by J. E. Taylor
“Are you ready?” Jessica asked, looking between the two men.
Steve nodded and headed out the front door while Jessica led Chris to the car.
Steve blared the radio as he drove from York to Concord on Route 4. He glanced in the rearview mirror from time to time to make sure Chris and Jessica were still behind him.
Shock filled his skin like a jolt of electricity. She was riding inches behind his car, close enough that if he tapped his brakes, she would be in his back seat and he didn’t opt for the insurance on the rental car. He pushed down on the gas, widening the gap.
It’s about damn time. Jessica’s thought resounded in his head and his lips twitched into his trademark smirk. Ah, that’s right. You’re a speed demon.
A quick glance in the rearview mirror begged a laugh. He grinned at Chris’s pale face in the passenger seat and Jessica’s intense gaze willing him to go faster.
Steve pressed the pedal to the floor and scaled back when he hit ninety, she was still riding his tail, her eyes focused on the rear window of the rental car.
Chris’s voice invaded his mind. Slow down. I may be blind but I sure as hell can feel excessive speed.
What normally was a forty-five minute ride shortened to a little less than a half hour and they pulled into the rental agency with twenty minutes to spare. Steve settled his bill and grabbed his backpack and laptop. He settled in the backseat of their car and met Jessica’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “You are just as crazy as I am.”
“Don’t encourage her,” Chris grumbled from the front seat.
When Jessica pulled out of the parking lot, Steve observed the death grip Chris had on the passenger seat door and smiled. It matched the grip he had on his door. “Seems you’re not comfortable being a passenger either.”
Chris laughed in response.
“He really hates my driving,” Jessica said, waving a hand in Chris’s direction. “You’d think after five years of chauffeuring him around, he would have gained some level of appreciation.”
“I had no choice. You wouldn’t let me hire a driver,” Chris shot back.
“Ungrateful bastard,” Jessica mumbled.
Steve burst out laughing. Watching the dynamics between the two of them reminded him of Jennifer shortly after they were married. The light in Jessica’s eyes every time she looked at Chris was enough to make Steve look away. He missed the same gaze from Jennifer. That light filled his soul with need.
“You love me, anyway,” Chris said and patted her leg.
“Yes, I do,” she said with a sigh. “Ty,” she added in a whisper, glancing sideways at him.
Chris’s reaction to his spoken name was visible even to Steve in the back seat. The way he looked in her direction was enough to ignite the upholstery in the car.
Jessica’s lips formed a brief smile. “Smoldering.”
“Um, hello, there is someone else in the car,” Steve reminded them.
Chris took a deep breath. “You shouldn’t do that to me,” he said under his breath. He leaned his head back on the headrest, closing his eyes.
“Head north on 93,” Steve said and watched the scenery pass. “Brooksfield’s southeast of Mount Washington. Take Exit 32 onto 112 East toward Conway.”
“The Kancamagus Highway?” Jessica asked, looking into the rearview mirror.
Steve nodded. “From there you take exit sixteen into Brooksfield.”
“Got it,” Jessica said. She flipped on the radio and out came Nickleback’s Far Away.
Steve sang the words he knew so well, words Jennifer begged him to sing any time the song came on. Words she said she wanted to hear every day of her life. He closed his eyes, willing the tightness in his throat to go away and the emptiness in the center of his chest to disappear.
“You have a lovely voice,” Jessica said.
“That’s Jenny’s favorite song,” Steve said after the song ended.
Jessica glanced back, meeting his gaze for a moment then concentrating back on the road.
She pulled off the exit forty-five minutes later. “Which way?”
“Right.” Steve answered. “It isn’t that far so keep the speed in check,” he said and Chris guffawed.
Jessica smacked his chest with the back of her hand and followed Steve’s direction.
“See that dirt road on the right up there?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the driveway,” he said and leaned back. He hadn’t stepped inside the cottage since the explosion and he shifted in the seat.
