Vibrations

by Wood, Lorena

  “Hold on Nick. We’re coming.” Whitney leapt from the chair and yelled for Teddy to follow. They ran outside as Whitney told her what she had sensed. They started yelling his name and Teddy called for cars to search the area. She listened but didn’t hear anything.

  Teddy was walking south on Nick’s property when he saw the mustang parked behind an old barn. He ran to check it but Nick wasn’t there. Whitney caught up with him and started yelling for Nick again. What if he had lost consciousness? He wouldn’t hear them and he couldn’t answer.

  “Nick. Nick, wake up. Do you hear us?” She listened quietly for any sounds. She felt Nick back in her mind. She could tell his strength was going. He wasn’t going to be able to tell them where he was.

  Suddenly a shot was fired somewhere in the distance. Teddy and Whitney ran to a nearby police car and followed a dirt road that led in the direction of the shot. Other cars followed and after a fifteen minute search they found him. He was on his back and his gun was in his hand. He had fired to let them know where he was.

  Whitney rushed to him and brushed the dirt from his face as Teddy took the gun. “Nick, Nick…we’re here,” she said crying. He didn’t answer. “Don’t give up,” she demanded as they moved her back to assess his injuries.

  His pulse was very weak and he was unconscious but he was alive. The ambulance finally arrived and rushed him to Desert Samaritan Hospital. Whitney rode up front but she sent a constant stream of thought back to Nick telling him he would be alright.

  He was in surgery for three hours. His family, and what seemed like half the cops in the station, all crowded into the waiting room with Whitney. Finally the doctor came out and spoke with them. He would probably make it, but they would have to wait and see. The head wound was not serious, but he’d been stabbed a few times and shot. He had sustained internal injuries and had lost a great deal of blood. Only family was able to visit until he became more stable.

  Whitney sat with Nick’s sister and her husband for a while, until they went back home to be with the kids. She told them she would keep them up to date on his condition. Teddy went with another detective to work at the crime scene. One of the officers had found the tracks caused by the assailant dragging Nick from his car.

  Whitney sat alone waiting for permission to see him. She was fuming inside. What had she done to make someone want to cause her this pain? It had to be something connected with her consulting work, because the rest of her life was quite boring. She was getting madder by the minute. Why hadn’t they just killed her the first time? Maybe they would have if Nick hadn’t pulled up just in time. They obviously meant to hurt Nick to get to her. They meant to kill him, but he had survived so far. She wanted to stand up and scream.

  Until she was out of the way, Nick would continue to be in danger. Once he was stable, she would have to leave the valley. Until they figured out what was happening, she was going to stay far away from Nick. Somehow the person knew their relationship and knew just what it would take to scare her. She and Nick were probably being stalked. The attempt on her life hadn’t done much, but he hadn’t told her to leave the area at that time. For how long? Why? She wasn’t going to risk Nick’s life to find out, but she wasn’t giving up either. She would find a way to track this person down. Maybe she could hide out in the valley, away from Nick, and do her own surveillance. She would keep her senses open and try to use her abilities to track this guy down. Like the proverbial needle in a haystack.

  Chapter 9

  Nick woke to find Whitney sleeping in the chair by the bed. They had provided her with one of those reclining chairs they use in recovery so she could sleep in his room. He felt sore and weak, but he knew he was going to be okay. He must have put Whitney through the wringer and he wanted to let her know he was alright. He tried to speak, but his throat was too dry. He tried to send his thoughts to her.

  “Whitney. Whitneeeey. Wake up darling. I need a drink. Helloooooooo.” She was still breathing deeply and hadn’t moved a muscle. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the night before. Then he wondered how many nights ago it had been, because the bruises he could see were already yellowing at the edges. He remembered getting out of his car, and then waking up in the dirt. Someone had to be hiding pretty good to sneak up on him like that. There was no car in sight. They must have been lying flat or covered by something that camouflaged them. Maybe they were in the gully across the road and he didn’t see them coming up behind him. Whoever was doing this always made sure no one saw the face. Just like Whitney’s attacker. He couldn’t wait to ask if they had found anything relating the two assaults. He moved a little and a stabbing pain shot through his chest.

