A man rounded the corner, stepping into my little room. He turned up the lights to a dim setting. I blinked against the increased light, but it didn’t stab my head as much as I expected. This one was tall, very easy on the eyes with dark hair and light blue eyes, like stone washed jeans, even with a dimpled smile to boot. He didn’t wear a lab coat like Dr. Strickland but did have his name badge over the right breast of his chem-suit jacket.
“Where’s Dr. Strickland?” I forced out with two full breaths.
“He’s been reassigned. I’m Dr. Mathews. I’ll be your attending physician until you’re cleared for departure. Please, don’t try to talk louder than you need. It’s putting undue stress on your body.”
“Departure?” I whispered softer.
With a blank gaze, he stared at me for a moment then said, “You’ve been reassigned to Avalon. On Earth.” He seemed to have added that last part for my benefit. Whether by thinking my cognition was beyond recovery or some other reason I couldn’t think of. Either way, it made me give him the “No, really?” look.
“Re—” I cleared my throat and tried again, “Reassigned?” My whispered voice annoyed the hell out of me.
Nodding, he moved to the side of the bed and flashed a penlight into my eyes, probed various parts of my body before running a scanner over the length, and took off the digital monitoring pads. While he worked, he said, “Before we let you go, you have to get some rest. Your body has been under too much stress. That heart attack should be a good warning for you to start taking things easy.”
“Why is there a sheet over Noah?” I asked, ignoring the doctor’s lame advice.
He hesitated then stood straight and looked toward the tank before turning his gaze to me. There was a shift in his energy.
“Before you lie to me, let me make myself crystal clear. I can tell. And believe me, being truthful will be a whole lot easier than if I were to discover the truth on my own.” I gasped through the words but still managed to get my message across quite well.
His jaw clenched, yet he seemed to ponder my words. I could almost watch them rolling through his mind before he nodded and with the exhale of a heavy sigh said, “Captain Ehlers was moved.”
“Where?” I asked.
“Classified information.”
“Bullshit. I’m his spouse.” Boy, I sounded pathetic trying to yell at a doctor with no voice.
“My hands are tied.”
“Then untie them and tell me where you took him. I have every right to see him before I go. I want to touch him.” The last words failed to form, mouthed softer than a whisper. A lump choked them off, making me try to swallow it back. My eyes stung. A tear fell from the corner of one, streaming down the side of my cheek.
“I’m sorry, Sergeant. My orders are clear.”
“What orders are those? Were you ordered to prevent me from seeing my spouse?”
“My job is to help you get well enough so you can go home. I’ll get some adrenaline to help your body wake up so you can move and talk louder than a whisper, okay?”
“Prove to me he’s not there,” I said, again ignoring the words that came from his mouth.
“I can’t. I’m sorry. I wish I could do more, but I have orders. You understand.”
I glared. Yeah, I understand all right. You’re no different from everyone else here.
He flashed an apathetic grin before turning and walking around the curtain.
My eyes shifted to the sheet covering the tank then to something that glinted on the floor. It was small and almost went unnoticed. Before I could try to figure out anything further, the nurse returned with a gun loaded with a vial of light and cloudy liquid. Her long, light brown hair was tucked behind her shoulders, and as she leaned forward, the scent of her green apple perfume strengthened.
“What’s that?” I pushed out.
“This is just a little something to help flush out the remaining sedative.” She smiled at me with her pink, glossy lips.
I jerked when she tried to place the business end of the gun to my neck.
“Relax, Sergeant. It’s just adrenaline with a mild narcotic for the pain.” Her brown, woodsy eyes held mine, unwavering for several long seconds. Feeling for her energy, truth and calm returned. I nodded. She placed it to my neck and squeezed the trigger. A sharp poke pricked my skin followed by a mild burning sensation. The warmth increased and spread through my body, dulling as it worked through my system.
I squeezed my eyes closed.
“I’m sorry for the discomfort. Sometimes it’s more potent for lucid patients. Usually we give it while they’re still out.” She removed the gun and took a few steps back.
I opened my eyes and said, “How long before I can move?” Already my voice had increased in volume and tone.
“Not much longer.” I heard the smile in her voice. A smile of pride at her work done. I bit back a sarcastic remark.
“Thank you.” I tried to shrug. Minimal movement, but still an improvement from none.
“How’s the head?” she asked.
I rolled my eyes then bit my lip from the pain it caused and mentally kicked myself for the motion. “It’s letting me know it’s there and doesn’t like me very much, but that’s something I’m getting used to.”
“The narcotic should take effect very soon. Is there anything else I can get you?”
“I would very much like to have something to eat and drink. My body feels like it’s full of air.”
“Well, I have to wait for the doctor’s orders to clear you for a diet, but there shouldn’t be a problem. As soon as I get back to him with my report of how well you are doing, he should give the go ahead.”
“Okay.”
“Can you lift your arm yet?”
I did.
“The other?”
We went through every movable joint and limb before she allowed me to stand with her assistance and take a few steps.
“Good! Can you walk to the hydro-chamber and back?”
