"Jack!" Amelia screamed as her bare foot hit that searing hot tar. I pushed her up on top of my shoulders as I clung to consciousness.
Abruptly she wasn't in my arms anymore. I tried to grab her but couldn't. Bishop had her, his handless arm tucked under her arms. The way he held her like a football pissed me off. And I used that rage to push through the exhaustion, through the pain lancing up and down my left arm and side, through the ache in my heart, and stood up. He was backing up with her in his arm, the gun pressed into her neck.
"No closer, Frost! You tell me how you did it. If you don't, I shoot her. And even if you kill me," Bishop sidestepped a piece of wood and moved closer to the edge of the roof. "It won't matter. 'Cause she'll be dead."
"Bishop," Even to me my voice sounded hollow and tired. "It's not what you think it is—"
"YOU FROZE MY HAND OFF!" He bellowed this and his voice echoed off the taller buildings around us just as a helicopter came flying up and around from the hospital's heli-pad. The police must've figured out what was happening.
The helicopter hovered over us and I caught sight of a man sitting outside of the vehicle's door, strapped to the landing rails. A shooter. Oh God no…if they shot him he'd drop her over the edge of the building for sure. And even if he didn't, what if the bullet hit Amelia? It might have been they didn't care—she was a terminal patient—and Bishop was wanted for the murder of Donna Blankenship.
Either way it was enough of a distraction to give me a head-start as I took off at the clumsiest run I'd ever made. Don't let anyone ever tell you it's easy to run with one arm tied behind your back. Or at your side. Because it's not.
"Don't shoot!" I screamed.
Bishop looked at me but aimed the gun at the helicopter. No! That bastard knew if the shooter saw the gun he'd fire! "You know what I want, Frost. Tell me how you did it!"
A crack reverberated around us as the shooter in the helicopter fired. Bishop swung to his left and I thought I saw the spray of blood, flesh and bone. Whether or not the officer knew the specifics of what was happening, he'd aimed for a non lethal part of him, and they aimed away from Amelia.
But even believing these things, I knew he was going over the side. I knew it from the second he got so close. Because it was fate, wasn't it? That all things come around to right the void Nature abhors.
Even as they fell together I was in the air. I didn't remember jumping, or running, or even leaping. But I was airborne and hurdling down as fast as I could toward the screaming little girl in that bastard's arms. My right hand wasn't bandaged anymore, and my left arm was no longer bound in a sling as I reached out to her. Our fingers touched before I grabbed her wrist, twisted around and pulled her from his arms. The faster I moved, the colder the world around me became.
Power infused my fall and I realized too late I'd made my choice.
-15-
I WILL NOT LET HER DIE!
The sound of Amelia screaming my name echoed around me as I fell. She was in my arms now and I held on to her as I closed my eyes. The comforting, cool crisp air enveloped me from all sides as I pulled Amelia into me with the intent of taking as much of the fall as I could. I didn't want her to feel pain.
And then…
We weren't falling anymore.
I felt her warmth against my cool chest and opened one eye. We were on the ground beside the building. Rusted cans, a broken toilet, discarded styrofoam food cartons littered the ground. I knew we were in the woods behind the back of the wing. Trees hid us from view overhead, trees alive with a thick canopy of foliage I knew shouldn't be there. Those trees should be bare and the ground cold.
"You...you can land now." Amelia said in a soft voice.
I looked down and gasped. I wasn't standing on the ground but hovering inches above it. That's when I caught a glimpse of the pale white skin of my elbows, my wrists.
Tiny hands touched my cheeks and pulled my attention to her. Brilliant blue eyes smiled up at me as I looked into Amelia's smiling face. "Now you look more like you should." A frown crossed her brow. "But not quite. It's like you're still just halfway there."
That's when my feet touched the ground and I bent a little at my knees with the impact. Amelia gasped. I thought it was because I stumbled a little, but she pinched my cheek and put a hand to my hair. "You changed back!"
