Red-Line: The Shift (Volume One)

by J. T. Bishop

  Ramsey and Declan came to the same conclusion. Regardless of what happened in the next few days, if Sarah couldn’t read the mirror, the experiment was pointless.

  “So what’s the twist?” Ramsey asked Leroy when Leroy didn’t respond. “If Sarah can’t read the mirror, then this is a waste of time. But something must have Morgana and her conspirators hopeful. What is it?”

  Leroy deliberated before answering, but then said, “There could be a small possibility that she can read the mirror.”

  Declan perked up. “How so?”

  “Well, first of all, she’s a woman. She’s much more likely to read another woman’s mirror. Plus female Red-Lines were known to have unusual abilities. Reading mirror energy was common for them.”

  “But none of the other female Reds at the time could read it,” noted Declan. “Not a good sign.”

  “There could be any number of reasons why they couldn’t read it. It doesn’t mean she can’t,” said Leroy.

  Ramsey read his friend’s face and suspected there was more to the story. “But there’s something else, isn’t there?” he asked.

  Leroy shifted in his seat. “There was obvious doubt that Sarah would be able to do what they’d hoped,” he said, his voice conveying his own belief in Sarah’s potential abilities. He trusted they would see it the same way. “But as she grew up, those watching her observed something unexpected.” The three watched as Leroy searched for his next words. “Sarah’s mother was gifted,” he said. “She had abilities.”

  “What abilities?” asked Ramsey.

  Leroy, anticipating Sherlock’s reaction, just said it. “She was a human sensitive. She was empathic and could read human energy. She could provide clarity and insight into certain situations for those who requested it.”

  Ramsey outwardly groaned. “What? You mean she was a psychic?”

  Leroy inwardly cringed at Ramsey’s choice of words, but it didn’t surprise him. He realized how it sounded. “Yes, she was a psychic, and a pretty damn good one, from what I hear.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  * * *

  RAMSEY EXPELLED A rush of air and looked at his friend with the disbelief of a drowning man who’s just run out of air, but who’s been told that help would arrive in five minutes. “Are you serious?” he said. “This is what the Council is pinning their hopes on?”

  “Don’t discount it, Sherlock. If Sarah has inherited her mother’s abilities—”

  “Then maybe she can read the mirror,” Hannah interrupted.

  “You think it’s possible?” asked Declan, not sure which side to take.

  “Have you all gone mad?” asked Ramsey. “No one has ever conveyed to me that she has any abilities other than her own normal human ones. Did Morgana say anything to you about it, Leroy? Is she somehow ‘woo-woo,’ and we don’t know it?”

  Leroy said, “No. Not that we’ve observed.”

  “But those abilities frequently show up later in life,” said Hannah, picking up on Leroy’s optimism, “particularly after a traumatic event.” She let her gaze drift towards Sarah’s room.

  Leroy and Declan found themselves gazing in the same direction.

  Ramsey noticed the reaction. “What?” he said, looking toward Sarah’s room and then back at the group. “Are you thinking this Shift is going to bring out her inner psychic? Hell, a few minutes ago you didn’t even think she’d survive it.”

  “Who knows what’s possible, Sherlock?” replied Leroy. “All I’m saying is there is a possibility. And if there’s a possibility, then there’s hope.”

  Ramsey went silent. He looked at each of them and knew that Leroy was right. All they wanted was a tiny bit of hope. He decided to keep his doubts to himself. If they wanted to believe in miracles, he wouldn’t stop them, but he knew that in all likelihood, they’d all be dead within twenty-four months. And if she survived, Sarah would be the last of their line to remain. It made him angry to think that they would bring her through all of this, only to watch them all die. He kept his thoughts to himself, though. They would all come to the same conclusions soon enough.

  When Ramsey maintained his silence, Leroy continued. “So, now that we have everything out on the table, what do we do now?” He waited for an answer. “How do we keep her safe?”

  “It’s not just about keeping her safe,” said Declan. “It’s also about finding out who’s after her and why.” He thought for a second. “Knowing what we know now, that question is even more important.”

