"Well, that is usually where the trouble starts. What were you two discussing?" Salma interrupted him jokingly, and Ben feigned a hurt expression which made her chuckle. Then he continued.
"The picture of the babies and the strange marks it shows. Do you have any idea what might have caused that?"
"No, I've never seen anything like it. I mentioned it to Caeli when I first ran the ultrasound on her, though I don’t believe she was in a state to consider it at the time," Salma informed him.
Ben proceeded to tell Salma everything that Vin shared with him about Caeli's struggle with her gift and Rika, who Caeli believed was trying to take control of her. When he mentioned the change in eye color, Salma found the thinnest thread of a connection.
"Ben, eye color is a physical change. If one physical change can happen, then it would follow that another could happen just as easily. If Caeli has been fighting an internal battle with this Rika woman, then the slash marks could be a manifestation of…oh! Before I say anything else, I think we need to talk to Max and Caeli. I believe both of them know more than they have told us. However, Caeli and Vin have enough to deal with at the moment. Let's start with Max and his favorite fairy tale."
Like the flip of a light switch, Salma thought she had stumbled onto a big part of the mystery; but she needed to be sure before she revealed it. If both Max and Caeli believed that Caeli was connected to this fairy tale, then they needed to hear the tale and compare it to current events. Salma would be surprised if they were not very similar. In fact, now that she had made the connection, Salma suspected that Caeli must have discovered the correlation with Max’s story right away. Before all this madness started, Caeli had even told Max that she would come by for a visit to hear the rest of his story. Caeli must have known, or at least suspected this, since the beginning; and never said a word about it. Understandably, it would have sounded crazy a few days ago; but not now.
Salma was already lost in her own thoughts when Ben stood up to go find Max and offered his hand to Salma.
"That's ok. You go ahead," she declined, preferring to sit and wait, considering the matter further as she sipped absently at her coffee.
"Sorry, Love. I have to insist. I'm not letting you out of my sight again. Consider yourself officially under my protective custody."
Salma declined a second time, not realizing that, though polite, Ben's words were quite serious.
"Really, Ben, I'm fine. Besides, Colonel Franks and Jeremy are on duty outside. I will be perfectly fine while you locate Max," Salma replied.
Ben laughed in resignation and shook his head.
"Poor, Vin. Now I understand his challenge with Caeli, trying to keep her safe from her generous heart or from that which she is unable to see from her perspective. You two ladies are more alike than you realize," Ben chuckled.
"Ben, I cannot tell if I should be flattered or insulted by that particular comparison. What exactly are you saying?" Salma asked puzzled.
"Salma, Dear, I'm saying that while your logic sounds perfectly reasonable to you, I assure you that you are not seeing this situation clearly. Your safety is my first priority. Leaving you alone or in the care of another, even for a few minutes, is unacceptable after what just happened. And from the look on your face, I doubt I'm going to convince you to agree with me. I don’t have Vin's gift of verbal persuasion. Therefore, I'm afraid I have to resort to a tactic within my own skillset. Now, Mrs. Erickson, I am asking you to come along willingly. I would really hate to have to enforce my protective custody order by arresting you."
Salma stared at him in shock. Ben was serious, but he grinned at her mischievously and extended his hand again. She placed her coffee cup on a nearby table and reached up to accept his assistance. They strolled out of the lounge together in search of Max.
CHAPTER 43
Caeli stood on the shore, her bare feet in the water. Large waves and strong winds from the storm surrounded her, but they did not touch her directly. The moon was full when it peeked through the thick clouds in the dark and starless sky. Images began to flash through her mind. The man in black stood before her, holding her son in one hand. Vin and Salma were hurt, and she could not reach them both. She only had time to help one of them. Then something sharp ripped across Caeli's stomach. She could feel the pain, but was unable to see what caused it. As she looked down at her abdomen, Caeli saw blood. She stood there momentarily bewildered. She could not move. Rika laughed at her. A man's hand reached toward her to steal her remaining child. This jolted Caeli back to her senses, and she finally found her voice.
