by L. J. Sealey
“Hey. How’s she doing?”
She let out a heavy sigh. “It’s pretty bad.” She repeated what the surgeon had told her earlier about Nina’s condition as best she could; surprised she’d even remembered what he’d said. Even more surprising was how badly the whole thing was affecting her. She hardly knew Nina; had spoken to her maybe once before, so why had it hit her so hard? Deep down, she knew the answer: She’d replaced her sister with Nina thinking that if she looked after her, it would take away some of the guilt she felt over not looking after Beth. Her previously buried emotions about her sister’s death were now a high speed train she wasn’t ready to board yet. The guilt that had buried itself right down to her marrow was now raging like a hot furnace. She thought she’d dealt with it, after all these years that she’d finally put it to rest but really all she’d managed to do was push it further back, fighting hard not to let it rise to the surface.
“Are you ok?” Michael’s voice snapped her away from her inner struggle and she inhaled so deeply her lungs burned. “Lacy?”
“Yes. Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little tired that’s all.” Which wasn’t a complete lie. Somehow Michael’s voice soothed her. It was nice to speak to someone she classed as a friend even though they hadn’t known each other all that long.
“You don’t need to stay with her all the time,” he told her, his voice sympathetic. “I’m sure the hospital will let you know if there’s any change. You’re going to wear yourself out.”
He was right, of course. There was nothing she could do for her right now so exhausting herself was just silly. Besides, she needed to stop by her office to get some of her things so she thought it best to leave now before it got any later.
“Ok. I’ll just pop back up to see her before I leave and make sure they have my number.”
“Then go home and get some rest. I’ll speak to you tomorrow ok?”
“Yeah, ok.”
On her way back up to the room she stopped at the nurse’s station to leave her home and cell number then went back to Nina’s room. Still lost in her inner turmoil, it wasn’t until she was through the door that she saw a familiar figure at Nina’s bedside, leaning right over her. Lacy froze. Her breath caught and her eyes locked on to Jake’s as his head snapped towards her and he stood up straight.
What the hell was he doing leaning over her like that?
“How did you get in here?” she managed to ask him through her alarm. “Visiting is over.”
He was silent for a moment and just when Lacy was about to repeat her question he spoke in a quiet mumble that she barely heard. “I needed to see her,” he said.
She felt annoyed at him for avoiding her question. She slowly walked towards him keeping her eyes fixed on his. When she got closer to him she noticed how pale he was. His face was gaunt; his deep blue eyes weighed down with dark, heavy circles. She happened to glance down and saw that his hands were thick with dirt. As she stood near him, his empty stare seemed to burn through her like he wasn’t really seeing her even though he was looking straight at her. Lacy felt a chill creep down her spine but shook it off. She had to find out what had happened between him and Nina. “Do you know what happened to her?”
She watched his face intently for any kind of sign but he looked away from her. “No.”
“I saw you earlier today. You and Nina. . . You were arguing about something.”
He didn’t respond. Didn’t even move, just continued to stare at her; his eyes still devoid of any emotion. She backed away from him, walking around the foot of the hospital bed to the other side. His gaze followed her. The chill came back, telling her she should get out of there but she wouldn’t leave Nina, and she had to know if he was responsible for what had happened to her.
“What was it about, Jake?”
Finally his eyes dropped to look at Nina, a wrinkle appearing between his brows. “It was nothing.” He sounded strangely despondent.
“It didn’t look like nothing to me.” Her voice was stern as she stared at him over the bed, willing him to look at her so that she could gauge his expression. She remembered his face, as he’d grabbed Nina back at the campus, and the way it had made her feel in that moment−the dread that had hit the bottom of her stomach as she looked on from across the car park−and now, deep down to her marrow, her instincts were telling her that this boy was dangerous. She felt certain that he was the reason Nina was lying in a hospital bed fighting for her life.
“What happened to her? What did you do?”
He took off towards the door without saying a word.
“Jake!” She was angry now. How dare he just ignore her? “I will find out what happened,” she promised as he left the hospital room without as much as a backwards glance.