  Declan’s statement brought Ramsey back to the matters at hand. There was no turning back now. “You’re sure we can’t move her?” he inquired.

  “No, there’s no point. They’ll only follow. And since we don’t know who to trust, I’m not sure where we’d take her anyway.”

  “It’s not advisable to move her, considering her condition,” said Hannah.

  “It’s better we stay here,” continued Declan. “Let them think we don’t know they’re coming, and keep the element of surprise. But we’ll need to be ready for them.”

  “What do you need?” asked Leroy, sitting up in his seat.

  Declan considered his options. “We’ll have to keep our routines. It can’t look like we suspect something’s up.” He faced Hannah and Ramsey. “You two keep taking care of her. When it goes down, she’s your priority. Do what you need to protect her.” He glanced at his stepbrother. “You know to stay tuned and listen for my signal?’

  Ramsey acknowledged him with a nod. Despite their differences, they had the advantage of knowing each other well. Ramsey could pick up on Declan’s communication with ease. “Yes,” he responded, “I’ll be in full receiving mode. But what about you? You plan on taking those two on your own?” Ramsey asked.

  Declan’s eyebrows shot up. “What? You suddenly concerned for your little brother?” he asked.

  “There’s a first time for everything, I suppose,” replied Ramsey. He looked toward Sarah’s room. “Hell, I’ve got a half-human, half-Eudoran, potentially life-saving, mirror-reading, psychic Red-Line in the other room. At this point, anything’s possible.”

  Declan grinned. “Yeah,” he said, “anything’s possible.”

  “I’ll be here. I’ll help him,” said Leroy.

  Both brothers looked at him.

  “I appreciate it, Leroy,” said Declan, “but we have to keep up appearances. If you stay, they’ll know something’s up.”

  “So I won’t stay. I’ll head out today, but sneak back in tonight. They’ll never know I’m here.”

  “Too big of a risk,” said Declan. “Besides, we need you on the outside, to call in reinforcements if necessary.”

  Leroy didn’t approve. “Declan,” he said, “I don’t like it. You don’t know how many will come. You can’t take them all.”

  “On the contrary—they’re not expecting much of a threat. I think it will be just the two on the street. As far as they know, it’s just Ramsey and Hannah. They’ll go for John first, since he’s the biggest threat. I’ll be waiting for that. It won’t be hard, as long as they’re distracted. They’ll be down before they know what hit them.” Despite his confidence, his voice trailed off. He gazed off as if pondering something important.

  “What is it?” asked Ramsey. “What are you not telling us?”

  Declan returned his attention to the group. “It’s just something else I’m picking up from them. I’m not sure how to interpret it.”

  “What?” asked Leroy.

  Declan stared across the table. “I think they’re waiting.”

  “Waiting for what?” Leroy and Ramsey asked in unison.

  Declan shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “I think they know something we don’t, and that’s what bothers me.”

  “About us?” asked Ramsey. “I thought you said you didn’t think they knew you were here.”

  “Not about us,” said Declan. “About Sarah.” He looked pensive. “That’s what I don’t like.”

  “About Sarah?” ask
ed Hannah. “But what could they know about Sarah?”

  “That’s just it,” he said. “They know about her.” He trailed off again, thinking.

  “Of course they know about her, dummy,” said Ramsey, as only a brother could. “It’s why we’re all holed up here in this house playing ‘Mission Impossible.’” He sighed with impatience. “Do you think you could tell us something we don’t know?”

  “No, dummy,” Declan responded, with typical brotherly irritation. “That’s not what I mean. I mean they know about her Shift. They know what to expect. They’re waiting for something.”

  That took them all by surprise. “How could they know that?” asked Leroy. “Nobody knows what to expect when a Red-Line shifts.”

  “Maybe someone does,” said Ramsey. “I mean we do, or did, have two living Red-Lines among us.”

