by Ashlyn Chase
Dawn closed her eyes once more and revisited her vision. “She’s on a cot. The walls are kind of dingy. There’s a lamp on the floor plugged into an open wall socket. A side table with a juice box on it and what looks like the remains of a kid’s burger meal. She’s sitting up on the cot, rocking back and forth. I feel like she’s been crying, but she’s all cried out now.”
Dawn’s eyes filled with tears, and she opened them again.
Luca enfolded her in his arms. “It’s okay. We’re going to find her. You did great.”
Bubbles the cat jumped into the space between them, purring his way to Dawn’s lap.
“See, even Bubbles thinks so.”
Dawn smiled through her tears and stroked the beautiful white cat sitting contentedly on her lap.
Luca kept his right arm around her as Dawn tucked her head into the crook of his arm and shoulder. She relaxed into his warmth. Just having his arm around her made her feel better. But it wasn’t just any man’s arm around her. It was Luca’s warmth and protection making the difference. She felt safe, special, cared for. Something she had never felt before, except with her Gran—and sometimes when she was little, her mother. She closed her eyes again and let his warmth surround her.
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes. Thank you. These visions. Sometimes they take a lot out of me, especially this one.”
Luca swept a lock of unruly hair behind her ear. “Did you see anything else in the room that could tell us her location?”
Dawn concentrated but couldn’t remember anything. She shook her head, letting out a groan of frustration. “I’m sorry. I’ll keep trying. I have to connect with the person, and sometimes I can only see what they see. But now that I have the unicorn, I can keep concentrating on it.”
She leaned back and looked into Luca’s eyes. “Do you think Jack would let me into his home, into Mandy’s bedroom? Maybe that would help.”
Luca blew out a breath. “I don’t know. I mean, you’re just getting bits and pieces. If we go to Jack and tell him this now, without any concrete info, he might overreact, demand the cops use a psychic or something that will point to interference.”
“But if I could go into her bedroom, maybe I could get a better sense of things.”
Luca scratched the back of his neck. “I have another idea. Why don’t we drive to the location of the accident? Do you think maybe that could help?”
“Yes. I imagine her energy is strong there. Can we go now?”
Luca glanced at his watch. “It’s going on midnight. Are you sure?”
Dawn nodded as she picked up Bubbles and set him on the floor. “Yes, I want to find Mandy, and the sooner the better. Who knows what these kidnappers are capable of?”
“Okay, let’s do it.”
Luca drove them to the scene of the original accident, and they parked at the side of the road. A few flowers had been placed at the base of the pole where the car had hit. Luca grabbed his flashlight and went around to the passenger side, letting Dawn out.
Still holding the unicorn close, Dawn walked slowly around the area.
“Honey, don’t cry.”
“Mama, you’re driving fast. Daddy doesn’t like fast driving.”
“I know, honey, but I have to get to Grandma’s fast.”
“Mama, I’m scared.”
“It’s okay, honey. I love you, Mandy.” She felt a hand squeeze her knee.
Screams filled Dawn’s ears, followed by a car screeching and the loud crash of steel hitting steel.
Then darkness.
“Dawn…Dawn, wake up, hon.”
Dawn opened her eyes and for a moment didn’t know where she was. “I saw the accident. I s-saw Mandy’s mom fly into the windshield. Blood everywhere.” Dawn felt the dizziness overtake her again, and she fought to stay conscious.
Luca lifted her up and carried her back to the car. “You need to get some rest. This was too much.”
“We need to find her.”
“We will find her. But this is the third time you’ve fainted doing this, and I’m worried about you.”
“I didn’t faint.”
Luca buckled her back into the front passenger seat, then got into his side and drove her home.
“I don’t think my fainting is because of having visions. I only faint at the sight of blood. It’s always been that way. I just haven’t seen blood this often in a short amount of time—until hanging out with you.” She smiled, hoping he’d take that as a joke.
He was quiet the entire time, and she was too tired to carry on a conversation, still trying to process everything she’d seen.
