by Medley, Lisa
“What are you?” she asked.
“A ghost.”
So not how she expected him to answer.
She stared at a crazy person. A crazy person who would, in all likelihood, kill her and chop her into tiny pieces. Hopefully in that order. Her only chance was to convince him otherwise or start screaming. Just as she was about to make her choice, Tanner reached for the light switch by her door and her heart stopped in the split second between darkness and light.
The man standing before her looked every bit a soldier. Or more the idea of a soldier. What had seemed solid, substantial, and foreboding in the darkness, diminished in the light. Not exactly transparent, he flickered like a poor satellite transmission, twitching in and out with the strength of the signal.
“You’re…” Sarah felt her mouth gape, and she blinked to clear her vision. It didn’t help.
“A ghost. Yes.”
“How? Why? What are you doing…here?”
“You brought me here, Sarah. With the ring.”
“What? No… it’s only a piece of jewelry.”
“One that I am bound to by a hex. A hex that has kept me in limbo for more than a hundred and fifty years. I’ve been alone in a living hell all that time. Until…you. You sparked life back into me. You gave me something to live for. You gave me…hope.”
“This is crazy.”
This is crazy. This is crazy. This is crazy.
“I agree with you, yet it’s the absolute truth. I am tethered to the ring by magic. I can’t seem to be more than a hundred feet or so away from it. Trust me, I’ve tried everything not to involve you, but you—”
“What is your real name?”
“Lieutenant James ‘Tanner’ Dawson. I fought at Chatham. I died at Chatham. And with your help, I may live again.”
Sarah heard the blood rush into her ears like ocean surf, and the pounding of her heart drummed in her head.
Don’t pass out. Don’t pass out. Don’t pass out.
*
Tanner strode to Sarah in two long steps, catching her before she could hit her head on the edge of her night table as she lost consciousness. He eased her onto her bed, and saw himself weakened with the task. Every physical effort cost him energy he couldn’t regenerate on his own. Hell, he couldn’t even store it for longer than a few hours. This foray was proof of that. His only comfort was that she hadn’t run screaming from the room. Most likely she had no inclination to believe him and was now in shock.
The absolute worst thing that could happen to him at this point was that she would dispose of the ring, and she’d be lost to him forever. Even though this was their first true meeting in the flesh—or as close to flesh as he could get at this point—he’d grown quite fond of her. And not just because she seemed his one shot at redemption. Sarah was kind-hearted, generous and lovely in every way. And stronger than she knew.
Tanner worked to unwind her fingers from the scissors gripped tightly in her hand. He didn’t blame her for preparing to do him harm. Considering the circumstances and the timing after her encounters with Jason, another man in her home with unclear intentions was the last thing she needed.
He brushed the hair from her face and inadvertently drew energy from her, like flame to oxygen. Her light flared and engulfed him. Closing his eyes, he let himself be overcome by her energy. A soft moan from Sarah snapped him to attention, and he hopped back from her aura. The small encounter was enough to solidify him again.
In every way… he realized, much to his horror.
Good God.
Biology would not be denied. Even in his immortal damnation. Clearly a cruel joke of some sort. A parting gift on Sylvia’s behalf? He honestly didn’t know how much more he could take. It wasn’t like he could leave Sarah to return to her life. Not when his own depended on her so thoroughly.
He returned to the couch and sat heavily upon it, staring at the hypnotic flames in the fireplace. Luxuriating in the heat warming his skin, his mind cycled through the many possible reactions he could expect from Sarah when she awoke. Bitly skulked out from under the couch, eyeing him discerningly, then leaped onto his lap. The cat extended himself up the length of Tanner’s vertical torso, planted his front paws just beneath Tanner’s chin and stretched up to sniff at his breath. Satisfied, Bitly closed his eyes and began to purr. The rumble filled Tanner’s body and before he knew it, his own eyes drifted closed. The three of them slept the remainder of the night in Sarah’s apartment, not knowing what the morning might bring.
Chapter Nineteen
Sarah awoke and blinked into the thin laser of sunlight piercing between her new drapes. Morning? Her brain struggled to catch up and she quickly worked backwards, sifting through her last memories. As the pieces fell into place, she sat up with a start. A quick examination revealed she seemed to be intact. Shaking her head, she tried to clear the last vestiges of her bizarre dream. Maybe she was ill. Maybe she had a fever. Maybe…
She snatched up her phone from the nightstand and punched it on with her thumb. Ten thirty a.m.? On Monday morning? She’d slept through an entire day?
Not only that, but now she was late. Really late. Noticeably late. Somehow she hadn’t set her alarm. Nothing made sense to her as she fled to the bathroom. Desperately, she reached to rearrange her scattered puzzle pieces as she changed clothes, brushed her teeth and scrambled out the door to work.
No way would she skate by this time. Candace’s Monday morning meetings were mandatory. Even for the salaried. And it had already begun a half hour ago. She was screwed. She tore open the door to leave. Grabbing her rain jacket and purse from the hooks, Bitly’s admonishment brought her around again.
“Sorry.” Sarah stepped back inside and poured Bitly’s kibble into his bowl and gave him a quick stroke across the back. The cat arched against her attentions and purred. “You may be seeing a lot of me after today. I’ll be fired for sure now.”