“You’ll be all right,” Chris croaked and cleared his throat.
Steve didn’t hear him, he was too busy squashing the shakes that began when they rounded the last corner and the cabin came into view.
“Got to face your demons some time,” Chris said as the car stopped.
“Easy for you to say,” Steve scoffed and swung the door open. The lawn was in need of care and he glanced towards the woods, torn between heading to Paradise Cove and going in the cabin to be inundated with memories. He opted for the cove to get his nerves under control and headed around the corner.
Chapter 27
“Where’d he go?” Chris asked and felt his way around the front of the car.
“The woods,” Jessica answered. “Come on.” She took Chris’s arm.
Chris’s feet shuffled through tangles of grass that tickled his ankles, telling him the lawn hadn’t been cut since long before the summer ended and snow flew. The terrain changed from the soft lawn to a hard packed path surrounded by sharp sticks that dug into his shins. The scent of wet leaves drifted around him and he tripped on a branch, catching himself before he fell. “You suck as a guide,” he mumbled.
“Be nice,” Jessica replied.
He swatted her ass. “I’m always nice.”
“Wow,” her soft awed voice filled the silence.
Chris stepped out of her grasp and the darkness before him shifted. Steve’s aura glowed enough for him to see a form in the center. He blinked and took another step onto the lush green moss before him. Green, Jesus, I see green.
A thrill like nothing he’d ever felt filled his core, tingling his skin and settling in his eye sockets. His vision righted and he blinked again, gasping and seeing the vibrant colors of Paradise Cove. He removed his glasses and turned, taking his wife in for the first time in five years. “I can see,” he whispered. “Jess, I can see,” he repeated, mystified at the development.
Steve shot a glance in Jessica’s direction. “You fixed his eyes?”
“Not that I know of,” she said.
“You can see?” Steve asked.
Chris nodded without moving his gaze away from his wife. She was even more beautiful than he remembered, beautiful enough for him to forget to breathe. His gaze locked with hers and her cheeks bloomed pink, bringing a smile to his lips.
“I guess your wife can make miracles happen,” Steve muttered and crossed to the path, with one last look at the water, he turned and headed back toward the cottage, leaving them standing on the moss in the center of the cove.
Chris lifted his hands to her face, tracing her lips with his fingers. “I can see,” he repeated and pulled her close, crushing her lips under his. He pulled away smiling, turning and surveying the lush tropical beauty, an anomaly in New Hampshire, more like a Mediterranean or Caribbean paradise.
“This place is beautiful.” Deep green moss surrounded by spring wild flowers in a wealth of colors lined the mirrored surface of the water, the colorful spectrum edging the reflection of the afternoon sky, matching his eyes. “Jesus, Jess. I can see,” he marveled. “Did you do something?”
Jessica shook her head. “You know damned well I’ve tried several times before and it never worked.”
“Then, it’s this place.” He pointed at the ground. Looking at the path to the house, his smile faded, his joy replaced by apprehension. He didn’t want to step off the moss and fall back into the world of darkness.
“You won’t lose you
r sight again,” the familiar voice rang through the Cove.
Chris and Jessica spun in the direction of the water.
Eric smiled back at them and looked around. “This cove is mystical. It’s been in Steve’s family for generations, dating back before the seventeen hundreds,” he said. He looked back at his parents and glided across the surface of the water, stepping onto the soft moss.
Jessica broke Chris’s grip and ran to the ghost of her son, throwing her arms around the apparition. “My baby,” she cried.
Eric rolled his eyes at Chris, prompting a smile in return. “Mom, let go.” He peeled her off and pushed her back a fraction. “I don’t have a lot of time and I need to talk to Chris.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m fine. I’m with Em and Tom. Go check on Steve for me.” He pointed toward the house and she nodded, trading a glance with Chris before heading down the wooded path.
Eric focused on Chris. “You can’t let Steve do what he wants to do.”
Chris’s eyebrows arched. “Why not?”
