by Nina Crespo
* * * *
West’s ice-blue gaze swept over the team sitting around the table. “The pandemic will burn through the third world countries in Africa and parts of Asia first. In the developed nations, fear will do more damage than the virus.”
Reid sat back in the chair and pushed his computer tablet away from him. “How bad?”
Their logistic expert rolled his shoulders and the tattoos inked on his arms shifted and flexed. “Imagine the worse post apocalypse scenario you can think of and multiply it by ten. Ebola, AIDS, the most intense strain of bird flu—none of them come close to this type of devastation.
Silence blanketed the room. Dalir’s bird’s-eye view of all timelines from the present into the future had revealed Xenia Allen’s plan to sell a super virus on the black market. Unfortunately, his visions didn’t provide a detailed map to the who, how, and why of things. The team still had to piece together her plans. Only they stood between the world and her mowing it down with a wrecking ball of destruction.
West stood to leave. “I’ll upload the things you wanted. Let me know if you need something else.”
As Thane closed the mission notes on his tablet, he assessed the energy in the room. Mace wore a faraway expression. Reid looked pissed and ready for a throw down.
“Anyone have business they need to tie up before we leave?” Thane asked.
Walking away from Celine felt like an abbreviated version of what had happened when Leslie broke up with him. On some level, it hurt even more, but like he had in the past, he’d deal with the guilt of hurting her. Do his job. Stop Xenia Allen from taking away Celine’s day in the park with someone she could care about.
Bitterness tainted his mouth. He was running out of headspace to store all this, but he had to forget. Any baggage brought along for the ride could potentially become a deadly distraction.
Reid released a deep exhale. “No. I’m good.” Mace nodded the same.
“Grab your gear.” Thane stood. “We’re jumping in thirty minutes.”
Chapter 8
“Stop hogging the remote. The movie’s over.”
Celine snapped out of her daydream and focused on Ari. “What?”
Ari, next to her tailor style on the couch and holding a large bowl of popcorn on her lap, pointed. “The remote, you’re sitting on it.”
“Oh, sorry.” She pulled the device from under her thigh and handed it over.
Ari changed the channel on the flat screen across from them. “Lauren tosses her cookies before the movie starts, and you spend the entire time staring into space. What woman in her right mind gets sick or spaces out during a Vin Diesel movie?”
Celine leaned back against the armrest and tucked her toes underneath Ari’s leg. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to leave you stranded.”
Originally, they’d planned to go to The Song but nixed it because the last time they’d harassed her into going, the place had been a snoozefest. Good thing she’d won tickets and they’d gotten in for free.
They’d ended up settling on a quiet girl’s night, planning to consume enough bottles of red wine to justify Lauren and Ari sleeping over. Too bad they’d forgotten to exclude sickness and distraction as a part of the night.
“Maybe we should check on our patient,” she said.
Ari waved away her concern. “She’s asleep. When she needs something, we’ll know.”
“Good thing she’s here.” Celine adjusted the legs of her boxers around her thighs. “You know how she hates to be alone when she’s sick. I know this is boring, but, honestly, it’s good to have you guys around again.”
“Stop trying to butter me up. There’s enough on the popcorn.” Ari tossed a kernel in her lap. “Honestly, I don’t care if you are boring. I’m just glad you’re getting back to normal. We were worried about you, but that group you joined last month has really helped.”
“Yeah, it has.” She’d never believed in happenstance, but she couldn’t think of any reasonable explanation for coming across the article in the browser of her phone. Reading how the woman in the story had survived after her former fiancé had died in in the Middle East triggered something.
Soon after, she’d followed the article’s advice and joined a military survivor’s group. As she’d listened to stories similar to her own, she’d discovered her feelings were valid. She wasn’t alone. After a few meetings, she’d found the courage to open up about Dominic. A weight she hadn’t known she’d carried lifted from her heart.
