I stood up and stretched thinking back to the first time I’d spent the night here. I looked back to where Kennan’s bag would’ve been. With a lump in my throat, I fought back the tears that threatened to fall.
“You’re doing this for him. Xavier said he would kill him. Well, pretty much, so buck up," I scolded myself.
I set about getting breakfast and looked around to make sure I hadn’t been followed. I knew that I had two options. I could either wait it out here for another night to throw everyone off of my trail, or I could hike out tonight and haul tail to Bremerton. Thank God Mike wanted to be back at his old Navy stomping grounds, because Bremerton was just a few hours away from where I was.
I sat down and weighed my options, wondering what Kennan and Ian would have done in my position. I decided to stick it out for another night. I knew there was a very real chance they had been caught or had hauled butt out of there in search of me. If that was the case, they would probably be waiting at the last escape exit today.
I spent the day going through a lot of the different forms Ian had taught me. I took a run through the woods, but ran back when I spotted the elk again. I didn’t want to disturb them. Mostly, I didn’t want them to think I was some lady elk and try to mate with me. I knew the odds were slim, but it must have happened to at least one person. I got back to my stuff and took a quick bath in the freezing water. Afterwards, I built a fire and waited for darkness to come. I was grateful the constant rain had held off thus far, but from the looks of the sky, my luck wouldn’t hold out for much longer.
By the time night fell, the rain had started to fall again. I looked up at the sky, wondering why God couldn’t have held it off for a little bit longer. Ultimately, I knew that the rain would cover any tracks I might have left. I just sucked it up and burrowed into my sleeping gear. I was pretty sure at the rate I was shivering my bag would work its way off while I slept. I was surprised to wake the next morning still safely encased.
I got up once again and steeled myself for the hike out. I plotted the points to make sure I hadn't missed any of the pitfalls I had come across during my last few hikes. I packed all of my stuff up and stretched out my tired muscles. I looked back at the clearing longingly and wished I could just hide out here and let the world pass by. Then I remembered that all I had left to eat was a power bar and some granola. My stomach won out. I didn’t have the fish catching skills of one Kennan O’Malley.
I sighed, a piece of me missing now that he wasn’t with me. I had come to depend on him so much in the past few years and even more in the past month. I couldn’t get the thought of his eyes out of my mind. I missed his smile. It had the power to transform me into a puddle of goo. Who was I kidding, I just missed all of him. I promised myself if I made it through this I would tell him how I really felt. No more holding back.
Granted, if I did make it through this, he was probably going to want to throttle me. So maybe I would have to feel the room first to see where I stood. It would be my luck to show up, spill my guts, and then get yelled at. That would kind of ruin the moment.
I trudged on, thinking of nonsense. I won’t lie, I spent a good amount of time fantasizing about Kennan. God, I wanted that man. Not just physically, but in everything. I was kind of ashamed. I had spent so long being opposed to relationships, and really having no interest in them, and then all of a sudden there he was. It was like I had finally opened my eyes and saw what was right in front of me.
My foot slipped, pulling me from my reverie, and I started to slide down the hill I was trying to trek up. The rocks came loose under my feet as the rain began falling more heavily. I slid all the way to the bottom of the hill, now covered in mud. I checked all of my joints to make sure I was still in working order. Yep, nothing but my pride was busted. I scrambled up the hill once more, this time crawling halfway. Once I got to the top, I stopped to even out my breathing and get a drink.
As I drank, I noticed someone further up the trail. I quickly hid in some of the denser foliage and waited for the hikers to pass. I didn’t trust that they were out here just enjoying a hike. No matter what they looked like. At this point, the only people I trusted were Mike, Ian, and Kennan. I waited with bated breath for them to pass. It was a man and a woman and they looked completely ordinary.
Except the woman stopped and looked directly at my hiding place for a moment. I started to move but she shook her head. It would have been unnoticeable had I not been paying such close attention. She turned away immediately with the man and kept hiking down the way I had come up. I heard her talk to him in hushed tones.
“I saw her camping by the river. That is all I could see. She has us blocked really well. Even Seers can’t get through her walls right now," the girl said helplessly.
I heard the slap of skin on skin and I wanted to run to the girl and defend her. She was younger than me. Yet, she lied to whoever this was so that I could escape. I looked down toward the bottom of the hill where they had stopped. She once more looked in my direction with a ferocity I had never known.
This girl held a strength I could only dream of. I hoped that someday I would be able to find her. I couldn’t bear the thought of abandoning her after she had just saved my hide.
“Molly, I swear to the gods, if you’re lying to me I will make you pay. Don’t think I won’t do it. I don’t care how talented you are," the man growled.
“I can only tell you what I have seen. I wouldn’t dare invent stories sir," she said with a hint of defiance in her voice.
So the man with her was with the Corporation. By the sounds of it, he was a Guardian as well. I watched them for a moment longer before the tiny blonde gave me a pointed look as if to say, “Run you moron!" I nodded in her direction, and tried to communicate with my eyes that I wouldn’t forget her.
