Instinctual

by Amanda Mackey

  “Prove it! Take me to him!” Hah! That would throw a spanner in Jake’s plan to get her to break up with Carlos. She was sure that was what he was trying to do.

  “What? Now you’re being absurd.”

  “I want to see it with my own eyes. Now! If what you’re saying is true, which I don’t think it is, you have to take me there.”

  Jake was silent. Kate used his hesitancy to keep pushing.

  “It’s not like we can do anything until we figure out how to get through to my father. We might as well use that time constructively. This is my life we’re talking about, Jake. You need to take me there. I need proof. I’m not taking no for an answer!”

  Jake sighed. “How could I have possibly thought you would just take my words at face value? Of course you would want proof. I forget who I’m dealing with, Kate. I do want you to get assurance and finally see just what sort of a boyfriend you’ve got.”

  Kate laughed. “You don’t know shit, Jake. I can’t wait to prove you wrong.”

  Jake’s jaw twitched as he stood straighter. “All right. We’ll go. Let me tell you this, though. We need to make it as quick as possible. I’ll give you the proof you need and then we need to zap our asses back here so that we can somehow get a message to your father about the whereabouts of your body. You don’t have much time left.”

  Kate was already off the bed, grabbing Jake’s hands in hers, closing her eyes and waiting for him to blink them away, trying to ignore the zing that went through her at the contact.

  Before Kate could tell Jake to hurry up, she shivered, the temperature having dropped a few degrees as they arrived at their destination. The idea she had conjured up in her head about the jail was infinitely different from the reality. Jake had teleported them into a long narrow corridor in the heart of the jail.

  Kate gulped. Her first time ever in a prison and the eerie silence and solitude of being in one so old, abandoned, and in disrepair was extremely uncomfortable.

  “You okay?” Jake asked as he traced small circles on the top of her hand with his thumb.

  Kate was speechless as she somehow managed to nod once.

  “Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour.” He didn’t bother to let go of her hand as they sailed past cell after cell towards the end of the corridor.

  Kate felt Jake’s whole body go rigid and she could swear they’d sped up. Out the corner of her eye to her left, shapes blurred from within a cell. It seemed odd because all the others were vacant. Her curiosity got the better of her.

  She pulled Jake to a grinding stop as a steel gurney entered her peripheral vision. She cringed as she turned in the direction of the constant beeps that echoed off the walls.

  “OMG! Jake?” It was whispered on a wave of grief. She pulled out of his grasp and without even trying, walked through the steel bars to Jake’s bedside. He hovered outside, not caring to enter the morbid tomb.

  While Jake had told her he was out of his body like her, seeing it as real as it was in that moment, his flesh and blood lying lifeless in a prison cell without the proper care he needed from a real hospital and medical staff, made her heart break.

  Jake watched in earnest as Kate’s hand moved to his supine form’s face to stroke it softly in a compassionate gesture.

  Upon her touch the heart monitor accelerated, as if underneath the layer of unconsciousness he felt the kindness and sympathy flood into him.

  Kate quickly looked up to where Jake hovered looking in, hoping he could explain. “What’s happening?

  “Even in such a weakened, state I still respond to your touch, Kate. I’ll always respond to you.”

  She was confused at the deep emotion she was experiencing at the sight of Jake so helpless and unconscious. Two days ago she would probably wouldn’t have batted an eyelid, but now? After hearing him pour his heart and soul out, knowing that he’d always loved her and had never wanted to end their relationship, well, that kind of changed things. Sure, he’d disappeared and not told her squat. That still hurt. Sure, she’d suffered and agonized over the reasons why he’d left, blaming herself for maybe not being good enough or pretty enough. She’d hated his guts and had wanted to shatter the bones in his arms and legs for the hurt he’d caused. But that was then. This was now. She had to help him.

  “Jake. I need you to take me to the man who you claim to be Carlos. Where is he?”

  Jake didn’t answer verbally but motioned with his head towards the end of the long corridor.

