by Krista Cairn
“Weird. I can’t even speculate on that.”
“Hang on, I’m going to call in about the man on the sidewalk.”
She was about to dial when a wailing sound started, not far ahead. Human voice, not animal. Steeling herself for the worst, she followed Mitch as he walked toward it. A keening for the dead. That’s what came to mind. Someone started throwing things, breaking glass against metal. Bottles versus a dumpster, she expected.
If Jenna was here, I wouldn’t be nervous, she thought. Or maybe I just need to learn self-defense, she thought. When we get out of here, that’ll be my next message. I promise.
Please God, let us survive this.
“Can you fight?” she whispered to Mitch.
“Military, remember?” he whispered back.
“Not everyone in the military learns hand to hand combat, though.”
“I did.”
“How much? Were you good at it?”
“Yes, can we focus here?”
“Oh, thank God. Yes, okay.” She bit her lip to keep from talking.
They rounded the corner where the noise came from and saw a woman kneeling over a small body. Not far away another boy was busy beating things up with a metal pipe.
Walking quickly, Mitch went over as Simone tried not to trail far behind.
“Excuse me, can we help?” he asked.
The woman looked up, startled. “My son. He’s been sick, but this is bad. He’s never fallen like this.”
Mitch nodded. Turning back, his face was hard. “Do you think you can do your thing here? This kid has radiation poisoning.”
She nodded, noting that his glow started up and increased rapidly. “I don’t really want the parents to see this though. They might take it the wrong way.”
“Right,” he said, turning back to the mother. “Excuse me ma’am, let me get him to a hospital. They might be able to help.”
“They’ve tried. He’s been admitted but he won’t stay. He keeps running away. I haven’t seen him in weeks, until today.”
“We have to try, right?” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. He faced Simone again and showed her the detector. It was orange, bordering on red. “Ma’am, we’re actually here testing a device that could help. He wouldn’t need to go back to the hospital, but it is bright. Can you cover your eyes?”
“What? No. Not until you make sense.” She stood up, hands balled at her sides, but her eyes were hopeful.
“This area is heavily radioactive. We’ve been working on a way to remove it, safely, and tests have been positive. See this reading?” He showed her the counter. “This is the reading for this entire neighbourhood.”
The other boy came over, nearly frothing in anger. “Prove it. If you can fix this, do it.”
“Donnie, behave,” his mother scolded.
“I want to see it,” he insisted.
“Both of you cover your eyes,” Simone said, using a soft tone. We didn’t bring sunglasses for other people and it’s an ion pulse. She had no idea what she was saying, but it didn’t matter, as long as they believed her.
The mother took the boy and held him close to cover his eyes then ducked her own head, covering her eyes with her other hand. “Okay. What can it hurt now?”
Mitch lit up, faster than Simone thought possible, then looked at her.
“Now,” he said.
She took his hand and drew his energy in, wincing a bit. It would be worth it if they could cure this neighbourhood. Cure this boy. His family was probably dying and completely unaware. She pushed the energy pulse out, quick enough for them to feel, but not feel hit.
As it passed them, they each gasped, including the child on the ground.
His mother turned and kneeled, pulling him to sit up. “Barry, are you okay?”
“What was that? I felt that,” he said. “I feel different.”
“He’s still going to need a lot of care.” Mitch held the detector close to him, pleased that the numbers were all slightly under normal. They’d go back up, but at least for now he’d have a chance. He showed the device to his mother. “These readings mean the thing that was poisoning him is out of his system now.” He held it up near the mother and her other son. “Your readings are back to healthy again, too.”
“Where do you live?” Simone asked. “We should clear that area too.”
The mother laughed and pointed to the stairs of the apartment in front of them. “In there.” “The device can’t get through walls yet, so we’ll need to go inside. Is that okay?”
Mitch asked.
The woman nodded. “It’s not locked. Who’d be in this neighbourhood that we don’t know?”
Simone and Mitch walked up the stairs and went in.
“How are you going to gather now?” she whispered.
“Give it a minute. This place is hot.” He showed her the detector. True enough, he was glowing brightly within two minutes.
Ten minutes later they were able to leave, feeling confident the building was safe. At least for now.
“If you can move, you should.” Simone said. “Whatever caused this toxicity may still be active.”
“It’s our environment?” The woman stared at her. “What did this?”
“We don’t know Ma’am,” Mitch said. “We’re here by coincidence.”
“Angels. That’s what you are.” The woman smiled at him. “I saw you glowing. This isn’t a coincidence at all.”
Mitch stood, wordless a moment. Simone grinned, happy at this outcome.
Seriously, angel would be an apt description, if it weren’t completely wrong.
“You must be tired. Take your boys inside and make them some soup. Have a bath.
Relax and read them stories,” he said, smiling.
“We’d better move along,” Simone said, taking Mitch’s arm and guiding him away.
“Thank you both,” the woman said. “I won’t forget this.”
Simone and Mitch walked without talking a moment.
“That was nice,” Simone said. “That felt good, didn’t it?”
“Mmm hmm,” Mitch agreed.