I scrambled out of hiding after they were out of sight and ran for it. I didn’t know how long I would have before they headed back this way. I didn’t want Molly to be found out either. If they caught me they would know that she’d lied. I made a mental note to find her again and help her escape somehow.
I was winded by the time I reached the car. I checked the parking lot several times before getting in the car to make sure no one was watching me. I got in and hit the 101 in the hopes of finding Mike. I knew there was a restaurant he always talked about frequenting up near Bremerton. It was some little hole in the wall diner. That would be my first stop. I needed to gain sustenance for myself and to try and find him. Then we were going to high tail it to the Council and figure out what to do next.
I arrived at the diner almost four hours later. I had almost stopped in Port Angeles to grab some food, but thought better of it. The fewer stops, the better probably. I walked inside and found a booth, hoping against all hope that Mike would come in. The waitress came by to take my order and I asked if she had seen a man named Mike that day.
“Oh, honey, you just missed him by an hour. Is your name Izzy by any chance?" the lady asked.
“Yes, ma’am," I said skeptically.
“Well, Mike left something for you. Let me go grab it. He said you might show up here someday."
As the lady walked away, I wondered what Mike could have left me. I also wondered how long it would take to cook my burger. I was famished. She returned with my drink and an envelope and left me to my discoveries.
I opened the envelope, not sure what I might find. All that was inside was a key and a map of how to get from the diner to his house. Well, that was a relief. I was glad that it wasn’t some cryptic message about the fate of the world or whatever. I was getting sick of surprises.
My burger came a few minutes later and I took the time to devour it along with every single last French fry. Their greasy goodness sunk into my stomach, making me long for a nap. Well, I did have a map to a house. Perhaps Mike had a couch that I could become acquainted with.
I left the diner and headed over to Mike’s place. I found it after passing the turn off three times. I pa
rked along the street in front of the small, shingled house. The house itself looked like it had seen better days, but I supposed that it matched Mike’s personality in a strangely accurate way. I walked up to the door and knocked. I was so stunned by who opened the door, I didn’t know whether to scream or run, but neither choice was mine to make.
**********
TWENTY ONE
I was jerked into the house before I could cause a scene. I stood there, dumbfounded, unable to process what my eyes were seeing. There, in Mike’s living room, was Xavier. I looked around expecting to see Mike tied up. Instead, he was reclined in a chair, smoking a cigar. I looked around the rest of the room and saw three more men who were easily a foot taller than me. All this passed in a matter of seconds, bringing me right back to Xavier who happened to be smiling down at me maliciously.
“Told you I would find you. All of that running was for nothing after all," his voice sent chills down my spine.
“What’s going on here, Mike?" I demanded. I wanted an explanation. I also wanted to shove Xavier’s nose into his brain pan, but I wasn’t quite tall enough for that.
“Oh, honey, how did you not know? You really are just as dumb and trusting as that other lot. The Corporation has been paying me quite well to keep tabs on you and feed them inside information about what was happening within the Council. As soon as you started to show signs of being a Seer, I contacted Xavier and had him added to our delivery route. You didn’t go there just by chance Izzy," Mike said around his cigar.
“But what about your sons? What about all of those years I worked for you? Are you telling me you’re okay with just handing me over to these guys? Do you even know what they will do to me?" I asked. I was afraid the tears would start sliding down my cheeks at any moment. I had to keep it together. I had to find a way out.
“Oh, my sons are alive and well, Babycakes. These big guys have kept my family’s pockets padded for quite a long time. And yes, I know exactly what they will do with you and quite frankly I just don’t care. You were a paycheck," Mike said, uninterested.
I felt like a part of my heart was physically being ripped away. A man I had thought of like a second father was nothing more than a deceptive, manipulative ass like the rest of these guys. I thought back to the email and to everything that had happened. Xavier had set me up. He had known he couldn’t get to me when I was with Kennan and Ian. He had played on my weakness and I had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. It looked like I was the catch of the day.
In a rare fit of rage, I ripped Mike’s cigar from his mouth and shoved it down on his arm hard, putting out the embers in his skin. I wanted him to be reminded of me every single day for the rest of his miserable life.
Mike yelled out. “You little bitch!"
He struck out at me and Xavier intercepted.
“Now, Mike, let’s all keep a level head here. Izzy is just a little spirited. But don’t worry, we will work that out of her before too long. Now go rinse that out before it gets infected." Xavier dismissed Mike with a flick of his hand and moved towards me.
I stood my ground. I refused to cower in front of this man. Kennan may not have been able to kill him, but I held no such reservations. I looked up at my captor defiantly. Yes, I had been stupid and played right into his hand, but, I had done so to protect the people I loved. That was a kind of stupidity I could live with. We stared at one another for a long time before he began to speak.
“You aren’t at all like your mother, are you? You’re quite the feisty thing. I have so enjoyed our little talks in the dreaming. It’s such a pleasure to finally be face to face once more," he drawled as he reached for my face to brush it the way Kennan did.
I grabbed his hand quickly, bending it backward almost to the breaking point.
“You touch me again and I will break you, big man," I said, grateful for Ian and the many things he’d taught me about using my size to my advantage.
