Stolen Dreams

by Stacey Kennedy

  Eddie and Zach both exchanged a look then glanced at empty space.

  “I thought you didn’t want to be here?” I asked her. “Why have you come, Hannah?”

  Her gaze was focused on the grave in front of her. “That’s me,” she whispered.

  “Ahhh...we’re not sure.” My heart sank for her. Why had she come here? Nothing about this could have been easy. To witness the sight of her skeleton―I thought that might be worse than if she saw her body the day after she’d been killed.

  “Do you remember anything now that you’re back here?” Kipp asked her, moving into detective mode. “Anything further that could help us?”

  Hannah thought for a few moments then said, “I’m sorry, no. Only what I have already told you. I know it was Percy, or whatever his name is, who did it. I know why he did it. But I can’t seem to remember anything else.”

  “Mind filling us in on what you’re all talking about?” Zach asked, impatiently.

  I turned toward him. “Kipp asked her if she remembers anything else, but she doesn’t.”

  “Of course she doesn’t,” Zach grumbled.

  “Hey, cut her a break,” I snapped, as if he was about to make her feel bad for what she couldn’t control. “They never remember.”

  Zach’s eyebrows shot up, his expression clearly dumbfounded. “But Kipp does?”

  “Yes.” I nodded, slowly. “I know this.”

  I was still trying to figure that one out. I hadn’t forgotten he remembered everything about his life, but with no answers for why, it was put on the back-burner.

  Eddie’s look equalled Zach’s, his lips pursed in thought. “Then why can he remember things?”

  I shrugged, that was a good question. “I have no idea.”

  “Maybe it’s because...” Eddie started.

  Zach apparently had something more important to say since he cut him off. “I think when this is over you should try and learn more about why you can do this. There has to be like a group or something.”

  “Want me to search them out on Facebook or something?” I laughed.

  Zach nodded with no amusement, silencing my laughter. “It’s a place to start.”

  Before I could respond about just how ridiculous that was, Kipp intervened. “He’s right, you know. There must be others like you. Wouldn’t it be nice not to feel alone?”

  I scowled. What was this, an intervention? “How did this become about me? Focus everyone.”

  They all grinned at me.

  Hannah’s hushed voice came through our little squabble. “It doesn’t even look like me.”

  I looked over to her, her gaze focused on her grave as she peered down into it. “Well, that’d be ‘cause its bones.”

  Hannah glanced away from the deep hole, met my gaze and smiled. “Why hadn’t I noticed that?”

  Instantly, I felt warm on the inside. It was nice to see a smile on her face given what she was looking at. I glanced to Kipp. He appreciated the sight as much as I was, if his sweet smile had anything to say about it. I focused on Hannah. “You have a beautiful smile.”

  She reached up, ran her hand along her lips. “I think I forgot I could do that.” Her smile grew rapidly. “It feels wonderful.”

  I waited a moment, wondered what was going to happen next. Would she up and vanish? I suspected it wasn’t about solving the murder for Hannah to cross over. It was about finding her body―bringing her home.

  Within seconds of my assumption, Hannah’s form began to shimmer. Not missing the opportunity, I talked fast. “It was nice to meet you, Hannah.”

  “Thank you,” she replied, glancing around to the group of us. “Thanks to all of you.”

  “She’s thanking you,” I told Zach and Eddie. “She’s leaving now.” Both their eyes widened with amazement.

  Eddie cleared his throat, then mumbled something similar to, “Glad to have helped.”

  “Godspeed,” Zach said. Eddie burst out laughing. Zach punched him in the arm and glared. “Seemed like the right thing to say, dickhead.”

  “Godspeed.” Eddie laughed again. “That’s what you come up with?” He laughed harder. “Godspeed.”

  “Ahem,” I interrupted. “Having a magical moment here, do you two think you could zip it?”

  They both listened.

  Hannah approached Kipp, walked toward him with her arms raised ready for his embrace. “Without you none of this would have been possible. I’m sorry for what happened to you, but without it, I’d always be stuck here, like this.”