  Whitney woke up to see him panting as he tried to get back into a comfortable position. She jumped up and tried to help him.

  “Do you need more pillows? Can I do anything”?

  Nick moaned and shook his head no. His face was red with the effort to get back into a better position. He finally settled back and let out a sigh. Whitney wiped the sweat off his forehead and carefully kissed him. He had some scratches on his face from the struggle.

  “Do you remember anything?”

  “I remember waking up being dragged in the dirt and trying to get away. He turned and slashed me with the knife. I tried to get up, but I wasn’t thinking clear enough yet. He smashed his arm over my back and started kicking me. Then I think I passed out again. I don’t remember being stabbed again. I woke up hearing your voice in my head.”

  The tears were falling from Whitney’s eyes, but Nick didn’t dare try to move and wipe them away.

  “Don’t cry baby. I’m okay now. I’ll be fine.”

  “Yeah, you look like a million dollars. You know this is my fault don’t you?”

  “What are you talking about? You didn’t do this to me.”

  “Nick, someone called me that night. They said you were indisposed and that I would be next. They warned me to get out of the valley. Someone is upset that I’m here. I can’t stay and continue to risk your life.”

  Nick tried to lean toward her and he moaned again.

  “You can’t leave,” he said using his cop tone. “That’s what they want. Maybe they want to get you back home where you’ll be an easy target. Stay with me and we’ll figure it out. They won’t catch me off guard again, that’s for sure.”

  Nick’s breathing was getting ragged and Whitney was worried that he wasn’t strong enough for this stress.

  “Nick, just rest. We’ll figure it out when you’re better. Teddy’s working on it now and he’ll probably have the answer by the time you can jump me again.”

  Nick laughed, but that hurt too so he just winked at her. The nurse came in and offered him some more morphine. Whitney talked him in to taking advantage of it so he could rest and get better. He wouldn’t be able to sleep in that kind of pain. He finally relented and soon he was resting peacefully. Whitney slipped out quietly determined to put her plan into effect.

  * * * *

  The doctor wanted to keep Nick in the hospital longer, but he couldn’t stand it. He hadn’t seen Whitney since the day he was taken out of ICU. Teddy informed him that she had submitted her finalized report and told him she was leaving. She wouldn’t say where she was going. Nick sent Teddy to check his house and there was a letter on his table. When Nick read it he was livid. She couldn’t risk his life because someone wanted her out of the picture. She would contact him later and she would be careful. Her note asked him not to look for her, because she wouldn’t be anywhere he could find her. The police in Sedona had checked her house and the area. No one had seen her. Tina was still watching the birds and hadn’t heard from her. She probably wouldn’t tell anyone if she did. Whitney would have convinced her it was for the best.

  He stayed in the hospital bed until he could get himself dressed, and then he released himself against the doctor’s orders.

  “Damn that girl! She thinks I’m gonna lay there and wait for her to get killed,” he complained
to Teddy. No matter what Teddy said, he would not give in so easily. At least his partner gave him a ride home, against doctors orders.

  By the time he got to his house he was sweating and feeling like he was going to puke. He sat in his old brown chair by the window trying to figure out where she’d go. He needed a cigarette but he didn’t have the energy to get up again, and he’d probably rip his stitches if he started coughing. Guess he’d given that habit up for a while.

  When he looked over at Teddy, planning to ask for another favor, he realized the big man didn’t look so good. “What’s up with you man, you look terrible. You go on a diet or something?”

  “If you two would keep yourselves in one piece I might be able to sleep at night. Between Whitney’s close call and then worrying about you, I’ve had about as much sleep as a squirrel living in a church bell. You guys keep ringing it and I’m going to go crazy! Forget that, I already am.”

