Registry's Secrets (The Mengliad Series Book 2)

by Jana Janeway

  He needed to clear his head, and it would be near impossible to do so with all the bodies in every living area of the house.

  The sky was darkening, the sun nearly set. It suited his mood – dim, but with a ray of light. At least Jessica was preoccupied. He had lost his connection with her as soon as he was down the stairs, but just before he did, he sensed her stress easing. Stacy was with her.

  “Introspective much?”

  Craddock looked up to see Jeramey approaching the house from wherever he had been, smoke swirling in a cloud behind him. “Something like that,” he muttered.

  “Feels like I’m playing catch up, after that long drive.” Jeramey gestured to his cigarette before hitting it again. “Was gettin’ the shakes.” He extended the pack he was holding towards Craddock.

  Hand up palm out, Craddock declined, then he dropped it back into his lap. “I don’t need another reason for Jess to hate me.”

  “Hate’s too strong a word. She sure is emotionally intense, though, isn’t she?”

  “The pregnancy hormones are part of that.” Craddock sounded more defensive than he had meant to, so he gave a little shrug to lessen the impact.

  “Hey, don’t get me wrong! I think Jess is awesome! Always have, even when she was Human! But…”

  When he trailed off, Craddock lifted his head. “But?”

  “You in an okay place to hear stuff?”

  He wasn’t sure if he was, but now he was curious. The nod in answer was slight.

  “I think you mollycoddle her a bit too much.” Before Craddock could take offense, he hurried on. “I know you know how strong she is. And she really is! But every time something upsets her, there you are, treating her like she’s fragile.”

  “She is fragile!”

  Jeramey held his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I’m just callin’ it like I see it.”

  “What would you suggest I do, then?”

  “Honestly?”

  “No, lie to me,” Craddock shot back sarcastically. Jeramey gave a little ‘heh’ sound as he dropped onto the bench next to him.

  “Firm it up a little. If she freaks out about something, don’t be so quick to baby her.”

  “So I should just say what? ‘Get over it’? ‘Suck it up’?”

  Jeramey smirked. “That wouldn’t be very nice. I’m not telling you to be mean. I’m suggesting you be firmer. You’re an enabler, Doc. She freaks, you coddle, she freaks, you coddle. It’s a vicious cycle. You’re not doing it on purpose, but you’re taking the fight out of her. You’re giving her that safe place to hide. You not backing down from this mission is the firmest I’ve seen you be with her—”

  “And it’s wrecking our relationship!” Craddock snapped, interrupting.

  “No it’s not. It’s strengthening it. It’s putting the fight back in her. She’s strong enough to stand on her own two feet, she just can’t remember that ‘cause you keep scooping her up. Let her stand. She might stumble about at first, but she’ll get the hang of it.”

  Though Craddock only returned his gaze to his clasped hands in front of him, Jeramey knew he had heard every word. “Food for thought,” he added, giving him a pat on the back before pushing off the bench and heading for the house.

  It was a tough pill to swallow, but Craddock choked it down. He was part of the problem. And he knew just where to start fixing it.

  She was fast asleep when he entered. Shea and Stacy were on the second bed in the room, also sleeping, but she was alone on hers.

  Carefully, trying not to wake her just yet, he climbed in behind, draping his arm across her as he settled in. Since she wasn’t in any distress, he didn’t feel guilty for the affection he was showing her. He also didn’t feel guilty that it would eventually wake her.

  Her thoughts shifted, pulling out of the dream and into consciousness.

  ‘Sure you weren’t tired,’ he teased.

  She hummed contentedly, snuggling in a little deeper, but then she suddenly jolted. He kept his arm across her as she turned to face him, the slightest of smiles on his face.

  ‘You’re letting me know the plan? Why? What changed?’

  ‘I sometimes forget how strong you are. How strong you could be, if I were to just step back and let you be. You can handle this.’

  After absorbing every detail she could, she asked, ‘That’s it? That’s the plan?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘It’s kinda like a court trial or something?’