“You’re pretty brilliant, aren’t you?”
“Oh sure, now the puns come out. Don’t call me an angel for helping them,” he warned.
Simone giggled. “Hadn’t thought of that one yet, but now that you’ve said it…”
He turned and gave her a stern look, but she could see he was on the edge of laughing.
She bit her lip and looked up and away. “You might say, you were the ray of hope they needed.”
“Oh, gah! Stop. Besides, that part was you.”
Suddenly his device started beeping rapidly. Looking at it, his expression completely shifted. “Someone is sending active radiation pulses through here.” He looked around. “I can’t tell where it’s from."
The realization that they may not have saved that little family sank in for both of them. “We have to get them out, now. This area should be quarantined,” he said, turning back the way they came.
“Unless we’re the targets. If it’s directed at us….” He went electric blue and she grabbed his arm to discharge the energy. “Then we’re putting them in danger.”
They both started running, away from the family. It was blocks away when they stopped, needing to catch their breath.
“Where did that come from?” Simone asked, not really expecting an answer.
“Somewhere with a clear path.”
“I don’t know what I’m looking for.” She took his arm and did another pulse. “What we’re looking for. Is anything different from the last time you were here?”
“I don’t remember. There’s still a lot we don’t know. Look for anything that looks out of the ordinary. Something that can do that has to be big, I’m thinking,” he suggested.
“Right, big. Maybe shiny. It can’t be mobile, right? Like, it wouldn’t be in a van, would it?”
“I hope not, but look around. All I see are apartment buildings and dead gr
ass.”
“And I didn’t hear an engine.”
“No, but I did hear something.” He looked around, turning in place quickly. He pointed. “It came from that direction.” He started walking, fast.
Half jogging, Simone kept up but wished she had just a minute to think. This was all happening too fast. “Wait, wait.” She pulled him to a stop. “What if this is a trap? You said we’re being actively experimented on.”
“Then I think it’s time to actively face this person.”
Chapter 17 // If It Ain’t Love
If something happened to Mitch, could she do this dispelling pulse on her own? He’d been the only way to gather the radiation efficiently, so far. Wait, nothing was going to happen to him. She wouldn’t let him come to harm. Mitch had to live a long time. Without him, she’d quit trying. That much she knew.
That was Simone’s thought as they sat in his lab room analysing the data they got his Geiger counter. Trying to be useful while he ran computer programs that did the analysis and the mapping, she wandered through his shelving system. It was impressive. She sighed.
Bored. That’s what she was. Maybe she should go home and see what damage Justin had done to her little apartment. Funny that he hadn’t texted her about not showing up in the morning. Then again, he did have his own busy schedule to attend to.
“So, I’m going to head home. My brother showed up yesterday out of the blue. He’s probably at work but I need to check and see if there’s any food left in the house after all the people that have been coming and going.”
“Okay,” he said, distracted. “Will you be back later?”
“I hadn’t thought about it.” She honestly hadn’t. Part of her was worried thought would happen if she spent too much time here, but honestly, was there to worry about? “I have to get to work soon. It’ll be late when I finish my shift.”
“Oh, right, work,” he said, disappointed. “Maybe you can find something at the hotel that will help us put a motive behind Sid’s murder.”
“That’s what I’m hoping.”
Mitch stood up from his desk and walked over to her. “I know this is going to seem forward, but I’d like to have a key made for you. It’s been really nice having you here.”
“You mean, a key to your house?” She was a little startled.
“I think,” he said as he reached out and took her hands, “that we’re good for each other. I would like to spend more time getting to know you, but we’re both pretty busy. You staying here would give us a chance to see where this goes.”
Her face felt flaming hot. She looked down at her feet. As she did, he moved one hand up under her chin and lifted her face to look at him. “I’m not saying we should be more than friends, but I’d really like it if we could be.” His eyes flickered down to her lips and he leaned forward.
The warmth, the energy that flooded her whenever they kissed was intoxicating and she knew she’d never back away. As his lips pressed into hers, she melted. A shudder ran through her as she considered what a deeper relationship with him could be like. When he pulled back, she leaned forward, as though drawn. He kissed her lightly then once more on the forehead.
“Let’s think about it,” he whispered.
She nodded. She should say no. Where it would go is to bed, fast. He was way too perfect. Irresistible. “I’ll pass on the key. But we can meet for suppers on the days I don’t work at the hotel.”
“You’re not teasing me, are you?”
“Me? No,” she sputtered. “I don’t play games. To be honest, my principles get way too flexible around you. I need to build up some resistance.”
“So,” he stepped close and pulled her into a strong hug, “you’re saying, you find me irresistible.”
She blinked rapidly for a few seconds. “Well, since you can’t seem to keep your hands off me, I’d say it’s mutual,” she said, looking away.
He kissed her neck. “It is.”
She felt her mind go kind of blank, unsure what to say. “It’s barely lunch time. Is this appropriate morning behaviour?”
“Mornings are best, you know. We’re fresh and rested.”
