“I was being facetious,” he said.
“Tell me something I don’t know. Look, Dax, no one said it was going to be easy. And believe me, I don’t want to do any of this any more than you. But if I’m going to get my life back, well, some things need to be done, and screw the red tape along the way.”
“Sorry, but I don’t want to lose my job over this. I love what I do and I won’t jeopardize that any more than I already have.”
He wasn’t making this easy for me. “All I need is access to a few pieces of evidence. No one has to know you’re giving them to me. Hopefully, I get some psychic impressions and it leads to Jordan getting arrested. After that, it’s up to you to bring Delroy down.”
Dax finally unlocked the car. “I have to check-in with a few of my colleagues. You think you can keep your comments to a minimum while I do?”
“Mum’s the word,” I said, making a zipping motion over my lips.
“I certainly hope that it is. Because if anyone else gets wind of what we’re planning, we’ll both have our asses handed to us.”
“So does that mean you’ll actually help me catch that bastard?”
Dax breathed in hard. “Yes,” he finally said, as if it was the hardest thing he had to utter in his life. “But you follow my lead. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” I said, though inside I was thinking “Good luck with that, pal.”
Dax gave me a look after he started the engine. “Don’t even think it, Callie.”
I laughed. “You might be a little psychic yourself, Agent Moore.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said.
After he was done with the boring job of checking-in, I turned to Dax and told him I needed something that belonged to Jordan Puccini.
“Good luck with that,” he said, laughing. “Any evidence pertaining to him is locked up tight at a secure location.”
“Can’t you request it or something?”
“I don’t have the authority. Plus, they’d never let that kind of thing out of their sight.”
“Well, what do you suggest then?”
“Can’t you just use his mugshot? I mean, you even met the guy. Doesn’t that mean you have a stronger connection to him now?”
I looked away. “I wish,” I said to the reflection of myself in the car window. “I tried. But there’s a block.”
“Don’t tell me he has some kind of supernatural protection?”
“No, at least I don’t think so. I think it’s more fear that’s the problem. I can’t stop thinking of that look he gave me the last time I saw him. I don’t doubt he’ll kill me as soon as he gets the chance.”
“Then why not just stay home? Stay safe? Why are you putting yourself in unnecessary danger? Again.”
“Because hiding out isn’t living. I want to put all of this behind me. So what do you say? Will you take me to wherever you guys keep all the evidence?”
“They probably moved it by now. They’re being overly cautious right now, and I don’t blame them. Delroy found out about Peter Hill from someone. Unless he had another psychic helping him?”
“His mother was the only psychic I know of, and as far as I know, she’s been dead for a while.”
“Well, I’ll take you back home. Keep trying to tune into his location. I can even print you out a picture if you want. I’ll see if I can get my hands on any physical evidence, though it’s a long shot, so don’t get your hopes up.”
We went to the local library. I watched in horror as Jordan’s picture slid out of the printer in full color. It was almost as if he was right there with us.
I took the picture in my hand and folded it. Dax paid the librarian.
“Thanks,” I said when he dropped me off. “I’ll call or text you if I get anything.”
“Please do. Though I won’t be very far.”
He stayed parked right where he was last night. I made a mental note to get him a coffee and something to eat later. Then I remembered the poor guy hadn’t even slept.
“Don’t you need to rest?”
“Rest is for the wicked, and the dead,” he said with a weak smile.
“I’ll see if you and Brad could take shifts. How does that sound?”
“Thanks. That actually sounds good.”
I felt Jordan’s picture in my hands. It was giving off the kind of heat that could leave a scar. I couldn’t wait until I could put it down and forget about Jordan Puccini, if only for a few moments.
Chapter 19
Brad was outside, while Dax was on the couch, fast asleep. He was out as soon as he hit the pillow I gave him. I had to put the covers over him.
“How sweet,” Lily said as she watched me. “Why don’t you just snuggle up next to him?”
“Shh, stop it, Lily. The man needs his rest.”
“I’m just sad that Brad had to be the one to replace him. I had so many plans for us tonight.”
“Eww, I didn’t need to know that.”
“I meant like playing cards or something. You have such a dirty mind, Callie.”
“Yeah, I’m the one with the dirty mind,” I said. “Besides, I think we’ll be a little preoccupied tonight. At least I will.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right. Should we light some candles for ambiance?”
“We’re not conducting a séance, Lily.”
“You’re zero fun, aren’t you?”
Lily stormed off to the kitchen, presumably to get a snack. Or maybe she decided to give Brad a visit outside. I took a deep breath. I needed to concentrate on the task at hand. I dreaded looking at that picture again, but it needed to be done.
Mom stopped me when she saw me coming out of my room holding the thing.
“Do you need anything? Can I help you in any way?”
“I just need some quiet, but I don’t want to be by myself. Does that make me a coward?”
“Of course not, sweetheart.” She put her arms around me. “I think it’s very brave you’re facing your fears like this. As long as you promise me you won’t go chasing after him again, then I’ll support you. Find out where he is and then let the FBI do the rest, all right?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m so over playing the hero. I’ll let the proper authorities handle the rest, while I focus on the psychic side of things.”
