Echoes in the Wind

by Debra Jupe

  “Better?”

  “No,” Eric groused. “Be sure you get my cell phone.”

  Blaine stayed beside him, snatching Eric’s phone from the dresser as they left the room. They gradually made their way through the house, the emergency techs carefully maneuvering him to the front door which remained open. Dull beams from the outer lights swathed the faded tiles. A path that led to freedom. Eric’s heart did a slight hop from the relief to be leaving. Outside, the EMT’s stopped to readjust his IV.

  “Hey, I just thought of something,” Blaine looked at Eric and frowned. “Where is Richard?”

  “Don’t know, don’t care.”

  “Isn’t it funny he’s nowhere around? He’s never very far away from Finn. This whole situation is odd.”

  “Goes beyond odd. It’s fucking bizarre.”

  Once they’d furthered themselves from the scene, Eric motioned he needed to stop. The rocking from the movement made him nauseous. They halted in front of the dark house near a low, zigzag fence. One attendant put something into his saline drip to curb the nausea while the second medic climbed inside the ambulance to radio the hospital.

  Flat on his back, Eric stared into the sky. The evening was unusually clear. There seemed to be thousands of stars above. Tonight he considered them lucky. He had the urge to thank each and every one of them that he was alive. This night could have turned out so different. The darkness closed around them and was far from quiet. Distant traffic buzzed from an unseen freeway, blending with the nocturnal creatures as they boisterously made their presence known.

  Blaine, who remained beside him, finally spoke. “This is insane. First, Drake’s dead. Dugan comes up missing, Mitchell is hurt, and now Finn’s gone. I won’t mention your misfortune.”

  “Appreciate that.”

  Eric’s gaze skated around the walkway to Blaine, who’d moved to the curb. A blast of cold air slashed across them. The breeze drove a heap of litter and scattered it over the deserted road. He shivered and wished he’d brought a jacket.

  He tugged the sheet closer to his neck. “Did you get a good look at the person lying on the bed? Are you sure that was Finn?”

  Blaine gave a wry smile. “I hate to admit this, but I’m a bit squeamish when inspecting dead people. I’ve never seen one shot in the head before. I didn’t want to get too close.”

  “I hear you.”

  “So to answer your question, no, I didn’t get a decent look. You think there’s a chance the body might not be his?”

  Eric lifted his right shoulder. “I suppose anything’s possible. But if it’s not him, where is he and who’s lying dead in his bed?”

  “Dunno. There are a lot of questions with no answers.”

  “Yeah, and more questions keep coming in. I’ve got a feeling we’re not going to find those answers anytime soon.”

  ****

  Damn. He hated when his plans went astray. He should have waited to get rid of Finn later. Yeah, he’d have loved to send him off in a grand exit with hundreds around to witness his demise like Drake. But trying that feat twice would be too risky. The fact Eric nearly caught him made him want to hit something and smash it into pieces. After several deep breaths he calmed, remembering the importance of remaining cool. His strategies and his success depended on his being in control. But Eric’s appearance after he’d executed Finn threw him way off. Forced to adlib, and react on his feet after he’d just killed someone else…hell, there was no time to think outside the box. That left him unprepared. His shot at Eric? He couldn’t operate accurately under such pressure.

  Then Blaine showed up. Who could’ve known tonight would be a fucking’ Raging Impulse reunion? It was best for him to disappear with so much going on. So he had climbed out the window. He held in a laugh as he crouched by the opening and listened to Eric and Blaine try to decide what they should do. The hilarity of the situation was almost worth tonight’s risk.

  Did Eric recognize him? Would he identify him to the police? He was unable to hang around to hear them question him. Eric seemed groggy. Hopefully the big knot on his head made him doubt reality. Still, it’d be best for him to lay low for a while. Wait and see.

  From across the road, he lurked in the shadows and viewed the two men at the scene. He needed to leave. The police would soon be scanning the neighborhood and he couldn’t afford discovery. He rolled the bike silently down the street and glanced back at them as he mounted the motorcycle and hit the gas.

