Grave Intentions

by Sjoberg, Lori

  “Good.” Samuel smiled, and the hold around David’s neck loosened. “In that case, I have an assignment for you.”

  “Oh goody, what now?”

  “A stray. Two, actually.” Samuel reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out an index card. “Here’s the necessary information.”

  “It’s been a while since we’ve had one of these.” David scanned the information, forcing back the anger so he could focus on the only thing left in his miserable existence: the job.

  Nearly four years had passed since the last time he’d picked up a stray. Souls with unfinished business were reluctant to move on, and on rare occasions were successful in their attempts to remain on the mortal plane. Some wandered while others haunted. A few possessed a strong enough presence to be noticed by mortals and became fodder for ghost stories. Once detected, it was the reaper’s job to collect the soul and set it back on course to the next realm.

  “All right,” David said, tucking the card in his back pocket. “I’ll squeeze it into the schedule.”

  “Very good. Now, I’ll leave you to your …” Samuel’s gaze shifted to the stack of drawings on David’s desk. “Distraction.”

  chapter 10

  David slumped back in the driver’s seat, his yawn so wide his jaw popped. Despite the heavy haze of exhaustion, Samuel’s early morning visit dominated his thoughts, his brain working overtime to decipher the hidden meaning behind Fate’s ambiguous message.

  “The fork in the road will expose the true nature of your character, but the light will chart the course for the remainder of your journey.”

  What plans did Fate have in store for him? Why all the talk of forks and lights when she could just tell him what the fuck she wanted him to do?

  Because that would make things too easy, he thought with increasing bitterness. Omniscient beings loved toying with their pets, and he was no exception. And until his tab was cleared, he had no choice but to suck it up and take it like a man.

  His growing infatuation with Sarah complicated matters. What the hell was he thinking, kissing her again? He hadn’t been thinking, and that was a problem. Common sense and discipline flew right out the window every time he laid eyes on her. And in a moment of weakness, he’d thrown caution to the wind and gone on a hormonal joy ride.

  If he had to be honest, he couldn’t say he regretted the transgression. He’d never forget the way she looked the night before, with her face flushed and that hint of lust darkening her beautiful brown eyes. Damn, he was in a world of trouble. Little by little, she consumed his thoughts, making him wish for things that weren’t part of the program. If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up hurting her.

  The creak of a screen door turned David’s attention to the run-down duplex across the street from where he parked. Its faded yellow paint was stained with dirt and algae, while sheets of plywood covered the broken front windows. Patchy, overgrown weeds choked the front yard, completing the picture of utter abandonment. Adam stomped down the gravel driveway toward the car, his expression anything but pleasant.

  “How’d it go, Newbie?” David asked when Adam jerked open the passenger side door. He tried to force back the smile, but still found himself breaking into a shit-eating grin.

  “You’re an asshole,” Adam bit out, slamming the door with enough force to make the car rattle. Eyes reduced to angry slits, he shifted in his seat to face David. “You could have warned me.”

  “Where’s the fun in that?” The grin stretched to a smile and Adam flipped him the bird.

  For the kid’s first solo reap, David had chosen an assignment with a low probability of witnesses or police involvement. Basically, one he’d be hard-pressed to fuck up.

  Still, he didn’t want to make it too easy for the little bastard. It was a rite of passage to make the inaugural solo reap unforgettable. And besides, going soft on the kid just wasn’t his style.

  “Hey, I took it easy on you.” David slipped the car in gear, checking the side-view mirror before he pulled away from the curb. “It could have been a lot worse.”

  “Oh, so I’m supposed to be grateful?” The muscles in Adam’s jaw ticked. He folded his arms across his chest and glared at David with a look of contempt. “The dude was naked. He died jacking off with a plastic bag over his head. Thanks a fucking lot.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t know autoerotic asphyxiation got your panties in such a wad.” David shrugged, fighting hard not to bust a gut laughing. He hooked a right onto Highway 17-92 North, slipping behind a silver Honda. “Ruby usually enjoys those gigs.”

  “Figures.”

  “You think that was bad, you should have seen the job I did in Savannah a while back. This old geezer had a contraption set up in his living room with a belt sander and a cordless drill—”

  “Enough!” Adam snapped, his eyes wide and his upper lip peeled back in disgust. “Please. I don’t want to know.”

  “Suit yourself.” Still smiling, David eased into the left-turn lane. Once the car rolled to a stop, he switched stations a few times, stopping when he found something good on the classic rock station. “If it makes you feel better, you did good, kid.”

  In spite of his unease, Adam had managed to hold it together and completed his assignment without incident. That earned points in David’s book. And now that the kid had a firm grip on the physical aspects of the job, he could shift the training to the finer details, the ones crucial to bailing a reaper out of sticky situations.

  Adam’s posture relaxed a little as he rolled down the window and propped his forearm on the sill. “Thanks,” he said, still sulking but not looking quite as pissed off as before.

  “You’re welcome.” David hooked a left into a gas station and drove up to an available pump. “Tell you what, we have a few hours to kill before our next appointment downtown. We’ll swing by the apartment so you can let the mutt out; then we’ll go grab some lunch at Costanzo’s. My treat.”