  As Kate broke contact with the pasty-faced corpse, the heart monitor returned to a normal rhythm. She solemnly made her way through the cell bars, instinctively taking Jake’s hand as he led her forwards.

  She couldn’t find any words in regards to Jake’s predicament. Nothing she could say to him would change the situation, so she interlaced their fingers tightly as if in defiant unison she would fight with him to bring those responsible to justice.

  In another second they were standing outside two large timber doors. Jake looked at Kate and asked, “Are you sure you’re ready to do this?”

  She nervously pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yes. Let’s get this over with.”

  There is nothing to worry about. It isn’t Carlos. It isn’t. Jake has the wrong man. It will all be over with in minutes and then we can leave and go back to my father.

  The trouble was though, she was doubting Carlos with each passing second. Her instincts were working overtime.

  Still holding Kate’s hand, Jake gave her a slight smile and gently pulled her forward through the door to the other side.

  Kate could hardly believe the contrast from one side of the door to the other. It wasn’t what she’d been expecting.

  “What the hell is this place, Jake? Who lives here?”

  “It’s the head asshole’s quarters. Dirty money, all of it. This is where your precious Carlos is holed up.”

  Kate tried to ignore Jake’s last comment, turning full circle to soak up the extravagance. “Come.” Jake led the way across the large living/dining area and down a short hallway.

  It was still dark out, so whoever was in the bedroom would be sleeping. Kate was shaking. What if it really was Carlos? What would she do then? Could Jake really be wrong and it just be someone that looked like her boyfriend? She doubted it very much. Nausea rose steadily until it caught in her throat.

  By the time they reached another door and Jake opened it, Kate couldn’t move. She hesitated, not wanting to see the truth for what it was.

  Jake turned and with a soft voice said, “Baby, you don’t have to do this you, know. We can teleport out of here in an instant and return to your apartment.”

  That would be the reasonable thing to do. To ignore Jake’s revelation and return home to the safety and comfort of her villa. To pretend that in some way, she didn’t think that maybe it was possible Carlos was indeed a criminal. Why was she even considering it? Did she not trust him one hundred percent? That seed of doubt had always been there when she thought back to his vagueness about his work. They’d never really discussed who he actually worked for. That had seemed odd but she’d dismissed it as Carlos just not liking to discuss his job.

  She dithered some more. Her feet seemed to be glued to the floor. In the next moment Kate could possibly learn just how screwed up her life really was. Was she ready for that?

  I have to know, one way or the other. I need to find out the truth. Jake kept me in the dark for so long. I can’t go through that again with Carlos.

  The closer she got to the truth, the harder it was to pull herself through the door.

  Jake moved from one foot to the other. He appeared just as nervous as she.

  Kate ordered her feet to move and finally they complied as she trudged through the door and over to the sleeping man that had his back towards her.

  The palatial room was no less luxurious than the living quarters with its super king sized bed raised on a two-tiered podium with a giant scalloped headboard in a natural cream color.
Above the flamboyant headboard sat an Italian masterpiece that could only be described as breathtaking. Framed in what appeared to be solid bronze was an original painting of ‘Madonna in Glory’ by Renaissance artist Bernardino Campi. Kate had learned a great deal about art since moving to Italy and loved that particular era. Standing so close to such a grand piece of work and art history had her hypnotized like a drooling dog, and for a moment she forgot why she was in the room. She gazed at the red-headed Madonna, swathed in a dress of the same color, surrounded by angels reaching out to her, in awe of the way Campi had captured Madonna’s emotions in such a simplistic painting yet one that spoke a thousand words.

  Kate had to admit that the criminal who owned the masterpiece had superb taste. The painting would have cost a fortune. She wondered how much he had paid for it and then just as quickly shuddered at the thought that he probably hadn’t paid for it. He’d probably had one of his puppets steal it.

  Jake broke Kate’s reverie by clearing his throat. In all honesty, she’d just been stalling for time. Prolonging the inevitable.

