The gun was removed from my temple. “You, pick him up and let’s get out of here.” The steely voiced man put an arm around me and dragged me backwards. Snake moved between us and roughly tried to pull his partner up. He had some difficulty, but after one look at me and the man with the gun, he dragged the man away.
We waited silently until all noise the other two made had disappeared into the coming night.
“We don’t need to take long here,” my captor said.
I didn’t say anything. I was at a complete loss for what to do. Do you make someone talk in this situation or attack? Thoughts seemed to be running through murky water in my mind. Somewhere, I knew the answer was there.
As the sun started to set, I decided it didn’t matter. I was probably dead either way. Tensing, I got ready to push his gun arm away.
Metal brushed against my cheek. “Don’t make me pull the trigger.”
I shut my eyes and tried to get my muscles to relax. In the distance, we heard a horn blaring.
“I have to admit, I didn’t expect federal agents.”
I felt the man’s breath on the back of my neck and cringed. He forced me to walk with him to the entrance of the box canyon.
“You especially,” the man gestured to Vincent, “intrigue me. I’d love to know what you did to knock my employee unconscious so quickly.” We stopped moving. I could barely make Vincent out in the shadows of the cliffs.
A few silent moments passed. Did the man expect Vincent to answer?
“Ah, well, I can’t allow you to follow me.”
My stomach churned as I sensed Vincent move subtly. The frustration rolling from him was palpable.
“I’ve never killed a person,” the man continued. “Luckily, I have another option.”
The gun moved out in front of me directed straight at the box lying forgotten on the ground. I heard the crack and saw a flash as the bullet left the gun, but my ears went silent and the expected echo didn’t follow. The hole in the box registered in my mind. I tried to step forward, but the ground rushed up to meet me.
Stunned, I lay there, afraid to move. Why did I leave the house today?
Through the ringing in my ears, I heard Vincent's voice. “Cassie? Are you okay? Cass?” His anger swept over me. My stomach churned harder and I instinctively pulled back as he approached. Taking in deep breaths of air, I tried to push back the turbulent emotions and calm myself.
“Are you okay?” Vincent's voice demanded.
I nodded, which was a mistake that caused a rushing in my ears. Trying not to move my head too much, I looked toward the box. “The fairy?”
Vincent went over to the cardboard box on the ground. I held my breath and watched, hoping like hell the person inside was safe. Whatever the man thought, if he had killed the fairy, he had murdered a person. Most of the Lost were people, maybe not human, but if you started thinking of sentient Lost as animals or creatures, your perspective became skewed.
Very carefully, Vincent opened the box. A small shape darted out. It moved so quickly that I had trouble following. Disappearing into the forest, the fairy was gone.
Vincent turned his attention back to me. He didn't come closer, but watched me intently. I could feel that much of Vincent's anger had left, and harsh sadness had taken its place.
“We should go after them,” I said. My head pounded, but my stomach started to settle as the adrenaline left my body. I also ached all over. It didn’t mean the bad guys weren’t getting away.
“They’re gone,” Vincent said.
Knowing he was right didn’t make it any easier.
“Do you need my assistance?” His voice sounded stony, but after the short time we’ve been together, I knew he was trying to rein in his emotions and hide behind indifference.
Hiding behind lies can be a safety net. I should know since I do the same thing by trying to convince others and myself that I’m whole after meeting Vincent.
I wanted to lie back on the ground, but instead, I motioned Vincent over to me. He slowly came, as though worried I might lean away again. I reached out and used Vincent's arm to pull myself up. Dizziness threatened to swamp me, so instead of standing, I chose to sit on a nearby rock.
“You should let me take a look at your head,” Vincent said. I turned toward him. He wore an aura of uneasiness, but the rest of his emotions seemed settled.
“Okay,” I said.
Putting his hand under my chin, he inspected my eyes first. Since he wasn't a doctor, I wasn't sure what he was looking for. His eyes, which I had mistaken for black earlier, were green with lines of gold darting through them. After a few moments, he turned his attention to the side of my head.
A pronounced frown settled into his face and his anger flared so suddenly that it made me gasp and wince. It wasn't pain, like the pain in my aching head. It was more like being slashed across the body by some invisible force. I shuddered. Closing my eyes, I tried to force the anger away, but that only made my head hurt worse. Vincent moved away quickly, leaving me alone on my rock.
My mind was a jumble of thoughts. What the hell was happening? Emotions from other people don't affect me this way. Feeling weak and depressed, which I despised, I watched as Vincent gripped his hands tight. He took a few deep breaths and relaxed his hands. When he returned, he inspected my head. His expression and his touch made him feel detached and void of emotion.
“I'm fine,” I lied, pushing his arm away from my face.
“You were threatened, kicked, and pistol-whipped. You are distinctly not fine.”
“I'll be fine then,” I said. He was right though, I hurt like hell. “Where did you go on the trail? You were right behind me.”
“I heard another person, so I pulled back,” his voice was hesitant. “It did not go as I planned.”
“You need to work on your partnering skills. But next time, you can practice on someone else.”
“Do you think you can stand?” he asked.
