by Vicky de Leo
Sara shrugged. “No, it’s not a problem. I’ll just leave before he gets here.”
Helen shook her head and took her by the shoulders. “No, you won’t. The whole excuse for him coming here is to see you. You’ll need to ride to school with him or it’ll look strange. I hear that you refused to talk to him today, but you’re going to have to get over that. If he needs treatment, you have to be the one to contact him and ask him to come over so I can administer it. Unless you don’t care anymore if Erik kills him or he goes insane?” She said it brutally hoping to shake Sara out of the lethargy into which she had settled.
Sara colored. “Of course I still care. Fine, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Joshua safe.” She stalked out. Seeing Joshua every day would be agony. She wasn’t sure she could trust herself not to crawl back into the safe cocoon of his arms, but she knew if she did, it would only make it that much more difficult when he finally decided to move on.
Joshua wasn’t any more thrilled with the plan than Sara was when Joseph explained it to him. Not seeing her was difficult, but having to endure her rejection face to face, every day seemed impossible. Actually being killed by Erik or going crazy seemed like acceptable alternatives, if it didn’t mean putting his folks or Lrence in even more danger. Of course, Erik wouldn’t do him the favor of just killing him; he would more than likely torture him for information to retrieve the stone. Since he hadn’t been trained to withstand torture, it probably wouldn’t take much to break him. It seemed he had no choice. Going insane would be a dead giveaway as well.
Chapter Twenty-Six
When Joshua knocked on the door the next morning, Helen let him in. She told him Sara was still getting ready. After Helen had obtained the samples, Sara came downstairs.
Without looking at Joshua, she followed him to the car. He held the door as she got in. He didn’t try to touch her. Neither of them said anything on the ten-minute trip to the campus. Almost the minute Joshua parked the car, Sara sprang out and proceeded to class. Joshua didn’t have a class for another hour so he went to the library to study for a test he had that day.
For the next three days, they followed the same routine. Sara didn’t come down until Joshua was ready to leave, and then they rode in silence to school. Once there, they separated to go to class. Joshua didn’t bother trying to meet her for lunch or walk her to class. After school, they each made their way home separately. Sara hadn’t looked at or spoken to Joshua since coming home from the hospital. Since Joshua’s levels remained high, there was no need for Sara to call him to come over in the evening.
When Rachel commented that Sara looked tired and had lost weight, she admitted that she hadn’t been sleeping well. She refused to talk about Joshua and if Rachel mentioned his name, Sara walked away.
Nathan confided to Rachel that Joshua was increasingly irritable and short-tempered. When Nathan had mentioned Sara’s name, Joshua had told him to shut up and slammed his fist into the locker.
On the fourth morning when Joshua parked the car as usual, Nathan and Rachel were waiting in the parking lot. Rachel stood next to the door on the driver’s side holding on to it so that Joshua would have to knock her down to leave.
Nathan position himself on the passenger side facing Sara.
Rachel looked at both of them. “You two still not talking?” When no one answered, she went on, “Oh for pete’s sake. Joshua, Sara broke up with you because she thinks that you’ll be better off without her.”
Sara looked horror stricken and screamed, “Rachel!”
Rachel refused to look at her. “She thinks that somehow it is her fault that Frank drugged her and that you’ll never be able to forget seeing her lying on his bed.”
Joshua looked at Sara, who had her head down said, “What? How could you think that?”
Nathan chimed in speaking to Sara, “Joshua thinks that you blame him for not getting to the house sooner. He thinks it’s his fault.”
Now it was Sara turn to look at Joshua, “It wasn’t your fault. It was mine. I’m the idiot that let him in.”
Rachel interrupted her. “The only person at fault here is Frank, and right now he’s winning. He set out to split you guys up.”
Joshua walked around Rachel to the other side of the car and stood in front of Sara. Nathan moved out of his way. With one finger, Joshua tilted Sara’s head up so that she had to look at him. “How could you think that I would be better off without you? These last few days have been the worst days of my life. Without you I’m miserable.”
She looked at him then. The disgust and pity that she had expected to see in his eyes were not there. She couldn’t believe it. He still loved her. Nothing had changed. When he put his arms around her, instead of resisting, she reached around him to hug him tight to her. With her face buried in his chest, she began to cry.
He held her, kissing the top of her head, her eyes, and her nose and telling her how much he loved her. Finally, their lips met.
Rachel decided it was time to leave. She came around the car and took hold of Nathan’s arm. “I think our work here is done”
Walking arm in arm to class, Nathan said, “You know what I love about you?”
“Besides my fabulous figure and quick wit?”
“While I adore both those things, it’s your ability to solve problems with simple logic and common sense that really astounds me.”
Rachel laughed snuggling closer to him, “You smooth talker.”
Joshua and Sara stood holding each other for several minutes. Then Joshua smiled and said, “Get in. It’s time we had some fun.”
She ducked back inside the car and when Joshua got in, she asked, “Are we ditching?”
He pulled out of the parking lot racing the engine, “Yes, I can’t let you leave and just go to class; I need to spend some time alone with you. We need a stress free day just the two of us.”
