of no onlookers.
‘I don’t think we’ll have much privacy here.’ As he sat on the weather-worn bench, he helped her down with him. ‘People seem a little bit packed in like sardines.’
The subject he was attempting to initiate was ignored. ‘Her face. You should’ve seen her face.’
‘I have seen her before.’ Not only that, but he could see the image of it playing out in Jessica’s memory. ‘She really does believe she’s psychic, but that doesn’t mean she is. Joe and I humor her, for the most part.’
‘I’m tired,’ she lied. ‘I think I should go rest or something.’
She tried to get up, but he held her firmly, not allowing her to.
‘Don’t shut me out, okay? I’m still your husband.’
‘I know that.’ She stopped herself from thinking, ‘for however much longer that might be.’ ‘But anything I think or say anymore, you just dismiss. Does me little good to open up to you.’
‘I’m sorry. You want to discuss her vision, then?’
‘I’d rather discuss the plan.’
‘No. Even if your parents did go to the police, even if they went to investigate, which would’ve been a long shot, we weren’t there when they showed up. We’re not even in their jurisdiction anymore. They would have no reason to come looking for us.’
Jessica took little comfort in that. ‘I hate feeling like this. There’s too much uncertainty now.’
‘That’s what I’m trying to fix, baby. If you would just be patient…’
‘I’m out of patience!’
‘Clearly.’ He smiled to himself when she scoffed. ‘You’re just assuming this will end badly. But if we do nothing, there’s no way of making it better.’
‘But it might get better without you. No offense, but do you honestly think you’re that valuable to them?’
‘After the meeting we just had… yeah. I do.’
‘If you’re so sure this will work, then why can’t I know the plan?’
‘There are a few reasons. One I already told you.’
‘What are the other reasons?’
‘I’m not telling you that.’
She huffed. ‘Is it dangerous?’
‘Minimally.’
‘Is that the truth?’
‘Yes.’
She wanted to believe him, but if he could so easily hide things from her, what was to stop him from lying?
‘Hiding things to keep you from panicking is not the same as lying to you.’
‘You’ve lied to me before, Craddock.’
‘When?’
‘For the last year? You knew they had no intention of letting us go. You kept that from me! Kept telling me it would be okay; that they still would, in time.’
‘I didn’t know anything for sure. It was just a hunch. I only kept my assumptions to myself because I was trying to protect you. But I never actually lied to you.’
‘The fine line you’ve drawn across that distinction is flawed. You have lied to me before, Craddock. I don’t feel that I can trust you with this.’
Craddock flinched, noticeably. He was losing his wife because of this. But the alternative wasn’t an option anymore. Pardaze Ahme needed his help. Their case was stronger with him involved. Without him, they might fail, and then his family would never be safe.
‘I’m asking you to trust me, Jess.’
‘You’re asking for blind faith.’
‘Yes, I suppose I am. Is that really too much to ask?’
‘Is it really too much to ask about the plan?’
‘Jess…’ He hesitated, sighing. ‘You’re extremely emotional right now. Stress isn’t good for the baby. Knowing won’t change anything, anyway.’
There was a tiny slip in her perspective. ‘When?’
That tiny slip encouraged him to answer. ‘Days. A week at most.’
Jessica jumped from the bench, her leg twinging in pain, but she ignored it. The slight waver in her ability to stand caught Craddock’s eye, though.
Spinning back around, she screeched, “Days?! My God, we only have days left?!”
“They need to move quickly on this. Things are… bad.”
She didn’t care. There wouldn’t even be time for him to hear the baby’s heartbeat. In less than seven days, she would be a widow, left to raise their child without him, alone for the next century and a half, at least.
The adrenalin rush made her dizzy; her accelerated heart rate pounded in her ears. She couldn’t just stand there. She couldn’t think or breathe or reason. But she could run. Almost.
There was no conscious decision to flee. No consideration to where she would go. She just did. Somewhat. She hobbled as fast as she could with her still-healing injury, but she didn’t make it far before Cra
ddock was behind her.
Since there was no thought of running until she had started to, Craddock didn’t see it coming. He watched the first limping strides from his seat on the bench, almost unwilling to believe what he was seeing, but then he jumped into action.
Slipping his arms around her, just above her abdomen, he lifted her off the ground, preventing her from taking any further needless steps towards unnecessary escape. She kicked and flailed in response, but he only held her tighter when she did.
‘You’re going to rip your stitches!’ “Stop this!”
Slowly, she did, eventually becoming like a limp doll in his arms.
‘I’m not strong enough to deal with this.’
‘Yes, you are. You’re overly emotional because of the pregnancy hormones, and because you’ve been given a lot to deal with over the last week specifically. That’s why you’re a wreck right now. You can deal with this. You just need to try.’
When he set her down, she staggered a little before finding her footing. ‘You expect too much of me. I’m not as strong as you think I am.’
‘And you don’t give yourself enough credit. Everyone we know, at some point, has commented on how strong you are.’
A hint of confidence seeped into her thoughts, making Craddock smirk. Shifting to her right side, his arm encircled her waist, acting as a crutch for her.
‘C’mon. Let’s see if they have a bed for you.’
‘I’m not tired.’
‘I know, but you do need to rest.’ He set out towards the house, her limping alongside. ‘You’ve done way too much already. The van ride here, the walk, the attempt at running just now. Where were you even headed?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Well, don’t do that again, okay? You need to heal before you can pull crap like that.’
‘Fine.’
Arching an eyebrow, he asked, ‘Fine? Really? You’re not going to fight me on that, too?’
‘I don’t want to fight with you anymore.’
She seemed calmer; resigned. Craddock knew that was about the best he could hope for.
****
With Jessica tucked into a bed, resting, Craddock wandered out in search of Carl, and that guy who was planning to take his statement. He was able to locate them easily enough, but when they indicated that they weren’t ready for him yet, he decided to pay the bench out back another visit.