Holdin' On for a Hero

by Ciana Stone

  “Tea?” Senna asked Konnor.

  “No, thanks.”

  “Wonder where she went?” Senna asked.

  “She’s your aunt.”

  A shrug was all the reply she gave. She had no idea why Minora had suddenly left the room. After ten minutes passed, she was getting impatient. “I’m going to find her,” she said and stood.

  Just then Minora appeared at the door. She moved over in front of the sofa and stopped. A small box was on her lap. She opened it and a tinkling sound started as soon as the hinge lifted. Inside was a haphazard assortment of jewelry that appeared to have been just tossed into the box.

  Minora sifted through the items for a bit and when she raised her hand, she held a gold ring. Senna’s vision seemed to diminish, as if nothing existed but the ring. Minora reached out to Senna and Senna extended her hand.

  A sensation like an electric current ran through her as soon as Minora put the ring in her hand. Mounted on the gold filigree band was a large back opal. Sunlight from the window struck its surface, making it appear as if red fire burned within the heart of the dark stone.

  “I received this in a packet from your parents two weeks before the…incident,” Minora said. “They asked that I keep this safe for you.”

  “It matches my necklace.” Senna felt for the pendant at her throat. “Dad gave me this when I was fourteen.”

  For a few moments she stared at the ring. It seemed to generate some kind of energy. She was sure she could feel it. With trembling fingers, she slid it onto the ring finger of her right hand. It fit perfectly.

  “I don’t understand.” She looked at Minora. “Why are you giving me this now?”

  “It was at your father’s request. He said that if the day came when you asked about the Laserian data, I should give you the ring.”

  “Why?”

  “I have no idea.”

  Senna looked down at the ring then at her aunt. “But what does it mean? What is the Laserian data?”

  “I have never been able to determine what it means, and I have given it much thought,” Minora replied. “For years after the…accident, I searched through your parents’ effects for some clue as to what it could mean but found nothing.”

  Senna reached out and took Minora’s hand. “Min, I don’t know what this is all about, and I’m really sorry Detective Landers bothered you. If you like, I’ll stay and be with you when she comes.”

  “That won’t be necessary, dear.” Minora smiled. “I’ve dealt quite effectively with her kind before, and have every confidence I can do so again.”

  “Her kind?” Senna could not suppress a smile.

  Minora winked and smiled slyly. “I detected a definite note of animosity in her voice when she mentioned your name. I gather there is some tension between the two of you.”

  “Let’s just say she doesn’t care for me.” Senna didn’t want to get into a discussion about what had happened at Aaron’s party or her relationship with Ryan.

  “Could you be the cause of that?” Minora asked Konnor.

  “Me?” he asked. “No, I don’t think so.”

  “Hmmm…” Minora smiled. “I wouldn’t be too sure. It’s been my experience that a handsome man can be the best cause of conflict between two women.”

  “I assure you that’s not the case,” Konnor returned with a smile.

  “If you say so.” Minora let the subject drop. “Now, why don’t you two run along? Detective Landers should be here shortly.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Senna asked.

  “Positive,” Minora replied and directed her attention to Konnor. “However, I would ask a favor of you, Mr. Chase.”

  “Call me Konnor and I’ll do whatever’s in my power.”

  “Thank you, Konnor. My request is that you safeguard my niece. She is all the family I have left.”

  “I’ll do that, Ms. Laserian.”

  “Minora.”

  “Minora,” he took her hand, “I give you my word.”

  “I shall hold you to it,” she said.

  Senna leaned down and gave Minora a hug. “Everything will be okay,” she whispered into her aunt’s ear. “I love you.”

  “I love you, dear.” Minora gave her a kiss. “Please stay in close touch.”

  “I will.” Senna straightened. “We better go.”

  Konnor pulled a card from his pocket and gave it to Minora. “If you need to reach us, we’ll be at one of these numbers.”

  “Thank you, Konnor.”

  Senna and Konnor left the conservatory. Just as they reached the door, the doorbell rang. She pulled Konnor into the library, leaving the door cracked so she could see Mrs. Muller answer the door.

  “Detective Landers to see Ms. Laserian.” Paige stood at the door.

  “Yes, Detective Landers. Ms. Laserian is expecting you. If you’ll follow me, please.”

  Senna waited until the footsteps receded down the hall then she and Konnor left and ran to the car. As she reached for the door handle her eye fell on the ring. She thought about the energy signature she thought she detected from it. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it was all just a figment of her imagination. In a way, she hoped so. First a stone made her wig out, now she had an energy-producing ring. Maybe she was just losing her mind.

  Downtown Charlotte

  Ian paced around his office restroom, tapping the video DVD in his hand against the palm of his other hand. He had to find a safe place to hide it, somewhere no one would think to look.

  Sweat trickled down the middle of his back with his increasingly agitated stride. It was sheer luck that Slater had not discovered the video equipment before the first session when the experimental drug had been administered to Senna. Ian had been terrified at the idea of getting caught taping the session, and the conversation he, Slater, and Dr. Kinski had afterward. But the temptation had been stronger than the fear.