Celine playfully jostled Ari with her foot. “But that doesn’t mean you and Lauren aren’t great to talk to.”
“We know, and we get it.” Ari’s expression softened with a smile. “You needed to be around people who could relate to what happened. Like I said, we’re just glad to see you finding yourself again.”
She did feel good. It was a relief not to burst into tears for no apparent reason, but every now and then, she still felt like something was off. Especially with the dreams she kept having. A light, tingly chill moved over her, and she rubbed her arms.
“Uh oh.” Ari frowned. “What’s got you spaced out this time?”
“Nothing important.” She shrugged but the weight of her thoughts remained. “I’ve been having weird dreams again.”
“You mean the one about Dominic in the fog?”
Lately, they weren’t only about Dominic. She’d started having dreams about being in bed with a man, but she never saw his face. The way he touched, kissed, and caressed her always brought overwhelming pleasure. It was so intense, some nights she’d wake up crying out in the midst of an orgasm. She’d told herself it was sexual drought from not being with anyone since Dominic, but it felt so real. He seemed real, and they weren’t just having sex. They were making love.
Ari stared at her with a quizzical look, waiting for an answer, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
“Yeah, it’s the one about Dominic, but it’s different.” She pulled down the sleeves of her sweatshirt and maneuvered her feet further underneath her friend. “I’m still walking through the fog and can’t find my way out. Dominic shows up, but this time—” Her thoughts went to the dream, and the same bittersweet feeling that overtook her when she woke up lodged in her chest. “Before he goes back into the fog, he nods his head and really smiles like he’s happy.”
“That is different.” Ari’s expression softened with compassion. “You know, the meetings you’ve been attending are about surviving and moving forward. Maybe that’s what your dream is encouraging you to do.”
“I thought, too, but there’s more. Right after that dream, I have another one. I’m alone in the park downtown, but I keep hearing guitar music. I don’t know the song but I feel like I should.” She hummed the melody. Realizing what she was doing, she stopped.
“I don’t recognize it,” Ari said thoughtfully. She plucked a stray kernel of popcorn from the dip of the large pink heart emblazoned on the front of her sleep shirt. “They have music festivals at the park. When was the last time you were there?”
“Yesterday.” She paused, mulling over how to explain what she’d done. “I thought if I sat there for a minute, maybe something would come to me.”
“Did it?”
“No, but I noticed a vacant shop with a For Rent sign in the window. I was just going to peek in, but the realtor showed up and offered to let me look around.”
Ari’s brow rose in question. “And?”
“It’s nice, but it’s too small. Anyway, we kept talking, and she mentioned these new commercial spots opening up on the other side of town. The builder is interested in bringing in a mix of specialty shops and larger chain stores. I called the number she gave me and went to see a place this afternoon. It’s a lot bigger than what I have now. It’s also perfect for expanding the jewelry line and adding in all the spa stuff you keep telling me about.”
She heard herself babbling and stopped. “I worked the numbers with the accountant. I’ve always dreamed of opening up another place, b
ut in this economy, it’s not a good idea. I’d have to sell the shop and relocate.”
“Good. When’s the big move? I’ll put it on my schedule.”
“What?” She waited for Ari to reveal the joke, but instead her friend raised her brow in expectancy. “Didn’t you hear what I said? I’d have to sell the shop.”
Ari shrugged. “So sell it.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“I can’t make a decision like this on a whim.” Celine struggled for an answer. “What about all the work I put into the shop?”
“You mean all the work you and Dominic put into the shop.” Ari set the bowl on the coffee table and shifted more toward Celine. “I know you guys put a lot of love into that place, but how can you move on if every time you touch a shelf, sweep the floor, or look at the walls you see him?”
The mural of the two starfish came to mind.
“You’ve made so much progress.” Ari’s eyes grew bright. “Can’t you see? Dominic would want you to be happy. He wouldn’t want you to play it safe and hold back. There’s more out there for you. You have to start taking chances again…maybe even fall in love.”
