“Thank you. I feel official.” I settled into my seat and pushed the computer power button. It groaned and whirled as it came to life. Kym slid in between Ida and me.
“What are you up to?” I whispered.
“I’m joining Predator Patrol,” she stated.
“How come I think you’re lying?”
“Because you’re a pessimist. You’re always looking at the dark side.”
“Or because I know you wouldn’t volunteer for anything unless you have an ulterior motive.”
Kym ruffled. “That hurts! I’m here to help. That’s all.”
“That’s right, honey. You’re here to help.” Ida gave her an exaggerated wink.
I stared at Ida and the ladies surrounding the table. They looked like innocent baby cherubs, but even cherubs are mischievous and have pointy arrows.
I navigated to the website I’d been hanging out in. Cybernaut wasn’t online, but there were plenty of kids playing games. I hopped in on a game that involved dressing a character in various outfits and costumes. The one who could dress their character the quickest and solve the most riddles wins.
I was never good at riddles. Riddles were meant for those who were witty and quick. I was neither. I am great at pondering and planning.
Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly?
Why would a dictionary have a misspelled word? Dictionaries are supposed to help a person spell correctly. Dang kid riddles. I’m already stuck on the first one and all the other kids have their character half dressed.
Not good at riddles either, huh?
Ah, Cybernaut’s back.
No, I don’t think I’m good at any of these games.
Want 2 know the answer?
I grudgingly typed yes.
The answer is incorrectly.
I thought about it. Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly? Oh, duh! Incorrectly would be spelled as such.
I feel stupid.
LMAO. Want to hear another one?
Sure.
Why was the belt arrested?
Umm . . . I think I need a brain replacement. This shouldn’t be this difficult.
I don’t know. Why?
For holding up the pants.
That’s lame.
So r u :-P
Oh, I’ve descended into the world of smile faces.
It was bothering me not to know this kids name. I know I'm undercover and I’m not supposed to get involved. But a name wouldn’t hurt, would it? It might humanize the experience.
What’s ur name?
I’ll tell u if u can solve the next riddle.
Fair. Go for it.
Why did the woman wear a helmet to the dinner table?
Geesh. I was batting a big fat zero! This called for reinforcements.
“Ladies, why did the woman wear a helmet to the dinner table?” I asked.
They puzzled briefly until Mrs. Janowski broke the silence. “Because of her crash diet.”
“How in the world did you figure it out?”
“I have a secret system.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ll tell you when you’re ready to handle the secret.”
My brow rose quizzically.
U there?
Yes. Because of her crash diet.
Someone told u the answer.
Maybe. I answered it correctly, didn’t I?
Yes. I’m Aaron. What’s ur name?
I scanned my fake profile for my name. Hanna Timpakawaj?
“Who thought of this name?”
“We flipped through the phone book with our eyes closed and picked out a first name and last name,” Sylvia said. “Be thankful. Mine is Nate Tate.”
“I kind of like that. It rhymes.”
Don’t u know ur name?
AIR. I hoped that meant Adult In Room. I’m Hanna.
Ur a girl? I should’ve known. I thought I was talking to a boy who was slow in the head. JK.
JK? I snatched the CAD and flipped through it.
Kym peeked at my screen and sighed. “It means Just Kidding.”
“Oh.”
Haha.
TTYL. I have 2 do chores.
Bye.
Now that Aaron was gone I was free to play games with other kids. I was just figuring out a racing game and meeting new kids when Mrs. Janowski sputtered.
“Are you okay, Mrs. J.?” I asked, wondering if her coffee went down the wrong pipe.
Her eyes widened as she clenched her chest. She wheezed and stumbled out of her chair.
Chapter 3
“Mrs. J.?” Kym squeaked.
Mrs. Janowski collapsed onto the ground.
“Call nine-one-one,” I directed Sylvia.