  ‘Or something. There’s a little more to it, I’m sure.’

  ‘How is that dangerous, even minimally?’

  ‘The Registry will be there.’

  ‘But with all those witnesses…’

  ‘Exactly. Chances of them trying anything are slim.’

  ‘I wish you would’ve just told me that in the first place.’

  ‘I wish I would have, too. You’re stronger than either of us gives you credit for.’

  ‘I don’t feel very strong. I feel like a basket case with an unraveling weave.’

  ‘Part of that is the pregnancy. Part of it is because of all the shit you’ve had to deal with. And part of it… is because of me.’

  ‘How can it be? You’ve always been my rock.’

  ‘A rock that’s been crushing you, apparently. If I hadn’t been trying so hard to protect you from something you didn’t need protecting from, I could have saved you a whole lot of grief.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  When his conversation with Jeramey took center stage within his thoughts, she caught on.

  ‘As long as we’re being so open right now… if you are able to unseat Becket—’

  ‘When.’

  She smirked. ‘When.’ Then she grew serious. ‘When you unseat him, if they do have my parents again, will they be released?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘You’re sure?’

  ‘Pretty sure.’

  Sighing, she turned away from him, and when she did, he spooned her again.

  ‘You okay?’ He could tell that she was, but he asked her anyway. There still seemed to be a bit of fear, but it was nothing like it had been before.

  ‘Yeah. I’m okay. Tired, now, more than anything.’

  ‘You can sleep. They said they won’t need me for a while.’

  ‘Can I be there? When you give your statement?’

  ‘Here, or during the trial?’

  ‘Here. I’m assuming you won’t let me go to the trial.’

  He worded his answer carefully. ‘I would rather you not go to the trial. It’s bound to be stressful, especially during cross examination. Stress isn’t good for you, remember? You have Junior to think about.’

  Nodding, she whispered, “You didn’t answer my question.”

  ‘Yes. When they come to get me, you can come, too.’

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Jeramey had become quite smug. There was an obvious change in Jessica, however slight, and he felt he had bragging rights over the turnaround.

  He never advertised it or anything, but whenever he would catch Craddock’s eye, he’d give a little smirk or an upnod, letting it be known that he was well aware of things. It amused Craddock, but he never gave more than a slightly longer stare or a twitch of a smile.

  Jessica only knew this because of Craddock’s thoughts about it. Whenever she would try to catch it herself, Jeramey would quickly look away, appearing to be listening intently as someone spoke, or interested in what he was eating.

  ‘I feel like I’m going to explode.’

  Craddock held her hand a little tighter – the only thing he really allowed himself to do anymore. He still held her affectionately, but when her anxiety level elevated, he would back off and just take her hand, then talk her through it. ‘Why do you say that?’

  ‘I’m trying, Craddock, I really am, but the anticipation is unbearable. I just want it to be over with now.’

  ‘After tomorrow, it will be.’

  Everyone felt certain of that. Sinc
e the twelve chairpersons were already scheduled to have their annual meeting, it was easy for the person who had the favor owed them to get an appointment. The Registry wouldn’t dare try anything now. With the nature of the charges, it would seem odd if the large group of plaintiffs were no-shows. There would surely be an investigation to follow, if that were the case.

  The mood in the house was almost celebratory, but Jessica could hardly get into the spirit of it. While it was the general consensus that all would end in victory, there was still the possibility of failure. She tried not to focus on that, but her heart felt the need to prepare itself.

  ‘I think the bench out back is calling to us.’

  Jessica smirked. ‘If it is, it’s a masochist. Our ass prints are embedded in the thing, with as much time as we spend on it.’

  Grinning, Craddock stood first before helping her to her feet.

  “Goin’ out back again?”

  Craddock gave Josiah a reluctant nod in answer. He knew what was coming next.

  “Mind if I tag along?”

  He did mind, but didn’t want to hurt Josiah’s feelings by saying so. He was obviously looking for the same thing they were. Escape. The house had far too many people in it.

