The Protector

by Stormi Lewis

  Jess turned the cup round and round again in her hands obviously bothered. Tina reached over to touch her hand gently and felt nothing but amazing warmth surprisingly when she did.

  “It might mean we have to break rules that will bear serious consequences,” Jess said biting her lip and blinking away the tears that threatened to form in her eyes. Suddenly she looked up at Tina with urgency. “No matter what happens, I need you promise me that you will always stand by her. No matter what happens. In case Jack and I are unable.” The last part came out as a broken whisper.

  “No matter what,” Tina promised as her heart broke for the ghost before her. Jess smiled weakly back at Tina.

  “They will toy with her. They will make her second guess her choices and she may even lose her way,” Jess said more firmly setting the cold tea down on the table. “They thrive on the cat and mouse chase and will fight dirty. Physically and mentally,” Jess warned. A chill went down Tina’s back.

  “So how do we beat this asshole?” Tina asked full of commitment and determination.

  “He will never stop,” Jess said as her eyes turned the deepest shade of black Tina had ever seen.

  “Death it is,” Tina said, understanding immediately.

  “It won’t be so easy,” Jess said in more of a growl then anything. “He has no conscious. He has no soul. He knows nothing of love. First thing first. Solve the key. My husband gave it to her for a reason. That puzzle I cannot help with,” Jess added looking down at the table again.

  “I will,” Tina confirmed, once again laying her hand over the ghost that felt more real at this very moment than her own touch.

  Jess jerked her head up and looked over her shoulder. “Don’t let James lose faith,” she added without turning her head back. “You have to go now,” Jess ordered.

  She quickly faced Tina, reached out to touch her lightly on the forehead, and forced Tina back through the door as it slammed shut before her face. Tina woke up gasping for air.

  “Hey,” Ben said in concern as he rushed over to her and gently rubbed her arm. “You okay?”

  Tina blinked her eyes several times as they focused back to the reality before her. She turned to look at her husband.

  “We need to solve both our puzzles, Ben,” Tina said in alarm. “The man with the cane is coming for her, and she’s going to need all the tools she’s been given to fight.”

  “What do you….?” Ben trailed off as he studied his wife with grave concern. He had never seen her so agitated before in the entire time of knowing her.

  “We need to keep this quiet for the time being,” Tina added, challenging him to silence, knowing her husband would want to share with his friend.

  “Tina, what’s going on?” Ben ordered.

  “I don’t know,” Tina answered honestly. “But it was bad enough for Jess to haul me into a one-on-one conversation, and even death is nervous about what that asshole has planned for Sophie.” Tina swallowed the lump in her throat and took Ben’s hands in her own. “So, let’s find out what gifts Sophie truly has so we can beat him once and for all,” she said staring at Ben intently.

  He knew better than to question his wife on a normal day. And this was far from normal.

  “On it,” Ben finally nodded in confirmation. “I’m pretty sure we’re here to attend the doctor’s national annual ball per Sally’s request. I got the tuxes and masks, so when you’re up to it, I will leave the gowns to you,” Ben winked at his wife, knowing that she loved shopping almost as much as she loved her puzzles. The break would allow her mind to flow more freely as an added bonus.

  Tina smiled and held out her hand for the black credit card that had a bogus name and plenty of money that the dresses they required wouldn’t even make a dent. Ben chuckled and shook his head. He was glad that she was getting color back into her cheeks.

  Ben could no longer question the existence of ghosts. He had already been visited by one, himself, and was asked not to mention it. Jack had reached out to Ben while he was on his way to New Orleans. It was brief, and the message urgent as well.

  “Find Dr. Corbin Dallas and Edward Sterling,” Jack pleaded once Ben had been convinced to open the wooden door before him.

  “Who?” Ben asked in confusion.

  “Dr. Corbin Dallas and Edward Sterling,” Jack repeated, looking constantly over his shoulder. Something had him terrified, even Ben could tell. “Please, Benjamin,” Jack begged. “For Sophie.”