Changed back?
Changed back from what?
"Amelia!"
"Frost!"
"Detective Frost!"
People were beating their way through the woods. The helicopter pilot probably saw where we went down. I panicked—how was I going to explain what happened to them? We fell four stories and just—landed safe and sound?
"Jack!"
I turned to see Crow making his way through the small forest. I stared as he approached—a bit winded in the heat—and reached out to take both of us into one of his bear hugs.
Amelia squealed and I grunted until he let go and stood back. He reached out and put a hand on my shoulder. "You saved her, Jack. You did it."
"But—" I looked down at Amelia. She was watching us, wide eyed. "Did I—was this the moment—"
Was I changed now? Was I what my brother had been?
When he shook his head I nearly fell over. He took Amelia into his own arms and then I did fall over because my hand and my shoulder lit on fire. A group of uniforms and medical personal came through the trees at that moment. Amelia started protesting, wanting to know if I was going to be okay. Not once did she tell them what I'd done.
What I'd become for the briefest of moments.
"It's okay, little one," Crow said in a soft voice as a man in a white coat took her from him and another checked her pulse. "Jack's going to be fine. He just has a few boo boos."
Boo boos?
As they started taking my vitals Rucker showed up. The woman was everywhere!
"Detective Frost," she said as she came to stand beside Crow and glared down at me. "I see you didn't follow my orders."
"Ma'am, there was a little hiccup this morning with Brian Bishop—"
Her hand came up and I stopped talking. "I know, detective. I just saw his body. He took the same first step you did—and with the little girl in his arms, so says the shooter in the helicopter—and yet where his head's bent backwards, yours and the little girl's are still in tact. Why is that?"
I really had no answer to give her.
"I think he got caught in the trees," Crow had his hands on his hips, looking up at the canopy that protected us from the sun. "See there? And there where the branches are broken? And I think that over there is a piece of Amelia's blanket." He looked down at her. "I'm thinking they're lucky they didn't get skewered by a tree branch."
The look she gave him read like you're full of shit but I got nothing else to believe. Either way, she smirked at me before she turned to leave.
"Captain?"
She stopped and looked back.
"You still want me to take time?"
"Until your doctor clears you. And winter decides to show up. For now, get out of here and go get married." With that, and a wink, she stalked off through the trees.
"I think she likes you, Jack."
* * *
When the doctors were sure I didn't have any life threatening injuries, other than the ones that miraculously disappeared and then unfortunately reappeared, Crow escorted me down to see Amelia. She was tucked into a bed in the same room Jason had used. I didn't know if she knew that, and I didn't mention it. She looked sleepy but relieved to see me.
Crow stepped out, telling me he'd be in the hall when I was ready. Amelia put her hand on mine. "How come you changed back? Is that how it works? Did Jason do that?"
"I don't know how Jason did it. I'm not even sure I did change."
Her eyes widened. "Oh no, I saw it. Your skin got so pale, and your hair was white!" Excitement clouded her expression and she squeezed my hand. "Maybe Jason's promise will come true?"
I wanted to tell her it wo
uldn't, that I wasn't Jack Frost, and that as long as I had control of my life that was a choice I never intended to make. I had a family in the making and a future I desperately wanted. A part of me wanted to be here with her when disappointment brought down her hopes and dreams, thinking maybe I could build them back up. Make up for my brother's empty promise.
Not wanting to see her sad face and to assure she'd have a good sleep, I lied.
And I hated myself for it.
"It might, Amelia. You never know. Life is like a…"
To my surprise, she gave me a raised eyebrow and smirk. "If you say box of chocolates, I'll hit you myself."
I tucked her in for a nap and joined Crow in the hall. Most all of the kids had been relocated and were happy and playing together. Neither of us said a word as we rode the elevator up and strode through the front doors into the stifling heat. Raising my bandaged hand up to ward away the glare as Crow took my arm and guided me to what little shade there was as cars pulled up and dropped off patients.