The rest of us huddled near Mrs. Janowski. I held her wrist to check her pulse. It was steady but a little slow. I listened to make sure she was breathing. Slow shallow breaths assured me she wouldn’t need CPR. At least not right now. There was nothing to do but wait for the ambulance.
“I can’t remember all of my CPR training, but we can at least keep her warm with a blanket,” I said.
Kym bounded over to the wingback chair to retrieve an afghan. She laid it over Mrs. Janowski. We all watched as the minutes ticked by. Every few seconds I rechecked her pulse and breathing. Edna twisted her hands in knots. Ida took a swig directly from her flask.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, sirens blasted through the neighborhood, descending upon the house.
“Kym, go open the door for the EMTs,” I instructed. “We should move away from Mrs. J. so the EMTs can have more space to work.”
As we moved from Mrs. J., Evan and his partner Gordy rushed through the door. My heart stopped and my mouth instantly parched. Evan glanced at me as he breezed in, kneeling by Mrs. J. he checked her vital signs.
“What happened?” He asked, still examining her.
I uttered nonsensical gibberish until Kym told the story, thankfully shutting me up. What in the world was the matter with me? I see a man who’s been my friend for years and I can’t even talk to him about an urgent matter.
“Get the gurney,” Evan said to Gordy.
Mrs. Janowski blinked her eyes open as Gordy jogged out.
Evan asked Mrs. Janowski questions as she slowly came back to life. My heart lightened seeing her awake and answering his questions. A tear stung the corner of my eye knowing she was going to be okay. Evan was caring and patient. His rich voice was gentle but pressing with questions.
My knees shook as I sank down in the nearest chair to watch.
Mrs. Janowski shook her head at something Evan said. I listened a little closer.
“I’m not going to the damn hospital. They’ll stick me with needles.”
“It’ll make me feel better if you did. It seems you’re healthy right now. All your vital signs check out and you’ve been able to answer my questions. However, I’d like you to go to the hospital to have them double checked and make sure there’s no risk or trauma. It’s not a good sign to pass out after having heart palpitations.”
“I’m as fit as a fiddle.”
“All fiddles need tune ups and new strings from time to time.”
“Bah!”
Stubborn Mrs. Janowski wasn’t going to budge. I knew her weakness. “What if I take you to look at night vision goggles afterwards?”
“Professional line?” She eyed me.
“Whatever you want to look at.” I nodded. “I’ll even buy you camouflage face paint.” I’d have to finagle a loan from Kym.
She grinned. “Are you coming with me to the hospital?”
“Wouldn’t you rather have one of the ladies go with you?”
Kym coughed and yanked me from the chair. “She’d love to come with you.”
Mrs. Janowski nodded. “What the heck . . . take me away! But I’m not riding like a corpse on your damn stretcher, so you can take that thing away.”
Kym ushered me out. “I’ll take charge of your com
puter while you’re gone.”
I eyed her and the rest of the ladies who were acting as if they were cats who ate a cage of canaries.
“Why do I feel like this is a setup?” I whispered to Kym as she hurried me along. “You didn’t coerce Mrs. J. to pretend to collapse, did you?”
Kym feigned shock. “Absolutely not! Now hurry along and ride in the back of the ambulance with Mrs. J.”
“And Evan?”
“Well, of course.”
“Mmm-hmm,” I mumbled and walked to the truck.
I followed behind Evan as he assisted Mrs. Janowski into the back of the EMT truck. Mrs. J. sat on the gurney as Evan closed the doors. He sat on one side of the truck and I sat on the other side. As the truck took off, I narrowed my eyes on the elderly lady with canary feathers floating around her. The twinkle in her eye said it all.
“You and I are going to have a talk,” I warned.
“I’m too sick to talk. Why don’t you and this nice young man talk? Did you see his eyes? They’re the color of glaciers,” Mrs. Janowski said with a wink.
The wink went unnoticed by Evan as he was keeping track of her vital signs.
After a moment he glanced up and said, “I’ve heard my eyes referred to glaciers one other time.”