“Sounds good to me,” Lily said, startling me. “I refilled his coffee cup. I didn’t want to miss the main show.”
The three of us were in the kitchen. I sat down at the kitchen table and put Jordan’s picture down on the table.
Lily shuddered as soon as she saw it. He did hold a gun to her head, after all.
I braved a look myself. Immediately, I recoiled back. Jordan Puccini’s eyes were looking right at me. He had a cocksure grin playing across his face. “I’ll find you. I’ll find you and I’ll kill you.” I could hear his voice in my head. Was this a psychic impression or was it just my fear taking form?
I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. I needed to relax, clear my mind, and let go of all preconceived notions. I needed to get a clear reading of the situation. My life, and my family’s, and Lily’s too, depended on it. This maniac needed to be locked up. And after that...well, hopefully, he flipped on Delroy and brought the whole operation down. In a perfect world. But I didn’t live in a perfect world. Far from it.
I laid my hand on the picture and opened my eyes. I looked deep into Jordan Puccini’s gaze and tried to make a connection.
I remembered the way he felt. The way his energy affected me when we were in the same room. I remembered his scent.
“Please, universe, show me where he is. I need to know...”
I closed my eyes. Jordan’s face was burned into my mind.
I let go of even that and let the universe show me what it would.
I saw a flash of something. Leaves rustling in the wind. I saw a house in the distance. Then, slowly but surely, it got closer and closer.
It was my mother’s house.
I saw a dark figure looking out tow
ard it. Then the figure moved in closer, step by secret step.
I jolted awake. I practically threw the picture across the room.
“What is it? What did you see, Callie?” My mother asked.
“We need to warn Brad,” I said, going toward the kitchen door. “Jordan Puccini is on his way here, if he isn’t here already.”
The whole house erupted into chaos. Poor Dax was woken up by Lily while mother and I went to warn Brad. Pretty soon, both Brad and Dax had their guns drawn. They were both carefully looking out of the closed curtains, trying not to draw attention to themselves.
“Are you sure that’s what you saw?” Brad said. “Because I don’t see anybody out there.”
“Yes, I’m sure. The only thing I’m not sure about is exactly when it’s supposed to happen. Though from my vision, it looked like now.”
“Are your visions usually right on the money?” Dax asked, obviously not convinced that he was woken up for a good reason.
“Stay away from the windows,” I warned them. “What if he’s out there waiting to shoot you guys?”
They didn’t look convinced, but nevertheless, they stepped away and replaced the curtains, making sure that no one could even peek inside. We had already turned off all the lights.
“Backup should be here any minute now,” Brad said.
“I wish I had backup as well, but I’m the only one left,” Dax said.
We could hear the sirens then. Picking Hill was a small town, and in this instance, that was a good thing. Pretty soon, they scoured the whole area, but there was no sign of Jordan. Either he’d been spooked and hightailed it out of here, or he was yet to arrive. I hated the fact that my visions didn’t come with a date and time stamp, but it was what it was.
“I’m sorry for wasting your time,” I said to the sheriff once he was getting ready to leave.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll leave one of my deputies behind for the night. In case he decides to make an appearance after all.”
“Thank you, sir,” Brad was quick to say.
Once the sheriff made his leave, I was in shock that he hadn’t made fun of me or blamed me for wasting his time.
“I talked to him about what happened to you,” Dax said.
“That explains it,” I said, relieved that everything was right with the world again.
After things quieted down, I pulled Dax aside. “What do you mean you’re the only one left?”
Dax couldn’t look me in the eyes. “After you refused to go into the witness protection program, the higher-ups decided that the local PD should worry about your safety.”
“Really? Is that how little my life’s worth to your bosses?”
“I know the way it sounds, but we’re not exactly rolling in the dough right now. Cuts have been made across the board. We just don’t have the resources to look after every Tom, Dick, and Harry that comes across our way. I tried to convince you to join the witness protection program, but since you refused, they don’t see you as their problem anymore. Especially since you said you weren’t going to testify against Jordan or Delroy.”
“I only said that because I don’t want to go into the witness protection program. Of course, I would testify if I had to. But we’ve already established that psychics don’t have much credibility in a court of law.”
Dax sighed. “I’m sorry, Callie, I really fought for you. Truth is, I’m not even supposed to be here right now. They wanted to put me on a whole new assignment.”
“You don’t have to stay,” I said and turned around. I was angry. How could the FBI do this to me?
“Don’t be like that, Callie. You knew what you were getting into when you refused to be a witness.”
“I didn’t think they would get out of dodge that fast. What about your partner? What is he up to right now?”
“He says they got him on another assignment, completely unrelated to this case. He was pretty pissed. We worked on this case for years. But since witnesses are being threatened and their locations are being leaked, the FBI doesn’t want to take any chances.”
“Blah blah blah, we already went through this, Dax, tell me something I don’t know.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way, but this is my life. This is my job. And I happen to take it very seriously. If you could help us figure out where the leak is coming from, that would be great.”