  Marcy and Jeramey didn’t seem to mind. The few new friends from the Connecticut house didn’t seem to, either. Even Wade seemed accepting of it. But their core group of six often tried to find ways of avoiding as many people as they could.

  It would take a little while for everyone to feel safe enough to do so, but finally, after the trial, they would be free to leave. Start a life somewhere without fear.

  Craddock gave Josiah an upnod, then took Jessica by the hand and led the way through the kitchen and out the back door. The moment they were outside, Josiah groaned with relief.

  “It’s crazy hot in there! I think I almost passed out! Don’t worry, I’ll give you guys your space. I just needed an excuse.” Giving his typical lopsided grin, he hooked his thumbs into his jeans pockets and walked away.

  ‘That was painless.’

  Jessica laughed at Craddock’s quip as he joined her on the bench, but he could tell her heart wasn’t in it.

  ‘It’s okay to be nervous, Jess. You’re doing great, all things considered.’

  ‘I’m trying. I’m not so sure I won’t freak out tomorrow, though, when you leave.’

  ‘I considered that, but it’s not like you’ll be alone. Shea, Stacy, Bibi, and Josiah will all be here, as well as those other two agents.’

  ‘I know, but you won’t be here.’

  ‘I know.’ He squeezed her hand supportively. “I should be back within seventy-two hours. Granted, this is the first time in over a century that a president has been on trial, but they’re not expecting things to take longer than that, apparently.”

  It would be the longest period of time they had ever been apart, and they were both equally anxious about it. That was really the only thing Craddock was anxious about. Of the few times he had lost his connection to her, be it because of distance or mental collapse, he’d gone almost mad with the absence. A repeat of that was the last thing he wanted.

  ‘I could come with you.’

  ‘The witnesses have already been established. Scheduled. We already noted that you couldn’t attend because of your condition, and your need for recovery time after the Registry agent shot you. If you were to show up anyway…’

  ‘It would seem weird,’ she finished for him.

  ‘Exactly. Besides, it’ll be good practice for us. Eventually, we’ll have to resume normal lives. Get jobs. We can’t sit in each other’s hip pockets forever. We need to learn to deal with the silence.’

  ‘You say that with a conviction I know you don’t feel. You’re dreading this as much as I am.’

  ‘I am, but it doesn’t change the fact of the matter.’

  She hummed in response, not quite agreeing, not quite disagreeing, and then she took the conversation in an entirely different direction. ‘Is anyone worried that Becket might come after us personally, because we’ll be responsible for unseating him?’

  ‘It’s been discussed, but because he won’t have the support of a few thousand agents, all at his disposal, they feel he won’t have the ability to.

  ‘We’ll change our identities again; pick a place to live he’s unlikely to look for us in, just in case. We’ll cover our tracks, baby. Don’t worry.’

  ‘I don’t want to be worried, but the line between that and simply considering the possibilities is starting to blur.’

  ‘I know. But hey, focus on the positive. When I get back, you’ll be far enough along to hear Junior’s heartbeat.’

  She smiled a little, but it dropped quickly. Her shaky breath told him where her thoughts were, even though she was forcing herself not to think them.

  ‘I’m coming back, Jess.’

  ‘I know.’

  He almost questioned her, but he stopped himself. She was trying to be strong, and he would let her. ‘Good.’

  “Dude! I think I just saw a deer! They got all kinds of nature going on out here!”

  Craddock laughed, watching Josiah approach with a wide grin of appreciation on his face.

  “I always figured I’d want to go back to New York when this was all over with, but now I’m thinkin’ I’d like to go somewhere with a butt-load of nature.” As soon as he was in front of the bench, Josiah plopped down on the ground.

  “Jess and I were just talking about that. Someplace Becket would never consider, in case he decides to hold a personal grudge against us. We’ll have to do a little research.”

