Private North

by Tess Oliver

  I walked back to the office and turned on the light. As always, I was met with the slight odor of mildew and dust that lingered on the ancient artifacts. I headed over to the bookshelves. Osiris still faced the computer, and I wondered, now, if I’d just imagined the change in position. I stooped down to the file cabinet and pulled out the drawer. The shower stopped. We would soon be on our way back to the hospital.

  Just as the professor had said, the folder was in the front of the cabinet clearly marked health insurance. It almost seemed prophetic that the folder would be at the front since the remaining folders were in alphabetical order.

  As I stood, a large cold hand went roughly over my mouth. The contents of the folder fluttered to the floor as my arm was wrenched painfully behind my back. I was terrified and all I could think was how pissed my mom was going to be at me for getting killed instead of flying to France.

  “Thought you’d be alone. I won’t hurt you if you cooperate.” The deep, horrifying voice sent a shiver up my spine, and my heart pounded against my chest. The taste of his hand on my mouth sent a wave of nausea through me. My attacker’s hands gripped me painfully as he dragged me awkwardly backwards out of the corner and then shoved me roughly toward the bookshelf.

  “Show me to the secret compartment,” he growled.

  In my state of terror, I didn’t comprehend what he was asking. He pushed my arm higher. “Hurry.”

  Then I remembered the arm band, the priceless arm band. My free hand shook as I pointed toward the statue. He nearly lifted my feet from the ground as he shoved me closer to it. I moved the statue and searched around blindly for something, a switch, a lever, a button, something that would open the chamber. My eyes watered with pain as my thumb finally brushed over a small switch in a small notch on the otherwise smooth shelf. I flicked it and the motor rumbled as the door opened. The professor would never forgive me, but I had no choice.

  I reached in for the box just as my attacker grunted and released my mouth and arm. I heard the awful sound of a bone breaking and willed myself to turn around. Dalton had the man by the throat. My attacker’s face was covered with a black ski mask but blood poured from the nose hole. His arms flailed wildly as Dalton raised his fist and plowed it into the guy’s face again.

  Dalton released him, and the man dropped to the floor in a heap. He was dressed head to toe in black. Dalton reached down and yanked off his mask. The man was out cold and his nose was slightly off center along with his jaw.

  “Call the police from the phone on the desk,” Dalton said. “I don’t want you to wander to any of the other rooms. We don’t know if he was alone.”

  The guy groaned and his arm reached up to his nose. Dalton grabbed him roughly by the shirt and hit him again. The man’s head bounced off the floor. Dalton stretched open his fingers and rubbed his knuckles. “I’ll watch that he doesn’t come to.”

  All of my limbs trembled as I raced to the phone and picked it up. The front door opened and shut and I held my breath in horror. Dalton kicked the guy’s head with his army boot a few times to make sure he was out. He lifted his finger to his mouth for me to be quiet and then he searched around the room and picked up a small marble statue. He stayed close to the wall as he stepped out into the hallway.

  “Dalton!” Professor North’s voice shot down the empty hallway, and my shoulders relaxed.

  “Dad, what the hell? Is Ethan all right?”

  “He’s stable. They’re waiting for the surgeon. I was worried so I headed home. What has happened?

  “Come into the office and see for yourself,” Dalton said.

  “Police,” the sudden voice made me jump.

  “Yes, I’d like to report a break in at 435 Evergreen Lane. We have the suspect. You might want a send an ambulance too.” I glanced up as Dalton walked around the corner. His dad followed with an expression that could only be described as complete and utter disappointment. I’d been explaining away his strange behavior all day, but this reaction was the most bizarre of all.

  Professor North stared down at the man on the floor and then like a man moving through thick tar he turned slowly to me. “You weren’t hurt, were you?”

  “No, I’m fine. Just waiting for my heart rate to slow down.” I looked over at Dalton. “I’m just glad Dalton came with me. The thief was after the arm band.”

  Professor North walked over to the secret compartment and shut the door, not with an expression of relief that his priceless artifact had been saved, but rather with the same ill-timed look of disappointment.

  “The police are on their way,” I said. “It seems we may have unraveled the mystery surrounding the shooter. Obviously, they were trying to get to the arm band.”

  The man on the floor moved and writhed in pain. Dalton was about to grab him when his dad placed a restraining arm on his shoulder. Dalton’s mouth dropped open in disbelief.

  “Dalton, look at him. He’s no threat to us now.”

  “Then you stand watch over him.”

  “I will. Why don’t you two go out on the porch and wait for the police.”

  “Dad—”

  “I’ll be fine.” Professor North reached for the small statue. “I’m armed.”

  Dalton shook his head. “The second he comes to, crack him over the head.” He walked over and took my hand.

  Flashing red lights flew up the road toward the house as we stepped onto the porch. “What a day, huh?” Dalton asked with the same amount of disbelief that I felt.

  Then, like a massive bolt of lightning, the culmination of the day’s events hit me in one solid strike and my knees collapsed.

