by Dora Blume
Erik lowered his head. “They’ve got Sloane. I don’t want to take any chances with her life, Jess. I can't lose her again.” His voice wasn’t much more than a whisper. He was afraid she’d hear the hysterics and fear in his voice if he spoke beyond a whisper.
She placed her hand on his cheek. “Trust me; we’ll get her back.”
Erik stared intently into her eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s do it.”
Jess nodded then sauntered around the corner toward the boys. She stopped next to the taller boy with sandy brown hair. She batted her eyes and asked, “Can I get a light?” She held a cigarette between her wet lips and smiled. The boy across from her scrambled in his pocket, cursing. When he found it, he held it out to her, almost dropping it in the process. She fluttered her lashes again. “Thanks, handsome. So, what are you two fine gentlemen doing out here? Shouldn’t you be inside learning?” Her voice was low and seductive.
Erik crooked up the side of his mouth. God, he loved that girl. She took a drag of her cigarette and let the smoke out smoothly through her parted lips. The boy across from her had his mouth open slightly, mesmerized by the circles she was making in the smoke. Her eyes were locked on his as she crooked her mouth up in a sly smile.
She bit her lip again, taking a step forward resting her hand on the young man’s chest. She ran her hand up from his chest to his neck. She gazed into his eyes. Stopping at the amulet, she said, “So, darling, Are you skipping school?” She fluttered her eyes at him. Dropping her voice low she said, “Are you a bad boy?” She toyed with the necklace and stroked her fingers on the back of his neck. “Mmm, such hard muscles.” She let her fingertips trail along his neck and arm.
Erik saw his chance and moved steadily behind the other boy who stood transfixed. Jessie moved her mouth to brush her lips lightly against the boys. His lips parted, he let out a breath of pure desire. Her fingers stroked the hairs on the back of his neck, and she unhooked the amulet. It fell into her other hand. She flicked her tongue against the boy's lips causing a swift intake of breath from the entranced boy. He reached his hands around her, gripping hungry. When she heard the thump behind her, she bit the boy's lip causing him to jerk away. She raised her knee to connect with his groin. He doubled over. She jabbed her knee into his face, and he fell to the side still gripping his injured groin with both hands.
Jessie turned toward Erik. “Nicely done.”
He put his hand to his heart. “I’m not sure how much more of you kissing another guy I could watch. I know you were doing it for Sloane but damn. Did you have to be so convincing?” He shook his head and leaned over resting his hands on his knees as though he were in physical pain from the experience.
She took a step toward him and patted him on the shoulder. “Knock it off. We have work to do. We need to get these two in the car, or we need to dispossess them now. Which is it?” She put her hand on her hip waiting.
“Let’s get them in the car. We need to know what they know about Sloane.” Erik straightened. He tossed the keys to Jess. You want to bring the car closer, to the back lot. I’ll carry them over. He glanced around. They’d been lucky no one had seen them so far, but he didn’t know how long before someone came upon them. He didn’t want to explain two knocked out students to anyone. Jess sped toward the car. Erik bent to lift the first boy who was easily one-sixty. He hauled him over and dropped him down near the back parking lot. He looked around again. Jess had turned into the lot. She skidded to a stop next to where he stood and raced around to open the trunk. He lifted the boy and deposited him into the open trunk. Jessie reached down and unfastened the amulet from around his neck.
“You want to go get the other one?” she asked.
“On my way.” He turned and sprinted back to where he left the other boy. When he reached the spot, he slowed. The boy had been here, hands still in front of his groin when he left. He turned in a circle. Shit, He thought. The boy was gone. He knelt next to where he was laying and cursed. He should have known something was off when he was supposed to be knocked out but was still gripping his groin in pain. Unconscious people were limp. The boy hadn’t been. If he wasn’t so distracted by Jess kissing him, and Sloane’s disappearance he would’ve noticed. He sprinted back toward the car. Jess had a puzzled look on her face as he approached.