After her anger had begun to subside, Lacy sat watching Nina, contemplating staying with her. She was even more worried about leaving her on her own now. Seeing Jake standing at her bedside had freaked her out. What if he came back when she’d gone? Lacy didn’t trust him at all.
She tried fighting back a yawn but it beat her. She had to get some rest, there was no doubt. She figured if she spoke to the nurse on duty and explained about Jake they’d keep an extra eye on Nina’s room. She’d stop by her office on the way home like she’d planned. Then when she got home she’d have a quick shower then bed. She could call the hospital in the morning to see if everything was ok, then visit Nina tomorrow afternoon.
It was a good plan. Little did she know that her plans were about to change.
* * *
The drive to her office had been a quiet one. She was glad to be away from all the beeps and drones of the hospital machinery that was currently helping to keep Nina alive, even though she still felt uneasy about leaving her. She couldn’t help but think of what happened all those years ago when she’d left her sister. The fact that she hadn’t been with her sister when she’d taken her final breath still affected her greatly and she couldn’t bear the thought of poor Nina being alone if the time came. She wiped a stray tear from her cheek and parked the car as near as she could to the psychology department building.
The night had brought along a slight ground mist which had covered the whole campus. There was a cold bite in the air; a sign that fall was in full swing. Lacy pulled her jacket tighter around her as she walked towards the brownstone building where her office was. It was always pretty quiet around this part of the campus at nine o’clock at night. Most of the students hung around the bars and leisure areas if not in their dorms.
Most of the evening classes had finished by now so the hallways were empty as she walked towards her office. Far away footsteps echoed down the other end of the building as she unlocked the door. She paused waiting to see who it was−maybe a colleague−but the footsteps stopped abruptly before they rounded the corner. She thought nothing of it and went inside her office, gathered up some files from her desk, turned out the lights and locked the door behind her.
As soon as Lacy was outside the building her skin prickled with a sense of foreboding. Something inside was telling her she was being watched. That something wasn’t wrong.
She looked around and saw the figure of a man, shadowed by the large tree he was leaning against. She could feel his eyes on her as she began to walk swiftly, but calmly, towards her car.
Just stay calm, she told herself even though her hands had already begun to tremble.
She walked a little faster, cutting across the grass as she reached into her coat pocket for her car keys. A quick glance behind her caused her to panic as she saw that the man was now following her. She walked as fast as she could without breaking into a run; her heart pounding as her car came into view. She pointed her keys at it, hand shaking, and unlocked the doors.
Quickly, she climbed inside and pulled the door shut. The man, who was still heading towards her, lifted his head and as he walked into the light of the nearby street lamp she gasped.
Jake! He must have waited at the hospital and followed her.
As she fumbled to put the key in the ignition, she dropped the whole bunch on the floor. “Shit!” She bent down to grab them and when she sat back up again she screamed when she saw Jake right outside her window. Frozen for a moment by his vacant stare, Lacy fixed on Jake’s eerily dead expression which sent a feeling of dread to the pit of her stomach.
Jesus Christ! What’s wrong with this guy?
Desperately trying to calm herself enough to stop her hand from shaking, she attempted to put the key in the ignition again. She managed it this time and inhaled a deep breath when she heard the roar of the engine. Jake reached out for the door handle but she managed to slam the car into reverse and manoeuvre out of his reach and out of the parking lot. She didn’t dare look back as she sped towards the gates at the front of campus.
CHAPTER TEN
A brisk wind blew through the campus as Michael walked out of the doorway of his apartment building. His black woollen trench coat was more for effect than actual need for warmth, and it also hid his weapons nicely.
Evo had called twenty minutes earlier to explain that there’d been a delay with his flight and he was now in a rental on his way from the airport. Michael had arranged to meet him by the main gates as the campus was fairly large so it would be easier than explaining where his apartment was.
