Indigo Incite

by Jacinda Buchmann

  “Are you serious? Did you explain it to her? Did you let her know that her name is on the bad guys’ list and they’re going to come after her?”

  “Yeah, we explained it all, in as many ways as we could think of. She insists that we have the wrong person and there’s no way she’ll consider coming with us.”

  Tyler slumped on the hard sofa. “Great! So, now what?”

  “Now, I guess we go find Grace.”

  “I have a question,” Liliana interrupted. “Did it ever occur to you guys that if these kidnappers are as powerful as Toby claims, they can track our cell phones, your rental car, or for that matter, any credit card transactions that you make?”

  “I hadn’t thought about that, but you’re right,” Eddie said. “I don’t know what other choice we have though. I don’t exactly have a lot of money in my savings account, and I can’t ask my parents to borrow money any more than you can. Credit cards are all we’ve got, right now. I guess it’s a chance we’re going to have to take. But, you’re absolutely right about the cell phones. We should turn them off.”

  After they had located their phones, Tyler said, “Wait a second. It’s not enough to just turn them off. The GPS can still be traced. We need to take out the battery, too.”

  Liliana raised her eyebrows in question. “Really? Are you sure?”

  “Well, I don’t know from experience, but it’s something that I learned from one of my roommates.”

  Liliana smiled. “At your, uh…special school?”

  Tyler grinned in return. “Exactly. I guess you could say it was an enriched, educational experience.”

  While Eddie checked out at the front office, Tyler and Liliana loaded their bags into the car. As they pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the airport, Eddie looked back at the restaurant. He couldn’t help but think about Sarah and prayed that it wasn’t a mistake to leave her behind. “Liliana?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Back in the restaurant, you said that when you were listening to Sarah’s thoughts, you heard something strange. What was it?”

  “Yeah, I’ve never heard it, before, but I’m sure I wasn’t mistaken.”

  “What was it?”

  “I heard her baby.”

  “Her baby?”

  “Yeah, I heard thoughts coming from her, but they definitely weren’t her thoughts. It had to be her baby.”

  “Really? What was he…or she thinking?”

  “I got the feeling that it was a boy. He was trying to tell me that we should take Sarah with us.”

  From the backseat, Tyler leaned forward. “What are you saying? Are you saying that the baby could hear your thoughts?”

  Liliana turned to look at him. “Yeah, I think that’s exactly what happened.”

  CHAPTER 9: SARAH

  Armed with a fresh pot of coffee, Sarah glanced out the window in time to see her peculiar visitors drive out of the parking lot and head out onto the highway. They must have mistaken her for someone else, but still, something they had said resonated in her mind, and she hoped that it hadn’t been a mistake to send them away.

  The hot drips of coffee down her arm, reversed her awareness back to the task at hand. Too late, she realized that she had overfilled the customer’s cup. “Oh no!” she exclaimed. She set the coffee pot on the table and poured the excess liquid into an empty cup. Then she grabbed a napkin and wiped off the outside of the mug.

  The customer offered her another napkin, which she graciously accepted. “Thank you. I’m so sorry,” she said, as she dried her arm; the coffee had dripped down to her elbow.

  The man appeared to be in his late fifties. Slightly overweight and balding, he sported a thick mustache and wore a blue flannel shirt. He chuckled and flashed a jovial smile. “Don’t worry about it. Happens to the best of us. A little distracted this morning, huh? Daydreaming about your man?”

  The woman beside him smacked his arm. “Chuck! Don’t tease the poor girl.” From the familiar way she spoke to him, Sarah assumed the plump woman with the bright, purple, flowered sweater, had to be his wife.

  Sarah smiled. “It’s okay. I guess I was a little distracted. I was watching some…friends drive away. I’m sorry. Is there anything else I can get for you this morning?”

  The woman patted her purple, flowered belly. “Oh, no thank you. I’m stuffed.”

  “All right then. I’ll be right back with your check.” The jingle of the bell on the door caught her attention, and she turned to see a sharply dressed couple, who looked to be in their late thirties, walk in. They appeared out of place amongst the other guests, their attire much too expensive for the usual patrons who frequented the diner. She ruled out the possibility that they were locals or even Bigfoot enthusiasts and was curious what had brought them to town.

  After she handed the check to the balding man and his wife, Sarah grabbed a couple of menus from the front podium and made her way over to the mystery couple. They had seated themselves by the fireplace, at the same table where Eddie and Liliana had sat ten minutes earlier.

  She noticed the man had manicured fingernails. He had removed his trench coat to reveal a brown pullover sweater vest with a lightly checkered, long-sleeved collared shirt beneath. She couldn’t see his shoes, under the table, but from the glance she had seen when he had walked in the door, they had looked to be pricey and completely impractical for the ice and impending snow. No, Sarah thought, this man certainly wasn’t a local.

