“Or, if you don’t want to write, I want to support you in what you do want to do. Want to be a cam girl? I’ll be cheering you on with the camera in my hands—silently, of course. Teacher? I’ll get some balloons for you when you finish grading papers. Whatever you want from me, Kristen.
“So, that was part one of what I wanted to tell you,” I said as we walked across the street. When we reached the other side, I caught myself staring at her face.
“Are you going to continue, or can I talk now?” She stood on her toes and gave me a quick kiss.
“Sorry, your face is distracting. Anyway, I know we can make this work.” I pulled her close. “I just need to believe in us. I need to communicate with you, openly and honestly. That night after the forest, I was already mentally preparing myself for failure. But now, I know I need an altered mentality. If I communicate, if I’m open and you do the same, then my fears, pain, and irrationality can be alleviated. For now, I just can’t be left to wonder about you, about us.” I rubbed her cheek with my thumb. Her skin was soft, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss her, but I needed to hear her response.
She stood there for a moment, staring into the sky before suddenly dragging me to a bench. We sat down before she began. “That all makes sense. That night I told myself I could take the wall down around my heart, but only a bit. I set myself up for failure; we set ourselves up for failure.
“You’re so thoughtful, Will. Kind and sweet, too. So, I’m ready to give you all of me. At least the parts you’d like.” She winked. “I should tell you about my dad.”
So we sat on that bench, and I let her talk. She recounted the times he didn’t come home, and the times he wasn’t there for her or her mother. By the end, I could almost see what had caused her such pain in the past, and I desperately wanted to be the Band-Aid that went over those scars. Would Neosporin be more appropriate? Whichever makes sense, I wanted to be that.
I was shocked to see the sunrise come up over the horizon of the buildings. I didn’t have a tired bone in my body.
“I wonder if they’re worried about us,” I said. Her head was in my lap, and I was playing with her hair. “And by ‘they,’ I mean your friends. Daichi has his book of evil spirits to keep him company.”
She glanced up, her face scrunched in confusion. “Not even going to ask,” she said. “As for my friends, who knows? Let’s go see. I’m hungry.”
We stood up and I stretched, feeling my muscles groan after sitting for so long. As we turned to make our way back to the hotel, I thought of kicking trees, Gashley, and Molly. I no longer felt the desire to ruminate over those broken moments and missed opportunities; I had Kristen now.
Thirty-Two
Will
I peered in through the door, quietly bemoaning the fact I’d agreed to do this. I just wanted to be with Kristen, and not on a mission on the fast track to an early grave.
Regardless, I was here. Just breathe. In and out. Then this whole “avoid assassination” business would be resolved and I could focus on being the best guy for Kristen.
The lights were on inside PISP despite it being well past sunset. Was someone working late? Perfect. I smiled and pushed at the door. Surprisingly, it was open. I stepped into the minimalistic room. It was the same as before. The only thing in the room that had changed was me. Even just a week ago sitting in here for my appointment, my life was so different. Powerless, Kristen-less, and ignorant. I was dying, too. Although, depending on how this went I could still end up dead by the end of the night.
With the quiet of the room, there were two voices that came from the hall. I crossed the room and followed the voices. The right hallway was dark so I took a left, opposite where I went for my appointment. The left hallway took me to a darkened room, one that resembled a dentist’s set up. It must have been where they took Kristen. After a quick peek in, I continued down the hallway. There were no other splits, only one door at the end. The lights were on.
“There is no use in feigning ignorance, Doctor,” said a male voice. “How else would the kid have been able to take down our three operatives? Three. We’ve never needed more than one.”
I’m assuming I’m the kid, I thought as I crept to the edge of the doorway.
“How could anything I have done benefited him?” I recognized Dr. Randle’s voice.
“That’s what I’d like to know,” the male voice said. His tone shook, likely becoming impatient. He took an audible breath. “I’m becoming desperate here. I will admit that. But I doubt that’s what you want to hear. I have no more able operatives. Where does that leave me?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I didn’t know of these operatives until tonight.”
“Oh, please,” the male voice snapped back. “You know we are quite good at keeping secrets here but don’t act like you didn’t know we had people—” A click sounded. “You know what? Never mind. This is why you’ll tell me.”
The click sounded awfully like a gun so I spared a peek in the room. The light was blinding. I blinked. The male voice and Dr. Randle sat facing each other, one facing me and the other with their back within my reach. I waited a moment in silence for my eyes to adjust to see who was who. Only the two outlines were visible for the longest time.
The silence was broken with the slamming of something metallic. When my vision returned, the silver-haired nurse was standing, mouth agape, gun pointed at my chest. Dr. Randle turned in her seat and quickly looked between me and the silver-haired man. Her hand flew to her mouth.
“What are you doing here?” the man asked. The gun remained leveled at my chest, only moving with the shaking of his hand. “Did she let you in?” The gun swiveled to point at Dr. Randle. She shrieked, cowering in her chair.
“No,” I said, voice breaking. “No,” I repeated. “I just wanted the results for my bloodwork.” I held my hands up, hoping to calm the shaky male nurse.
