Jamie

by I D Johnson

  Taking a deep breath, Jamie let go of his own horse’s reins and took a few steps over, knowing the sorrel wouldn’t go anywhere. “Kit,” he said, glancing around to see if anyone was paying them any mind. They didn’t seem to be. “It was lovely seeing you tonight, even if the circumstances weren’t exactly fantastic.”

  She giggled. “It was nice to see you, too, Jamie.”

  She turned so that she was facing him, and he noticed a tear in the lace around her bodice and a smudge of ash on her otherwise pristine gown. It always surprised him that she insisted on dressing like a lady, even when others, like Margie, wore pants. Kit wasn’t even wearing dark colored clothing, but then she was a Hunter, not a Guardian, and they often wore other colors. He realized he’d lost his train of thought and tried to bring himself back around.

  “Where are you headed now?” he asked, taking another cautious step toward her.

  “Well, I’d planned to head back to Atlanta, but I thought I’d stop and spend the night somewhere and then possibly ride the rest of the way tomorrow. I wasn’t sure if anything else more interesting might come up along the way. You know me, always up for an adventure.”

  Her smile was inviting, and Jamie saw a twinkle in her eyes, one he remembered from long ago, back when they’d first met, the night she’d shot him. With a chuckle, he said, “Would you allow me to buy you a very late dinner, or an early breakfast somewhere along the way, Miss Kit?”

  Grinning from ear to ear, she replied, “I think I’d like that very much, Dr. Joplin.” He offered his hand, and she took hold of it so that he could help her up into the trap. Whistling for his own horse, Jamie half-climbed, half-floated into the saddle and rode alongside Kit as she headed through the pasture back toward the road. Tonight would be memorable for more reasons than just Col. Gage and his house of horrors.

  Chapter 20

  New York City, New York, USA, 1891

  Jamie walked along the mostly empty streets of New York City with two Hunters he hardly knew, although he had gotten to know Vicky a little better while visiting London a few years ago than he had Frank. Still, the night was quiet, save some shouting and music off in the distance, and he absently wondered why he’d agreed to this assignment.

  It hadn’t been because he wanted to get involved with the Jack the Ripper case again, that was for certain. After leaving Macon, he’d asked for a reassignment to Atlanta so that he could be closer to Kit, and while he was surprised Jordan had said yes, it hadn’t come without strings. He was still often assigned dangerous tasks throughout the country, sometimes the world, and in the year since he and Kit had been courting, he’d spent more days away from her than he had in her company. Eventually, they’d both been transferred to Washington, DC, where Kit’s grandfather was in charge, which made being together almost as difficult as being apart. Now, here he was, called into NYC not by the leader but by Ward, the head of the London Area, who needed someone somewhat familiar with New York, and Jamie was the only one dumb enough to agree.

  He was excited to see this particular monster get his comeuppance, however. Jack the Ripper had been chased across the ocean, and after all of the women he’d slaughtered in Whitechapel, it was about time he met his demise. Hopefully, Ward and Aaron’s tip would be correct and the reign of this particular creature of the night would be over in a matter of minutes, hours at best.

  “Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Frank asked, trailing slightly behind Jamie and Vicky as they made their way at human speed down a narrow, cobbled street. In the distance, Jamie could see the bridge over the East River. Something had alerted Vicky to the idea that they should head that direction, and Jamie didn’t think it was a bad idea. Ward and Aaron were somewhere on the other side of the river following up on information given to them by an informant who was certain a man meeting Jack’s description had been seen in the area with prostitutes the last few nights.

  “I’m following my nose,” the lovely blonde replied without so much as a glance over her shoulder. “And my nose is always right.”

  All Jamie could smell was the distinct odor of urine and horse manure, but he said nothing. It wasn’t his job to try to deter this team, only to guide them. He’d spent enough time in this area of the Big Apple to know most of the roads, so if she wanted to go to the bridge, he’d get her there as directly as possible. For now, she seemed to be headed the right direction on her own, and eventually the scents of street refuse were replaced by the smell of rotting fish coming in off the body of water that lay before them like an expansive ribbon of highway, almost still in the breezeless night, starlight glinting off the surface when the occasional disturbance sent the pristine glass top stirring.