  ****

  Eric looked out into the darkness. From a distance he could make out a single taillight fading into the night. His stomach tightened as he fought the urge to jump off the stretcher and follow the crimson light. He sucked in a long breath and wished this damn dizziness would go away. Even lying down, his head continued to spin. The tech appeared from behind, and after administering some more drugs into the IV, he manipulated the rollers across the bumpy concrete, moving toward the waiting ambulance.

  Blaine slanted a quick side glance at Eric and veered in the direction of his vehicle. “I’m going to stop by the house before I meet you at the hospital.”

  “Wait.”

  A fleeting vision of the weapon pointed at him elapsed through his mind. So vivid, the cold barrel of the gun pressed against his temple seemed all too real. He shuddered and drove the disturbing image from his head.

  “Don’t go to our house. The killer might realize he didn’t finish the job with me and be waiting there. You may be in danger too.”

  “I’m sure I am.” Blaine shot Eric a hard look. “We’re all targets, aren’t we?”

  Eric took a hand out from underneath the sheet and rammed his fingers through his hair, then stuffed his arm back under the covers. “I suppose you’re right.” He nodded to the emergency vehicle. “Um, would you mind riding with me?”

  Blaine glanced at his car parked by the curb and shook his head. “Not at all.”

  A moment passed and the EMT’s picked up the stretcher and thrust him inside the back of the ambulance. Eric groaned from the shift, his entire body throbbed, but his rolling stomach had settled. Blaine climbed in behind him and sat down. The medical personnel followed and continued to monitor Eric’s vitals as the driver spoke into the radio from up front. The paramedic asked Eric if he was still in pain. He nodded. The woman hooked something else into his IV and told him he’d feel better soon.

  “Bet you weren’t planning a ride like this.”

  Blaine grinned. “Stephanie and I agreed to continue our date after the meeting. She’s at a friend’s who lives down from us waiting for me to call her.” He inspected Eric’s cell he still held between his hands. “I suppose I’ll have to tell her the rest of the night’s off.”

  “Fuck that.”

  Blaine gazed at him.

  “Once I get to wherever, you phone her and arrange to meet somewhere.”

  “I’m not gonna leave you.”

  “Look, all you’re going to do is wait while they run tests and stuff. You might as well go out and end the night on a happy note. God knows we need some joy. You should get yours while you can.”

  Blaine peered down at him. “What do you mean while I can?”

  Grogginess overtook him. Whatever the lady put in the saline drip was making him drowsy. His eyes drooped, but he forced them open. “You go see your girl tonight,” he murmured. “’Cause I think we oughta leave.”

  “Leave?”

  “Hmm. Get out of town. When I’m better. We should disappear. Hide somewhere until he’s caught.”

  “Might not be a bad idea. As soon as the doctor gives you the okay, we’ll take off for a few days. Hopefully the police will solve this in a hurry.”

  “Shouldn’t be hard.” Eric’s eyes closed and he mumbled, “I remember now. I saw….Darla…”

  Chapter 11

  “Thanks for letting me stay here to wait for Blaine.”

  “You’re always welcome,” Darla said, almost mechanically.

  Darla sat on the sofa wi
th her hands folded in her lap. Her head swung back and forth, her gaze followed Stephanie pacing the floor, her friend’s mouth moved twice as fast as she walked.

  “I’d be crazy to drive all the way to my place,” Stephanie was saying, “and have Blaine come over to my part of town when Finn lives close to yours and Blaine’s neighborhood. This makes more sense for us to meet here.”

  “Your idea to wait here for Blaine is much better, Darla replied.

  “I’m so excited we’re going to continue our evening,” Stephanie rambled. “At first, I was a little disappointed. Especially when he told me we needed to cut our date short for this meeting. We were having such a great time. Then he suggested we get together after. I felt so relieved.” She flashed Darla a quick, bright smile. “And you’re going to meet him.”

  Darla had to admit she experienced a bit of the green-eyed monster over Stephanie’s joy. Not that she resented her. She only wished she had something to celebrate in the romantic department so they could share in this fun together. Yet, the idea wasn’t feasible as long as she was in rejection recovery. Still, she wanted to meet Blaine. Purely for Stephanie’s sake. Her motives had nothing to do with the fact he was Eric’s friend, song-writing partner—band mate. Right.