Out the door and down the stairs, she broke into a quick trot as soon as she hit the bricked sidewalk, her hood refusing to stay on against the howling wind. She raced down the deserted sidewalk. Everyone who should be at work was already at work. Even the tourists had found a coffee shop or boutique to take refuge in against the cold sleet. The sidewalk, already slippery from the frozen precipitation, slowed her pace. She took more care after nearly losing her balance. Her phone buzzed two short vibrations indicating she had a text. She fished the phone from her pocket as she forged ahead.
WHERE ARE YOU?
Ellie had texted at 9:55.
The current text read:
DON’T COME IN NOW. CALL IN SICK. I TOLD CANDACE YOU HAD THE FLU.
Sarah skidded to a stop three doors down from her office and scooted against the building under an awning, just in case anyone upstairs saw her on the sidewalk. A sick day? Ellie was a genius. It hadn’t even occurred to Sarah to call in for a sick day. Her heart hammered in her chest from the stress of running and trying to make it to the office in the sleet. Her soaking wet hair plastered to the sides of her face, and the cold chilled her to the bone. Call her paranoid, but now she actually did feel sick. She hit her office speed dial number and practiced her call in her head as she waited for someone to pick up the line.
After a dozen rings, the receptionist desk voicemail picked up instead. Everyone was at Candace’s Monday morning meeting. Sarah’s guilty conscience almost got the best of her, and she struggled not to chicken out and hang up. When the beep demanded she leave a message, she managed to squeak out a quick apology for being ill and a promise to be back in as soon as she could. She hated lying, but even if she had gone into the office, she was sure Candace would have taken the opportunity to fire her. In front of everyone. And with gusto. Ellie had saved her bacon for sure. It paid to have a devious friend.
Thinking of devious friends reminded her of her promise to file that restraining order against Jason. Now that she had a free day, she had no excuse not to do it. She searched inside her purse for the paper the officer
had given her and found the ring instead. Pulling the ring from the depths of her purse, the object made her hand tingle as it sat on her palm and warmed against her skin. What the hell was going on with this trinket?
In her heart, she knew she hadn’t dreamed her encounter and now in the bright, although slightly foggy light of day, she let it come back to her, replaying the conversation in her head. Of course, Tanner had vanished by the time she’d awakened. He must have let himself out. But how and why had she slept through and entire day and night? The entire situation was so surreal. It had happened. All of it. Tanner had visited her and then she’d checked out for a day. But he had been there…and nothing like she’d expected.
Certainly nothing she could explain.
Only one person would believe her story. Ellie.
She’d tell her tonight, after work. She’d tell her everything. And then they would decide what to do. In the meantime, Sarah pulled her rain jacket hood over her head, shivering when the icy water skittered down her spine.
First things first.
*
Tanner followed Sarah through the dreary day and wished more than anything he could speak with her and understand what she might be feeling. His energy had faded considerably. When he realized he’d inadvertently drawn too much energy from Sarah, he’d retreated. She’d slept through the entire next day as a result, and he’d watched her from the chair by the window, keeping his distance so she could regenerate her reserves. It was a mistake he wouldn’t make again. Too worried about her condition, he’d not left the room until she woke and raced from the apartment. Now his strength had abated completely, his temporary corporeality and his meeting with Sarah seemed like a dream. Mercifully, his current state lessened the possibility of manifesting unintentionally, but now that he knew he could manifest at all, his impatience only increased.
He existed in the constant fear that at any moment all could be lost.
He’d watched as Sarah filed paperwork at the police station, pleased she’d followed through on her promise. If Jason chose to visit her again, it would be at his own peril. Not only would she have the law on her side now, she’d have the full and complete wrath of a recently revived Union soldier.
Sarah bought lunch from a pub and carried it with her as she walked along the Rappahannock River. His eyes drifted by habit up the bluff on the opposite side of the river to Chatham. How different it looked now, yet his nostalgia spurred inside him and quickly turned sour as he remembered anew his predicament.
All that had happened to him so far was a result of Sylvia and his mission with the Brothers of Peril. But those actions had led him to Sarah. Without the hex, he would never have met her at all. Still this Purgatory in which he lingered was worse than any other damnation he could imagine.
There was no resolution here.
One thing he knew for certain. He wouldn’t return to the darkness. Whatever it took, he’d be freed whether by life or death. Either would be a blessing.
Finally home again, Sarah hustled inside the shared entrance and spared a glance into the coffee shop, looking for him no doubt. Regret clutched at his heart. He’d had to render her friend Samuel unconscious to see her in the flesh. A similar plan would be needed to resume their conversation. He was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen again. This nightmare needed a resolution more substantial than mere letters could provide. One way or another, this needed to end.
*
Sarah set her sandwich on the table and stripped off her wet clothes before even opening the bag. She was thankful her drapes were still closed, and she could walk around her apartment without fear of flashing the block. Her skin warmed as she stood before the fireplace. She turned the knob to crank it up even more. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and twisted water from her hair into a small puddle on the floor, which Bitly pounced at and quickly began to lap up. Sarah walked to the shower and closed the door. After dialing up the hot water, she watched as steam began to fill the room.