"No!" She screamed.
Vin was suddenly by her side, gently shaking her. Caeli was lying in bed, sweating.
"Caeli, wake up. You were dreaming; actually, it sounded more like a nightmare."
Caeli bolted upright, remembering every vivid detail of the dream. She clung to Vin, shaking until the terrible imagery began to fade.
"Vin, it was horrible." Her voice sounded raspy as she quickly recounted the details of the choice she faced in the dream.
Vin noticed the strain in her voice. Her throat seemed drier than if she had been stumbling through a desert for days. Caeli began to cough, sending spasms of pain throughout her battered body. Vin offered her a glass of water and held it out to her. The adrenaline still pumping through her body allowed her to hold it for herself. Caeli took several deep drinks. When she finished, Vin sat the empty glass on the bedside table and then helped Caeli adjust to a more comfortable position.
"Better?"
"Yes, thanks."
There was an urgent knock on the door, and Vin got up to answer it. He looked through the peephole to see Ben and Salma standing outside, and then opened the door for them.
"Is everything ok? We were in the hall and heard Caeli yell," Ben inquired.
"Yes, just another bad dream. She's fine," Vin answered.
But, like Vin, Ben was beginning to doubt that. Caeli was anything but fine. He made a mental note to mention his suspicions to Vin when they could talk privately. He did not want to unduly worry the ladies.
"Salma!" Caeli called a little hoarsely from across the room.
Salma moved to the bed to talk to Caeli, leaving the guys standing in the doorway. Vin invited Ben further into the room and closed the door. They stood near the door where they could begin that talk Ben wanted.
"How did she take the news?" Ben asked.
"Once I got through to her, she seemed pleased. I'm sure it was your soup that made all the difference," Vin answered.
"Naturally, I once heard that chicken soup is good for just about everything. Seriously though, what was the problem? I should think Caeli would welcome the news. It seems unlike her not to be excited about it."
"I thought so, too. It's not that she wasn't happy about the news; it's something more. Ben, I'm afraid she's slipping away from me. She puts up a good front, but I see through it. She has no appetite. She is constantly tired. You said you thought Caeli was ready to take a stand, but all I see is guilt and sadness eating away at her with each subsequent event. And it's not over yet. Raphael said she has something worse yet to face. I'm worried. I know that she is trying her best, but I've never seen Caeli like this. Quite frankly, it scares the hell out of me."
"Well, you can't expect her to rebound as if nothing has happened. Even Caeli's bubbly personality cannot ignore so much heartache and injury. Don't fool yourself into thinking otherwise. She will have scars when this is over, physical and emotional. It will take time for those scars to fade. Right now, they aren't even that. The wounds are still fresh. I would be more concerned if she wasn't questioning herself and struggling to regain solid footing. Continue to be supportive, Vin. Be patient. This all happened so fast, she probably hasn't been able to keep up. Give her time to adjust. She will come around as soon as she can wrap her mind around everything." Ben, true to character, reminded Vin to step back and see the bigger picture. Vin was so close to Caeli's current emotional state that he
had lost his perspective and objectivity.
"I am doing my best. Yet, nothing I do seems to make a difference," Vin commented.
"You may not see it directly, but I am certain that your efforts are having a positive effect. Keep doing what you are doing, and it will see you both through this," Ben assured him.
"I hope you're right, Ben. So, where were you and Salma headed?"
"We were looking for Max. Salma picked up on something when I told her about Caeli's changing eye color. She insists that both Max and Caeli know more than they've told us. We were going to try to learn something more from Max, but if Caeli's in a mood to talk, we might have more luck getting the story from her. Do you think she's up for it?"
"I don't know. We can ask her," Vin offered.