  At noon, the main doors to the Orange County Courthouse swung open and a crowd of people poured out like ants, intent on grabbing a quick bite in the short amount of time allotted for lunch recess. Sarah brought up the rear, digging through her purse for her cell phone as she walked down the concrete steps.

  After her confrontation with Angelo the day before, she was grateful for jury duty and the excuse not to go to work. She still felt off balance, not sure how to respond to Angelo’s advances and her subsequent demotion. There was no way to prove he drugged her, and she’d be hard pressed to find anyone willing to risk their job by verifying her claims of harassment. For the time being, she had little choice but to withstand the abuse until she either found a new job or Angelo got tired of harassing her and moved on to greener pastures.

  Waiting around in the jury pool had also given her time to reflect on her neighbor, the guy who kissed her like he wanted to eat her for breakfast, only to turn around and tell her he just wanted to be friends. Talk about mixed messages. Were David’s reasons legitimate, or were they a nice way of letting her down gently? Honestly, she had no idea.

  She enjoyed his company, and felt an intangible connection with him. And yes, she found him more attractive with each passing day. But at the same time she wasn’t in the mood to play head games with someone whose intentions were as clear as mud. With everything else going on in her life, she didn’t have time for drama.

  “What is it, Grandma?” Sarah asked when she answered the phone.

  It was the third time Pearl had called, but since Sarah had been stuck in jury selection all morning, this was the first chance she’d had to answer.

  “They won’t leave!” Pearl’s voice came over the phone in a low hiss.

  “What?” Alarm set Sarah’s heart to racing. She covered her free ear with her hand so she could hear Pearl better. “Who won’t leave?”

  “Gordon and Dolores! They say they’re not ready to leave yet.”

  Who the heck were Gordon and Dolores? They sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place th
e names. She did a quick mental inventory and then remembered, and a familiar feeling of dread settled in her stomach.

  “The dead people?”

  “They don’t like being called dead,” Pearl informed her. “They prefer the term Life Challenged.”

  Great. Now her grandmother was engaging in prolonged conversations with politically correct dead people.

  “Are you still there?” Pearl asked.

  “Yes, I’m here, Grandma,” Sarah replied, forcing her voice to remain neutral. The last thing Pearl needed was someone making light of her delusions. “Have you talked to Dr. Patel about any of this? Maybe he can convince Gordon and Dolores to go away.”

  “Why would I tell him?” Pearl’s tone turned defensive. “He never believes a word I say.”

  True, but it was worth a shot.

  “Maybe you can talk to them,” Pearl said, a soft pleading that clenched Sarah’s heart. “I bet they’d listen to you.”

  Sarah checked the time. Thirty more minutes and she’d have to return to the courthouse for the remainder of the afternoon. Not enough time to make a trip to the retirement home and back before court resumed. She’d been seated on a jury for a drug possession case. If she lucked out, the defendant would cop a plea during recess. If not, she’d be stuck in court for at least another three hours.

  “Okay, Grandma, I’ll come over as soon as I get out of court.”

  Later that afternoon, David and Adam were camped out in front of City Diner, killing time before their next appointment. Traffic was light and they’d been fortunate enough to find a parking spot close by, a rare feat in downtown Orlando.

  Magnolia Avenue buzzed with the steady drone of engines and the honking of horns. Heels clicked against concrete, barely audible over the catcalls from the nearby construction crew. On the corner, a street vendor hawked everything from hot dogs to souvenir tee shirts to disposable cameras from his modest cart.

  A man in his late fifties shuffled along the opposite side of the street, his face scruffy and his clothes threadbare and dirty. Slouched shoulders and a downward gaze lent to the appearance of a man who’d lived a long, hard life and didn’t have much to show for it. Seeing David and Adam, he crossed Central and made a beeline in their direction.

  As he approached, David made eye contact and sent out a mental suggestion. Keep moving. The message was received loud and clear, and the man walked past without bothering to ask for a few bucks.

  The move wasn’t lost on Adam. “So when are you going to teach me how to do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “You know. Pull the whammy on someone.”

  David’s gaze cut over to Adam. “The whammy?”

  “Yeah, the whole Jedi Mind Trick thing. You know what I’m talking about.” Adam waved an open palm in the air. “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.”

  David rolled his eyes, even though the kid had a point. Now was as good a time as any to bump the little geek up to the next level of difficulty. They had a few minutes to spare and nothing to do; might as well make the time productive.

  “Okay, here’s what you do.” David cracked his knuckles as he leaned against the building. “Think of a word, something random. Focus all of your thoughts on that single word.” He waited a few beats before asking, “Got one?”

  Adam nodded.

  “Good. Now, look me in the eyes and shout that word in your mind.”

  Adam’s gaze drifted up to David, his eyes squinted in concentration.

  “Did you get it?” Adam asked a moment later.

  “Nope. Try again.”

  Adam’s face scrunched up like a kid being force-fed broccoli. “How about now?”

  Nipples.

  “Yes, very good.”

  Adam beamed with pride.