  Kipp latched onto her and hugged her fiercely, settling her head on his chest. “My peace rests in yours, Hannah.”

  When she backed away from him, her smile beamed with happiness. For the first time Hannah had life in her eyes again. Those stolen dreams were lost and would always be, but there was something better for her now. Her soul had settled.

  I’d never really paid attention to this part before, what lay within the ghosts’ eyes right before they crossed over. Normally, I was too annoyed to look or care. Now, I could almost understand the rush the others talked about before.

  I imagined that it was what I felt right now, and was sure I’d strive to feel it again. Did it arouse me? Hell no. But it did fill me with contentment and purpose.

  Suddenly, Hannah’s gaze swung over my shoulder, her eyes widened. Her head snapped up and she screamed something, but she’d already begun to fade. I couldn’t hear her words.

  “What?” I asked and stepped closer.

  I couldn’t understand why she looked at me as if something was terribly wrong. What had her so upset? I focused on her mouth and tried to make out what she was saying.

  In one second, her words were clear.

  “It’s him.”

  ***

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Time stopped.

  The killer was here. My heart pounded in my ears. A wave of fear washed over me, my adrenaline spiked.

  Brody stood, gun raised.

  Confusion gripped me. My mind raced with a thousand thoughts.

  How could Brody be the killer? He had dark hair and didn’t match the description. But just as the thought hit me, a memory surfaced―the dirt on his ear was no dirt at all. Hair dye. He had altered his appearance, which was why he hadn’t been picked out in the police department photos. It hadn’t come together until now. The pieces were falling into place.

  Zach and the others had been so shocked Max sent him to assist in the search. The truth was, he hadn’t. He must have known something was up when he found Zach and me in the file room. Brody had come here with one intention―to kill them all.

  “Get down,” Kipp roared.

  I didn’t hesitate. I dropped to the ground in an instant as the gun erupted with a loud bang that shuddered into my soul. My hands covered my ears as I screamed from the earth-shattering noise.

  Right then, a body fell in front of me with a heavy thud.

  In my line of vision, Eddie stared at me as he gripped his side and roared in pain. I screamed again. Footsteps barrelled past me. I looked up to see Zach running full speed toward Brody.

  Another shot blasted through the night sky, Zach’s shoulder flew back, but he didn’t stop running. Just as Brody cocked the gun, Zach slammed into him with the full force of his body.

  “Get up, Tess,” Kipp shouted. “Run.”

  I jumped to my feet, wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of here, but my feet seemed stuck, glued to the forest floor. I was being held back, by exactly what, I didn’t know. All I knew was I couldn’t move.

  “Run,” Kipp shouted at the top of his lungs again. His expression was filled with worry.

  Hurriedly, I glanced at Brody and Zach as they beat the hell out of each other. Zach had managed to get the gun away from Brody and it now lay in the grass.

  Loud shouts and the thumps of two men annihilating each other filled the quiet forest. I couldn’t tell who had the advantage. It appeared to be a pretty even fight.

&nbs
p; Zach suddenly got the upper hand of straddling Brody while he pummelled his fists against his face. They were skilled cops, Brody apparently knew how to protect himself, and furthermore, knew how to get out of a tight hold.

  In a quick move, he managed to get out from underneath Zach, and now had him pinned while he issued blows in return. Zach’s forearms took most of the hits, but a few snuck in and I could see the ripple of pain across Zach’s features.

  “It was you?” Zach pushed Brody away from him, jumping to his feet. “You shot Kipp?”

  The two circled each other. “Hannah would have ruined my life. She wouldn’t just keep her mouth shut.”

  “So, you killed her.” Zach lunged forward and blasted him across the chin. “An innocent woman?”

  Brody recovered from the shot instantly, reciprocating with a hard hit into Zach’s gut. “She left me no choice.”

  “You shouldn’t have been fucking her in the first place, you’re a married man.” Zach coughed his answer from having his guts tenderized. His hesitation didn’t last long and he ran at Brody, latching onto him around the waist as he slammed the both of them into a tree.

