Forever - 02

by Lauren Burd

  My dad’s eyes opened wide without a hint of sleep left on his face. It seemed as if Samuel might punch Duncan. I made a quick move, squishing Samuel against the side of the car and letting Duncan’s head fall onto the seat. I would have pushed him off me and onto the floor, but I didn’t want to risk hurting him further.

  “Hey. You could have warned me. I did get shot,” Duncan said.

  “You’re lucky I didn’t throw you on the floor.”

  “You can’t blame me for enjoying myself.”

  “I don’t care if you were shot. If you keep it up, you’re going to get punched,” Samuel threatened.

  Duncan sat up slowly and threw his hands in the air in defeat.

  “How’s this possible?” my dad asked.

  Lucina stuck her head in the door. “Are you all getting out, or do you plan on sleeping in the limo tonight?”

  We all exited the car, and I didn’t appear to be the only one surprised by our location. I thought we’d driven to a hotel outside of L.A., but it looked like a mansion.

  “Where are we?” my dad asked again.

  “At a house. It’s one of several we own through shell companies. They’re rented out frequently, so we shouldn’t be noticed.”

  “I have to be to work in a couple hours, and this doesn’t look like L.A.”

  “I’m afraid you won’t be able to make it back to work,” Thanos said.

  “You don’t understand. I have patients who are depending on me. I have to get to work.”

  Couldn’t I get more than a few minutes of peace before I had another crisis to deal with? I should have slept in the limo like everyone else.

  “Why don’t we go talk?” I asked.

  “I need to check out Duncan first.”

  “I’m fine,” Duncan said, but he was still pale.

  “Just let him check you out.”

  “You’re the boss.”

  We all went inside, and Lucina directed us to our rooms. I wanted to shower, but the bed was so inviting. I stretched out on top of the comforter, telling myself to stay awake. My dad would probably be finishing up with Duncan soon, and then I would need to talk to him. I still didn’t know what to say to him. In the end, the decision about what to do was up to him, but I knew if he went back, there was a good chance he would be dead in a few days, or weeks at most. I was just drifting off to sleep when a knock on the door forced me to get up.

  I pushed myself into a sitting position. “Come in.”

  My dad walked in looking as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He slumped onto the edge of the bed and sighed. “He should be dead, but he’s up walking and talking. I tried to get him to lie back down, but all he wants to do is eat. He ordered enough food to feed a small army. I had to leave when he started in on his second helping of pasta.”

  “Healing or having some of the more uncommon attributes can make you pretty hungry. I probably go through three to four thousand calories a day when I’m just lounging around.”

  “It shouldn’t be possible, though. It may be days or weeks after major surgery before a patient should be eating solid food again. Then, there are his wounds, or his lack of wounds. If I hadn’t performed the operation myself, I would think someone was playing a cruel joke on me.”

  “You’ll get used to it, Dad.”

  “I don’t understand how you got mixed up in all of this.”

  “I don’t really know, either. It just kind of happened. I remember meeting Samuel on the plane when I was coming back from your place after the summer. I didn’t really try to talk to him too much because I figured I’d never see him again. After that, all I have are what Samuel and Duncan have told me.”

  Dad stared at me, wide-eyed. “I guess all those stories about you being engaged were—”

  “Made up,” I finished. “I couldn’t tell you about the virus, and I wanted to keep you safe. Guess that didn’t really work.”

  “So, what’s the plan now?”

  I shrugged. “Thanos is taking care of it. All I can tell you is that going back to Los Angeles is out of the question. I seriously doubt you would be safe for very long there.”

  “I can’t just run away.”

  There was a knock on the door, and it immediately opened. I expected to see Lucina walk in, but it was Thanos. He left the door open behind him.

  “I was hoping the two of you would be here.”

  “You know, it’s customary to wait for permission to come into someone’s room,” my dad corrected him.

  “Excuse me if I offended you. I heard your voices and made the assumption that it was safe to enter.”

