Miss South

by Kay Williams

  I floated back to South who had her eyes squeezed shut as she held her shawl against her head, it was soaked with her blood. I was going to have to get her out somehow.

  “We are straddling the rail,” I said softly. “We aren't connected to the other carriage any more.”

  “I feel cold,” South complained.

  I wasn't sure if she had even heard me and I didn't mind, it was the first thing she had said and the words, though soft and slurred, had been clear enough, I pulled off my jacket and slipped her into it gently. I could get us out easily, I just had to pick her up which would be no trouble for my strength, fly to a door, open it and glide us to safety. It would mean outing my family as Abstracts but I wasn't going to let South suffer and quite possibly die just to protect that secret.

  South complained when I slid my arms around her and lifted her up.

  “It’s okay, sweetheart, we are almost out of here.”

  “Don't call me sweetheart,” South mumbled. “It’s a special word.”

  I felt myself freeze, it really should not have been important, but at that moment the idea that South had had another man in her life calling her 'sweetheart' to the extent that she didn't like the endearment used by anyone else felt suffocating.

  I pushed it aside for later and started to float towards the furthest door.

  The grinding of metal made me tighten my grip on South, the carriage began to slide again and I was glad I had decided to pick her up. The carriage tilted and fell off the rail, I hung on tightly to South. Flying inside something that was moving was more difficult than I thought it would be but luckily the carriage was heavy enough that it didn't waver as it fell.

  The carriage struck the water and the bottom windows shattered from the force of the impact, the carriage listed to one side and then began to steadily sink as it began to fill with water.

  If I hadn't been an Abstract it would have been a lot worse, we had been sitting by the pole and would either have lost our grip and slid down to the door, or worse managed to hold on to it and probably been jerked free as the carriage hit the water leaving us to fall several feet into shattered glass and freezing water.

  I flew up to the door above us, South let out a frightened cry when I eased her feet down to stand on mine, as if she felt she might be falling. I kept her pinned to my chest with an arm around her shoulders and used my free hand to grip the handle of the other door.

  I had to be careful, I had the flagging South in my arms and I might have possessed an unchecked strength but I wasn't invulnerable. I felt pain, I could break bones and easily hurt myself if I wasn't careful.

  It was difficult to hold on to South gently while putting the rest of my formidable strength into forcing the door open at the same time as trying to control my flying downwards with the sinking of the carriage. I sucked in a swift breath and a terrible shiver went through South as the freezing water reached our feet and began to rise up our legs, South had started to cry and it was those little pained sobs that made me double my efforts.

  The water had reached our waists when the door finally gave way to my efforts, I held tightly on to South and kept still as the carriage continued to sink and we passed safely through the open door.

  I was cold and wet but mostly unharmed, South was barely conscious in my arms and it was only my mental grip on her that was keeping her awake.

  I looked up; the train was a wreck. One of the middle carriages had jumped the rail and glided along it like ours had but the carriages behind it had stayed on the rail and smashed into it, pinning the carriage against the one in front in a cross before it could fall off and into the bay as ours had.

  I was still flying and didn't have to struggle to keep our two heads above the choppy water, a couple of the carriages had dim emergency power and I could see people looking down at us from some of the windows, several of them had their phones out and rather than calling for help they were busy snapping photos I was positive would never be viable.

  The sounds of a speed-boat drifted to me, I didn't want her in the water any more than I wanted to be up to my waist in it, but at the same time if we were discovered dry there would be awkward questions. So I sunk us down a little deeper and used one hand to rub water into our hair.

  “Henry,” South complained, shivering again.

  I flinched when a spotlight found us in the water by an approaching boat and I began to swim, thankfully it was a river lifeboat and the team on board experienced in water rescue and were gentle when they pulled South from my arms before helping me on board. I was wrapped in a foil blanket and ignored after I told them I wasn't hurt, they didn't stop buzzing about South and her head wound as we hurtled back towards dry land with one of the crew radioing South's injuries ahead to the waiting ambulances. Closer to shore now I could see their flashing lights.

  I could feel that whatever drugs the medics on the boat were giving South were having a positive effect, but they were also coming between our psychic connection, I didn't want to give it up but the drugs weren't giving me a choice, my Abstract wasn't strong enough to hang on to her and I had to give way.

  # # #

  The nurses at the station smiled at me as I signed in the visitors' book and passed them. I had already spoken to South’s doctor in the hospital cafeteria where he was surprisingly pleasant considering how I had almost cornered him up against the coffee machine and asked endless questions even as I dug about in his mind looking for false promises, but finding only truth; she had had a good night and had a healthy appetite this morning.

  She was showing no signs that the trauma was going to cause any permanent damage; she knew what the year was and how many fingers she should have, the only wobble had been when she was asked who the President was and she name Britain's current Prime Minster, but she had been forgiven and the Priestesses had already signed her release forms. Her doctor wanted to give it one more night and South had apparently listened to both sides of the advice and decided to listen to the doctor's caution and remain until tomorrow morning.