“Come in the room,” he demanded. “Sit.” The gun came back in my direction.
“Where?” I asked, noting only two chairs in the room.
The man’s face curled into a deep frown. He did a complete three-sixty, looking as silly as a situation with a loaded gun allowed. “Just take my seat.” He shuffled to the side, gesturing with the gun for me to take his place. I moved carefully, keeping my hands visible as I sat in the seat. “Now, I’ll ask again. Why are you here? How did you take out my operatives?”
I didn’t answer right away. He reminded me that I did have a way out of this, but I would need something to draw energy from. A brief glance around the room confirmed there wasn’t much to draw from sans the two other humans. “I told you—”
“Don’t lie to me kid.” Spittle flew from his lips as he interrupted me. The gun shook so much I was confident his finger would accidentally find the trigger. Instead, he brought it a few inches from Dr. Randle’s face. Tears were now streaming down her face at an alarming rate. How long had she been crying? I was so focused on the damn gun I hardly noticed. I felt a pang of sympathy for her. It sat in my gut right next to mortal terror and immense regret. “I’ll shoot her, kid. Answer me,” he whined.
Once again she yelped in terror, this time falling backward, chair and all. I stood halfway up to catch her before her leg flew up, kicking the hand the man held the gun in. A gunshot rang out and everyone in the room froze. The silver haired man stared at me and I, in the middle of standing up, stared back at him. Our eyes locked then we both looked down to Dr. Randle. Fortunately, for her, she was unconscious. Unfortunately, blood was sprouting from her shoulder. Some had even pooled under the back of her head.
I didn’t dare move with this man still holding a gun. It was more likely he would accidentally shoot me before he ever purposely pulled the trigger. Suddenly, he dropped the gun and it clattered to his feet. He got on his knees and looked to me. “Oh God, oh God.”
I bent down and picked up the gun, placing it on the counter behind me. He continued muttering, “I didn’t mean to. I wasn’t
going to shoot anybody.”
Was this truly the man who had ordered those operatives to take me out? Among a lack of hand-eye coordination, he seemed to lack a spine as well.
“This is it,” he said, “PISP is done.”
“Come here or she is done too,” I bent down to put pressure on the wound. I found the wound on her shoulder near where what I thought her clavicle was. I pressed down, using the only bit of first aid knowledge I had. I wished Kristen was there. Especially in place of the silver-haired man who simply stared at me. “Dude,” I called.
He shook his head and fell to the ground on the opposite side of the doctor. “Is she going to make it?”
I ignored him. I could heal her. I grabbed his arm, keeping my right hand pressed to the wound. “Don’t move,” I said, looking directly into his eyes. I pulled from his energy and felt it slide across my body, circling in my chest before racing down to her.
“Wow,” silver hair said, “what are you doing? This is beyond anything we discovered.” I ignored him but he continued. “It seems we only hit the tip of the iceberg.”
Dr. Randle twitched as the wound slowly closed up. I wasn’t sure if the bullet had passed through or if it was still inside her, but there was no way I’d be able to get it out. This would have to be enough until I could get her further help.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Late Monday night, a local dentist was found shot and unconscious at her office.
Police received an anonymous call regarding a Dr. Julia Randle being shot. Once on the scene, police found Randle unconscious but stable.
The anonymous tip also detailed a silver-haired man as the culprit; however, he was not found on the scene. Police picked him up a few blocks from the office.
Dr. Randle is still unconscious as of Tuesday morning. Motive is unknown at this time.
Update (6/6): Randle has awoken and positively identified Mr. Salvatore Gallo as the shooter. Once identified, Mr. Gallo spoke with authorities. If accurate, Mr. Gallo was officially on the record as Dr. Randle’s dental assistance but both confirmed Mr. Gallo ran the operation.
Update (6/7): Upon searching Mr. Gallo’s computer, authorities found details potentially connecting the former dental assistant to what were thought to be unrelated crimes at the time.
Update (8/1): In an attempt to minimize jail time, Mr. Gallo has finally revealed the extent of PISP’s criminal activity. Xenophobia was thought to be the cause of the train stabbing when two young men went to defend two teenage girls, an Arab American and an African American. Instead, the Portland Paper has obtained details claiming that the attacker was paid by Mr. Gallo to have the death of the victim’s appear to be an accident. It is unclear for what reason Mr. Gallo wanted the death of the victim or victims but per sources we have been able to confirm a connection. We continue to work on confirming others.
Dr. Randle, the shooting victim which brought light to PISP’s illegal activity, will not be charged.
Jenna Jorgensen
Thirty-Four
Kristen
I walked into the house upon returning from Seattle, an unwavering grin on my face. Will returned home the day after he surprised me, leaving me to spend the rest of the vacation thinking about him. I had a great time with my friends too, especially knowing I’d have him when I got back.
I closed the door behind me and turned to see his head peeking up from his room down the stairs. Reminiscent of an eager dog, he bounded up the steps and embraced me in a huge hug. I couldn’t blame him for his excitement. After all, I had urged Tracy to skip a few rest stops to speed up our return.