"I think Rucker's right," Crow straightened his hat as he pursed his lips at me. "You need to take it easy until the heat wave passes and winter finally gets here. I called Sarah for you. She's on her way here to pick you up. You do remember you have a wedding to get ready for tomorrow."
I looked up at the tree beside the hospital entrance, at the brown, dead leaves. "What happened, Crow? Does this mean I am Jack Frost or not? I'm still human as far as I can tell."
Crow locked his hands behind him and stood in a sort of parade stance. "I don't know how the universe works, only that it does. And I'm not going to spew Cherokee mumo-jumbo at you. I think in a way you're more swallowed by the magic of what is more than we are. I just know your family works as a nexus that other events and people move around. But they do move. Winter will come back. With or without you."
"When?"
He shrugged. "We can't know that. Trying to guess Nature's mind? I'm afraid that would drive us both crazy."
This I could agree with. Dad referred to Nature as if she were a being like him. And given my present situation, I wouldn't be surprised. But if I did ever meet him or her, I planned on hitting them dead in the face.
Taking in a deep breath, I prepared myself against the heat that would zap my strength the moment we stepped from under the hospital's awning. That's when I noticed Crow looking past me to something in the parking lot. The expression on his face worried me so I looked in the same direction to see if I could whatever had his attention. "Crow? What is it?"
"I thought I saw someone familiar." He sighed. "You doing all right?"
"Yeah. Let's go. I'm hungry. And I want a beer."
"Tell it straight. But you're buying."
"Yeah…you better enjoy it while you can. Once Sarah starts showing and the real pregnancy woes start you're going to be reeeeal busy."
I couldn't wait for any of it. To imagine the woman I loved having our child filled me with childlike happiness. Nothing was going knock the smile off my face.
We walked to his car with Crow in the lead since he remembered where it was. I glanced to the left and recognized a license plate.
My license plate.
Fastened to the back of my car.
"Jack? What's wrong?" he turned to look at me since I stopped walking and stood in the middle of the road.
I pointed to the car. Crow blinked in surprise, then unholstered his gun. He knew my car wasn't supposed to be here because I'd arrived in an ambulance.
I waited for Crow to finish his check of the front seat, floorboards and backseat. The trunk was the obvious place to hide or to hide something. Crow pointed to it and made a little motion in the air of unlocking a door with a key.
Nodding, I retrieved my keys from my pocket and stuck the correct one in the lock. We nodded to each other, I counted down with the fingers of my other hand…one…two…three…twisted the lock and jumped back as the lid popped up.
Crow had his gun trained on the now open trunk, but no one came from inside. The only thing back there were my brother's things. When Crow lowered his weapon I stepped forward and rummaged around. The sickle knife caught my eye and I pulled it out. "This is weird shit."
"Was it stolen?"
"Not that I'm aware of. It's supposed to be parked at my house." Chewing on my lower lip, I stared down at the sickle knife, but the reflection in the crystal blade shifted, revealing me with ice blue eyes, pale skin with white and silver hair.
A loud crack broke the late afternoon. Something slammed into my chest and the force sent me backward into the trunk and then onto the pavement.
As the light twinkled between the leaves of the tree above me, someone screamed, Crow called my name, and I heard my mother's voice above it all.
"I saved your soul my son! I saved your soul!"
Epilogue
Christmas Day, noon.
Sarah cupped the cup of hot chocolate in her cold fingers and stood watching the trees move and twist against the window with the wind. The excitement from the day before had been too much for her, and she'd cried for Jack all night, telling Sarah he was okay. Insisting he wasn't gone.
Yesterday Sarah arrived at the hospital, leaving the safe house only an hour after arriving, filled with dreams of marrying the man of her heart and spending their own Christmas in a cabin deep in the Georgia mountains.
