44: Book Two

by Jools Sinclair

  44 Book Two

  by

  Jools Sinclair

  Published by You Come Too Publishing at Smashwords

  YOU COME TOO Publishing

  Copyright © 2011 Jools Sinclair

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in, or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the express written permission of the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Praise for 44

  *****

  A FANTASTIC novel! 44 was just about impossible to put down once I started. From the very beginning, there was an air of mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat… I highly recommend this fantastic novel!

  The Caffeinated Diva

  *****

  Everything from the setting, to the time frame, to the characters, was beautifully developed. This book is truly a gem and I highly recommend it. It literally took my breath away.

  Avery’s Book Review

  *****

  Sinclair sucked me in like a vacuum cleaner sucks up dirt. She brings mystery, love, and friendship to the book and weaves a lovely tale.

  Just Another Book Addict

  *****

  IMPRESSIVE! 44 is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and will take readers by storm. With so much information in such a small book it will impress readers to the detail and depth in so few pages. The conclusion will take your breath away. Don’t miss you chance to check out this amazing story.

  The Book Whisperer

  *****

  Fantastic, edge of your seat thriller. A MUST READ! It twists you about and as soon as you think you have it all figured out, throws you for the final loop with an ending that will break the hardest heart.

  Wormhole

  The first book in the 44 series

  is available for free

  wherever eBooks are sold

  For O.

  44 Book Two

  PROLOGUE

  It had been more than a year since he had last seen her and his heart ached to be with her again.

  The faint sound of drumming seeped across the dark land, invading his thoughts. It was nice though, exotic and gentle, and it soothed him, often lulling him into a light sleep. Sometimes he heard soft voices whispering, telling their stories around the campfires he smelled at night. He found this comforting too.

  The day had been long, but not difficult. Basic. Doing the work they expected of him. Nothing special, nothing important.

  Most of the time he was able to push away the thoughts of what he had lost. The life he knew. Her. But lately it seemed nearly impossible not to think about it all.

  He found himself thinking of her throughout the day as he worked, and at night, always right before drifting off to sleep. He knew he just needed to relax, let the time stretch out a little more. They would be together. It was destiny. They were linked by something greater than both of them. Something that wouldn’t allow the vast space between their two worlds to keep them apart. He knew that in his heart and soul. This was all just temporary.

  He needed to be more patient and wait for a sign when he could return.

  He inhaled sharply and looked up at the dull stars trying to shine through the thick band of haze. The yellow crescent moon kissed the dark sky. It was such a strange land. Dust coated everything, making the night look milky and unnatural.

  He rubbed his throbbing temples and waited for sleep to take him. He closed his eyes and thought of her. Her hair, her eyes, her beauty. Her energy. He thought of the times he would walk along the river, breathing in the sweet aroma of the juniper and pine trees, staring at the striking snow-covered mountains in the distance.

  They would find each other again, he told himself. They belonged together.

  He awoke into the early morning heat, sweat already dripping down his face. He stood up and stared out at the horizon.

  Night was always so odd here. Illusive, fast, half-dead. But in the early morning, something lifted. Life began again. The routines and chores of the day replaced the thoughts that ran rampant in the dark.

  The large camp was coming to life. Women began cooking at small fires. Babies cried.

  He still couldn’t shake her from his mind. He walked up to the small, muddy river and kneeled next to it, splashing his face with water.

  At least he knew what she was doing in Bend. He had someone there, someone who was watching over her and who reported back to him. Someone who was his eyes and ears until he returned.

  Two older men walked toward him on their way to the water for their morning prayers. The plight of the fool, he thought. Thanking this so-called higher power that turned a blind eye while they wallowed in poverty, war, and hunger.

  “Good morning, Dr. Mortimer,” one of them said, flashing a toothless smile.

  He smiled.

  He glanced back at the camp. There were so many here on the edge of death, so many who died every day. It had made his job easy. He could do his experiments without that messy part. He didn’t have to hurry them along. They presented themselves to him. Death was just a part of life for these people.

  And as he discovered, she didn’t show up if he didn’t kill them. That was an advantage too. Easier for now.

  But he still wasn’t able to replicate that success he had with her. He needed to get back and find out why his serum had only worked with her. Why she was so special.

  His heart fluttered thinking about her. This new emotion he now felt was strong. Powerful. He knew that together they could do incredible things.

  A group of young boys wandered down to the shore not far from where he stood, playing with an old soccer ball. It reminded him of her. She loved the game.

  He wondered if it was a sign.

  He shoved his hands in his pockets, squinting in the sun. A warm, happy feeling shot through him the more he thought about it.

  Yes.

  It was time to return.