  “What did you need?” I asked, trying to deflate the situation before it could get out of hand. I didn’t have the energy to play referee if an argument broke out.

  Before he could answer, I heard a commotion in the corridor. Samuel and Duncan spilled into my room. They both appeared relaxed, and the tension, always an undercurrent whenever the three of us were together, had disappeared.

  “What’s going on?” Duncan asked as he walked around and lounged on my bed. Samuel ruffled, but he compensated by sitting behind me and putting his arm around my waist. I concealed my uneasiness at his touch. I was still angry about his calling Ethan and nearly getting Duncan and my dad killed. My dad made no effort to hide his discomfort, though I couldn’t be sure if it was from everything he had learned in the past few hours or the fact that Samuel had his arm around me.

  Thanos cleared his throat. “I wanted to give all of you an update about what is going on. I’ve made arrangements for Dr. Taylor to be moved to a safe house tomorrow evening. New ID and passports in several names and backgrounds will be given to you. That way, you can choose whichever is best for you without any of us knowing who you are traveling as.”

  “You’re expecting me to just drop everything and run?” my dad asked.

  “You can go back, but as I’m sure Alina has informed you, two attempts have already been made on your life. Do you really think you will survive on your own for very long?”

  “No one has even told me why or who is coming after me.”

  “As far as why you are being targeted, it’s because of your daughter. She has shown rather unique adaptations to the virus. It’s made some of those among us very nervous.”

  “Are you saying someone wants my daughter dead?” my dad was on his feet, his hands balled into fists.

  “Either as a weapon or dead. I don’t think they really care which.”

  Dad turned to me, his eyes imploring. “Then, why aren’t you running?”

  “It’s not that simple, Dad. I couldn’t just leave you out there to be used as bait, or to get killed.”

  “Oh, yes, you could have.”

  “Could you leave me unprotected, knowing it would cost me my life in one way or another?”

  He ground his teeth together, and his body tensed as if waiting for a fight. Suddenly, he relaxed. “No. Will me running keep you safer?”

  I nodded. “If I know you’re safe, I can deal with this easier.”

  “So who’s after her?” he asked Thanos.

  “His name is Ethan. He’s one of the oldest Immortals and is willing to do anything to get what he wants. He also has an inexhaustible supply of funds to make sure he doesn’t fail.”

  “Can you promise me that Alina won’t be hurt?”

  “Duncan and I will make sure she’s safe,” Samuel answered.

  “If she gets hurt, you two will be the first ones I come after.”

  I knew it was an empty threat, but it still made me uncomfortable. Before I had been infected, I didn’t think there was anything my dad couldn’t handle. But just the thought of him going after an Immortal was unnerving.

  “I’ll be fine, Dad, as long as you stay safe.”

  “Where am I supposed to go?” my dad asked.

  “You can coordinate it with Rebecca. It’s better if we don’t know exactly where you’re headed. Think of it as witness protect
ion. Rebecca will be your handler and the only one who knows where you are.”

  My dad nodded.

  “I wanted to discuss our plans for tomorrow,” Thanos continued. “If you wouldn’t mind leaving, Dr. Taylor.”

  “I’ll talk to you later,” my dad whispered and headed for the door.

  I jumped to my feet. “I’ll come with you.” Everyone gave me an odd look.

  “You should stay so you know what’s going on tomorrow. Don’t worry. I’ll wait up.”

  I shook my head. “Samuel or Duncan can fill me in later.” I slipped my arm through my dad’s and pulled him out of the room. I didn’t really care what the plans for tomorrow were right now. I wanted to spend what little time I had left with my dad.

  “So what did you want to talk about?”

  I waited for him to gather his thoughts. “I still don’t understand how this whole virus thing is possible, or how you are so important.”

  I thought about where to start, but no place seemed good. “It’s not very easy. If it were easy to become Immortal, the world would be overrun. Most of the time, it kills the person infected. As far as my being important, it ties into the virus affecting everyone differently. I just reacted differently to the virus than most do.”

