by Krista Cairn
Inching the door open, she peeked around the corner. Mitch seemed asleep. Oh well, she thought; the biscuits would keep, and she could reheat the chili later. She started to back out when someone cleared their throat behind her. When she stood and turned, Neil was inches away. She’d nearly smacked him with the tray she held.
“Hey, food. Great idea. I’m famished.”
“Perfect timing , then,” she smiled, feeling a little sheepish. “Let’s sit over there.”
She used her chin to point to a table near the window.
“When you weren’t at home, I figured you’d be here,” he said.
“Where have you been all day?” Simone asked, looking up at a clock. “It’s pretty late.” “Bumped into some friends at the college. They’ve been taking me sightseeing.”
“That’s perfect. I haven’t been home for more than twenty minutes myself.” She passed Neil the food she’d originally planned for Mitch. “Anyone I know?”
“Nah, just some people I knew from different clubs I was in. Didn’t know them all that well, but they remembered me, so what could I do?”
She turned her head slightly to one side, still looking at him, giving him her best skeptical look.
He raised his hands up. “Seriously, I’ll probably never see them again.”
“So why not spend the day, right?”
“Well, they were paying.” He started eating.
“For everything but food, it seems.”
“Well, food was a while ago. I had to walk back. It took about an hour just to find my way.”
“You could have called. You know my number, right?”
He shook his head. “Nah, the best way to get to know a place is on foot. Think of it like a walking tour. I can’t believe how much has changed in a year and a half.”
Simone nodded and focused on her food.
“So, the college has three different programs I’d like to get more information on.”
Neil continued talking through their small meal. By the end, Simone was tired.
Whether she was lulled by the food, or by the comfort of him being back, or just being able to sit calmly for half an hour, she wasn’t sure.
This is almost as calming as ghosting, she thought. When Neil started telling her about the people he’d met, Simone wondered if she should she warn him about Karen, then thought better of it. He was quick. He’d catch on fast enough, if Karen hadn’t already made it abundantly clear earlier.
“I’m going to help Carol with the cleanup. How about we meet up back at home?”
Simone suggested.
“Sure. I’m still not sure this all isn’t a dream, so I’ll go along with whatever you say.”
He winked as he stood to leave.
As she tidied tables and started washing dishes, Simone wondered why she felt guilty about bringing Mitch here. It’s not like she was in a relationship and hiding “the other man” in a closet. She laughed. Maybe she should see if he was awake enough to eat now.
Simone scooped out more chili and prepared a couple biscuits, the same way she had the first time.
“Come in,” Mitch said as she leaned in. “I think I’m good now.”
“Try the light?” she suggested.
“Sure.”
She turned the dial up slowly, until it was bright enough so Mitch could at least see what he would be eating, then brought the tray in. “Do you need your water refilled?”
“No, it’s still half full.” He smiled. “Come in. Sit.”
Simone pulled up a folding chair that sat a few feet away, along the wall of lockers.
“It’s good to see you alert. You had us pretty worried.”
“Yeah. Let’s never do that again, okay?” He stretched his arms out, twisting them a bit as they straightened. “The pain is mostly gone.”
Simone reached out and gave him a gentle poke in the ribs. “Sore?”
Wincing, he made a grumbling sound. “Guess so.”
“Try some Epsom salts in a hot bath. It’s good for muscle soreness.”
“Jenna. She’s different, but not the same kind of different as we are.”
“She’s athletically gifted—to a sickening extreme. In school they kept making her take tests to see if she was using steroids. She stopped competing.”
“What about your other friends?”
Simone thought for a moment. “Well, I have a friend that’s insanely smart. Kaelynn.
She has a ranch just outside of town. She’ll sign up for a college course, read the textbook, do a bit of research, and by the end of the course she could be teaching it. I can’t tell you how many courses she’s audited then aced the exam on.” She started laughing. “It’s her luck that’s bad. She’s walked in on more crime scenes by accident than some people have on purpose. Jenna finally suggested she coordinate the route for each of the Zenith teams, figuring that instinct would come in handy.”
“Zenith what?”
“I’ll explain that another time. We should get you home.”
“Did Jenna leave her car?”
Simone pulled a set of keys out of her pocket. “She suggested I give you a ride once you’re up to it.”
Mitch leaned back again, resting his head against the chair.
“And Carol says we can only stay here until closing.” She poked him again, eliciting another wince.
“Stop that,” he grumbled, sitting forward.
Simone stood up and went to the light switch, slowly dialing it up until it was as far as it would turn. “Still okay?”
He nodded.
“We can go, then. Unless you have someone to pick you up.” They hadn’t talked much about him, about his situation. Aside from his sister and his job, she knew virtually nothing. Well, and the light thing.
He stood up, gradually stretching his arms overhead, then leaning side to side. “A ride would be great.”
Simone caught herself staring and looked away, her face going red. Was she really going boy-crazy, or were he and Neil each trying to get her attention? Okay, Neil had admitted he was, but Mitch was barely a friend. What was he thinking?
Mitch laughed lightly. “Let’s go.” He nudged her with his elbow.