Eric returned Chris’s intense stare. “Because Steve is your answer. He’s the one who can save you.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You can redeem yourself by saving Steve.”
Chris’s jaw dropped. “I made a deal with the devil, Eric.”
Eric smiled. “You’ve cheated him so far.”
Chris glanced at the path, the possibility of circumventing hell was tempting, but he knew nothing was free, nothing came without a price and a chill ran up his arms, raising goose bumps all over his body. “What will it cost me?” he asked, returning his gaze to Eric.
“Nothing.” Eric’s smile faded. “Your time’s up, Ty. Whether you do this or not, your time is up.”
“My time?”
“Yes, your time, and there is quite an uproar about who’s going to get your soul.”
Chris stepped back and his eyes went wide. “Why?”
Eric smiled and winked. “Seems you’re pretty important to both heaven and hell.”
Chris couldn’t help the laughter that rang through the cove. “Heaven? You mean God? He wants me even with all I’ve done?”
“God needs you. Without your intervention, Steve will kill in cold blood and that just can’t happen. You think it was a fluke that he and Jennifer were able to kill that beast?”
Chris stood speechless, his voice on lockdown. He looked toward the house and then back at Eric. “Why is Steve so special?”
“Because you’re not going to be around to keep CJ in line and if Steve commits murder, he won’t be either. You have to save him. Don’t let him kill anyone in cold blood,” Eric said and began to fade.
“What does Steve have to do with CJ?”
“Everything. He’s the one who will keep CJ from reigning terror everywhere he goes. Steve will keep CJ honest.” Eric’s form was opaque now. “Keep Steve from killing Kyle. That’s all you have to do.”
“That’s a tall order,” Chris said and Eric became a wisp of fog, disappearing before his eyes.
CJ.
This is about my son?
My son who harbors the power to destroy the Earth.
The tendrils of fate tickled his spine and Chris shivered. He took a deep breath, burying the conversation deep within his mind, shutting and locking the door in his subconscious.
Chris stepped off the moss onto the winding path, finding his way back to the cottage. When he stepped onto the lawn, Steve glanced in his direction from his vantage point in front of the picture window.
* * * *
Steve stood in the middle of the lawn with his hands in his pockets returning his gaze to the cottage. Dread crushed down on his chest, bringing with it an emptiness he couldn’t erase. The last time he was inside his home, he was holding Jennifer’s unconscious body and both of them were covered with their daughter’s blood.
The sound of the explosion echoed in his ears and he shifted his weight, glancing back toward Chris. The man’s childish expression of awe, jaw hanging askew and eyes darting everywhere—like a kid in the Toy’s R Us in Times Square—was enough to thaw the trepidation.
“I can see why you love this place,” Chris said, taking the spot next to Steve with his back to the cottage. “Your view is almost as beautiful as our place on Lake Wentworth.”
Steve glanced sideways and grunted. Beautiful? Maybe, but not with the memories haunting me. “I need my computer.” He looked back at the cottage.
“It’s only a house. It’s not going to bite you.”
His words felt like salt poured in a wound and Steve flinched. “You’re a real prick.”
“Yeah, well, birds of a feather...” Chris said.
Steve chuckled and glanced at his guest. “You don’t need to stay.” He looked over his shoulder at Jessica. “I imagine you’re tired.” He scanned the property and looked back at the cottage. “I’ve got some yard work to do.”
“Anything not to set foot inside.” Chris looked up at the sky. “I never would have taken you for a wimp.”
Anger surged like a newly tapped well and Steve swung.
Chris parried, blocking the punch and he yanked Steve closer, taking him to the ground in one smooth move with agility and speed that knocked the wind out of Steve. He stood and stepped back with a grin, his bright eyes sparkling with mischief. “Come on, I haven’t had a good sparring match in five years.” Chris slid his shoes off and stripped his jacket, tossing it to Jessica.