  CHAPTER 1

  I took a deep breath, trying to relax.

  “Come on, Abby, you can do this,” Ty whispered in my ear as the rest of the group headed up the ridge to scout the rapids. I walked slowly behind them. “You’ve trained for it a long time and you’re more than ready. Just loosen up a little.”

  Ty’s shiny, light eyes beamed into mine like he was trying to telepathically shoot me confidence or something. I smiled, battling the bile that was coming up and stinging the back of my throat.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “You’re a great guide,” he said in a low voice right before we reached the people waiting on the trail by the river. “Hell, I taught you, of course you’re good. But you’re a natural too. You’ll do fine on this next one.”

  It’s not like this was my first time down the river with the tourists. I had been out here all week. But the first run of the day always shook me up a little.

  At the very least I knew I needed to hide my fear a little better. If Ty could see that I was nervous, my group probably would as well.

  I pulled down my sunglasses and walked up to them, six somber Japanese tourists, staring at the whitewater
with worried faces. I could see that they were really scared. Dark gray bands of energy hung over them as they stood stiffly next to Ty’s rowdy teenagers.

  I forced a big smile, hoping it would help. They nodded politely.

  I knew Ty was right about me being a natural on the river. I wasn’t sure why, but I was pretty good at reading the water and finding the right channels to shoot through, avoiding whirlpools and boulders and downed trees. I had trained for weeks in the spring and beat out more than a dozen other applicants who had been competing for the summer job.

  “Okay,” Ty said in a loud voice that echoed off the trees and rocks. “Let me have your attention.”

  I stood next to him as he started talking, the strong smell of the piña colada sunscreen that he always slathered on his arms filling my nostrils.

  “This here is Big Eddy, a quarter-mile stretch of continuous class II and Class III plus rapids. This section is the most intense part we’ll do out here today, but it’s also the most fun.”

  The teenagers cheered wildly for a minute.

  Being able to bring the tourists up on shore to scout the rapids was one of the nice things about this particular river trip. People usually liked studying the raging waves and massive drops down the canyon. Big Eddy was a set of impressive rapids and seeing it was a thrill. It still took my breath away no matter how many times I’d done the run.

  Ty pointed out the hidden rocks as he showed everyone the route. He also talked about the small but powerful whirlpool that we needed to avoid.

  “Any questions?”

  A few hands went up. As Ty answered them, I stared out at the water.

  Although it was intense, the run wasn’t like a serious river trip. This was more of a tourist attraction. Little kids were even allowed to come. It only took about an hour or so to run the three miles and we did it four times a day. Our job was to make sure the customers had a good time, and then deliver them safely to the take-out point for the bus drivers to shuttle them back down to the resorts in town.

  It wasn’t the biggest deal that Kate made it out to be sometimes.

  “Ready? Let’s go!” Ty said as he pulled down his super dark sunglasses that wrapped around his eyes, making him look like an alien.

  The other four guides were by the rafts upriver, waiting. They were all friendly enough, but I didn’t know them that well. They had all been river rats for the past few years and I was the newbie. Ty was the only one I really talked to.

  We headed back to the water. Before taking my seat in the back, I helped Amber hold the raft steady while my group got in. The four women and two men smiled, but they still looked scared. It would probably have been better for them to have not seen Big Eddy up close.

  Amber pushed us off and I lined up just behind Ty’s raft. My heart thundered in my ears as I grabbed my paddle, staring ahead.

  The river immediately picked up speed.

  “Okay everybody, remember, this is the fun one!” Ty said, his voice booming over the roar we were paddling into. “Yaw!”

  The teenagers’ yells bounced off the black lava rocks. I back paddled a bit to give Ty room. My group gripped their paddles, waiting for my instructions.

  Ty’s raft disappeared into the foam and mist and noise. Wild screams ensued.

  “Okay,” I shouted. “Everybody ready? Paddles in the water. Plant your feet and paddle hard. Here we go!”

  I waited another second or two before paddling, my stomach swaying with each roll of the waves. We were lined up okay, but I was left of where Ty had been, a little off from where I wanted to be.

  The river took us, turning white and mean as we dropped and flew over the waves, water splashing into the boat. The current was strong and was trying to push us into the rocks on the right. I tightened my grip and paddled, telling myself I could do this. I could run these rapids. I could beat this water.

  “Okay!” I called out. “Right side only.”

  They listened well and did exactly as we had practiced, the three women on the left pulling out their paddles. The raft evened out as I guided us back into the middle of the channel.

  “Good, okay, everybody now!”

  The churning water soaked us as we lunged into the next drop, sliding into a wave. We passed the boulder in the middle of the river a little closer than I would have liked, but we were okay.