“The other one’s gone. Which means we have to get the hell out of here, now.” Erik jumped in the driver’s seat. Jessie’s eyes were wide as she ran around to get in next to him. He put it in gear and sped off. He drove immediately back to Caroline’s house. He hated the idea of leaving when they hadn’t found Sloane, but he knew they had to or they would be meeting a lot more demons. Then they would never find her. He glanced toward Jessie as she gripped the door handle. She was perched forward in her seat, muscles tense. She was ready to fight whatever may be coming for them. He reached a hand over and stroked her thigh.
“It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.” He soothed.
“I know, but I’m worried. Why do you think they needed Sloane?” she asked.
“I don’t know, but I bet it has something to do with her power. Maybe they need her to see the future for them,” he suggested. His hand still rested on Jessie’s leg.
“I hope so. Then at least they’d keep her alive. I don’t even want to think about the alternative.” She stared at Erik her eyes glistening in the light. Her hands were clenched in fists. “We can’t lose her, Erik.”
“I know, Jess, believe me, I know.” He took her hand in his and squeezed.
“Mike was hauling ass from Denver as soon as he got off the phone with her. Maybe he can fill us in on what’s going on, and why in the hell they would go after Sloane. So far, they’ve gone after students. Why would they suddenly go after an older Shikari member? They have to know that’d be dangerous, right?” He rubbed his thumb along Jessie’s knuckles needing to comfort both himself and her.
“Going after Sloane was a huge risk. They must’ve needed her to take the chance.” She squeezed Erik’s hand.
Chapter 11
The tires squealed as Erik turned into the driveway and hit the button to open the garage. He stopped and closed the door behind them. They didn’t need any of Caroline’s neighbor’s witnessing them pulling a body out of the trunk.
Jessie moved around to the back, ready to freeze as soon as Erik opened the trunk. Erik lifted the lid, and the boy lay, passed out. Erik bent and lifted the guy into his arms. Jessie hurried to open the door to the house.
“Where are we taking him?” Jessie asked.
“Basement, I’m not sure if Caroline has any place in the house to interrogate him. I want to take him to the lowest level, so it’s harder for him to escape if he manages to get free.”
“Okay, I’ll go find Caroline. Smooth everything over with her. You want to secure him down there?”
“Yeah, I got ‘em.” Erik turned toward the stairs leading to the basement. Jessie went to Caroline’s study.
Jessie knocked on the door before slowly swinging it open. Caroline was sitting behind the desk, leaning intently forward looking at her monitor. “Hey, Caroline.”
Caroline glanced to the door where Jessie stood. “Hello, my dear, how can I help you?”
“We have a big problem. The demons at the school kidnapped Sloane. We grabbed one of the students we think was involved. Erik is securing him in the basement so that we can question him. Do you have anything we can use to help with his interrogation?” her voice lowered at the end, hoping Caroline would be okay with the interrogation.
“Oh dear, yes, of course, I do. I’ll assist Erik in the interrogation. Have you called her father?” Caroline looked concerned as she crossed the room to meet Jessie.
“Ah no, we were a little busy going after her, and the demons who were involved. We grabbed this one, but the other kid got away. We need to work quickly. We don’t think they can find us here, but we need to move before anything happens to Sloane.” Jessie clenched her hands into fist
s thinking about Sloane. They needed to get to her. The front door slammed, Jessie turned and hurried to the front room, Caroline on her tail.
Mike stood, eyes wild, head whipping around in search. “Jess, did you find her? Is Sloane safe?” His words were half crazed in his panic.
Jessie looked to the ground. She wasn’t sure how she was going to tell him. “Um… We didn’t find her, but we grabbed one of the demons who was involved in taking her. At least we think he was involved. He’s in the basement with Erik.” Her voice was low as she spoke.
Caroline took a step toward Mike. “Come, I’ll take you down to him. You can help us interrogate him.”
“No, I’m going to the school. I’m a tracker. I’ll find her. They’re taking specific people for their powers. It’s why only certain students were targeted. They’re going after us for our abilities. Students were the test to see if they could possess Shikari members. They’re going to try to possess Sloane. I need to stop them before that happens. They’ll gain everything she knows if they possess her.” He looked pointedly at Jessie, then Caroline. “We can’t let the demons obtain her knowledge. We have to save her, now.” Mike turned and flung open the door.
