As I came to, I saw Andy beside me. He was asleep on a chair, drool running from his mouth.
“Wake up, jackass,” I said, surprised at how raw my throat was.
He jolted awake, almost falling out of his chair, but saving himself. Which was a shame, because I could have really used a good laugh.
“You all right, Callum?” He asked, rubbing his eyes with the backside of his palms and clearing his throat.
“Callum?” I asked.
“I had to tell the doctors here that I was your uncle. It was the only way they’d let me in.”
“Crack security system here, I see,” I said, and sighed more loudly than I intended.
“Don’t be too hard on them,” he answered. “I’ve got a detective’s badge and a fake birth certificate to back it up.” He grinned at me. “Dad thought of everything.”
“He was good like that, your father,” I answered, wincing and picking at the bandage on my gut.
“What the hell were you doing?” Andy asked, sitting up straighter.
“Trying to get answers,” I said, looking over at him.
“At The War Room?” He asked. “Ralphie called me. He told me what happened. Said when he found you, you were speaking Arabic. You saw Abel again, didn’t you?”
“That doesn’t matter,” I answered, sitting up myself and ignoring the thud of pain that came with any movement.
“It’s just that-”
“I said it doesn’t matter!” I repeated, using the same tone I did when he did something stupid as a kid. “Now get my coat. I have to get out of here before somebody else gets killed.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” he answered, “At least, not for a couple of days.”
“Don’t be stupid,” I said. “We both know this won’t kill me. Judging by this bandage, they’ve already sewed me up. There’s nothing else they can do.”
“They can keep you from getting yourself hurt more. You have enemies, Callum. You and Dad both made sure I was well aware of that growing up, and while they can’t kill you, there’s nothing to stop them from cutting you into little pieces and burying them at the four corners of the earth. Let’s see how fun eternity is underground.”
“Anybody who touches me will get it back sevenfold,” I replied.
“And there are more than enough lunatics who’d jump at the chance. You know that.” He shook his head. “No, you’ll stay here until they discharge you, and then you’re coming home with me.”
“I’m not putting your family in that kind of danger,” I said flatly.
“You won’t be,” Andy said. “School’s back in session, so Katie is up in Clemson and Julia’s mother’s not doing too well, so she took April over there for a couple of weeks. It’ll just be me and you. Beer, TV dinners, and nobody gets stabbed. I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“Fair enough,” I answered. “But none of that generic beer shit. I haven’t lived this long to buy off brand.”
He didn’t laugh.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Not now,” he answered, and reached for his coat.
“Andy, tell me what’s wrong.” Again with the scolding kid voice.
“We found another body.”
“Damn it!” I yelled, and jerked so hard I probably popped a stitch. “Where?”
“In the river,” he answered. “We identified her immediately; a college student from up in Charleston. And get this, that’s where she went missing from. I think someone might have brought her down here to kill her. Either that, or they killed her up there and transported the body here.”
“Why would they do that?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
“The same reason they did this, I’d imagine,” he said, reached into his pocket, pulled something out, and held it up in the air in front of me.
“The necklace,” I said, taking in the sterling silver chain and heart shaped locket at the center. As it turned in his hand, I saw the inscription I’d had carved into the back.
‘Until there are no more days to count, My Love…’
I hadn’t seen that in nearly seventy years, just like the woman I gave it to.
“She was found wearing it,” Andy added, though he didn’t have to. I knew what this was about. Between this and the painting, it was obvious. Someone was trying to get my attention, and they were piling up dead bodies to get it done.
“We have to put a stop to this,” I said, gritting my teeth together.
“And we will,” Andy said. “As soon as we can.”
The door opened without warning. A young woman in green scrubs with a clipboard in her hand entered.
“That’s my cue, I guess,” Andy said. Standing, he grabbed his coat and headed for the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Callum. Don’t do anything until I do.” He looked over at the woman. “Wouldn’t want him trying to get too active too quickly.” He smiled at her and left the room, closing the door behind him.
“Callum Coldwell,” she said, reading the name from her little clipboard. “That sounds like a superhero’s name, like there should be a secret identity paired with it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, giving her the once over. She was tall and lean, with immaculate brown skin. Even in those loose fitting scrubs, I could tell she had a body on her. Dark bangs hung nearly into her blue eyes, and her lips formed a near perfect circle as she bit down on the end of her pen.
“Can I see a doctor?” I asked. “No offense, but I need to talk to somebody who can tell my uncle I’m okay to leave.”
“You’re looking at her,” the woman said. “Dr. Meredith O’Dell. And sorry, but no one short of God himself could make you okay to leave right now.”
“Nah, He won’t help,” I muttered under my breath.
“Excuse me?” She asked.
“What I meant was, I’d like to see a grownup doctor. You know, someone who wasn’t inspired to join the medical field because she really, really loved Grey’s Anatomy.”
She chuckled hard. “You’re one to talk. You know there was alcohol in your system when they brought you in. I’d have figured you were at least a year away from drinking age.”
“I’m older than I look,” I answered.