My face lit up redder than the ambulance’s flashing lights.
He chuckled at my obvious embarrassment. “How have you been, Mars? I’ve been so busy with extra shifts I haven’t had time to call.”
“I’m fine,” I said, attempting to squelch the conversation. This concocted setup was grating against every nerve. It wasn’t necessarily Evan’s fault he’s been preoccupied, but he could have sent a noncommittal text instead of vanishing.
“You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”
My eyes found his as I tried to decide what to say. I didn’t want to be petty or argumentative. We weren’t dating. But to dangle a temptation like Evan in front of my face and then leave me high and dry . . . it was frustrating to say the least. It also made me feel a little guilty since I should only have feelings for one man. Not two. I was frustrated with both Brett and Evan. If one of them would have shown the slightest bit of interest in the last couple of months, I’d be silly with happiness. I sighed. I hate being one of those women.
Stupid men!
“I know when a woman is mad at me,” Evan said. “I’ve managed to anger too many women not to know.”
“Sounds like a bad habit. Perhaps you should give the female population a break.”
“Is it because I didn’t stay in touch with you?”
“Why would I care if you called?” Geesh, that sounded exactly the way I didn’t want it to sound. I should stop talking now.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve called you.”
“Just forget it,” I said still ruffled. Dang, maybe I’m PMSing. I sound like a grounded teenager.
“What can I do to make it up to you?”
Mrs. Janowski wagged her eyebrows at Evan. Both of us turned to her and her overactive eyebrows.
“I’m not taking you to look at night goggles. You and the rest of the troublemakers owe Evan an apology.”
“You both needed a good shove towards each other. What better way than to have an emergency? Emergencies bring people together for support.”
“Only when it’s a real emergency. Not one concocted by ladies who have too much time on their hands.”
“It’s not like this is a wasted trip. I have to refill my prescriptions.”
Evan puzzled for a moment. “This is a setup?”
Mrs. Janowski leaned over and whispered to me, “Not a bright one, but he is handsome. You don’t need a man with brains as long as he has a big . . .”
“Mrs. J.!”
Evan chuckled. “Not to worry. I have both,” Evan said with a wink.
“I’m sorry, Evan. I had no idea they planned this until they hurried me to the ambulance.”
“No harm done. We weren’t busy so I was going to start on homework. But that's one heck of a bill to rack up just for a setup.”
Mrs. Janowski smiled as though it didn’t matter.
“You have class in the summer?” I asked.
“I signed up for two accelerated classes. I’ll never do that again. I’ve been going mad trying to keep up with coursework, prepare for the finals, and take on extra hours at work.”
The walls and shields surrounding my armor disintegrated. Now I understand why he didn’t contact me.
“What are you studying?” Mrs. Janowski asked.
“I’m finishing up pre-med. I should finish next semester.”
“You’re going to be a doctor?”
“That’s my plan. I might need a break after this semester. I’ve never been so stressed in my life.”
“If things don’t work out with this one,” Mrs. Janowski said, jerking her head towards me. “I have two granddaughters that need a man. However, they inherited my husband’s bulky stature. God love ‘em but they’ve got some hair on them that would make a grizzly proud. Their wide birthing hips will come in handy though . . . if you get my drift.”
Evan chuckled. “They sound lovely, but I’ll have to decline. As it is, my new roommate is so obnoxious I avoid all human contact. I wouldn’t want to take my frustration out on an innocent person.”
Mrs. Janowski’s eyes ignited with a devilish spark.
“No!” I warned her.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“I saw that look. It will only lead to trouble.”
“You don’t even know what it is.”
“I don’t have to know. I’m sitting in an ambulance with a healthy troublemaker.”
“I wasn’t going to tell you anyways. I’m talking to Evan.” I eyed her as she turned her innocent face to Evan. “How’d you like to study in a quiet house while you finish up your semester?”
“I'd love it. I’m tired of sitting in the library for hours avoiding my roommate.”
