Deadly Visions

by Aubrey Harper

  I got up from the kitchen table. “Maybe it’s better if I do go pack. This conversation doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anyway.”

  “I beg to differ,” Lily said, standing in the doorway now. “It was actually just getting interesting.”

  “How long have you been standing there?” I asked her.

  “Long enough to hear you tripping over your words trying to convince yourself that you don’t have feelings for the guy. What’s the big deal, Callie? It’s been long enough.”

  “How long has it been exactly?” My mother asked Lily.

  Lily started counting on her fingers. I batted her hand away. “This is so inappropriate!”

  “Simmer down, Callie. I’ve raised you better than that, haven’t I? There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Human sexuality is a natural…”

  “Stop right there,” I said, putting my hands over my ears. “I can’t hear you! And now I’m going to pack. And don’t talk about me while I’m gone!”

  I got out of there pretty quick. I could hear Lily and my mom chattering away and giggling. Well, at least someone was having fun at my expense. I sure wasn’t having any. Then I actually stopped and thought about it. How long has it actually been? By the time I was done calculating, it had been much longer than I thought.

  But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, was it? I was too busy for relationships and all their dramas. I had much more important things to occupy my time with. Like following life-or-death visions that literally wouldn’t let me off the hook until I followed them through to the end. And speaking of the end, the awful headaches I usually get were gone. For now, at least. That meant that I had done everything I could have.

  I packed my things with a smile on my face. I was looking forward to nothing more than being back home in my apartment. Sure, I wasn’t really looking forward to being back on the phone again, but at least it beat all of this. I was sick of crime lords and their underlings getting into my business. And not to mention my head. I never wanted to be used like that again.

  When I came back into the kitchen, mother and Lily were still giggling about something or other.

  “C’mon guys, how old are you?” I admonished them.

  “My mother always used to say that you’re never too old to be happy,” mom said.

  “That’s a good one!” Lily said and laughed even louder.

  “Well, while you guys do that, I’ll go load up the car with our stuff.”

  “Can’t that wait until tomorrow?” Mom said. “Besides, you didn’t get the go-ahead from Dax, did you?”

  “No, but I need to do something. I can’t stand here and listen to you guys laughing at my expense.”

  “Callie, we’re not laughing at you, we’re laughing with you,” Lily was quick to say.

  “I’m not laughing at all last time I checked,” I said and left them to ponder that little nugget. The truth was, I wasn’t really that upset about the whole thing, but that didn’t stop me from guilt-tripping them into thinking that I was.

  I opened the trunk of the rental car and loaded my bags into it. I didn’t have much, but at least it was packed. I looked up at the night sky again. “I’m going home,” I told the sky.

  Nothing.

  Nada.

  Zilch.

  Good. That meant that my work here was done.

  I went back inside. While mom and Lily tried to apologize, I ignored them. Let them think a little more about laughing at me again.

  I sat down on the couch and turned on the TV to take my mind off things.

  The blanket Dax was covered by earlier was still there. I instinctively covered myself with it. And as soon as I did, I immediately regretted it.

  Suddenly, I felt nauseous and my head started to throb.

  “Oh hell no…” I said just as a vision started to form in my mind.

  Jordan Puccini came into view. Except this time, he wasn’t the one holding the gun. A gun was pointed right at him.

  Then the gun went off and Jordan fell to the ground, stunned.

  The figure that shot him turned around. My heart was racing. I thought maybe it was Dax and I dreaded the thought. But it wasn’t Dax. It was his partner, Mike.

  Then Dax came into view. His hands were handcuffed in front of him.

  He lifted his hands up. “You don’t have to do this, Mike.”

  “But I do,” Mike said with a smile. “Nothing personal, partner.”

  Then he pulled the trigger.

  The vision faded and I was back on the couch, holding the blanket.

  Mom and Lily were there.

  “What’s wrong?” Mom asked. “We heard you let out a terrible sound. Did you have another vision?”

