by W. J. May
“Discúlpeme, senor,” someone said and I gasped, coming to a halt.
Brent walked into me from behind. “Keep moving, Zoe.” His warm fingers pressed against my bare shoulders. “Everything all right?”
I stared at him while concentrating on a conversation who knew how far away. The person who had spoken was definitely not a native.
“You’re not from ‘ere, senor,” an older man said in broken English. “Britain?”
“Scotland, actually,” came the reply. “I’m here to surprise a friend.”
The old Spanish man chuckled. “Why aren’t you with her right now?”
“We didn’t part on the best of terms and I’m a tad nervous.” Kieran hesitated. “How did you know it was a ‘her’.”
The other man laughed. “When you get to be my age, young man, you can just tell these things.”
I blocked the rest of the conversation and pushed the balls of my feet against the concrete as I sprinted into a run back home. I heard Brent call for me, but I ignored it.
I ran straight around to the back of the villa and jumped fully clothed into the pool. Sitting at the bottom of the shallow end, I absorbed the silence and tried to organize my chaotic thoughts.
So Kieran was in Mexico. He knew I was here and had followed me. The thought filled me with dread. The others would be angry. Seth would tear him apart with his bare hands.
Yet, I wanted so badly to see him. To press my hand against his, feel his lips brush against mine. Stare into those unbelievable green eyes. I blew bubbles and watched them float to the top of the water. I still wanted to see him, to have him pull me into his arms and say it was going to be okay. Have him wake me from this dream and Rylee would still be alive and he would be innocent.
I pushed my knees against the bottom of the pool and stood up, forcing fresh, clean air filled with oxygen into my lungs. I knew that wasn’t going to happen. Rylee was dead and Kieran was the one who caused it whether he meant to or not.
He’d murdered his father and then tried to cover it up. He’d only been acting out of self-defence but running away from the law had ruined any fair chance he’d ever get.
I walked to the side of the pool and pulled myself up, letting my feet, sneakers included, hang in the water.
“Zoe, is everything okay?” Brent put his hand on my shoulder and I jumped.
“Sorry,” I said, smiling weakly at him. “Just suddenly felt like I needed a moment on my own.”
“You took off like a swarm of bees was after you.”
I nodded. It didn’t seem like he was too far off.
Chapter Five
I couldn’t tell anyone that Kieran was in Mexico.
Things were still simmering from us admitting to Dad about what happened because of the night in the mine. Even though Seth didn’t believe it, Dad wasn’t going to tell anyone. Seth stormed to his room and Heidi and Brent followed after him to try and convince him it would be handy having an adult on our side and a doctor to boot. I agreed with them and pretended I needed to have a rest. Neither argued with me as I headed to my room and lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling.
How had he found us? How could he travel without alerting the police? Could he be here to hurt me? Or did he want to talk?
I wanted Kieran to be innocent, I really did. The fact he was here tracking me down must mean he really did care about me. Perhaps not all of it had been an act after all. It didn’t matter. Not after what he did. I knew he was trouble. He killed his father out of self-defence, but Rylee… A tear slid down from my eye and teased my ear. It didn’t matter what he felt for me because it didn’t change what had happened. He should have just gone to the police and confessed. That’s what he would have done if he had not intended to kill anybody. I groaned as I rolled over and buried my face in my pillow, silently screaming.
There was a knock on my door, and the sound of a heavy heartbeat that was faster and less healthy than that of any of my friends. Ever since we started working out, our resting heart rates had slowed dramatically. This beat was familiar but not one of ours. “Dad?” I called out.
“Zoe-zey, can I come in?”
I sat up. “Sure.” Now that he openly admitted he knew, she imagined him asking for more bloodwork or maybe he wanted to talk about what my powers might mean scientifically. I clenched my jaw. I just wasn’t in the mood.
He came in and I made room for him to sit on the bed. He awkwardly perched on the side. His brow was furrowed in concern. “I didn’t mean to cause conflict between you and your friends. I wish I hadn’t said anything at all.”
