by Julia Crane
Was she reading more into his words then he meant? Maybe he was referring to the time when Keegan’s life had been in the balance. Keegan pushed the thought aside and thought about the boy who would lose his life and the family that would grieve for him. And then her thoughts shifted back to her own family.
“I worry about Nanny. She’s getting older and seems tired when we talk.” Keegan said sadly.
“She’ll be around for a while.”
She turned in surprise. Her brother had never been so open with her before, and it was making her nervous. “Why are you telling me?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought you might find comfort in it. Call her more often, enjoy the time you have with loved ones. Corny, I know. I guess just seeing that young kid and knowing his life is going to come to an end tonight made me sentimental.” He pulled another slice of pizza and plopped it on the plate.
CHAPTER 5
Keegan shuffled into the kitchen the next morning, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The dreary Seattle weather made it nearly impossible to crawl out of bed in the morning. The steady rhythm of rain drumming on the roof was made for staying in bed, but the wonderful aroma of coffee made getting out of bed bearable.
Mornings made her miss Rourk the most. He’d always come home from his morning workout in time to wake her with breakfast, and they would usually stay wrapped in each other’s arms until he had to go back to work. A flush rose to her face at the memories. Because they were separated so often, when they were together, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.
Last night they had chatted for a while before she went to bed. As far as she was concerned, time could not pass nearly quickly enough. She wanted him back by her side. Her heart literally ached for him. She ran her hand along the cool stones encircling her neck.
In the morning, Rourk would be going on a mission into the mountains, which meant she probably wouldn’t hear from him for days. She was grateful to have her brother to keep her company. It was nerve-wracking for her when she couldn’t talk to him.
Thaddeus was already wide awake, sitting in the living room flipping through channels. Athen's head resting on his leg. The fire place crackled, and Keegan pushed her sadness aside. She wanted to make the best of her brother’s visit. Who knew how long it would be before they saw each other again?
Making her way to the cabinet, Keegan pulled out a mug and filled it with coffee, sugar, and milk.
Keegan yawned and turned towards the living room. “Do you want another cup?”
“Nah, I’m good,” Thaddeus replied.
She grabbed a bagel, and rested her hip against the counter as she waited for it to heat up. Then she slathered it with peanut butter before she made her way into the living room.
“Hey.” She dropped onto the couch and laid her head against his shoulder, wrapping her hands around the warm mug. He stiffened for a moment, and then relaxed. Surprisingly, he didn’t push her away. The older they got, the easier it seemed for them to get along.
“Anything you want to do today?” Keegan asked as she propped her feet on the coffee table, and took a sip of her steaming coffee.
“I’d like to see Tommy at some point.”
“And Anna.”
“Sure, and Anna.”
Thaddeus would never admit it, but he and Anna had formed a bond working together to get Keegan’s bond back with Rourk after the dark magick had severed it. He probably wanted to see Anna, but was using Tommy as a cover.
“What did you want to see Tommy about?”
“Nothing that concerns you. Just guy stuff.”
“Do you want me to invite them over, or should we meet them somewhere to eat?”
“I hate your cooking, so we’ll go out to eat.”
Keegan rolled her eyes. “That’s fine by me. We can meet them at Java Diner— it’s nearby. Best hash browns in town.”
“I need to talk to Tommy alone. It’s personal. So you’re going to have to keep Anna busy so she doesn’t tag along.”
“Everything okay with them?”
“Yeah, they’re fine. It’s just army stuff.” Thaddeus tossed the remote on the table, and in one smooth motion, got to his feet. “I’m going to jump in the shower.”
“All right.”
Keegan turned and watched her brother Thaddeus walk down the hall. His shoulders were slightly slumped. It killed her that she couldn’t help him. He was clearly still upset about the delivery boy, and she had no idea what to do or say. That poor boy literally carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. At least, that must be what it felt like to him.
She looked down at her bagel and shrugged. Looked like she’d be having two breakfasts today. Nothing wrong with that.
When they pulled into the parking lot at the diner, Tommy and Anna were already waiting outside. Anna ran towards the jeep and threw her arms around Thaddeus. “I’ve missed you! You rarely reply to my texts.” She frowned. “If I didn’t know better, I would think you thought I was annoying.”
He smiled sheepishly. “No offense, Anna, but most of your crazy messages don’t even make sense or require a reply.”
She released him from the crushing hug. “I guess I’ll let you off the hook.”
Tommy laughed loudly, and Anna poked him with her elbow. Anna looked amazing, as usual. She was wearing a pair of tight black pants and an off- the- shoulder floral top cinched with a belt. Her hair was cropped really short in the back, and her long bangs were held back with a bobby pin. Today her hair was black with streaks of teal.
Tommy looked, well, like Tommy. Tall and athletic. His blond hair was so light, it was almost white, and his bright blue eyes were smiling at Anna. They looked so happy and in love.
Thaddeus stepped forward, holding out his hand to Tommy. “Hey man, I need to talk to you after we eat, if that’s okay.”
Tommy looked down at the ground and then back at Thaddeus. “Sure.”
