by C. L. Stone
Owen made a guttural noise. He stood up sharply, leaning over the screen. He grasped the monitor of the laptop. He put his glasses back on, and held the laptop closer.
Sean untightened his arms around his chest, leaning against the island, palms down on the surface. “What? What happened?”
Owen motioned for him to come over and watch for himself. “She’s down. She fainted.”
Sean moved quickly, knocking over the small bowl that had been holding a couple of almonds.
The bowl fell to the floor, shattering into a few pieces.
Sean ignored it, staring at the screen.
Sang was on the floor of the kitchen, near the dishwasher. Jimmy dropped what he was doing, kneeling beside her. He took her hand, saying things Sean couldn’t hear.
Carol came in soon after, paused shortly at the doorway and then came inside. Jimmy tried talking to Sang, patting her face.
Sang was already getting up when Carol knelt beside her. Sang shook her head, motioning for them to back away.
Shaking. Badly.
“My God,” Sean said. His breath caught and his heart seemed to stop at the same time.
Owen reached for his keys on the table and the jacket beside him on the next stool over. “Let’s go. Transfer the feed to your phone.”
Sean pulled his phone out, smashing his finger against Sang’s heart app to open the video feed. He only grabbed his wallet and a pair of sneakers, walking out the door in his socks.
Owen was on the phone on the way out. Sean hadn’t heard it ring, but it might have been Owen dialing someone. “Stay put. She’s up. Only go in if she faints again. She was moving up and down, so it’s most likely her blood pressure.”
They got into Sean’s car, with Owen driving. Sean dropped his shoes into the floor. The phone he put in his lap.
Jimmy and Carol were helping Sang up, talking to her.
Her father stood off to the side, observing but not doing much.
Owen passed his phone to Sean. “Hold this.”
Sean turned it on speaker. It was Kota on the phone. He was relaying the audio. “They’re talking about sending her to the doctor.” Pause. “Her father is arguing against it. Passing it off as too much sugar at dinner and then bending over so much.”
Sean grunted. “He’d let her die before taking her somewhere risky like a doctor. More chance of exposure.”
Kota continued, “Sang’s saying she’s fine. That she was tired.”
The video feed showed Jimmy helping her up, and then putting his arm around her shoulder to help her out of the kitchen.
“Get Victor out of the attic,” Owen said. “Keep him on the roof outside just in case, but get him out of discovery risk.”
There was typing on Kota’s end, and then another voice, deeper, possibly North. Kota repeated it. “Repositioning Silas and Luke. They’re fetching the ambulance to bring to the diner in case they decide to call or we need it.”
“Everyone else, get to the trailer. Is it set up?”
“All but plumbing.”
Sean had to adjust the video on the phone. Jimmy was helping Sang up the stairs, with Carol following.
“What is she saying?” he asked.
“Put her in her old bed,” Kota said. “Sang is saying she’s fine, but Carol’s put her foot down now. She won’t let her sleep in there. Jimmy offered to sleep on the cot instead.”
Good thing they had gotten Victor out early. Sean rolled his head back on the headrest. “I want to give her credit for being a decent human being, but I wish she wouldn’t.”
Suddenly there was a gasp from Kota. Sean redirected his attention to the screen.
Sang was being navigated by Jimmy, but was a bit unbalanced and leaned against the wall for a minute after a sudden stop.
Something caught Carol’s attention, and she stooped.
She came back with an iPhone.
“Shit,” Sean said. “Carol’s got the phone.”
“Get that wiped!” Owen bellowed at the phone. “Right now.”
“Doing it now,” Kota said. “Replacing it with a backup.”
“I’ll bet you a dollar she won’t let her keep it,” Sean said in a low tone. “We’re losing communication.”
The engine revved. Owen leaned closer to the steering wheel. The speedometer inched just over the limit speed.
“I can’t hear what they’re saying anymore,” Kota said. Pause. “Victor is out. He’s waiting just outside. Gabriel is getting on the roof with him. Phone is wiped.”
The phone fell silent. Sean waited, unable to do anything sitting in the car.
Helpless to do anything for her, even if they got there.
The video feed showed Sang getting into the bed. Carol sent Jimmy to get water.
Carol spoke to Sang while she got into bed.
It was still silent, even after a few minutes.
Sean’s heart pounded. He glared at the feed, studying Sang’s expressions in the hopes of understanding what might be happening.
If Kota was silent, it was too much to miss. It meant it was important.
Sang nodded absently but stared at her feet.
She wasn’t able to hide her disappointment.
It wasn’t good news.
Cursing erupted from the other phone. North. Kota barked at him to shut up, but there was more cursing, more uproar.
“What’s going on?” Owen snapped.
Kota spoke. “Carol’s keeping her homebound. Quitting the job now. Calling the school to inform them she won’t be returning because she is ill. No going out. She’ll be in bed studying, possibly homeschooled. She wasn’t surprised by the phone, but doesn’t believe in teenagers having them.”
An eruption of additional curses flooded out of Sean’s mouth without prompting, matching North’s from the speakerphone.
