Instinctual 2

by Amanda Mackey

  “What is it?”

  “There’s something you don’t know.”

  Jake was now sitting up straighter, looking directly at her dad.

  “About?” Kate was sure there was a lot she still didn’t know but whatever her dad was deliberating over had him look extremely vulnerable.

  “Your Uncle John. He didn’t die in a car accident. He was murdered.” Kate watched her father’s face screw up in pain and heard the disbelief in her own voice.

  “He was murdered? How? Why?”

  “The Organization that I had Jake infiltrate.”

  “Fuck!” Jake rose from the bed, both hands on his head clenching his hair. Kate wanted to reach out to him but needed to continue on with her father.

  “What? You’ve lied to me about that, too? All this time I thought he’d died in a car crash and he was murdered? Why didn’t you tell me?” Kate closed her eyes before the tears came.

  “Kate. It was better on you and your mother if you thought he had an accident. It’s not a world I wanted you to know about. After I found out how he was killed and by whom, I sought revenge. I saw no other way than to get Jake involved. He was willing and I wasn’t thinking clearly. I’m so, so sorry, baby girl.”

  The tears that had been threatening came. Kate broke down completely, succumbing to the mountain of shit that had been hurled at her recently. It was all too much. Her dad wept his own tears.

  Jake moved back to the bed and snuggled close to Kate, his nose in her ear. “Baby, I had no idea. Words can’t express how sorry I am that those filthy scumbags killed your uncle. Jesus! I can’t fucking believe it!”

  Kate could only nod as she let herself feel, clinging onto Jake, heaving heavily. When she gained some composure she blurted out what she needed to in order to save Jake. She wouldn’t let those monsters take away someone else she loved.

  “Jake. He’s not well. They’ve got him in an old prison. They’re keeping him alive for their own selfish purposes. You have to do something to get him out!” Kate’s voice was croaky with the effort of having said so much in one go and the crying. She was feeling tired again but had to fight to stay awake to tell her father all she could.

  “Christ, Kate! I’ll ask you again. How did you find out all this?” Robert’s mouth pulled tight.

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to get through to you! Jake told me! He’s here! Will you listen to me, already?” Kate had nearly lost her voice and was at her wits’ end.

  “Honey, how can Jake be here if he’s in some prison somewhere?”

  Kate snarled, “Because he’s out of his body. You have to hurry!” He was the only one that could help Jake. She could feel adrenalin surging through her at the desperate situation.

  “Dad, I’m not making this up. I’m begging you! Please!”

  The heart monitor accelerated with Kate’s rising voice. Rob looked panicked. “Okay. Okay, honey. Shhh. It’s all right. Don’t talk about it anymore. Just relax. I’ll call Gary and relay what you’ve told me. Your mother will be back any second. Just close your eyes and rest.”

  She sank back into the mattress and tried to slow her heart down by sucking in some deep breaths. Rob kissed Kate’s forehead and went to phone Gary. Just as he was about to disappear out of view, Kate whispered, “Dad?”

  “Hmm?” Rob turned.

  “Don’t let them take him from us.”

  Rob frowned with his jaw tight and just nodded as he walked out of sight.

  Jake brushed some of the drying tears from Kate’s face. “You did good, baby. Really good. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

  “I don’t think he believed me.”

  “Even if he doesn’t, he’ll still check it out. I know your dad. He’s not silly. He has nothing else to go on, and besides, how would you have known about any of this unless I told you?”

  “I hope you’re right.” She closed her eyes, having done what Jake asked of her. All she wanted to do was rest. Not sleep, but lie beside Jake, basking in his presence with her eyes closed, feeling his soft touches, thinking of nothing else. She let out a sigh and turned on her side. She ran her fingers through Jake’s silky mess of hair and then traced his thick eyebrows with her thumb as she opened her eyes to find him staring at her. He was owning her with that look and it took her breath away for an instant. He was just too beautiful. In his ethereal form his skin and features glowed like an angelic being, his eyes blue, crystal gems. He radiated at her touch, the heat warming her to the core. “Don’t leave me.”