“Wait, someone should go with you.” Jessie looked back toward Caroline. “Will you let Erik know where we’re going, and what’s happening. Have him call as soon as he knows anything.” She turned back toward Mike. “Let’s go.”
Jessie jumped in Mike’s car. He left it idol in the driveway. “If you were planning on going to the school right away, why did you come to the house?” Jessie asked.
‘I was hoping you found her before I got here.” He gunned it down the street, tires screeching as he accelerated.
“What did you find out in Denver?”
“They are taking kids with certain powers. They also weren’t sure if they could possess adults at first. After Mr. Hall, they knew they could possess any Shikari member. Something big is happening in the order, too. All hell is breaking loose.” He whipped around a corner, Jessie slammed against the door.
“Jeez Mike, I’d like not to have bruises when we’re done today.” She reached her hand over to rub her arm. She grabbed the handle to brace herself for any more corners. Mike decided to drive like a crazy person. She glanced over at him, and every muscle in his body was tense. “We’re going to find her,” she said with conviction.
Mike glanced over and nodded. “I know. I’ll kill anyone in our path. Nothing is going to happen to Sloane.”
“Okay, can we not kill any children needlessly? You know we can dispossess them without killing them. Let’s try that first.”
“I’m not making any promises. They’ve got Sloane. They’ll pay for even thinking they could take her.” Mike’s voice was hard. He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. He pulled up to the side of the school. “Where were you guys? I need to know where she may have been taken.”
Jessie pointed up the road. “We were parked here, and Sloane walked up over the hill. She wasn’t gone long, five minutes, tops. So, she couldn’t have walked far.”
Mike drove further down the road and parked on the side. He scrambled out of the car, each step with renowned purpose, as he stormed down the road.
“How does your tracking work exactly?” Jessie asked trying to keep up.
“I get a certain feeling when I get a read on what I’m looking for. Then, it’s like my mind hones in on my subject, and I feel a pull toward it. When I focus, I can feel all the Shikari in the area. It’s like looking at the stars, but I can just feel where they are when I want to. I’m still not entirely sure how it works, but I follow my instincts.” He stopped, instantly. “Got her.” He closed his eyes to focus.
Jessie took a step toward Mike. “Where is she?”
“Give me a minute,” he said, eyes closed in complete concentration. Jessie paced in front of him, the gravel crunching under her feet. When she turned, and the gravel ground louder under her foot, Mike glared at her. “Can you stop? I need to concentrate.”
Jessie stood frozen. “Sorry,” she whispered.
Mike stood motionless, eyes closed. After a few minutes, his eyes snapped open. “They’re moving her now. She’s not at the school anymore. She’s on the highway toward Denver. We have to go. We need to stop them before they get to Denver.” He took off at a dead run toward the car.
Jessie’s eyes widened, and in a moment, she was running behind him. She jumped in the car after Mike. He jammed the car into gear easily and whipped around in reverse. “So, why do we need to stop them before they get to Denver?”
“They’ll be fewer demons in the car. If they get her to wherever they’re stationed in Denver, we’ll have to fight more of them. I’d rather not fight a bunch of demons at once, but I will if I have to. If it means saving Sloane, I’ll do anything.” The last words were said in a whisper. Jessie heard the shakiness and fear he was trying to hide. Jessie watched as the car sped in a blur onto the highway.
“Can you tell how far down the road they are?” she asked.
“Yeah, they’ve got about fifteen miles on us.” Mike gripped the wheel tighter.
“Oh, so how are we going to beat them if they’re that far ahead?” Jessie turned her curious gaze on Mike.
“Drive fast,” he responded.
“You’re kidding, right?” She peeked down at the speedometer and gulped. They were going almost ninety miles an hour, in Colorado, near mountains. Jessie reached her hand to pull the seat belt over her body and secured it. She said a little prayer in her head before focusing back on Mike.