  He gave me a skeptical look. “You’re leaving out a lot.”

  “I don’t know how much to tell you. When people find out about us, they’re either killed or discredited… usually both. The safest thing you could do when you leave is to forget about all of this.”

  “You want me to forget about you?”

  I grimaced. It sounded so heartless when he said it aloud. “It would be safer for both of us.”

  He walked over to the railing and stared out at the horizon for a long time. I was beginning to worry when he sighed. “You have to promise whenever you set a date for the wedding that I’m invited no matter how old you are or… well… I guess… however old I am. I’m still your dad, and I want to walk you down the aisle.”

  My eyes widened in shock. “It’s not like that. Well, not yet. I mean, I’m only eighteen, Dad, and forever seems a whole lot longer when you really do have forever.”

  He laughed and walked over to embrace me. “It’s not as long as you think.”

  Hiding

  We left early the next morning while my dad was still sleeping. Dad and I had been up most of the night talking to make the most of our limited time together. He had finally fallen asleep just as the sun was rising. I took a few minutes to write him a letter before we left. I thought it might be nice for him to have something tangible once I was gone. I left the note on his nightstand. I didn’t know when or if I would get to see him again. I hoped it would be soon. After all, I had a promise to keep.

  “What are you thinking about?” Samuel asked, his lips brushing against my ear.

  I leaned away from him. “I’m thinking about how much I’m going to miss my dad. Why?”

  “You were being so quiet that I thought you might still be upset with me.”

  “I am. I know you did it to keep my dad and me safe, but I can’t believe you didn’t ask me first or tell me afterward.”

  His face showed how much my words hurt. “I made a mess of everything.”

  I sighed. “You did, but it seems that things are working out for the better because of it.”

  “Can you forgive me?”

  “We’ll see.” I playfully nudged him in the ribs.

  A half-hearted smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You should get some sleep. We have a long drive ahead of us.”

  We were driving down to New Mexico to a little place Thanos knew about. He said it was secluded and would give us time to come up with a plan. The thought of some downtime had sounded pretty good.

  I took Samuel’s advice as the minutes started to stretch. I hadn’t slept for over twenty-four hours, and the hum of the car’s engine made it hard to keep my eyes open. Duncan was already stretched out on the seat across from us, so I leaned my head against the glass and started to drift off to sleep. Samuel unlatched my seatbelt, awakening me again. He laid my head on his lap, and in a few minutes, I felt myself being lulled back to sleep.

  A bump awoke me. I sat up, disoriented. No light came in from the outside. Not even the street lamps were present as we drove down the bumpy back road.

  “Where are we?” My voice cracked with sleep. I wished Samuel or Duncan had woken me. I doubted I would be able to go to bed tonight after being unconscious all day.

  “In the middle of nowhere,” Duncan answered.

  Samuel handed me a bottle of water. I stared out the window at the black night as we hit one bump after another. We came to an abrupt stop. There didn’t appear to be a reason for our stopping. All I could see in every direction was desert.

  My chest tightened when the door opened. It would be a perfect place to bury a few inconvenient bodies. The only way someone would find us would be by sheer luck. From the tense expressions on their faces, the same thought must have occurred to Samuel and Duncan.

  Duncan took the lead, exiting the car. Samuel followed a minute later. He blocked the exit so I couldn’t get out. I nearly laughed at the absurdity of our mistrust. Thanos already had my dad and ample opportunity to betray us before we had arrived, and yet we were still cautious. Maybe paranoia was one of the side effects of the virus. Samuel leaned back in and offered me his hand to help me out of the car.

  It felt good to be outside, even if it was a setup. I took a deep breath and stretched while admiring the view. There was absolutely nothing to break up the landscape other than the occasional cactus or scrub bush. I stared up at the sky blanketed with stars. If it was going to be our final resting place, I couldn’t imagine anywhere that would be more beautiful. As I contemplated the end of my all-too-brief life, a light burst from the ground.

