by C. L. Stone
I ignored it this time, my ears filled with the sound of my pounding heart and masking his tone. I wasn’t sure what disturbed me more: the fact that he knew I lied so quickly or that I was impressed he could.
Before I could get past the window of the next store over, I tilted my head casually to check behind me. I caught him jumping the pretzel stand’s counter. He tore away the hat and the apron, dropping them to the ground and started after me.
I leapt into a half jog so as to not look like I was running away, but simply trying to get somewhere. I started to turn back to see if pretzel boy was still chasing me when I crashed into what felt like a brick wall and started to stumble. I caught myself on the wall to stop from falling.
A pair of deep-set eyes stared down at me. My target with the red jacket. His serious face focused on mine, recognition setting in.
I pushed myself off of him. In full panic mode, I dashed down a corridor to the left. This time when I looked back, I had two pursuers. They jogged together after me. Their feet moved in unison, something I’d only seen in movies about the army. They knew each other? It was too much for it to be a coincidence.
I cut my way between two women walking babies in strollers together. One of the best things about being a girl is to be able to weave around and through areas and be excused, even if it was rude. Guys can’t get away with that, not in South Carolina. Any other guy passing by would chase them, which I was kind of hoping would happen.
Unfortunately, they didn’t take that risk, and were stuck lolling behind the strollers, which was almost as good.
I took a turn down another corridor, finding a wide courtyard with a center fountain. I spotted a guy by himself on his cell phone, standing in the corner. He had short cropped, sun-kissed blond hair. Tall, maybe even taller than my target, wearing a black T-shirt with a Zelda Triforce logo from the video game. Nerdling.
I stepped up next to him and wove an arm around his, which was hard to do, because now that I stood next to him, I realized he really was towering over me. “Sorry. Can I borrow you for a second?"
The guy choked on whatever he was about to say into the phone and fixed his eyes on me. They were a very nice cerulean blue. His face was a touch unshaven, almost unnoticeable with his blond hair. His skin had a gorgeous tan as if he’d spent a lot of time outside. "What ... uh ... Can I help you?" he asked.
The smile sliced right through me, catching me off guard with the sincerity. His voice was strong and appealing, with a hint of amusement. “Yes,” I said when I pulled myself together. “Could you pretend I’m your girlfriend for a minute?”
The skin at the crest of his high cheekbones tinted. “Any particular reason?”
“An ex-boyfriend and his buddy just spotted me. I wanted to get away before they try to corner me, or at least dissuade him from coming over. He’s not a good guy.”
“Oh?” he asked, tapping at his cell phone and dropping it into his pocket. “He’s not a big guy, I hope.”
I liked him. He was quick and willing to play along. If I hadn’t been in panic mode, I would have kissed him. “Can we just go into a shop and pretend to make out or something?”
“Sure,” he said with a hint at a smile, like he didn’t believe I really meant the making out part. He pointed at the closest store. “How about that one?”
“Perfect,” I rattled off, without actually looking at where he had pointed. We just needed to get going.
I followed him inside a Love Culture store. I couldn’t spot anyone tailing us, which was good, but I wanted to make sure. If they were still trying to find me, I wanted to be out of view for a bit. I’d backtrack and find an exit when I was sure they had passed us by.
I clung to the nerdling’s bicep, surprised to feel a bulge of muscle. He had a fit body underneath his T-shirt and corduroy slacks. I noted the confident way he carried himself into the store, and how eager to please he seemed to be.
Nerdlings weren’t usually my type. They were usually “yes men” -- you could tell them to jump off a cliff and they’d do it and beg for another order just to make you happy. Some girls liked that, but I hated it.
But I tried not to presume based on looks, or fashion choices.
He headed toward the back, and picked a spot behind one of the clearance racks. He nudged me beside him, so we were both hidden from the front of the store. “How’s this?” he asked, a blond eyebrow going up.
I nodded, and then stopped short when I realized we were in a section of bras and ladies’ underwear.
He followed my gaze and studied the displays. His cheeks tinted again. “Sorry,” he said. “I was just ... didn’t mean ...”
“It’s fine,” I said quickly. I wanted to make him comfortable since he was being such a good sport about the situation. “I hadn’t noticed either.”
“What’s your name?” he asked.
I hesitated. “Bambi,” I said, going with my initial lie. I wasn’t sure why I did it. I was just sure I wouldn’t see him again. A shame, but really, it was for the best. I wasn’t his type, or anyone’s type, for that matter.
“I’m Corey,” he said, oblivious to the fact that I’d just lied. That brought back some confidence. I wasn’t that horrible at lying.
He held out a hand, and looked expectantly at me.
I took it quickly, shaking it and hoping he didn’t notice me rattling from leftover panic. “Sorry to inconvenience you.”
“Not a problem. I wasn’t in a hurry.” He tilted his head, focusing on my face. “Did you try telling him to back off?”
“Who?”
“Your ex-boyfriend. The one we’re hiding from.”
“Oh,” I said. “Yes. He doesn’t listen very well.”
His eyes flicked up as if checking to see if anyone was paying attention. He returned his focus on me and smiled sympathetically. “And I’m sorry.”
