Alexander Ranch

by Marla Josephs

  “Wait, please listen,” The words tumbled from Daisy as soon as my eyes landed on her. “Lela, no one is going to hurt you. Please, don’t be afraid.”

  My heart was racing and my eyes were probably huge, but I stopped my flight reaction. Maybe it was the utter angst in her face or the concern in her voice. I glanced at Jordan and couldn’t read the strong emotion on his face. Was it anger? Fear? Embarrassment? Daisy spoke again, refocusing my attention.

  “I know that what you saw and your experience today were a lot to take in, but please believe me when I say you are safe. And we, Jordan and I, will answer any questions you have.”

  I thought about her words for a moment and began nodding slowly. My sluggish brain somehow rationalized that if they really wanted to hurt me they would have done it by now, whatever they were. It didn’t stop my heart from trying to beat out of my chest, but I was able to think now and have some control over my fight or flight reaction. And questions? Boy did I have questions. I just didn’t know what they all were yet.

  “You are in no danger,” she continued. “At least, not from us. If anyone is in any danger it would be us.”

  This startled me into speech. What was she talking about? How could these super powered, possibly not even human people be in danger and from what?

  “You?”

  “Yes. Obviously you noticed that we were, let’s say, different,” Daisy spoke delicately. “We keep that information completely secret. But, now you know. Can you imagine if that information got out? You can take your own reaction as just one of the many reactions we’d get from the majority of people.”

  While, I could see her point, this information wasn’t doing much to make me feel safe. If this was a closely held secret that I’d just found out about, wouldn’t killing me be the best way to guarantee it stayed a secret?

  “I promise, I won’t say a word,” I croaked in haste.

  “I appreciate that,” she smiled at me. “Our safety lies in your hands, really.”

  “So, the man, or whatever – Kevin – that attacked me was different too?”

  “Yes, he is a drainer. Drainers survive by draining – ”

  “No!” I squawked, cutting her off. “Don’t tell me. The more I know the more danger I’ll be in. I told you I wouldn’t tell and I won’t.”

  “The more you know the better you’ll know who is a danger and who is not,” Daisy replied patiently. “No one here will hurt you.”

  “How do you know? Someone here already tried!” I pushed myself up to a full sitting position, wincing at the various pains that movement produced, and pressed against the headboard. Jordan looked as if he wanted to help but wisely made no move towards me.

  “Did you guys have a little meeting while I was out to decide what to do with me, whether I live or die?”

  “We did have a meeting about how to handle this situation. No one ever suggested or entertained the idea of killing you, however. And, everyone agreed that we should tell you the whole truth since you knew part of it already. What you do know isn’t enough to make you understand we are committed to protecting you,” Daisy explained calmly and patiently.

  “Kevin worked here. Clearly he didn’t agree with your conclusion of protecting me,” I shot back. My voice was hitching in panic or anxiety, I couldn’t tell.

  “Kevin was not one of our regular employees, and we know now he was working for the very people who are after you. We didn’t know that until he tried to attack you today.”

  “So, that means there may be more,” I stated.

  “No one, will harm you in any way,” Jordan, who had been quietly brooding, finally spoke. “We’d only hired him as a ranch hand. He’s not part of our security firm. And everyone else here has been here for a long time and have more than proved themselves.”

  I stared back at them stubbornly. I didn’t know what to believe. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to leave and go back to my home and my normal life. Daisy rose slowly and came to sit on the edge of the bed. I did not flinch away. I wasn’t quite as scared though my mind told me I was a fool not to be. This was not normal.

  “Please, just listen. Can you do that?”

  I watched her suspiciously for a moment before responding, but this was Daisy. The longer I looked at her the more I could see the concern, regret, and guilt in her face.

  “Fine.”

  She smiled a little at my reluctant acquiescence.

  “The man that attacked you, Kevin, is a drainer. Drainers, at least bad ones, survive by draining the life force of other people or animals.”

