The Connection (The Claudia Belle Series Book 3)

by C. S Luis

  She had a hold of Claudia’s hand, grasping onto her from the other end while Claudia was trying to keep a grip on the wall’s corner. She screamed, but with all the noise all around, I couldn’t hear her. I grabbed Alex’s hand, holding onto Claudia’s arm and trying to pull her towards me, but the suction was too powerful. I thought I had a good grip and then I felt her slipping.

  “Don’t let go,” I heard Claudia say, her eyes finding mine; she was terrified. Gripping her arm with both hands, she was trying to keep me from slipping into the suction as well. And for the first time I feared I would lose her, and I didn’t know what to do about it.

  “Not a chance, Miss Belle! I’m not letting go. If you go I go! ” I yelled. Beyond I could see the whirlpool spinning inwards faster and faster; blackness now consumed its insides. I looked around for something to grab hold of and pull her out with. I found Alex at the other side of the wall, looking towards the whirlpool; its winds were fairly closer than desired, but thank goodness it wasn’t moving.

  I looked over at Michael when Alex signaled me towards him. Michael was pointing at something, yelling as he did, but I couldn’t hear anything with the sounds of the whirlpool’s suction. I lowered myself down slowly, belly against the sidewall, gripping tightly to Claudia. I had her wrap her arms around my neck as I now looked over her shoulder and caught sight of him, the alien, coming from the other end, clawing at the wall, slowly inching towards my girl’s feet.

  Claudia looked back and caught sight of him, gripping me tightly. Her face was so close, her lips brushed my cheek, and I felt them kiss me a few times more.

  “Dr. Black?” She panicked. “Please…don’t let me go…please!”

  “Claudia!” I tried to say, but she was moving too much, and I was losing hold of her. I suddenly stared right at her, and she stared back at me, and I slowly whispered her name again. “Claudia.”

  “I’m not letting go…I’m not!” I said. “Okay?”

  And she nodded.

  “Hold on to me. I’m going to pull you out!” But each time I did, the suction would pull us both down again. I was losing her, and if I continued to hold on to her it would pull us both in. And with each inch the alien was getting closer and closer, his face growing more haggard by the second.

  “My pet!” He growled from the other end.

  I heard it myself, and Claudia started screaming and moving, and I nearly slipped. I panicked, almost losing my grip on her.

  “No!” I screamed. “You’re not getting away from me that easily, Miss Belle. I’m not letting you go!”

  She held on to me tightly, and from below the hall, the alien clawed at sidewall, still inching closer. “I need you! I need you! You’re mine; you have always been mine!” He growled, reaching forward.

  “No!” I yelled as he reached up and grabbed Claudia’s leg. She screamed again, and I nearly lost her once more, but I held on tightly as the alien began to pull her to him.

  “Dr. Black?” Claudia had that look on her face, like it was too late, and she appeared sad and sorry. She even started to apologize and seemed to almost give up.

  “No! I’m not letting you go anywhere!” I yelled, yanking her to me with every ounce of my strength. “Claudia, hold on! Hold on, darling!”

  She stared up at me. Her lip was quivering, and her eyes were in panic. I had never seen her so frightened.

  “No!” I said again. If only I had my gun. Then I heard a whistle, and I caught sight of Alex as she lifted the blade she had been carrying and slid it across the marble floor towards me. I very carefully managed to reach down for it without losing grip of Claudia who was holding very tightly to my neck.

  But what would a simple blade do to the alien? And then I realized it; it wasn’t merely a blade, but a knife with the head of a crystal. I glared over at Alex and curved back a lip at her in realization.

  “Hold on tight, sweetheart,” I whispered into Claudia’s ear as I felt her being tugged by the alien again. I glared over her shoulder at the being who caught sight of me, and he angrily growled towards me.

  “Hey, asshole!” I yelled. “She’s not yours!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, and with my free hand, I let go of the blade, and the whirlpool suction pulled it from my hands almost immediately where it hit its target, sticking the alien on the other end of the shoulder. I thought this would have done the job, but he was determined.

  “I’m not losing you! I’m not leaving without you!” He said.