  “Yes, but they’re not involved,” added Leroy. “Their Shift took place decades ago, and on Eudora, where they were adequately prepared and assisted throughout the process. And from what I understand, every Shift manifests differently for a Red, depending on the person going through it, and that most of what occurs during that time is forgotten once the Shift is complete.”

  “It’s more than that, though,” said Declan. “I sensed this fresher, newer energy. It’s strong and alert. Maybe our two Reds have some connection to it, but it’s not them specifically.”

  “So we end up at the same question,” Leroy answered. “Nobody else would know what to expect.”

  Hannah, listening to the exchange, spoke up. “What about another council member? Someone who has access to confidential information? Information we don’t know exists.”

  “What are you saying? We have someone on the inside, betraying us?” asked Leroy.

  “Maybe. Isn’t it possible?”

  No one knew what to say.

  “Unlikely,” Ramsey finally said. “Almost nothing regarding our people or our existence exists in writing, nothing that could potentially fall into the wrong hands. If they had access to that sort of information, I’m quite confident that the Council would be handling this matter as privately as possible, and we’d all be at home right now, lying on the couch in our pajamas, watching TV and munching popcorn.”

  “Speak for yourself,” said Declan.

  Ramsey continued. “That would play beautifully into a secret mole’s hands. He’d have Sarah right where he wanted her. Besides, if it were true, it would likely involve our two council members. They’d be the ones with access to that information.”

  “Yes, but look what happened to them,” said Leroy.

  “How do we know they weren’t targeted?” asked Declan.

  “Why target them? They’d be the first to tell you that they don’t know what to expect,” said Leroy. “According to what I know, Arnuff and Emerson were questioned extensively about each of their Shifts. They apparently weren’t much help.”

  Ramsey voiced another possibility. “Maybe somebody else thought that Arnuff and Emerson had something else to offer. Something we didn’t think to ask.” He didn’t like the direction his mind was taking him. Something coursed through him in warning.

  “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. Who else would know what to ask?” asked Hannah.

  Ramsey intuitively knew the answer but didn’t voice it. Hannah’s tone suggested she had neared a similar conclusion. If it were true, then they were in for more trouble than they realized. Leroy took the reins first, though, and spoke exactly what Ramsey thought.

  “Another Red-Line,” he stated in answer to Hannah’s question. He turned a serious eye to all of them. “Another Red-Line would know what to ask and what to possibly expect.”

  Declan rounded his eyes as the possibility occurred to him. “Damn, if that’s true…”

  “Then we’re all screwed,” finished Ramsey.

  “It’s not possible, though,” said Leroy, shaking his head and trying to think it through. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves and jumping to conclusions. There are no other Red-Lines among us. No one else like that could exist without our knowledge.”

  “Anything’s possible, Leroy,” exclaimed Hannah. “If Arnuff and Emerson survived, why not someone else? The question is why have they stayed hidden, and why would they have any interest in Sarah? They should be just as invested in her survival as we are.”

  “I’m not buying it,” Leroy responded. “There’s got to be another explanation.” He turned his attention to Declan. “Are you sure that’s what you’re picking up on? That it’s about Sarah’s Shift specifically?”

  All three pairs of eyes moved in Declan’s direction. He perceived their apprehension and skepticism and decided he’d better be sure. He sat back in his seat, relaxing his body and closing his eyes. He tuned out all the energy in the room that swirled around him and returned to the previous night, as he approached the car outside the house. He stretched his senses, recalling the energy he felt and the frequency he’d tuned himself to in order to read the men in the car. He allowed the momentum to gather and coalesce as he felt the mounting sensations around him. He let his sensitivities guide him and his intuition interpret the message. After a moment, he sat back up in his seat and opened his eyes to the hard stares of the other occupants at the table.

  “Well, Captain Marvel, what’d you get?’ asked Ramsey.

  “Nothing about another Red-Line, but they’re definitely waiting.”

  His facial expression did not evoke the confidence they’d hoped to see.

  Ramsey sat back in his chair and sighed. “Yes, we’ve established that. Waiting for what, though?”