Keegan watched the exchanged with interest and wondered what in the world was going on between them. She glanced over at Anna who shrugged. Very strange. She’d have to grill her brother later. Although, it probably wouldn’t do any good. That boy had more secrets locked away than a shrink.
They made their way to a booth in the corner of the crowded diner. A pretty waitress with mocha skin and high cheekbones came over, poured coffee, and took their orders. The waitress was paying a little too much attention to Tommy, and Keegan had to stifle a laugh when Anna reached over and grabbed his hand. Staking her claim. She probably would have done the same to Rourk if she had been in Anna’s shoes.
Tommy seemed oblivious of the attention. He only had eyes for Anna.
After they finished eating, Thaddeus and Tommy excused themselves to go outside to talk.
Staring out the window, Keegan pushed her plate aside and whispered, “What do you think they are talking about?”
Anna shook her head. “I have no idea. Tommy has been acting strange lately, but he won’t tell me what’s wrong. Maybe Thaddeus picked up on something? Man, I love your brother, but his gift freaks me out sometimes.”
Keegan smiled. “You’re one to talk. As a natural witch, you can make fire come out of your hands and weave complex spells to ward off crazy dark witches.”
Anna laughed. “You got me there.”
“How are things going with you and Tommy since you moved in together?”
Anna got a glassy, faraway look on her face. “Incredible. He makes me so happy.”
“I can tell.” Keegan smiled and reached across and squeezed her hand. “You deserve it.”
Anna sighed, a goofy grin on her face. There had been a time when Keegan had been worried about Anna. She’d been withdrawn and depressed, but since meeting Tommy, all of that had changed.
Keegan set her mug on the table. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to run to the restroom.”
Keegan swiftly made her way to the back of the restaurant. She nearly banged into the poor waitress. As soo
n as she got into the bathroom, she closed the stall. The familiar tingling coursed through her body, and then she was invisible. She knew it was wrong to invade their privacy, but it was killing her not to know.
She left the diner and made her way towards the guys.
“Tommy, it’s nothing to be ashamed or freaked out about. These things just happen sometimes.”
“Oh, so you’re saying seeing ghosts is normal?”
“I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s normal, but you were in a comma, it happens. The veil between the living and dead is very thin and fragile.”
“But why is it getting worse now?”
“What do you mean, worse?” Thaddeus asked, staring intently at Tommy.
“Well before, it was always just in my dreams, never during the day. So I could convince myself it was just a dream even though deep down, I knew it was more than a dream.”
“And now?”
“Now I can see spirits during the day sometimes.”
“Interesting. How often and how many?”
“It seems totally random. Like yesterday, I was going to see Anna at her work at the new age store, and I saw a woman walking around. It was obvious she was from another era by her clothes; she wasn‘t really translucent, but she wasn't real. That probably makes no sense.”
“Actually, it makes perfect sense. Do they give readings at the store?”
Tommy nodded. “Yeah, sometimes.”
“Well, often, psychics get their information from the other side. Also, any old buildings will have more sightings. Have they talked to you?”
“No, but I can tell they can see me and it’s kinda messing with my head.”
Keegan couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Tommy was seeing spirits, and he hadn’t told Anna? Anna’s mother was a spirit walker, so if there was anyone he should be talking to, it was her.
“But why am I seeing them now? The accident was over two years ago.”
Thaddeus scratched his cropped head. “That’s the puzzling thing. Maybe you are just more open to it now after being around Anna so long. But I’ve never heard of this happening before. I’m going to ask around, but truthfully you should talk to Anna. If anyone can help you, it’s her mom.”
Tommy’s shoulders slumped. “I know it’s ridiculous, but I’m embarrassed by it. I don’t want her to think I’m crazy.”
Thaddeus threw back his head and laughed. “Um, we are talking about Anna here. That chick is beyond a free spirit. If anything, she’ll think it’s awesome.”
“You think?”
“I know. I should have called you earlier, but I knew I was coming to see Keegan, so I figured, best to talk to you in person.”
“It still trips me out that you can see the future.”
“Me too.” Thad wearily rubbed the back of his neck.
Keegan hurried back to the bathroom and made herself visible.
Anna looked up when Keegan plopped into her chair. “Did you fall in?”
Keegan rolled her eyes and leaned forward, watching her brother and Tommy through the window. They talked a few more moments before they strolled back inside.
The girls rose from the table, while Tommy paid the bill.
“Thanks for meeting us, guys. I gotta take Thaddeus to a few places, so we’ll catch up again soon.” Keegan hugged Anna and waved good-bye to Tommy.
As they walked across the parking lot, Thaddeus looked over at her and shook his head. “You’re way too nosey for your own good.”
“Hey, how’d you know I was there?”
“Seriously?” He raised an eyebrow.
Keegan linked her arm through her brother’s. “So what do you think is going on? It’s weird, isn’t it, that he’s seeing spirits when he’s awake?”
“I don’t know. I don’t have a lot of experience with it. Anna’s mom should be able to guide him. I just know he was getting freaked out and needed to talk to someone.” Thaddeus climbed into the passenger seat. “You should let me drive.”