“I’m sure it would, and if I knew anything, you’d be the first to know. But I’m as much in the dark as you are. All I know is that Jordan Puccini’s close and he’s heading straight for me. I need all the protection I can get.”
“Then why are you trying to push me away?” Dax asked.
“I’m not trying to push you away. I’m just frustrated, okay? Can’t I be human for once?”
Dax laughed. “Like you’ve been Little Miss Perfect so far?”
I had to laugh as well.
Dax put his hands on my shoulders and looked deeply into my eyes. It was a bit unnerving, but also strangely comforting. “I’ll be here for you until this is over, got it?”
I nodded. “You’re a good man, but don’t forget you’re still in danger. Maybe you staying here is not such a good idea after all. Just go somewhere in the desert. With no bodies of water around, and you should be safe.”
“You know I can’t do that, right?”
“I know, I know, but I wish you would reconsider. Sooner or later, all my visions come true. I don’t want that one to be one of them. Or the one about Jordan Puccini sneaking around this house.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise,” he said.
I knew he believed the words he was saying, but I wasn’t so sure they were true. I nodded in agreement anyway. “Thank you,” I said, sincerely. He was going above and beyond, that was for sure.
Suddenly, we heard a thump outside.
We joined the others in the kitchen, and they had heard it too. Brad’s gun was already drawn. “I have to check this out,” he said.
“I’ll join you,” Dax said.
“We’ll be defenseless here if both of you go,” Lily said.
“Not if I get the shotgun out,” mother said.
“We don’t have time for that,” Brad said. “You guys should stick together and we’ll be back soon.”
“Go, we’ll be fine, but please be careful,” I said to the both of them.
Mother, Lily, and I huddled together, listening intently to the sounds around us. We didn’t hear any shouting or gunfire, so that was reassuring. But then I heard Brad’s panicked voice. Without even thinking about it, I sprang into action, following the sound. Pretty soon I was in the backyard. I saw Brad calling for backup. I came in closer and saw that the deputy stationed outside was unconscious.
“Is he…?”
Brad shook his head. “He still has a pulse. The ambulance is on its way.”
I looked around but I couldn’t spot Dax in the darkness.
“Where’s Dax?” I asked Brad.
“He went after the perp.” He pointed in the direction of the woods a little ways behind the house.
“Was it Jordan?”
“It was hard to tell. It all happened so quickly and it was dark. But whoever it is, they’re in for a world of hurt if I get my hands on them.”
I looked around nervously, holding myself close. It felt freezing out for some reason. Pretty soon mom and Lily joined us.
“I thought I told you guys to stay inside?” Brad was quick to say.
“You know very well that I’m not good at following instructions,” mom said.
“Neither am I,” Lily chimed in.
Pretty soon we could hear sirens in the distance. That was reassuring. But there was no sign of either Dax or Jordan. And that wasn’t.
Chapter 20
Everyone was on high alert. Dax was missing. And so was Jordan Puccini, or whoever it was that attacked the deputy, but remembering my vision, I knew it was him. The others were more skeptical. But I didn’t blame them, they
weren’t used to having my gift twenty-four seven.
“Isn’t there something you could do?” I asked Brad.
“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”
“Ha ha, very funny,” I said. “But I’m being serious. Shouldn’t the sheriff have caught up with them by now?”
“I don’t know, maybe he has, we’ll just have to wait and see. I’d go myself, but somebody has to stay here to make sure you guys are all right.”
“You’re not going anywhere even if you wanted to,” our mother said. Then she turned to me. “You need to calm down, Callie. I’m sure that Dax will turn up.”
“I don’t doubt that,” I said, though I did doubt it. “I just hope it’s with Jordan Puccini in tow.”
“I’m so sick of hearing his name,” Lily said. “I can’t believe I fell for that creep.”
“That’s history,” I reminded her. “You don’t have to keep beating yourself up about it.”
“I do,” Lily said. She looked away sadly. “If it wasn’t for me, none of this would have happened.”
“Jordan was gunning for me anyhow, and who knows, if you hadn’t fallen for him, maybe he would have found another, worse way, to get to me.”
“I know you don’t really believe that, but thanks for saying it,” Lily said.
“Ladies, there’s enough blame to go around,” Brad said, making sure to especially look at me. “What’s done is done. No amount of talking will change that. What we should be focusing on is the present moment. Meaning keeping you guys safe.”
“Are you blaming me for this? It’s not my fault that I get visions of the future. Did you want me to just ignore them?”
“Of course not. But you could’ve told the proper authorities and left it at that. You had to go playing hero, didn’t you?”
“Bradley, Callie, this is neither the time or the place. What’s happened has happened, now we just have to deal with the fallout. Fighting amongst ourselves won’t get us anywhere,” mom said.
We all had our backs to each other at this point. No one wanted to talk to anyone else. So mom went into the kitchen and took something from the refrigerator. Just some leftover pecan pie. Lily’s eyes immediately lit up, and so did Brad’s. I had too many other things on my mind to be distracted by dessert.
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