The Cure

by JG Faherty

  She reached a hand out to him but he stepped back.

  “Oh no you don’t. You keep your hands to yourself or I’ll blow your fuckin’ head off. Did you do it?”

  Leah nodded, tried to speak. Her mouth still didn’t want to work, although her vision had returned to normal. She took a deep breath, then another. Strength crept back into her limbs.

  “He’s Cured,” she whispered.

  “She’s right, Tal. Look at me.”

  Marsh stood up, and even from her position on the floor Leah could see the difference. His hollow cheeks had filled in again, and his flesh had a healthy, tanned look. Gone were the circles under his eyes and the lines of pain around his mouth. The bald spots on his head from the chemotherapy had filled in with thick, grayish-brown hair, and he looked fifteen years younger. Even his suit seemed to fit better, no longer hanging off skeletal arms and shoulders.

  “Amazing,” he said, holding his hands out in front of him. “I can’t thank you enough. Your payment will be provided via company check, for tax purposes. Tal will take you to the clinic.” Turning to Tal, he added, “Come right back here when you’re done. We have a lot of work to do tonight.”

  “Let’s go.” Tal waved the gun at Leah. “Get up. We’re gonna walk nice and slow to the elevator.”

  Leah used the desk to pull herself to her feet. She kept quiet as she walked toward the door, until Marsh spoke from behind her.

  “Dr. DeGarmo?”

  She looked back. “What?”

  He gave her a brief smile. “Your secret is safe with me.”

  “Thanks.” She was happy that her tone sounded as sarcastic as she’d intended. Marsh shrugged and spun his chair around, putting his back to her.

  Still keeping several feet between them, Tal motioned toward the door. “Move it, Doc. We’ve still got a long ride.”

  Mention of the car ride reminded her that the seeds of Marsh’s cancer were already growing in her body, and she increased her pace.

  Suddenly all she wanted to do was get out of the building and back to her old life.

  Del McCormick sat up as the limousine containing Tal Nova and the lady vet emerged from the Marsh Enterprises executive garage and headed for the West Side Highway. He pulled out of his parking space and eased into the evening traffic, keeping a few cars between them.

  He’d been watching the two of them for a few days now, ever since the episode with the dog. He wasn’t the only one, either. A couple of times he’d caught sight of a short, stocky Hispanic who seemed to be keeping tabs on DeGarmo. He figured it was one of Nova’s hired help.

  The idea of crossing Tal Nova wasn’t one he’d considered lightly. The big ex-football player had a reputation for being ruthless and sadistic. That, along with the fact the man was a freaking genius who always covered his tracks perfectly, made him a formidable opponent.

  But to get his hands on someone like DeGarmo, Del was willing to take some risks. She was walking gold; he knew there were plenty of people who’d pay him enough for her that he could retire to a beach house for the rest of his life.

  The trick was making sure he couldn’t be linked to any kidnapping.

  He followed the limo onto the West Side Highway North. Odds were it was taking the doctor home again after her meeting with Marsh. But why was Tal along for the ride?

  “Only one way to find out,” Del whispered to himself as he flicked on the radio.

  The drive across the George Washington Bridge and down the Palisades Parkway was as uneventful as the earlier ride had been, when he’d tailed the limo to the doctor’s house. As he’d expected, they took the exit for Rocky Point. However, he was almost caught by surprise when the limo headed for the center of town instead of DeGarmo’s house.

  “Now what are they up to?”

  By the time they reached the clinic, Leah’s guts were in a knot and she felt weak and feverish. At first she’d thought the stomach pains were simply nervousness, but all too soon she realized it was the cancer blooming. The sickness had come on faster than almost any other time she’d ever used the Cure.

  Maybe because Marsh was so close to death? she wondered as the car came to a blessed stop.

  “Stay right there,” Tal told her. He got out and checked the building, peeking through the doors into the dark waiting area. Then he came around and opened her door.

  Leah made sure not to place her hands anywhere near him. His entire demeanor had changed, going from scary but polite, to downright hostile. Unlike the ride into the city, Tal had given her his undivided attention the entire way home, sitting as far away from her as possible and keeping his gun trained on her. The one time she tried to speak, to let him know she wouldn’t pass it on to him, he said “shut up” and gave her a look that she deciphered as equal parts fear and hatred.

  The kind of look she’d always expected she’d get from people if they ever found out her secret.

  A wave of dizziness washed over her and she paused, hanging on to the car door for a moment. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to keep her equilibrium.

  “Hurry it up,” growled Tal.

  “Just give me a moment,” she said, shocked to hear how weak her voice sounded.

  “I’m not helping you inside, so you better have enough strength left to walk in on your own. Unless you want to die right here in the parking lot.”

  “Fuck you,” she whispered. After one more breath, she opened her eyes and walked slowly and carefully to the door. Her hand and arm twitched in time to the cramps racking her body as she unlocked the door and deactivated the alarm system. Once it was off, she stumbled across the waiting area to the basement steps. Clinging to the railing, she hurried down and went to the first of the two occupied cages.

