by Medley, Lisa
Tears welled in her eyes, making them burn as she tried to hold back her own anger. “Get out.”
“No. I’m not getting out. I’m taking what’s mine.”
Jason threw the letters at her, and they scattered across the floor. He fell upon her, grabbing her flailing arms and pinned her to the bed.
“Stop it!” Sarah tried to bring her knees up between them to push his weight off her as she scrambled beneath him.
“It’s been a really shitty week. Don’t make it worse.” Jason pushed his knee between her legs and forced them apart.
She gasped in a breath to scream, and he covered her mouth with his as she exhaled, swallowing her cry. He bit her lip hard, and she began choking on her own blood.
“You try to scream again, and I’ll stuff that mouth full of something else.”
Sarah’s mind raced. This was not going to happen. He was strong, but she wouldn’t stop fighting until he was gone. When he eased his grip on her arms, reduced to one hand as he worked his belt and zipper free, Sarah twisted beneath him and scrambled up and across the bed. He grabbed her by the ankles and ripped her back to him. Straddling the back of her neck, he pinned her shoulders with his knees.
She twisted her head sideways, craning to look behind her and opened her mouth to scream again. He stuffed her sleep mask between her lips, making it difficult to breathe. Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes, and she continued to kick, trying to buck him off her but his weight was too much. Jason stripped his belt from his pants, then stretched her arms up and above her head and knotted the belt around them. He yanked her fleece sleep-pants down and off her. Mercifully her panties held in place.
In the second it took for him to return to her, she twisted again, brought her knees up and kicked him square in the chest, causing him to stagger and knock the lamp from the nightstand. It crashed to the floor and broke. Undazed, Jason caught her legs and spread them apart for a good look.
“It didn’t have to be like this. This is your fault.”
His dress pants hung loose on his hips, but she could see his erection outlined against the fabric.
“You like that. Don’t you,” he said, following her line of vision.
Raising her gaze, she saw his black pupils expanding in his eyes, filling them with a determined hatred she’d never have believed.
A second later, his head snapped hard to the left. Then left again.
His face contorted in surprise and then a new emotion displayed. Terror.
An invisible blow to the stomach bent him in half at the waist, causing him to lose his hold on her legs. Sarah flipped over and rolled herself off the bed and to the floor on the other side. Spitting out the sleep mask, she scrambled to her knees, and then to her feet. Desperately trying to untangle the belt, she backed away a few feet, hitting the wall behind her.
Jason lunged toward her, and this time she managed a scream. Jason’s forward motion was momentary as he met with unseen resistance. He flew backward across the room and into the wall as if shoved. Photos dislodged from their hooks and smashed to the floor, shattering. Trying to recover himself, Jason gasped in a breath and reached for the doorknob to flee, but was assaulted once again. Her wooden umbrella stand lifted from the floor and struck Jason across the side of the head. Blood gushed from his temple, and he slumped to the floor, losing consciousness.
Sarah gasped as a shadowy figure assembled before her. A man, holding the now splintered umbrella stand. The apparition turned to face her just long enough for her to recognize him, then dissipated to vapor, vanishing as the door crashed open.
Adam stepped through the door first, quickly followed by Ellie and Samuel from Greysmith’s. Ellie ran across the room and wrapped her arms around Sarah.
Adam went for the belt, keeping an eye on Jason. Samuel kneeled, ready to subdue her groggy assailant. Blood poured from Jason’s head wound.
Samuel rolled Jason to his stomach and pressed his knees into Jason’s back, pinning him there. Adam bent Jason’s arms behind his back and secured the belt around Jason’s wrists at his waist.
Ellie covered Sarah with a blanket, then pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed 911. “We need police and an ambulance. No fire trucks, please. My friend has been attacked, and we have the intruder.”
Sarah watched in detached awe as the next hour played out before her. The paramedics said shock was to blame. That seemed about right. The only problem was she didn’t know if it was shock due to Jason’s behavior or the fact she’d just witnessed the ghostly Civil War soldier from her dream beat him to a pulp.
