Soul Frequency (Frequency Series Book 2)

by Shane Scollins

  They slowly inched around the edge of the first container. Kayci swept the area with her pointed pistol and motioned for them to follow. The walked confidently down the gravel path that spread out between rows of huge steel containers of all colors. Most of them were red, blue and green. But the occasional yellow or orange gave Jordan a bit of a good feeling.

  They also needed Bella to point out the proper container. They didn’t have time to open and check every one, there were too many. And as Evan probably knew, these steel walls were hard to read through. But Bella could easily recognize his frequency if they got close enough for her. She’d been around it all her life and wouldn’t need to find it, it would find her.

  As they headed down the main roadway, Bella tugged on Jordan’s T-shirt. He looked down and she pointed to a red container that said GCS in large white letters.

  “Kayci?” He whispered and tilted his head toward the container.

  She nodded in reply.

  Jordan pushed Bella to the side, telling her with his mind to stay right there. He gave her a wink and reached out for the handle.

  With a yank, he twisted the handle and pulled open the large door. Kayci slid in front of him. He covered her as they moved into the container.

  Just across the threshold, Jordan felt Bella calling to him and he knew they’d made a mistake. Without hesitation, he quickly turned back as the container door swung shut behind him.

  With a grunt and a quick hard step, he lowered his shoulder into the swinging door and slammed into the fast-closing steel with all his strength.

  The collision was intense, he felt the air escape from his body but he’d stopped the door long enough for Kayci to realize what was going on. She flew past him in a leap and kicked her feet into the heavy door, sending it opening back up.

  Jordan got his bearings and saw Evan dragging Bella away down the gravel path towards the water. With everything he had, he broke into a hard sprint after the pair.

  “No—no—no not another step,” Evan spun and put the gun to Bella’s head. “Instant replay Callahan, but this time it’s not ending well for you or her so stop.”

  Jordan stepped cautiously as Kayci caught up to them. Jordan asked, “Are you sure about that, Evan?”

  Evan smiled. “I don’t make the same mistake twice. That’s what makes me special. Unlike you, who seems to like making the same gaffs over and over.”

  “Hey,” Jordan slid his pistol into the back of his jeans and raised his hands. “What can I say? I’m not that smart. You, you’re pretty smart.”

  “Ha, I’m more than pretty smart.”

  “Okay, great, you’re a friggin’ genius. I wish I had half your brains. But, c’mon dude, you’re ugly as heck. You look like a ferret with those beady little eyes and pointed snout. I know you’d give up half your brains to be as sexy as this.” Jordan moved his hands to his side. “You must hate guys like me.”

  “Shut your mouth.”

  “It’s gotta suck to grow up with no friends except the ones in your head.”

  “Shut your damn mouth. You don’t know me. I’m revered.”

  Jordan could tell this line of attack wasn’t going to work. “Okay, maybe I’ve got you all wrong. But I know you don’t want to die either.”

  “I’m not going to.”

  Jordan stepped closer. “Really, where’s this going? What’s your play? Do you think you can hide from me? Now I know your signature, you’re never going to get away so you might as well just shoot me.”

  “Back off!” Evan yelled to Kayci who was angling around him. He was backing up towards the water at the edge of the road. “I’ll kill her, I swear to God.”

  Jordan raised his chin. “Really, Evan? You’ll kill her? You and I both know that’s a lie. You’re too afraid to kill her or she’d be dead already. We’ve been down this road haven’t we?”

  Evan shook his head. “No, sorry my friend, that was before, this is now. Things are different now.”

  “Right—right, because of the new improved super nugget, we know.”

  Evan wrinkled his upper lip towards his nose. “You don’t know.”

  “Oh, but I do know. Isn’t that right Kayci?”

  She kept her gun on Evan. “Oh yeah, we know a few things too.”

  Evan pushed his head closer to Bella. “You little bitch what did you tell them?” He glanced to his side, presumably looking for the water. He got to the edge and stopped, just a step away from the twenty-plus foot drop into the inlet. That water was swift, deep and murky. It would generally sweep anything out into the channel in a matter of seconds.

  Jordan looked at Bella, expecting to see fear owning her little face, but instead it was an oddly playful smile. He tilted his head, smiled and winked at him. Then she closed her eyes really hard and balled her little fists. Suddenly Evan started to strain to control himself, the twitches in his face became more prevalent and his bottom lip dropped open as his mouth issues a long gravely “Duuuuuuuuhhhhhh”

  In a flash Bella swung her arm and slammed her balled fist straight into Evan’s crotch. The punch caused him to bend over, he loosened his grip just enough for Bella to pull away slightly and Kayci pulled the trigger.