  “But with him out of office, wouldn’t the Registry be safe again?” Jessica asked. “Couldn’t we just go to them for help?”

  “There might be a few people lingering who remain loyal to him,” Craddock answered. “They’ll weed them out eventually, but until then, I think it’ll be safer to venture out on our own. It’s not hard to do, really, as long as you have all the starting documents. Pardaze Ahme can help us there. By the time anyone gets suspicious of us, because we don’t look our age, the Registry should be on better footing, and safe to rely on again.”

  Jessica found herself becoming hopeful. Craddock made it sound so absolute, and his thoughts seemed just as confident. She tried to immerse herself in that confidence, latching on to every positive inclination he felt.

  “Want me to scout locations while you’re gone?” Josiah asked.

  Craddock hid a smirk at his friend’s eager tone. He knew he was frustrated that he had been asked to stay behind. “Sure, Joe, that sounds great.”

  It had been played off like it was a favor Craddock was asking of him; a request that he remain with Jessica, to keep an eye on her. Josiah wasn’t fooled, but he agreed, anyway, playing along as if he was honored to have the responsibility bestowed upon him.

  “Some place with a butt-load of nature?” Josiah asked hopefully.

  That time, Craddock couldn’t hide his smirk. “Yeah. After all our complaining about living in that Podunk town, Becket would never think to look for us someplace too rural. But make sure there’s a hospital somewhat nearby, okay?” His hand dropped to Jessica’s abdomen. “When the time comes, I don’t want to be driving for hours to get to where we need to be.”

  Draping her legs across his, Jessica nearly climbed into Craddock’s lap, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

  Josiah shifted uncomfortably. “Think I’ll go see what Wade and Bibi are up to.”

  Craddock gave him a grateful upnod as he excused himself, then his focus was on Jessica. Old habits being hard to break, he wrapped his arms around her and pressed a consoling kiss into her hair.

  ‘I’m okay,’ she insisted. ‘Pregnancy hormones are at work again, is all.’

  That was only part of it. She forced her thoughts to redirect every time it entered her mind, but Craddock caught glimpses before she did. She was still scared that she might have to raise their baby alone.

  ‘When I
get back, we should start thinking about names. Girl names, too, just in case I’m wrong and he’s a she.’ He could feel her smile against him.

  ‘Something to look forward to.’

  Even as she tried to convey the positive outlook, her breath turned shaky. He didn’t bring attention to it, though.

  ‘You know, we haven’t been… alone… since we got here. I miss you.’

  ‘I miss you, too, but there’s no privacy here.’

  ‘What if we could find some?’

  ‘Where would we find some? I’m not like Josiah. I don’t like nature that much.’

  Her joke brought a smile to his face. ‘I’m not talking about finding some cave in the middle of the wilderness. I was thinking more along the lines of… our mechanically sound van friend.’

  ‘I doubt we’d have much privacy there. They’d all probably try to sneak a peek at the Accidental Convert’s mating habits.’

  He laughed. ‘You’re not some unknown species of animal, Jess. No one is interested in observing our mating habits.’

  She scoffed, leaving his lap and moving to stand. ‘If I see one face pressed up against the glass, watching us, I’m never having sex with you again.’

  Grinning, he took her hand as he joined her. “That’s not exactly fair, is it? I mean, why punish yourself?”

  Playfully, she rolled her eyes. ‘You don’t think much of yourself.’

  Though he gained a little seriousness, his tone remained light. “Without you, there isn’t much of me to think of.”

  She could read every context he meant that in, from his belief that he would not be able to live without her, to feeling that he was inept with intimacy before he had been with her.

  She stopped walking and faced him. ‘Why would you think that? Why would you think you were inept, when every time we’ve been together, since the very first time, it’s been beyond amazing?’

  Smiling, he cupped her face, his thumb lightly brushing her cheek. ‘I agree, but that’s because we have Chimie. It’s like a cheat sheet. I know what you need and when. I would be the worst lover in the world, if I couldn’t follow simple cues.’