  The package she had purchased covered her for the medical insurance and I was grateful that she had decided to take another day of rest. Even if being in hospital today was going to be boring for her.

  I opened the door to her room and eased quietly inside with my bag of gifts. South was lying down and touching my mind with hers, I found her in a light half sleep; it was a relief to touch her after the medication kept me out all through the night. She wasn't dreaming but subconsciously she was aware she was no longer alone and was trying to rouse herself, I reached out a psychic touch and soothed her back to sleep, she needed the rest and I didn’t mind waiting.

  Picking up a chair I placed it near the bed and settled down, digging her book out of my bag and relaxing to her words and her soft measured breathing.

  Almost two hours later I felt South begin to stir again, I folded the book shut and waited, watching as she used the back of one hand to scrub sleep out of her still closed eyes, she yawned delicately and finally blinked her honey gold eyes open, when they focused on me they smiled and frowned at the same time.

  As if she was both pleased to see me and confused to why I was there.

  “Hey,” I said softly.

  “Hi,” she replied.

  “How do you feel?”

  “Better. How long have you been sitting there?”

  “Not long,” I lied smoothly, she frowned slightly and I knew she was going to call me on it so I spoke again before she could. “Do you need anything?”

  “Water would be good please,” South let me distract her.

  I got up and went to the jug which was sitting on the counter by the door, I poured out a glass and went back to the chair as South pushed herself up, smoothing her fingers through sleep tousled hair which made me wish for a hairbrush and the right to bush it myself, but we weren’t there yet. I sat back down and she accepted the glass drinking deeply while I placed the bag of gifts on my lap, she frowned when it caugh
t her attention.

  “What is that?”

  “Some things I was told to bring to you or my life wouldn't be worth living.”

  “Someone threatened you?”

  “I have had a very busy morning,” I settled back into my chair.

  “Why exactly?” She narrowed her eyes at me. “You were in a train crash last night.”

  I smiled, feeling appreciated and warm that she would be so over protective when she was the one sat in a hospital bed.

  “I didn't go to work, but that doesn't mean I wasn't busy,” I answered. “When we got to the hospital we were separated, eventually they decided that my injuries were superficial and discharged me with a healing potion. I tried to track you down but I wasn't family and they would only let Rosemary see you because she was listed on your insurance as a medical contact. She got sick of me pestering her for updates and told me that if I wanted to do something useful, my time was better spent in helping Jonathan persuade the hotel to let you extend your booking until you were ready to fly home.”

  “Help?”

  “The room was booked after your expected departure date, they could downgrade you but it would have placed you on an unsecure floor and Jonathan was quick enough to know that once you are discharged fans could possibly swarm the hotel with get well cards and flowers.”

  “So you did what?”

  “Upgraded you. You now have a room the floor beneath my own with the same package of food and benefits until the end of next week.” I thought she would have smiled but panic fluttered on her expression before she looked away and hid it, I touched my mind to hers and tried hard not to scowl. “Do not even think about using this moment as a reason to make our bridge rickety. There was no way I was going to leave you without somewhere secure to recover from your ordeal. You don't have to use all the days and can fly home whenever you like, but the safe space is there for you. Jonathan and Rosemary managed to switch rooms into another hotel. They are going to be staying so you can all travel home together.”

  “Thank you,” South said as she reached for my hand and I held it tightly.

  “After overseeing the hotel move your belongings to your new room I spent an hour reassuring my relatives I was okay. I made sure I had a day off and Jonathan let me listen in to the calls Rosemary made about your condition, eventually I got to bed until about four am. This morning Jonathan caught me having breakfast at lunchtime and he told me you were going to be fine and that you had decided to spend another day and night in hospital under observation. He than very apologetically gave me telephone number that he was instructed I call straight away or his life wouldn't be worth living.”

  “Lucy,” South smiled, the gears in her head finally turning.

  “Not just Lucy, I spent two hours on speaker phone with Lucy, Sebastian, Richard, Cory, Christopher, Zak, and Darren Sharp. Plus their parents, and Burton Kalians.”

  “A secure room and a full on verbal assault by the Sharps. I definitely owe you now,” South sniggered.

  “They obviously love you very much,” I had actually enjoyed speaking to the Wildling family and Lucy Sharp's partner. I had started to think I was the only one to have been completely overwhelmed by South's sweetness, beauty and good humour. “They gave me a list of things they thought you would need and they even gave me your parents’ number.”

  Now South did freeze.

  “You called my parents?”

  “Rosemary had already been in touch to tell them about the accident so although they were very surprised to hear from me I didn't drop the bombshell. Rosemary had kept them updated all through the night whenever the doctors had given her more information. They felt helpless and guilty because they were stuck at sea and couldn't get to you, but they were glad that they had received so many texts and updates and they spent most of the conversation complimenting me excessively for saving your life.”