  “Life force? What – what are you talking about?”

  “Your life force is that very energy that gives you life,” Daisy elucidated.

  “So he was not human?”

  “Well, yes, he is human. He’s just not a normal human.”

  “Are you a drainer?” I swallowed.

  “No,” she smiled softly. “I’m actually a healer. So, I am basically the same is everyone else except I have more strength and speed, and I can heal people.”

  “That’s why my wounds healed so fast,” I gasped. And words began to tumble forth as understanding dawned. “I just knew that the gunshot wound and my other wounds would take longer to heal. But, they didn’t. They seemed to heal practically overnight.”

  “Yes, that was the work of Grace and me,” she smiled. “Grace is better than I am. She’s actually a medical doctor as well, so she practices more often than I do. We rely on her for more serious injuries.”

  “So my injuries were as bad as I felt like they were,” I stated suspiciously. Despite my reservations I found fascination overcoming my fear. I hadn’t seen a doctor, well, any other doctor than Grace. When she said my wounds probably initially felt worse than they were, I took her word for it.

  “They really weren’t that bad. We just helped you recover much faster.”

  “So, all of you are healers?” I inquired, my curiosity undermining my first decision to know as little as possible.

  “Not exactly,” her voice took on a hint of discomfort. But, she stated her next words straight forward and without hesitation, “Jordan and Logan are actually drainers.”

  I glanced sharply at Jordan who seemed to stiffen imperceptibly.

  “But – ” I gasped before Daisy cut me off.

  “As I said before, only the bad ones harm people and other animals.” She turned to Jordan, “Would you like to explain?”

  He cleared his throat uncomfortably. When he spoke he sounded like a man confessing to a crime. His voice was monotone with no inflexion.

  “Not all of us kill or harm people, as Daisy said. Our security agency specializes in neutralizing those that do. The person, or people, after you are one such group of people. We’ve never dealt with an organized group like this. They appear to be an organized crime ring run by drainers and humans. They seem to be in all areas of crime from robbery to hit men. The authorities are baffled because the people that die have just expired with no clear explanation. They show no medical condition that would cause them to simply die. But, we recognized the signs. We were investigating the various crimes and were following up on a lead, or rather Ethan was, when you stumbled into this. No one has been able to trace or identify any of the members of this group, except you and Ethan now. That is why they are after you.”

  I stared at them in disbelieving shock as realization dawned. Whoever, or whatever these people where, they knew I could identify them and I was under the protection of the Alexanders. They also knew that the Alexanders where like them, thus the only ones who could probably stop them. No wonder they were after me. I closed my eyes and slumped back against the headboard of the bed. What the hell had I gotten myself into? I sat there trying to make sense of it all until I heard Daisy’s voice.

  “We should probably let her sleep, Jordan. I don’t know how much of this she’s getting. She’s fading again.” Daisy’s voice was soft as if trying not to rouse me. And, I realized I was
still really tired and had been drifting off. Energy was rapidly leaching from me. How did she know this? Though I’d been dozing off when she reached out to touch me my eyes flew open. I was fully alert.

  “I just want to give you another dose of healing for your wounds,” She hesitated a moment. When I didn’t protest she reached out and touched my arm. Again, I felt the familiar warmth, and the spot she touched felt marginally better. “You see, I have to touch the specific area of your wound to be affective. Grace on the other hand can do much more than I can.”

  I looked down at my exposed arm where she touched it to see a scrape and a bruise begin to fade and the skin heal. It looked days old instead of hours. How long had I been sleeping? I asked that very question. It was Jordan that answered. “Not long actually. It’s only 4:30 in the afternoon.”

  “There,” Daisy said, removing her hand from my head. “It’s best not to heal it all the way and allow the body to perform the rest of the healing naturally.”

  I looked down at myself where she’d touched me. The bruising was almost all gone and the gouges and scrapes looked like week old scratches.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled.