  “Auggie.” Dalton’s strong arms wrapped around me before I could slip to the ground. Just being in his embrace and breathing in the scent of him revived me, and I clutched his shirt tightly and pressed my face against him.

  “I’m sorry,” I sobbed, “it sort of all just hit me at once. And that guy had his hand around my mouth,” I cried harder and his arms tightened.

  “Are you kidding with the sorry, Auggie? You knelt over my brother in his pool of blood and held your hand against a bullet wound. You just survived an assault and robbery.” He kissed my forehead. “Hell, I thought I was going to pass out cold when I saw my brother lying there in the snow.” He hugged me tighter. “I knew you were different and fucking incredible the first time I laid eyes on you.”

  I wiped my nose with the back of my hand and peered up at him. “You mean after I ran you off the road with my car?”

  “Well, maybe a little after that.” He lifted my chin and kissed me lightly on the mouth as the red lights reached the driveway. Three police cars flew at top speed toward the house and a giant beam of light spotlighted us on the porch.

  “Show us your hands,” an officer commanded through the darkness.

  “And the fun continues,” I sniffled.

  Dalton released me, and we both put up our hands.

  “The perpetrator is inside. My father is standing watch over him,” Dalton called down to them.

  Dalton led them into the office, but I’d had enough. I couldn’t stand the thought of stepping into that office or seeing the man on the floor again.

  “Dad!” It was not what I’d expected to hear as they entered the room, but once again, my heart nearly leapt from my chest.

  Five policemen crowded into the office and several more began looking around at doors and other entry points.

  I forced myself into the office to see what was wrong.

  Professor North sat in a chair with two of the officers attending to him. There was a gash in his forehead and he looked completely dazed. My attacker was nowhere in sight.

  Three of the officers pushed past me and ran out the side door of the house with their guns drawn.

  I felt the blood drain from my head and I grabbed
hold of the doorway to catch myself. Dalton raced over and put his arm around me. “I should have stayed with him. He grabbed the statue and hit Dad and then took off out the side door.”

  I glanced at the book shelf. The secret door was open and the black box was sitting on the shelf, turned on its side and empty. Professor North looked miserable and confused. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the priceless artifact was gone.

  The next minutes were chaos as several officers searched the house and the rest searched the property. It seemed the man had vanished as if he’d had wings on his shoes.

  Dalton and I gave a detailed description of the man and all that had transpired, but we needed to get his dad to the hospital for some stitches. Ethan would be heading into surgery and they needed to be there.

  Dalton took hold of my hand. “How are you holding up, Auggie?”

  I shrugged weakly. “And to think I could have spent the holiday in France.”

  “I guess you’ll rethink my dad’s next invite to the house.”

  I took hold of the edges of his jacket and tried to pull him toward me, but physics weren’t on my side and I flew toward him instead. “You’re like a paperweight,” I laughed feeling almost giddy with the craziness of the day’s events.

  His arm curled behind my back and he kissed me. “Solid as a rock sounds cooler than paperweight.”

  I reached up and ran my fingers lightly down his cheek. “If I hadn’t accepted your dad’s invitation, I would have never met Private North, and, frankly, he’s been the best holiday fun I’ve had in a long while.”

  He kissed me again. “I’m going to drive my dad in his car. Follow us in yours. One of the police cars is going to lead us there with lights so we can get back faster. I don’t think Dad’s head wound is as bad as it looks, but he needs to be looked at.”

  I glanced over at the professor. He was sitting in the passenger seat of his car with a cloth pressed against his forehead. An officer was crouched down at the car taking down some more notes.

  “Does he know that the arm band is gone?” I asked.

  Dalton nodded. “Surprisingly, he wasn’t all that upset. I think too much has happened to worry about it. Officer Finch said whoever the guy was he was an expert. Got away for now but they’re putting out road blocks.”

  “Whoever it was, he seemed to know that the artifact was hidden in the bookshelf.”

  Dalton looked at me. “Really? That’s strange.”

  “And I think there was something else the guy said that seemed really weird.” I tapped my chin but it didn’t help revive my memory. “I can’t remember it right now, but it’ll come to me.”

  “With the day you’ve had today, I’m surprised you can even remember your name.”

  He dropped his arm over my shoulder and walked me to my car. “Lock it,” he said, “apparently, there are all kinds of weirdoes running around these parts.”

  Chapter 18

  For an astounding second time that day, we found ourselves hurrying into the emergency room with a victim.

  They rushed Professor North in to be examined and get stitched up. Dalton and I waited to hear about Ethan.

  “How was your dad in the car? What a day he’s had.”

  “He was pretty out of it, and he was very anxious to get back here to Ethan.” Dalton paused and it was obvious that there was something on his mind. “Which of course brings me to the question— why the hell did he come home in the first place? He walked right into the thick of it and made things worse by being there.”

  “That thought crossed my mind too.”

  Dalton sighed, leaned his head back against the chair and closed his eyes. “I just realized that I am fucking hungry.”