“It’s okay.” I sighed. “Seth’ll come around. He always does.”
“That’s not all that’s bothering you, is it?”
I hesitated only for a moment before shaking my head. “Dad… what did you think of Kieran when you met him?”
He stared at me for a long time. “Kieran is what’s bothering you?”
I nodded. He didn’t get it. “I just… The whole thing is very confusing.” That’s the understatement of the year. “It’s really hard to put together what I know, and what I think I know about him.” Or try and figure out what information goes in which category. “Does that even make sense?”
Her dad patted her knee. “Well, I only met him the one time, but he seemed perfectly nice and normal when I did. Very laidback and liking you very much. I would have to say that it’s very hard to see him as a killer.” He shrugged. “I don’t know. It seems to me… if he was able to lie about his father being in Scotland for so long, then I’m sure there is more to him than meets the eye. He could hide more than either you or I know. I’m sure not all of it is good.”
I sighed. “But he was so sweet,” I whispered. “I was thinking, maybe he didn’t mean to hurt Rylee. The weather was really bad that night. Maybe it obstructed his vision, or maybe an animal or something jumped into the road and swerved.” I was crying, I sounded desperate but I didn’t care.
“Perhaps,” Dad said. “But if that was the case, then why didn’t he go to the police? I know you want to believe the best in him, Zoe-zey. Believe me, I’m the same way. I want to always see the best in the people I love as well. However, we both know it’s not always the case. Sometimes it isn’t meant to be.”
I knew he was thinking about Mom. He never started dating again after they had split up and he still wore his wedding ring when he was at home. Impulsively, I reached out and hugged him as if I was a little girl again. “I know, Dad. It’s just me wishing. Thank you for talking with me.”
He smiled and ruffled my hair. “Anytime, Zoe-zey. This is all part of a healing process, of letting go. It’s good to talk. I’m always here for you, sweetie. Always.” He hugged me again.
“I’m okay, Dad.” I wiped my face. “I’m glad you know.”
“Me, too.”
“How long did you know?”
“For a while. I don’t know about the others and their symptoms but I would love to find out. We could do some bloodwork and run some tests. It’ll be harder without my lab, but there’s so much to learn—”
I stood and cut him off, “I think I’ll go for a swim.”
He stared, his mouth still open and his eyes still forming ideas on what he wanted to do. He inhaled a sharp breath and then slowly released it. “Okay then, I’m going to go make a few calls and see if we can take a tour of some of the ruins. Maybe you guys can even get some extra credit in history class if you do.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Let’s not spoil the vacation.”
He laughed and left the room.
I sighed. It was tempting to just curl up into a ball and mope again. Even though it was nice having a conversation with my dad about things, I wasn’t any closer than I was before to having my feelings sorted out. “Kieran, who are you?” I whispered.
Chapter Six
Kieran
“Ya killed her!” my father screamed. “It was ya! I know it was!” He hit me again with his bloodied knuckles, and
another whiff of Scotch and sweat hurled past me. I curled my lip in distaste.
“Da,” I begged. “It’s me, your son. Please stop.”
“You killed her, you son of a whore. I know who ya damn ah.” He grabbed the whisky bottle off the table and drank the rest of it before raising it over his head.
I stared in horror at him. In that instant I knew he was going to kill me.
I woke gasping, drenched in sweat that had nothing to do with the heat. I curled into the fetal position, breathing hard and trying to calm my racing heart. That was the third nightmare this week, and the worse one yet. I had been having them ever since the day with my dad, when he dragged me out to the mine. I shuddered at the thought of it. Since Rylee’s death, they had only gotten worse. At least Zoe isn’t in any of them. Yet.
No, Zoe haunted me during the day. The fear and horror that crossed her face when she believed what had happened… it made me sick to my stomach.