  I panicked as I heard Claudia’s voice and felt her lips very gently upon the side of my face.

  “Dr. Black?” She whispered just before I saw a body fly past us both, knocking into the alien. I gasped as I saw her grab hold of him and mount him. As the wind carried her, she grabbed onto his back and held onto his throat, grabbing hold of the blade and driving it deeper into him. He growled, nearly losing his grip.

  “No!” I gasped, realizing too late what was happening.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” I screamed. “Don’t do this!” Where the hell was my gun?

  “I waited too long for this, and you’re not getting away from me, my pet!” the alien cried, making one useless and feeble attempt to hold on.

  “Well, too bad, asshole! You’re not getting my granddaughter!” Alex snarled.

  “Alex!” I gasped as she drove the blade’s crystal deeper into his chest and then looked up at me.

  “Don’t do this!” I yelled over at her.

  She merely smiled and said, “This is my purpose. Do me a favor Venator and take care of her for me.” She smiled and then drove the blade once again into the alien’s shoulder, and with that he lost his grip on Claudia’s leg and was immediately sucked into the whirlpool along with Alex.

  I screamed just as the two disappeared into the vortex, and the whirlpool exploded into itself and then simply vanished. Almost immediately, we dropped hard upon the floor as the suction ceased, and everything was now so calm I could hear a pin drop.

  I immediately rose, lifting Claudia beside me. I grabbed a tight hold on her and held her for a mere moment, relieved that she was safe. I closed my eyes, and I must have just stood there for a long time with her in my arms, feeling her holding me tightly, feeling her breathe a sigh of relief.

  28

  Claudia

  I hadn’t realized what had happened. I closed my eyes and only felt as the suction from behind stopped; the sounds all around ceased, and I dropped onto my stomach hard to the ground. I didn’t want to open my eyes. I was too afraid; the last thing I saw was him coming towards me as he grabbed my leg, and I thought it was the end that I was going to be sucked into the whirlpool with him. And for a moment I had felt peace; perhaps it was his touch, or perhaps it was the fear inside me, but for some reason I felt I could just let go and save my friends.

  I felt this until I looked into Dr. Black’s eyes and knew that I couldn’t leave him and that I didn’t want to. Arms lifted me to my feet, and the first thing I sensed was the beautiful smell of his Armani cologne. Dr. Black was holding me tightly in his arms, and I immediately grabbed hold of him and exhaled.

  It was quiet too quiet as I stood there in Dr. Black’s arms as he held me tightly. I did the same with my eyes closed. I felt his hand on my chin as he lifted it, and I slowly opened my eyes and found him smiling at me.

  “Is he gone?” I whispered, my lips quivering as I did. His green eyes sparkled at me, and that smile spread wider, making his lip fold and disappear into the line of his mouth.

  “Yes. You’re safe now, Miss Belle,” he very softly whispered.

  When I saw him he looked bruised and battered.

  “Dr. Black what happened?” I touched his face; he had blood on the side of his lip, and it seemed cut.

  “I'm fine, sweetheart. Don't worry about me,” he very softly said. “It's you I'm concerned about.”

  I blinked, curiously looking up at him, more curious now when I stared into his eyes. Who was he really? He seemed almost like a s
uperhero to me, coming in the nick of time and fashioning a gun. I had never seen one up close. He had risked his own wellbeing to save me. Why me?

  “She sacrificed herself for me, and now she’s gone. Why did she do it? Why?” I whispered in reference to Alex, gazing into his eyes and looking for the answers he couldn’t give. He always had an answer for everything. And again he didn’t disappoint.

  “She did it for you sweetheart because she cared about you,” Dr. Black said, looking into my eyes and wiping at my tears.

  “Who are you?” I suddenly asked.

  He was silent for a moment, suddenly startled by my words for a mere instant, and then he smiled, caressing my cheek softly.

  “It’s me, Miss Belle, Dr. Black,” he merely offered, grinning as I again blinked up at him, trying to see into his beautiful green eyes but finding nothing but that smile gazing down at me. I blushed and looked down again.

