With Me Now

by Heather Hambel Curley

  I love you, Madison. I’ve always loved you.

  “Then save me.” Tears spilled over her cheeks and she lurched forward, a pathetic half run, half fall that almost didn’t feel worth the effort. Her left ankle nearly gave out again, but she staggered on, pushing herself to cross the field. She couldn’t give in to the comfort of his voice, that pull of his spirit. She could feel him wanting her, dragging her toward him. She didn’t want Ben. She wanted Mike.

  She knew she wasn’t going to make it. She knew she wasn’t going to see him again.

  The thought seized up her throat and she choked back a sob, her tears mixing with the blood dropping into her eyes. She just hoped he wouldn’t be the one who found her. “Mike…oh, God, I’m sorry.”

  Ben seemed to hesitate next to her. His footsteps seemed to slow and he was gone; a beat later and he was again next to her. She could feel him steady her.

  Say you love me, too.

  Her tears flowed. It felt like all the energy was draining out of her body, but the restaurant was there. It was just straight ahead—this close, only to fail. This close, only to die trying. “I love you, Ben. I do.”

  He was gone.

  Madison forced her legs forward, left and then right. Left and then right. Forward, not back. She gasped for breath and the burning pain of exhaustion radiated through her lungs. She was alone. The crushing, empty feeling was numbing; it was almost enough to bring her to her knees. Why had he left? Was just her verbalization of her affection enough to put him at peace?

  Her mind searched for him, screaming, crying out. No, no, not now. He couldn’t leave her now.

  “Madison!” Brad’s voice was almost a roar, bordering on frantic scream and furious howl like he was ready to tear her apart. There wasn’t a trace of rational thinking in his voice. Whatever it was, whatever she’d done to slight him, had pushed him over the edge.

  She didn’t waste time turning to see where he was at; she broke into a run. The impact of her feet on the ground rocked her skull with each step, like stabs of ice picks jamming into her brain. Pain almost blinded her, her vision blurred and hazy, but she kept running. Step after step, painful tread after painful tread. Her eyes were locked on the door of the restaurant.

  There was an explosion behind her, the sound of his gun blasting in her direction. She screamed, covering the back of her head with her hands as if that would somehow help protect her from the bullet.

  He missed. Fired again.

  Miss.

  She launched forward, panic enough to propel her the last several yards to the parking lot. Ducking around light poles and parked cars, she threw herself at the front door of the restaurant and yanked it open. She fell inside and kicked at the door, fully realizing she was wasting precious moments trying to shut behind her.

  Pushing back from the door, she stumbled backwards and slammed into someone. She nearly fell, but the man grabbed her arms and steadied her. “Oh my god, what happened? Did you wreck your car, sweetie? Are you okay?”

  “He’s…he’s…trying…” She couldn’t catch her breath; she could barely get the words out. Damn it, she needed to calm down. “I need…I need you to call the police.”

  The entire restaurant seemed to fall silent. Several people stood up and looked in her direction; one or two actually got up from their tables and began making their way to the front. The host standing behind the front counter reached for the phone.

  The door burst open behind them and Brad sauntered in, his breathing as labored as hers. She could tell he was trying to look relaxed, but his eyes were large and round. Panicked. “There you are, baby, I didn’t think I’d catch up with you. Come on, let’s not fight anymore.”

  Madison scrambled behind the host’s stand, slamming into the man still holding the phone receiver in the air. Why hadn’t he dialed? Damn it, why did it feel like everything was moving in slow motion? “No. He’s trying to kill me. Someone call the police.”

  “Just calm down.” Brad smiled at the customer she’d run into. “We had a little argument and she fell and hit her head. Poor thing doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

  “I do fucking know what I’m talking about. You’re trying to kill me.” She yanked the phone out of the host’s hands. “He’s got a gun.”

  A murmur went through the customers in the restaurant. Brad sighed, almost as if the entire situation was a hassle to him, and pulled the gun out of an interior jacket pocket. He leveled it at her. “Okay, Madison, let’s do it the hard way. Come on. You’re coming with me.”

  The man she’d run into stepped forward. “Hey, buddy, calm down. Put the gun down.”

  Brad whirled toward him, aiming the gun at the man’s head. “No, you calm down, fucker. Back up. She’s coming with me.”

  “No.” Madison heard the waver in her voice. She clung to the side of the host’s stand, her knees wobbling as a tremor wracked her body. “I’m not going with you.”

  “Then I’ll shoot you here.”

  She stared at the barrel of his gun as he pointed it at her face. From this close proximity, there was no way he would miss her this time. She swallowed hard and set her jaw in a firm line. So, this was how it was going to end. Tears slid down her cheek, but she made no effort to wipe them away. “Then do it. You still won’t win.”

  He hesitated for a moment and then slid his finger to the trigger. “You should have just left well enough alone.”

  Madison held her breath.

  The door to the restaurant flew open and a figure bolted inside, jerking Brad around as he squeezed the trigger. The unexpected movement caught him off guard and he obviously couldn’t compensate for it. The bullet smashed into a wall sconce, exploding the iron and glass harmlessly to the floor.