  “Yes,” I said. “Yes, I did. And Dax’s life is in grave danger.”

  Chapter 22

  “What do you mean they’re gone?” I asked Brad over the phone. I’d called him as soon as the vision was done with me. Well, as soon as I was done being questioned by mom and Lily about the sudden vision.

  “They took Jordan and left. That Mike guy said that they needed to get him out of here as soon as possible, on the count that Delroy might be gunning for him.”

  “Delroy is not the one who’s a danger to either Jordan or Dax now. It’s Mike.”

  “Mike? What are you talking about, sis?”

  I told Brad about my vision.

  “Are you sure that that’s what you saw? Because if that’s right, that would mean that Mike was the leak. That would mean that he’s in Delroy’s pocket…”

  “Exactly. Which is why it’s important for me to know which way they went.”

  “I wasn’t exactly standing there waving goodbye. They just said they were leaving town. But you’re the one who had that vision. Did you recognize where they were?”

  I tried to think back. All I saw were a couple of trees close by and what looked like a lake. Or a very large pond.

  I explained to Brad what I had seen.

  “That sounds an awful lot like Dowager Lake over in Dowager County. We used to go there as kids, remember?”

  “Thanks, Brad. You’ve been a lot of help.”

  “Wait, Callie. Please tell me you aren’t going to do something stupid. Let the police handle this for once.”

  “There’s no time for that. By the time you guys get there, it might be too late. I’m closer than you are. See you there, Brad.”

  I hung up just as Brad started to protest. I knew he was right, but I also knew that Dax’s life was in danger. And not to mention Jordan’s. I wasn’t a fan of the guy, obviously, but I didn’t want him dead. He was still our best shot at bringing Delroy down. He was the inside man.

  “At least take the shotgun with you,” mom said, quickly handing me the thing. It was covered in dust.

  “It doesn’t even work,” I said, trying to give her back the thing.

  “We’re the only ones that know that.” She pushed it back into my hands. “Keep it close, Callie.”

  “I wish I could go with you but…” Lily started to say.

  “You value your life too much?” I offered.

  “Exactly,” Lily said. “Good luck, though. It sounds like you might need it. But are you sure we can’t talk you out of this madness?”

  “No. I’ve gotta hurry. Bye guys!”

  I got out of there before mom could follow me into the car. She had already offered to tag along but I nipped that idea in the bud. The last thing I needed to worry about was keeping my mom safe. She did let me borrow her truck, though. There was no way I was bringing a rental car into a gunfight. It already cost more than enough as it was.

  I drove toward Dowager Lake like a maniac on a mission. I took a backroad, so that I could avoid any murderous FBI agents, but then I noticed a familiar car parked conspicuously out of the way. I parked a little ways away, trying to keep my distance. I carefully approached the car and then breathed a sigh of relief when I saw it was empty. That’s when I realized that they were probably alread
y by the lake.

  An image flashed through my mind. It wasn’t a vision, but the memory of one. Mike shooting Jordan and then turning the gun on Dax. And then that terrible sound as the gun went off a second time.

  Was it happening in real time now? Or was I just imagining things?

  I made a run for it. It was kind of awkward with the shotgun in my hands. But mom was right. It’s not like I’d be all that threatening without it. I’d just be another victim of a rogue FBI agent.

  I heard voices in the distance.

  “Mike, why are you doing this?” I heard Dax’s voice.

  “Money. What else is there, bro?” Mike replied.

  “You don’t have to do this. We can turn in Jordan together and you can turn yourself in as well. I’m sure they’ll give you a nice deal. Who knows, maybe you won’t get life in prison after all.”

  “It’s a little late for that, isn’t it?”

  I approached slowly in the bushes, following the voices. Finally, I found the courage to peek through when it sounded like I was fairly close.

  “Jordan is a problem,” Mike said. “And so are you, Dax. You just had to follow that psychic around like a little puppy, didn’t you? What I can’t figure is, how did she know all that stuff?”