Sighing, I opened my eyes. My own partnering skills were lacking right now. Critically, I inspected Vincent.
“I should have asked if you are all right,” I said. “I didn't see what happened.”
“You're avoiding the question,” Vincent said.
“Maybe, but I didn't see what happened. Are you okay?”
“It was a mistake,” Vincent said angrily, “I thought I could circle around fast enough.”
“Good plan,” I said.
“No,” Vincent said roughly, “I shouldn't have left you alone.”
I shrugged. “You're not used to having a partner, and I've only had Logan as a partner. It's not a great combination.”
Vincent didn't reply, so I let it drop.
“There has to be another road nearby. They came to the fairies from a different direction,” I said. “We need to call this in and check on the fairies.”
“I’ll check on the fairies and bring the truck to this side of the park.”
“And you leave me behind without a plan?”
Vincent hesitated and turned. “You're going to—” he stopped. “One of us should stay here and make sure no one enters the area, and call this in.”
“That sounds like a plan. I’ll call it in.” Moving my head as little as possible, I looked around. “I need my tranq gun though.”
Vincent grabbed the dropped weapon and handed it over with my missing Mace.
“That'll work,” I said.
“I'll hurry.” He disappeared.
Darkness crawled through the box canyon. I gripped the gun tightly in my hands. Usually, I was not an introspective person. Since joining AIR, I had been more a 'jump in and get it done' kind of person. I usually didn’t look back or think twice about the decisions I made, possibly because Logan had been leading me.
Now things were different. We weren't only relocating Lost, we were working against killers. Then there were the reactions I had been getting from others. The fairies hated me. They threw things, dusted me, and wouldn't talk to me. I
had met loads of fairies, and none of them ever treated me that way before.
Thinking about the Path was worse. What the hell was wrong with my power? Why was Reading so different? What use was I if I couldn't handle the Path?
Then there was Vincent. Beyond the fact that he was dangerous, I knew very little about him.
Darkness grew around me. Keeping the gun gripped tightly in one hand, I pulled out my phone. Time to stop dwelling and get to work.
Hank picked up right away.
“Reporting in,” I said.
“Good. I found your log.”
I didn’t have the willpower to interrupt, so I listened to him continue.
“It hadn’t made it to my desk yet, but it had been made. It had been rerouted since Vincent’s transfer hasn’t officially gone through. We’re all on the same page now.”
I sighed. It was good to know, but after the afternoon I had, I couldn’t muster any enthusiasm for the found log.
“What do you have for me?” Hank asked.
Beginning from our position on top of the hill, I started going over the events. I avoided everything about the Path using the terms, ‘I knew’ or ‘we discovered’ when necessary. I kept my voice steady and kept the pace slow. The sound of furious typing sounded through the phone.
While I slowly took Hank through the afternoon, the pain became less intense. When I came to the part where the third man joined us, I started stumbling over the descriptions. Hank let me finish. A few times throughout the conversation, Hank covered the phone and shouted instructions to someone in the office.
His voice was calm when he probed deeper with questions, starting with my injuries. After explaining each one, I assured him I didn’t need an ambulance. He reminded me that I was required to see the doctor the moment I returned. After agreeing, he continued the inquiry. Each question was answered as clearly as I could.
When he asked me to send pictures, I was able to stand. Once my head adjusted to the higher altitude, walking became easier to handle, so I was even able to send him crime scene pictures from my phone. Hank assured me that a crew was coming to collect evidence before he signed off.
The night seemed denser among the cliffs. Noises from small nocturnal animals came from out of sight in all directions. It wasn’t long before I felt uneasy. Knowing Vincent was around somewhere made it feel like pixies were determined to tie my stomach into knots. I decided to call Gran.
“Hi, sweetie.”
“Hi, Gran.” I hesitated. “Did you have a good day?”
“Had a great day,” Gran said, “but I know that's not why you called. You called about Vincent.”
Chapter 9
I let out a sigh. It wasn’t all bad living with a psychic. The mess that I felt inside funneled from Vincent. “He's safe, right?”
“That man is not going to hurt you. I didn't say he was safe. Far from it. But you and I have nothin' to fear from him.”
“Do you know what he does?” I asked, my stomach clenched, not sure I would be happy with any answer.
“No, I know that you're as safe with him as you would be with Logan.”
“Thanks, Gran.”
“You didn't grab the aspirin.”
“Did you know why I would need it?” I wondered how much Gran saw about today.
“Nope, knew you'd have a headache.”
“Yeah, I'm regretting I didn't take the aspirin. I'll pick some up on the way home. I’ll be late. Love you, Gran.”
“Love you, sweetie.”
My wait for Vincent’s return seemed less grim after talking with Gran.
When I heard someone approach on the trail, I stood at the ready, gun still firmly in hand. I was certain it was Vincent, but I did feel better once I was able to confirm.
“The fairy wasn’t harmed,” Vincent said as he neared me on the trail.
“That’s a relief. There’s another crew on the way to collect evidence.”