  “But you’ve got to be able to do it without that constipated look on your face.” Before Adam had the chance to respond, David added, “Now pick another word and try it again.”

  They repeated the exercise until David got sick of having words like “boobage” and “meat curtains” stuck into his head. “Okay, that’s enough for now. We’ll try some more later, after your vocabulary rises above the third-grade level.”

  Once the kid mastered the ability to transmit thoughts without looking like he was about to pop an artery, David would teach him the fine art of subtly inserting them into the mortal mind. When done properly, the person interpreted the idea as his or her own and acted accordingly.

  “Spoilsport. I can’t help it if I have a healthy sex drive.” Adam flashed an impudent grin. “Wouldn’t hurt if you let the beast out every once in a while. Which reminds me, what’s up between you and Sarah?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Now it was Adam’s turn to roll his eyes. “Cut the bullshit. Just because I’m new to this gig doesn’t mean I’m stupid. I know women. And I saw how you almost sucked her face off the other night in the garage.”

  When David didn’t respond, Adam smiled and added, “Not that I blame you. She’s fucking hot. I was thinking of asking her out for drinks this weekend.”

  He knew the little bastard was aiming to get a rise out of him. It worked. The idea of Adam with Sarah cranked his blood pressure so high his ears started ringing. Determined not to show any reaction, David kept his focus on the passing traffic.

  “You’re probably going to be too busy to make social calls,” he finally said, straining to hold back his anger toward the kid for even thinking about hitting on Sarah. He was shooting for casual, but the words came out in a low growl.

  “Dude, you sound like an animal defending your territory.” Adam laughed. “You know, you’re a crappy liar when it comes to women. Or is it just her?”

  David pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose with his middle finger. “We’re not having this conversation.”

  “Oh come on, why not? What else are we gonna talk about while we wait around for the stiff of the day?”

  “Talk about whatever floats your boat.” Before Adam could say anything, David added, “But my interests are off limits.”

  “Oh, so you are interested in Sarah.”

  David blew out a frustrated breath. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

  “I wouldn’t count on it.”

  “Christ.” David dragged a hand through his hair, reminding himself that violence wasn’t the answer, even though it had a laundry list of tangible benefits.

  “What’s the big deal?” Adam nudged David with his elbow. “She’s interested in you; you’re obviously interested in her. I say go for it. God knows you need to crank out a good one.”

  “It’s not that simple.”

  Adam made a guttural sound in the back of his throat. “Of course it is. It’s basic biology.” He pressed his point by making a pumping gesture with his fist.

  Not wanting to draw attention, David resisted the urge to give Adam a good smack upside the head. “No, there’s more to it than that. I can’t give her what she needs.”

  “How do you know what she needs? When’s the last time you asked her?” Adam didn’t wait for an answer before continuing. “For all you know, she might be in the market for a friend with benefits.”

  He seriously doubted Sarah was looking for a casual hookup with the harbinger of Death. Besides, she deserved better. She deserved a man who would love her until she turned old and gray, a partner to share the rest of her life with. And he sure as hell didn’t meet the general qualifications.

  “Passion doesn’t come along often, boss man. You’ve got to embrace it when the opportunity presents itself.”

  David pinned Adam with a withering glare. “Drop it.”

  “Fine, have it your way. Go ahead and piss away the chance to be with a beautiful woman who—for some strange reason that I’ll never understand in a million years—actually wants your sorry ass.” Adam looked at David as if he were trying to talk physics with a kid who just hopped off the short bus. �
��I’m telling you, you’re blowing it. She’s got the hots for you, and if you had a functional brain in your head, you’d go for it.”

  If only he could. He thought of Sarah and the dull ache in his soul twisted, turning into a longing so fierce it damn near left him breathless. It wasn’t a question of attraction. He’d spent half the night fantasizing about all the things he wanted to do with her. He hadn’t felt this passionate about a woman in years. Hell, he hadn’t felt this passionate about much of anything since the Reagan administration.

  It would be so easy to give in to the temptation. But opening his heart to Sarah would also unleash a Pandora’s box of darker emotions, ones that had taken him years to wrestle under control. Without the emotional disconnect, his mind had no protection against the constant exposure to death and brutality. No way would he risk losing that.

  “Have you found the target?” David asked, changing the subject to the job at hand.

  Adam shot him a dark look, but let the matter drop. His brows furrowed while his eyes scanned the surrounding cityscape. After a couple minutes he shook his head. “No, I can’t sense this one yet.”

  “City reaps are always a bitch to pin down,” David said, his eyes surveying the scenery in search of their four-fifteen. He could sense death fast approaching, but with the crowded scene it was like finding a needle in a haystack.

  Already, the streets bustled with late afternoon traffic. Drivers wove in and out of lanes, cutting off other cars and blowing red lights. Harried pedestrians darted across busy streets, not always cautious enough to wait for the signal or use the crosswalk. Nearby, a construction crew worked eight stories up, the men relaying and acknowledging orders in English and Spanish over the continuous rumble of construction machinery. A block away at the courthouse, a rush of people poured out of the exits.

  “Jury duty must have let out early,” Adam murmured, his eyes still darting from person to person.