  Stephanie glanced at the clock and frowned. “It’s been over an hour though. Blaine said they wouldn’t take long.”

  “He drove to Finn’s house, didn’t he?”

  Stephanie nodded. “He was supposed to meet up with Eric. He walked, so maybe Blaine is giving him a ride home before we continue our date.”

  Darla flinched at the mention of Eric’s name.

  “Blaine also told me Eric would want to discuss their situation, whatever that is, after they’re through with Finn. But Blaine promised he’d cut that short too. Apparently Eric wasn’t ecstatic over us dating with the issues surrounding their band. So Blaine might have changed his mind and agreed to talk things over as a way of appeasing Eric. He’s such a pleaser.”

  “Then that’s probably why he’s late. They’re debating.” Darla stopped. “I was also wondering about Blaine wanting to go out tonight with all the drama going on in his life.”

  “I did ask him if he was sure tonight was a good idea. He explained he just wanted a normal evening. To get away and not think of any of the tragedies. And he hoped to do that with me.”

  “He sounds like a sweet guy.”

  “Hmmm, yeah.” Stephanie stopped wandering. She moved to the windows, wrapping her arms around her waist and stared outside. “I hope he’s okay.”

  “Why wouldn’t he be?”

  “Blaine drove me past Finn’s place while we were out. He lives in a rundown part of the subdivision.” Stephanie rotated toward Darla. “I didn’t realize the section existed. Everything in this region is nice, though I’d be afraid of driving through that area of town by myself. Blaine being there, even with Eric, might be a risk. The neighborhood is dark and icky. Who knows what happens at night.”

  “Probably nothing.” Darla lifted her shoulders. “I’ve met most of my immediate neighbors. I’d think I would’ve been notified if we had any criminal activity around here. I’ve explored too. I know where you’re referring to. The sector is older and in need of renovations, but I don’t believe the block is dangerous.”

  Stephanie stared at Darla. “So why is he late? You don’t think he’s trying to get of rid of me, do you?”

  “Now, what are you talking about?”

  “Him saying he has to do something, but he’s lying. He’s using this as a way to blow me off.”

  Darla shot Stephanie an aggravated scowl. “He wouldn’t ask you out in the first place unless he liked you. Think, Steph. If he wanted to end the date early, he could just say he had something else to do and skip the suggestion that you hook up later. Let things go there.”

  “I guess.”

  “You guess?” Darla stared at Stephanie. She couldn’t understand why her friend was dissecting her evening with Blaine. She’d never been a worrier before, especially when it came to men. This guy must have really gotten to her.

  “People don’t always tell the truth, Darla. You should understand that from your own break-up experience.”

  “I get it. I don’t believe he’s lying to you, but for argument’s sake let’s say that’s what he’s doing. At least you’ll know before things become too serious.”

  “Regardless, he’ll break my heart if he dumps me.”

  “Look at the bright side. You won’t be like me and waste years waiting for his lies to materialize.” Darla smiled. “Everything is going to be fine. I’m sure Blaine will be here any minute now. In the meantime, let’s change the subject to keep you from worrying.”

  “Good idea.” Stephanie bobbed over to the sofa and sat down next to Darla. “We can talk about your trip. Kind of last minute if you asked me.”

  “Not so much. I’ve been considering going home since the breakup. I’ve thought about staying for the summer. To heal and regroup, you know? Plus, it’s been a while since I’ve been to Texas and I’m homesick.”

  “When are you leaving?”

  “I have some loose ends to tie up, although they shouldn’t take long. This is the last week of school, but I don’t need to be in class. I’ll contact my teacher’s assistants. They’re qualified to administer finals, grade them, and then they can send me the results to post online from my parents’ house.”

  Darla hadn’t said anything about a trip to her friend because she didn’t want it to appear that she was running away after being dumped. It almost seemed cowardly. The last straw came when Eric so carelessly blew her off on her morning walk. She’d gotten his message loud and clear. The kiss meant nothing to him and neither did she. He lost control because of his upsetting situation.

