At First Touch

by Dunman, Mattie

  “Liz, this is Jared,” he said as he introduced me to a well-built boy with light brown hair who looked a lot like Justin Timberlake, “and this is Mark.” He gestured toward the blond boy with the sweet expression who was looking at V.J. with distinct interest.

  “Nice to meet you,” I mumbled as V.J. and Mark fell into conversation. Judging by her contented expression, the new seating arrangement was to her liking. Jared politely asked me where I was from and the three of us enjoyed a relaxed conversation, eventually joined by Mark and V.J. All in all, it was probably the most affable lunch I’d experienced at a school since the accident and I wished fervently that I could somehow make my stay here permanent.

  As we finished lunch, V.J. reminded me she was due to show me around town that evening. We made arrangements to meet at the school entrance at the end of the day and then she and Mark took off for class together. Carey, Jared and I dumped our trays and headed for the lockers; as we walked, Jared asked what I was doing this weekend.

  “Nothing really, just unpacking,” I replied, though there was of course the distinct possibility that I would be hiding from the Feds and/or evading agents of the Coalition.

  “I’m having a party tomorrow night. It’d be cool if you could come.” He seemed sincere and Carey gave him an approving nod, making me think the invitation may have been premeditated.

  “Um, that sounds good. I’ll have to check with my dad. Thanks for the invite!”

  “Sure. Hope to see you then!” Jared waved and went left as Carey and I continued down the hall together.

  “If you want to go to the party, I can pick you up. I mean, I know you might need to keep a low profile, but you’ll be perfectly safe at Jared’s. His parties never get out of hand.”

  I was sorely tempted. The thought of attending a party like a normal high school girl nearly made my mouth water.

  “I’ll think about it. Let me see how things are by tomorrow.” Carey nodded understanding and came to a stop at my locker. I didn’t ask him how he knew which one was mine.

  “Do you need a ride home today?” he asked, barely concealing the hope in his voice.

  “No, I’m going with V.J.” I reminded him gently. He shook his head and smiled.

  “I knew that. Well, can I call you later and see how everything is? You know,” he said quietly, “with your memory-challenged friend and everything.”

  “Yeah, sure. If you hear anything…” I trailed off and he nodded.

  “I’ll ask around and let you know.” He brightened, clearly happy to have something to do. “Ok, well, I’ll talk to you later.”

  He reached out and gave my shoulder a light squeeze, flashing that devastating smile. My knees swayed a little as I bade him goodbye. He walked off, glancing back to smile at me once, and I opened my locker, wondering briefly who I shared it with. The bottom half was sparse and neat, only the essentials stacked on the shelves, no identifying marks anywhere. I deposited my books, got what I needed for the afternoon and closed the door, shrugging. I’d run into them eventually.

  The rest of the afternoon passed without event; classes were tedious and seemed to drag on for eternity. Probably the thought of getting out and acting like a normal sixteen year old girl had something to do with that. I was staring without seeing at the whiteboard in my last period, English, when the bell rang for dismissal. I jumped up from my desk and made a beeline for the door, so eager was I to make my first attempt at a social life. Preston stood blocking my way.

  When I had first gotten to class I had noticed him staring at me, but like I do with most unpleasant things, I blocked him out and focused on something else. Now there was no way I could ignore him, and based on his determined expression, he wasn’t about to give me the option.

  “Liz, can I talk to you for a sec?” His voice was forceful and his stance aggressive. I was so not in the mood.

  “Not right now. I’ve got to go meet someone,” I replied, trying to move past him. He grabbed my arm hard and pulled me forcibly out into the hall, pushing me up against the wall. My heart beat faster and I cast my eyes around for aid. Students raced on by without giving us more than a passing glance. Never get in a teenager’s way when the bell rings on a Friday afternoon.

  “Who are you meeting? Carey?” he sneered. His face was dangerously close to mine and I hoped I wouldn’t be forced to break his arm. That would really ruin my plans for remaining inconspicuous.

  “None of your damn business. Get the hell out of my way.” I kept my voice level and firm, maintaining eye contact to show him I wasn’t afraid of him. I didn’t know what his malfunction was, but he was clearly unbalanced.