Will pulled away and planted his lips on mine. I would never get tired of the feeling of his lips. He brought his hands up and caressed my face, my body going weak as he pushed me against the wall. His withdrew his lips from mine, only to latch them onto my neck.
“I’m so happy to be home,” I said.
He pulled back. “You have no idea how little I got done waiting for you, Kristen.”
His body released mine and I leaned my head against his chest. “So glad to have you back,” he said over my head.
I imagined him biting his lip after he spoke, leading me to smile more into his chest.
“Go put your stuff away; we can’t stand here all day,” he said.
I stood against him for a brief moment more, taking in his scent and the beat of his heart before I let go. I grabbed my bags and ran up the stairs, glancing back over my shoulder the entire way.
Turning the corner, I threw my luggage into my room before I even entered. Prancing in, my bed soon came into view. I hoped I wouldn’t be seeing it much—I liked Will’s much better.
I turned on the light, and my gaze drifted back to my bed. I screeched. It was a spider. Stumbling back into the hallway, I ran into Will and his mirth-filled grin.
“Looks like you’ll have to sleep downstairs with me again. Infestation’s back.” He suddenly picked me up and tossed me onto the bed. I screamed again as I landed on the spider. I scrambled off the bed before realizing it was a toy. I threw it at Will and his obnoxious, yet endearing, smile.
I would have cursed him out if he hadn’t pushed me back onto the bed, pressing his body’s weight onto me. An immediate wave of heat radiated through my body, from my core to my limbs.
Will moved my hair and kissed down my neck, forcing me to close my eyes and melt under his weight. Whispering in my ear he said, “I think it’s time to consummate the relationship.” I felt his lips curl into a grin against my ear.
“I’d like that,” I said, feeling a hardness between my legs. As much as I’d love to have responded with something witty, I was ready to let Will know all of me.
Thirty-Five
Will
“Pancakes again?” I moaned with a gigantic smile.
“I can toss them if you’d rather have your beloved Pop-Tarts,” Kristen said.
“No, no, thank you.”
She came to me and stood on her toes, giving me a kiss. “I love that you’re doing this.”
“I’m a bit nervous, to be honest. Not everyone will have their lifeline fall into their lap in the guise of their roommate.” I hugged her. Today would have been zero days left in my Operation One Year Left. I had started volunteering a few months ago to pass the time. “I’m gonna find a ‘Will’ and help them out, just like you helped me.” Kristen rolled her eyes. I probably repeated myself at least twice a day, but I was passionate about it.
“I know you will,” she said, pulling away.
“Assuming I get the job!” I wanted to turn volunteering into a career. It was no longer something to do when Kristen was busy.
“All the more reason to eat up, skinny.” She poked my stomach, and I chased her out of the kitchen. I caught her in the living room and grabbed her around the waist. She giggled and yelled for me to put her down. “The pancakes will get cold!”
I threw her onto the couch. “Fine, I’ll eat your damn pancakes.” I threw a grin over my shoulder as I entered the kitchen and sat at the table.
A week later, I stood at the doorstep of my new job, ready to change some lives. Taking a deep breath, I walked in and was greeted by the smell of paperwork. Hopefully I’d come to equate this smell with success. I nodded to the receptionist and entered the main lobby of the building.
A tall, pale lady with a large nose approached me, a nefarious-looking grin on her face, making me wonder what awful things she had planned for me.
“Hello and welcome!”
“Hi!” I shook her hand, trying to match her enthusiasm.
“Will, right?” she asked. I nodded, still maintaining the plastered smile on my face. “Linda isn’t here today, but you can shadow me. First item of the day—you will be sitting in on an interview training that I’ll be leading. You have a few minutes until we get started.”
“Wonderful,” I replied. I took out my phone and shot Kristen a quick message. I never missed a chance to keep her updated and tell her I
loved her. Before I could shove my phone back in my pocket, it vibrated. I opened the message, expecting a response from Kristen, but it was an unfamiliar number.
Chandler here. Long time no talk. What do you know about demons?
I forwarded the message to Kristen (I promised to keep her up to date after I got so caught up in winning her back that I forgot to tell her about taking down PISP until a day later) and dropped my phone back in my pocket. I hadn’t heard from Chandler or Guardian since Mr. Gallo was arrested. What could they want me to do now? I shook my head. No use in guessing until I could text them later. I walked into the room, glancing at the individuals, wondering which of their lives I could change for the better.
Afterword
Thanks for reading! Two things:
If you enjoyed this book please consider leaving a review (they are beyond helpful).
If you would like to delve into my epic fantasy series and would like a free copy of the Eternity Acts prequel, Ramodeus, click here (or visit my website at www.jcrbooks.com).
About the Author
Jordan C. Robinson enjoys watching Washington sports teams, although they mostly have taught him to deal with large levels of disappointment. Growing up, Jordan played a lot of video games with his two younger brothers. He likely doesn’t want anyone to know he still has a deck of Pokemon cards he’s recently used. Jordan’s favorite movie is Adventureland. He thinks Kristen is stunning.
For more information:
www.jcrbooks.com
[email protected]
Also by Jordan C. Robinson
Ramodeus
Transfer_An Urban Fantasy Romance Page 15