  “Baby, I couldn’t if I tried. You have me. All of me.”

  “What if… what if my dad doesn’t make it in time to save you from those assholes?”

  Jake closed his eyes for a second, as if to find an easy answer to Kate’s question. “I’ll always be with you, no matter what. I won’t leave you.”

  “Jake…”

  “Shhh. Baby. Don’t say anything.” His thumb touched her bottom lip, moving backwards and forwards as his face drew so close that Kate had to close her eyes again before she went cross-eyed. She parted her lips, waiting for the contact. Instead of the initial kiss, she felt him grab her lower lip in his teeth and nip gently, tugging it out and playing with it as both hands moved down to her neck so that his thumbs could rub the length of each side of her jaw.

  He sucked on her bottom lip, running his tongue playfully along the edge. Kate mewed like a kitten, overwhelmed by the gesture. Her right hand held Jake’s head as her body responded.

  “Will you kiss me already?”

  “So impatient.” Jake smiled against her mouth before opening for her and letting her initiate the kiss to her liking.

  She found Jake’s tongue and lapped at it, breathing into his mouth, still not fully understanding why she was needing to kiss him so badly but giving in to it, falling. Drifting away from the hospital room and sounds that occupied the busy halls, to another place that had no one expect Jake. He had her mind and body in that moment. His glorious lips that tasted like ripe peaches on a hot summer day, the small growls that he fed her through his open mouth and the burn of his fingers on her skin that framed her face. She could imagine his amazing eyes shut tightly with the lush lashes fanning his face as he drowned in her, miles away from the bed they both lay on.

  Jake pulled away, looking up just as Jenny walked back into the room, having organized some food for Kate. His heavy lids failed to mask the raw desire in his eyes as he breathed heavily.

  Kate quickly turned, grateful for Jake’s expert senses and hearing, wondering how her mother would have reacted to seeing her in a passionate air kiss with nobody. It was a struggle to bring herself back to the present moment after being lost to Jake. She turned onto her back, a little hot and embarrassed, hoping her mother didn’t pick up on it as Jake lightly traced his finger over her collarbone.

  “Well, that’s done. Dinner will be at five. I discussed with the nurse what you could have and she said something light to start with so I went ahead and ordered some pumpkin soup with a bread roll. I hope you don’t mind, sweetie.”

  “No. That sounds perfect.” And it did. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to eat anything too solid at that point so soup sounded fine. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “You’re welcome.” Jenny scanned the room. “Where’s Rob?”

  “Oh. He had to go and make a phone call. I’m sure he won’t be gone long.” Trouble was, she kind of hoped he would be gone for a while. That would mean he’d taken her seriously and was organizing a search and rescue for Jake. She didn’t know if she should discuss any of it with her mother so she didn’t offer anything more.

  Jenny seemed okay with her response and sat down in the chair next to Kate.

  “Mom?”

  “Yes, dear?”

  “Thanks for bringing in Pig and the photo of me and Roxy. It means a lot. I thought you would have thrown out Pig long ago.” Kate brought the scruffy toy to her nose to sniff the long forgotten smell. It reminded her of wonderful f
amily times.

  “There are some things you just can’t bring yourself to put in the trash. That was one of them. I know how much you loved that pig and it represented so many great memories. I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it.” Jenny smiled. “It looks like I kept it for a reason.”

  “I’m glad you did. And my favorite flowers. Who brought them?”

  “Your father. He thought they might cheer you up when you woke.”

  “They’re beautiful. I must remember to thank him when he returns.” Kate reached her hand out for her mother to take. “I’ve missed you, Mom.”

  “I’ve missed you too, darling. I’m just sorry we had to visit under these circumstances.”

  “How long are you staying?” Kate’s eyebrows rose in hope.

  “Well, until we know that you’re one hundred percent. You might need some help when you return home.”