  “Just hang on. I want to talk to you,” he said in an affronted tone, his eyebrows raised innocently, as though he weren’t grasping my arm in an iron grip and pressing me against the wall in a manner far too intimate.

  “Well, I don’t want to talk to you,” I growled. He flinched. “Look, Preston, I don’t know what your deal is, but I don’t respond to intimidation, so you can drop this act right now. If you want to talk to me like a normal, not completely wacko person, make a damn appointment.”

  With that, I grabbed the offending wrist and applied pressure to a particular button below the thumb and twisted his arm around completely, forcing him to release me and gasp in pain.

  “Have I made myself clear?” I asked amiably.

  “Yeah, yeah, dammit, just let my frigging arm go!” I dropped it before he could call attention to us. He cradled his wrist against his chest and gave me a look of pure loathing.

  “You’ll pay for this, bitch,” he spat venomously.

  “Oh yeah, like I haven’t heard that before,” I said carelessly and turned my back on him, heading for the entrance where V.J. would be waiting for me. I dismissed Preston out of hand. With foes like the Coalition and the Feds on my tail, an egotistical teenage boy just didn’t seem to be that big of a threat.

  Shows what can happen when you become short-sighted.

  Chapter 6

  “Hey! Are you ready?” V.J.’s brightly cheerful voice pulled me out of my dark mood. She was waiting by the entrance, an expectant and excited expression lighting her features.

  “Yeah. Are you sure you don’t mind swinging by home? I want to let my dad know what’s up.”

  “Sure! I’d like to meet him.” We grinned at each other and I hoped Dad wouldn’t chew me out too badly. I’d never actually brought a friend home before.

  We walked through the parking lot, talking easily, as though we were old friends. She stopped in front of a car and I raised my eyebrows. It was a brand new Audi, a little out of place in a student lot full of hand-me down trucks and clunkers.

  “Nice,” I said. She shrugged, a little embarrassed.

  “My father is the wealthiest man in three counties. He has a controlling share in the state’s biggest coal company.” She shrugged again, as though being the richest girl for a hundred miles was no big deal.

  I studied her for a moment and decided it wasn’t a big deal. I should understand better than most how it felt to be looked at differently for something you couldn’t help. Being loaded in a town like Pound would put a target on your back, both for enemies and sycophants. No wonder she was so eager to be friends with me; she wouldn’t carry the stigma of “rich girl” with someone who was new to town.

  “Cool,” I said indifferently and climbed in the passenger side, smiling a little at the luxury of the car. She slid into the driver’s seat and turned the car on. It purred.

  “So, you and Carey Drake, huh?” she asked with a knowing grin. I felt my cheeks burn and I shook my head. I had blushed more in the past two days than in the past four years.

  “Nah, he’s just being nice.” I was actually twiddling my thumbs. Unbelievable.

  “Oh yeah, Carey’s nice, alright. He’s nice to just about everyone.” She glanced at me, eyes twinkling. “I’ve never seen him be this nice.” Incredibly, my cheeks got hotter.

  “Pleas
e! I’ve known him less than forty-eight hours.” I felt a slow smile creep across my face. “He is massively hot though.” We shared a giggle and I had a moment of wild happiness. “Anyway, what was that with Mark? He seemed pretty into you.” My dig was rewarded by seeing a rush of color stain V.J.’s cheeks.

  “Yeah, well. We dated for a while freshman year. We were friends all through middle school, but after we dated we kind of stopped hanging out.” She looked downcast for a moment and then brightened. “But he did seem like he was into me, right?” I agreed with a smile and asked her to tell me more about him, anxious to keep the conversation away from me. By the time we reached my house, I knew enough about Mark that I may as well have downloaded him.

  “This is nice,” V.J. said politely as we headed up the steps into the kitchen.

  “Thanks,” I said, amused, knowing the house was as bland as could be. I opened the door and ushered her in, calling out to Dad and warning him we weren’t alone.

  He emerged from the living room with a puzzled smile on his face.