  She opened the small door and reached inside. “I’m sorry, Pumpkin,” she told the Irish setter. Already dying of its own cancer, it barely lifted its head to look at her. She grabbed one of its paws and immediately felt the electric spark that signaled the release of the sickness inside her. Expelling the illness wasn’t nearly as painful as delivering the Cure, but it still hurt.

  On the receiving end, Pumpkin jerked and yipped once, then went still.

  “Holy shit,” Tal said from the bottom of the stairs. “You killed that dog in like one second. You were that sick?”

  Leah got to her knees and turned around, all her strength returned as if she’d never been ill.

  “Sick? I just Cured a man who was dying of liver cancer. I took it inside me and carried it all the way here. Of course I was that fucking sick!” She didn’t mention that part of the reason Pumpkin died so quickly was that his already weak system had been overloaded by the new illness. Screw him. Let him think she could have killed him instantly with a touch. Serves him right to be scared. God knew she’d been frightened enough the last few days.

  He raised an eyebrow and his lips curled just a little at one corner. “You sound better now. C’mon, I want to get you home. Your work might be done for the night but mine’s not.” He waggled the gun, not pointing it directly at her, but reminding her he still held it.

  “Not yet. I have to put the body in the freezer. It can’t stay here overnight.”

  Leah grabbed the seventy-pound dog and pulled him out of the cage. “A little help would be nice,” she said, glancing at Tal.

  He just shook his head.

  “Fine. I’ll do it myself.”

  She wrapped Pumpkin in a large towel and dragged him over to a small cold room, where she laid the dog on the floor, still covered. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

  “You done?” Tal asked.

  “Yes.” She shut the door.

  “Why did you apologize to the dog? It’s dead.”

  She headed for the stairs, not looking at the man she was coming to despise more and more eac
h second. “Because I had to do what I did without putting him to sleep first. I don’t like animals to feel pain because of me. And because I had to leave him there, alone in a cold room, until tomorrow, when normally I’d take the body right away to the funeral home for cremation.”

  “Lotta work for a dead dog.”

  His casual tone pushed her over the edge. She turned around to face him, had the pleasure of looking down at him for the first time since he’d shown up in her life, because he was three steps below her. “It’s not just a dead dog! It was my patient. I’m a doctor. I care for these animals. People love their pets the same way they love their children. More, sometimes. You—”

  She never got to finish the sentence. She reached toward him, one finger pointed at his chest. Faster than her eyes could follow, his free hand came up and slapped at her arm, sending her whole body into the cinder block wall of the stairway. Before she’d even managed to grab the railing he’d jumped up the steps and had a handful of her hair in his fist.

  With a powerful twisting motion, he spun her around so that her back was against his chest. He pulled harder on her hair, forcing her head backward until she was staring at the ceiling. At the same time he jammed the gun under her chin.

  “Don’t you ever do that again, lady. Don’t talk to me that way, don’t point at me, and don’t ever try to touch me. You do, and I’ll blow your head off and toss you next to the mutt. Now get moving!”

  He pushed her forward. She stumbled and clutched at the rail to steady herself. Her scalp felt like it was on fire, the pain beating in rapid fashion, in time with her heart. She could still feel the cold steel pressed against her skin, smell the sweet cinnamon odor of his breath next to her face.

  He’s not lying.

  She remembered Marsh’s words. “Listen to him, Doctor. His skills in such matters are exceptional.”

  Apparently no longer afraid to touch her, Tal held her arm in a tight grip as they walked across the parking lot, and pushed her roughly into the car. He kept a brooding silence on the ride to her house, only speaking when they pulled up in front.

  “Go home, Doctor. And if you value your life, or your cop friend’s, you won’t say a word about tonight to anyone. I’ll know if you do.”

  Leah believed him. It was already obvious he’d been watching her. What else had he done? Tapped her phones? Put more cameras around? “I won’t say anything.”

  He nodded, his lips curled in a malicious smirk. “Good girl. Have a nice life.”

  She got out and waited until the car drove away before going inside. She managed to make it to the couch before she broke down in a bout of hysterical crying. Curled in a fetal position, her chest heaving, she howled into a pillow until she was gasping for air and the fabric was soaked from her tears.

  Gradually her weeping slowed down to whimpering sobs.

  She fell asleep with her arms wrapped around her knees and the wet pillow under her cheek, her head filled with visions of her and John lying bloody and dead in the clinic’s freezer.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Del McCormick hadn’t been able to see what went on in the veterinary clinic, but, judging from the way Tal kept the doctor at gunpoint and manhandled her into the limousine, it wasn’t a friendly chat.

  Parked three houses away as the lady vet got dropped off at her own place, Del had to make a split-second decision: continue to follow Tal, or stay and see if DeGarmo went back out.

  Ultimately it was the notion that of the two of them, Tal Nova was more likely to lead him to important information he could use.

  He put the stolen car in Drive and trailed the limo as it headed for the Parkway entrance.

  Christ, I’m getting sick of this drive.

  I need to come up with a better plan.

  Tal Nova unwrapped a stick of Big Red and popped it into his mouth. The fiery tang of the gum exploded against his taste buds, and a wave of saliva washed over his tongue. He hit a speed dial number on his cell phone.