  The closer they got to the bridge, the more of a stirring Jamie began to feel deep inside of him. He knew something was close, something sinister. Generally speaking, Vampires had a way of igniting a disturbance in his gut, but this one was different, unlike anything he’d ever felt before, and he knew without a doubt it was because of the power encompassed in the being that seemed to be growing closer with each pound of his leather boots upon the pavement.

  The three of them walked in step onto the bridge. There were traffic lanes on either side with a pedestrian walkway down the middle. This time of night, traffic was light, and they didn’t need to worry about any passersby spotting what they were up to. They had scarcely gotten to the first joint in the bridge when the creature that was causing the sensations within each of them like a thousand batting butterflies came into view.

  Off in the distance, a little less than a quarter of the way across the bridge, a figure came toward them. He was dressed in a long black coat, a top hat, and black slacks. The man was rushing toward them, a bit of drag to one leg, as if he’d been running too far and had gotten a cramp or had another sort of injury. And as he ran, he paused to look over his shoulder. The trio eased their pace, certain he hadn’t spotted them yet. Once he did, he also slowed down, looked back, but cautiously took a few steps forward. He was trapped; Jamie could see a familiar figure crossing onto the bridge behind Jack the Ripper and knew they had him now.

  As they closed in, Jamie heard Aaron’s voice ring out through the chilly night. “Jack! “Put your hands up and come with us, and you won’t be harmed.”

  Though Jack was still quite a ways off, he was growing closer each second as he ran toward them. Briefly looking over his shoulder, he shouted, “If you truly think you know who I am, there’s no way you’re taking me in without harming me!”

  The space between them continued to narrow, and within seconds, Jamie could see Aaron’s blue eyes. Jack was trapped, his options limited, and the team spread out to further entrap him against the side of the bridge. Instinctively, Jamie leapt over the iron bar separating the footpath from the automobile path, Vicky angled herself further from Frank, and the team formed a semicircle, pinning Jack against the outside wall.

  Having never been in the field with these particular team members before, Jamie wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. There was no question Jack could hurl himself off of the edge of the bridge and end up in the cold drink below. It wouldn’t be comfortable, but it wouldn’t kill him. Apparently, the rest of the team thought this was a possibility as well. Jamie could see Frank fingering something in his jacket pocket, and while the Healer would’ve welcomed a gun for once, or one of Bo’s exploding silver bombs, from here, it looked like all Frank had was a typical run-of-the-mill silver-tipped stake, which likely wouldn’t do much on its own against the likes of Jack the Ripper.

  Seeing that Ward wasn’t there, Jamie assumed Aaron would take the lead, so he wasn’t surprised when the Guardian said, “Jack, you have my word. Drop your weapons and slowly walk this direction.” Jamie watched his blue eyes flicker to Frank and then back to Jack, and he assumed Aaron was just as nervous as he was that Frank was about to make a huge mistake.

  Jack looked slightly amused. “My weapons? You mean like this?” He produced a long surgical k
nife from his coat pocket. The blade glistened in the moonlight, and even though Jamie was aware that he couldn’t be harmed by the monster, he still shivered at the sight. This knife had been used to kill many a woman in a gruesome way, and it could destroy Vicky or Frank if either of them got too close.

  Frank seemed agitated more than scared. “Drop it!” he demanded, advancing a few more steps so that he was only about five feet away from the Vampire, a quick hand’s breadth if Jack was desperate.

  Undeterred by the command, Jack stared up into the sky. “You don’t understand! None of you see the importance in what I have given you. The science. The art. The restitution! How can you possibly see?”

  While Jamie wasn’t sure what he meant by the bit about “restitution” the rest of it made perfect sense, even if it was uttered by a lunatic. Jack wanted validation, and Jamie began to think about what his purpose might be, trying to discover a way to reason with the unreasonable.