  “Hey, Dad. This is V.J., from school. She’s offered to show me around town tonight.” I gave him a significant look, indicating that we needed private speech before I left. He nodded and put his hand out to shake V.J.’s.

  “Hi, Mr. Hannigan! It’s nice to meet you.” Someone had brought V.J. up right. Dad shot me a bemused grin and returned his attention to our guest.

  “You too. It’s very nice of you to offer to show Liz around. What a friendly town,” he directed at me, eyebrows raised. I nodded and turned to V.J.

  “Be right back. Help yourself to a drink or anything. I’m gonna go get my jacket.” She nodded and sat down at the table. I headed back to my room and began dumping my books out of my bag. After a moment I heard Dad excuse himself and then he strode into my room, closing the door behind him.

  “Ok, hon, what is going on? Yesterday you’re out with that Carey and now you’re hitting the town with her? This is very unlike you.”

  I shrugged and ransacked my suitcase for a light jacket. “I don’t know, I thought I’d try something different. You know, I always keep to myself and never have any friends and it never really works out. Maybe this will work. I don’t know. She seems nice.” I could hear the plaintive note in my voice and returned to my search for a jacket. I finally located a black, hip-length brushed-cotton jacket and shrugged it on.

  When I turned to look at Dad, his face was impassive. I waited nervously for his response, knowing that he might want me to put an end to my budding friendships and cut our losses. He finally cleared his throat and spoke.

  “You know, the only thing I’ve thought of these past few years is how to keep you safe, how to prevent anyone from hurting you or taking you away from me.” He opened his arms to me and beckoned. Surprised, I stepped forward and he wrapped me up in a tight hug. His voice was shaky as he continued. “You act so grown up and you make so many hard decisions every day; I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult all this is for you.”

  He dropped a kiss on the top of my head and I rested my head on his shoulder. “You do so well that sometimes I forget that you’re only sixteen and have never gotten the chance to be sixteen. Your childhood was stolen from you, and now you have to work all the time to keep people from getting too close.”

  He sighed, his chest rising and falling in a staggered manner, as though he were trying to breathe after being underwater.

  “I never questioned if that was wise. I just wanted you safe. But being safe doesn’t mean that you’re happy, and I want that for you too, even if it seems risky. So if you want to be friends with this V.J. and Carey, go ahead. I won’t tell you to be careful because I know you will be, and I know you’ll use your best judgment when it comes to how much you share with them.” He released me and looked down at me fiercely, his well-worn features taut with emotion. “Just promise you’ll keep me in the loop, and let me know if you’re in danger.”

  Tears were streaming down my face and I nodded, unable to speak for the moment. Dad just gathered me in his arms for another hug.

  “I love you, honey. More than anything.”

  “Oh, Dad. I love you too. I’ll be careful, I swear.” My voice trembled and I was on the edge of losing it completely. “There’s other stuff I need to tell you, stuff I found out from Carey, but it can wait till later. I might even hear more from him by this evening.” We stepped apart, both pulling back from the emotional scene and reestablishing a safe distance.

  “Alright honey. Call if you’re going to be late.” I grinned at this; it was such a normal thing for a Dad to say to his teenage daughter, and yet this was the first time he’d said it. He seemed to recognize the humor in the situation and chuckled. “Right. Bye honey.”

  I grabbed my bag and threw it over my shoulder as I followed Dad back out to the kitchen where V.J. sat petting Koko, who was intoxicated by all the attention.

  “What a beautiful kitty! Is he a Siamese?” I told her he was and said I was ready to go. She and Dad said a polite goodbye and he stood watching me with watery eyes as I followed my new friend to her car.

  “Alright!” V.J. exclaimed as she backed out of the driveway. “Are you ready for the bright lights of Pound, West Virginia?” I laughed and nodded.

  “Are you sure it’s not going to be too much for me?”