She was especially glad she’d gotten the restraining order after learning Jason had been released first thing Monday morning. It was a miracle they hadn’t crossed paths at the station. She wondered what he was doing now. Probably consulting with his lawyer as to his next move. It was only a matter of time before she would get the calls asking her to drop her charges. To be reasonable. To consider his future…and hers.
Honestly, she didn’t know what she wanted. Except that she did not want him in her life in any way. Ever again. That was crystal clear. Despite his actions and despicable cruelty, she didn’t want to ruin him. Even now, she held hope he was somehow still redeemable. But she wouldn’t be the one redeeming him this time.
Besides, she had much weirder and more pressing problems. Like Tanner…and the ring. She’d texted Ellie on the way home and asked her to stop by to talk after work. She wasn’t even sure where to start, but she had to tell someone what was going on, or at least what she thought was going on.
Stepping out of the bathroom and into her empty living room, she considered her last few hours. Her life seemed sort of ridiculous to even try to explain now. Maybe she was cracking up. Maybe too much time alone had finally gotten to her. Maybe this is how every crazy cat lady began.
On cue, Bitly wound between her feet, pressing against her and licking the water from her leg with his sandpaper tongue.
“Thanks.”
She shooed him away and dried her hair with the towel. Pulling on her fleecy jammies, she eyed her lunch bag. She snatched it up and carried it to the chair by the windows, then pulled open the blinds. Yep, still dreary. She ate snuggled in her chair watching the afternoon pass by.
Her mind filled with questions and the computer finally pulled her in. She plugged in the flash drive.
With three hours still to kill before Ellie got off work, she might as well give the mystery a go. Not that she expected to find any of the answers she searched for, but it beat trying to decipher the events of the past few days.
The first page of the Brothers of Peril handbook appeared on her screen—the same page she’d seen in the physical book at Chatham. The identical insignia as was engraved on the ring filled her screen. She traced the lines with her finger across the smooth surface, then got up to rummage through her purse for the ring.
Holding the ring up to the screen, she studied both for comparison. They were exactly the same. The growing evidence before her eyes was too much to cast off as mere coincidence. Still, she couldn’t piece them together into a logical tapestry.
And where was Tanner now? This very moment? She couldn’t bring herself to accept the word that kept popping up, because it was too much to fathom.
Ghost.
No. A ghost hadn’t written the nearly two dozen letters to her, or spoken to her Saturday night in her apartment or—she shuddered—put her to bed and locked the door behind him when he left. Everything she’d heard or watched or read of ghosts touted them as lost souls, condemned to haunt the ether until their release. Many of them were vengeful and dangerous. Was that the story of the ghost haunting her? Was he somehow trapped by the very object she held in her hand, just as he’d said? And if so, could he be summoned at will? Dare she try?
Ellie would want to take her to Alex, her psychic. At this point, visiting with Alex was beginning to seem like a reasonable option…either to prove her sanity, or lack thereof. She wasn’t sure which answer she wanted.
If Tanner were indeed real, then how and what was she expected to do with that knowledge? What were her obligations? She’d merely found a ring, for God’s sake.
If he wasn’t real and the psychic confirmed that the ring was nothing more than the piece of history it appeared, then what?
Clearly, she was cracking up.
Sarah straightened in her chair and flipped the page on her screen. The rubbings popped out at her like a 3D puzzle photo. She concentrated hard, shutting all her worries out of her troubled mind. There was a code here. And every co
de could be cracked. She couldn’t imagine it was all that complicated. Not really. Surely if the CIA or NSA had any real interest in it, they’d have assigned resources to it and not left it up to crowdsourcing to ferret out.
After several long minutes, a pattern began to emerge. The pattern repeated so scarcely it would have been easy to miss for someone without her background, but it was there. Sarah grabbed a notepad and pencil and began to tease out the letters she could assign to it, filling the page and flipping excitedly to the next. While the message made no sense, it was clearly in English, which meant eventually she could figure it out.
Four hours and seventy filled pages of gibberish later, Sara startled when her phone sounded, nearly giving her a panic attack. Torn from the black hole she’d been ensconced in, she searched her desk, shuffling through piles of papers for the buzzing phone. She hadn’t even called her parents to give them her new number yet. In fact, only one person had it.
“Hi, Ellie.”
“You are not going to believe where I am.”
Sarah walked to the window and eased into her favorite chair to watch the coffee shop arrivals and departures, unable to help but wonder if Tanner had ever been downstairs in the shop at all.
“Where are you? Are you still coming by?”
“That’s what I called to tell you. Candace got fired today, and I’m on a plane to New York.”
Chapter Twenty
“How did that happen? I miss one day and the world goes crazy?”
“It was that flash drive! You know how she was so crazy to find it, right? The FBI actually showed up today with a warrant and searched her office for it. Right there as she watched. As we all watched. And then they led her away in cuffs. She’d been stealing customer transaction records from some of our biggest clients for some big hacking ring. She had access to all of our client passwords. That flash was filled with them. Candace is in jail!”