  “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it,” a voice said from somewhere in the light.

  “Hello, Raul,” Lucina said, going down into the lighted area. “Have you got everything ready for us?”

  “Of course. You could have given me a little more notice.”

  “There’s a chance we’re being tracked.”

  Raul laughed. “Aren’t we always?”

  Thanos and the two drivers slowly filed through the opening in the ground. Samuel, Duncan, and I were the last through, save for one guard, who pulled the door closed behind us with a clang. The sound had a sense of finality as it reverberated through the tunnel. It felt as though we’d stepped on a path, and there was no turning back. From that point forward, we were committed to our cause. I just hoped we hadn’t chosen wrong.

  The corridor was well lit and spacious, but grew cold and claustrophobic as we progressed through the passage. Eventually, we came to a set of large wooden doors. Raul punched in a code, and there was even a retinal scan. There was a sound like a large bolt being released, and then the door swung inward. I wasn’t prepared for the sight on the other side of the door.

  A large richly decorated foyer greeted us. Floor-to-ceiling windows opened onto the picturesque view outside. The scene threw me off because I had been sure we’d walked downward the entire time.

  “My name is Raul and I will be your host while you are here. I’m sure you’re all exhausted after the past couple days, so why don’t you freshen up before we serve dinner. My staff will show you to your rooms.”

  Appearing from thin air, several maids and butlers approached. I noticed their clothing and then the clothing of our host. It looked like I’d taken a trip back to the Victorian era.

  “Miss Taylor, Mr. Grant, and Mr. Michaels, if you will please follow me, I’ll show you to your rooms.” The young maid led us through a door on the side of the foyer and down a flight of stairs. After a few more twists and turns, I was thoroughly lost.

  “There are several sets of clothing laid out for each of you to choose from for this evening. If you’ll follow me, Miss Taylor, I’ll help you dress for dinner. I trust y
ou gentlemen can dress yourselves?”

  Duncan and Samuel both nodded.

  In my room, I found three dresses laid out on the bed. They were gorgeous, but the cuts looked like something out of a Halloween catalogue. I searched for something else, but the only things I found were some rather uncomfortable-looking undergarments.

  “It’s Mary, right?” I asked.

  “Yes, mum,” the maid answered.

  “I’m a bit confused. I thought you said there was clean clothing laid out for dinner.”

  “There it is, mum.” She indicated the dresses on the bed. “Just pick out the one you want to wear. If none of them are to your liking, or if they don’t fit, I can get you something else.”

  “Is it a costume party?”

  “No, mum. When we’re inside the manor, our master prefers for us to dress properly.”

  I looked at Mary in disbelief. Dressing as if I were Mina Parker in a Dracula remake was proper attire. I shook my head. It was at least fitting with the whole Immortal motif.

  “I guess I’ll wear the blue one.”

  It took Mary nearly an hour to squeeze me into the dress. Then, she took another fifteen minutes to put up my hair. By the time she finished, I was sweating and could barely breathe. This was hardly my idea of relaxing before dinner.

  As Mary collected my clothing, there was a light knock on the door. It took me a few seconds to figure out how to stand back up. I understood now why women from the previous century sat around at home and allowed the men to take care of the work outside. Before I could make it to the door, Mary opened it. I stared in shock at Samuel standing in a full tuxedo on the other side of the threshold. Mary used the lull in activity as an opportunity to make her escape.

  “You look amazing,” I said, feeling the heat in my cheeks. “Are you okay?”

  It seemed that he’d forgotten how to breathe. He came into the room and crossed over to where I stood. Cupping my face in his hands, he leaned down and kissed me. My shock melted away as I became caught up in the warm sensations flowing through my body. He released me just as the room started to spin from my lack of oxygen. I gasped for air, but the corset made it nearly impossible. The phrase “You take my breath away” seemed oddly appropriate.