  Kate hadn’t thought about that. Without Carlos to help, she would be on her own. She couldn’t hide the hurt at his betrayal as her face creased. How had she been so blind?

  “You okay, honey?” Jenny squeezed Kate’s hand.

  “Yeah. Just tired.”

  “Well, that’s understandable. Why don’t you get some rest and I’ll wake you when dinner gets here.”

  Kate’s eyes were already closed as she mumbled a quiet. “Thanks, Mom.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Rob found the small hospital chapel empty, so entered to make his phone call to Gary. He didn’t know what to make of his daughter’s confession. She hadn’t seemed confused at all. She’d seemed so damn sure of what she was saying. Jake in prison? Had he been found out? A ghost? What if it was all true? What if Jake was the one that had written on the mirror in Kate’s apartment and had indeed scribbled the note? Should he just keep ignoring the signs? Ignore Kate’s pleas to help Jake? What did it all mean? Maybe he wasn’t crazy after all.

  Gary would think he was insane, though. Still, if there was even the slightest chance that any of it were real, he needed to act.

  His gut instinct was telling him to make the call. Kate was a smart woman. He’d always believed her before. Why should he stop now?

  Damn it. He dialed Gary’s number without another thought, taking a deep breath as he waited for the call to connect. Just when he thought it was going to ring out, it was answered.

  “Hey, buddy.”

  “Hi, Gary. How’s things?”

  “Busy, but slow, if you know what I mean? Busy trying to bust this case but slow getting enough ammo to blow it open.”

  “Well, I may or may not have something that could help.”

  “Awesome! What have you got?”

  “Kate has given me some information on our spy that I felt I needed to pass on.”

  “Kate? How would she even know about our spy?”

  “Well, here’s the thing. Now I know it’s going to sound like a load of baloney, but you can make up your own mind after I tell you.”

  “Hmmm. Okay. I’m listening.”

  “Kate believes that our spy is in her hospital room and has given her vital information about his whereabouts.”

  Gary coughed. “Uh, Rob? Are you listening to yourself? She’s been in a coma, for God’s sake! Her head took a pretty hard hit.”

  “I know that. I know it all sounds crazy, but ask yourself, what if? What if somehow he’s connected to her and is trying to get a message through to us? Can you just think about that for a second? We haven’t heard from him in way too long.”

  “Do you really believe that his spirit is walking the halls of the hospital feeding her information? I mean, come on, Rob. You can’t be serious!”

  Rob pushed the palm of his left hand against his eye, contemplating how preposterous it all was, but something was stirring in his gut. “I just think we need to keep our options open and check out any and all leads we’re given. I know my daughter has suffered head injuries. I know she’s just woken from a coma. But Gary, I tell you, there have been some unusual things happening that I can’t explain. Flowers moving on their own. Jenny and I saw them with our very eyes at the hospital. The lead I got about Kate back in Vernazza. And then there’s the fact that whenever I walk back into Kate’s room, she’s talking to the air. I mean, really talking, smiling at frigging nothing, Gary. Her eyes appear to be looking at something as she does it. How do you explain that? She insists Jake is there with her and that we need to hurry. Do I just ignore that?”

  “Jesus! Look, I’m not saying I believe any of this, but for argument’s sake, let’s say I did. What else did she say about our guy?”

  “She said he’s in some old prison. My guess is he’s being kept alive at the request of our dear old friend, Bernardo Lucchetti.”

  “Ah hell, Rob. What am I supposed to do with this? Pull some men out and go on a search of all the islands along the Italian coast?”

  “I know it’s a big call, Gary, and I’ve already asked way too much of you, but something is starting to niggle at me about this.”

  “How did you get on to the subject with Kate, anyway? I thought you were going to wait a while before trying to squeeze information from her.”

  “I didn’t need to ask anything. She brought it up after waking from a sleep. It seemed pretty important that she tell me.”

  “I don’t know. Shit! How am I supposed to deal with this?”