  “Paddles out!”

  I pushed my paddle deep into the water and steered us away from the last rock on the left and we dropped again, shooting into the middle of the suddenly calm river.

  “Yeah!” I yelled. “Great job everyone!”

  My group was all smiles, but unlike everybody else around us, they didn’t cheer or high five each other.

  Ty gave me a thumbs up without turning around.

  The other rafts joined up as we meandered down the canyon, past pine trees and rock cliffs. A crow cawed as it flew above us. I searched for the pair of bald eagles that lived in the trees nearby, but they weren’t there.

  The hot sun baked my shoulders and a surge of emotion shot through me as I paddled us through the calm stretch. It felt incredible. This was the reason why I was out here on the river every day. With the roar of the rapids at my back and the beauty of the forest all around me, that new feeling swelled up inside.

  Peace.

  CHAPTER 2

  It had been more than a year since I had seen Jesse.

  Thirteen months ago, on a warm May afternoon, we sat by our lake and talked about how we died. His eyes sparkled as he looked at me. And then he kissed me. A long and passionate and sweet kiss. The kiss of dreams. The kiss that you remember forever because it’s the one.

  And then he vanished.

  I turned up the radio and let Adele flood the Jeep with another song about lost love as I waited at a light. Bend was packed with tourists. A large group crossed the street, mothers and kids and two teenage girls in bikinis, their arms wrapped around giant inner tubes, heading to the river.

  I had searched everywhere for Jesse. At the basketball courts around town. On the hills of Awbrey Butte and at the parks. I followed every skateboard that scraped the sidewalk. I ran up to tall strangers and I waited outside his house. I lingered around the lake. I drove up to Mt. Bachelor on my own in the winter and searched all the ski runs hoping to find him speeding down the slick slopes with that crazy smile plastered on his face.

  But I couldn’t find him.

  I sighed as I pulled into the parking lot. I got out and walked across the grass.

  When we were kids, Jesse and I always came here. It was our park. Sometimes we’d walk over after school and sometimes Kate would drop us off. He played goalie for me and I played one-on-one with him. Or we would just walk around talking while he dribbled his basketball.

  It was a good place. I knew he would come here to find me if he could.

  I sat down on the cement table, taking a deep breath of the summer air. I watched two kids throwing a Frisbee back and forth as I kicked at the benches. I scanned the play structures, the basketball courts, the fenced-off dog park.

  I wasn’t going to give up. Jesse was out there somewhere, and I was going to find him.

  But sometimes I did wonder if Dr. Krowe, the psychologist I used to see, was right that Jesse had just been a figment of my imagination.

  “The mind is an incredible instrument, Abby. It can create whole worlds,” he had said during one of our sessions. He had helped me a lot back when I was recovering. I was having a hard time, lost in a dark place.

  “Don’t you see?” he continued. “You invented Jesse. You loved him and couldn’t accept his death so your mind protected you through your trauma. It’s a miracle, really. Have you ever thought of what might have happened if you hadn’t had Jesse with you all those months? That maybe you wouldn’t have made it back psychologically? Having him around you in those transitional months probably saved you. And you must know that Jesse vanishing at the exact same time that you realized he had died is not a mere
coincidence.”

  Dr. Krowe was good people. I knew that. When I woke up after being dead for 44 minutes, I was a mess. I couldn’t see colors anymore, play soccer, or remember things. And then I started having terrifying dream-like visions of a serial killer. Dr. Krowe helped me deal with all that. And even though I still lived in a black and white world, most everything else was a lot better. He helped me out of the darkness.

  But he was wrong about Jesse. Jesse was real. I could feel it.

  But I needed to find him.

  Jesse wasn’t the only ghost I saw. Since the accident, I saw other ones sometimes. They walked around with heavy energies and dark shadows swirling around them. I didn’t see them often, just once in a while. They were in crowds, in stores. Walking down busy streets. They stood a little ways from the living, lurking in this world and not willing to let go.

  But they looked different than Jesse. Duller. Faded. Sad. And they had these frightening, intense eyes that gave me chills if I stared at them for too long. That’s how I knew they were from another world. They had ghost eyes.

  The sightings always left me with a bad feeling afterwards. I tried to ignore them, ducking into stores or turning around and walking the other way. I didn’t know why I was seeing them and I didn’t care.

  There was only one ghost I wanted to find.

  I flashed back to when I saw Jesse in the hospital room, standing over my bed right after the doctors brought me back to life. He didn’t have his baseball cap on and his eyes were large with worry. I hadn’t even recognized him. But then he spoke.

  “Craigers,” he said, leaning down and whispering. “I’m so glad you made it back.”