He seemed so sincere about his apology that I had no idea what he was saying it for. Because of the place he picked out? “I said it was fine.”
“Not that,” he said. “I mean ...” and he angled his head to indicate I should look behind me.
I turned, surprised to see pretzel boy leaning against the wall. His bicep muscle bulged as he put his weight on his hand. His smile played on his lips as he cocked his head toward me. “Hey there, pretty girl.”
I tumbled backward in a panic, flat into the rack of bras. A space between the top and base of the rack allowed for an escape. I weaved through quickly to the other side. I stumbled forward and shot between two sales racks and hauled it to the exit.
My target in the red jacket had parked himself by the entryway. He weaved, his arm outstretched to catch me by the elbow. I diverted, turned and ducked out of range. He probably wasn’t expecting me to get away from his pals.
This time I didn’t stop for any more games. I was going to find an exit and run home. Mall security must have caught on to me.
I had to cut through two more crowds before I found the entrance to a small service hallway. I launched myself between a couple, breaking their hand holding, and made a dash for the hallway.
I started to slow when someone from the other end of the service hall came out of a side door. I combed my fingers through my hair, away from my eyes, to try to look presentable, like a tired employee going home.
As we closed in on each other, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. He looked almost exactly like the nerdling, except his clothes were different, wearing a red T-shirt depicting the local college football team, jeans and Nike sneakers. He also carried himself differently, with a swagger. It was like the nerdling had managed to get all cool in a blink.
I slowed, staring, sure I was going crazy.
The guy, once he caught my eye, stared right back at me. His head tilted, a curious smile played on the side of his mouth. When we got close, he slowed. “Hi.”
“No time,” I said, trying to sound apologetic. “Have to get home.” I turned my body sideways to squeeze by him.
His h
and shot out toward the wall, right next to my head, blocking my path. His blue eyes focused on me.
These were different that the nerdling’s too. Same blue shade, but dimmer. Sad. Wounded. Embedded so deep inside him that it seemed overwhelming and I wanted to tell him I was deeply sorry for whatever hurt caused his otherwise incredibly handsome face to look so down.
Those eyes stilled my lips as well as my legs. His gaze seemed to penetrate through me, right to my core, begging me to find what was lost in him, wanting to fix him, so the smile on his lips actually reached his soul.
“You don’t have to run,” he said in a tone that was soft, deep, and suggested deeper meaning.
The sound of a door crashing open behind me told me otherwise. “I have to ...” I said. I inched to move under his arm.
His arm slid down, until his fist was against the wall, at my chest height. His eyes were still sad, but he masked them somehow with a teasing glint. “Stop it, sweet pea. You aren’t in trouble. Yet.”
My eyes widened at him. I turned my head, catching pretzel boy, my target, and Corey, the nerdling coming down the hall.
My panicked heart was unrelenting against my rib cage. Despite what the cool guy was saying, this was clearly a security team, obvious in the confident way they approached me. Pretzel boy had taken the lead over the other two following him. His mismatched eyes zeroed in on me, the smile on his lips smug, satisfied. He’d caught his prey.
But I had one more last trick. A dirty girl trick.
“Rape!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
The entire group of boys stopped dead, except Corey, who jumped a short step back.
I took my chance. I ducked under the cool guy’s arm.
“Wait,” pretzel boy called. “Bambi!”
I didn’t stop. I felt the brush of the cool guy’s fingers swiping at my back, but he wasn’t fast enough. I darted down the hall toward the exit.
An alarm didn’t sound. I was out in the parking lot and weaved amid the cars. Losing my breath. Losing my mind. Losing the boys.
For now.
♠
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Book One
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Written by C. L. Stone
Published by
Arcato Publishing
Shadow of a Girl
Sunnyvale Court was just as Dakota Lee left it, except for the lone figure hovering just inside a neighbor’s open garage.
It was darkness against a deeper darkness, but the moment he saw it, he was sure it was human.
Kota flicked the headlights off, staring hard out the windshield just in front of his house. The deeper shadow didn’t move. He counted the seconds.
One, one-thousand
Two, one-thousand.
Three…
Nothing.
Maybe he was wrong. Maybe it was…what could it be? Maybe they’d moved the trash bin, and left something on top of it?
Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him. Clouds were rolling overhead. It could have been a trick of the light.
He rolled the sedan forward slowly, keeping the lights off, and parked in the far corner of his own driveway. He climbed out, closed the door, and looked over the top of the car, waiting.
The two story gray house, a couple of homes down from his own, was quiet. The shadow he’d spotted had gone. Still, he didn’t move, keeping his eyes on the darkness, sure he’d seen something.
He didn’t like shadows.
He knew the family in the gray house…well, knew was a pretty strong word to use. The two teenage girls and their parents had only moved in a few weeks ago. The only one he’d seen for more than a few moments was the younger daughter.
One beautiful girl with bright green eyes and dirty blond hair.
It was her he was worried about when it came to this shadow hanging out in the garage. The house didn’t have a security system to speak of. If it was someone looking to break into the house…
Rain sprinkled against the windshield. As the moments dragged by, and the shadow didn’t re-appear, Kota forced himself to turn toward his own house. He hit the garage door opener and waited for the door to rise.