“So am I,” she said. “But maturity aside, I’m afraid I’m going to have to keep you for a couple of days. You’ve obviously been picking at that bandage and I can’t have you going out into the world and getting that wound infected. What would McDreamy say about that?”
“I suppose it wouldn’t matter if I promised not to touch it?” I asked, my eyebrows arching.
“I’ve heard promises like that from men before. They never seem to be able to keep them.”
She looked at the machines I was hooked to and then up and down me.
“Don’t look too sad though. From what I can tell, there are a lot of women out there who find scars extremely attractive.” She wrote something onto her clipboard and headed for the door.
I glanced down at where the bandage sat under my paper gown. I knew I wouldn’t keep a scar there. No marks stayed on me for very long; none except the mark. Still, I played along anyway. “Yeah, I guess it will be a pretty cool reminder.”
She looked back at me. “Yes, it will.” She smiled. “But I was talking about the one on your face.”
5
“Look harder!” I said, leaning up in the hospital bed. I had been confined to this damn thing for nearly half a week now. The only time I was allowed out of it was to piss, or for my nightly therapy walk around the hall.
I had been here so long, in fact, that I didn’t notice how itchy the stupid gown was anymore. I was about to be discharged though. And, while that was a good thing, it also meant that I was running out of time to solve a particularly frustrating mystery.
“I don’t know how to look at somebody’s face harder, Un-Callum,” Andy said, leaning back in his chair and sighing. “I already told you that I can’t see it. The nurse who brought you your lunch told you she cou
ldn’t see it. The guy who came in to ask about your health insure-which, I’m going to remind you — you are required by law to have — couldn’t see it. Nobody can see that stupid scar.”
“She can,” I said, looking toward the door. “She’s mentioned it three times since I got here.”
“Your doctor?” Andy asked, making sure he understood what I was saying. Though he did, he didn’t seem nearly as concerned as I was. “Well, I mean, not to set you more on edge than you already are, but maybe she’s not entirely human.” He shook his head. “You’re always talking all these crazy witches and werewolves and all of that stuff. Maybe she’s one of them.”
“Doesn’t act like any witch I’ve ever met,” I answered, folding my arms over my chest. The wound on my stomach was healing up nicely, and while it’d be awhile yet before I’d be able to get the stitches out, it was nice to be able to move again without getting jabbed with pain.
“Maybe she doesn’t know it,” Andy suggested. “Maybe it’s back in the family line or something.”
“No,” I said. “Even if she was, the people who shrouded the mark assured me that no supernatural creature would be able to see it, unless they were looking through a flame. Even your father couldn’t see it,” I said, wracking my brain for an answer.
“Well, then maybe she’s got fire eyes. I don’t know, Callum. And frankly, I don’t think it matters. So she can see the mark. She obviously has no idea what it is, and it doesn’t look like she’s too concerned.” Andy sat back up. “The important thing is getting your stubborn ass back home.”
“Tell me about the case,” I said, implying that he was right without actually saying as much.
“There’s nothing else to say,” he answered. “Four girls this month. They’re all similar looking, but not all of them are from here, and I’m having trouble connecting them outside of physical characteristics.”
“And me,” I answered, tossing my covers back and throwing my legs off the side of the bed.
“You sure you want to do that?” Andy asked, tensing up.
“Calm down,” I scoffed at him. “I lived through the black plague, the Dark Ages, and the 60s in California. I can deal with getting myself dressed. Besides, Dr. ‘I can see you’ already told me I was out of here today. I wish she’d get here already and get it over with.”
“Hospitals are slow. Lucky for you, you’ve got all the time in the world,” Andy answered.
“Too bad these girls don’t,” I said. “Where’s my painting?”
“The one you told me was more dangerous than anthrax? I sleep with it under my pillow. I locked it in the basement. Where do you think it is?”
“I said it used to be more dangerous than anthrax. I took the curse off of it decades ago. And the only reason I’m asking you to keep it, is so that I can look it over when I get out of here. Between it and the necklace, someone is obviously trying to send me a message. I need to figure out what it is before another girl dies. And that’s where you come in.”
“Good,” Andy answered. “I was beginning to think you only kept me around for my pretty face.”
“You and Veronica Lake,” I balked.
“I have absolutely no idea who that is, but go on.”
“I want you to go over the files on the other murders again. Look for connections-”
“I already told you. I looked for connections and came up empty,” Andy said.
“You looked for connections between them. I want you to look for ways they could be connected to me,” I answered. “Look for strange possessions, like the others had. Also, send me their names, professions, family lineage, stuff like that. The rest of them have something to do with me, and if I can figure out what it is, we might be able to stop all this.”
“Whatever it is,” Andy finished.
I stood up and shrugged off my gown, leaving me just in my underwear. No sooner did I slide my pants on that the door to my room swung open again.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Dr. Meredith O’Dell asked, tilting her head at me as she barreled through the doorway.
“Judging by your tone, I’m guessing ‘saving you some work’ isn’t going to fly,” I said.
“Look at you. Four days and you already know me so well. Ge those pants off,” she retorted.