  The DVD was his one ace in the hole. He didn’t trust Slater, even if he did work for the CIA. And Kinski made him shudder. It would be easier to imagine Kinski torturing and killing than healing. Something in the man’s cold eyes told Ian that he was completely amoral and had no ethics whatsoever.

  That was why the DVD was so vital. If anything went wrong, he had to make sure Slater didn’t try to lay the blame on him. At worst, all he could be blamed for was cooperating with a government agent. His career might be damaged but at least it would not be destroyed.

  If they don’t kill you. The thought made him stop dead in his tracks. Slater had made it clear that if Ian talked to anyone about what was being done, he would be terminated and Ian didn’t think Slater meant simply terminating their relationship. That made the DVD even more important.

  He had planned on getting rid of the video equipment after Slater left last night but he couldn’t think of a way to get around the surveillance equipment Slater’s man had installed. The only place that wasn’t monitored was his private bathroom and the file room.

  Luckily that was where his video equipment was housed, behind the rack of files, in a safe hidden in the wall. Out of habit, Ian always carried the remote in his pocket. That was so he could activate the video and sound without a patient’s notice.

  A sudden inspiration brought a smile to his face. Tucking the video inside his jacket, he left the restroom, and crossed through his office. “Kendal, when is my next appointment?”

  She looked up from her typing. “Two o’clock—Mrs. Fargate.”

  Ian checked his watch. It was only half-past-twelve. If he hurried he had time. “I have to go out. If I’m a bit late, please ask Mrs. Fargate to wait.”

  Without waiting for a reply from Kendal, he hurried out of the office. His idea was brilliant. He would hide the DVD in the last place the CIA agent would think to look. Right under his nose.

  Southeast Charlotte

  When Konnor pulled up in front of the martial arts school, Ryan’s car was parked in the lot. Senna saw Ryan in the car. He turned and looked at the
m as they parked.

  “Could I have a word with you?” he asked Senna as she got out of the car.

  Konnor gave Ryan a hard look. “In private, if you don’t mind.”

  For a moment Konnor stared at him, and then he looked down at Senna. “I’ll be in the office if you need me.”

  She nodded and he went inside. Ryan watched the door close then turned to Senna. “I really want to try and clear up the bad feelings between us. Things have gotten out of hand and I can’t leave it like this. Can we just talk?”

  “It’s a little chilly.” She shivered in the breeze.

  “We can talk in the car.”

  She considered saying no. She didn’t want to get into a discussion about what had gone wrong between them. As far as she was concerned it was over and both of them would be better off just to get on with their lives. Besides that, there were just too many things going on in her life that she could not get into with him.

  “Okay.” She decided to give him his say.

  “First of all, I’d appreciate it if you’d just hear me out,” he began as soon as they were in the car.

  At a nod from her he continued. “I realize now that I haven’t been completely honest with you. Until that night at Aaron’s party I had not touched Paige. I swear. But I was lying when I said there wasn’t anything going on. There was chemistry between us from the very beginning. I knew it but tried to ignore it. I wanted our working relationship to be strictly professional and I knew that couldn’t happen if we acted on the attraction. I guess I was trying to fool myself as much as anyone. I thought as long as I didn’t acknowledge it, it would go away. But as we all know now, it didn’t. I swear I never meant for it to happen. And I should have been stronger, I’ll admit. But I wasn’t. You have no idea how much I wish I had been because I never wanted to mess up what we had. You mean more to me than you know and I don’t want it to be over. If you could just—”

  “Wait,” she interrupted softly. “Before you say any more, can I speak?”

  “Sure.”

  “Okay, first of all I want you to know that I’m not mad anymore about what happened. At the time I was surprised and if we’re being honest, I’ll admit that my ego was bruised. But I never hated you, Ryan. And in the long run, I guess what happened was for the best. Obviously there are strong feelings between you and Paige and it would useless for me to try and stand in the way of that. If you and she have something, I don’t want to interfere. I care for you and I want you to be happy.”

  “That’s just it, Senna. There isn’t anything there.”

  She raised her eyebrows and he looked away. He had a hard time believing he was actually sitting there lying through his teeth to her. But he couldn’t stop now that he was committed. “At Aaron’s, after we kissed, I told her it was wrong, that we couldn’t cheat on the people were involved with. In my mind it was wrong. They only thing we could do was either turn out backs on what was happening between us, or be honest with you and Aaron.

  “But Paige had a whole other slant on things. As far as she was concerned, there wasn’t any need to do either. The way she saw it, we could have it all.”

  “You mean she could continue her relationship with Aaron and have you at the same time?”

  “Essentially, yes.”

  “I see.” It didn’t surprise her. Paige had always impressed her as the type of person who was interested only in herself. However, she had a hard time imagining Ryan going along with that kind of arrangement. It was his wife having an affair that had ended their marriage. “And what did you and she decide?” she asked.

  He turned to face her. “We didn’t decide anything, but I did. I realized that whatever it is Paige feels for me, it isn’t the kind of caring I want. I can’t live that way and I won’t. I can’t screw Paige behind Aaron’s back and pretend to be his friend to his face. And I don’t want a woman who thinks that kind of behavior is acceptable.”

  “I’m not surprised.”