There was a knock on the motel room door. “Senor?” a timid female voice called out. “Are you all right? There have been complaints about screaming coming from here.” Her English was broken and heavily accented, but I could sense the meaning of her words as well as if she was a native English speaker. I also knew what she looked like. I could sense it as well. She was young, probably only a teenager herself, very thin and pretty with curly black hair and eyes the color of chocolate. I could also feel her nervousness. She was probably new or the daughter of the owner, sent to do his dirty work.
“I’m all right,” I called. “Sorry for the disturbance.”
“Okay. Senor.”
I listened to her footsteps as she went away and then sat back down, feeling a headache coming on. My sixth sense was killing me. I still didn’t know exactly what I had. I referred to it as my sixth sense, a heightened ability like the other five. I swallowed. Four now. I sighed and rubbed my temple with my thumbs. Sometimes it felt like I could see the future, other times it felt like I could read people’s minds. But not well. Otherwise I wouldn’t have messed up so badly with Zoe.
Instead of going back to sleep and enduring another nightmare, I turned on the light and pulled my suitcase out from under my bed. As long as I was awake, I might as well be working.
Chapter Seven
Zoe
The Aztec ruins were made of crumbling beige stone and winding trails throughout different remains of the buildings. They were beautiful and sad all at once. I liked exploring them. Heidi was happy; grinning, taking pictures from every angle, and Seth too was smiling as he ran his hand over the stones while reading the information on the plaques. He had been miserable and cranky when we woke and over breakfast Brent went through the advantages of have a doctor know, be willing to keep our secret, and help us. His bad mood couldn’t stay when the strongest scent he had was fresh air and earth.
“It’s pretty wild, isn’t it?” Brent asked.
“I love it!” I turned around and enjoyed the full panoramic view. “It’s so pretty.”
He grinned. “It’s perfect.” He pointed to a flat top of one of the temples. “That would be an excellent place to play the guitar. Don’t you think? Maybe circle of friends at the top with me, or screaming crowd below.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s where they sacrificed their victims to their gods. You sure that’s where you want to play guitar?” I couldn’t help but giggle.
He shrugged, trying to keep a straight face. “You’re right. Best not to disrespect other people’s religion.”
I grinned. “Yeah, that’s the reason you don’t want to play guitar there.”
“Hey, it’s part of it. I’m not Mel Gibson.”
I left the others who wanted to see a ruin up a steep hill, electing to rest and enjoy the hot sun. Brent looked like he wanted to argue but, thankfully, my dad pulled him along. I sat down on the ground on the edge of the main road. With my eyes closed and the breeze on my face, I opened myself up to the sounds of the wind, different animals crawling in the grass, and tourists chattering as they roamed through the ruins. Beyond that was the sound of the modern civilization in the distance, with cars on the road and a cell phone ringing on high volume in the nearby village.
“Zoe.”
I gasped and scrambled to my feet. I stared at the dusty, dirt ground below. Kieran. “What’re you doing here?”
I heard his heartbeat increase. “No, don’t run away,” he pleaded. “Please. I’d never hurt you, Zoe. You have to believe me.”
I heard the sincerity in his voice. I was backing away from him and I made myself stay still. “What’re you doing here?” I repeated, in a whisper this time.
“I only came here to see you for a few minutes.” He looked desperate. His dark hair had grown and now fell over his beautiful blue eyes.
“What do you want, Kieran?” His name escaped my lips and suddenly I wished his mouth was on mine.
He pressed his lips together before smiling, as if he’d read my thoughts. “I didn’t know you meditated.”
“I-It’s part of our t-training,” I stuttered, nervously babbling and happy about the change of subject. “It’s not really meditation.” I looked over my shoulder to where the rest of the group had gone. “The others—”
“Screw them,” he whispered fiercely. “I have no intention of seeing them, or vice versa. They have no idea I’m here. I’ve figured a way to disguise myself.” He stepped closer and I caught a whiff of strong perfume.