  “You are very welcome,” Daisy beamed then stood. “Get some rest. Rest is very important. Even though we heal the wounds, the body still needs to rest after an ordeal such as you had today. Are you hungry?”

  “No, not right now,” I yawned. I really was exhausted.

  “We will bring you some food then in a couple of hours. Get some rest.”

  They stood and left the room and, somehow, I was sleep again by the time the door clicked closed.

  When I opened my eyes again they rested upon a cautious and unsure looking Jordan. I don't know why this provoked a smile from me, but it did. I smiled at him with none of my former panic. I'd had what felt like a long, deep sleep before the dreams came again. And, when I had dreamed, I'd dreamed about food. So, when I awoke and saw him sitting there the day’s events weren't on my mind. I actually felt comfort at seeing him there. Even as the memories came back to me my panic didn't. I had to admit that I felt safe and so very cozy.

  In reaction to my sleepy smile his face flooded with relief. Belatedly I realized he must have been bracing for another panicked episode from me.

  “How long have you been here?” I asked, trying to stifle a yawn.

  “Not long.” The corners of his lips fought not to tip up in a smile. “I brought you some food but wanted to let you sleep a little longer.”

  That would explain why I was dreaming of food. I looked over at a tray sitting on the dresser. I couldn't see exactly what was on it, but it smelled yummy.

  “Do you feel like eating something?” He raised an eyebrow in question.

  “What is it?”

  “Chicken soup.”

  “It smells great,” I said, raising myself up on an elbow trying to see the contents of the tray. He stood, grabbed the tray, and folded down the legs. It was a bed tray. I sat up fully, propping myself against the headboard, and he placed the tray over my lap. Even though the food smelled delicious and I could feel pangs of hunger, I really didn't have an appetite. It was an odd sensation being both hungry but not having an appetite. After a short hesitation I decided I’d better have a little.

  Jordan was watching me intently so I picked up the spoon. He settled back into the chair he'd been sitting in as I dipped the spoon and put it in my mouth. The soup was rather tasty. It had a wonderful spicy flavor I’d never tasted in chicken soup. After the first cautious spoonful didn’t cause any nausea I dipped the spoon again. My hunger and lack of appetite had decided to pipe down to a mild need to eat.

  “Where is Ethan?” I asked Jordan as I spooned up more soup. His face took on a look I couldn't read.

  “He will be back soon, in the next few days I expect.” His voice was reassuring, but his face was stiff in contrast. I wondered if he wasn't telling me something.

  “So, you are in communication with him? He’s safe?”

  “Yes, he checks in at regular intervals.”

  “This is really good,” I said, relaxing and focusing on the soup now that I knew Ethan was safe.

  “Grace made it. It’s another Alexander family favorite,” He said, a hint of a smile touching his gorgeous lips. Why was I noticing his lips?

  “So, where is everyone?” I asked, refocusing on my soup and willing my attention away from his mouth.

  “Probably eating and waiting for a full report on how you’re doing.” The smile that had been hiding before peeked out. “We figured it would probably be best if you didn't wake up to a room full of people again.”

  I blushed feeling chagrined and mumbled, “I'm sorry. It's just...well, it was so much to take in.”

  He waved my comments away, “We understand. It would be a shock for anyone considering everything you've been through today. We are the ones who are sorry. Sorry for scaring you half to death.”

  I said nothing. I spooned another spoonful of soup into my mouth. I wasn't sure what to think, how I felt, or how I should feel. Trying to sort out my jumbled feelings just made me mentally exhausted. My brain couldn’t wrap around all that I’d seen, heard, and learned today. I decided that, at the moment, I was simply enjoying a bowl of soup and was in a comfortable place. I didn't want to start thinking and analyzing just yet.

  “Lela, I'm sure you have questions and I want you to feel comfortable enough to ask them,” Jordan continued.