  The woman beside him looked equally displaced. She too, had also removed a long trench coat, and Sarah saw that she wore a cream-colored cashmere sweater. Her shoulder-length blond hair was tucked behind her ears to reveal pearl earrings that matched her pearl necklace. When the woman had entered, Sarah had noticed that she was wearing high heels, shoes that were also equally impractical for the icy conditions.

  She realized that she still held the menus and quickly placed them on the table. She pasted on a smile and hoped it wasn’t obvious that she had been staring. “Good morning. My name’s Sarah. I’ll give you a few minutes to look at the menu. Can I start you off with something to drink?”

  The couple had immediately glanced at each other when she introduced herself. It seemed an odd behavior, but she brushed it off as her imagination. The warning about kidnappers still had her on edge. Surely this couldn’t be them, could it? She pushed the thought aside; it was a ridiculous idea, of course. Whoever Eddie and Liliana had thought they were searching for, it certainly wasn’t her. There was nothing special about her, and no one had any reason to look for her.

  They’re odd, but they’re not here to kidnap me, Sarah chided herself.

  The man casually flipped through the menu. “Sarah, are you serving lunch yet? We just flew in, from out of town, and our schedule is slightly off.” He smiled and seemed nice enough; and yet, a line of goose bumps ran down her arms, in warning.

  She made a mental note to take a break as soon as she placed their order. It must be pregnancy hormones playing havoc with my nerves, she thought.

  “We don’t serve lunch for another hour yet, but the place has cleared out enough. The cook might make an exception for you. I can run back and check, if you'd like.”

  “Thanks. That would be great.”

  Anxious to escape their odd stares and her sense of unease, Sarah excused herself to the kitchen, where she was greeted with a friendly smile by her friend, Juan. “Hey, mija,” he said, “what’s up?”

  “I hate to ask, but this couple that just came in wants to know if you’re willing to make lunch.”

  The cook glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s no time yet.”

  “I know. I know. But they seem really…uppity. I was scared to tell them no. I told them I would check with you.”

  Juan looked at her quizzically and shook his head. He didn’t understand her word choice.

  “Uppity…You know, um…rich…used to getting what they want.”

  He smiled in understanding. “Ah, I see…Snobb
ish.”

  Sarah nodded. “Yes, and I am in no mood today to deal with cranky, demanding customers. So, do you think you could just make them lunch so they’ll be happy, eat, and get outta here?” Sarah pressed the palms of her hands together in a pleading gesture. “Pleeease.” She offered a beaming smile.

  Juan nodded. “For you, mija, anything.”

  Sarah smiled at the Spanish endearment. “Thank you!”

  After she had taken their order, she caught up to her friend, Julie, at the kitchen door. “Hey, would you mind taking my table by the fireplace? I need to take a break for a little bit.”

  “Sure thing.” She looked over Sarah’s shoulder to the table in question. “Who are they? They look a little out of place for these parts. Are they lost?” She laughed at her own joke.

  “Yeah, I don’t know. I didn’t ask, but I know what you mean. They said they just flew in from out of town. Definitely not from around here, that’s for sure. Let me know if you find out anything. I’m curious.”

  “All right. Have they ordered yet?”

  “Yeah, I'm going to put their order in then I’m going to sit in the office for a bit and take a break.”

  “Are you feeling okay? Can I get you anything?”

  Sarah knew her friend was concerned; it wasn’t like her to take a break so early in the day. “I’m fine. Just a bit tired. I’ll just prop my feet up for fifteen minutes, and I’m sure I’ll feel refreshed.”

  “Take an hour. The morning rush is over, and I doubt we’ll get much of a crowd until dinner. Go on, go take a break. I’ll call you if I need help.”

  “Thanks." Sarah offered an appreciative smile, and with relief, she headed for the break room.

  *****

  Sarah plopped into the blue, lounge chair and turned on the television. She had no interest in watching anything in particular and did so more out of a desire for background noise so she wouldn’t feel alone. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

  When her husband, Danny, had been deployed overseas, leaving her alone and pregnant in Fort Lewis, Washington, her aunt had suggested that she stay with her to help run the family inn and restaurant. Grateful for the offer, Sarah had moved to Granite Falls, in December.

  She had known from the beginning of her marriage that there was a risk he could be sent into a war zone, but she had illogically told herself that it wouldn’t happen to him. She had dreamt that they would get married, she would finish college, and they would buy a little house with an apple tree in the backyard, get a dog, have a couple of babies, and live happily ever after.