The ambulance parked under the hospital shelter. Gordy hopped out and opened the back door to assist Mrs. Janowski.
“Excellent!” Mrs. Janowski tittered. “Mars will be happy to accommodate. Her house is nice and quiet. You know where the key is, right?”
“It’s in the fake rock.”
“She has a fake frog now. It’s still in the same spot.”
Evan and Gordy led Mrs. Janowski into the hospital. I followed on their heels waiting to squeeze a word in.
“Thank you for your help, Mrs. J. I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.”
“No problem. I’m glad I could help. Make sure to bring food with you because Mars doesn’t have any.”
Gordy released Mrs. Janowski to the hospital staff and headed back to the truck.
Evan turned to me with a smile. “I’ll see you tonight.”
With a quick peck on my cheek, he escaped in the ambulance with Gordy.
“Mrs. J.!” I growled. “Did Kym put you up to this?”
A nurse stared hard at me. “This woman needs medical attention. You wait here and calm down.”
She assisted Mrs. Janowski to a wheelchair.
“Don’t mind Mars,” Mrs. Janowski told the nurse. A sly wink fell on me. “She’s frustrated that I’m a little slow sometimes.”
My jaw dropped open as the nurse scowled at me.
The little troublemaker!
Chapter 4
Kym picked up Mrs. Janowski and me from the hospital. Mrs. J. had her new prescription and was quite chipper with her afternoon performance.
Kym stole glances from the rearview mirror. “Are you mad?”
“Why in the world did you set up this charade?”
“I knew you’d have to talk to Evan when he arrived. All you needed was a little prodding.”
“I’m not a cow. I don’t appreciate being prodded.”
“You have to admit you were happy to see him.”
“And she’s going to see him tonight,” Mrs. Janowski chimed in. “He need
s a quiet place to study and Mars has a quiet house. I have a feeling there won’t be too much studying going on.”
“I heard hot weather can build into steamy encounters. Mars has her air conditioning turned off. All that heat and sexual tension is bound to make for an off-the-charts night,” Kym said.
“Cut it out! Nothing is going to happen. He’ll study and I’ll look for jobs.”
Kym and Mrs. Janowski exchanged a knowing glance.
“You two are incorrigible.”
They snickered.
It was late in the evening when I heard a knock on the door. Butterflies made their home in my stomach ever since Evan said he’d see me tonight. Now they were in full tornado force. I unlocked the door and opened it. Evan held a pizza box in one hand and pack of beer in the other; a backpack slung on his shoulder.
“You look ready to study,” I said, letting him in. “I don’t think the beer will help.”
“I’m not drinking it all. I’m sharing.” He deposited his stash on the kitchen table. “Why is it so hot in here?”
“It’s cooling now that the sun is down.”
“Can I turn on the AC just to cool it to eighty degrees and not a hundred?”
I didn’t want to tell him about my money problems. And, really, a night of air conditioning wouldn’t put me in the red anymore than I already was. I walked to the wall and flipped it on. The cool blast through the vents made the thin layer of sweat on my skin tingle.
“Come and eat.” Evan sat at the table and flipped open the box. The smell was a mixture of meats, veggies, and enough grease to lube a car.
“Don’t you need to study?” I asked, edging towards the heavenly pizza.
“I can study later. Most professors don’t appreciate grease stains.”
I brought two plates from the cupboard and cloth napkins from the drawer. I set them on the table and settled into a chair.
Evan eyed the cloth napkins. “Are you sure you want to use cloth napkins for pizza?”
I was out of all paper products except toilet paper. Toilet paper was a must. I was on my fifth roll of stolen toilet paper. It was mostly pilfered from knowing family, but the corner gas station’s toilet paper was heisted too. I have them on my list to reimburse. However, I couldn’t hand Evan a roll of toilet paper to use as a napkin.
Predator Patrol (Mars Cannon Novel #2) Page 3