by G. R. Lyons
“How is it you know this and I don't?”
Vorena shrugged. “I've got more time to pay attention to these things than you do.”
“Oh, gods,” Charlie groaned, looking around. “The ghost is here, isn't it?”
“She,” Saira corrected. “And yes, she is.”
“I'm sorry, I just can't get used to this,” Charlie mumbled, shaking his head, while Benash held up his tablet next to Saira's so that the two devices recognized one another, and sent the file over. “How is it I never knew there was a ghost in the house all the time I lived with you?”
“Because I've only just gotten the hang of being substantial,” Vorena said, though Charlie couldn't hear her, so she reached out and shifted Charlie's coffee cup a few inches to one side.
Charlie jumped.
Benash rolled his eyes. “Vorena.”
“What?” she said with a shrug and a cheeky grin.
“Never mind,” Benash said, taking her by the arm. “Come along.”
They returned to the front of the plane, and Benash looked back over his shoulder, watching Saira as she sat forward, intently reading through each case file.
“It'll be alright, Hawk,” Vorena murmured, settling herself on his lap and putting her arms around his neck. “You'll see.”
Benash took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. “Gods, I hope so.”
* * *
SAIRA STUDIED every page of every file while Charlie sat silently beside her. She didn't think there was anything more to be learned from the notes and pictures, but she wanted to make sure all angles were covered, just in case.
“So why is it you and Dad can see her but the rest of us can't?” Charlie asked, breaking her concentration.
“What?” she asked, looking up and shaking her head, trying to focus on him.
“The ghost,” he said. “How come the rest of us can't see her?”
“Oh,” Saira said, blinking as she tried to get her mind to switch gears. “Well, it's a– You know, I'm not sure if you call it a gift or a defect in the Tanasian brain. It's like…you, being Agori, your mind is impenetrable, but for the Tanasians…it actually requires an effort to keep the mind fully secure, and there are holes there, I guess you can call them, that allow certain things to get in and out. Like…the visions, or ghost sightings.”
She turned back to the files, and Charlie shivered. “So, you have to be Tanasian to see them?”
“As far as I know,” she mumbled distractedly, putting one file aside.
“So what about–”
“Honey, I'm trying to concentrate.”
“Oh, sorry.”
He sat back slowly, glancing around the room.
“She's sitting with Dad,” Saira assured him, sparing him a quick glance before diving into the next file.
“Ah. Good. Thanks.”
He picked up his coffee and relaxed back into the seat, and Saira lost herself in the files, going over the familiar details, hoping she'd catch something new.
Leaving her own for last, she went through it more slowly, trying to stay calm as she outwardly observed all the evidence of what she had personally experienced. She managed to get through the pictures and medical reports without crying, and scanned through the last few pieces of information before taking a break.
The newspaper clipping, showing Charlie leaving the hospital, caught her eye, and she flipped back to it, noting the date on the article.
“This was the day after I woke up,” she mumbled.
“What's that?” Charlie asked.
She pointed at the screen. “The day Dad moved me from the hospital and into private care, the day after I woke up. I don't understand this though.”
Charlie grimaced. “It was Dad's idea. There was an incident, while you were still unconscious, when your guard stepped away from his post for a few minutes. When he came back, there was evidence that someone had been in your room, and had tried to kill you, but got interrupted. Unfortunately, the hall camera wasn't working that day, and no one had seen anybody go in or out of your room–” He cut off and shook his head. “Now we know why, of course. The bastard just…” Charlie made an elaborate gesture. “…magicked himself out of there so he wouldn't be seen. Anyway, after you woke up, we figured it would be best to make it look like you'd died, so there wouldn't be another attempt. Dad snuck you out the back of the hospital while I made a big show of walking out the front with the urn, hoping the killer was watching and would stay away.”
Saira nodded, staring at the image as she absorbed his words.
The plan growing in her mind only strengthened, painful and frightening though it would be.