  Nick felt bad for causing Teddy so much stress, but he knew he’d do the same for him.

  “We gotta find her. She could be dead already and how would I know?”

  “I’m sure she’s okay. She has worked around the FBI for a while. Maybe she’s picked up some commando tactics.”

  “I sure didn’t see any while I was with her. We gotta figure out where she went, and who would be trying to keep her away. Have you noticed that there have been no more abductions, but the attacks on us coincide with the killer’s timetable for violence? Maybe this guy is filling his need for killing by focusing on us while he tries to lay low.”

  “He could be trying to keep out of the picture for a while. Or he may have had a hard time getting near those kids with all the surveillance. Maybe he needs her out of the way before he gets back to business.”

  “So we’re back to the same place. No clue as to who could be doing this. If the killer was Ann Marie, she’s still in jail without bail so these attacks couldn’t be her. The guy may want us to think it stopped so that she will take the fall. How is she doing?”

  “She’s holding her own. She was going to meet with Whitney this week if her lawyer would okay it, but she never got a chance.”

  “This guy may be afraid of Whitney realizing she’s innocent, or running into him and finding him out. Maybe he’s someone we’ve interviewed with her already.”

  “Or maybe Ann Marie knows something and will give it away if she meets with Whitney.”

  “Maybe, Maybe, Maybe. God!” Nick slammed his fist down on the arm of the chair and then groaned in pain.

  “Doesn’t look like you’ll be going far in that condition buddy.”

  “Try and stop me.” Nick got to his feet and found his weapon. He couldn’t get the holster on so he just tucked it in his jeans.

  “You gonna drive me around, or do I have to do it one handed?” His arm was still in a sling and his chest was pretty sore. Teddy knew he probably couldn’t get very far, but he’d die trying.

  “Fine. I’ll drive. Where we going?”

  “First stop, Ann Marie Kensington. After that we start checking the people we’ve already interviewed a dozen times. If we’re lucky, Whitney’s doing the same thing and we’ll spot her. If not, then we start checking every run down motel in the valley. I know her. She didn’t run away. She’s out there looking for the guy too. We’ve got to beat her to him.”

  Nick was worried. He was afraid it would be too late when they found her. He spent the next few days checking out leads, and the nights searching motels and hotels. When he found her, if he found her, he was going to lock her up in a room forever. He went back and forth between fuming mad and worried sick. He had to find her before he lost his mind.

  * * * *

  Whitney knew she had to work fast before the killer struck again. She was convinced it wasn’t Ann Marie. She just didn’t fit the images in her mind. But who did? Ann Marie had been in jail when someone had attacked Whitney and Nick. She didn’t want the killer to find her, or Nick, but she had to get some answers. Her presence in the valley had the killer scared, so she must have been close to him at some time.

  She rented an apartment in Casa Grande, and traveled up to the city to follow her list of suspects. Keeping hidden from a cop would not be easy. She made sure to get enough cash to last a while so she wouldn’t leave a paper trail.

  Each day she chose an area of town connected to the SVWC abductions or games and tried to get near the people involved. Sometimes she was able to catch them in a daily activity and they didn’t even notice she was there. She tracked a few of the moms from the group and made sure she went shopping when they did. She was able to get close enough to sense if they had any knowledge of the missing children or the attack on Nick. If someone noticed her, she just seemed surprised to see them and said hello. The hard part would be getting close to the serious suspects.

  She decided she just had to meet with Ann Marie, and she needed to contact someone to do that.

  “Roger. It’s me. How is everything?”

  “Whitney? I thought you’d disappeared.” The agent didn’t sound to happy. “To what do I owe the honor of this call?”

  “I know it wasn’t the best solution, but it was the only one I could think of at the time. I just don’t want anyone else hurt because of me. I need a favor. Are you still connected with the case at all?”

  “If they need me, I’m available. Everyone thinks we’ve got the killer, but I take it you don’t.”