  Aaron seemed to get that, too. Without advancing further, he said, “I know you want to be heard, and we will hear you. But you must drop the knife first.”

  Still obviously agitated, Jack swung the knife in an arch in the Guardian’s direction, though Aaron didn’t waver. “Have you any idea the skill it takes to remove a kidney? To remove a uterus?”

  Hoping his voice didn’t give away his nerves, Jamie said, “I do. You’re a talented surgeon. Of that, there’s no doubt.”

  Jack the Ripper turned his gaze so that he was peering into Jamie’s face, and he felt his knees buckle slightly. He had looked into many a pair of eyes these past years that were all but dead to the world. These were certainly the most obsidian of orbs he’d ever felt linger on his face. It was uncomfortable at best, paralyzing at worst. “Are you a physician?” he asked.

  Swallowing hard, hoping to hide his rising fear, Jamie managed to say, “I am. Not as capable as you, but a surgeon nonetheless.” Placating him was one thing, but in this case, he was being honest.

  It seemed to work to a degree. A small grin pulled at the upper lip, just below the wide, dark moustache. Jack’s shoulders slid down slightly, as if Jamie’s comment had put him at ease, and though he continued to hold the knife out before him, his back pressed to the side of the bridge, for a moment, it looked as if he might be capable of reason.

  Despite having never worked with this particular crew on the ground, Jamie had a distinct feeling he knew exactly what Aaron was going to do. Jamie’s eyes never left Jack’s face, but he could see the other Guardian out of the corner of his eye. Reading himself to make a move the second he saw Aaron advance, Jamie took a deep breath and bent his knees.

  And then the unexpected happened. The attack didn’t come from Aaron, to Jamie’s left. It came from Frank. The Hunter lurched forward with the stake, ready to send it into Jack’s heart, but the Vampire was too fast and too strong for that. He used his forearm to knock the stake free of Frank’s grasp and then spun the man around so that his back was pressed up against Jack’s chest, the knife now pressed against Frank’s throat.

  “Take me in without harming me?” Jack screeched. “I knew that was not true!” Clearly, the Vampire was irate that he had just begun to trust them and something like this had happened.

  Behind Aaron, Jamie could see Ward slowly making his way to their position. Jamie wasn’t sure if he should be relieved that the true leader of the team was there or if this might complicate matters even more. Even though Frank had acted impulsively, Aaron’s plan likely would’ve worked. Now, they would never know. Nevertheless, Aaron still seemed fully capable of commanding the field, and Jamie looked from the Irishman to the Brit, wondering what he should do next.

  Aaron must not have realized Ward was there yet, as he was back to trying to calm the beast. “Calm down, Jack,” he said, his voice even more tranquil than the body of water they were suspended above. “We can still work this out. There’s no reason for anyone to get hurt.”

  Jack said nothing at first, and Aaron finally heard the footsteps behind him. He turned and made a small gesture to Ward, but he waved him off, and Jamie was slightly relieved that Aaron would continue to call the hunt. Even though his initial impression had been that Aaron was arrogant, there was something about his presence on the battlefield that made Jamie think perhaps the Irishman was right to have so much assurance in his own ability. He knew for certain, if Aaron figured out a way to get them all out of this without anyone getting hurt, the Healer would certainly be proven wrong.

  Presently, Jack the Ripper seemed to be the one calling the shots. He took a step up, onto the bottom of the railing, dragging Frank with him. “I thought she might be my last victim. I thought I’d spilt the blood of the guilty for the last time. Now, I have at least one last opportunity to show the world that the unjust will always get what’s coming to them!” Frank struggled against the Vampire’s grip, but with the knife pressed so squarely against his throat, there was little he could do to breathe, let alone break free.

  Vicky had repositioned herself so that she was somewhat closer to Jack than she had been before Frank made his move, and Jamie could see an exchange of glances between her and Aaron, who had worked as a pair for many years. There was a brief conversation of whispers to his left, but he couldn’t make out what either Ward or Aaron was saying. Once again, Jamie braced himself, ready to move as soon as he could decipher the plan, but something told him Aaron had it worked out with Vicky now that the doctor would most likely be needed to put Frank back together again.