She’d managed to leave out any details of Jason’s invisible attacker. So far, everyone assumed she’d done the damage herself. It was also the only explanation that would keep her from being held for observation.
Her scream and the noise of the fight had brought Samuel and Adam running. Ellie’s visit with Adam had apparently been going well. Adam stood shirtless, and Ellie’s hair ratted in a nest around her head.
Jason came to right before the police arrived but hadn’t uttered a word, except to lawyer-up. She doubted he’d be blaming an invisible assailant for his injuries either.
“That’s all for now. He’ll be in custody for a good long time. Thirty days most likely. Depends on the judge, his lawyer and whether or not you make it down to the station to press charges.”
The officer gave Sarah a hard glare.
“I will. I’ll come down Monday. I promise.”
“Good. We can do a restraining order then too. Not that he’s going to be around for a while, but he has money. Money can unfortunately sometimes get guys out of some bad situations. We lock ’em up, and the lawyers get ’em out.” The officer flipped closed his notebook.
“Nice,” Ellie said with derision.
“It’s just as frustrating for us,” he countered.
“You weren’t the one who was almost raped in your own home,” Ellie said.
“Enough, Ellie, it’s over,” Sarah said.
“This time,” Ellie muttered.
The last officer left at three in the morning. Samuel and Adam waited by the door. Sarah walked to them.
“Thank you both. I—”
“You’re welcome. Just make sure you follow through. None of us want anything to happen to you,” Adam said.
“Come by tomorrow morning for a free drink.” Samuel gave her a wink and squeezed her shoulder.
“I think it already is tomorrow morning. I’m sorry you’ve all been up so late.”
“I’ll go by The Home Depot as soon as they open and get some stuff to fix your wall. Unless you have a different plan?” Adam said.
“I can’t ask you to do that,” Sarah said.
“You didn’t ask. I offered. Don’t worry, it won’t be early.” Adam smiled and pulled Ellie to him. “You staying with me or what?”
Ellie blushed. “I should stay here with Sarah.”
“No. Go. Please, go. Jason’s locked up, and I’m not going to be any kind of company. I’m going to bed and sleeping until tonight is only a bad dream.”
“Are you sure? You aren’t afraid to be alone?” Ellie asked.
“Not with you two next door. Seriously. I can do this. I need to do this.”
Sarah could tell Ellie was torn, but she was not ready to dissect what had happened any further tonight. And she certainly wasn’t ready to admit to what she may or may not have actually witnessed, which she was already second guessing now that the adrenaline had fled.
“Right down the hall,” Ellie said, squeezing her in a long, hard hug.
“I know,” Sarah whispered in Ellie’s ear.
Chapter Fourteen
A few minutes later, Sarah was alone in her apartment, her forehead pressed against the cool steel door. The crackle of her fireplace and the utter absence of people was small comfort after her long night. She slid the deadbolt closed.
Bitly peered from beneath her disarrayed bed. Sarah sat on the edge, running her hand
s across the rumpled sheets, trying to smooth away the replay of bad memories.
So close.
Tanner’s unread letter lay to her left. She picked it up, then saw the rest of them scattered, some torn, lying across the bed and floor. She sat and gathered up the notes, working to smooth the papers, and reorder them by date. Her latest letter, the one Jason had discovered, shook in her trembling hand as she read it. She was thankful the two men hadn’t run into one another in the hallway.
She’d been so excited when she’d opened the door, expecting to catch Tanner leaving his letter. No way would she have chanced it if she’d have known Jason waited for her instead. Jason was beyond redemption.
Monday she’d press charges, file for the restraining order, buy a can of mace and terminate communication with him for good. She also planned to call the landlord to insist a peephole be installed. The last thing she wanted was another surprise visit.
Her heart still hammered in her chest. It would be a long while before she could fall back to sleep. Even then, she feared she couldn’t escape from her other troubles. The dreams. Had she imagined the faint image of her dream soldier holding her umbrella stand?