  I couldn’t take my gaze off the scene. I needed to hear the answers, almost to give myself some closure to this or even to make sense out of why he would end Hannah’s life the way he did. I think I was still in shock knowing it was Brody. It was like a twist out of a Hitchcock murder mystery.

  “She was going to ruin everything, my marriage and job,” Brody gasped, pinned against the tree.

  Zach landed a hard punch on Brody’s face. Blood trickled down from his eyebrow. “That was worth more to you than a woman’s life?”

  “She wasn’t going to ruin it all for me.” Brody laid a good right hook onto Zach’s jaw. “Not a little woman who all I wanted to do with was fuck.”

  “What about Kipp?” Zach stretched his jaw out before he returned the gesture, which sent Brody to crumble down the ground.

  “He was getting too close.” Brody stumbled back onto his feet. “He knew all about it.”

  “Yeah, he’s a good cop, which you know nothing about.” Zach lurched forward and pounded into Brody’s stomach a couple times.

  “If you all just stayed out of this,” Brody dodged the hits as best he could. “It wouldn’t have worked out this way.”

  Zach punched him in the side, apparently searching for a kidney he could demolish. “If you kept your cock out of this, it wouldn’t have happened at all.”

  Brody gave Zach a hard push, sending him tumbling back. “I never wanted this. I never wanted to kill anyone. But I’ve gone this far to protect my life. I won’t let you destroy it now.” He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade. After a quick flick, a knife was exposed; the shiny metal glowing in the moonlight.

  I couldn’t see Zach’s expression, but his tense body told me he knew the trouble he was in. He attempted to lunge forward and grab the knife, but Brody managed to slice deep into Zach’s arm. Blood splattered onto the ground.

  Zach backed away, clutching his arm. He hesitated only a moment then rushed toward Brody, which landed him a knife in the shoulder.

  His scream rang out around me and snapped me out of my stunned state. My breath gasped out and coherent thoughts came back to me.

  Apparently, Kipp had been in a similar condition because he suddenly said, “What the hell are you doing...get out of here.”

  Brody attempted to gouge Zach’s eyes out and Zach did whatever he could to avoid the sharp blade. I tore my gaze from the fight and looked Kipp straight in the eye. “I have to help him.” Then, I ran―ran like I’d never run before.

  “Stop...” Kipp roared.

  Ignoring him, I kept my focus on the gun lying on the ground and never looked back. The sound of Zach fighting for his life was sickening. Deep groans, shouts of pain as metal sliced against bone filled the air around me.

  Oh god, give me strength here!

  In seconds, I was there. I reached out before I was even close to the gun and fell to my knees, wrapped my hand around the cold steel. I gripped it tightly, stood, raised it and pointed it in Brody and Zach’s direction.

  Kipp’s voice was suddenly smooth and stable next to me. “Have you ever used a gun?”

  My breath hitched. I was horrified, nervous and on the verge of shitting my pants. “No.”

  “You sure you want to do this?”

  I could tell he wasn’t opposed to the idea. He merely needed to know for peace of mind.

  I could see Zach was beginning to weaken. Brody had him on the ground, sitting on top of him. Zach was using all of his strength to stop the knife that was very close to plunging into his chest. I couldn’t wait any longer. “What do I do?”

  Kipp stepped in behind me. The coldness of his presence surrounded my entire body. It provided a much needed comfort and a boost of confidence to know I wasn’t alone here. “Feet shoulder width apart. Bring your left foot forward a little.” I did as he instructed. “Lean forward slightly, make your firing arm strong, but don’t lock your elbow.”

  This posture felt entirely uncomfortable. A gun in my hand was just wrong. I pushed the insecurity away. Another life would be lost if I didn’t act. The way it looked now, it wasn’t going to be the one who deserved it.

  Zach was losing. The knife was only mere centimetres away from his chest. Both men were groaning, struggling, to end this fight.

  “Close your left eye,” Kipp said next. “Focus on Brody―lock in your target.”

  Doing as he asked, I followed Brody’s movements. The gun wavered with each and every way he turned. It was impossible. “How can I lock in on him, they’re moving all over the place.”