  “Hello?” The new strength in Marsh’s voice was evident, even through the tiny speaker.

  “I just dropped her off. She wasn’t lying about having to get rid of it. She was yellow and sweating by the time we got back, barely able to walk. Then she touched one finger to some old mutt, and bang! The thing was dead and she was good as new.”

  “I assumed she was telling the truth. She didn’t seem to be a particularly good liar. What about the payment?”

  “I’ve arranged to have it delivered by courier tomorrow. She was real freaked out tonight, so I didn’t want to upset her further.”

  “That’s fine. I wouldn’t want her to think I reneged on my part of the deal. When you return, come to my office immediately. There’s a lot to discuss before tomorrow’s meeting.”

  “Yes, sir.” Tal flipped the phone shut. The abrupt way Marsh switched topics was typical of him. Never one to waste words, as soon as one project was completed or one plan finalized, he moved on to the next. In his mind, the subject of Leah DeGarmo was old news, history. Now that he’d been cured, he wouldn’t think of her again unless something happened and he needed her services once more.

  That’s where we differ. Tal could see plenty of opportunities for someone with DeGarmo’s talent. She’s the perfect tool. Untraceable. What she can do is something most people would consider impossible. Which means she can operate in plain sight.

  And no one will suspect a thing.

  Not even Marsh.

  Chapter Fourteen

  John Carrera stared at the phone. He’d been doing it on and off since finishing dinner an hour before. Truth to tell, he’d been doing it pretty much since he’d gotten out of bed that morning.

  He’d arrived home from work the previous day, only to find a message from Leah postponing dinner and saying that she’d call the following day.

  Now here it was, the end of the day, and nothing.

  Should I call her or wait? he wondered, while he watched the phone sit there in maddening silence. Maybe she didn’t have as good a time as she said? Did she have second thoughts about dating a cop?

  Stop acting crazy! he told himself. Something came up. It happens. You’re thirty-six, for Chrissakes. Act like it. Either pick up the phone or wait.

  But if I call, maybe I’ll sound too needy.

  Fuck it.

  He picked up the phone, dialed Leah’s house. When he got the machine he froze, torn between hanging up and leaving a message. In the end, the idea of acting like a teenage, love-struck loser propelled him into action.

  “Hi, Leah. It’s John. I guess you’re not home. When you get this message could you—”

  Something clicked. Leah’s voice came on the line. “Hello, John? Are you still there?”

  A wave of conflicting feelings washed through him. Relief, annoyance, worry.

  “Yeah. I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?”

  “No.” She sounded out of breath. “I was just unlocking the door when I heard the phone ring. It was crazy at work today. Thursdays are always like that, because of Wednesdays being short days.”

  “I hear you. So, when did you get back?” Did that sound too pushy?

  “Last night. I would have called you but I was tired and went right to bed.”

  “Hey, no big deal.”

  She laughed. “I can hear you pouting. Don’t worry, I haven’t changed my mind. Dinner, tomorrow night, my place. Seven o’clock. You bring the wine.”

  Something relaxed inside John’s chest, a tightness he hadn’t even known was there until it went away. “I’ll be there. What are we having?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  Now it was his turn to laugh. “Haven’t even gone shopping yet, have you?”

  “See you tomorrow, smart-ass.” She hung up.

  John tossed the phone back onto the table. What kind of wine s
hould I get? Knowing the type of person Leah was, she’d probably try to impress him and cook something too hard for her limited skills.

  Whatever I get, I’ll make sure to get two bottles.

  Feeling better than he had in two days, he flipped on SportsChannel and relaxed back on the couch.

  Leah took a deep breath after hanging up with John. Once again she’d forgotten to call him, would probably have forgotten tomorrow too, the way her head was spinning. Between work and her anxiety about Marsh knowing her secret, she’d barely been able to make conversation with her patients’ owners. Work had always been a refuge for her, a place where she didn’t think about anything except helping the sick and injured animals that came through the door each day. But now it was a different place, as if the presence of Tal Nova and the knowledge she’d been spied upon had sullied the building.

  “Stop being such a baby,” she chided herself as she went into the kitchen and poured some juice. “Why would Marsh need you again? You Cured him. Even if he tells someone, no one will believe it. The video could have been faked.”

  She caught a glimpse of herself in the kitchen window. Dark smudges made her eyes look sunken, and her pale cheeks and lips didn’t help. Her hair had come undone from its clip and hung around her face in wild wisps.

  She looked like an escapee from a mental institution.

  “And talking to myself doesn’t help that comparison,” she told the face in the glass.

  Suddenly pissed off at herself for being taken advantage of, she turned away from the window, grabbed a pad and pen, and sat down at the kitchen table.

  “Time to stop moping. What’s done is done.” She wrote Grocery List at the top of the page. “And John thinks I can’t cook? I’ll show him. I’ll make him the best meal he’s ever had.”

  The knock on the door came just as Leah was adding more milk and butter to the mashed potatoes. The stove was announcing that her roast was ready, in strident, monotonous beeps, and, judging by the burnt-toast odor coming from the toaster oven, the garlic bread was getting ready to speed past well done.