  “Thank God. I was hoping someone would bring up food. I didn’t want to seem callous worrying about my empty stomach with your dad being stitched up and Ethan in surgery.”

  “Hell, I’m about ready to fall over.”

  “We can just let the nurses know that we’ll be in the cafeteria if they need you. Or do you want to rest your leg? I could bring something up here.”

  “Sitting here in this desolate waiting room with the odd smelling chairs sounds much worse than walking on my sore leg.” He pushed to his feet. “And then in the shitty mess of it all, I lose my temper and break my walking stick against a tree.”

  I took his arm and we walked out of the waiting room. “Maybe it’s time to start a new wood carving project.” I suggested.

  “Yeah, maybe.” He smiled at me. “How about a carving of a naked girl? Just need a model.”

  “You are not walking around with a nude wood carving of me on the end of your walking stick.” I leaned over the nurse’s station. “We’ll be in the cafeteria in case we’re needed.”

  “All right,” the nurse said with a sweet smile and her gaze riveted to Dalton even though I was the one who’d spoken.

  We walked into the nearly deserted cafeteria and picked up the only two sandwiches that looked as if they hadn’t been sitting on the shelf for a month. “It always seems to me that when you’re in a hospital, which is a major part of the word hospitality, then delicious food should be served. Especially if you’re in here waiting anxiously to hear about a loved one. It would be nice to have a good, comforting meal at times like that,” I said.

  We sat down at a quiet table next to the wall. “Have you ever sat in a hospital waiting to hear about someone who was really sick?”

  I stared down at my sandwich. “No, I haven’t.”

  “Shit, Auggie, you don’t have to be ashamed about it. Be glad. It sucks.”

  I lifted my gaze and looked at him. He was still incredibly young yet he’d already experienced terrible losses. I swallowed to ease the lump in my throat and without warning homesickness filled the empty hollow in my stomach. It was the first holiday I’d ever spent without my parents.

  Dalton devoured his turkey sandwich. “I must be starved. This tastes awful and yet I can’t stop.” He looked across the table at my sandwich. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

  I took out half and slid the other half across the table to him. He finished it before I’d taken my third bite. “Do you want me to get you another one?” I asked.

  He shook his head and leaned back against the seat. “I feel like I ran a marathon today. And I’m not just talking about the pain in my leg.”

  “I know what you mean. I’m drained.”

  He watched me eat the rest of my sandwich. “Auggie, I’m sorry I freaked out in the bathroom. Just something about the whole day and seeing myself covered in blood made me—”

  I dropped the crust onto the empty plate. “That was not a freak out, Dalton. That was a— why does all this crappy stuff happen moment. I’m done eating. We should get back.”

  ***

  Ethan’s surgery had been a success and the doctors were “highly optimistic” for a full recovery. Conveniently, the professor’s injury allowed him to stay overnight in the hospital to recuperate from the trauma of the day. He’d hardly said a word the rest of the night.

  Dalton drove my car and we headed back to the house. The police had not caught the man yet, so they’d positioned a car out in front of the house to keep watch.

  Dalton walked over to the police car. “Want any coffee?” he asked through the window.

  The officer lifted a large cup to show him he’d come with his own supply.

  Nearly numb with exhaustion, we shuffled inside like two people who’d been working out on the farm all day. “Still hungry,” Dalton muttered as we removed our coats.

  I followed behind him to the kitchen. “I think my stomach passed the hunger stage hours ago.”

  Dalton opened the refrigerator and stared into it. I hopped up on my tiptoes and put my chin on his shoulder to have a lo
ok inside too.

  “Dad was kind of shirking his cooking duties these last few days. It looks pretty barren.” He pulled out a block of cheese. “I guess it’s cheese sandwiches or nothing.”

  “Nothing is no longer an option,” I pressed my arm against my stomach. “My stomach lining is eating itself in desperation.” I went to the bread box and pulled out the loaf of bread. We sliced the cheese, stuck it between slices of dry bread and ate the sandwiches as if we were feasting on prime rib and mashed potatoes.

  Dalton stared out the kitchen window toward the rear of their property. A half moon reflected off the blanket of white. “What a strange day.”

  “Definitely not like any day I’ve ever experienced, and one I would rather not repeat.” I rinsed off the plates in the sink. “At least Ethan and your dad are all right. That’s all that matters.” I turned off the water, but before I could turn around Dalton’s arms wrapped around me I pressed my back against his chest for a second and then turned around and lowered my head to his chest. “I keep thinking about that creepy guy holding his hand over my mouth.” A shudder ran through me, and Dalton’s protective arms tightened more. “I don’t want to sleep alone tonight.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. I have no intention of letting you out of my sight for a second.”

  I smiled up at him.

  “But you have to wear those sexy flannel pajamas . . . so I can have the pleasure of taking them off.”

  “Wait a minute,” I said.

  “I assure you it will take me less than a minute to take them—”

  I pressed my hand against his chest. “No, not that. I just remembered the other thing the guy said— ‘thought you’d be alone’.”

  “What?”

  “That’s what he said— ‘thought you’d be alone’.”