  We laughed and she started the tour, which took all of fifteen minutes. There was very little that wasn’t residential; the strip mall that housed Mickey’s Diner was the busiest section of town. There was a park with the municipal pool, a bowling alley that had seen better days, and a chain grocery store. The nearest mall was thirty minutes away, along with Wal-Mart, a cinema, and other forms of nightlife. The nearest city, Washington D.C., was nearly three hours away. The saving grace for Pound was its picturesque beauty. For all the poverty and its run-down main street, it was hard to imagine a more beautiful place to live.

  The town was nestled in a valley beneath three mountains and was lined by a river. Blanketing the hills, the trees were alight with the colors of autumn, making the town look as though it were ringed in fire as the sun sank behind the rounded peaks. The world was bathed in a hazy glow of red and purple. I caught my breath as we got out of the car at the diner and I took in the way the mountains seemed to embrace the town protectively, blocking harsh winds and encasing the valley in an exquisite bubble. I had been many places in the past few years, but I had never felt so surrounded and safe simply because of the landscape.

  “It really is beautiful here,” I said under my breath. V.J. gave me a smile full of pride.

  “Yeah, it’s not much, but it’s prettier than a lot of places.”

  She led the way into the diner and we took a seat, ordering hamburgers and milkshakes for dinner. I was anxious to try a shake since I’d missed my opportunity the day before. I was not disappointed, agreeing with V.J. that it was the best I’d had. Our meals were delivered in short order, and we were chatting easily over our fries when I saw them.

  Two federal agents had entered the diner and were waiting to be seated. I knew they were Feds by the identical suits they wore, the standard issue black sunglasses tucked into their jacket pockets, and the black Suburban parked outside. Honestly, you’d think the federal government could be a little less predictable.

  “Anyway, so then I said that…uh, Liz? Earth to Liz?” I snapped back to attention and realized that V.J. had been talking for the past few minutes while I had been watching the Feds.

  “Sorry, I thought I saw someone,” I mumbled. “Excuse me a sec.”

  I got up and walked straight toward the agents, acting as though I were heading for the bathroom. As I walked, I removed my left glove and took a deep breath, preparing for the shock I was about to force on myself. I swept past one of the agents, keeping my head down, and let the back of my hand brush against his, muttering apologies. He barely glanced at me as the paralysis took over and my mind was flooded with everything he had ever known; ju
st as suddenly the moment was over and I moved on, stuffing my hand back in the glove as I crashed into the ladies’ room.

  My abrupt entrance startled a hassled looking woman busy trying to convince two small children that washing their hands wouldn’t kill them. I muttered an apology and slipped past her to an empty stall and shut the door. After a moment, I heard the triumphant shouts of the semi-clean children as they dashed out the door, mother close on their heels. The toilet next to my stall flushed and I heard the faucet come on again, the inevitable swearing as some unlucky woman found that the children had used up all the towels, and finally there was silence. I emerged from my stall, checked to make sure I was alone, and then locked the bathroom door, ensuring that I would have a moment of peace to run through what I had just ascertained from the federal agent I had downloaded.

  Agent Nick Thrasher had been working in the violent crimes division for a little over a year and had been following a string of execution-style murders that were linked to my good friend Eddie Fitz. I ignored all his personal data and concentrated solely on the information about Fitz, the Coalition, and anything else that might be linked to me. Thankfully, there was absolutely nothing about me in the agent’s head, confirming my suspicion that I was only on the radar of a specialized division in the Bureau. Thrasher knew nothing about the Coalition either, and I found I could breathe a little easier.

  From what I gathered, I knew that Thrasher was extremely frustrated with Fitz; apparently they had a tip that a major drug deal was going on in the general area and because of evidence that Fitz had in the past worked with the Outlaw biker gang involved, they were sure he was there to do a hit. However, Fitz was denying any knowledge of the deal, and in fact, claimed to have no idea what he was doing in Pound. While it was standard operating procedure for these guys to deny, deny, deny, Thrasher felt pretty sure that Fitz was telling the truth, at least as far as he knew. At this point, he was more interested in what had happened to the drugs, and the people who had delivered them. Thrasher, and his partner Special Agent James Carson, were exploring Fitz’s involvement with the gang, hoping to broaden their investigation to include certain members. A real coup for a newbie.