"Salma, are you ok? Vin said the men were protestors, and that Colonel Franks and Jeremy are here. I'm so sorry that I couldn't help you; that I let them take you away." Caeli was upset, but did not unleash her tears this time. Instead, they pooled in the corners of her eyes. Caeli found herself crying much too frequently of late. She decided that it must be part of the hormonal changes Salma told her to expect when they initially discussed her pregnancy. Salma handed Caeli a tissue so she could wipe the tears away. As Caeli spoke, they managed to escape after all.
"Now cut that out. You aren't to blame. I'm fine, as you can see. A whole team of good looking men came to my rescue. Kind of makes a lady feel special. Then Ben goes and ruins it by threatening to arrest me."
"He didn't? Why would he do that?" Caeli gave a small laugh as she imagined Ben doing exactly such a thing. He was the perfect match for Salma's personality. Unfortunately, that small laugh made Caeli cough. A subsequent round of pain in her chest and midsection stopped Caeli's amusement in its tracks.
"Well, let me have a look at you while we chat. Lie back a bit. Tell me if anything hurts when I press on it," Salma said, switching to her professional voice. She began quickly evaluating Caeli's injuries to determine if there had been any changes, for better or worse, since Vin moved her from the floor. Salma continued her story as she worked.
"He most certainly did. Ben told me I'm officially under protective custody and not to be out of his sight. When I initially refused to go along with him, he threatened to arrest me…"
"Ouch!"
Salma pressed lightly on the center of Caeli's belly. Vin glanced over, but Caeli was in good hands.
"Sorry. I thought that might be a little tender," Salma moved her hands a little further to the left side and pressed again, very lightly.
"Oww!! Ok, enough. Please. It hurts," Caeli admitted.
Salma furrowed her brow, but didn't offer any explanation.
"Ok. I'm done." Salma turned to face Ben and Vin as she got up to get a wet washcloth to run across Caeli's stomach. Neither man missed the displeased expression on Salma's face. By the time she returned and instructed Caeli to wipe the cool rag across the areas that were sore, Salma's expression had returned to normal.
"Do you want to draw blood for Pete now? I've been thinking about his situation. If his suffering has been anything like what I went through because of those energy bars, and he has been sick for months, then he must be in terrible shape by now. The sooner he gets help, the better. Don't you think?" Caeli said.
"I agree, absolutely. It is sweet of you to offer. However, it's too soon. You aren't strong enough yet. Give yourself a little more time."
"Time for what, Salma, to sleep? My body always feels tired, and all I want to do is sleep. Then my brain simply will not let me rest, even when my eyes are closed. My mind loops through all that has happened, and I can't seem to shut off the playback. Will this ever stop? Will I ever stop feeling so tired? If this is hormonal, I'm not sure I'm cut out to handle pregnancy."
"Caeli, don't even joke about such a thing!" Salma snapped at her in a low voice.
"I'm sorry. I honestly didn't mean that."
"I know, Dear. You are worn down right now. Have a little patience. You have been through more traumas in a few days than most people experience in a lifetime. Recovery takes time. Give yourself a day or two and you will start to feel better." Salma was taken aback by Caeli's careless comment. It was completely out of character for her to suggest such a thing, especially after what she had just been through. Although Salma was certain that Caeli did not mean what she said, she was also thankful that Vin did not overhear it. He would become even more worried about Caeli's state of mind. Thankfully, he was distracted in conversation on the other side of the room.
"Days? That may as well be an eternity, Salma. I don't know if I can stand being idle much longer."
"You can, and you will," Salma insisted.
"How?" Caeli could not see beyond the current moment. For Vin's sake, she wanted to be excited for the second baby, but she was merely going through the motions. She hoped Salma was right and this feeling of detachment would pass.
"You can start with a nice, long, warm bath. It will help you relax. I think the water will be more beneficial than anything I can do for you," Salma replied loud enough for Vin to hear as she stood up from the bedside. The look Salma shot Vin told him that this was not a casual request. Salma expected Vin to ensure that Caeli complied. For some reason, Salma was on edge and did not want Caeli to know what she was thinking.