She hadn’t imagined Jason being attacked. Of that she was certain. Something had struck Jason repeatedly and prevented him from raping her. A guardian angel, maybe? She’d never given much thought to such things, but then again, she’d never needed one.
The ring grew warm against her skin, and she pulled it from beneath her shirt. She slipped it from her neck to examine it. Every time something good had happened in the past two weeks, she’d been wearing the ring. The few bad things that had happened had also worked out in her favor. She really was beginning to believe the ring was a lucky talisman. Maybe she should have it turned into a proper piece of jewelry.
She still had just enough money left over after her purchases, thanks to the unexpected discount on the curtains, to have the stone set into a custom piece. Next week, she’d take it back to Caroline Creations and have the stone reset. Maybe she could even trade her platinum chain toward the piece. She didn’t want any more reminders of Jason in her life than necessary.
At nearly five o’clock, she straightened her bed and crawled beneath the covers, already wishing her new drapes were installed and closed against the coming day. Greysmith’s would reopen in an hour and the sun would be up soon after. Life would continue whether she was ready to join in or not. She prayed for a few hours of rest before it happened.
*
Tanner couldn’t tear his eyes from Sarah and was in awe of her resilience and strength. She’d fought valiantly against the wretch, but he’d outweighed her by a hundred pounds. A few more moments, and he would have violated her before Tanner’s eyes. An act Tanner refused to allow.
At first, Tanner had hoped to merely drain the wretch of his energy when he punched him in the face. But when the beast’s head snapped with the effort, Tanner had repeated the action with equally satisfying results. Infused with an overabundance of energy from partaking of the coffee shop patrons earlier and the profusion of emotion coursing through him, Tanner had focused his very essence on the sole task of putting a stop to Jason.
And he’d succeeded.
Still, he was amazed with his success. Nothing had pleased him more than to finally see the authorities arrive and take the louse away. Had he been at his full force, Tanner had no doubt he’d have killed Jason with his bare hands. A thought made more appealing with each passing moment.
How must his actions have looked to Sarah? He’d assumed she’d be frightened beyond measure, yet she hadn’t mentioned any of it to the police. Truly, it was unexplainable in every sense. For the briefest moment, he’d been sure she’d seen him—really seen him. But then in the chaos of his battle, the moment passed, and he’d faded back to the ethereal.
If he couldn’t maintain his form for more than a moment, he was doomed. Letters wouldn’t sustain her interest much longer now that she knew something was afoot. He had no choice but to reveal himself completely and hope Sarah would— could—accept his explanation and help him break the hex.
He couldn’t bear the thought of failure. If she was too frightened of him, he was lost. Pondering his options, he watched as she tossed and turned in fitful sleep, the first vestiges of the new day crept in through the still unadorned windows.
She needed the rest and after the night’s efforts, Tanner found he had greatly depleted his energy as well. He refused to draw from Sarah, and further refused to leave her side, even as the sounds of the coffee shop opening below and the energy of their many morning patrons beckoned him. He’d stay as long as it took for Sarah to rise, and he could know she was safe before tending to his own selfish needs.
Too weak to manipulate more than his thoughts, he sat in her chair in front of the fire and waited. To his great shock, Bitly pounced onto the back of the couch behind him, then eased his way onto Tanner’s incorporeal lap, curling and pawing until his nest was made, before finally settling down. Tanner reached a tentative hand to the cat’s head and stroked his fur, eliciting rumbling purrs of satisfaction from the beast, indicating his efforts were not without effect after all.
Well, at least the cat was warming to him.
“Good kitty,” he whispered.
*
Sarah’s solider returned to her in a dream.
Blood bloomed across the soldier’s chest, staining his Union blues an even darker shade before he fell to his knees on the battlefield. He stared ahead, over the edge of the terraced lawn and into the ravine and river below. The soldier’s dark black, unkempt hair tumbled free as his cap dislodged and dropped in his fall. Curls plastered to his forehead as sweat broke across his pale but handsome face. Shots rang out around him. His eyes blinked with each labored beat of his slowing heart as he tried to focus and hold on to the here and now.