As he was helping her out of the car, she began to get teary.
“I ruined our night, didn’t I?”
Luca wrapped her in his arms again. “Are you kidding? You’re the most amazing woman I have ever met. I’m the one who should be apologizing for pushing you too hard.”
“We did what we felt was right at the time. No apologies needed.”
Luca helped Dawn into the house and told her to lock the door after him. She didn’t even roll her eyes. She understood why he’d remind her. He gave her a quick, fierce kiss and told her he’d call her tomorrow.
Dawn dropped her purse and the unicorn in the closet by the front door. “I have to stop this fainting thing,” she mumbled to herself. Dawn remembered the name Lynda Carter had given her—Minerva. Maybe Minerva could help her stay focused long enough to see what she needed to see instead of fainting all the frickin’ time.
She would go tomorrow after work and hope Minerva could help her.
“Dawnie, is that you?” Annette’s voice floated down the stairs.
“Yes, Gran. I’ll be right up.” Dawn picked up the unicorn and placed it in a cloth grocery bag and hung it over a coat hanger. Then she draped her coat over it and scooted up to her room. Once she’d hidden the unicorn in the closet, she felt it was safe from Annette seeing the toy and asking questions. She popped into Annette’s bedroom and plopped down at the foot of her bed.
Annette was sitting propped up against a bunch of pillows with a book facedown on her lap.
“How did your date go?”
“Luca is amazing, and so is his family.” Dawn showed Annette the necklace that Gabriella had given her and recapped some funny highlights from the engagement dinner.
“Sounds like you had a wonderful time.”
“I did, Gran. I really did.”
Annette seemed to hesitate for a moment, then said, “Sweetie, there is something I need to tell you.” She patted the bed next to her, and Dawn cuddled up beside her.
“Okay.”
“Now, I’m kind of rusty with the extrasensory thing. I don’t get out as much as I used to, and I certainly don’t have the same abilities you do, but when I shook hands with Luca earlier this evening, I got a strange feeling from him.”
“What do you mean?” Dawn’s heart kicked up a beat. Did her grandmother sense something bad about Luca? No, it couldn’t be. He was wonderful.
“There’s something supernatural about him. Unique.”
“Supernatural?” Dawn’s eyes widened.
“I don’t mean anything like ghosts haunting him or anything… I sense some type of superhuman ability.”
“Like a superhero?” She laughed. “Gran, you’re not making any sense.”
“I know. I just can’t put it into words. That doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”
She’d been completely open about her past with him. Was he keeping something from her?
Annette must have seen the alarm in Dawn’s eyes, because she wrapped her arm around her and hugged her close. “I don’t sense anything bad or mean about him. He has a good heart. Who knows? Maybe he doesn’t even know this about himself. But I think he does. I felt like he could fly like a bird.”
“Or maybe his spirit was soaring because he’s in love. Or…maybe I’ve been watching too many of those romances you keep recommending. But I think whatever quality that boy has, it sure is special. I don’t know what else to say. Just keep your eyes and mind open.”
* * *
“Which one of you brave rookies is going to volunteer?” Sergeant Butts’s eyes skewered Luca as he walked in with his new day shift training officer, Mary Beth Gulliver. “Hey, I think Fierro just volunteered. Didn’t you, Fierro?”
“What now?”
Mary Beth had gone over their route in the hallway, so they were a few moments late for the morning briefing.
Luca had no idea what Butts had volunteered him to do, but he could tell by the cold gleam in his eyes that it wouldn’t be fun. He decided to grin and bear it. “What would you like me to do, Sarge?”
Luca heard a chorus of chuckles around the squad room. Uh-oh. This can’t be good.
“Well, Officer Fierro,” Butts said in an almost gleeful voice, “today we’re hosting the new class from the police academy. And we’re going to demonstrate the protocol for tasing. And you’re going to play the perp.”