“Looks like you have learned some new tricks, pet. What else has my brother taught you?" Xavier asked with a raised brow, as though I hadn’t even hurt him.
I was amazed that I had once thought him handsome. He was not godlike at all. He was playing at being a god. In my experience, the mighty fall further and harder. I would bring him down if it was the last thing I did.
“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know. But it wasn’t just Kennan, I still have other friends left, you know," I said, being as vague as possible.
“Well, don’t worry your pretty head about any of that now. We have a long trip ahead of us, so why don’t you go and grab your bag," Xavier commanded.
I really wanted to inflict vast amounts of pain on this man. I had never felt anything like the rage that had swelled within me since knocking on that infernal door. I was hoping that Mike would get gangrene from his burn and his arm would rot off. I was hoping that all of the men in black suits would get some incurable virus that would melt their organs. And most of all, I hoped that Xavier would have a run in with a rusty blade of some sort and contract tetanus. I had never been a violent person, but when I had nothing left, I got scrappy.
I looked at Xavier and weighed my options. I could go along with this and not fight it, or I could try and run. I knew from experience that outrunning a Guardian was damn near impossible, so I decided to once again ride the wave of a kidnapping. There had to be some sort of limit on the amount of times a girl could be kidnapped in a year. I mean, I must have met my quota by now. I looked up at the sky silently begging God, “Come on, Big Man. Help a sister out a little.” I sighed and headed toward my car.
I was awarded with an escort from the goon squad to retrieve my belongings. I acted like I was searching the glove box. I needed to leave a note or something in case Ian or Kennan found the car. I scribbled on the registration the basics of what had happened. I didn’t have much time with the goon squad was growing restless right outside of the door. I tossed the paper down in the floorboard under the seat so that it barely showed. I was counting on Kennan’s obsessive nature to take over and find it.
I grabbed my bag and closed the door, locking the keys inside. See if you can move the car now, stupid bad guys. I mean, I supposed they could call a locksmith, but at least I had delayed them in disposing of the car. I headed back toward the house, only to have Xavier gesture toward a black limousine. Well, of course. Why wouldn’t he be cruising around in a limo? I was more than a little pissed that my first time in a limo was going to be with an asshat like him.
I sighed, tossed my bag into the dark chasm and shuffled in after it. I pulled myself into a back corner before Xavier’s morose entourage climbed in. They really did look like a crew of undertakers. I decided to name them Lurch 1, Lurch 2, and Lurch 3. The last of the men didn’t look nearly tall enough to be a Lurch, so he was instead dubbed Igor.
I sat quietly in the back seat for a long time. The road rolled beneath us, taking me to Lord knows where. Thoughts of what a major cluster this whole situation had become danced through my head. I might as well have just given myself over in Chicago.
I was brought from my thoughts by Xavier’s hands approaching the sides of my face. I looked at him like he had lost his mind. I reached up and snapped his hand, sure that I had broken at least something. Instead, he just shook his hand and "tsked" me.
I was pinned to the back of the seat by the Lurches faster than I could track.
“You should have played nice," Xavier scolded. I wondered what it would take to make him yell. Then I remembered, he was devoid of all real emotion.
I struggled against my captors as Xavier approached. I knew he was trying to hack my brain but I was durned if I was gonna make it easy on him. I squirmed as much as possible, but once he had a hold of my head, I couldn’t move. I was painfully braced between his large hands.
A deep look of concentration passed over his brow. He looked as though he was straining, and I remembered my wards. I looked back into his eyes defiantly.
“What have you don
e? Take them down. Do it now," Xavier said with more heat than I thought possible for him.
“Sorry, I don’t know how," I said flippantly. I was really glad my pants didn’t catch fire and give me away immediately. The way the day had turned out though, I wouldn’t have been surprised if they had.
“You’re telling me you warded your head but you don’t know how to undo it? Kennan is far too anal to have let that happen," Xavier said, trying to pry the truth from me.
“Well, before I could learn to undo them, I had to learn to do them. I was still working on the first part you see, so we didn’t quite make it there. Pity, huh?" I said, just before he struck me.
Well, it was just a banner day for me. I was riding in a limo for the very first time. I had been hit by a man for the first time in my life, well, if I didn’t count Ian’s training. Oh, and I had been kidnapped. But that was more of a repeating theme for me, so I wasn’t sure it counted. I sat there numb, but grateful to have my mind to myself.
He could torture me or any other number of things. He wouldn’t use my head to screw with people’s lives. He would have to kill me first. I looked over at him, filled with more rage than I ever thought possible. I couldn’t help myself. I wanted this man to suffer like I had never wanted anything before.
“So, how did your latest insurance scheme work out, buddy?" I asked, remembering that today would have been the bridge collapse.
Xavier looked at me confused at first and then pulled his phone out to make a call. He spoke in Gaelic like Ian and Kennan did when they didn’t want me to hear what was being said. By the time he ended his phone conversation he was seething.
He shot out of his seat towards me with his arm out, gripping me around the throat. I was once more pinned to the seat, barely breathing. I probably shouldn’t have pushed him, but quite honestly, I just wanted to piss him off.
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