by Vicky de Leo
Then she looked at Joshua.
Joshua nodded his agreement.
Although it took more than one treatment before Lrence was satisfied that Joshua’s brain scan would register as normal, it appeared that the procedure did in fact work. To make sure, he scanned Sam and Maria again. Even though it had been several hours since their treatments, their waves continued to be normal. It was after midnight before everyone settled in bed. They led Joshua to the room that had been made up for Helen.
He lay on the bed with his eyes closed. He was exhausted. Still, sleep would not come. He kept seeing Sara’s pale face, the horror and revulsion when Helen explained how Frank had drugged her and taken her to his house. When he’d reached out to comfort her, she wouldn’t even look at him. Once she knew what had happened, she pulled her hand away and withdrew from him. He wondered if she could ever forgive him. Frank got in because she was expecting him. He should have been there.
***
Sara stared out at the dark sky, watching the wind blow the trees against the window. She laid on her side with her knees pulled up and her arms wrapped around herself to stop the shaking. Even with several blankets and a warm quilt over her, she couldn’t seem to get warm. Neither could she stop the tears that ran down her face. Her pillow was wet where she had held it over her face to muffle the racking sobs so her grandmother would not hear. The world she’d always known, where she had been in control and safe, no longer existed. For the first time in her life, she felt afraid. The branches scrapping the window terrified her. She had let that monster in her house and he had snatched away her security. How could she have been so stupid as to trust him? Every time she thought about Joshua seeing her lying drugged on another man’s bed, her stomach recoiled. Joshua had to come to her rescue because she had been too stupid to protect herself. She didn’t want to think about what would have happened if he hadn’t come. When they told her, she couldn’t look at him. She didn’t want to see his disgust or worse, pity. She knew he could never look at her again without seeing her lying next to Frank. If she looked at him, she would see it in his eyes.
More than anything, she wanted to curl up in his arms and feel safe and protected, and of course, he would oblige, because that’s the kind of man he was. He wouldn’t turn away knowing she needed him. However, little by little she would feel the distance grow between them until he thought she was stable enough to leave. She knew she had to let him go now. She grabbed the pillow as the sobs came again.
Standing outside Sara’s door, Helen listened to the muffled sobs. Her heart ached. She had been listening to her cry off and on for hours. Every time she went in to check on her, Sara pretended she was asleep. She refused to eat or to talk, asking only to be left alone. That’s enough, thought Helen. She opened the door and went in.
“Sara, I know you’re awake.” Helen sat on the side of the bed. Sara remained curled up facing away from her. “Please, honey, talk to me. I’m wondering if I should call your parents.”
Sara didn’t move, but in a tiny voice said, “Please, Gran, don’t do that. I’ll be fine. You said there’d be no lasting effects. There’s no reason for them to know.”
“Sweetheart, I appreciate that you don’t want anyone to know, and that you need time to come to terms with this in your own way, but I’m worried about you. Frank did more than just drug you; he made you feel helpless and vulnerable for the first time in your life. Maybe it would help to talk to your Mom.”
“No.”
Helen sighed. “You’ve always been a strong willed child. I’ve watched you organize and control the world around you. I remember you ordering your brothers around making sure they followed the rules, picked up their toys, etc. when you were only five.”
She paused, waiting for some response. When Sara continued to stare out the window, Helen went on. “I also understand why it’s hard for you to allow anyone to comfort you. Relying on anyone right now just adds to your fear.” She patted Sara on the hip. “Trust me; it’s not a sign of weakness to lean on someone when you’re hurting. What about Joshua? He’s hurting too.”
Helen heard a sharp intake of breath at Joshua’s name and felt her stiffen. After a while, when it became clear that Sara wasn’t willing to talk, she left the room, closing the door behind her. She paused in the hallway, listening to the muffled sobs resume.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The next morning Joshua got up early so he could go home, shower and change clothes before going to school. Because his brain scans remained normal, everyone relaxed. He tried calling Sara on her cell. He wasn’t surprised when she didn’t pick up. When he called the home phone, Helen said she couldn’t come to the phone because she was in the shower, but that she was planning on going to school. He settled for texting her that he would see her later. His grandfather was just leaving when Joshua arrived home.