No sooner had he arrived by the brass monument of Charles Benedict Calvert, the founder of SPU that stood proud on a grass island just inside the gates, than a large black MERCEDES GLK350 SUV pulled into the grounds and Michael knew straight away who was driving it. A familiar face greeted him with a big smile from behind the wheel of the large 4x4 as it pulled up to the sidewalk. The passenger side window slid down automatically. “Hey buddy!” his best friend said from the comfort of his plush leather seat.
Michael leaned in the passenger window and shook his head. “Flash enough for yer?” he laughed.
“Hey, you know I like to travel in style,” Evo answered, then he jumped out of the driver’s side door and headed around to greet Michael with a big hug. “It’s good to see you man.”
“You too buddy.”
Evo hadn’t changed much since the last time Michael had seen him. Apart from the fact that he now looked about fifty pounds heavier, his hair was still the same short, brown, chopped style he always wore and he was simply clad in his choice uniform of black fatigues, tucked into a pair of combat military boots; a plain, deep gray T-shirt; and a black woollen overcoat, collars turned up. He looked like a mix between SWAT and someone from the front cover of GQ magazine.
“Jesus, Evo. You been juicin’ up since I last saw you?” Michael raised his eyebrows, looking his muscular frame up and down.
Evo laughed. “Nah. Wouldn’t put that shit in my veins. I spend most of my spare time training in the gym now. It keeps me stimulated.”
Since he was nearly killed in an alleyway last December, Evo had dedicated his life to finding and logging information on every supernatural being in existence. He was a hunter like Michael now, but much more ruthless. It was more like a sport to him and he enjoyed it way too much for Michael’s liking. The guy couldn’t get enough of killing monsters. But his obsession had taken him to places even Michael knew nothing about. Realising how good he was at hunting, Evo had also become a bounty hunter; his clients being mainly of the dead kind. He was lethal and had carved out quite a reputation for himself amongst the underworld.
Michael didn’t always approve of the clients he sometimes worked for−after all, who can trust a demon, right?−but it was Evo’s business. It certainly was a far cry from the dodgy dealings he used to do when he was a no-good conman who often ended up in all kinds of trouble.
Besides, his best friend working for the creatures of the underworld had its advantages: Evo had plenty of contacts; he was trusted. He’d tried to use those contacts to his advantage over the last few months to try and get information that could help Michael. But even though he’d come across a few names that he thought could have been leads, they’d led to nothing.
“Come on. My place is on the other side of the campus.” Michael said as he jumped in the passenger’s side of the SUV. When Evo had gotten back behind the wheel Michael paused. He might as well just come out with it. “Hey, while you’re here. . . can you please try to remember that, right now, this is my place of work? If you could behave yourself. . . that would be great.”
He could see by Evo’s smug expression that he knew damn well what he was referring too. His friends sexual habits weren’t a problem usually−and Jesus, he made Michael envious sometimes. He was a good looking guy so why not?−but not here. Michael knew it wasn’t ideal having an experienced philanderer staying on a university campus that was full of the opposite sex, but he would just have to keep it in his pants for the duration of his stay which, hopefully, would only be for a couple of nights until they’d checked out the campus. After that, Michael would help him find a motel.
“Evo?” Michael pushed for an answer after his friend had remained silent for too long.
“Ok. Ok. I’ll be a good boy,” the smirk that followed made Michael raise an eyebrow to let Evo know he wasn’t satisfied with his response. “What? I promise.” Evo held his hands up in the air in mock surrender before turning the key in the ignition.
Shit! Remind me why I thought this was a good idea.
A car screeching around the corner made both men sit bolt upright. As it got closer Michael thought it looked familiar. Yes, he knew the car alright. “What’s she doing?” he whispered as Lacy’s Ford Focus sped right past them and out of the main gates.
“Who was that?” Evo asked.
“A colleague of mine.” Michael buckled his seat belt. “Something’s wrong. Quick! Get after her.” No sooner had he said the words than Evo had spun the car around and was now heading out of the college gates after her.