A short bark sounded from inside. Max, his golden retriever, had been put up for the night. Max pawed at the door.
“Sit,” Kota said, using a strong tone.
Max instantly sat down, as still as could be.
Kota smiled and bent over, unlocking the crate and opening the door. Max padded out, shook his body and then panted.
“Come on,” Kota said, softer this time. “And keep quiet. You’ll wake mom and Jessica.”
Max nudged Kota’s leg, like he understood every word.
Since Kota was gone so late, his mother, Erica, must have put Max out in the garage. Otherwise, Max tended to whine if it was real late and not everyone was home.
It made it difficult for Kota to sneak out late, doing what he needed. The Academy required odd hours for different jobs. He preferred if he was gone that Max stay in the house. He felt his family was safer that way.
Kota hopped up the steps to the door, using his key to unlock it. He opened the door slowly to minimize the creaking. A fresh wave of cool air hit him, and he stepped inside.
Max followed, and then instantly marched down the hallway toward the living room. The dog sniffed the air as he went. He’d sweep the house, making sure everything was okay. If someone was out of bed, he’d yip. If someone was there who wasn’t supposed to be, he’d bark.
Kota left the garage door open for the moment. He suspected he’d be back out with Max in a few minutes. He wasn’t sure how long Max had been put in, but now that he was awake and moving, he’d probably want outside in a little while.
When Max yipped and then returned without a further sound, Kota tiptoed down the hall and opened another door, revealing a set of stairs. Max shot up the stairs ahead of him, climbing to the top and sitting down, waiting.
“Lay down,” Kota said, as he climbed. Max went for a spot near the bed and curled up on the floor. Kota was tired, and needed to catch some sleep before tomorrow. He had to go to the mall, and was expected to be up early to finish a few chores before he could take off.
Rain tapped against the window. Kota sat on the bed, taking off his tennis shoes.
The shadow was still on his mind. It wasn’t that he was paranoid. Maybe he was, but when he had a feeling something wasn’t right, he wasn’t usually wrong.
Something felt wrong now.
He moved to the window, squinting through the drops that splashed against the glass. He checked the street, and studied the house up the road.
For a moment, he wasn’t sure what he was seeing, as his eyes adjusted.
The shadow was back, only now it was moving toward the street. It was still at the two story gray house, moving along the driveway slowly. There was a hump on the back, like a book bag. Small figure.
He stared, waiting. He couldn’t be absolutely sure, but he was pretty sure it was the younger daughter.
“What in the world…” He stopped short, breathed in and held it, as if the girl down the road might hear him.
He continue to study her, trying to be sure. Is it really? Yes, it has to be. She had such a small frame, and the height was hers. It was also the way she walked, the way she kept her head down. She never looked up.
She stopped at the street, and waited.
At first he wondered if someone was about to pick her up. Somehow, he didn’t think so.
For the past few weeks, the younger girl always snuck out the back door, dashed to the woods behind her house, and walked the trails. He knew, because he spotted her a few times.
Each time he tried to find her, though, he either lost her, or when he got close, she dashed out of the woods. He und
erstood her to be shy, which was probably why she never simply waked the street where someone might see or approach her.
When he realized he probably wouldn’t be able to approach her normally, he spent time in the woods, waiting. She’d come around, climb a tree, and sit and watch the day pass. Daydreaming.
The thought of her face flashed in front of him. Sweet. Pretty. Haunted.
He felt it the moment he saw her. She was scared. He didn’t know what of.
She stood now at the end of her drive, still waiting.
His heart leapt, and he pressed his hands against the window, his breath causing a slight fog against the glass. He was silently urging her to go back inside.
What are you doing, crazy girl? It’s late and it’s raining. Where are you going?
It wasn’t likely he’d get answers just watching her. He waited, watching.
She stood still, alone. Did she do this every night and he’d never noticed? Or was this something more serious. She had a backpack. He had a feeling this wasn’t a nightly event. She wasn’t just going for a stroll. Maybe she was running away. What could she be running away from?
The only problem was, what should he do now? He continued to watch, not wanting to take his eyes off of her in case she took off somewhere. Should he get involved?
Echoes swept through his mind, of Mr. Blackbourne warning about getting involved in situations you didn’t know. It was basic Academy training. Never put yourself in front of someone if you don’t know who they are and what they are capable of. Don’t expose yourself to people you don’t know. Don’t get involved unless you know for sure what the story is.
The problem was, there might not be a story to discover if she was running away.
His heart told him if he didn’t take this chance, he may never have another. He couldn’t get over those haunted eyes. Could he stand by and watch her disappear forever?
No, even Mr. Blackbourne would have sent him out.
He thought about calling Nathan, maybe waking him up to join him in following her to see where she went. Kota’s problem was, if she took off and ran for it, two guys chasing after her probably wasn’t the best way to make an introduction. As it was, he hesitated because he had no idea how to approach her. He’d tried before to cut her off just to say hello while she was walking in the woods, and she always took off running if he got anywhere close. Her hearing was excellent. Even with his training, he was never quiet enough to approach her undetected.