The black car still parked on the side of the road didn’t move when Joseph pulled out of the driveway.
Joshua showered, dressed in jeans and sweatshirt, hopped into his car, and hurried to his first class. He didn’t notice the black car pull out and follow.
***
Sara looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still slightly red. She’d managed to reduce the puffiness with a cold compress, but even after applying the makeup she seldom wore, she had to admit she still looked tired and worn. She lifted her chin. So what, she wouldn’t look any different than any other student who stayed up all night cramming or partying. Helen had tried to convince her to stay home. She knew she couldn’t. It would only add to whatever rumors were already circulating. She didn’t want anyone asking about her. Coming down the stairs, she heard Helen in the kitchen. “I’m leaving,” she called out. She grabbed her books and a jacket and hurried out the door before her grandmother could suggest she eat.
Rachel met her at the door of her first class. Sara brushed past her and took a seat before she could say anything. Rachel took the seat next to her and leaned in to whisper, “Relax, I haven’t told anyone anything.”
Sara shot her a grateful smile and mouthed a silent “Thanks.” Now that she didn’t have to worry about everyone whispering behind her back, it was all Sara could do to concentrate on the lecture and take notes. As the day wore on, the lack of sleep caught up with her. She skipped the class she had just before lunch because she knew that Joshua would be waiting outside. She ran to a vending machine, and chugged down a coke, hoping the caffeine would keep her awake. She hid in the Library until she knew he was back in class, ignoring his texts. She left her final class, grateful to have made it through the day. On her way home, she ran into Nathan and Rachel.
Rachel gave Nathan a kiss and a slight shove, falling in step with Sara when he left.
Trapped, Sara resigned herself to discussing the situation with Rachel. The last thing she needed was someone consoling her, but she couldn’t see any way around it.
Rachel surprised her by starting the conversation with, “Why are you torturing Josh?”
She ducked her head and kept walking. “I’m not torturing him. I’m trying to set him free,” she said quietly.
Rachel stopped her with a hand on her arm. “He’s not a wild animal in a cage. The man rescued you, and you are treating him like dirt.”
Sara shot back, “He shouldn’t have had to rescue me. I don’t want his pity. He should just find someone else.” Angry that she allowed Rachel to goad her into saying more than she meant to, she pulled her arm away. “Frankly this is none of your business.”
Rachel blocked her path and with her eyes wide, said, “I don’t believe it. You’re breaking up with him because you think he’ll be better off without you? As if somehow getting drugged is your fault?”
Sara closed her eyes and hugged herself. “He found me unconscious on another man’s bed. How will he ever be able to see me the same way again?” Angrily, she brushed away the tears that ran down her face.
Rachel shook her head and reached out to hug her. Sar
a clung to her for a moment and then pulled herself together, straightened up and walked away.
Rachel let her go.
***
Nathan caught Joshua just as he was getting to his car. “Hey, I just saw Sara on her way home. You headed that way?”
Joshua didn’t look up. “No, she’s made it pretty clear she doesn’t want to see me.”
Nathan frowned and jerked to a stop. “You’re not even going to try to find out why?”
Joshua unlocked the door. “I know why. She blames me for Frank being able to get to her. If I’d been on time, it wouldn’t have happened.” He opened the car door, got in, and started the engine.
Nathan stepped out of the way and watched him drive off. He noticed a black car pull out a minute later headed in the same direction.
Chapter Twenty-Five
As soon as Sara left for school, Helen got in the car and headed back to Lrence’s house to continue their work on the antidote. Respecting Sara’s request, she hadn’t called her parents, deciding to give Sara a few days to work through her feelings. Helen would make sure she was back before dinnertime to check on her. She parked the car in the driveway and rang the bell.