  “You’re not?”

  “No, not at all. I never thought you were the kind of man who lies easily or the kind who would betray a friend.”

  “Then you mean… Senna, is there still a chance for us?”

  She wanted to look away because facing him with what she had to say was not easy. Regardless of how she phrased it, it was going to hurt. “To be honest, right now I’d have to say no.”

  “But you said… Senna, I swear nothing like that will ever happen again. Paige and I are not—”

  “I know. And I believe you. But it’s not you, Ryan. It’s me. And…Konnor.”

  He blew out his breath and leaned back against the seat. “I should have known. Boy, he sure didn’t waste any time, did he?”

  “It’s not like that. At Aaron’s party, Konnor saw me right after I witnessed the scene between you and Paige. I was upset and humiliated and I just wanted to get out of there. He felt sorry for me and offered me a ride.”

  “Yeah, right into his bed.”

  Senna almost denied it. It would have been easier for her and it would have spared Ryan’s feelings. But it would not have been the truth. “He didn’t force me, Ryan.”

  He studied her face for a few moments. “Are you in love with him?”

  She realized that she had never asked herself that question. She knew she had never felt about a man the way she did Konnor, and that the idea of him walking out of her life made her feel anxious and empty, but she hadn’t had time to consider if what she felt for him was love.

  “I don’t know.” She made her answer as honest as possible. “Maybe.”

  “But you’re not sure?” His tone sounded hopeful.

  She didn’t know what to say.

  “Listen,” he took her hand, “will you do me one favor?”

  “What?”

  “Have dinner with me.”

  “I can’t.” She thought about the next session she had scheduled with Ian and Dr Kinski. “I have plans.”

  “Not tonight,” he corrected. “Friday.”

  “I don’t know,” she hedged.

  “Please. Let’s just go out and have a nice quiet dinner and talk. If you don’t want to see me after that I’ll accept it.”

  Senna considered if for a minute. Maybe it was the best way to end things. “All right. Friday night. What time?”

  “I’ll call and let you know.”

  “Okay.” She opened the car door. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  He smiled and started the car as soon as she closed the door. She watched him drive off, and went into the building. Konnor was sitting at the desk in his office, staring at the window with an expression like a storm cloud on his face.

  “Konnor? Is something wrong?”

  “You tell me.”

  For a moment she wondered if he was jealous. The idea made her heart beat a little faster. But she told herself not to jump to conclusions. Konnor had indicated he was interested in her, but he certainly had not made any promises or indicated he wanted them to be exclusive.

  “Ryan wanted to try and work things out.”

  “Was he successful?”

  “No.” She sat down in a chair against the wall. “But I did agree to have dinner with him Friday.”

  “Really?” He arched one eyebrow.

  She wasn’t sure how to react to his attitude. “He said that after Friday, if I told him I didn’t want to see him again he would accept it, and I thought it was best to go along with him.”

  “Are you sure that’s all it is?”

  “What do you mean?”

  He got up and circled around the desk. “Exactly what I said. Are you sure that’s all it is?”

  “Yes, as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Okay.” He changed the subject. “I’ve got someone to cover the classes for today so I can be there during your session with Kinski. But I have some things I have to do before then. Do you want to wait here or should I take you over to my house?”

  She wondered what kind of things h
e had to do but didn’t ask. If he had wanted her to know he would have said so. Besides, she needed some time alone. She had a lot of thinking to do.

  “I’d rather go to your house, if it’s not too much trouble.”

  “No problem. Let’s go.”

  Senna didn’t notice how Konnor kept glancing in the rear-view mirror on the drive to his house. She was too caught up in her own thoughts. When they pulled up in front of Konnor’s house, a grey Mercedes was parked in the driveway.

  “Wait here,” Konnor said and got out of the car.

  Senna watched as he walked over to the car and spoke briefly with its occupant. He returned to her. “It’s Ian Drake. He has something he wants to talk to us about.”

  They all went inside but no one spoke until Konnor had swept the house for bugs. Finally they took a seat at the bar in the kitchen. “I want you both to know that this is for your protection as well as mine,” Ian began. “I recorded the session with Kinski and the conversation that took place after the two of you left.”

  He directed his next words to Konnor. “I realize that I may be slitting my own wrists, so to speak, since you work for Slater. You see, despite the fact that he’s with the government, I’m not convinced I can count on him to keep his word. He vowed that no harm would come to either Senna or myself, and that no therapy, hypnosis or drug would be used that would endanger her life. But…”

  “You think he’s lying?” Senna asked.

  “I don’t know. What I do know is that from what I’ve been able to find out, Dr. Kinski isn’t listed with the American Psychiatric Association or the AMA. In fact, as far as I can determine, he simply doesn’t exist. At least in this country.”

  “I told you there was something creepy about him,” Senna said to Konnor.

  “To say the least,” Ian added. “But at this point I don’t think any of us has any choice but to go along.”

  “And what if they want to pump me full of some drug that’s going to turn me into a vegetable?” Senna asked.

  “That won’t happen,” Ian assured her. “The deal was that I be given a complete chemical breakdown of the drug to ensure that nothing I considered dangerous was used.”