“Lieutenant Dawson! Hold on, Lieutenant! James!”
He heard the words. Felt the press of hands to his chest to staunch the bleeding, but couldn’t seem to formulate a response. His eyes closed and the only sounds that remained were the slow thump of his failing heart. Thump. Thump. Thump… Thump…Thump.
Then nothing.
Sarah awoke covered in a sweat of her own. Her heart pounded a precarious staccato that filled her ears like a bass drum. She replayed the dream, the most vivid yet, calling each detail to the surface as she leaped from her bed and sat at her table. After searching the disheveled desk for a piece of paper and pen, she quickly scribbled out the details she remembered.
A blue uniform.
A Union soldier
Lieutenant Dawson.
James Dawson.
She had a name. The pounding of her heart now had more to do with the lead she’d discovered than the horrific details of his death. She was no artist and while she couldn’t sketch out a likeness of the soldier in her dream, she was certain she could recognize him if she saw a portrait or photograph. A lieutenant would surely have sat for a portrait at some point, if there ever even existed such a man.
Someone or something very similar to her dream soldier had existed, however briefly, in her apartment only a few short hours before.
And had saved her life.
Sarah didn’t know how any of this was possible, but she planned to find out. Leaning back in her chair, she closed her eyes and tried to relax. Her head pounded. Her blood pressure was likely sky-high after her abrupt awakening, but she had to capture the bits of her dream before they escaped into the ether, as dreams were wont to do. Too bad real life didn’t evaporate as easily.
Memories of last night crept into the light of her apartment and threw dark shadows across her mind. She would get that restraining order Monday. She thought about calling her folks, but didn’t want to upset them. Between Ellie, Adam and the coffee shop guys downstairs, she felt safe enough for now. The physical threat was gone, behind bars for thirty days…she hoped. The emotional replay became her biggest threat now. She stuff
ed it down and gave herself a physical shake, willing the bad energy away.
Sarah flipped open her laptop and typed “Lieutenant James Dawson” into the search engine. Four hours, 151,000 results and at least a thousand photos down the rabbit hole later, she still hadn’t stumbled across anyone resembling the man in her dream…or her bedroom.
She rubbed her eyes with the pads of her hands and rested her face in her palms. What was she doing? Snapping out of her internet induced fog, she rose and crossed to the windows. The day had started without her. Another Saturday.
She startled at the knock on her door, her heart ratcheting up its dangerous tempo again. At this rate, she was going to die of a heart attack, if nothing else. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take.
She crossed to the door, then hesitated before sliding the deadbolt free. “Who is it?”
“It’s okay, Sarah. It’s me and Adam.”
Relieved, she slid the bolt and opened the door.
Ellie eyed her knowingly and pushed past her carrying an armful of tools as well as a bag of food. Adam followed equally laden with materials and tools.
“I assume you haven’t eaten?” Ellie asked.
“Not yet.”
“Did we wake you?”
“No. I was just…I haven’t been up long.”
“I don’t blame you. Someone in your building is an eager beaver though, up at the butt crack of dawn.” Ellie gave Adam an endearing smile. “I’m not going to hold it against him though, since it was for your benefit.”
“I went to The Home Depot to get the stuff to fix your wall. I figured the sooner the better,” Adam said.
“And I brought us sustenance. If Handy Dan over here is going to fix your wall, I figured we could bribe him into helping us hang those drapes as well. I made a down payment on your behalf early this morning, but I figured a late breakfast bribe wouldn’t hurt either.” Ellie waggled her eyebrows at Adam and a blush crept across his face before he turned to inspect the wall damage.
“Ellie,” Sarah said.
“What? Just doing my part.” Ellie pulled breakfast sandwiches from the bag and eyed Sarah’s coffee pot. “Do you mind if I get a pot started?”