“Looks like you know me pretty well too,” I answered, sliding them back off.
“Don’t flatter yourself, Coldwell. I’ve got to give you another once over before I sign off on your release,” she said, smirking at me.
“You can’t stand the idea of not having me here, can you?” I asked.
“It’s killing me on the inside. Now get on the bed,” she answered.
Pulling up a stool, she scooted closer to me. Putting gloves on, she peeled back my bandage and checked out the wound.
“Look at that,” she muttered. “I figured your scar would be much deeper. I wouldn’t be surprised if it faded away completely over time.”
“Neither would I,” I said and winced a little as her hand brushed over a spot that was still tender.
“Sorry about that,” she said, looking up at me. “Look on the bright side though. At least you’ll always have that bit of character over your left eye.”
There she was again, alluding to the mark.
Andy and I traded looks.
“Where are you from?” Andy asked, turning to the doctor.
“Me?” she asked. “I’m from Miami.”
“And before that?” he asked cuttingly.
“Before Miami? I was born there. So, Heaven, I suppose,” she answered. “Why do you ask? Is it the accent?”
“I don’t hear an accent,” I said as she pressed a new bandage onto my wound.
“It’s there,” she said. “It’s faint, but it’s definitely there. My grandparents came over from Mexico. They spoke English, but I guess a little of their verbal flair shows up in me every now and then.” She looked up at me. “You’ll keep that dry, right?”
“I’ll try,” I answered, grinning at her.
“Do better than try,” she said. “I want to see you back here in a week,” she said. “The 25th, okay? I want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.” She glanced up at me. “It’s my birthday. So you can even score a piece of subpar hospital cake.”
“Lucky me,” I said.
“You got that right,” she said, standing, whipping her gloves off, and tossing them into the receptacle. “It’s not everybody who gets invited to my ridiculously boring and unnecessary work party.” She nodded. “Bring presents.”
“Does that mean he can go?” Andy asked as Meredith moved toward the door.
“Yep, he’s your problem now,” she answered and walked out.
“That was weird,” Andy said, standing as I dressed again.
“Right?” I answered, grabbing one of the fresh shirts Andy brought me, since the one I can here in had a knife shaped hole in it. “She can definitely see the mark.”
“Not that,” he answered. “I’ve never seen you flirt with somebody before.”
I chuckled hard. “That’s not what that was.”
“I’ve been married for almost twenty years, Callum. I know what flirting looks like,” he said.
“I’d say that’s exactly the reason you don’t know what flirting looks like,” I said, tying my shoes. “And trust me, if I was flirting with her, she’d already be on this bed.”
“There’s a mental image I’ll never be able to get rid of.” He shook his head. “In any event, even if you weren’t flirting with her, she was definitely into you.”
“Really?” I asked, looking back at the door. “That’s great.”
“You’re going to go for it?” Andy asked, smiling at me.
“Yeah, but not for the reasons you think,” I said, tossing my jacket on over my shoulders slowly, thanks to the wound. “If I’m going to find out what’s going on with her, then I need to get close to her.” I winked at him. “Thanks for the idea.”
“It-it definitely wasn’t my idea,” he answered as I strode through the door.
I found her a few hundred yards down the hallway. She was at a nurse’s station, giving some poor resident the riot act.
“Meredith,” I shouted, using her given name because — in my experience — accomplished women liked a man who thought of himself as her equal.
She turned to me, her face softening the way it might when faced with a patient.
“Is everything okay, Callum. Do you need me?”
“Yes, and no,” I answered. “I was wondering if you made house calls.”
“House calls?” she asked, obviously confused.
I stuffed my hands in my pockets, using the ‘adorable scamp’ shtick I had perfected over thousands and thousands of years. “A week is too long. I wanna see you sooner than that. How does tomorrow night sound?”
A dawn of realization rose in her eyes. Slowly, she smiled.
Bingo.
6
Andy held the door open for me as I walked into his house like I was some kind of invalid.
“Stop that,” I said, sneering at him. “A kid would be okay after all this time. Let alone me.”
“You are a kid,” he answered. “At least physically. Look at you. You’re a fucking stick figure”
He was right, of course. My body hadn’t changed a hair since that day south of Eden, since Abel fell dead at my feet, and the Big Guy laid the curse of a million lifetimes on me.
Injuries aside, I hadn’t grown an inch, gained a pound, or grayed a hair, since the world was new.
But that didn’t mean I was going to get lectured by somebody whose diapers I used to change.
“I’m a badass, and you know it,” I said. “And I’m not going to be treated with kid gloves.”
“Make sure you tell that to Dr. O’Dell tomorrow night. Wouldn’t want her to go easy on you,” Andy answered, grinning at me like a stupid, horny kid.
“That’s business,” I answered.
“Sure it is,” he said, and closed the door behind him.
I hadn’t been in Andy’s house in right near ten years. Outside of errant Christmas cards, I hadn’t seen his family in just as long.
Mark of Cain (Immortal Mercenary Book 1) Page 4