"I would much rather have a shower," Caeli returned. She didn't realize, until that moment, how frightened she was at the thought of being submerged in water again. The incident in the cave had left quite an impression on her.
"That is out of the question. You would have to stand up for too long. I'm not even sure that you could manage it as weak as you are; and you can't take the chance. It will have to be a bath or nothing." Salma continued speaking loud enough for Vin to hear as he and Ben walked over.
"You have a strong man who is more than willing to carry you in there. After all, he knocked you up. It's the least he can do." Salma smirked and walked away.
Caeli's face turned three shades of red as she genuinely laughed and pulled the sheet up to hide her embarrassment. Salma had finally broken through all of the sadness and turmoil and touched Caeli's heart with something as simple as the banter that she and Vin enjoyed. Ben's laughter burst forth in loud, rolling peals, and he slapped Vin good naturedly on the back. Vin stood where he was, stunned. His face was also red, the shock of the unexpected jest rendering him momentarily speechless. Salma turned and walked around Vin. She took Ben's arm and led him toward the door.
"We will stop by to check on you again before dinner. Vin, do try keep your hands to yourself while Caeli bathes," Salma said with a parting grin as she walked out the door. Ben's laughter followed the couple down the hall.
When she could no longer hear Ben's amusement, Caeli slowly pulled the sheet down to peek out at Vin. Her grin was still present and her face still red. She could see the same hue on Vin's face as he smiled. Salma had caught him completely off guard, unprepared for their usual, carefree joking.
"What did I ever do to that woman?" Vin asked with a laugh, realizing that Salma had accomplished what he could not. For a few moments, Caeli was completely distracted from her worries.
Vin was helping Caeli ease into the warm water of the bathtub when she tightened her grip around his neck. He could feel her whole body tense when her shoulders neared the water.
"I'm sorry. It's silly, isn't it?" Caeli asked him. She couldn't help it. A feeling of dread welled up inside her at the thought of sinking into the water.
"It's understandable." Vin turned and helped her gently onto the chair by the sink, giving her a second towel to wrap around herself. He sat on the floor, leaned back against the edge of the tub, and looked up at her. She looked so lovely, yet so sad.
"I'm sorry, Vin. This has been the worst vacation ever. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"Of course you didn't. You couldn't have known. Honestly, I think this, or something similar, would have happened regardless of where you were, va
cation or not. Remember, this did not originate here. It started with those energy bars and Salma's accident. The trouble simply followed you. Rika and your gift were added to the mix down here. Regardless, none of it is your fault. You have to stop blaming yourself."
"But it is my fault, all of it. Unless you know something I don't, then Rika wanting to use my body and Salma using my blood are both the results of choices I made. Without those decisions, none of this would be happening."
Vin reached out and took Caeli's hand as she sat there. He did know more, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her. Not yet. It would only upset her further.
"No, Caeli. Just because you are involved doesn't make it your fault. If someone chooses to exploit your vulnerability, that is not your fault either. You did not cause these events. Others did," Vin insisted.
Caeli noted the hesitation in his voice. She could tell that Vin was keeping something from her.
"Others? Vin, do you know who's behind this? Did you figure out who's after Salma? You did. That's what you and Ben were whispering about earlier. Was I right about Scott? He is involved, isn't he?" Caeli dared to hope that Vin could give her some answers and help make sense of this nightmare.
"Yes. Scott and his uncle were involved. Scott crashed the plane, and used… a local girl… to get the protestors fired up against Salma. The three of them have been working to get hold of Salma and her blood. Thankfully, they did not account for Ben in their planning," Vin offered a diluted explanation.
"So this is about Salma having one of the bloodlines and not about the use of my blood in her research? Are you sure?" Caeli asked uncertainly. She was under the impression that, because of the repeated requests for the identity of the anonymous donor, these people were after Salma in order to reach her donor.
"I believe Scott must have connected Salma with her mother, and her mother to Antonius; thereby learning of Salma's heritage," Vin tried to explain his perspective.
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