  “She’s a psychic. She’s for real as far as I can tell.”

  “I don’t believe that,” Mike said. “Delroy said the same thing, but that guy is a little more than eccentric, let me tell you that. What about you, Jordan? Has she got you fooled, too?”

  Jordan looked away. “Just shoot me already and be done with it. Listening to you talk is like nails on a chalkboard.”

  “That can be arranged,” Mike said, pointing his gun straight at Jordan’s face.

  “Wait!” Dax said. “We can talk about this.”

  “Didn’t you hear our little friend here, Dax? He’s done with talk, and so am I.”

  Mike turned his gaze on Jordan again. Jordan closed his eyes tight, awaiting the inevitable bullet to make contact with his head.

  “Stop!” I yelled out, coming out of the bushes. I pointed the shotgun straight at Mike. “If you make another move, I’ll blow you away.”

  The only problem was that I was barely holding on to the shotgun. That thing was surprisingly heavy.

  Mike laughed. “Are you sure you know how to use that thing, little girl?”

  Dax stepped in front of me. “You don’t have to do this, Mike. Just let her go and you can have us.”

  “Oh poor, dumb Dexter. The plan was always to get rid of her. Delroy wanted her alive, but I had other plans for her. And here she is, making things so much easier for me. Bringing an empty shotgun to a gunfight is probably the dumbest thing I’ve seen someone do in my life, and that’s saying something.”

  I aimed the shotgun straight at him. “Are you willing to bet on that?”

  Mike did not even flinch as he pointed the gun at Dax and me. I had nothing to lose so I half-heartedly pulled the trigger. To my surprise, the shotgun was loaded. I fell backward on my ass. Dax was at my side in moments.

  Mike looked shocked but otherwise unhurt. I had missed terribly, because both he and Jordan were still standing. Mike was a lot less amused now.

  Dax quickly took the shotgun from my hands and pointed it straight at Mike.

  “Drop it!” Dax yelled.

  “Make me,” Mike said, turning his back on Dax and pointing the gun straight at Jordan.

  Everything after that happened as if in slow motion.

  Brad was there. And so was the sheriff and a few other deputies. There was chaos all around as they dropped both Jordan and Mike to the ground. Thankfully, Jordan was already handcuffed. And now, so was Mike.

  I took the shotgun from Dax. It looked like it was about to drop from his hands anyway.

  “There are keys in his pocket,” he said, pointing down at Mike. Pretty soon, Dax’s hands were free as well.

  “Holding a shotgun while handcuffed? Impressive,” Brad said after he helped take Dax’s shackles off.

  “Well, it was his mistake he didn’t handcuff them behind my back.”

  “You talk, you’re dead! Do you hear me, Puccini? Dead!” Mike was yelling at the other man.

  Jordan shrugged his shoulders. “Not today, tool. Not today,” he said with a smile on his face. When he passed Dax, he added: “I’ll tell you everything.”

  “Is it over?” Dax asked me once they hauled Mike and Jordan away.

  “What is?”

  “The danger. Your vision, I mean, of me getting shot. I’m good now, right?”

  I laughed. “As far as I know. It doesn’t mean you’re invincible, so I’d still be careful. But you won’t be getting shot by a lake today, as far as I know.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  “So what’s next?”

  “I gotta go back to headquarters and get Jordan to talk. After that, I guess another case. What about you?”

  “I’m going back home with Lily. Hopefully, I can resume my normal life.”

  Dax looked uncertain. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, as annoying as it was sometimes, and the whole being kidnapped thing notwithstanding, you did pretty good. You’re gifted, that’s for sure. Are you certain that being a phone psychic is the best use of your gifts?”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Maybe you could try doing this full-time? Helping the police, I mean. If it wasn’t for you, there might be a lot more dead witnesses. And not to mention, I could be dead as well.”