“Fresh is right,” she chuckled. “But I’m not sure about rested.” Maybe he should see the new trick she’d learned. But, no. If she could push all the light away and fade out, she’d risk overloading him. That would send them both back into his padded room. “Besides, in ten minutes it won’t be morning anymore.”
“Is that a no?”
“To the key, it’s a no. But I’ll keep dropping by. Apparently, I can’t stop myself.”
He nestled his face into the crook of her neck for a moment, still holding her close.
Simone wiggled a bit to get free, but he held her tight.
“I have to get stuff done before I go to work,” she complained, but not really.
“Uh, uh,” he mumbled. “I’m not letting you go until this afternoon.”
“In five minutes.”
“Shhhh.”
Simone relaxed and rubbed his back. He had led a pretty lonely life. She could stand some affection herself. As she ran a hand through his hair, she had to admit that she was fearful. He caused feelings she didn’t know she had. If they were more than friends, and later broke up… it would probably be worse than death.
A nearby watch beeped noon, but neither of them backed away.
Mitch lowered one of his hands to the back of her waist and whispered in her ear.
“Come back tonight.”
An intense wave of arousal-related sensations she felt through her midsection was not coincidence. She jumped back.
“Oh my God, don’t do that!” she shook herself once, trying to dissipate the sensation.
It didn’t work.
Mitch looked a little startled, himself. “Sorry.”
“You have a one track mind, don’t you?” she scolded. She knew she’d have trouble thinking straight the rest of the day. “That is not fair.”
All is fair in love and war. She remembered the quote, but not who first said it. Mitch would be a life-long addiction, wouldn’t he?
“I don’t want to lose you,” Mitch whispered.
Simone regretted the strength of her rejection immediately, his soft confession meaning more to her than all the physical advances put together. “Hey, you don’t have to worry. I’m here. I’ll be back.” She smiled. “But right now, I have to get home.”
She headed out the door, wondering why she resisted him. Was it moral principles, or just the newness of it all? She didn’t think people should have sex outside of a life-long commitment, but that wasn’t even what was on her mind when she pushed him back.
Fear makes idiots of everyone, she conceded. Especially her.
Jogging wasn’t her thing, but she probably needed to, if only to relieve the physical tension he’d caused. She may need to run a couple laps around the neighbourhood, too, if that was the goal, she joked. Truthfully, she knew how to make it go away. She just didn’t want to. Not yet.
Today she’d focus on finding clues in Sid’s office. That was the plan at work today.
But that was later. She puttered around her apartment, giving it the cleaning she knew it needed. Throwing laundry in her little washer-dryer combo machine, she caught herself humming as she went. Happy again. That was nice.
But what really happened last night? Memory loss meant she had ghosted. Had she left herself a voice note? Sitting, she pulled her phone out of a pocket and scrolled through icons to get to the audio files. There was one date stamped for last night, and it was a large file. She swallowed hard. That was not a good sign.
No. She’d listen to it later, at work. She nodded to herself. Yes. Later.
Standing, she went to do the dishes and tackle other domestic tasks. She needed to rewash the blankets and other bedding her guests had been using. Justin always brought his own pillow and a sleeping bag, so the only rush was smell.
She’d found that clothes she wore or items she held
when she ghosted came back smelling clean, as though all the grim was left behind. It was a little disturbing, so she embraced the therapeutic value of letting the washer beat things up before she hung them up on the clothesline out back. And showers. She loved showers. All the drudgery of day to day life let her feel normal.
The truth would come pressing in soon enough, she knew. She rolled up Justin’s sleeping bag, standing the roll on the far side of the couch. After tidying her bedroom, she was running out of things to distract herself with. The size of the audio recording bothered her, rubbing at the edge of her mind, like a sand in her shoe. She finally gave in.
Sitting on her bed, she hit the play button. It was her voice, but different. Could she leave messages while ghosted? It was theoretically possible, since the phone would be in the same state as her, but no. This was probably her trying to be quiet, or something like that.
It gave her a chill to hear her describe pushing light away so she could ghost. Did she really do that? And save someone’s life by climbing in an upstairs window? These were not her usual choices. She should have called 911 and waited for police. If the bad guy ran, she’d follow him and phone in an update. That’s what a sensible risk-taker would do.
She’d better save this voice note. Even she didn’t believe it, and she’s the one that did it. She started her computer up, thinking she’d save it to her hard drive.
As she waited, she realized this was what she was afraid of. She wanted to be herself, not this other person she seemed to be changing into. Heroic or not, it scared her.
Maybe the risks she took were why it scared her. She’d better find a way to reframe that, or risk splitting her personality, if it wasn’t already too late. But how do you reframe this?
First, she had to fix the memory problem. It wasn’t forgetfulness, as she understood it. It was blocking. Two very different problems. Maybe she needed to train in a memory recall technique, if that was possible. She laughed to herself. What did impossible mean, anyway?
The alarm on her phone went off, letting her know it was time to leave for work soon.
Maybe if she found the scientist who started this process in her, he’d have a way to reverse it, or at least understand it. She’d have to be an amazing level of stupid to trust someone like that, though.