  “Are you going to hurt me?” I asked timidly, still looking down, and he lifted my chin up again.

  “Why do you ask me that? I would never. I---”

  But he didn’t finish as I heard Michael screaming from the other end of the hall, and we both turned to find him stepping forward.

  “Claudia!” Michael yelled; he was holding a gun. I could see it now, and I panicked, very much confused about the situation.

  “Michael?” I gasped. “What are you doing?”

  “Get away from her!” He yelled, lifting the gun shakily up at Dr. Black.

  “Michael…put the gun down before you shoot your foot,” Dr. Black said, trying to remain calm.

  “To think we trusted you. You’re no principal! Who are you?” Michael snapped with the gun in his hand. He had picked up the gun Dr. Black had previously used and was now pointing it at him.

  “Claudia!” He motioned me to him, and I hesitated, looking up at Dr. Black. He let me go and instructed me to obey.

  “Go on, sweetheart; do as he said.”

  “Don’t talk to her!” Michael yelled. “I trusted you! We all did. Answer me: who are you?” He yelled again.

  29

  Dr. John Black

  Michael pulled a gun on me. I glared over at him. I knew he wouldn’t dare fire it. He wasn’t the type. His hand was shaking as he steadied the weapon forward in front of him.

  “Claudia!” He yelled at her. She looked up now terrified, realizing he was holding a gun.

  “Michael?” She curiously asked. “What are you doing?”

  I wanted to ask the same question, realizing he was pointing the gun at me. He had found my pistol.

  “Get away from her!” He shouted over at me. I put my hands up with a grin.

  “Michael,” I tried to say. “Put the gun down before you shoot your foot.”

  “To think we trusted you. You’re no principal! Who are you?” He now said over my words.

  “Claudia!” He motioned her to his side.

  “Go on, sweetheart; do as he said,” I instructed her.

  “Don’t talk to her!” Michael yelled. “I trusted you! We all did. Answer me: who are you?”

  His hand was still shaking, and I was afraid he would hurt himself or accidently hurt Claudia.

  “Michael can you put the gun down and let me explain?” I said.

  I took a few steps closer, and Claudia stood beside Michael, watching this strange scene now unfold. She didn’t know what to say; although, I could sense she wanted to stop Michael from this wicked misunderstanding, but she couldn’t.

  “Michael,” she tried to say, but he wouldn’t listen. He instructed her back merely with a wave of his hand, and it’s when he turned that I so easily grabbed the gun. It was way too easy. I took it and disassembled it in mere seconds flat. Michael and Claudia just stared at me, and Michael’s jaw dropped as I let the parts of the gun fall to the floor at our feet, emptying the barrel. The only bullets inside scattered to the floor.

  “How?” Michael uttered, but he never finished, pushing back with Claudia behind him so as to block her from me. I put my hands up to show them I was no threat.

  “Take it easy. I’m not going to hurt you. I promise,” I softly said.

  “Who are you?” Again came the question from Michael.

  “My real name is John, John Slater,” I answered. “And you’re right Michael. I’m no principal or a teacher of any kind. I work for a company that specializes in alien and paranormal activity. That’s all you need to know.”

  “Paranormal activity?” He said, curling his eyes back at me. He seemed to have more questions. But how could he not believe me after everything he’d just seen?

  “That thing that tried to take Claudia, well, I was sent here to retrieve it,” I merely offered. I wanted to say more but feared telling them more would put them in danger.

  “Are you here to take Claudia too?” Michael asked unsure.

  “No. He saved me.” Claudia interrupted, and I smiled. Michael seemed to suddenly appear relieved. Why was I allowing them into my world?

  You like her too much, The Man in Blue said to me. We both do.

  “Why are you telling us this?” Claudia asked.

  “Because I owe you that much, Miss Belle,” I answered. “You and Michael have been nothing but good friends to me. I’ve never had that before.”

  “Never?” Claudia asked, and I warmly smiled and shook my head back at her. She stepped over to me, and Michael made a motion to stop her, but she waved his worries back. She could be so bold sometimes when she wanted something, when she feared nothing, or knew there was nothing to fear.