Ari was right. Dominic wouldn’t have wanted her to run from her future.
“I want to go for it, but what happens if I make a mistake?” Celine’s voice wobbled. “What happens if it all falls apart and I lose everything?”
“And what happens if you miss all the good stuff that’s up ahead? You can do this, CeCe. You’re ready, and if it falls apart, Lauren and I will be here to help you put it back together again.” Ari squeezed her hand and offered a reassuring smile. “Don’t hate me for giving you fortune cookie advice, but it’s true. Sometimes you do have to take a chance and follow your dreams.”
* * * *
Lauren looped her arm through Celine’s. “Moving van’s gone. We squeezed the last box into the backseat of your car so I think we’re done.”
In her vacant shop, dust particles hovered in the rays of sun spilling into a place empty of merchandise but filled with memories. It felt surreal. A few days after she and Ari had talked she’d signed the lease. Now, less than a month later, it was happening.
Ari stood on the other side of her and held her hand. “Remember opening day?”
They chuckled. Scared she’d made the biggest mistake of her life by convincing her parents to loan her the money, she’d thrown up twice before the doors opened. A busy day jam-packed with women handing over their credit cards had quickly replaced her anxiety. Later, the three of them had celebrated with bottles of champagne at a beachside restaurant. She’d met Dominic that night.
More memories drew her attention to the small mural near the cash register counter. The one word drawn in cursive letters underneath the two starfish stole her breath. Forever.
Ari squeezed her hand. “Do you want a minute?”
Emotion wrapped up her words. She nodded and managed a wobbly smile. Her friends gave her tight hugs and left. Celine walked to the mural and knelt in front of it. This one small gesture of love from Dominic had brought a smile to her face whenever she’d missed him. Gave her a place to fall to her knees and cry when she’d lost him and had given her something to hold onto every day.
Trust yourself. You know what you want. As she remembered his words, a sense of peace and warmth spread through her body. It was as if he were right there holding her in his arms. He wanted her to take another chance at forever. She wanted another chance at forever. To have it, she had to let him go. Warmth evaporated, leaving static electricity like tingles on her skin, but peace remained.
“I love you,” she whispered. Tears sliding down her cheeks, she kissed her fingers and pressed them to the starfish.
Chapter 9
Two years in the future
“Can you believe this shit?” Reid sat back in the chair and gestured to the flat screen monitors on the wall, providing multiple views into Xenia Allen’s home. “One minute she’s setting up the sale of a deadly virus on the black market. Then she’s at home throwing a dinner party and drinking wine with her friends. I don’t know who’s the biggest nut-job, her or whoever she’s scheming with.”
On the monitors, the forty-three year-old head researcher for Landon Bioresearch International smiled at her husband. She took the breadbasket from him and passed it to a dinner guest.
“Have we turned up anything new?” Thane asked.
Reid shook his head. “Whoever she’s making the exchange with tomorrow is a ghost. All we have are burner phones, pre-paid cards, and shell corporations. Mace jumped back to the present to check in with West. Colby phased ahead two more years to see if he can find something.” Reid’s jaw clenched. “We can’t let her get away with this.”
“She won’t.”
Thane and Reid turned and met Dalir’s level gaze. The well-muscled ancient warrior got up from the couch. “We’ll let this viper lead us to the nest, and then we’ll take all their heads.”
Waiting. It grated on them they couldn’t take her down now. According to the Ancient’s supernatural intel, they had to take care of Xenia and the buyer. If they didn’t, the pandemic would still erupt six months in the future, leaving scientists scrambling to develop a vaccine. West was right. The headlines proclaiming Major Tragedy wouldn’t begin to cover it.
Dalir walked closer to the wall and peered at the monitors. “Do we know why she’s doing this?”
“Who knows? She sold her multimillion dollar home and moved the kids to cheaper private schools before she took the job at Landon.” Reid said. “Maybe she regrets downsizing and misses the money. She also fits the profile of someone who gets off on manipulating situations and watching the show.”