After Lacy had somehow managed to get away from them, they pulled the SUV up to her home: a modest, single story house set back from the road. The suburban neighbourhood was quiet, as it would be at that time of night, and the only thing that didn’t seem right was that Lacy’s place was in darkness, with the exception of a dim porch light over the front door. She had to be home as her car was now parked in the driveway.
Michael knocked on the door.
No answer.
He knocked again, harder this time. “Lacy. It’s Michael.”
They waited silently. He heard movement, then the sound of dead bolts opening. The door opened slowly and Lacy peered out from behind it. As soon as her eyes met his she visibly relaxed.
“Michael, thank God,” she exhaled. “What are you doing here?” She opened the door and gestured them inside.
“You practically wheel-spun past us back at the campus. I was meeting my friend at the front gates. What the hell’s going on? Are you ok? You look pretty shaken up.”
They both walked into the dark hallway and Lacy quickly shut the door after them.
She turned on the light. “I’m fine now. Can I get you both a drink?” They followed her to the kitchen.
“I’m good thanks.” Michael watched her fill up a large glass with white wine. Her hands were shaking.
“Got anything stronger?” Evo asked, looking at the bottle of wine with distaste.
Michael rolled his eyes. “Lacy, this is my good friend Evo.”
Evo gave her a wink. “Good to meet you, Miss.”
Lacy raised an eyebrow as she poured some wine. She looked unsure of him as she eyed his clothes. “You too. . . Evo? Unusual name?”
Michael smirked, keeping his gaze on his friend. “It’s short for Evan. . . Evan O’Reilly.”
Evo looked a little disgruntled as he dragged his eyes away from Michael’s and turned to Lacy. “But don’t ever let me hear those words leave those beautifully pink lips of yours.” He warned her playfully. “Evo’s just fine.”
Lacy gave him a half smile. “Whiskey?” she asked, pulling out a bottle of Jack Daniels from the cu
pboard.
Evo’s eyes lit up in an instant. “That’s more like it.” He rubbed his hands together and took the glass that she offered to him. He glanced at Michael. “I like her already.”
Michael ignored him. “What’s going on Lacy?”
After she’d taken a large gulp of wine, she sat down at her small wooden table over by a set of French Doors. Michael followed. She inhaled a long breath. “After I called you earlier, I went back to Nina’s room and Jake was there−”
“Jake? Jesus Christ.” Michael snorted. “Jake is the guy I told you about on the phone,” he explained to Evo. Jake being at the hospital only meant one thing and it wasn’t that he was worried about Nina. That bastard demon had more than likely gone to finish her off. And what if he’d hurt Lacy? Michael felt his stomach clench. “Did you talk to him?”
“Yes, briefly. I told him that I saw the two of them arguing this afternoon and asked him if he knew what had happened. He didn’t want to answer me. So, I got angry with him and he left. He was acting pretty strange.”
“How so?” Evo asked as he leaned against the kitchen counter.
She finished the last of her wine. “When I first saw him in the room he was bent right over her, like he was whispering something or. . . I don’t know.”
Michael hadn’t had chance to explain everything to Evo yet, so Evo didn’t know that Jake wasn’t actually Jake, and there was no way he could tell him in front of Lacy. He’d have to wait until they were back at his place before bringing him up to speed.
“But that’s not why you were driving off campus like Ayrton Senna, is it?” Michael observed.
“No. It was what happened when I called in to my office on the way home that caused that.” She poured herself more wine as she went on to explain how Jake must have followed her from the hospital and how he’d come after her across the parking lot. “Michael, his eyes. . . I could swear he wanted to kill me.”
And so could he. In fact he was damn certain of it, which was a huge problem. Lacy was now a target which meant she would need protecting. There was no way he could leave her here in this house alone but how the hell would he explain it to her? And he needed to tell Evo what was going on. He leaned on the table and rubbed his brow. Damn, this was a problem he didn’t need. He shifted uncomfortably before he turned to Lacy. “I don’t think you should be left alone right now. Not until I deal with Jake.”