Lrence open the door. “I have good news. Your idea of using biofeedback worked to reduce Joshua’s brain waves.
“Great.”She followed him down to the lab.
“How is Sara doing?”
“As well as can be expected. There aren’t any residual physical effects, but mentally she’s pretty shattered.”
Kafra was already there and working. They began in earnest to calculate how to restore the serotonin and dopamine levels once Joshua began to crash. It wasn’t long before Sam and Maria came downstairs.
“Are you ready for the test dummies?” Sam asked.
“Not quite.” Lrence explained, “It’s a tricky problem because surging usually causes the levels to soar, only to drop drastically several hours later. Because you two only transported once and had minimal contact with the crystal, your exposure is different from Joshua’s. However, even with the same exposure, no two people seem to react the same. Each of your bodies reacted differently. Sam, your levels have already dropped and are now only slightly lower than normal and no real problem. Your brain should compensate and readjust the levels by themselves over time. On the other hand, Maria, your levels remain slightly high, yet not enough to be dangerous or produce any symptoms. I feel sure your brain will probably readjust by itself over time as well.
“Joshua’s constant contact with the crystal has kept his levels much higher for a longer period of time. The blood and urine tests we took show that his are still much higher than normal. We have no way of knowing when the levels will come down or how far.”
Sam stood with both arms crossed in front. “Are you saying that you can’t use us to test a serum for Joshua?”
“Exactly, but we can’t use the serum we designed for Harry either. When working with Harry, he insisted on constant continued contact with the crystal. When he tried going without the crystal, not only did his levels drop dramatically, but the pain came back almost immediately. We believed we came up with a successful serum we could administer periodically to lower his levels, so he could continue to carry the crystal, but we were never able to test it on him.”
Kafra stepped forward. “However, even though Joshua hasn’t been in contact with the crystal for a while now, unlike Harry, his levels are remaining high. His body is not reacting the same way Harry’s did. We don’t know if that’s because Joshua is healthy and Harry had a disease, or if different people just react differently.”
Maria spoke up. “You said Sam’s levels have dropped, so it would seem that he reacted more like Harry. What if Joshua’s reaction has something to do with heredity? If my levels are slightly high after only minimal contact, maybe Joshua takes more after me. We could test that theory. I’ll carry around the crystal for a week.”
Sam frowned, but before he could say anything, Lrence said, “Absolutely not. I’m not risking anyone else.”
When Maria started to object, Helen laid a hand on her arm. “There are a number of possibilities. Heredity maybe one of them or Joshua’s body may just be slower to react. The only thing we know for sure is that we don’t want to give even a portion of the serum developed for Harry to Joshua. Even though Joshua’s level are high right now, we don’t know if it would it cure the problem or exacerbate it causing the levels to drop dangerously low.”
Sam and Maria sat and listened as Lrence, Kafra and Helen continued to debate the pros and cons of trying to lower Joshua’s levels. After much discussion, they decided they needed to wait until Joshua’s levels began to drop, and then administer measured does of serotonin and dopamine as needed to maintain normal levels. The only problem with this solution was that they would need Joshua on hand, and he had proven adamantly resistant to staying there.
To add to the dilemma, just before five p.m. Lrence got a call from Vicki. The others waited while he listened. Clicking the device closed he said, “The station’s lost contact with Erik. Due to some new discoveries and political infighting, the Watchers decided to call off the investigation for now and recalled all agents. However, Erik refused to come back and disabled his locator. Vicki thinks it’s possible that Erik suspects someone at the station is working with us. The last they heard he was on his way to Boston. He may be here watching your father’s house and hoping that Joshua will lead him to you or to one of us.”
Maria looked stricken. Sam put his arm around her and waited for Lrence to continue.