  Then he had touched Ben’s forehead lightly and pushed him back through the door as the door slammed in front of him.

  Ben had woken up instantly confused, trying to determine what he had eaten before he had fallen asleep on the bus. “For Sophie,” Jack’s voice echoed in Ben’s ears. It sent shivers down his spine, and made his blood go cold.

  Ben had been studying up on the powers of dreams since Sophie had first mentioned the wooden door. Dr. Corbin Dallas was what some called an oneironaut. A person that could supposedly control the dream world, especially through lucid dreams. Ben had found the doctor title to be laughable, until he started to look into Dr. Dallas’ credentials which contained much more than just some “dream walker.”

  He had a few PHDs that included psychiatry and neurology, although Ben had no idea how he had found the time to accomplish so much at a very young age. In fact, he was getting lost in Dr. Dallas’ credentials when Tina had begun to stir from her nap. Ben had figured she was just tired from all of the traveling and stress of breaking into the FBI. Knowing it was a ghost visit, he knew first-hand how much energy it took from the living to speak with the dead.

  It was hard for the logical doctor side of Ben’s brain to register, but a previous visit from a dead grandmother at an early age had already proven that the dead never truly leave us. Even if the logical side laughed at him for believing such things.

  Science was great for explaining a lot of things. Ben was very well aware that it didn’t explain everything though. No matter how hard it tried.

  Ben opened up the laptop again since his wife was out enjoying herself and getting needed supplies. He had already concluded that both Dr. Corbin Dallas and Dr. Elaine Cox would be attending the conference with Dr. Moore giving the keynote address.

  There was no Dr. Edward Sterling, however. There was barely an Edward Sterling at all that he could find that would remotely fit into Sophie’s puzzle. A dentist didn’t exactly strike him as a player of the game. Then a memory floated back to him.

  “My mother’s name was Jess, and my dad’s name was Jack,” Sophie had said with a smile. “There was a boy named Edward. I’ve only seen him once, though, so I don’t really know much about him.”

  The only thing Sophie could remember about Edward is that her father was very protective of him. Jack had asked Sophie to keep Edward safe before Sophie had turned into a mark and her parents were murdered. She had thought he was an orphan of some sort. He was smaller than most kids and came from a very poor family with an abusive foster dad.

  “Great,” Ben muttered.

  A kid with that kind of background typically didn’t hold onto his first name, let alone his last. It was a coping mechanism for those that were continually running from a damaging past.

  “Edward Sterling,” he heard Jack’s voice whisper in his ears once more.

  “That doesn’t exactly narrow it down, my friend,” Ben shouted to no one. When silence remained, he sighed and closed the laptop as James came running through the door.

  “Where’s Sophie?” James demanded, trying to catch his breath.

  “Messing with the blood hounds before heading back I imagine,” Ben said turning to study the urgency radiating from his friend. “What’s wrong?”

  “Something big is coming,” James wheezed as he tried to catch his breath from running all the way from the bus station.

  “Yeah, we already know,” Ben said standing up and going to sit on the bed. James looked at him with confusion. “You’re not the only one dead people visit,�
�� he added with a shrug. “So let’s figure out how the heck we’re going to sneak into this ball and corner some doctors to get some answers.”

  James opened his mouth to speak, but at a loss for words he closed it again. He tossed his bag on the floor, pulled out a notebook and pen, and sat down next to his friend.

  “Looks like we’re breaking into the Morial Convention Center. Mom’s sending us passes to get through the front,” James said as he started drawing a rough draft of the building. He had studied it all the way to the Louisiana state line before Jess made a brief appearance.

  She warned James that his love for Sophie most likely will be tested, and he needed to decide immediately if he was up for defending it to keep it. James stated, without hesitation, that he was more than ready to fight for Sophie and their love. However, even James could tell the ghost was extremely rattled and scared of whatever seemed to be hiding behind her.