I did so, taking time to stretch out my limbs that still felt weak. Once I got to the chamber, I glanced down at what I saw from the bed. A shard of glass. Another stuck out from under the sheet draped around the tank. I looked up at the top then turned to face the nurse. She was watching me, seeming on edge. I could almost hear the thoughts in her mind: don’t look at the tank … don’t look at the tank.
Ha. Should’ve walked with me then.
I put the chamber to the back of my mind, pretending to be none the wiser, then walked back.
Satisfied, she smiled. “Perfect. I think you’ll be on your way soon.”
“Perfect,” I echoed, sarcastic and annoyed.
“Just have a seat. Don’t try to get up and move around without a member of staff with you. I’ll be back in a bit with something to eat and drink, okay?”
I nodded and watched her leave, picking up on the chaotic vibrations in her energy.
FIVE
THE SIGHT FROM THE window of my bedroom in Avalon was full of white and evergreen. The smell of snow and pine floated into the room, making me wish for warmer days. Or a fire. But I didn’t want to light one. I wanted to wallow in my darkened room and feel sorry for myself.
My things were brought in at a slow trickle from the transporter that landed earlier with me aboard. I was one of the thirteen lucky passengers returning to Earth from Tartarus and the only one with an armed escort. The Council’s final words echoed through my mind the entire way home and even as I stood looking out the window.
Restricted to quarters until further notice …
I saw the fear hidden in their eyes. They couldn’t even look at me. Mendoza and Ardous acted as if I wasn’t there, keeping their gazes on whatever sat in front of them, pens in hand and scribbling away. They wouldn’t admit to having anything to do with my heart attack, nor would they apologize. The rest of the Council gathered around their true traitors and tossed me on the next outbound transporter, ensuring I had nonstop supervision and wasn’t allo
wed to go anywhere outside the confines of Avalon’s building. I wasn’t even allowed to see Noah before leaving. They acted like they didn’t know who I was talking about.
What did they see when they poked into my mind?
A soft tap on the door frame pulled my attention from the window.
“Yes?” I called.
The door slid open with Bear stepping through. Upon seeing his big ebony frame, my lips pulled into the biggest smile I’ve felt on my face in a long time.
“Teddy Bear!” I met him halfway and wrapped my arms around his torso.
“Ghost, you’ve been here for several hours and didn’t even stop by to say hi? How was the trip?” His voice boomed and vibrated through his chest like a gentle but dangerous purr. He took me in with his big brown eyes that held gold and silver specks.
“It was a trip full of suspicious glares and whispers with energies about as chaotic as it could get,” I said, pulling from him and taking a step back. I sighed.
He nodded. “Why is it so dark in here?”
“Didn’t want light yet. Just wanted to look out the window and think.”
“Uh-oh. That’s never a good thing with you.”
I returned my attention to the window and muttered, “They did something to me, Bear.”
“I heard about your heart attack. What happened?”
I tried not to smile at the protective and threatening tone in his words and said, “They called a Council hearing, drugged me, and put me in this … machine that was supposed to show my memories. Then, something happened. I blacked out.” I paused and forced the emotional storm inside me to quell. I turned toward Bear again. “Only two of the Council seats were filled.”
His brows furrowed. “Which two?”
“Mendoza and Ardous.”
“Hmm …”
“Keep this just to the team. I know there’s something going on. Something that is affecting Tartarus.”
“You’re not suggesting corruption, are you?” His energy pulsed with caution.
“I can’t be sure, but it seems like it. And I know how heavy of an accusation that is. I can’t prove it yet. But when I can, I’ll bring my suspicions to light.”
“Make sure you come to the team first.”
“Of course,” I said, questioning the mistrust in his voice. Why would he not trust me?
“I’ll let you get settled. Harringson would like to see you as well.”
I smiled. “Send him in.”
He nodded then turned on his heels and stepped out the door.
I moved to the window and leaned against the side, looking into the bright blue sky. A sigh left my lips just as another knock on the door filled the silence.
“Come in, Harringson.” I turned with a smile, pulling to mind the friendly face I met at the football game.
But the door didn’t open to Harringson. Instead, it opened to one I had very little intention of seeing ever again. My eyes widened, and my jaw fell slack as the infernal woman, with her red hair smoothed straight back and tied at the nape of her neck, stepped into my room. It had been a long while since I saw her wearing the standard Vanguard uniform. Her lips pulled into a slight curve, taking in my state of shock.
“Yes, I can see why I’m not who you expected,” Captain Morrigan said.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, failing to stand on ceremony.
She smiled and clasped her hands in front of her, fingers weaving together. “I’m introducing myself as your new commander. I expect to be treated with respect regardless of our history.”
I stiffened to attention. “Yes, sir.”
“Captain Ehlers is not fit for duty. Until he is, I’m taking over his position and ensuring proper routines are followed. And drop the act, we’re both respected adults, and no one is around to take notice of the show.”
Relaxing into a more comfortable stance, I said, “What you mean is they assigned you to babysit me.”
She exhaled a deep breath that let me know she was about to defend the very people that almost killed me. “Every Vanguard must have the proper chain of command, Ehlers. A missing captain breaks that chain.”
I clamped my hands tight. My nails bit into the heels of my palms. Through clenched teeth, I said, “Do you know what they did to me?”