I almost laughed. “I guess you did. Not even Seth could smell you under that stench. I’m sure Heidi has a mouthful of chemicals right now.”
He grimaced. “I can’t stay long.” He glanced toward where the others had disappeared, as if expecting them to appear any moment. “I followed you here. I couldn’t help it.”
“Why?” Because I’m a psychopath? I shook my head to clear my inner thought. Somehow, deep inside me, I wanted to give him a chance. I knew he was guilty, I just couldn’t stop thinking he was a victim.
“I came because I had to tell you I didn’t kill Rylee, okay?” He ran his fingers through his hair, his blue eyes shining bright. “I wouldn’t, I’d never hurt any of you.”
“How am I supposed—” I let my voice trail off as he turned and raced away, disappearing as he dove behind a wall.
“Zoe!” Brent called from behind me.
I jerked, his voice sounding like he was right behind me, yelling in my ear. I turned slowly, expecting him there.
He was up on a set of old limestone stairs. “Come on! You’re missing some really good sights.”
I turned and ran to catch up to him, refusing to look back if Kieran might still be behind me. His arrival only meant trouble.
Brent’s expression turned to one of concern as he stared at me. “What’s wrong?”
I forced a smile and forced myself not to look over my shoulder. “Nothing,” I lied. “Guess I didn’t want to be on my own.” I put my hand over my eyes to see the view behind Brent. “Wow! You’re right. These are some really good sights.”
Both Seth and Heidi gagged when we caught up to them.
“Holy shit, Zoe!” Seth plugged his nose. “Where in the world did you find that perfume? It’s horrendous.”
Heidi covered her mouth and then mumbled something at me from behind her hand. I couldn’t tell exactly what she was saying, but the sentiment was similar to Seth’s.
“There were a couple of teenage girls spraying each other back there.” I fanned myself. “I tried to get away from it. I didn’t realize they’d hit me as well.” Kieran had been right; Seth and Heidi couldn’t detect him from under the perfume.
Dad watched us in fascination. “I really would like to perform some tests on you guys.” He waved his hands, realizing he probably sounded like a mad scientist. “Just to see what you guys can do. Nothing crazy.”
“How about we talk about it when we get back home, okay, Doc?” Brent wiped his forehead from the heat. “We’re on vacation right now.”’
&n
bsp; We headed up the long stairs to the ruins. My mind couldn’t stop picturing Kieran or thinking about what he had said. I didn’t kill Rylee. I would never hurt any of you. Hope welled up inside of me.
Chapter Eight
Brent
"You okay?" I asked Zoe. "You seem quiet."
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. Just a little tired. The engines are giving me a headache."
I knew the plane was giving her a headache, just like it was making Seth and Heidi incapacitated with nausea. However, she had been quiet for most of our time in Mexico. Something was different about her, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Ever since the ruins tour she’d grown quiet. She might just be missing Kieran. Or finally accepting he was guilty.
I didn't know myself whether Kieran was guilty or not, but a selfish part of me really hoped he was. I knew he was, but exactly of what drove me crazy. I couldn’t figure it out. If he was guilty then there would be a legitimate reason to keep him away from Zoe, and not just because I was in love with her, but every time I thought about it, it didn't really add up. He didn't drive a car, and Rylee was definitely hit by a car. Kieran drove a motorbike. There were two sets of tracks in the snow that night and he was on his bike. He could have hit her and then driven away making the two tracks. It just seemed wishful thinking on my part.
Plus, he would have known that if he killed one of us, he would have to kill all of us to keep his secret. So why kill one and then just run? But if he was innocent, why didn't he go to the police when his father went missing? And why did he break into all of those places? For money?
The only person who could answer those questions was unfortunately the last person I ever wanted to see again.
Zoe sighed beside me. "I wish we didn't have to go back. Reality seems to suck these days."
"Believe me, I don't either," I said. "We do have to go to school. Going to Mexico during a vacation is one thing. Going there when school is starting is another. I don’t want to spend any more time in high school than necessary."