* * *
THE BLACKOUT car pulled right up to the back entrance of Hawkeye Agency, allowing Charlie and the others to go directly inside, unseen. They dropped all their luggage in the breakroom and headed straight for the conference room, Charlie and Saira waiting while the chief called everyone in for a meeting.
The room quickly filled with detectives and officers, and Charlie held Saira's hand while the chief ran through a quick overview of the new information they'd gathered, as well as reintroducing Saira to the staff, under her true identity.
“This is not to leave this room,” Benash ordered. “As far as anyone here is concerned, she is still Asenna Shyth. We don't need any gossip floating about such that Cryntz realizes he has a loose end to tie up.”
The officers nodded agreement just as one pulled up a file on the wallscreen.
“This just came in for you this morning, Chief,” the officer said, opening the file and showing a surveillance video from a department store. “Got sent over from Eastside. A few of the vics were their clients. This is footage from yesterday, so Cryntz is likely still in the area, if he hasn't disappeared himself again. And definitely still not hiding.”
On the screen, Cryntz stopped at a display in the midst of the store, then looked up and around, the camera getting a perfect shot of his face as he turned toward it before another display caught his eye and he walked away.
Beside him, Charlie heard Saira's breath catch in her throat.
“It's alright,” he whispered, squeezing her hand.
Across the room, Charlie saw Dr. Galvin watching them before the man turned to the chief and gave him a subtle nod.
“Alright,” Benash said, rising from his chair. “I want any and all video footage of his whereabouts at all times. Keep the face recognition program running. We need to find some way to track him down and catch him without him disappearing on us.”
The officers jumped up and went back to work while Benash looked over at Charlie and said, “Come with me.”
Charlie helped Saira to her feet, and they followed as the chief joined Dr. Galvin and headed for the doctor's private office. The doctor closed and locked the door and took his chair, picking up his tablet while Benash took another chair and Charlie steered Saira toward the couch, keeping a hold on her hand as they sat down.
“How are you feeling today, Saira?” the doctor asked gently.
She looked up, her mouth working for a moment before she managed to answer, “Terrified.”
“That's understandable,” the doctor said, nodding. “Saira, I want you to do something for me. A little exercise that should help you start to heal from your memories, and help you get through whatever comes as we try to track this man down.” Charlie saw Saira clench her jaw and frown, but she nodded. The doctor went on: “I want you to describe, in as much detail as you can, exactly what happened to you.”
Saira gasped and pulled away from Charlie, hugging herself.
“No,” she sobbed, shaking her head. “No, I can't…”
“Saira, you need to let it out,” the doctor insisted. “You need to get it out of your head and out into the open, so that it's real and tangible and can be dealt with. If you keep it locked up, it'll only eat at you.”
She drew her legs up on the couch, ducking her head between her knees and sobbing as she tw
isted her fingers through her hair.
“Gods, no, I can't…”
Charlie reached for her and opened his mouth to say something, but the doctor signaled him to back away. Even Benash was on the edge of his seat, his hands in fists, but kept silent at the doctor's insistence.
“This is a safe place, Saira,” Dr. Galvin murmured. “There is no one here to hurt you. Painful as it is, we all need to hear it just as much as you need to say it. It's alright, Saira. Let it go.”
Charlie watched, confused, as the doctor sat back in his chair, waiting silently. After a few minutes, Saira started to raise her head, looking like she might say something, only to cry out again and sob even harder.
Dr. Galvin held up a finger, silently telling them to wait, and had a satisfied look on his face as he watched her.
Charlie clenched his hands into fists, watching Saira sob and tremble, curling in tighter on herself as the minutes passed. A few times, he heard her take in a breath as though she might speak, only to continue crying again.
Charlie and Benash looked at each other, both tense with waiting and confusion, and both looked toward the doctor, who sat patiently as he watched Saira struggle.