  She looked over at him and he motioned her forward with a jerk of his head. She was suddenly dizzy as she stopped at the end of the bed, trying to gain some sort of composure before standing before the man she thought she trusted.

  Finding the familiar face it took an instant for her to register that it was indeed Carlos that lay curled in a heap under the covers. The same man who’d been in her bed only days before. She stared at his messy brown hair, hoping by some miracle that it would turn blond. She waited for his round chin to turn sharp and his rather bushy eyebrows to become more refined. Nothing of the sort happened as her brain registered the truth.

  As Jake walked over to Kate’s side, her legs crumpled beneath her and she started to fall towards the floor before she disappeared for the second time in as many days. The last thing she heard was Jake cursing loudly.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  “Fucking hell, Kate! You have to stop doing that!”

  Jake didn’t panic as much this time though, as he came to the conclusion that both Kate’s disappearances had come about after she’d gone into shock. At least he hoped it was the case this time. He knew how close she was to losing her fight to live and it still worried him that she wasn’t by his side so he could stay connected to her.

  Not knowing where she had gone, he decided to return to her apartment because the sun was about to come up and he was sure Robert would be leaving to resume his search shortly. He couldn’t afford any time looking for Kate when he needed to try and let Robert know where his daughter’s body lay. He would have to take matters into his own hands.

  As he was just about to close his eyes and teleport away, he looked angrily at the sleeping Carlos and grunted, “Your day’s coming, asshole!”

  The sky had started to lighten and when Jake appeared in Kate’s kitchen, Robert had arisen and was making a cup of coffee. He looked disheveled and washed out, as if the little sleep he had managed had done little to revive him.

  Jake knew that his mentor would be sick with worry, as would any parent who loved their child the way Robert loved Kate. If Jake were a father he would be demented by now and didn’t know how Robert was keeping it together so well.

  After watching Robert pour himself a mug of coffee, Jake followed the man into the living room, wondering how he was going to get his attention. It needed to be soon.

  The two men sat side by side, Robert’s shoulders hunched as if carrying around the weight of the world. He clenched the mug like it was the only real thing he could grasp onto in that moment. It was a weird feeling being beside a man you had looked up to for so long, knowing they could neither see nor hear you. It gave Jake time to really study Robert and to remember the fun times back in the States. One of his sacred memories. The ball games they’d attended, just the two of them. An obsession with the same football team had immediately forged a bond that had seen them spend many a weekend day either at a live game or sprawled out on the sofa with beer and pizza. Those brilliant days seemed like a lifetime ago. He wished he could go back to that time and make different choices. If only.

  Jake’s eyes left Robert to look around the room for something he could use to draw the man’s attention. He walked to the armoire and opened one of the glass doors, wondering if that’s all it would take. Turning to Robert, it appeared not. Kate’s father was still heavily engrossed in whatever deep thinking had overcome him, still staring into his mug.

  Jake lifted up a statue of a brown and tan dog and walked back over to Robert, sitting down and placing the dog directly in front of Robert so that he had no option but to see it.

  Robert flinched, spilling his hot coffee all down the front of his shirt, yelling as the liquid soaked through to his chest and stomach. “Ahh, shit!” He patted his shirt a few times, pulling it away from his skin, never taking his eyes of the dog.

  “What the Goddam?” He picked it up and turned it over in his hands. “That did not just happen. I’m seeing things. I’m still suffering jet lag.”

  Jake snickered at the sight of the big, tough cop out of his element. “Welcome to my world, Rob.”

  Placing the dog back on the table, Rob took a swig out of his half empty coffee mug and dropped his head to his chest. “I really need a vacation. I’m starting to lose it.”

  Jake could tell that Rob was going to dismiss the dog as his own mind playing tricks on him so he looked for something else he could use. Before he could find anything, Robert downed the rest of his coffee and made a move to the bathroom, unbuttoning his stained shirt as he went.