  I pushed the bowl away, having finished the last bit of soup, and Jordan rose to retrieve the tray. Once the tray was removed I slid back down, more tired than I would have thought I'd be. Jordan stood watching me with a worried frown waiting for a response from me.

  “I do have questions, but I'm not even clear yet on what they are,” I said forcing myself to hold his intense gaze. “Right now I just want to get some rest and not think too much. I guess I need to get home so I can go to bed.”

  “Grace said you are to stay right here tonight and if you have any objections you'll have to discuss them with her,” he added the last bit hastily. He seemed relieved that he would not have to be a part of that battle.

  I stared at him in disbelief for a moment and then resigned myself. I was in no condition to argue and fight with Grace.

  “Fine.”

  “Wise choice,” he smiled and then grew serious, “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure.”

  “How were you able to resist him?”

  I could feel my cheeks flush, “Well, for starters, I wasn’t attracted to him.”

  “No, I mean how did you keep him from touching your life force?”

  “I don’t understand?” I frowned in confusion.

  “I’m sure he was trying to drain your life force. But, Grace said it hadn’t been touched. So, you had to have done something to prevent it.” He was watching me with a probing gaze as if trying to see inside my head.

  “I don’t know,” I sputtered, “I simply tried to stop the pain in my head and get away from him the best way I could.”

  “Pain in your head?” He tilted his head to the side.

  “Yes, there was a searing pain in my head.”

  “Hm. And, how did you get away from him? I saw you running and him tackle you when I entered the barn.”

  “I brought my knee up between his legs. When he bent forward I landed an elbow strike to the collar. That should have put him down though. Now, I know why he didn’t go down and stay down.”

  His eyes widened in surprise and he chuckled now. It was such a nice sound I smiled too.

  “And, where did you learn those moves?”

  “In my mixed martial arts class,” I lifted my chin but couldn’t help smiling.

  “Mixed martial arts, huh?”

  “Yes,” I stifled another yawn.

  “Ok, Xeena Warrior. I'd better let you get some sleep.”

  I was rather tired. He stood and I scooted down under the light cover. He walked to the door and t
urned to me.

  “Goodnight, Lela.”

  “Night, Jordan.”

  Chapter 17

  I woke the next morning to the sounds of birds chirping, horses neighing in the distance and other farm noises. I felt in sore need of a bath. I looked around and noticed the room I was in for the first time. I was in a large, very comfortable, four poster bed. The room was decidedly masculine. There was a door partially opened on one side where I could see a mirror. That must be a bathroom, which was something else I was sorely in need of. I gingerly climbed out of bed and was surprised to find I didn’t have any more soreness than a hard workout at the gym would have produced. A little ache here, a little pain there. I walked into the bathroom and found a set of towels sitting on the pristine counter along with a set of what looked like my clothing. I looked closer and realized they were my clothes. Daisy must have gone to my house and picked out some clothes for me. Part of me wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but another part of me was grateful to have my own clothes to change into after a shower. She’d even brought me underwear. Embarrassing but appreciated.

  Looking around the bathroom I noticed it was also very male. A few masculine looking bottles near the sink and dark towels on the rack. There was no fluff here. Just male utilitarianism. The colors were cream colored with forest green trim.

  After taking care of my morning bladder, I stepped into the shower and bathed. There had been a feminine body wash and lotion provided, but I’d smelled the body wash in the shower and opted to use it instead. It had a simple, clean and subtle scent.

  I found myself thinking of Jordan. He was so confusing. And, while it seemed he didn’t strongly dislike me, as I had thought, he clearly had some internal struggle in regards to me. Considering all that I’d learned about him, however, it made sense. I wasn’t sure if he just didn’t like regular old humans like me or if he had some other reason I didn’t yet know. Maybe drainers had a natural aversion to regular humans unless they were after their mysterious life force. It all sounded so unreal, so unbelievable. But, I’d seen enough yesterday to know that something was real, something other than the reality I was used to. And maybe part of that reality was a natural distaste of what he was for what I was.