  “I’ll distract him to get him away from Zach. Just keep your aim on him no matter what. When Zach is clear, shoot and don’t stop shooting until he’s down.”

  My hand shook at the anticipation of what was ahead. You can do this! You can do this! You can do this!

  “Take a deep breath in and don’t let it out until he’s on the ground.” Kipp bolted suddenly. He ran toward the brawling men on the ground.

  I could see Kipp in my peripheral vision, but I was too focused on Brody to clearly see what his plan was. I knew my chance would be small and this was my only shot. If I didn’t hit him, we’d all be dead.

  Right then, Kipp came into sight, hovering over Brody. What was he doing? He lingered over him, almost as if he floated. Then, a second later, he dropped down on top of Brody and seemed to enter his body.

  In an instant, Brody was off Zach and flew straight back with a look of utter horror on his face. I followed the movement and stiffened my form to be ready. Come on...come on...Kipp...get out of there...

  With a loud gasp from Brody, Kipp shot out of his body and vanished from my line of sight. Not wasting a single moment, I closed my finger around the trigger. The gun exploded sending vibrations roaring down my arms, strong enough to rattle my teeth.

  Brody fell to the ground.

  I ran forward, the gun still straight out in front of me. When I stood over top of Brody, I pulled the trigger again and his body jumped. Blood poured from his mouth. His eyes were wide, fading away. I screamed as I never had before, closing my eyes as I fired again, and again.

  “Tess.” A hand closed around the gun, then I realized, the chamber was empty, no more bullets remained.

  Slowly, I opened my eyes. Zach’s expression was far beyond worried. “Did I do it?” My voice came out shaky and rough.

  Zach smirked and glanced at Brody. “I’d say that he’s dead.”

  Hesitantly, I followed his gaze. Yes, Brody definitely wasn’t moving. Blood layered his cotton white shirt.

  An emotional breakdown was on the brink―I’d just taken a life. I gasped a shuddering breath and dropped the gun as if it burned my skin. Tears filled my eyes and nearly fell, but a voice distracted me.

  “Tess,” Kipp said softly.

  After a quick spin on my heels, I met his ga
ze. His eyes were wide and his look confused me for a second. Right then and there, I realized the most horrible thing had just happened. Horror rose and stole the last parts of my stable mind.

  The case was solved.

  His reason to stay was gone.

  I ran forward, screaming. “No. You can’t go yet. I’m not ready. I thought we’d have longer.” At least a week longer to do the DNA testing. But I wasn’t prepared. Nothing in me was ready to let him go.

  “Tess,” he said again.

  I reached him and fell to my knees. He joined me so we were face to face. He cupped my cheek, the cold air nearly hurting against my hot flesh, but I welcomed it. It said he was still here. “I love you, you can’t go. I need you here.”

  “I love you, too,” he replied, so very quiet. “But Tess...”

  I closed my eyes tight not wanting to see him go. I couldn’t watch him vanish. “No, no, no. I don’t what you to go. I don’t care if that makes me selfish, I’ll be self-centred then. I want to keep you forever. Be a lingering spirit until I can join you.”

  “Tess...”

  I raised my head, wanting to scream at the Heaven’s above. “He’s mine. You can’t have him. I won’t let you have him.”

  “Tess.” His voice came again, this time impatient.

  I opened my eyes, a little annoyed myself. “What? Can’t you see I’m talking to God?”

  A slow grin spread across his face, his eyebrows lifted. “Yes, I can see that.”

  “Well then...what?”

  He never said anything, just stared intently into my eyes. The minutes ticked by while I was lost in the depths of those eyes that could give me a lifetime of happiness.

  Then, as each second passed, some sense returned.

  Slowly, I glanced around. Zach had a phone to his ear with one hand, while the other pressed down into Eddie’s wound as he rolled in pain. My gaze flickered back to Kipp’s, his grin now a full-blown smile.

  It took a second for me to fill in the rest. I misread his wide eyes, it wasn’t fear―it was surprise. The unbelievable had happened. I gasped a breath and held no restraint on my tears. “You’re still here...”