Sang was being cut off. Completely.
The thing she hated. Being kept in a bubble away from everyone. Playing to Carol’s favor had left Sang subject to whatever she wanted to do.
A prisoner in a house that didn’t want her.
No one spoke for a long time. Jimmy eventually returned with water. He pulled the cot from the attic to put near Sang.
That wasn’t bad at the moment. At least he was nearby if she fainted again. They needed that if Carol wasn’t going to take her to the doctor.
Sean kept the phone line open, and the feed up, but there was nothing else to say at the moment.
They’d lost her.
Diverted
Owen parked at the diner. The ambulance was tucked in the back of the parking lot, ready to go if something happened to Sang. It wasn’t uncommon for a service vehicle to be parked in the lot, so it should go unnoticed.
Just like the new security trailer that had been put up. It was simple, a box against the main building.
Luckily, activity at the diner slowed for the evening. They gathered what they needed out of the trunk of the car, completely bypassing the trailer.
The plan was set. They just needed to get to the house.
Sean and Owen used their flashlights and headed to the woods, making their way to the path that led to Sang’s house.
Sean wore a dark sweatshirt and sweatpants, clothing he kept in the trunk of his car at all times. In a pocket on the inside of his sweatshirt, he had what he needed to take her blood pressure and examine her.
He had to hurry. He might only get a quick moment with her. It was already going to be a risk sneaking in.
She’d fainted twice in a few days. While he was aware of the problem, if she hit her head, he’d need to check to see if she had signs of a concussion. There was also the slight chance this might be more than her blood sugar levels, although after not sleeping, no stress and loads of sugar, it made sense. First priority was to ensure she wasn’t going to pass out again or go into any sort of coma, and to prevent any other issues.
Owen followed behind him, dressed in similar black clothes. They walked quietly along the pa
th.
They didn’t need to talk to one another at this point. It was better to go in silently.
The air was cold, too cold for just the sweatshirt, but they didn’t need more bulk. They needed mobility.
Once they got to the backyard, they skirted around so the back shed blocked the view of their arrival. When they were sure it was clear, they scurried to the roof of the back porch. Owen gave Sean a boost. Sean helped Owen up.
Victor and Gabriel had retreated somewhere, possibly into the shed itself.
Kota was nearby, in the woods at the front of the house. Waiting to do his part.
Sean pressed his palms to the rough roof tiles. They ascended slowly, adjusting their weight and using areas they were sure were over closets and the hallway.
They got to Sang’s window on the other side, each sitting on one side.
They were ready.
Sean took his phone out, checking the video feed.
Jimmy was sitting upright on the cot, making adjustments to the pillow.
Carol was downstairs, speaking with Mr. Sorenson.
This was being recorded, and he couldn’t worry about it right now, but they were clearly having a serious discussion. Carol was telling him what she wanted to do, and Mr. Sorenson was weaseling himself out of anything that sounded like he might be discovered. They’d been doing it since Sang had gone to bed.
Mr. Sorenson was still not willing to admit the truth.
Sean leaned forward, not enough to be seen by the window, but just enough to see Owen looking to him.
Thumbs-up from Sean. Thumbs-up from Owen.
Seemed like the time was now.
Sean put the phone against his chest, slinking back into the shadows while Owen put the word out to Kota.
Within a minute, Max ran through the yard. The golden retriever followed a sharp bright red light through to the bushes in front of the Sorenson house and barked the whole way. He sniffed the ground, continuing to bark and chase the laser.
Sean checked the video feed. Jimmy was up instantly, coming to the window to look out.
Sean held his breath, waiting.
Luckily, he never opened the window, only looking out, trying to get a view of the dog.
Max continued barking into the bushes, scratching at pats of dirt. Kota shifted the laser to point at the porch steps, dragging Max along with it.
Good dog.
“Some dog in the yard,” Jimmy said. He was so close it was easy to hear him. “Don’t worry. I’ll go check it out.”
Good Jimmy.
Sean changed the feed to the foyer, where Carol was already approaching to open the door.
Owen moved to the window the moment Jimmy left the room. He slid it open quietly, angling himself in first.
Sean followed, putting the phone away in his pocket. It would buzz to alert him when Jimmy or anyone else came upstairs.
Sang appeared small in the bed, eyes wide, face reddish. She waved her hand silently in a shooing motion. She used sign language, “Go away. They’ll come back.”
Sean smiled reassuringly, holding a finger to his mouth and shaking his head. Didn’t she know them by now? They were Academy. They weren’t here by chance, but by design.
Owen went to the door quickly, ensuring it was closed. He picked a shirt out of the closet, folded it tightly, and wedged it at the bottom of the door.
It’d stop it from opening just long enough for them to hide, or escape.
Afterward, he disappeared into the attic space to retrieve any electronic devices they might have left, including the hidden laptop everyone had been using. He knelt just inside, loading a book bag.
Sean ignored him and went for the bed, to Sang. He emptied a pocket of a blood pressure cuff, showing it to her.