  Evan twisted as the round hit the center of his chest. He fell over the edge into the water, taking hold of Bella’s pink striped shirt and pulling her down with him.

  Jordan didn’t hesitate a second and dove over the edge after Bella. She and Evan hit the water just as he was clearing the platform. The water rushed up at him, he turned his shoulder into the splash.

  The hit was harder than he expected. The water was cold and dark he couldn’t see anything under the surface. Grasping blindly he hoped to get a hold of something and he did. He felt something and tried to grab at it but whatever it was slid away.

  Maybe it was Bella, or it could have been a fish. Kicking his feet, he shot towards the surface to get some air. After a deep gasp, he went back under and that’s when he felt it. Bella tapped his frequency saying, “I’m here.” and pulled him directly to her.

  He got hold of her hand and pulled but she was caught on something. Jordan felt down her leg, her shoelace was stuck on something. He fiddled with it for a brief second but couldn’t free it so he just pulled the sneaker off her foot. He took hold of her waist, and slammed his feet into the bottom, sending them both shooting to the surface.

  The broke into the air with a gasp of air and Jordan swam on his side, holding Bella above the water toward the swampy area just beyond the container yard.

  Chapter 40

  In the back seat of the white undercover police issue sedan, Jordan took the wrapper off the honey drop and handed it to Bella. “Here, this will help that cough.”

  She coughed a couple times and popped the candy into her mouth. “Thank you.”

  “That water is gross, huh?”

  Bella nodded.

  Kayci got into the driver seat and closed the door. “You two okay back there?”

  Jordan nodded. “We’re good. Any luck?”

  “None. They’re still looking for the body, but with the sun setting, the water is way too dark and there’s a lot of debris down there. They got lights up but it’s not easy. He could be caught on something.”

  “Or he could have floated out to sea.” Jordan was thinking the same thing Kayci was, that Evan Hill wasn’t dead. The only good news was that his nugget device was probably ruined in the water. Or maybe it wasn’t.

  Kayci started the car and pulled away from the scene.

  Jordan looked at Bella. “Do you think Evan is dead?”

  Bella turned her lips. “I’m not sure, how do I tell?”

  “Can you still feel his frequency?”

  Bella looked at him funny. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Well, when people die, their frequency goes away.”

  Bella frowned. “Nu-uh, it just goes to the other place.”

  Jordan looked up at Kayci. “What other place?”

>   Bella shrugged. “I don’t know, but you can still find them if they want to be found there.”

  “So, you can see the frequencies of the people who’ve died?”

  Bella nodded. “Of course, but only if they want to come over here. They only die from this world, but not the others.”

  “Others?”

  “Sure, there’re lots of worlds. All over the place, this is just one of them.”

  Kayci said from the front seat. “Bella, do you know who Anna is?”

  Bella nodded. “Yeah, she’s my imaginary friend. How do you know her?”

  “Anna isn’t imaginary.”

  “Oh,” Bella said. “Right, I didn’t mean imaginary, but that’s what Mommy-Rachel used to call her. She said anything in my head was imaginary, especially people.”

  “Anna used to be like us.”

  “I know, but she got stuck between worlds. She can’t get out.”

  “That’s right.” Jordan said.

  “Don’t worry,” Bella said. “I’m not going to get stuck like her.”

  Jordan smiled. “That’s good. I worry sometimes about that.”

  “You shouldn’t, neither of you should worry. It’s harder to get stuck there than you think. I’ve tried.”

  Jordan asked. “Why would you try?”

  Bella looked down sadly. “Sometimes Evan was mean to me, and would say bad things and stuff. So I used to just stay in my head sometimes and wish I could play with Anna. I wished that I could get stuck and never have to come back.”

  Kayci pulled the car to the side of the road. “Bella, you have to promise me you won’t think like that anymore. Okay?”

  Bella smiled. “Okay.”

  “That’s right.” Jordan said. “We’re your family now, and no matter what happens we’re going to take care of you.”

  “I like that.”

  Kayci said, “We like it too.”

  Bella nodded. “Are you two going to get married?”

  Jordan looked up at Kayci. “Maybe, maybe someday we will.”

  Kayci smiled pulled away from the curb.

  THE END…for now…