Steve climbed to his feet and peeled his suit jacket off, dropping it to the ground. Next came his tie and shoes and he centered himself, reining in the aggravation, harnessing it in preparation. The thought of besting Chris Ryan appealed to his psyche. He faced Chris, bowing and taking form. “You think you can take me, old man?”
Chris returned the bow with a smile. “I’ve got a degree on you, son,” he taunted, raising an eyebrow in a silent challenge. “I used to teach, too.”
“Yeah, I saw,” Steve said and executed a spin kick.
Chris maneuvered out of the way and swept Steve’s feet out from under him, knocking Steve on his back. The thud blew the air out of his lungs and his frustration mounted. He hopped to his feet in time to see Chris trade a glance with Jessica. Capitalizing on the opportunity, he knocked Chris on his ass.
“You should never take your eye off your opponent,” Steve smiled down at him. He glanced over at Jessica and the sudden swish of air filled his head, and he stared up at the blue sky from the ground. “Shit!”
“You need to follow your own advice,” Chris hopped to his feet. He stepped back, watching Steve pull himself to his feet.
Chris was far better than Eric was. Hell, he was better than any of his sparring partners throughout the years and he brushed himself off, trying to squash the seeds of admiration. “I really should throw your ass in jail,” Steve said, his eyes never leaving Chris’s.
Chris laughed. “You have to catch me first.” His eyes twinkled with humor and he hadn’t even broken a sweat.
Steve went on the offensive, throwing every conceivable combination Chris’s way and the man countered every move until Steve stepped back, out of breath and unable to control the bloom of respect. “You’re good,” he admitted aloud.
Chris chuckled, not in the least bit out of breath from the physical exertion. “I’m superb.”
“Let’s see what you’ve got.” Steve took a defensive posture and waited.
Chris went after Steve, tagging him a few times, each one smarting like the end of a bullwhip, but for the most part, Steve defended against a majority of Chris’s maneuvers.
Chris stepped back and bowed. “You’re forms are a little rusty, but overall, not bad.”
Steve leaned over propping his hands on his knees as he fought to catch his breath. His muscles protested, gathering in tight knots under the strain. Describing Chris’s karate skill as superb was an understatement.
“You should be in better shape than that,” Chris sai
d, his breath less labored than Steve’s.
“You can kiss my ass,” Steve said and straightened.
Chris smiled.
“I’ve been in rehab for nine months.”
“Excuses, excuses.” Chris made the motion of a violin, further infuriating him.
“Stop aggravating the boy,” Jessica intervened, handing Chris his suit jacket.
“You’re a piece of work,” Steve said.
Chris huffed and glanced around before bringing his gaze back to Steve. “Thanks for the eye sight,” he said. “It’s been a while.” He offered a shy crooked smile of gratitude.
“That wasn’t my doing.”
Chris shrugged. “You allowed us to bring you here.”
“Your wife insisted.”
“Will you just accept my gratitude without being such a dick?”
Steve laughed.
“You’re just as much of a pain in the ass as Eric could be when he wanted.” Chris put his arm around Jessica and led her in the direction of the cars. “I’m driving home.”
“Thank you,” Steve said.
Chris stopped, plucking the keys out of Jessica’s hand and turning toward Steve. “I’ve got just as many resources as the FBI and I’m a computer genius to boot. If you want to catch the son of a bitch, let me know.”
Steve tilted his head and the history he dug up on Ty Aris came barreling back. The man was a member of Mensa. He could certainly use someone like that on his team right about now. “A computer genius?”
Chris nodded. “How do you think I made all those people disappear?”
The admission caught Steve off guard and his jaw dropped, he snapped it closed after the pass of a heartbeat but from the amused expression on Chris’s face, it wasn’t fast enough.
“There isn’t a system I can’t hack into,” Chris bragged.
“Financial databases?”
“Yep.” Chris tossed the keys up in the air and caught them. “Call me,” he said and turned toward the driver’s side door.