  Declan knew they wanted him to be more specific, but he didn’t have access to the answers they sought. He tried to explain what he felt. “Waiting for us to be distracted. They don’t care about the time of day, and they don’t have a plan; they’re just waiting for some signal. They want us when we’ll be the most vulnerable.” He shifted in his seat. He didn’t like his answers any more than they did.

  Leroy moved in his chair. “When is that?” he asked. “Do you know?’

  “I don’t know, Leroy. I wish I did.”

  Ramsey watched as each of them contemplated what could make them so exposed. Declan’s taut energy unnerved him. “Why do I suddenly feel like a sitting duck at a shooting gallery?”

  Just then, as they all envisioned Ramsey’s unpleasant metaphor, they were startled by a shaky, distressed voice from across the room.

  “Ramsey...John.”

  They all swiveled to see Sarah standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall. She wore sweat pants and a short-sleeved cotton top and was drenched in sweat. Her hair was plastered to her face as if she’d run ten miles in ninety-degree weather. Angry red marks covered her arms and ran up from her neck and across her face. Her breathing was rapid and shallow. She walked on quivering legs as she stepped away from the wall and attempted to move her feet in the direction of the occupied table, then she stumbled and collapsed to the carpet.

  Everyone jumped up at once.

  Ramsey got to her first and kneeled next to her. “Sarah?” he asked in alarm. He didn’t want to touch her after seeing the marks on her skin. He looked up at Hannah, who leaned over him. “Get her some water,” he said.

  “How is she?” asked Leroy, kneeling on one knee next to Ramsey.

  Ramsey peered at his friend with worry. “I don’t know. It doesn’t look good.”

  They rolled her gently over to her back, trying not to aggravate her skin.

  “Help him. Please help him.” Sarah was mumbling in confusion. Her eyes were slits, but she caught sight of Ramsey and seemed to pull herself back from her delirious state. She focused herself as much as she could on him. “Ramsey,” she said in a difficult whisper.

  “Sarah, don’t talk. Have some water.” He took the glass that Hannah had brought over and put his hand under Sarah’s head. He lifted her to help her drink. She moaned but was able to grip the straw with her lips and suck in some wate
r. She choked, though, and began to cough, and he pulled the water away.

  “Easy does it. Go slow.” Ramsey tried to give her the water again.

  She refused it and turned her head away before looking back. “They’re coming,” she said, this time with more strength in her voice. “Please. You need to leave.”

  Ramsey heard her and glanced at Leroy, who looked back with unease. “Who’s coming?” he asked her, not really expecting an answer. He needed to get her calm and back into bed, then he’d figure out what to do next. He looked to Hannah for any ideas, but her attention was on Sarah. He masked his worry as he focused his gaze on the woman in his arms.

  She unexpectedly looked up at him with deliberate focus, then reached up and grabbed his forearm. With surprising strength, she yanked on his arm to get his full attention, making the water spill from the glass he held.

  “Listen to me,” she said in a strangled whisper.

  Ramsey handed the water to Hannah and continued to hold Sarah’s head. The heat coming from the hand that held his forearm burned his skin. He looked into her eyes and met her determined gaze. “What, Sarah?”

  He waited for her answer. She stared back at him as if willing herself to stay conscious long enough to answer him. Her energy waned, and as she spoke, her voice faltered and her eyelids drifted down. Her lips moved, but she made no sound.

  “Sarah? I can’t hear you. What?” He leaned in close and put his ear near her mouth.

  He barely heard her labored voice. “This…this…” She tried to catch her breath to continue.

  Ramsey moved closer to hear her. “This what, Sarah?” he asked, keeping his voice steady.

  She managed to take a deeper breath, and he felt her energy spark briefly as she mustered the strength to complete her sentence. “This...this is…what…they’re…waiting for.”

  He heard her labored words, and his heart skipped in response as icy fear gripped his midsection. He turned his head to meet her eyes just as she exhaled with her remaining breath and succumbed to her weakness, going limp in his arms and slipping into unconsciousness.