  “Suck up,” South accused. “When I speak to your parents I'm going to spend the whole conversation apologising for endangering your life.”

  “No you won't,” I chuckled, pushing the bag at her. “This is what I was told to bring to you.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “With Lucy Sharp snapping at me I am quite sure that I did.”

  South chuckled again and it made me smile to see her so well. She let go of my hand and pulled the bag towards her.

  The first item that South uncovered a thick, heavy A5 pad of paper that was bound in black leather and held securely with an elastic ribbon that was attached to the back of the leather cover and folded over the front, which I had been ordered had to be coupled with an ink pen with eraser, rather than a biro, her favourite chocolate bars came next, and lastly was a new phone to replace the one that was currently sitting at the bottom of the Hudson.

  It was already fully charged and switched on and South smiled again when she realised that all her important contacts, apps, games and websites were pre-installed. I hadn't been able to resist looking at her sale log and I had been surprised with the volume of sales. South had already admitted to being grateful for the deal that Cornwall had negotiated for her, but I didn’t feel as though she earning a fair share of the sales. Her book wasn’t selling in the self-published market for less than a dollar but she was making considerably less than I thought she would be from each book sold. I shoved the thoughts to one side before South could see them straying, her contract with Lemon Grove was her business, not mine.

  “Lucy again?”

  “She is frightening with computers,” I agreed. “My technical department have nothing on her and I am pretty sure she could get a job with Ferris if she put her mind to it, and she said that if you don't call her first she is never speaking to you again.”

  Putting the bits to one side South slipped across the bed until she could lean out and wrap her arms around my neck. I gathered her as close as I could without dragging her off the bed.

  I was surprised when she found my lips in a kiss that quickly became as needy, lustful and hungry as our first. It was difficult to let her go but this wasn't the kind of bed that I had envisioned climbing into with her and I had to gently pry her arms out of their vice like grip around my neck.

  “When you are feeling better,” I promised her, “we are going to finish that kiss.”

  South nodded and leaned back on the pillows and rubbed her face suddenly looking tired again, one hand moved to worry the cut on her forehead. I reached out and took her hands, she gave me a relieved and grateful smile as she eased back down to lie on the pillows.

  I kept hold of her hands and stroked them gently as she let her lethargy pull her towards sleep, I pressed one last kiss against her forehead that she acknowledged with a small squeeze of my hand before she slipped back into sleep.

  # # #

  'I'm ready to talk now. Can you come to Cadillac?'

  'I'll be there tomorrow.'

  Six hundred and forty miles from New York City to Cadillac Michigan on one cryptic text message from someone who was supposed to be in England.

  Usually I would have called and demanded more information but Fallow had never asked for anything personal in years and I was eager for the truth about the theft in London. Therefore, despite having to miss the another round of meetings about the fundraiser and leaving South to come back to the hotel accompanied by the Shays I had boarded a helicopter and was now on the final approach to the Michigan office.

  It was more of a testing facility than an administrative one, it played host to off season test drivers and was built with a small test track circling the garages, mock pit lanes for practice runs, gym and company apartments, the helicopter landed on the garage and I jumped down onto the roof. I pushed the door shut, locked it and waved them off, I intended to fly back to New York alone, I was faster on my own power and I would avoid the press who would hover at the airports waiting for my departure once they spotted the helicopter refuelling. There was always the chance I would be noticed but I flew so
fast I was usually no more than a blur on film.

  I walked across the roof, took the stairs two at a time down to the garage pausing at the bottom at the sight of Simon Cornwall running an awed and almost loving hand over one of the low powerhouse sports cars Fallow had made for me.

  I shouldn’t have been surprised to see Cornwall but I was, perhaps it was because I hadn’t expected to see him without Fallow, or because he was fawning over a sports car, behaviour I had never witnessed in the laid back Wildling before. I walked towards him, my footfalls enough for him to snap his head up and snatch his hand back.

  “I’d offer you a good deal, but that’s one of my favourites.”

  “Like I could afford to tax it,” Cornwall replied.

  “Where’s Jessica?”

  “In the gym,” Cornwall pushed his hands into his pockets. “How are you?”

  “Fine. A little bruised.”

  “Harriet?”

  “She spent an extra day under supervision just to be sure but she is much better. She is getting back to the hotel this afternoon.”

  “That is a relief. It was scary watching it on the television,” Cornwall glanced at the gym and pushed on. “It has also pushed Jess's buttons. I wanted to tell you before but she wouldn’t let me.”

  “She lets you get away with a pet name?” I almost choked on my surprise that time, Fallow always corrected people when they didn’t use her full name.

  “Only when she isn’t around,” Cornwall smiled a little but it faded quickly.

  “What’s going on, Simon?” I asked, he wasn’t himself and I couldn’t account for his being here, he had never stalked Fallow before and he had to have had her help in passing security.

  “She wanted to tell you herself, to explain about what is happening. But she is ashamed, she thinks she's letting you down, so I said I would do it for her.