Luca swallowed hard. Certainly not his idea of a good start to a Tuesday morning, but he had no choice. It was one thing to get fooled into delivering a coffee and newspaper to the captain; it was quite another to have to get tased. “Okay, no problem.”
“I’ll make sure the Taser is on its lowest setting,” Mary Beth whispered to him. “Don’t worry. A lot of us have been through it.”
Luca shrugged. “I guess it’s all part of the rookie treatment.”
“All right, Wonder Boy,” Butts said, rubbing his hands together. “The students are waiting for us in the workout room.”
Luca wondered at the sergeant’s attitude. He could always sense that Butts didn’t care for him, and since his breakup with Lisa, it almost seemed to have skyrocketed. Did Lisa tell her dad about their relationship? She was pretty nasty to him on the phone the other day. Was that for show? Maybe she told her dad and blamed the breakup on me. I wouldn’t put it past her.
His mind drifted back to the night before last. Dawn. She was unlike any girl he’d ever known. She wanted so badly to help find Mandy. He was worried about Dawn though. Every time she had an upsetting vision, it caused her to faint. Luckily, he’d been with her each time, but what if he wasn’t?
What if, one day when she was waiting for the subway, she had one of her visions and then fell onto the tracks? His heart kicked up a beat as he thought about her getting hurt. He would text her not to hold the unicorn unless he was with her or unless she was safely lying down at home. He hoped that would keep her out of trouble for the time being.
So why did he keep feeling like something terrible was going to happen? He wasn’t the psychic one, except he’d heard that everyone was a little bit psychic. Some had honed their skills and others called it intuition.
Everyone was gathered in a circle for the demonstration.
“I’ll do the tasing,” Mary Beth offered.
“Oh, now why should you get all the fun?” Butts said, taking the Taser from her hands.
Mary Beth clearly didn’t want him to do it. An odd look passed between her and Butts. Luca couldn’t help but feel the tension between them. Mary Beth was glaring daggers at Butts, who just smirked at her expression. Luca wondered… If he’d noticed it, did anyone else? Should he bring it up with her later? He didn’t want to overstep. He’d play it by ear. In the meantime, he braced himself for the tasing.
They’d set up a scenario where Luca played the role of someone resisting arrest. Luca was apprehensive, wondering if his phoenix abilities would keep him upright. Mary Beth and Butts played the roles of the arresting officers. Luca stood with his back to them. Mary Beth approached on one side and pulled Luca’s arm behind his back to cuff him. Luca pulled out of her grip and turned around. Mary Beth took a step back, and Butts fired the Taser into his side. Luca felt the jolt shock his entire body, and the next thing he knew, his knees were locked, and he toppled over like a tree.
“Move back. Give him some air.”
Luca heard Mary Beth’s panicked voice from a distance. He groaned and wondered if his phoenix abilities had saved him at all. It sure felt like he’d experienced the full effect.
Mary Beth was hovering over him on one side, her eyes filled with concern, and on the other side, Sergeant Butts was staring at him with what could only be raw hatred. Luca blinked to clear his vision, and Butts’s expression was now one of humor. He has the right name. He’s a pain in everyone’s butts.
“He’s just fine, Gulliver.” Butts gave her a smirk. “Don’t worry. I didn’t hurt your pet trainee—permanently.”
Mary Beth motioned for two of the students to help her lift Luca up onto his feet, then walk him slowly to a chair.
“You okay?” Mary Beth asked, her hand resting on his shoulder.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” He turned to the group of wide-eyed students and flashed them a grin and a thumbs-up sign. They broke into spontaneous applause.
Sharing a joke with the class, he said, “All in a ‘tase’ work, folks.”
Good-natured laughter followed as Luca rose and left the room with Mary Beth. He glanced over his shoulder on his way out, and his eyes met Butts’, who stood there with his arms crossed, looking like he’d just swallowed a glass of vinegar.
* * *
“Welcome. I’ve been expecting you.”
Dawn looked around to see where the voice was coming from, but she didn’t see anyone.