Finally, after nearly half an hour, Charlie heard Saira whisper something, though he couldn't make out what it was.
“Good, Saira,” the doctor said, sitting forward in his chair. “Very good. Say it again.”
She choked out another sob, and was silent for a few minutes, before she mumbled just audibly, “He raped me.”
Charlie glanced over at Benash, who looked pained, then at the doctor, who looked determined.
“Very good. One more time.”
With her head still lowered, she shook it and said in a shaky whisper, “Dad hates threes.”
Saira tightened her hands into fists, pulling on her hair, and Charlie saw Benash sit forward, staring at her intently.
“Say it, dearheart,” Benash insisted. “It's alright. Say it one more time.”
Charlie held his breath, watching and waiting, and after a long moment, he heard Saira start to speak through her sobs.
“My name is Saira Asennaval Crawford,” she began unsteadily. “I was born on the eighth of Auriel, 3461, to Benash Rothbur and Val Meglin. I taught advanced mathematics at a school in Oaks Pass, and worked part-time as a records clerk for Dad, until I was kidnapped on my wedding day.”
She fell silent for a moment, then startled Charlie by sitting up and calmly wiping away her tears.
“In the midst of the reception,” she recited, staring at the floor, “I went inside the house to get a glass of water. I thought I was alone until I felt him behind me. He put his hand over my mouth, and the other arm around my waist, and the next moment, we were in some basement, standing in an inch of water that covered the entire floor.”
Charlie shivered as she paused, recalling the memory of finding her lying in that water, her body naked and bloody and twisted at odd angles.
“He let me go,” she continued robotically, “but I couldn't move. I found my hands bound by a thick rope, and I couldn't get my mouth open to scream. He pointed at my feet, and I felt something metal snake around my ankles and lock me in place so I couldn't move or kick, and then he raised my arms over my head and slipped the rope over a hook that hung from the ceiling. It all happened in a matter of seconds, so fast I didn't really know what was happening until the need to fight back finally registered, but by then it was too late.
“I struggled as much as I could, but his magic kept my feet locked to the floor, while the hook kept my arms stretched so high over my head that I couldn't get enough lift to slip the hook. Then he just stood there, staring at me, pressing his body against mine.”
Charlie looked away, feeling his stomach tie up in knots, and saw Benash sitting with his elbows on his knees and his forehead resting on his fingertips, clearly making a great effort to breathe evenly while his eyes were squeezed shut.
“He undressed me, slowly,” Saira continued, “pulling each pin from my hair one by one, and then cutting away my dress, piece by piece, until there was nothing left of it but scattered shreds of fabric all over the floor.
“Then he just stood there again, looking at me, almost as though he was disgusted with what he saw. He circled around me, slowly, tapping the knife against the palm of his hand. I tried to scream, but my mouth still wouldn't open, no matter how hard I tried.
“I felt him stop behind me, and the wait seemed an hour, wondering what he was going to do. Then I felt him grab my hair, yank my head back, and slash the knife through it. He came back around to face me, making a show of letting my hair fall bit by bit to the floor, and told me that was better, for a start.”
“Better for a start?” Charlie asked, but Dr. Galvin held out a hand, asking him to be quiet. Charlie pressed his lips together and watched Saira take a deep breath, still staring blankly at the floor as she went on.
“Without untying me,” Saira continued, “he somehow managed to move me to the table, strapping me down to it so I couldn't get away. The lights flickered while he moved me, then came back on once I was still. He went to the end of the table, looking at the wall while he undressed himself, tossing his clothes onto another table along the wall, next to all sorts of tools.
“Then he stood there with his eyes closed, breathing slowly for a long while, until he finally managed an erection. I tried to get away, but the bonds were too tight, and when he climbed up on top of me, I tried to close my eyes, but the lights flickered as he waved his hand at me, forcing my eyes open by magic.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper as she said, “So I had to look at him. So I had to see who was doing this to me. Just a game to him, so I'd know he was in control.”