Erik watched the entire exchange between both couples. He had gotten out of the black car and stood near a light post in the parking lot so he could hear what was going on. Dressed in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, he looked like any other student. Seeing them leave, Erik ran back to the car. He pulled out to follow. Joshua’s car slipped into traffic. For a moment, he couldn’t see it anywhere. Spying the silver Porsche turning left, he gunned the engine, staying several cars back.
Sara laughed catching Joshua’s enthusiasm, “Where are we going?”
“How about a drive and lunch in the country? We’ll just drive north until we come to a nice spot.”
“Sounds perfect.” She sat back in the seat and turned her head so that she could watch him, a smile on her face for the first time in a week. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. His dark hair blew in the breeze from the open window. Although there was a smile on his face, she could see the dark circles beneath his eyes. She realized that he hadn’t been sleeping any better than she had.
He reached over and caught her hand in his. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining. Once they left the freeway, Joshua stopped and put down the top. He leaned in and kissed her for several minutes before starting up again. The black car parked in the shadows a block away.
They drove leisurely through the countryside enjoying the warmth of the sun. They stopped for lunch at a small inn situated next to a stream and bordered by tall trees. The hostess showed them to a table by a window that looked out on the stream. Sara ordered a Cobb salad and Joshua had a club sandwich. Holding hands across the table, they watched a squirrel scamper up a tree.
Erik watched as Joshua and Sara left the car and went into the restaurant. He called the station. Unable to get the answer he wanted, he disconnected, swore, and flung the communicator across the seat. He got out of the car, and entered the restaurant. It was small with only a few tables. Deciding that no matter where he sat, he would be able to see them, he let the hostess lead him to a table for two against the wall. Joshua had his back to him. Sara sat facing him, her eyes never leaving Joshua’s face. Erik wasn’t close
enough to be able to overhear their conversation, but he decided that it didn’t matter. They were so engrossed in each other, that he doubted they would even notice him.
The waitress stood next to the table cutting off his view. “Have you decided, or do you need a few more minutes?”
He glanced at the menu. “I’ll have a roast beef sandwich and a cup of coffee.” When Joshua left school and headed out of town, Eric had hoped that he would lead him to his parents. Two days ago, he managed to bump into Joshua to scan him, so he knew that Joshua’s brain waves were normal. After searching the house where Joshua was staying, he’d gone on to search Sara’s house. He found nothing, no crystals, no portals, no trace of Joshua’s parents and no indication of an insurgent. Still, he was sure Joshua was the key. The only way Joshua’s parents could have escaped is with the help of an insurgent, someone who had access to and knew how to use a crystal. What Erik couldn’t figure out is why they were willing to expose themselves for this particular family.
After lunch, Joshua and Sara walked hand in hand alongside the stream until they reached a little clearing with a fallen log. They stopped there. Sara sat on the ground with her back propped up against the log watching the water cascade over the rocks. Joshua lay prone with his head in her lap content to watch her. When she ran her hand through his hair, he clasped it and brought it to his lips. She leaned down and kissed him. They hadn’t talked much. It seemed enough just to be together. It had been a perfect day.
When Joshua and Sara left the restaurant, Erik paid his check and returned to the car. As he waited for them to return, he made his decision. He was through waiting and hoping Joshua would lead him to his parents. Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen. He would have to take a more direct approach.
When the sun finally went behind the clouds and a breeze sprang up, they decided it was time to head back. Reaching the car, Joshua put the top back up. Relaxed and happy, Sara dozed once they hit the interstate. On the drive back, Joshua noticed a black car behind him. However, when he turned on to Sara‘s street, the black car drove on past. Joshua woke Sara when he pulled in front of her grandmother’s house.
Stretching she said, “You might as well come in, and see what the latest test results are before you go home. Although I would be willing to bet they haven’t changed.”
“Why is that?” He said with a smile, getting out of the car and walking her to the door.
She smiled up at him. “Somehow you’re just not looking very depressed.”
Joshua had his arm around her and they were both laughing when they walked into the living room. Helen was just coming out of the kitchen. She smiled when she saw Sara laughing again. When they asked about Joshua’s most recent test results, she replied, “Your levels are still high. Lrence thinks that they should have come down by now. He can’t explain it. We don’t have a base line for you so he is beginning to wonder if your levels haven’t always been above normal. As long as you aren’t experiencing any manic behavior, we’ll just continue to monitor you. By the way, Kafra said to tell you that your folks called to say hello. They’re having a great time playing tourist, but your mom has had a hard time keeping your dad out of the museums. She’s afraid they’ll run into too many old friends.”
Joshua chuckled. “Dad banned from the museums must be torture for him. I‘d better get home. Grandpa tends to worry lately if I‘m not there when he comes home.” Sara walked him to the door and he kissed her goodbye. “I’ll call you later.”
Joseph hearing Joshua whistling when he walked in the door, said. “I take it you two finally made up.”
Joshua grinned. “Yep, just a misunderstanding.” During dinner, he told him Lrence’s theory about his levels and passed on Kafra’s message about his parents. Mrs. Stewart had just left when the doorbell rang. Joshua assuming it was Nathan went to answer it.