Vincent brought out the first-aid kit and by the light of a flashlight cautiously cleaned up the gash on my head. It wasn't bleeding anymore, but I felt awful. When the forensic team arrived, I was more than happy to head back to the Farm.
The trip back to the office was ceaselessly interrupted by Hank’s calls. He spoke with Vincent to get more details. Vincent’s answers were short and to the point.
I wanted to sleep, but Vincent interrupted each attempt I made.
At the Farm, the doctor looked me over and bandaged me up. Head wounds bleed a lot, so I really looked worse than I was. No stitches were needed, but butterfly sutures were placed over the cut. My ribs were bruised, but nothing was broken. Hank seemed to have endless rounds of reports. Eventually, we were allowed to tear away from the Farm and head home.
I wanted to sleep on the way, but Vincent had other ideas.
“There are some things we need to talk about,” Vincent said.
I sighed. “Sure. What did you have in mind?”
“The fairies. You seemed surprised at their treatment of you.”
“I was. Sure they try to dust me, but today, yesterday I guess, they seemed really to hate me.”
“Have you ever had interactions with that homestead?”
“No, but then, neither have you. They talked to you. Is that normal for you?”
Vincent took some time before he answered. “It’s not something that I would have expected. Fairies in general have no aversions to me that I’ve seen, but they do prefer to talk to others if the possibility is available.”
I shrugged and looked out the passenger side window. “Everything about me feels off. Maybe they sensed it.” The thought wasn’t comforting.
That night, sleep didn't last nearly as long as I would have liked. When the next day came, my head pounded as I dragged myself out of bed. My ribs were covered in bruises, which matched the dark circles under my eyes.
The moment I stepped out of my room, Vincent showed he took the partner thing seriously. He stuck close to me. Since I didn't leave the house, it got annoying fast. Trying to get him to talk took so much effort that I gave up quickly.
Logan returned late in the afternoon. He walked in with a smile on his face, but it disappeared after one look at me.
“Called into work?” he asked.
“Yeah, the fairies in Linn County.” Vincent and I filled Logan in on the details. We left out some information. We already knew working as a team didn't go well, and we didn't need to hear Logan's opinion on our less than stellar efforts.
“Hank didn’t mention it when I reported in,” Logan said, almost to himself.
“I’m sure he has his hands full,” I said.
“No truer words spoken. Two more Lost are missing from the Ozarks,” Logan said. “We found footprints and tire tracks after hours of searching the woods, but no witnesses. Too remote an area.”
“Why would someone kidnap the Lost?” I asked. “Is someone trying to take them public?”
“Not an ideal scenario,” Vincent said.
“It would cause chaos for the world,” Logan added.
I nodded. “Does the total missing stand at six?”
“That's all we know of,” Logan said. “The agency is checking on everyone, but it's a lot of checking up to do. Anyone at the office have any theories yet?”
Vincent shook his head. “We haven’t been into the office today. No one said anything when I called.”
“Anyone at the office have any more information on the fiend, or why you were attacked?” Logan asked.
Vincent answered. “There are no leads in that area. My contacts on the west coast stated that no one else has been sent here. After the incident with Cassie, the office has dropped the contract and they are working with this branch to investigate.”
I crossed my arms not liking the terminology. “The contract?”
“For the fiend.”
“Your contacts have enough reach to know for sure?” Logan asked before I could say anything else.
“He's certain.
There are also new safeguards and redundancy plans being put into place to prevent any further incidents against agents,” Vincent said.
“That should mean Cassie is in the clear then,” Logan said.
“That is probable, but it is too early to rely on new protocols,” Vincent said. “It is still possible that someone believes that Cassie is a demon.”
The idea set me on edge. It didn't help that they had started talking about me as if I wasn't there.
“We can keep an eye on her at work,” Logan said. “At home might be trickier.”
“I’ll be here.” Vincent said.
To me it sounded suffocating.
Logan’s expression didn’t change, but he looked ridged. “You’ll be here?”
“We didn’t have a chance to tell you,” I said. “It worked out better for him to stay in the spare room.”
“Margaret agreed to this?” Logan asked.
“It was Gran’s suggestion,” I said.
The news appeared to settle over Logan. He stared hard at Vincent. Uneasiness from both men seemed to swell in the room, swamping my own senses.
“Knock it off,” I said through gritted teeth.
Vincent moved away and Logan’s confusion became evident.
“It seems I’ve missed much more than you’re telling me,” Logan said.
“Vincent can fill you in.” I needed to get my mind wrapped around my heightened emotions and damaged abilities. That wasn’t going to happen here. “I’m going out.” Logan and Vincent both got up, ready to follow. “Alone,” I added.
“If you're uncomfortable with him here, we can send him away,” Logan said.
“It's not that.” And it was true. I wasn't sure what to think about Vincent anymore. His presence brought confusion, but I wasn't uncomfortable.
“It would be unwise to go to the office,” Vincent said.
I glared at Vincent. “There are places outside the office. Besides, if anyone from inside the agency wants me gone, they're going to have a harder time trying now. You said so yourself.”
“That doesn't mean they won't try.” His voice was low and monotone. Signs of discomfort showed on his face. “Are you going far?”
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