  Mike.

  He balled his fist, slamming it into Brad’s mouth. The archeologist stumbled backward, but Mike grabbed him and held him by his throat, punching him again. Wrenching the gun out of Brad’s hand, Mike threw him to the ground and leveled the barrel at his chest. “Give me one fucking reason why I shouldn’t just shoot you now.”

  “We both know you won’t do that.” Brad spit blood on the floor. “I’m your friend. Your mentor. You wouldn’t be who you are without my help.”

  “Try me.” Mike’s grasp on the gun was steady, his body relaxed. He kept it trained on Brad’s chest. “I’m a damn good shot. You try to run, I’ll still fucking get you.”

  The restaurant door opened again and Drew Carson slid in, his gun also trained on Brad. He reached to his belt and unhooked a pair of handcuffs. “I got him, Lieutenant. You, buddy, roll over on your stomach. That’s it, nice and slow.”

  Carson tucked his gun into his holster and wrenched Brad’s arms behind his back, securing his wrists in the cuffs. “He’s good. Get your girl.”

  Mike flicked the safety on the gun and handed it to Carson. He was around the host’s stand in an instant, pulling her into his arms and holding her against him. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  “You almost did.” The sound of his racing heartbeat sent a wash of chills down her spine. She didn’t want him to let her go—not now, not ever. “How did you find me?”

  “Shit, look at your head. We have to get you to the hospital.” He cradled her head in his hands, his eyes searching hers. “Carson, radio for an ambulance.”

  “Already done, Lieutenant. ETA less than five.”

  Madison swayed again, leaning her full weight against him. Nausea twisted her stomach and she pressed her hand to her mouth. As if she hadn’t humiliated herself in front of a restaurant full of people already, the last thing she wanted to do was throw up in front of them.

  Mike scooped her into his arms and carried her to a small waiting area at the opposite end of the entryway. He set her down on the cushioned bench and steadied her. “What happened?”

  “He stole your cell phone and texted me, pretending to be you. I didn’t figure it out until it was too late.” She hesitated. “Ben helped me get away
. I jumped out of the car when Brad was distracted and he got me through the woods, up on to Cemetery Hill. I just ran.”

  “I wouldn’t have shot her.” Brad craned his neck to see her. “We could have just talked this out.”

  Carson groaned and nudged him with the tip of his boot. “Buddy, I’m trying to read you your rights. Do we need to go back to the ‘right to remain silent’? Turn your face back over here before I do it for you.”

  Mike kissed her temple and held her against him. “I have never been so scared in my life. God, Madison, why did I leave you like that? I should have gone with my instinct that something was wrong.”

  “He killed Jan. He told me he ran her off the road.”

  “Don’t worry about him right now. We have to get you to the hospital and get this looked at. You’re going to be okay, you’ll be fine.”

  “Stay with me.” She fought back another wave of tears. “I’m scared.”

  “I’m not planning on leaving you again.”

  She could see the flash of red and blue lights outside the building and the door opened again. This time policemen and paramedics filed into the restaurant. It was over.

  She clung onto Mike’s hand and took a deep breath. It was over for the most part, but there was still far too much left unresolved. Still too many questions left unanswered.

  Her head throbbing, she sank back against Mike and closed her eyes. There was only one question she cared about at his point. And the answer was Mike.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The next morning, after providing police statements and confirmation she wanted to press charges against Bradley Emerson, Madison was discharged into Mike’s care. She was diagnosed with a skull fracture and a grade two high ankle sprain. She was bruised and battered, but she’d live.

  She still wondered how.

  Instead of agreeing to go back to the hotel room like she’d promised the doctor, she conned Mike into taking her back to Cemetery Hill. He helped her limp to the area where Ben said he’d died and, together, they sat in the grass overlooking the field where in 1863, the 11th Corps fought.

  Neither spoke. Madison stretched her legs out in front of her and looked around the field. The woman, her name long lost to time, had been shot just feet in front of where they sat. Ben had bled to death in the dirt where, she too, had almost died. She didn’t even feel like she was living the same life anymore. Before the dig, she’d been a carefree, paper archeologist. Now, she’d barely gotten out of her first dig alive. “So…now what?”

  “Well, the dig is pretty much shut down permanently.” Mike swept her hand into his and kissed her palm. “I told them I’d write a final report of what we found. They’re not in a hurry to get it.”

  “Are they kicking you out of park housing?”

  “Eh, I wouldn’t call it kicking us out.” Mike shrugged, lacing his fingers around hers. He squeezed her hand. “The dig’s over, just like all the other digs I’ve done before. Time to start applying again.”

  Madison chewed on her lower lip. She felt lost, like she was standing at the split in a road. “I’m not sure I want to go back to school. Somehow it was easier being a paper archeologist, you know? None of this jealousy and exploitation.”