Lrence said, “Look, this could be good news. Without the help of the Watchers, Erik is less of a threat. I think the best course of action is to convince Joshua to stay here. I can protect him against Erik.”
Kafra shook her head. “The worst thing we can do is bring Joshua here now. He will lead Erik right to you. Once Erik knows you are still alive and where you live, he won’t have any difficulty convincing the Watchers to reinstate the investigation. All the safeguards you’ve put in place will be useless once they know where to find you.” She stood facing Lrence, feet wide apart, arms folded in front of her and stubborn set to her jaw.
Helen interrupted them, “Wait, there’s a simple solution. Joshua doesn’t need to come here. I can draw blood and get urine samples from Joshua at my house. He’s there almost every day anyway. Given his relationship with Sara, there’s no reason why that should make anyone suspicious.” She didn’t mention the problems with that relationship, hoping that it would all work itself out soon. “I can pass the samples on to you and Kafra to test and replicate the appropriate drugs. We can use the hospital as a drop off and pick up point. I’m there every day and there are enough people coming and going so that no one would notice either of you.”
Even Lrence, who seemed to be spoiling for a fight with Erik, had to agree that her suggestion made sense.
Having won that round, Kafra went on to suggest that Sam and Maria should leave as well. “We can’t use you as test subjects so there’s no need for you to stay. You can’t stay locked in this house, and I think it will be too tempting to be this close to Joshua and not be able to see him, too tempting for Joshua as well. Even with your altered appearance, if Erik were ever to see the three of you together, he would know.” She laid a hand on Maria’s arm. “I know it sounds harsh, but it would be better for everyone if you went as far away as possible.”
When Sam and Maria looked devastated, she added, “Just until he gives up following Joshua. I‘ll give you my cell phone number and you can call me every day for an update.”
Sam and Maria were reluctant to leave without knowing that Joshua had been cured. Maria argued that she should stay as a test subject. In the end, Sam sided with Kafra that staying posed too much of a danger to everyone. Reluctantly, they packed their bags and using their new identities booked the first flight out of Boston to Europe. They hugged both Kafra and Lrence and thanked them for their help before leaving.
Sam made sure that no one followed them to the airport. Helen dropped them at the airport on her way home, promising to call Joseph and Joshua to say goodbye for them. In addition to keeping in touch through Kafra, Helen promised to have Joshua call them from her house at least once a week so they could hear his voice.
Once home, Helen parked the car in the garage. She checked on Sara who was upstairs in her room. Then she called Joseph. “The Watchers have lost contact with Erik. They believe that he disabled his locator because he suspects that someone is helping Lrence. He is probably watching your house, so make sure that neither you nor Joshua goes to Lrence. For the safety of everyone, Kafra insisted that Sam and Maria leave. They said to tell you goodbye and asked you to take care of Joshua.”
“What of Joshua’s treatments? Joseph asked.
“The brainwaves were stabilized this morning, so even if Erik scans him, it should be okay. He will need to come here to my house each morning so that I can take blood and urine samples, which I will pass on to Lrence and Kafra to test. If his levels suddenly drop then I will have Sara call him and ask him to come over in the evening so I can administer the serum. Their past relationship should provide the perfect cover.”
“How does Sara feel about that? Joshua tells me she isn’t speaking to him.”
“I haven’t told her yet, but I know that she will still want Joshua safe. She’ll do whatever she has to do to protect him.” At least she hoped that were true. Sara walked into the front room just as Helen was finishing her conversation with Joseph. Putting the phone down and turning to Sara, she asked, “How are you feeling?”
“Mostly empty. At least I seem to be all cried out. Did I hear you say that Joshua will be coming here every morning?”
“Yes. Is that a problem?” She explained that there was a good chance Erik was here watching his house. “With Erik here we can’t chance his going to Lrence, and he still needs treatment.” When Sara didn’t answer, Helen went on, “Remember you’re the one that begged me to help him.”