Erik stood in the doorway.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Joshua recognized Erik from the description that Lrence had given them and from the gun pointed at his chest. He backed up. Erik stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
“Where’s your grandfather?”
“He‘s not here,” Joshua lied.
Erik ignored him and raised his voice, calling out, “Mr. Carson, you want to join us?” When there was no answer, “Don’t bother, I already cut the phone lines. Don’t make me hurt your grandson, just come out here.” He held out his hand to Joshua. “I’ll take your cell phone now.” Joshua had no choice but to hand it over as Joseph entered the hallway.
Erik motioned for them to go into the living room and sit down on the sofa. Once he was standing with his back to the fireplace, he took out his communicator. “Watcher One, this is Agent Erik, please come in . . . I have located them. I am interrogating the boy and his grandfather about the power source now. I’ll report in when I have the stone. Agent Erik out.” He hooked the communicator on his belt and looked at them.
Joseph said, “Who are you and what do you want? Look if this is a robbery . . .” He started to take out his wallet.
“Put your money away. Your grandson knows why I’m here even if you don’t”
Joshua folded his arms across his chest. “Why would I know? We’ve never met before.”
“That much is true,” Erik acknowledged with a dip of his head, “but I could see that you recognized me when you opened the door. Do you still have the stone?” he asked casually.
Joshua tried to match the same casual tone, “What stone? We have lots of them outside in the garden.”
Erik rolled his eyes. “Nice try, the one that transported you from Guatemala to here.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about. I took a plane.” Joshua sat back against the sofa and crossed his legs.
Erik raised his eyebrows and looked down at Joshua. “Really, can I see your passport?”
“I lost it,” Joshua replied holding out both hands.
“That’s a shame, but don’t worry, I found it.” Erik reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out the passport. “It was still in your parent’s tent in Guatemala. Funny thing, your parents managed to leave behind their passports as well.” Leafing through the pages, he said, “There’s no indication here that you ever left Guatemala, yet here you are in Boston. I wonder how that’s possible. Also, I checked all the airline manifests leaving Guatemala and your name doesn’t appear on any of them.” He threw Joshua’s passport on the coffee table in front of them.
Joseph leaned back into the sofa cushions. He decided to cut to the chase. “What do you want?”
“From you, nothing.” Erik leaned back with one arm resting on the mantel and the other holding the gun. He seemed to be waiting for something.
“Then why are you here?” A skillful negotiator, Joseph knew the more information he had, the better his chances were of coming to some compromise that would save Joshua.
“I’m waiting for your friends to show up and rescue you. I am fairly certain whoever is working with them on the station is notifying them right now that I’m here.”
“What if you’re wrong about us and no one shows up?”
“Oh, I’m not wrong. But if no one shows up, then I guess I’ll have to do something to get their attention.”
“You’ll shoot us.” Joseph made it a statement rather than a question.
Erik smiled an evil grin. “Not both of you, then there would be no one to rescue. Of course, I could just up the ante by getting your girlfriend, Sara, is it, to join us.”
Joshua growled and started to get up. Joseph put his hand on Joshua’s arm to restrain him.
“Or you could just tell me where to find your friends and then I would have no reason to harm you,” continued Erik.
Joseph laughed without amusement. “Now why don‘t I believe that?”
“Probably because you‘re a smart man,” Erik confessed. He looked curiously at Joshua, “You know I can’t help but wonder how your friends managed to alter your brain waves.�
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Joshua looked away, trying to decide if confessing to using the stone and offering to give it back would work. No matter how convincing Erik sounded, he couldn’t be absolutely sure that Joshua had transported. Without proof, Lrence seemed certain that the Watchers wouldn’t let Erik hurt them. For now, it was probably best to keep quiet and see what Lrence would do. He returned Erik’s stare with one of his own.
At that moment, Lrence was talking to Vicki. ”Yes, I know it’s a trap, for you as well as me. If I do nothing, what do you think he will do? Exactly, he isn’t going to give up. Okay, fine I’ll notify the others and we’ll come up with a workable plan. No I promise, I won‘t try to handle it all by myself.” He hung up and pulled open the drawer holding the crystals.
Kafra had been standing next to him listening. “Erik is holding the Carsons?”
Lrence selected a crystal and placed it on top of the table. “Yes,” Then he took the gun he had confiscated from the guard holding Sam and Maria and handed it to Kafra.
“So what’s the plan?” she asked, taking the gun.
He went to the portal and began changing the settings. “You contact the others, and come up with one, while I go stall Erik.”
She wedged herself between him and the portal. “That’s your plan? What about your promise to Vicki?”
He moved her to the side. “I promised to notify the others. You’ve been notified and will contact the others.” When she grabbed his arm, he said, “Look, I’m not trying to do this by myself; I’m just stalling for time so you guys can come up with a plan.”
She stood with her hands on her hips looking at him. ”That’s not much of a plan.”
“I know,” he said, kissing her cheek. “But you know as well as I do that Erik is not a patient man. He knows one of us is involved. If someone doesn’t show up soon, he’ll just start shooting till he forces us to take action to stop him.”