  Rob knew it was a risk but one that may pay off immensely. “We don’t have any other leads at this stage. Carlos Santini seems to have vanished off the face of the earth. I can’t see why Kate would make this up. Why would she even be thinking of Jake holed up in a prison? Where would that come from? There were a million other things she could have randomly picked to tell me and she chooses something that’s connected with this case. I don’t know, Gary, but I don’t think that was a coincidence.”

  Gary blew a breath out. “Perhaps. Give me some time and I’ll see what I can come up with. It will be like looking for a needle in a haystack, you do realize that?”

  “How many prisons can there be on the Italian islands?”

  “Are you sure they’re Italian islands?”

  “I can’t guarantee that but we need to start somewhere. Meanwhile, I’ll try and get more information out of Kate. If Jake truly is in the room with her, maybe he can talk to me through her. I can’t fucking believe I’m even considering that!”

  “That makes two of us. Look, I’m not saying I believe in all this, but for whatever reason Kate knows the whereabouts of our spy and because your gut instinct is telling you that we may have something, I’ll do what I can to get some men on board the chopper and start searching.”

  Rob exhaled loudly through his nose. “If it’s a waste of time, I’ll personally dip into my retirement fund and pay you for your time, Gary.”

  “Hmmph. Yeah, well, you officially owe me now. It’s a big ask, Rob, but I’m on it.”

  “You’re the best, Gary. If you find the location, I want in.”

  “Let’s just locate this prison first and see if our guy is even there. I’ll call you when I can, so keep your phone charged.”

  “Always do.”

  Rob didn’t know why but he felt they were onto something. He could go back to Kate and tell her that they were starting the search for Jake. He hoped to God it wasn’t a wild goose chase but he had to trust his daughter and his cop instinct.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  As much as Kate loved her parent’s company, she wanted them to leave so she could be alone with Jake. There was lost time to be made up. It was 9 p.m. and visiting hours were over. Darla poked her head in to give them a friendly reminder that they should leave Kate to sleep for the night.

  “Rob, we need to go before we get kicked out by security.”

  “Okay, you just go and wait for me out in the hall. I need to have a word with Katie before we go.”

  Kate noticed her mother’s hesitation.

  “It’s okay. I just want a few father-daughter minutes before we
head out.” He smiled warmly.

  Finally her mother nodded, kissing Kate goodbye and walking into the hall to wait.

  “What is it, Dad?” Kate asked.

  “Katie, Gary has begun the search. He’s sending out a chopper tonight under the cover of darkness to try and locate the prison where you think Jake is.”

  That made Kate beam. Even if he hadn’t believed her, he was prepared to send out a search party. “Thanks, Dad. I mean it. This means a lot to me. And to Jake.”

  “Honey, um, is he here now?”

  “Yes, he’s right beside me.”

  Rob rubbed his face. “I need you tell me all you can about Jake’s whereabouts and situation. Can you do that?”

  “I’ll try.” Kate turned to Jake and waited for his nod as he spoke to her, giving her information that he needed Rob to know.

  “Tell him that they must have found out I was a spy.”

  Kate relayed this and watched Robert suck in a breath. “How? What happened?”

  “Dad, Jake seems to think he was shot. They’re hiding him away. He hasn’t woken up, so I don’t know what’s going to happen to him.”

  Robert was talking under his breath, his hands clenching and unclenching. “What else?”

  “Tell him it’s an old rundown prison. Large. Semi-circular in shape. There’s a high cliff on one side. I’m pretty sure it’s off the coast of Italy.”

  Rob had sat down on the chair beside Kate and was resting his elbows on his knees so he could bring his closed fists up and under his chin. “It’s semi-circular in shape. Very old and crumbly. There’s a high cliff on one side. He seems to think it’s off the coast of Italy. Is that it? Is there anything else? Anything at all?”

  Kate was waiting on Jake to respond to Rob’s request, wondering why a pained expression had suddenly crossed his face.