  “I don’t know. I guess I’ll think about it. But it would involve a lot of travel, and I’m not so sure I’d be all fond of that, you know.”

  Dax smiled. “My job is all about travel, from one state to another. It’s not so bad. You get used to it. Sure, your love life might suffer, but it’s all worth it in the end, isn’t it? If it means getting guys like Jordan and Delroy off the streets?”

  “Don’t forget Mike.”

  “I can’t believe I didn’t suspect anything. We’ve been partners for years, and I never even suspected he was dirty.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up. Money is a powerful motivator for some people. Who knows, maybe he wasn’t dirty that whole time?”

  “Yeah, maybe,” Dax said, looking thoughtful. “Anyway, just think about it, okay? We have so many open cases, it wouldn’t hurt to get some psychic insights, you know?”

  I nodded. “I’ll think about it, Agent Moore.”

  “Please call me Dax, Ms. Ranger.”

  “Then you can call me Callie,” I said.

  He smiled. “See you around, Callie.”

  “See you around, Dax.”

  Chapter 23

  Everything was packed and in the car. Lily was talking to Brad while I was trying to reassure mom that I was going to call often and visit regularly.

  “I’ll hold you to that,” she said, messing up my hair. “And you know, if you ever think about actually opening up that psychic business of yours, Picking Hill would be a good place as any to set up shop…”

  “I wouldn’t hold my breath. I love living in the city. Going back to a small town would be kind of like going backward, wouldn’t it?”

  “Callie, for shame! What’s so backward about fresh air and local produce?”

  “Well, when you say it like that…”

  “That’s right. But I won’t badger you anymore. Have a safe trip and text or call as soon as you arrive, alright?”

  “I promise.”

  “Come on, Lily,” I called to her. “We should go now if we want to catch our train.”

  Both Lily and Brad looked annoyed, but they joined us. We said our goodbyes.

  “Don’t be a stranger, Callie Ranger,” Brad said and laughed.

  Lily laughed too, a bit more than I thought was necessary.

  “How long have you been saving that one up for?” I asked him.

  “Ever since you ar
rived,” he said.

  “Well, as I said to mom, I won’t be a stranger. But I do have a life of my own in the city. You guys should be used to that by now.”

  “Don’t forget that this will always be your home,” mom said.

  “I won’t,” I reassured her.

  Pretty soon we were on the road. And then on the train. And then finally we were back in our apartment.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m famished,” Lily said as soon as we closed the door behind us. “I’m ordering take-out. What are you in the mood for? Chinese? Greek? Indian?”

  “Greek sounds good,” I said, crashing on the couch.

  Lily crashed right next to me after she was done with the order.

  “So, ready to get back to work?” She asked me.

  “Don’t even remind me. I’ve been dodging my boss’s calls the whole day.”

  “Hmm,” Lily said.

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” she was quick to say.

  “Oh please, Lily. As if you can keep your mouth shut for long. Just tell me what you have on your mind. It certainly hasn’t stopped anyone else.”

  “Well, I see how miserable you are when you have to take another psychic call. And I got to see firsthand how much you love following your visions.”

  “Really? Are you sure you were there when all of that went down? Because I remember complaining pretty often about all kinds of things.”

  Lily laughed. “I didn’t say you were jumping off the roof happy, but you felt like you accomplished something in the end, didn’t you? At least that’s how I felt. I felt honored just to be on the sidelines. If I were you, I’d be ecstatic that I helped bring down a man like Delroy.”

  “You have a point,” I admitted. “It did feel good to use my gift for something worthwhile again. I just don’t know if I want to make it my full-time gig. I mean, what if the visions stop coming? What would I do then?”

  “Do you really think that will happen?”

  “No, though sometimes I wish it would. I’ve never been normal. And I know it’s a cliché, but sometimes I wish I could be. Even if it is just for a week or two.”

  “Normal is overrated. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about. I’ve been relatively normal my whole life, and it ain’t all it’s cracked up to be, all right?”