The look on her face was startling, a mix of terror and yet understanding why they were there.
He had to ensure she was healthy.
The depth in her eyes was killing him. They were doing it this way because they weren’t bringing her along. They were asking her to stay put.
The sigh she pushed out expressed her frustration.
She continued to glance at the door but rolled up her sleeve and presented her arm.
Sean checked her blood pressure. He counted her pulse. Her temperature was normal for her—a little low, but normal.
As he did a few other things, he bent in, kissing her forehead.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “We’ll fix it.”
Her eyes watered.
Her pulse quickened.
She pointed to herself and continued to frown.
She thought she’d failed somehow and blamed herself.
Sean bit his lip to prevent himself from saying anything. He couldn’t. They had to work quietly.
How could they leave her here?
His lips trembled, and then he pulled his phone out.
He handed it to her.
“Hang on to this,” he whispered. “Hide it.”
She took it in her hands, pressing it to her chest, over her heart.
“Don’t lose it,” he said. She needed to be able to reach out to them. Victor could switch out his data for something fresh.
Getting caught with a second one would be risky, but she needed a direct line, just in case.
The dog outside barked repeatedly.
Kota’s voice was heard, apologizing for letting his dog escape and cause such a commotion.
Owen reappeared, book bag in hand. He eased it onto his back and slipped across the floor to the bed.
He gazed longingly at her, the concern etched hard into his face. He passed her a notebook and pen, and made motions for her to hide it under her pillow.
She nodded, seeming to understand this much more than Sean. Why would she want that?
Owen placed a hand on Sean’s shoulder and tilted his head toward the window. Time to go.
Sean signed to her. “There’s a camera in there.” He motioned to the vent not too far from where the bed was. “If you need help and you can’t use the phone, write something on paper and show it to the camera.” That was the only use he could think of for the paper. It also prevented her from using the phone if it was too risky, while still letting her get messages across.
She nodded, shoving Sean’s phone and the notebook under her pillow. If she was going to be forced to live in this bubble again, she’d at least be able to communicate.
Carol’s voice was drifting up to them, saying goodbye to Kota.
Sang’s face paled even more, and she urged them both out. “Don’t get caught,” she signed.
Sean almost wished she would faint again. Right now. Unconscious was enough of an excuse to drag her out of there.
Only Sean didn’t get up. He couldn’t get himself to. He couldn’t leave her. To Carol? To be stuck here again?
This felt like the same mistakes all over again.
Owen nudged him in the arm. It wasn’t going to do much good if they were caught here.
He stood up, heading to the window.
He slowed, twisting around to look at her.
She bit her lip. Her hand positioned itself again over her chest.
His heart couldn’t take it. He needed to tell her something. Anything to help her to know they weren’t leaving her behind.
So he held his hand up, with pinkie, forefinger and thumb out.
I love you.
Her eyebrow went up, with a slight head shake. She didn’t know that one.
Damn.
Footsteps echoed down in the foyer, and a couple sounded like they were on the stairs.
He’d have to tell her later.
He was still angling himself out when the door started to open, slowed by the shirt by the door.
The window closed just as Jimmy entered.
They waited, side by side along one side of the window, in the dark, listening just in case Jimmy might have noticed anything and asked too many questions or called for his mother.
When
it seemed clear, they moved over the roof, slowly crawling back.
The entire journey back through the dark, and Sean ground his teeth, his hands making fists.
She wasn’t dying.
She was actually pretty safe, and she’d get some sleep tonight.
But she was far from okay.
The Notebook
SANG
I sat in the bed with nothing to do but hope Jimmy went to sleep.
Shortly after Mr. Blackbourne and Dr. Green left my bedroom, Jimmy returned, excited by the appearance of Max, and talked about the idea of getting a dog.
He placed the cot closer to my bed and fluffed the pillow. Eventually he settled into the cot. “How did you sleep in this thing? Feels stiff.”
Hadn’t noticed. I’d been sleeping in a cot for camp in the past week. The bed was actually strange for me.
Jimmy rested on his back after turning off the light. “Let me know if you feel weird. Don’t mind me if I check on you to make sure you haven’t passed out.”
It wasn’t long before he turned over, and his breathing became more even. Luckily, he snored, so I could tell when he was in a deep sleep.
I used his snoring as an indicator it was all right to bring out the cell phone Sean had left.
I used the blanket to cover the light and checked the screen.
Would holding on to it interrupt calls he would get from the hospital?
It was odd, as it looked different. When I checked the messages, they were empty. Like Victor’s phone, they’d switched the data around for me. All the old messages I’d had on the other phone were here.
I quickly sent a message to Kota.
Sang: What now?
I waited. I couldn’t imagine what the answer was.
The response came quickly.
Kota: Relay everything she said tonight. Everything you can remember. Then get some sleep.
I sighed. Information gathering. I understood it. We needed to be more careful to make the next move.
I couldn’t imagine what the next move was.
I hoped Carol was mostly upset and would ease back on everything she’d said about taking me out of school.