“You don’t even have your permit.”
“So? I drive all the time at the camp.”
Keegan sighed and handed him her keys. “You break it, you buy it.”
Thaddeus jumped out and switched sides, a grin on his face. It was nice seeing him acting like a teenager for once. Thaddeus put the jeep in reverse, and they took off.
“It should have been Anna he talked to. No offense.” Keegan reached down and turned on the radio.
“You forget, non-elves aren’t open books like we are with our chosens.”
“Yeah, I guess I do forget that. Speaking of chosens, you should be meeting your elf-mate in a couple of years. How crazy is that? Do you have any idea who it is?”
“None, you know I can’t see my own future. I might not even be eighteen. I might have to wait several years, like dad did.”
“So is that why you came here? To see Tommy?”
Thaddeus looked at her and grinned. “Yeah, and I missed my big sis.”
She immediately relaxed and drew a deep breath. A part of her had still been worried he was there because something bad was going to happen to Rourk. Hopefully, she was reading too much into his visit.
CHAPTER 6
Day three in the mountains.
Rourk idly ran his hand along the machine gun slung over his chest. They continued walking up the rough terrain in the fading light. The path was not well traveled; the uneven ground was loose beneath their boots. Once in a while, they would see small patches of greenery with colorful flowers. The splash of beauty looked out of place in the harsh mountains. Each time he saw the flowers, it made him long for Keegan.
With the sun dipping below the horizon, the temperature was rapidly dropping. They had been trekking for almost ten hours, and exhaustion was setting in.
So far, they had not engaged the enemy at all. The most excitement they’d seen was a few goats milling around the mountain side. The guys were starting to get restless. Too many days without the sound of gunfire did that in their line of work. Not only that, but they missed the comfort of the small cots and the barely edible food in the mess hall. Out here, they slept when they could and ate Army issued meals-ready-to-eat – known as MRE’s. It was not a pampered profession, no matter how high one progressed up the food chain.
Unlike the others, Rourk cared about none of those things. He was also patient. He didn’t mind waiting. The hunt was part of the fun.
Rourk came to an abrupt halt and listened. Instinctively, he knew the restlessness was about to come to an end. His senses were heightened and his heart rate slowed. He loved the calm that washed over him before the storm.
“Stay alert,” He said into his mic.
The guys were tired, but they needed to be ready.
“Roger,” Echoed in his ear.
The members of his team had long ago come to trust Rourk’s instincts. Many soldiers in battle developed—or were born with—a sixth sense of sorts. It’s what kept them alive when everything logical pointed towards death. It came from trusting themselves and trusting the men beside them. In their world, one false move could end their lives, and those that survived acted out of instinct. Reflexes took over. They trained so many hours to remove the doubt and fear that comes naturally with human nature, but also to integrate skill with instinct.
Humans were hard wired to react. Reacting the right way, that’s what training did for them.
Some soldiers called it being switched on, when they were in the zone where body and mind acted as one to do what was needed. Rourk called it self-preservation.
Likewise, he believed they worked on a higher plane of consciousness, one that connected them to every living thing in the world around them. The only trick: knowing how to pay attention to what those subtle instincts were trying to tell him. His natural elfin sensitivity to the environment no doubt was part of what made his senses so honed.
“I have movement at one o’clock. One hundred meters,” Jamison said softly.
&n
bsp; Rourk dropped to his knee hidden behind a wall of rocks. He adjusted his night vision goggles, then glanced to his right along the ridge line. He spotted two Afghan fighters perched behind a large rock. His team would have missed them, if it weren’t for Jamison’s quick eye.
Completely unaware, the two enemy combatants were talking and smoking, their AK- 47’s slung over their shoulders.
Amateurs. Rourk shook his head in disgust. “I have both targets,” he said calmly.
“Hang tight while I scan for any others.”
“Roger.”
“Clear to fire. Let’s see if this stirs the nest.”
“Roger, going hot.”
Rourk took aim with his suppressed M4, placed his infrared sights on one target, squeezed the trigger, and smoothly moved to the next target. He squeezed the trigger a second time, as the beam settled on his point of aim. Less than a second passed between shots, leaving the second combatant no time to react.
“Targets down,” he reported.
O’Grady, the point man, gave the hand and arm signals. They all stood and started moving forward again, slow and steady. The trail they were on was littered with shale; they advanced carefully so they didn’t stumble and injure themselves, or worse, give their presence away to any alert sentries that might be around.
After advancing several hundred meters, they were near the crest of the plateau area on the mountain, which they believed had a large supply and weapons cache. It was also suspected of being a gathering site for the enemy Afghans to coordinate with each other. From the presence of the two sentries earlier, Rourk figured that something big was up there.
While the team was held up in a concealed area, Stitch scooted forward for a visual of the area. What he saw wasn‘t good. Retreating to join the team, he spoke.
“Lots of bodies up there. I counted at least two dozen milling about the front of the cave entrance and an unknown number inside the cave. We‘re definitely outnumbered.”
“Roger,” said O’Grady. “We knew that was a possibility. Let‘s get the gunship online and prep for our hit and run.”