Avoiding skin contact. Good, she thought. There was a deeper conversation they might need to have, but for now she wanted to keep her distance. They needed a strategy for what to do when they faced danger together. Clearly they’d gone too far today. The flare was self-defense. She knew that. She just hoped she wouldn’t dream about it. This was part of learning, right? She could let the guilt go.
“Deep in thought?” he asked.
“Just thinking the day over. Hoping I won’t have nightmares. Hoping I forget it all, actually.”
He frowned. “I won’t be forgetting this anytime soon. You saved my life, you know.”
“By almost killing you, sure.” Nice that he saw her intent, not the pain. “If you mean it, buy me a coffee sometime.” She smiled. “Let’s go.”
Simone waved to Carol as they went past. “Sorry, Carol. I’ll make this up to you. He needs to get home.”
“All right, sweetie. We can talk tomorrow,” Carol called out.
Out under the streetlights Simone realized the flaw in their plan. In the dark spaces, she’d go incorporeal, taking the car with her. He’d fall out onto the road.
“I don’t think I can drive. It’s too dark out.”
He reached out and took her hand. She felt a light surge of energy.
“There. Now you can drive.” He smiled.
Something about his expression made her blush. Naïve. She was that. Having a gregarious male best friend put any chance of a boyfriend on the “next to impossible” list.
When Neil was gone, she’d dated one guy and he’d turned out to be a walking disaster.
“We’re safer when we stay in contact, I think,” he added. “It’s the high-tension shocks that hit hard.”
“I admit it’s weird that we seem to counteract each other.”
“Balance,” he said. “We balance each other.”
A warm, soft sensation flooded through her and she looked at him. Was he the source, or was this her?
In the car, she wanted to find out more about him. It seemed like a good idea, since they would probably be spending more time together now.
“How old are you?” she asked.
“Twenty-six. You?”
“I thought you were closer to my age.” She eyed him skeptically. “I’m twenty. Last month.” Bit of a gap, but not bad. Rene hadn’t really met him yet. She’d have him run a full background check. She needed to know who she was trusting. “Where do you live?”
“Head west, go about six blocks, then turn left. It’s the first apartment building on the right.”
“Got it.” She reached forward and turned the radio on so she wouldn’t feel a need to fill the quiet. There were more questions, but why ask, she decided. If she forgot his answers while sleeping, it could be embarrassing. Her nightmares always caused memory loss. Pulling to a stop in a well-lit area in front of a humble three story apartment complex, she remembered the disk. She’d get it once he was out. Instead of getting out, Mitch sat quietly. A minute became two and she turned to see what he was thinking. When she did, he turned to face her and softly placed a hand on the side of her neck, thumb near her ear, and pulled her closer.
She sat, staring then made herself blink a few times. Her mouth went dry, causing her to lick her lips. His eyes dropped to her mouth and he leaned in close. When they touched, Simone tried not to think about the hundreds of physical sensations he caused but as their kiss deepened, she lost the thought. A moment later he pulled away and kissed her lightly on the forehead.
“See you tomorrow,” he said.
“See you tomorrow,” she parroted, in a kind of daze.
“Hopefully that keeps you charged long enough to get home safely,” he winked.
“Keep your eyes on the road.”
Suddenly she laughed. “Thanks. Sleep well.”
She watched him walk to the entrance before snapping back to reality. It was time to go home. And Neil was there, waiting. Hoping. Quite possibly planning. She sighed and pulled out onto the road. She should focus on Carol and Rene’s situation instead. Rene wanted her to watch over Carol and he wouldn’t ask her to do that without good cause.
Maybe she should swing by the café and make sure everything was good.
Chapter 9 // Time’s Up
Simone saw instantly that all was not well at the café. Three large men and an equally burly woman stood in a semi-circle around Carol. She slammed the car to a stop and jumped out, running to the door. It was locked.
The back door was probably open. Carol liked to leave it unlocked when she was cleaning so she could toss bags into the dumpster without accidentally locking herself out.
Simone ran to the back. It was still propped open. As she moved forward, she switched lights out.
Peering through the last doorway between her and Carol, she saw one of the men slap her then pick her up as though he was going to carry her away. With no time to come up with a plan, Simone ran to the main breaker and pulled the switch down. In the confusion, the man put Carol down but held her wrist tight.
“Stop, why are you doing this?” Carol started sobbing. Her hands moved from gripping her waist to covering her face. “Just take the money and go. I won’t report it.”
“We’re way beyond that, Hilda.”
Hilda? Simone snuck forward, grateful the two street lights hadn’t been replaced out front yet. When she leaned closer, she saw her hand was solid. Oh, right. The kiss.
She’d need to adapt her tactics. Carol still had her face in her hands, promising not to tell anyone what they looked like if they left. Simone walked in and just as she got noticed, she hit the wrist of the man holding Carol, pushing the remaining light out of her as she did. It worked, blinding them momentarily. Reaching out, she took Carol’s wrist and concentrated on ghosting, hoping she changed Carol with her. She had no problem with bikes, and cars, and packages, but people were… different. She’d never tried. Too risky.
Carol shrieked.