  “Hey,” Ben said breaking James from his wondering thoughts. “With the dead and the living working together, the asshole won’t get anywhere near her,” Ben assured.

  “I know,” James replied trying to regain his focus. “I’m just concerned that even death is scared,” he said truthfully.

  “It’s unnerving, I’ll give you that,” Ben said honestly. “Nothing has had to deal with us as a team either,” he winked at his friend. James chuckled lightly, although doubt filled his head and heart.

  “I see three possible exits,” Ben started pointing out to get his friend refocused. He wasn’t sure they would all survive, but Ben did know love and family was a power to be reckoned with. That’s what he had to put his faith in front and let science back them up when needed.

  Chapter 6

  S ophie grabbed her bag and exited the train. She had an uneventful rest all the way to Nashville. She hoped that her parents were okay. If having them talk to her signified she had completely lost her mind, then Sophie was okay being crazy if it meant she still had them with her. She tried to shake off the chill that remained under her skin.

  Time was running out, and Sophie needed to make sure she got back in time to meet the others in New Orleans. She pulled back her hood before she exited, showing more of her face while keeping her vibrant red hair hidden.

  The chill nipped at Sophie’s cheeks. A sign that the seasons had definitely changed. Summer was long gone, and the trees were already beautiful oranges, golds, and reds. Something wasn’t right. Sophie could feel a shift, but she couldn’t place where it had taken place.

  Thinking of Tina, she headed downtown to pretend to shop and take in the sights. Sophie knew any team would be far enough away to allow her to take a second to breathe. She also knew better then to savor the moment.

  Like most downtowns, Nashville had promise of busy life and shopping with country music humming in the background as a reminder of what the city was known for. Almost every shop had a large neon sign hanging above it, begging for people to come in. From cowboys to guitars, to everything in between, each sign trying to gain your attention and desire to enter. At night this part of town would be lit up with bright lights and music blaring from within enticing the prey to enter their establishment for a good time.

  Sophie weaved in and out of stores and restaurants giving the illusion she was on a hunt for something specific. This mouse always had to make sure she wasn’t just blindly following the scent of cheese in this cat and mouse game.

  She was sure someone smart enough would have noticed by now that Sophie was only seen when she chose to be seen, but the teams still came with the promise of catching her, blinding their ability to see the whole picture. Like so many of the people who had crossed her path.

  Sophie couldn’t really blame any of them. She inherited her mother’s ability to have laser focus. It took her a few years to widen the picture like her father. Balance. Her mother constantly harped on her about needing to have balance.

  Sophie would gladly take to hearing her mother’s lectures again in person at this moment. She kicked at the pebbles that seemed to find their way onto the sidewalk. Most likely pushed by the street cleaners.

  She quietly hummed the song her father used to sing to her as she weaved in and out of the unknowing crowd. Halloween decorations were up, and costumes hung in the store front windows whispering urgently for the passersby to come in and purchase them. Some people already wore costumes and performed in the streets. Sophie could only imagine the chaos New Orleans would provide. Still, it was great cover for getting out and doing something normal for a change.

  The watch on Sophie’s wrist buzzed reminding her to start working her way to the bus station and using the shadows to her advantage. She quietly slipped into the Hard Rock Café. Aromas of greasy cheeseburgers and fried foods tickled at her nose. Unfortunately, there was no time to sit and eat. Sophie pulled the hood further over her face and headed to the lady’s restroom.

  Taking James’ hoodie off, she placed it back into her bag and pulled out her black hooded jacket. She was going to have to invest in heavier clothes before winter.

  “If you make it that long,” whispered a wicked voice from inside her head.

  Sophie froze and looked around her. She heard a door suddenly slam close, but she couldn’t see what door had been forced shut. All the stalls were empty, and the bathroom door was a swinging door that was unable to be slammed. Sophie looked at her own scared reflection in the mirror.