“Nope.” Mike’s singular focus was the road in front of them.
Jessie gripped the door as Mike raced down the highway, weaving between cars. Sometimes he got so close; she was sure they were going to crash. A few cars honked as he cut them off. He didn’t even seem to notice.
Jessie shrugged. “I’m going to call Erik. Let him know what’s going on.” She pulled out her phone and hit send when she found Erik’s number. “Hey, babe. We’re headed to Denver. Mike said they have her in a car. We’re trying to stop them before they get to Denver. We’re about fifteen miles behind them. What’s going on with the kid?” She drummed her fingers on her thigh as she spoke.
“He’s still out. Caroline’s been getting supplies. We’re about to wake him up. Do you think you’ll make it to Sloane before they get to Denver?” Erik asked.
“Yeah, Mike’s pretty damn determined.” She peeked over at Mike “I think we’ll be taking on all of Denver if we have to. I don’t think we’ll have to, but I don’t put it past him right now. Don’t worry; she’ll be fine. We’ll get her.” Jess reassured.
“Damn straight,” Mike commented, and Jessie looked over to his rigid form.
“Good, then I’m trusting you to find her, and I’m going to find out what this guy knows.”
“Okay, babe. See you later.”
“Later,” Jess hit the end button.
“Have you talked with him about your mother, yet?” Mike asked in a low voice; eyes still focused on the road in front of him.
“No,” Jess whispered.
“Don’t you think you should tell him?” Mike asked, glancing over, his mouth pressed into a hard line. She drummed her hands in her lap again and stared out the window.
“No, I’m not ready to tell him, yet. I don’t even know enough to tell him. Besides, I told you in confidence, so I hope you will keep it to yourself. We both know how my mom can be. She’s probably out gallivanting with another new fling. It’s probably nothing.” Jessie’s words blurred together as she spoke. She was anxious. She hadn’t heard from her mother, but she also knew how flaky her mother could be. It was her flakiness that had her concerned.
“And what if it’s, nothing?” Mike asked.
“Then, I will tell Erik, and deal with it. Right now, we need to focus on finding Sloane.” Jess huffed out a breath. She didn’t want to think about her mother. She’d been nothing but trouble.
She’d been dropping her off with Sloane and Erik since she’d been young. Every time she met “the one” she disappeared and often left her behind. The few times she chose not to leave her, they’d go on, what her mother called, grand adventures. Which often left them begging for gas or food, in some Podunk town that had nothing in it but hicks and closed- minded housewives. Their trips never lasted long, and eventually, her mom would call someone to wire them money to get back to Wisconsin.
She always liked when she would get to stay with Erik and Sloane. She loved her mom, but her ups and downs were a little much. Especially, when she was younger and didn’t understand why, after two or three days on the road, her mother would suddenly snap at her. She’d tell her she was having a bad day. She’d get a hotel room, where you drove up to park in front of your room, and she’d sleep for a day, sometimes two. Jessie would sleep, but when she’d tried to wake her mom up to tell her she was hungry, she’d yell at her. After a few belligerent moments, she’d fall back asleep leaving Jessie hungry and fending for herself. She learned to make friends with people fast. Being the cute blonde girl with spiral curls always helped. People always thought she looked like Shirley Temple. Learning street smarts came early, too. Knowing who to ask for help was important. She didn’t want to end up in the hands of the state, either.
When she was a teenager, she stopped going with her mom. She learned they could get money through the order, so she didn’t need her mom anymore. It was a relief not to have to live from motel room to motel room for weeks on end. She never understood why her mother got the whim to leave when she could stay in Wisconsin in a house provided by the order. Jessie liked staying in one place. Her mother got a little stir-crazy if she had to stay anywhere long. Jessie liked the idea of settling down, of staying in one place. She knew as a Shikari; she couldn’t do that anytime soon. Especially with a power like hers. But someday, she hoped she could live a normal life. Raise kids to be the next Shikari fighters. She pictured Erik then; he’d be a great father. She sighed.