  And he apologized for it. Then he backtracked, which totally confused her. Even though she’d considered spending the night with this man, she decided against it, for no other reason than her emotional welfare. His presence weakened her. The idea to get as far away from this man as possible and keep her head straight was a good one. But because of the rush, this trip wasn’t exactly organized.

  “After I take care of my work duties and some last-minute details I can go. I plan on leaving within a couple of days, possibly as early as tomorrow if everything falls in place. I figure I’ll make the California-Arizona border in a few hours, catch a little sleep, and get into the western part of Texas before I’ll need to stop to take a real break. I’ll be at the southern tip after another day’s drive, so I should arrive home by Tuesday.”

  “I know you’re looking forward to visiting your family. I’m sure they’re excited about seeing you too. How long has it been since you’ve gotten together?”

  “Almost a year.”

  Stephanie opened her mouth to reply when her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and squealed, “Blaine.” She jumped off the couch and half skipped, half ran to the other room. The call only took a few minutes. She dashed back to Darla and stopped, fingers fanned across her chest.

  “He’s at the hospital. Blaine. He asked me to meet him at emergency right now.”

  “Is he okay?”

  “He sounds fine.”

  “Did he say why he’s at the hospital or the reason he wants you there?”

  Stephanie shook her head. “He promised he’d tell me after I get there.” She dropped her arm and sat down next to Darla. “I want you to come with me.”

  “What? I can’t—.”

  “I need you to take me,” Stephanie interrupted. “I don’t have my car. Plus, the stuff going on within their group makes me afraid they’ve had another disaster and it concerns Blaine, but he’s not telling me. Please, Dar, I’d like you to be with me. For moral support.”

  “My going isn’t a good idea.”

  “Just come until we find out what happened. If Blaine is okay, then you can leave.”

  Darla considered her friend’s dilemma before she rose from the so
fa. “Let me get my keys.

  The drive to the hospital wasn’t a long one. Blaine sent Stephanie a text telling her at which of the building’s entrances he’d be. Darla parked near the approximate zone. They both exited the car and rushed inside. They found him at the appointed entry. Stephanie vaulted into his arms while Darla lagged behind. He squeezed Steph before he led them down a corridor through a small waiting room and into a tiny emergency area without any explanation.

  Darla’s stomach bottomed out. Eric lay slouched in a hospital bed hooked to an IV. A heart monitor and other tubes were attached to various parts of him. Faded streaks covered his jawline linking to a huge knot on his forehead. A rusty hue smeared his shirt as a dark, red stain streaked his arm. His skin was white. His shadowy eyes nearly sunk into his head. He appeared like a mere ghost of himself.

  No one spoke. Darla and Stephanie divided a peek between Blaine and Eric waiting for an explanation, though neither grasped the need to share as to what had happened to Eric.

  Blaine finally caught on and gave Stephanie a crooked smile. “Sorry ’bout bringing you out like this. I was gonna put us off for another time, but he insisted you and I finish our date. Although we may just go to the coffee shop. I don’t want to leave him alone too long.”

  “Coffee is fine.” Stephanie twisted to Eric. “And no, he doesn’t need to be alone. What happened?”

  “We ran into a little problem at Finn’s.”

  “A little problem?” Darla piped in.

  “Yeah. Paramedics looked him over, but we’re still waiting for a physician to examine him for a final verdict.” He glanced at his watch. “We’ve been in here for over an hour.”

  “This isn’t right.” Darla had remained inside the doorway. She did a half turn and stepped into the hall. “We need someone to check on him, pronto.”

  Eric required help. Though she was less than thrilled by his recent behavior, she would insist he get the proper care.

  Blaine leaned forward and grabbed her forearm. He spoke to her in a low voice so only she could hear. “I don’t disagree, but he’s doing his best to be brave. I know he’s in a ton of pain. It’d make him self-conscious if we don’t allow this to play out his way. Let’s give it a few more minutes.”