“Calm down, Sergeant Ehlers. There is no need to get upset.”
“There is plenty of need to be upset! You played me. The Council played me. I’m marked a traitor. And now I’m confined to quarters with you as my babysitter. What the hell is going on, Natasha? Why wasn’t I allowed to see Noah before I left?”
She stepped farther inside the room. Her eyes scanned everything, hovering just a little longer than what was comfortable on my bed, stopping at the chair in the corner of the room. Then she peeked over her shoulder before turning her gaze back to me. “I don’t know what is going on. But I told you before, I’m trying to ensure that Nepherium survive.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“You don’t. That’s where faith comes in, doesn’t it? We don’t like to lie, Elsabetha. You know that. You know we stand for the good of all life, even yours, and yes, even Aagrarians.”
“But?” I asked, moving to take a seat on my bed and crossing my arms over my chest. Knowing she was leading to it.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just don’t know. Don’t you feel it? That ever growing unrest? That shaky sense, vibrating on the surface of your skin?”
“Of course I feel it. And I know when to not let it get to me. There is something building. Something dark coming. There is nothing I can do to stop it. But I can try to lessen the disaster and chaos it will bring. I can’t do that if I don’t find Alexander. He’s at the center of all this.”
“I’m sorry, Sergeant. There is no way I can let you out of here. Orders are orders. Even I can’t bend the will of the Council.”
I stood, pressed my lips together in a firm line, and clenched my fists tight.
The corrupted Council. Was Morrigan in league with them? Was she really concerned about the advancement of the Nepherium or just herself?
As she walked along the floor of my room, her eyes took in every detail. I almost heard her thoughts. The same words she had said to my face before. This should be her room. Not mine. It should be her finger the anulum de lux was given. It should be her in Noah’s heart. Not me.
I mentally kicked myself. There could never be a truce between us.
She turned her eyes on me. The black discs almost swallowed the color and filled with tears. Her mouth parted. I knew she wanted to hate me and say the words she thought too loud. But, instead, her lips clamped shut, and with a nod, she left the room. The door slid closed, and I stared at it, confused.
SIX
WHEN I SAW BLAKE Harringson’s smiling face, it was a few hours later.
“Eh, the captain had me running duty,” he said.
More like punishing me for as long as she thought she could get away with it. I nodded.
“I needed to unpack anyways,” I said and slipped my hand into the crook of his arm.
We walked at a relaxed pace past several sealed rooms and down the long hall to the stairs. Damn near every door had some sort of memento or decoration to say who the room belonged to. I had a feeling the one room that didn’t have decorations of some type was the one Captain Morrigan moved into.
“Bear told me what you said about the Council,” Blake said.
“Did he?” I asked, lost in thoughts about what Morrigan’s real motives were.
“Yes. I gotta say, I ain’t surprised, neither. I had my own suspicions about them since your accident.”
“Huh … Did Noah?”
He shrugged and took the first step onto the stairs. “Honestly, kid, I can’t say that he did. But I’ll tell you what: he never went a day without checking on you. I think he blamed himself for everything that happened. It’s a shame he’s not well enough to be here.”
“Yeah,” I murmure
d half to myself, removing my hand from Blake’s arm to descend the stairs.
We reached the main floor and stepped into the commons. How long had it been since I had set foot in there? Vague memories, blurred and faded with age, came to my mind. A few made me blush. Everything was as I remembered. The two sectionals still faced each other with a circular ottoman in the center. A small kitchen area took up the far end of the room with bar seating and dated, silver appliances. A Newsstand stood in between two paintings of windows with a rustic, woodsy scene.
I sighed, feeling reminiscent.
Too soon, my attention was drawn to the television screen, which was lowered from the ceiling. It displayed a news station discussing the recent rise in violence, blaming Nepherium.
A woman’s voice spoke, “Alexander Barrabbas, human activist and business tycoon, is still missing after the explosion in his home last week. Investigators willing to give a statement said there was evidence suggesting the explosion was an attempt on his life from the same group of Nepherium believed to be responsible for the anti-Nepherium activist deaths. One human was said to be involved. Law enforcement is asking for any leads about the responsible party to be directed to the number on the screen. A reward will be offered but isn’t disclosed.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” I muttered.
“I wish it was,” Bear said, taking a seat in a corner of a sectional. “Nobody saw us. And everyone that did has either died or failed to come forward.”
I took a seat in the center of the sectional next to Bear and continued to watch as the images flashed on the screen. The remains of Alexander’s house was shown by aerial view next to a picture of his sarcastic, smiling face.
The woman reporter said, “Hold on, Darnel. We have a caller who claims to be one of the last remaining survivors who witnessed the entire ordeal leading to the explosion on October 28th. Caller, what really happened that day?”
A disguised man’s voice, clearly covered up as it was too deep and digital to be real, said, “Alexander shouldn’t be hailed a hero and his being missing shouldn’t be considered a tragedy. Alexander is a monster. I—we all—watched him murder a poor woman’s father and proclaim himself as Aagrarian.”
Echoes of Memories (Nepherium Novella Series Book 2) Page 4