  Perching on the edge of the tub, Jake watched Robert turn on the shower faucet, undress, and step in as he wondered how he was going to pull this off. There had to be a way. What could he use that Robert would see as a sign from Kate?

  He walked over to the sink and looked at the fixed shelf on the wall beside it. Was there anything he could use there? Deodorant. Hairspray. A razor.

  As he looked at the steam covering the mirror above the sink, he smeared his hand over the glass to clear some of the fog, curious to see once again that he had no reflection.

  He couldn’t get over how freaky it was not seeing anything staring back. It was almost like not existing and the body he felt himself in was just an illusion. Technically it was.

  As the mirror soon fogged up again, a thought pierced through Jake.

  His finger moved to the glass again and drew a line through the fog. He let the line disappear and then did it again, excitement bubbling. That was it!

  The idea was brilliant and had to work. He just had to hope that Robert looked in the mirror before leaving.

  Jake patiently waited while Robert finished his shower. It seemed to take forever but eventually he heard the taps turn off and Robert leaned out to grab the towel he’d tossed on the floor.

  Jake moved out of the way to give Robert room, stepping close to the basin but to the side, ready to put his plan into action.

  Robert dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist before walking over to the sink beside Jake, lifting a hand to clear the mist away from the mirror so he could run a comb through his hair.

  Before Rob’s hand could touch the mirror, Jake quickly reached out and with his index finger he started to write on the mirror.

  Robert cocked his head, watching a word appear. Clearly perplexed, he waited until it turned into a complete sentence in handwriting that Jake hoped would seem familiar to him.

  Help. Kate fell. Bottom of a ledge overlooking the ocean.

  Robert moved closer, his nose almost touching the glass as the steam started to fog over the mirror again. His eyes widened as he read and he dropped the comb into the basin.

  “No way. No way!” He took a step back as if the mirror was possessed. He stumbled over the bath mat but regained his balance when his shoulder touched the wall. He looked all around as if searching for the source of the writing, backing out of the bathroom.

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nbsp; “Come on, Rob! You’re smart. Can’t you figure it out? I’ve spelled it out for you as clear as day. Use those cop instincts and do something!” Jake’s voice was loud and laced with frustration as he followed, not ready to give up.

  Robert was fishing around in his bag for a minute and then pulled out a bottle of pills, taking two out and walking into the kitchen. He grabbed a glass, filled it with water, and swallowed both pills together as he kept drinking until the glass was empty. He was talking under his breath. “Jenny keeps telling me I need to retire. I’m getting too old for this crap. I need to listen to her.”

  Jake felt like he was getting nowhere. There had to be something else. A pen and paper would be good. He was running out of ideas. He couldn’t see any pens on the work desk but there were plenty of sheets of paper. Pulling open the top drawer he found a black marker. That would grab Rob’s attention.

  Robert was already backed into the cupboards at the sink, looking on in panic at the sight and sound of the drawer opening, pen being lifted out and then a piece of paper being moved into place before the lid was taken off the pen and words appeared on the paper. He didn’t move.

  Jake laughed trying to imagine what it must look like. He’d be pretty freaked out too if the shoe was on the other foot. Still, this was the only way.

  He wrote in big letters,

  You have to believe me. It’s Jake. Kate is dying. Help her. Ledge overlooking ocean. Southern side of town.

  Jake picked up the piece of paper and walked it over to Rob, who had both hands out in front of him in what looked like an attempt to stop the paper from touching him. “Get back! Whatever you are, go away! Don’t touch me!” He seemed to shrink into himself.

  “Oh for God’s sake, you frustrating man! Read the note! You’re a cop. Act first and ask questions later.” Jake was flailing the note around as he got right in Robert’s face and screamed, “Look at the fucking note!”

  Robert look like he flinched slightly as if Jake had gotten through to him. Both men were now standing still, Robert looking dumbfounded and Jake waiting expectantly.