by Beth Sadler
A Man For Tasha
By
Beth Sadler
Copyright Beth Sadler 2013
This book is written in Australian English.
Cover copyright Beth Sadler 2013
Prologue
Tasha sat frozen to her seat in horror, the hairs on the nape of her neck tingling in the age old message of flight or fight. Unfortunately she couldn’t run or fight, she could only watch as, the danger rushed inevitably towards her and the others on the beat-up old bus.
The only other passengers were the pretty little four year old Polish girl and her young mother. Mother and daughter clung tightly to each other, blond heads so close their hair mingled in a froth of curls, forming one long shining halo around both heads as they watched the river bank’s fast approach. Little Violeta cried in great, gulping sobs, arms wrapped tightly around her mother’s neck in an attempt to save herself. The mother clung to the seat in front and tried to protect her daughter with her own body from the inevitable plunge over the edge into the rushing water.
The panic of mother and daughter was terrible to watch and Tasha felt a sorrow so deep she wished she could drag her eyes away from the scene, but, that was not to be. The fates had decided that Tasha would see the end of these two fragile lives before she too succumbed.
Finally, the rumbling bounce of the bus pushed its bonnet over the river bank and into the chill waters of the river. Water poured in through the open windows and doors, quickly filling the cab and then washing over the front seats where the young family huddled together in a final attempt to escape their fate. Tasha’s last view of little Violeta was of her big, frightened blue eyes, staring in shock out of her white face and trembling lips. She stared over her mother’s shoulder directly at Tasha with a pleading look for help, as finally the water swallowed her into its merciless depths. With one last grating, lurching heave, the bus settled deep into the river bed and surrendered to the water’s possession. The river flowed on with complete indifference to the devastation it had dealt.
Chapter 1
Slowly, steadily, shuddering in the after effects of her precognitive vision, the world and all its sounds returned to Natasha James. As usual it took a few minutes before she could move or speak, the vision had held her immobile while it played out in her mind. Now, she needed to get herself moving and try to stop what she had just visualised from happening.
Tasha had come to terms with her gift a long time ago; she knew that when she could stop a tragedy, then, it was worth the bad moments she lived through. The problem was that she couldn’t always stop the events from unfolding exactly as she had seen, and that was when she despaired and called it her curse.
Tasha had been eating lunch in the garden of the long distance bus stop in Poland just before the vision had hit. Now, she needed to get to where the bus was parked around the back of the restaurant and stop Violeta and her mother from boarding it. Fighting hard to get control of her legs she slowly rose from her seat and, in a staggering run, made her way as fast as she could to the car park. Oh God she had to get there in time.
Rounding a corner of the building she slammed into what felt like solid rock. Strong fingers gently, but firmly, steadied her as she looked up, way up into the handsome face of the very tall man that she had been catching tantalising glimpses of for the past three weeks.
He had first appeared in the lounge of the hostel in St. Petersburg, where she had stayed while she checked out her Russian ancestor’s home town, then, he had nodded to her as he passed her in the medieval square in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital. Her final sighting had been yesterday in Lithuania. She had been visiting the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius, home to the three martyrs who had been tortured and then executed in thirteen forty seven. Their robed bodies were displayed in glass cases and were remarkably intact for such ancient remains. Devotees of their religion claimed their condition was due to their incorruptibility. Now here he was again.
She hadn’t attached too much significance to it, as this route was travelled by hundreds of backpackers. But, this meeting seemed eerily like one too many coincidences.
“What is your worry, Natasha James?” The man holding her between his strong hands wasn’t fluent in English, but Tasha followed his meaning. He knew her name and that probably wasn’t a good sign either, however, decided that was a problem for later. Right now she needed his help to save a family.
“Please we need to move quickly. The bus will crash into the river with a young girl and her mother on board unless we stop it” She pulled out of his hold and carried on running for the bus.
“I will you assist. But how know you this will happen?”
“I haven’t got time to explain it now but, believe me it’s going to happen if we don’t get to them in time.”
Tasha rounded the final corner and then, to her absolute despair, saw the bus rolling towards the river with Violeta and her mother staring desperately out of the window.
“Oh God no, please no,” whimpered Tasha, quick tears filling her eyes.
“Please, no cry. I will stop bus. Wait see” Lifting his arm he fiddled with his large steel watch then spoke into it in a language that Tasha had never heard before, it sounded vaguely like Swedish. “Look now” Pointing at the bus he held Tasha close with his free hand.
Tasha heard a loud hum coming from the sky above them, then, the bus simply stopped. She started forward again, pulling against the handsome stranger’s hold, intending to board the bus and get mother and daughter off quickly only, he wouldn’t let her go.
“Wait, you no pass tractor beam, I go” Tasha looked at him in amazement.
“Tractor beam? What the hell is happening?”
“I speak later, all can be explained.” Gently pushing her against the wall of the restaurant he repeated. “Wait please.”
Moving in a seemingly lazy walk his long, strong legs easily covered the few metres to the bus’s open door, once more making adjustments to his watch as he went. Swinging easily on board he efficiently set the hand brake and shoved the gear stick into reverse, before helping mother and child down the stairs to the ground and safety. Once he had the pair settled at a garden table he waved Tasha over to join them.
“I not speak their language, perhaps you?” He questioned with his brilliant dark blue eyes.
“Yes, I speak Polish. I’ve been talking to Violetta and Irena for much of the trip, we all got on the bus together in Vilnius. They’ve been visiting Irena’s mother there for the past week.”
Irena and Violeta gazed at their rescuer with adoring eyes. It was obvious that they knew what their fate would have been if he hadn’t boarded the bus and secured the brake.
Tasha smiled at Irena and hugged little Violeta close, it had been a near thing and she still wasn’t sure how they had been saved. However, once again her questions would have to wait because, Irena rushed into speech as soon as she had Tasha’s attention, holding tight to her arm so that she couldn’t move away.
“I would like to thank this very brave man for saving us. If he hadn’t run after us and boarded the bus we would have gone into the river. Please ask him his name and if there is any way that I can help him.” Smiling reassuringly to Irena, Tasha turned to their rescuer.
“Irena would like to know your name and thank you for saving them, also she wants to know if there is any way she can help you. She’s probably offering accommodation or a meal if you would care to accept?” Tasha was hard pressed to contain her curiosity to his answers.
“My name is Teril Halidon and I wish no thanks. You warned me of the danger so, you they must thank, I think.” Teril smiled gently at Violeta.
“I’d rather not mention my part in the rescue, if you don’t mind. It’s too difficult to explain.
”
Tasha squirmed inwardly at the thought of explaining her visions to this man. Although, somehow she didn’t think he would be quite as dismissive as most people were. Tasha had stopped trying to warn people in her early teens, they never listened and most thought that she was attention seeking. When her predictions came true it was usually put down to coincidence.
“I understand, Natasha, your secrets must be guarded. I too have secrets. We will share them soon.” Tasha took a minute to consider his words, then, with a last look into his honest eyes she nodded her agreement.
Teril turned to Violeta and opened his strong arms wide to her, inviting her to be carried high. “Come little Violeta, to the shop for ice cream, yes?” Tasha translated and their reward was a happy laugh from Violeta and vigorous nodding. Teril swept the laughing girl up high onto his shoulders then, moved off to the restaurant followed by the other two, relieved women. The bus driver would have to be informed soon of his faulty brake, but first, a little girl and her mother needed to be comforted.