The Ancient turned away from the monitors, eyes narrowed as if deep in thought.
“Got something?” Thane asked.
Dalir shook his head. “I know this type of woman well. There’s more to her story.”
The way he said it implied a personal connection. Thane filed the information away. When Dalir was inside of their minds, he had access to their memories and thoughts, but they could only sense his presence and mood. He’d never revealed how he’d gone from warrior to a non-corporeal spirit only they could see. In the past, had there been a wife, family or someone he’d cared about? Was his power a gift he’d willingly received or a curse he endured? Thane’s money was on the latter. It was too easy to imagine the Ancient pissing someone off.
Thane didn’t back down from his piercing gaze or the Ancient sifting through his thoughts. His questions were legitimate and spoke to reason. He didn’t doubt Dalir’s insight into the future or his intentions for good, but he did have questions about his motives. For the sake of the team, he kept his doubts to himself, but if Dalir ever put their asses on the line, he’d call him on it.
The Ancient studied him a moment longer. “You know where to find me. Don’t let her out of your sight.” In a quick flash of golden light, he was gone.
“What’s up with you and Dalir?” Reid asked.
“Nothing.” Thane sat down on the couch and picked up a folder from the coffee table. “What resources are we using to find the buyer?”
“FBI and Homeland Security databases, for starters,” Reid said. “I’m also checking sources in New York. Their counterterrorism program is all over this kind of thing, and Mace is farming the Deep Web.”
“What about Red Path Anarchy? Have we found anything yet?”
Reid blew out a breath. “We got no connections. The RPA abandoned the whole biowarfare angle after they lost Fineway and his work.”
Thane followed Reid’s gaze to a magazine dated in the future with the cover of a young couple mourning the loss of two of their children. “Keep digging. We can’t let this get away from us. Tap into every resource we’ve got.”
On the monitors, the doctor and her husband said goodbye to their guests and settled in for the night. Thane began compiling a list of people connected to government secu
rity agencies. Ones not afraid to pursue the leads they’d provide to bring the doctor and the unidentified buyer to justice.
Dalir had mentioned cutting off the head of the snake. They all wanted to take them out by force, but nonlethal action was the smartest way to go. Having them arrested and interrogated could provide the authorities information on other people or plans with similar intent. The tricky part of their anonymous intervention was providing enough of a breadcrumb trail to warrant surveillance or some sort of action, sanctioned or unsanctioned. Whoever was involved with stopping these guys would have to trust their gut, as well as the intel, and act before it was too late.
Several hours later, Thane sat back on the sofa and set the plan aside. The monitors were darkened. The Allens were asleep.
Reid got up and returned with two cold beers. They opened them and bumped bottles in a silent toast. Thane took a long sip, relishing the glide of the icy liquid down his throat.
“So, are you going to check on Celine while we’re here?” Reid asked.
Thrown by the question, he studied his friend’s face. He hadn’t discussed Celine with anyone. As far as he knew, Dalir hadn’t picked up on it. “You know it’s a bad idea to dip into personal shit across timelines. Besides, she and I are done.”
Reid snorted. “Done is when we nail these assholes.” He pointed his bottle at him. “You may have fooled everyone else, but I know you. You liked her, and just because you gave yourself two minutes to think about it, and another two to get over what happened, doesn’t make it done.”
“You’re full of shit.”
“Okay, what about the babe from Belize you met at the coffee shop the other day? She gave you her number, didn’t she?”
“We’re here to take care of business, and she wasn’t my type.”
“And that’s exactly what I’m talking about.” Reid set his beer on the coffee table. “We don’t have types. We have random, meaningless fucks to satisfy the itch. When you showed up for the mission with a sappy look in your eyes, I knew something was wrong. The fact you’re not paying attention to another woman tells me you didn’t satisfy your itch with Celine.”