Upon arrival Crow gave her the shocking and devastating news. Jovita Frost shot Jack in the parking lot.
They pronounced him dead an hour later, the bullet in his heart. Jovita Frost was charged with two counts of murder. The happiest day of Sarah's life would never come.
By the evening, the temperature outside had dropped to forty-one degrees and still falling. And by the morning frost covered the ground, which seemed a little strange to Sarah since most of the moisture around had been evaporated by the sun's heat.
News reports all up and down the east coast reported record lows even during a time when it was supposed to be cold. Florida predicted higher produce prices for the coming year due to the high heat and then abrupt cold.
Wood bundles and heaters sold out of every hardware store in the area. Shelters opened up in churches and synagogs all over the city to help the homeless stay warm.
"He's coming," Amelia said softly.
Sarah turned to look at her little charge and gave her a scolding look. "You didn't take your pills."
"Because I want to see the snow."
"Baby—none of the weather reports are predicting snow. The ground's still pretty warm and the clouds—"
"You're wrong. He's been a little busy making it cold. But he's going to make it snow." She sat up and pushed her blankets off. "I need my gloves, hat, boots and that blanket in the closet."
"Amelia I can't—" She hated having to put down a hard hand with the girl. But when Amelia's eyes widened and her grin replaced the serious look on her face, Sarah stopped and narrowed her eyes. "What is it?"
"He's here!" She shouted at the top of her lungs and pointed at the window.
Here? Sarah turned to look at the window—and dropped her hot chocolate. The styrofoam cup bounced on the tile as the warm brown liquid splattered out around it.
Across the window, written in sparkling, crystalline frost, was the question:
Are you ready, Amelia?
There wasn't time to think as more shrieks and laughter joined in with Amelia's. Kids all over the ward shouted and nurses yelled at them to be quiet. And one by one Sarah heard the nurses quiet and she was pretty sure they were seeing what she was seeing.
"Dr. Heine!"
She turned as Miss Farrows, the night nurse and one of the ward's most punctual people, slammed open Amelia's door. "Yes?"
"Someone wrote on the kids' windows with ice and—" she saw the note to Amelia and her jaw dropped. "It's in here too!"
"Are they all personalized?" Sarah asked as she avoided the mess on the floor and helped Amelia into her wheelchair.
"Well yes—but how
is this happening?"
"Get the kids to the rec room. Now." It wasn't a command, said so gentle as she arranged the blanket around Amelia's feet and shoulders. "And make sure the balcony door is open."
"That's highly irregular—"
"Just do it!"
Miss Farrows disappeared.
"We have to hurry," Amelia said as she started pushing the giant wheels of her chair. "Let's go."
Sarah took over pushing and maneuvering the chair as she merged into a hall full of kids, all in their pajamas and coats, mittens and hats, all of them herded on by nurses and staff toward the rec room.
"Amelia!" said a little boy as he ran up to her chair and held on. "You were right! He wrote my name in ice!"
"Me too!" said another little boy as he pulled his little sister along the hall. "Can we see him?"
"I don't know," Amelia answered, her little face all smiles.
"You were right Amelia!" came the cheer of more kids as they wove around them and into the room. The glitter snowflakes moved around the ceiling as Miss Farrow opened the double doors leading out to the balcony.
Cold air whipped inside as everyone gathered around the baloney opening. Children shivered. Adults looked at one another wondering if they'd all gone mad. But Sarah was pretty sure they'd all seen the frosty writing on the windows. Otherwise this wouldn't have happened.
As the cold wind whipped harder into the room, a small white speck of white twirled and floated inside. It moved with a determined grace toward Amelia—and to Sarah's amazement—rested on her tiny little nose.
She blinked and took off her glove to touch where it had landed. "It's…it's wet. And cold!"
More of those tiny specks floated and danced around in the wind, each of them dancing to a child and resting on their nose until every child in the room was touched.
Frost Page 9