  “I’m not sure, that’s why I need your help.”

  “I still have people working on your assault, Whitney. I’d prefer you had some protection for now.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “Well, I’m getting involved in something else down here in Quantico at the moment. What do you need?”

  “Nothing too difficult. I just need you to give a call to the county jail and see if I can visit with Ann Marie. She was working on her lawyer and I think she got the go ahead from him. Can you check and call me back at this number?”

  “Whitney, are you being careful? Are you sure it’s safe to be doing this on your own?”

  “Please Roger. I can’t involve anyone else. I am being careful. I’m just trying to dig something up in my own special way…alone. I don’t want a lot of questions when I get there. If the SAC calls and says it’s alright, they won’t bother me so much.”

  “I’ll do it, but you call me if you need me. I take it you don’t want me giving Nick this number?”

  “No…not yet. If anything happens that I should know about, then you can call me here. Thanks. I’ll be there this afternoon.”

  “I’ll call right now. I’ll get back to you. Keep me updated Whitney.”

  Whitney parked the rented car where she could see the people coming in and out of the courthouse. She didn’t want to run into Nick or any of his friends just yet. Sometimes she could feel his anger and frustration when she tried to tune into him. She’d never been able to do that before, and wasn’t sure if it was real or her imagination.

  When had it started? Whitney thought back and realized it had been since the first night in Sedona. She hoped that Nick could feel her too, and know she was fine. She knew he was scared for her, so he probably couldn’t feel her, or didn’t recognize it when he did. She tried to send him a message that she was all right, through her connection, but it didn’t seem to work. She was able to sense vibrations and interpret them, but hadn’t been able to manipulate them enough to send anything long distance. The ability had kicked in only when she had been in serious danger. When she had called for her mom, and when she called for Nick.

  She knew it was possible. She’d seen it done. She had a feeling it was right there just under the surface waiting for her to figure it out. Kind of like when you learn to wiggle your ears or lift one eyebrow up at a time. At first you think it’s impossible, and then suddenly you can feel the muscle that’s involved and you can just do it. Her abilities were like that. She was still experiencing new things that added to her l
ist of talents.

  Since she had been intimate with Nick, it seemed like she had experienced an explosion of new sensations. Her abilities were sharper now. Maybe it was because she had stopped trying to block so many of her own feelings. Whitney was hoping she could get past the killer’s ability to block her now. That’s why she had to get near everyone she’d already met.

  She started with the easy ones thinking maybe they had overlooked some possibilities. For the past two days she had a sense of foreboding. If she had already met with the killer, maybe she was picking up on his intentions or fears. It felt like she was in the path of a storm, just waiting to see where it would hit. The problem was that she could be picking it up from anyone close to her. It could even be her own fears playing tricks on her mind.

  Shortly after 2:00 p.m. she saw a break in the activity in front of the courthouse. Her long hair was braided into a roll on her head. She placed her large sun hat over the bun and adjusted her sunglasses. It was hard to keep from running as she walked casually into the jailhouse. The officer on duty had received his orders and asked no questions. She wondered just what Agent Hollerman had said to him. The only thought she could register was that he was told to keep her visit a secret.

  Ann Marie was sitting on her cot with her back against the wall. She was reading a letter and Whitney could see she had been crying.

  “Hi.” Whitney felt like she was intruding.

  Ann Marie turned her head in surprise and wiped away the tears. “Oh, I’m so glad you came.”

  The officer opened the cell and looked at Whitney like she was trying to break someone out. His orders were to allow her in the cell, without anyone else present. That was not proper procedure, but he had to follow orders when they came from so far up. He also knew he was not to tell anyone about this meeting.

  “Bunch of secret spy types making up the rules,” she heard him thinking. “But if she gets hurt they’ll have my ass.”

  Whitney thanked him and walked into the cell. She stood staring at him until he gave up and walked back down the hall. She took off the bulky hat and sat down on the cot.