Then she felt a tug on her jacket and turned around. She saw a stunning woman who looked like she’d been in a movie at one time, but she couldn’t place her—and she was sitting in a wheelchair.
“Most people don’t know where to look,” the regal lady said.
“Are you Minerva?”
“I am indeed.”
“How did you know I was coming?” Dawn realized what a silly question that was.
Minerva smiled at her. She wore a robin’s-egg-blue-colored shift dress that would have made Jackie O proud.
“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” the older woman said with an accent Dawn was unsure of. Everything about this woman—or goddess—was unexpected.
Minerva turned and briskly rolled her way to the back of the store, with Dawn following.
As soon as they arrived at a door, which Minerva locked behind them, she rose from the wheelchair and walked. Her shiny black pumps made a tapping noise on the hardwood floor. Glancing over her shoulder, she said, “Are you coming?”
Dawn hurried after her. “You don’t need the wheelchair?”
“No. It’s just to see what my wounded veterans have to go through.”
“Oh.” She had no idea what she meant by her veterans, but she figured if she needed to know, it would be explained later.
When Minerva threw back a curtain, Dawn gasped at what she saw. She shouldn’t have been surprised though. Minerva was connected to Karma Cleaners, so it was no wonder that the back of her store resembled a serene woodland forest. Tall leafy green trees, lush grasses, myriad multicolored flowers. Dawn even heard birds chirping. Minerva led her down a cobblestoned path to a quaint cottage. Opening the door, she gestured for Dawn to follow.
Dawn gaped at how pretty the cottage was, from the floral-patterned wallpaper to the cobalt-blue glass vases filled with an abundance of colorful blooms.
Minerva sat down on a muted-green sofa. A white porcelain tea service adorned with a green floral pattern had already been set on the carved wooden table, which was painted the palest of pinks and covered with a pretty white embroidered cloth. A matching three-tiered tea plate, laden with pastries and finger sandwiches, sat temptingly next to it.
Minerva poured the fragr
ant orange and spice brew into two cups, adding a drop of cream to each one. She placed two tiny sandwiches and a pink-frosted cookie on each of two side plates and handed one to Dawn. “Now we can enjoy our tea and have a civilized conversation.”
“So you live here?” Dawn asked, taking a bite from the delectable cream cheese and cucumber sandwich.
“Yes, I do. I’ve been here in this home for many years. But I travel often. Wherever I am needed, my lovely cottage goes with me.”
Dawn almost choked on her sip of tea. “How?”
Minerva gave her a look as though to say You even have to ask?
“Sorry. I’m still having some trouble taking it all in. I’ve just gotten used to Karma Cleaners, and now meeting you has been kind of out of the ordinary for me.”
“Well, given that you are an extraordinary young woman, it’s high time you start to believe in the extraordinary.” Minerva’s bright-blue eyes twinkled at Dawn over the rim of her teacup.
Her cheeks heated.
“You want to know how to keep from fainting when you have visions, correct?”
Dawn nodded as she set her teacup down on the table. “It only happens at the sight of blood.”
“Hmm…”
“What are you thinking?”
Minerva sighed. “Just that I’ve seen more than my share of blood. I’m the goddess of wisdom and war.”
“Oh. I thought that was Athena.”
Minerva chuckled. “At your service.”
Dawn slapped herself upside the head. “Oh, right. You guys pick whichever name you like best. So I guess you prefer being called Minerva instead of Athena?” Dawn would have chosen the other way, but who was she to tell a goddess what to do?
“Yes. I like having a nickname with my sisters. Some of them call me Mini—and we all get a kick out of it.”
“Ah. I see.” She really didn’t, but she might be able to figure it out. Let’s see. Powerful goddess of war and wisdom. Mini. Has to be ironic.
“Quite so.”
“I can’t get used to having my mind read.”
“I’ll keep it to a minimum then.” She smiled. “It comes in handy when a soldier can’t speak but desperately wants to communicate his last wish.”