“Shhh, Carol, it’s me, Simone. I’m here to help you.” She started pulling Carol to the back. One of the men had recovered his sight and attempted to grab them. He failed. Elated, Simone was half-tempted to turn back and do a good old-fashioned ghost act, but rational thought prevailed. Save Carol. That mattered.
She pulled the dumbstruck Carol through shadows until they were in Simone’s back yard. Walking down into the stairwell leading to her basement apartment, she stopped as they reached light so Carol wouldn’t trip and fall, having suddenly become solid again.
“Carol, it’s okay. You can trust me, but I have to ask you not to tell anyone what happened after I came. No one can know I am able to do that, okay?”
Carol looked puzzled. “Do what honey? You fought those bad people off and brought me here. That’s heroic, girl. I want to tell everyone.”
Simone took a moment to marvel at the human mind and the lengths it went to in order to protect its version of reality. That was one less concern, at least.
“Okay, well I think you should stay at my place tonight. My friend Neil is rooming here too, so if you’re not comfortable, I can find you another place.” Where, she wasn’t sure.
The hotel was dangerous for reasons that might not include Carol, but right now Simone had no idea. She needed to sit down with Kaelynn and talk this all out.
“No, sweetie. I’m sure your home is lovely. And your friend seems respectable. I’m happy to stay here the night.”
Unlocking the door, Simone saw all the lights were out except in the kitchen.
“Hey, Neil, we have company,” she called out.
A sudden flurry of activity in the kitchen made her wonder what he’d been up to. She turned to Carol.
“You can leave your shoes here and the guest slippers are in the closet. Just a minute.” She reached up to a shelf in the closet and pulled down a pair of knit slippers.
“Don’t worry, they get a thorough disinfect after each use.”
Carol nodded and changed into the slippers as Neil rounded the corner.
“Someone broke into the café while Carol was cleaning up. She’s going to stay here tonight,” Simone said, head to the living room. “She gets the couch, so you’ll have to take the floor in my room. I have a mat somewhere.” She hurried around looking for a set of bedding for Carol to use.
“Hello, Son,” Carol greeted Neil. “I hope you don’t mind the intrusion.”
“No, ma’am,” he said. “Can I make you some tea?”
It was the first time Simone had heard him use the word ma’am. Nice. He knew the gentler set of manners. And he offered a café owner tea….
“Yes, Son. Thank you.” She sat on the couch, looking a little uncomfortable.
“Simone,” she leaned forward. “Did we forget to lock the back door?”
“Oh, right. I think we did. I’ll go back.” She stood to go but Carol grabbed her arm.
“It’s too dangerous, dear. You send that nice boy to do it. He seems very strong and capable.”
Carol wasn’t that old, but she did love historical novels. They seemed to be rubbing off. Maybe this an odd effect of her shock, too.
“They’ll be long gone. I think raccoons are the bigger threat now. I’ll be right back.”
She needed to get the car, too.
“Neil, I have to go back and shut the raccoons out. I’ll only be a few minutes, okay?”
she called out as she headed toward the exit. Hopefully no one stole the car. She had left the keys in. Had she left it running too?
“Yup, no problem,” he called back.
As she hurried back to the café, a deep sadness settled over her. Carol was in witness protection. Or Hilda, if the thugs had it right. They had tracked her down the same day Rene was locked in jail, waiting to post bail. Carol couldn’t go
back. Hot Crossed Coffee would be closed and sold for the first time in twelve years. Why were people still looking for Carol all these years later? That was a pretty strong grudge.
She started finding shadows along the way and let them calm her. Ghosting was a blessing more than a curse, she decided. When she monitored her usage, when she didn’t lose who she was to it, it was a definite boon. Saving people like Carol made every sacrifice, every pain worth it.
The car was sitting at an angle facing the café, still running and unlocked. It was a miracle no one decided to steal it. Then again, anyone in this neighbourhood knew better.
This was Jenna’s car, and it was distinct.
Jumping in, Simone backed up and turned a tight u-turn to go behind the café. Now that the car had been saved, she wanted to check the café. She returned the breaker to the ‘on’ position so the items in the fridge and freezers wouldn’t go bad, although that seemed like a futile idea. Still, there was no way to know what would happen tomorrow. At the least, they could donate the food and supplies to a soup kitchen.
In the seating area, a few chairs and tables were knocked over but other than that the restaurant was undamaged. Good news, at least. Carol might sleep better knowing this.
She went to the small dressing room and found Carol’s purse and emptied the till into it before slinging it over her shoulder.
All the other windows and doors were locked. What else should she check? Nothing came to mind, so she went out and locked the back door behind her.
As she turned away from the door toward the car, she saw an shimmer off to the left, at the edge where the alley started. Curious, she let herself ghost and eased her way over to see what it was. She gasped when she saw all four thugs laying in a row, dead, their Traces playing overhead.
Out of respect for the living, she watched, whether anyone else on the planet cared for these four or not. An oddly familiar man was a recurring image, but she couldn’t remember where she knew him from. She’d better do a voice recording of the memory and description. As the last image faded she took a little comfort in how short the playback was.
They had died fairly quickly, a small mercy.