Charlie stared at her, his hands so tightly clenched into fists that they hurt, and let out a shuddering breath when he realized he was holding it in.
Saira cleared her throat and continued: “As he finished, the lights overhead flickered and buzzed. I could feel the charge of magic in the room. Then he finally looked down at me with a sneer and slid off the table, laughing and taunting me as I cried.
“He left then, for how long, I don't know. But when he came back, he went over to the other table, picked up a hammer, and grabbed my wrist. I felt my whole arm go numb, and he brought the hammer down as hard as he could. I tried to pull away, tried to scream, then panicked when the hammer struck my arm and I felt nothing at all. He walked away, put the hammer back, and flicked his hand at me, almost a dismissive gesture, and suddenly the pain was there.
“I tried to scream again, but no sound came out. My lungs ached from screaming, but still I couldn't get my mouth open. The pain just about blinded me, and then it was gone again with a wave of his hand. I just started to feel the relief of it, of the pain being gone, when he came back with a knife, looking up and down my body as though deciding what to do next.
“He stopped at my chest, his eyes narrowing in disgust, and before I could even register the movement, his arm lashed out, the knife cutting right through my breast.”
Charlie pressed a hand to his mouth and tried to take a breath through his nose. Across from him, he saw Benash sitting very still, his eyes squeezed shut and his fingers turning white. The doctor was keeping a studiously blank expression on his face and watching Saira intently as she spoke. Taking in as much air as he could, Charlie held his breath and glanced back at Saira.
“I screamed again,” she said, “the pain was so intense, and it kept getting worse as he cut away the entire thing, bit by bit, until there was nothing left but a few shredded pieces of skin. He looked at the other one, contemplating the same, but tossed the knife aside instead, and once again closed his eyes until he was ready to rape me again.”
Saira's face went blank as her arms tightened around her knees. Charlie shook with the effort to keep himself where he was, wanting nothing more than to grab her and run to the farthest reaches of the world, to hide her away from all this madnes
s.
After stopping just long enough to tear Thayeron Cryntz into a thousand tiny pieces with his bare hands, of course.
“And after that,” Saira went on, “he broke another bone, this time in my leg. And then it all happened again. Cut, rape, break; cut, rape, break; over and over for hours on end. Sometimes he would numb the pain when I ought to have felt it; sometimes he would let it come when I least expected it. And every time he raped me, I couldn't close my eyes. And every time he did something with magic, or had an orgasm, the lights would flicker and buzz, sometimes going out entirely, sometimes flashing erratically, like a lightning storm that just wouldn't go away. And then he'd repeat it all again: cut, rape, break; cut rape, break; so I always knew what was coming next, even if I didn't know where. It was like a compulsion for him. He'd start to try to change the pattern, but couldn't seem to make himself do it. He'd just go 'round and 'round, the same order, always the same order.
“It seemed weeks we were down in that basement. He wouldn't let me sleep. Even when he did leave for a while, either to rest or eat, I would try to find oblivion, but I just couldn't. The pain, the terror…I was so exhausted. But it seemed like it would all never stop.”
Charlie watched Saira take a deep breath, and felt himself do the same, his hands still clenched into fists as he watched her stare into nothingness.
“He came back from a break, went over to the table, and grabbed a knife, just as I expected. He came toward me, raised the knife, but something stopped him. Some noise, I think, but I wasn't quite sure. I saw him look off to the side, then he dropped the knife, shoved me off the table, and just…vanished.” She paused, shaking her head. “A few minutes later, the officers found me.”
Charlie glanced over at her when she fell silent, watching as she blinked, still staring at the floor. She took a deep breath, crossed her arms over her knees, and let her head drop as she closed her eyes.
“Gods, it was real, wasn't it?” she whispered.
The room was silent until the doctor murmured, “Very good, Saira. Very good. Is there anything else you want to say?”
Saira lifted her head slightly and shook it.