  She smiled up at me and then lowered her eyes. God, she had me under her spell again. “If I wasn’t for you—” Claudia stopped.

  I reached for her chin and lifted her face to see her brown eyes.

  “So, are you some kind of military spy or something?” Michael suddenly asked, coming to stand beside Claudia.

  I just about almost fell over laughing. “Something like that, but no, not exactly,” I again said. “Let’s just say I don’t exactly exist.”

  This was the honest truth. I merely glared back at him; he seemed to realize what I meant. Or so I wanted to believe, but I didn’t want to get them too involved. I was afraid I would endanger them, especially Claudia.

  “It’s best you know as little about me as possible Michael, for both your safety,” I again said, and Michael looked confused and slightly worried.

  “But you’ve decided you’re not going to tell them about me, right? Your Company, I mean,” Claudia suddenly said to me.

  I shook my finger at her, knowing she had read my mind. I guess I didn’t have the mind manipulator on my wrist after all. Realizing that perhaps I had lost it during our struggle. “I could never do that to you. I care about you. I care for both of you,” I added to be safe, looking back up at Michael.

  Claudia tightly wrapped her arms around me. “And now you have to go, don’t you?” She softly whispered. I took a deep breath, suddenly feeling her arms tightly holding me.

  She knew I had to leave.

  “You’re afraid.” She sensed that, and I almost panicked. I gently pulled her back and gazed at her.

  “I’m dangerous, Miss Belle,” I merely said, and she gazed at me with that naïve look in her eyes. She didn’t buy that, but it was the truth. “I’ll only put you and Michael in danger. So yes, I have to go.”

  “No, you don’t,” Claudia said. She had tears in her eyes for me now. I was taken aback, and my heart broke into a million tiny pieces. But I had to be strong.

  “Stay with us,” Claudia pleaded. Oh, how I loved hearing that. “You’re my friend, aren’t you?”

  I didn’t say anything; it was hard fighting the urge not to, to be The Man in Blue. Claudia pulled away from me, turning her back to me.

  “So, all those moments we had were a lie?” Claudia asked, turning to glance back at me. “You were pretending to be my friend? You were pretending to care about us---to care about me?”

  “No,”
I said, stepping before her. “Of course not,” I desperately said, and she whirled around and faced me. I wasn’t prepared to see the pain on her face. It struck me hard to see her sob, to know it was I who was hurting her by going.

  “Then why? Why do you have to go?” Claudia again asked, and I lowered my head, taking a breath.

  “I’m bad news, honey,” I uttered, and she blinked up at me.

  “I don’t believe it,” Claudia stubbornly said and then turned from me.

  “Claudia?” I tried to say, but she shunned me.

  “Then go!” Claudia angrily said. “Go!”

  I felt like someone had hit me hard in the stomach, and slowly I moved away, looking over at Michael who just shook his head and lowered his eyes. Claudia wouldn’t look at me.

  “Claudia?” I again whispered, but she wouldn’t look at me. I took a deep breath and started to walk away, hoping that perhaps I would hear her voice call me back. But when I didn’t, I felt myself falling apart, and The Man in Blue took over, but even he couldn’t be that strong.

  I made my way to the doors leading to the parking lot and only stopped once, taking one last breath before walking out of the school. I noticed the SUVs as soon as I was outside; the window of one of the vehicles was lowered, and I caught sight of a white suit. The car window went up, and the vehicle drove away, leaving me by the side of my car. I put the key into the door and opened the car. I closed the door and sat in the driver’s seat for a moment, thinking about everything that had transpired. I didn’t want to go.

  “Claudia,” I whispered. I couldn’t! I couldn’t stay, no matter how badly I wanted to. I put my hands on the steering wheel, looking back at Milton in desperation. I hated to leave like this; I hated to leave her at all. But I had to, especially now with Nicholson prowling the grounds. I knew he wanted to see me. I knew he wasn’t happy. I had cost him his alien, and at what cost? I had done it to save her. And I’m sure he wouldn’t be happy about that. He would never understand that. And if he knew, he would know of her. And I couldn’t let that happen.