  “Go, Peanut,” she heard her father’s voice urge her on wearily.

  Sophie quickly fastened the bag, slid it back on her back, and snuck out the bathroom window completely unnoticed.

  A whole day had come and gone, and Sophie was still MIA. James had an uncomfortable feeling stirring in the pit of his stomach. Tina and Ben continued to work on their puzzle pieces, while James was forced to sit and wait. It wasn’t something he did well. The sun was going down quickly, and a chill whipped around the French Quarter reminding everyone that fall had long taken over for summer.

  He knew this would give his mother some peace, but the air definitely felt different, and James wasn’t entirely sure it was the best idea to be so public even with the masks on. One thing he could agree on was the mouth drooling food this town had to offer. Ben had collected a feast of food, guessing Sophie would be famished by the time she arrived. And he was correct.

  Sophie slid into Ben and Tina’s room, with her stomach growling loudly in response to the intoxicating smells that came from the small desk set up in the corner. James knew better than to stop her when hunger hit her this badly. He had stopped pacing the floor and smiled as he watched Sophie drop her bag and head straight for the food waiting for her.

  “Nice to see you too,” laughed Tina, as she prepared a proper plate for her friend instead of Sophie just grabbing everything with her craving fingers.

  “Sorry,” Sophie mumbled with cornbread falling out of her mouth. “It’s been a while.”

  Her friends gave her a few minutes to stuff her face before asking her any questions.

  “So, where did you end up going?” Tina asked.

  “Nashville,” Sophie said in between bites.

  “Why Nashville?” Ben asked with curiosity.

  Sophie giggled, and blushed when she looked at James. “I had a vision of James acting like a cowboy,” she said sheepishly. “I figured it was a sign.” Everyone busted out laughing. “So why are we here?” Sophie asked once her stomach was satisfied, and her friends had stopped rolling around in laughter.

  “The doctors national annual convention is here tomorrow,” James said. “My dad’s giving the keynote and my mother all but demanded a meeting,” James said with concern creeping into his voice.

  “We need to go anyway,” Ben inserted. “There’s some people we need to talk to.”

  “Like who?” Sophie asked intrigued.

  Ben was unable to look Sophie in the eyes, and began shuffling his feet making the whole room uncomfortable. “Sophie,” Ben said in hesitation. “We nee
d to talk.”

  Even Sophie got nervous. “What’s going on?” she asked, looking nervously from face to face.

  James and Tina took their usual spots next to Sophie. Although James wasn’t sure where this was going, he could tell it was important to Ben. He just worried about the “why” behind it being such a struggle to get out.

  Tina broke the silence to help her husband out. “Honey,” she started as she pulled Sophie’s hands into her own. “You know you’re a very special girl, right?” Tina said slowly.

  “I mean, isn’t everyone special?” Sophie replied in complete confusion as to where exactly this would be going.

  “True,” Tina stated in her calming motherly voice. “But you are more special than others.”

  “If you’re talking about all the key junk,” Sophie replied, “that doesn’t make me more special than you. It just means I have an insane psychopath that wants it. That doesn’t exactly make me special. It just means I drew the short straw in life.”

  Ben tried to be more specific. “Have you ever felt like you’re a little more different than everyone else? Like you can hear better, run faster, jump higher, and heal faster. Things like that?” Ben asked trying not to look at James directly.

  “What’s going on Ben?” James interrupted, getting defensive that his friends seemed to know something he didn’t and were purposely dragging it out.

  “Sophie,” Ben hesitated, looking her in the eyes with as much love as he could illuminate. “We think you have been genetically altered,” he finally pushed out.

  “We?” James said looking wildly at his friend.

  “What do you mean?” Sophie looked from Tina to Ben and back to Tina again.

  “Just think about it for a second,” Tina tried again. “You heard the vans before they ever arrived at the house.”