  Aaron made some sort of a motion with his hand, down by his leg, and Vicky nodded. Jamie had no idea what it meant, but the Hunter must’ve because she called, “Hey, Jack! Do you get off on being such a pompous ass or is it ramming your knife into innocent victims that gets your knickers in a wad?”

  Her heckling was meant to get a rise out of him, and it most certainly did. Jack turned to look at the beautiful blonde, his mouth agape, and in that split second, Aaron made his move. Jamie watched, realizing what the Guardian was attempting to do as Aaron left the concrete, flying up into the air and hitting Jack squarely in his right shoulder, the one that was holding the knife. If Jack had been less of an intelligent beast, perhaps the collision would’ve caused him to drop the knife entirely. Instead, he managed to drag the blade slightly across Frank’s neck before it lodge in the side of his throat, next to his Adam’s apple.

  Blood began to spurt from the Hunter’s throat, and Jamie could see he had mere seconds to react before Frank bled out all over the pavement. To make matters worse, Aaron was now careening off of the bridge. A menacing smile spread across Jack the Ripper’s face as he recognized he’d won this round. Apparently, he didn’t realize his footing was not as sound as it might’ve been, or that the Guardian flying over his shoulder was much stronger than most, and that’s when Aaron reached out and grabbed Jack’s neck and pulled him backward over the edge of the bridge.

  Jamie didn’t have time to watch what happened on the other side of the bridge. Frank was gurgling his own blood. Vicky took hold of his head and propped it on her lap as Jamie carefully withdrew the knife and plunged his fingers into the deepest part of the wound, hoping to heal the internal damage first. Almost immediately, the blood stopped flowing, but there was still the matter of his breathing to take care of, and Jamie continued to press his fingers through and around the wound in an attempt to put Frank’s neck back together.

  It seemed like it took forever for Jamie to hear the splash from below the bridge. He was lost in his work and didn’t recognize the distance, but he absently thought it must’ve been an awfully long way down for the sound to take so long to reach.

  Frank was no longer bleeding at all and began to breath more steadily, and Jamie realized he had drained himself almost completely. Even though the wound hadn’t been large, it was deep, and the tissue in the throat was sensitive. Once Frank was out of harm’s way, Jamie lay down on the bridge and draped his hand over his eyes, hoping to regain his strength
more quickly that way. He’d learned that lying still helped.

  “My God,” he heard Vicky whisper. “How did you do that so quickly?” she asked. “It’s… a miracle.”

  Jamie said nothing, only moved his hand slightly, as if to say it was not that big of a deal, but Ward chimed in on his behalf. “He’s a wonder, isn’t’ he? I knew he could do it. His Uncle Culpepper told me what he could do. Jeffrey, too. That’s why I went ahead and sent Aaron in. Sorry ‘bout that, Frank. Glad you’re all right.”

  “You… saved… my… life,” Frank said, clasping Jamie’s arm.

  Weakly, Jamie managed to say, “That’s my job.”

  All was quiet for a moment, and Jamie thought he might’ve actually passed out for a bit, but the sound of Vicky’s boots on the concrete, running, got his attention, and he peered out from under his arm to see her hurrying down the bridge a bit to greet a soaking wet Aaron. Jamie realized Ward was crouched down next to him, and a shift of his eyes let him know that Frank was sitting up, leaning against the bridge. The only signs of his near death experience was the blood that soaked the front of his shirt all the way down to his trousers.

  Jamie could hardly make out the exchange between Aaron and the rest of the team, though he ascertained that Aaron was more than slightly impressed with his “magic” and that Jack the Ripper was no more. A wave of relief washed over the Healer as he thought about all of the victims who had finally gotten some justice when the beast fell from the bridge and was beheaded by the handsome warrior.

  After a few minutes, Jamie managed to pull himself up to sitting and scooted back next to Frank on the bridge. He still felt weak and the bridge seemed to be swaying a little bit, but he thought he’d be fine in a few minutes.