  “Don’t say that. You’ve got talent, not to mention the fact you made the so called discovery of the century here. No one can take that away from you.” He trailed the fingertips of his free hand down her cheek. “I think you’d be a damn good archeologist. Hell, you are a damn good archeologist. Like it or not.”

  “Regardless, I don’t want to go back to Pittsburgh yet. My mother is having a fit. God knows what my step-father thinks, but I couldn’t fucking care less.” She drew her good leg back and rested her forehead against her knee. “Dr. Emerson left me this big, long apologetic message, but I didn’t call him back. God, I don’t even feel like the same person I was when I left.”

  “So, stay with me.” Mike studied their intertwined hands. He stammered nervously, though Madison suspected he’d been rehearsing what he wanted to say. “I live near the battlefield at Antietam. It’s not the nicest apartment you’d ever see, but…honestly, I’d be lost without you. I don’t want to think about not being with you. ”

  She blushed.

  “When I thought Brad…ah…when I thought the worst had happened, I was ready to explode. It ripped me apart. You mean the world to me and, look, Madison, I love you. Come stay with me, whether it’s just for the week or until you go back to school or forever. I just don’t want to lose you. Not again.”

  She leaned over and pressed her lips to his. “If you’re making me choose…then I choose to stay with you forever.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, kissing her with such intensity it took her breath away. When the kiss ended, he didn’t let her go. “Carson told me Brad wants to file charges against me for assault and battery.”

  “I don’t think that will stand up in court.”

  He chuckled. “Doubtful. And, despite what Brad thinks, he’s not getting away with this. Attempted murder of you aside, he killed Jan Williams. He tried to defile this park which, in this area anyway, is a crime in itself. We said it jokingly before but, damn it if his jealously didn’t drive him over the edge.”

  “How did you find me?” Madison sat up and looked at him, turning his chin toward her to force his gaze to hers. “I could have been anywhere in the park. I ran from Culp’s Hill to here and, if you’d been half a second later, he would have pulled the trigger.”

  Mike hesitated. “Nobody was at park headquarters when I got there. It was deserted. I was going to drive to Brad’s place and find out what was going on, but Cianna showed up in the parking lot. She told me what Brad was planning to do, so I took her to LE headquarters instead. Carson and I started looking for you.”

  “But how did you find me at the Turnpike Restaurant?” Madison sighed. “Even if Cianna had known he was taking me to Culp’s Hill, she couldn’t have known I’d get away and run down Cemetery Hill.”

  Mike stared at her. “It was him.”

  “Who?”

  “Carson and I were down by Spangler Spring. He’d pulled over to radio headquarters and see if they could send some rangers up to Little Round Top and Devils Den to look for you. When we were stopped, I heard…I heard him. Ben.” He paused. “Your Ben.”

  “He got me off Culp’s Hill. He led me here.”

  “I know. I couldn’t understand everything, but I heard him say…” He hesitated again. “Cemetery Hill. Save her like I couldn’t. I heard the shots when we got closer and, when I didn’t see anyone in the field…somehow I just knew you’d made it to the restaurant. It was like…it was like he was pushing me in that direction.”

  “I thought he left me.”

  “I think he saved you.”

  She rested her head against Mike’s shoulder. Ben had saved her. He’d given her the chance to live the life he hadn’t. She owed her life to him, to a man who died over one hundred and thirty years before she was born. Maybe he was right. Maybe somehow their souls were bound together. Even so, she hoped that by helping save her, he somehow would find the peace he was searching for.

  “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He stood and reached down to help her up. “Liam wants me to tell you we should go in business together. Something about how we can be the Lazarus Society, archeologists and a sensitive/archeologist not only finding the dead, but putting them to rest. He’s very big in Victorian Spirituality, so I have a feeling that’s where this is stemming from.”

  “Sounds interesting.” She let him pull her to her feet. Goodbye Ben. “But…maybe not today.”

  “Agreed. Besides, you’re with me now.”

  She froze, almost hoping she’d misheard him. “What?”

  “You’re with me now.” Mike raised an eyebrow and stared at her, a flicker of concern meeting his eyes. “Liam can wait.”

  “Oh, yeah, exactly. Just you wait until I get my strength
back, then I’ll rock your world.” She smiled at him, but her pulse began pounding in her ears. With me now. Ben had said it, too, and he’d said it more than once.

  Shaking the thought from her mind, she slid her hand into Mike’s and let him lead her back to the Jeep. He reached down to unlock the door and, as he did, Madison looked back to Cemetery Hill. She could see him, standing where they’d just been. His eyes were focused on her and he nodded his head, as if he somehow understood what he’d meant to her.

  Part of me will always be with you.

  “Are you okay?” Mike looked back at Cemetery Hill and then switched his gaze to her. She knew he didn’t see him. Not this time.

  “I’m good.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Maddy.”

  Being careful to not hit her head on the doorframe, she eased down into passenger’s seat and looked back to Cemetery Hill a final time.

  He was gone.

  The End

  www.heatherhambelcurley.com

  Evernight Publishing ®

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