  Now, seven months later and only twenty years old, she was indeed married and had a baby on the way, but she was alone. Her hopes of a little house and happily ever after, were a wishful dream, for the future. She tried not to worry about the dangers that Danny faced and prayed daily for his safe return. To keep her mind occupied, she had transferred her college credits to a nearby college, so that she could continue her studies to become a teacher. Any free time she had was spent at the restaurant. Free time meant time to worry, so she tried to stay constantly busy with work and school.

  She ran a hand absent-mindedly through her hair and sighed; then she closed her eyes and rested a hand on her belly. Her momentary respite was interrupted by a voice in her head. You should go to the airport now.

  She opened her eyes and shook her head. Was she imagining things? This wasn’t the first time since she had been pregnant that she had heard a voice in her head, but she had always pushed the idea aside and chalked it up to her imagination. Pregnancy hormones could wreak havoc on emotions, and she had assumed that hearing voices was an adverse product of pregnancy.

  It’s not your imagination. You need to leave. Follow your instincts. You’re in danger, and you know it.

  Sarah sat up. Maybe she should go, but how could she justify it? Her visit from Eddie and Liliana, not to mention the strange couple in the restaurant, had her nerves on edge; but really, she had no justifiable reason to think that she was in any sort of danger. Maybe she should just take the remainder of the day off and get some rest.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by another voice; but this time, she recognized the source. It was Aunt Mae. “Hey there! Julie said that I could find you in here. You feelin’ okay, sweetie pie?”

  Her aunt stood in the doorway. Obviously concerned, she pursed her lips and frowned.

  “I’m fine, Aunt Mae. Just a bit tired, but I’m fine, really.”

  “Well, that’s good. I’ll tell you what, it’s a bit slow in there right now, but I expect we’ll have a large crowd tonight. We’re running low on some supplies. How would you feel about taking a break from the restaurant for a bit and running to the store for me?”

  The prospect of a drive and some shopping sounded like the perfect reprieve to clear her thoughts. “Sure, sounds like fun. Do you have a shopping list?”

  “Yep, right here.” Her aunt handed her a folded piece of paper. “Try not to take too long though. A storm is supposed to roll in later this afternoon, and I don’t want you to get stuck.”

  Sarah grabbed the keys for the truck off the desk. “No worries, Aunt Mae. I’ll be there and back before you know it. Call me if you think of anything else you need.”

  *****

  The warehouse store was, thankfully, uncrowded. Sarah loved to shop at the massive store but found that she had little patience to deal with the hordes of people who were often drawn there.

  It didn’t take long to gather the desired supplies, and though Sarah was tempted to browse the children’s clothing section on the way to the checkout line, she passed up the allurement and made her way to the front of the store. She had just pushed her large cart past a row of books when an overwhelming sense that she was being watched made her pause.

  She thought she saw him out of the corner of her eye. A man in a trench coat stood at the opposite side of the store, at the end of a food aisle. Just as she turned to get a look at him, he disappeared up the aisle, out of sight. Was it her imagination? It was winter after all; plenty of people wore trench coats. And yet…he had looked very much like the man from the restaurant.

  For a moment she was tempted to investigate. But then what? she pondered. If she discovered that it wasn’t him, she would be relieved, but what would she say if she came face to face with him? On the other hand, if she didn’t look to see who it was, she would worry for the rest of the day that she was being followed.

  She picked up a children’s book and pretended to read the back cover, as she contemplated the best course of action. A glance out of the corner of her eye revealed that the man was nowhere in sight. It had to be my vivid imagination playing tricks on me again, she chided herself.

  After she had located the shortest line, she drummed her fingers on the cart with impatience. When the line finally moved, she grabbed a giant jar of salad dressing to place onto the conveyor belt but froze with the jar in mid-air when she glanced toward the food court and caught sight of a blond haired woman in a trench coat. Her back was to Sarah, so her face was undetectable, but it was too much of a coincidence for Sarah’s peace of mind.

  She silently willed the cashier to move faster, and as soon as he handed her the receipt, she thanked him and headed for the exit. As she passed the table, on the way to the door, she noticed that the blond haired woman had been joined by a man in a trench coat. Their backs were to her, and she still couldn’t see their faces.

  Sarah had stopped to stare and realized that, in doing so, she was holding up the flow of customers who were in line to exit the store. She pushed her cart off to the side, took out her phone, and pretended to send a text while she considered her options. After a minute of deliberation, she decided that she wasn’t mentally prepared for any sort of confrontation and continued on. She resisted the urge to look back and kept her sights on the exit.

  The sky began to spit miniscule snowflakes as she walked toward the truck. Her hands shook—not from th
e cold but from nerves—as she all but threw the boxes from the cart into the back of the truck. Without wasting time to return the cart, to the cart corral, she left it beside the truck, jumped into the front seat, and made a beeline for the exit.

  Before she turned onto the street, she checked her rearview mirror to see if she was being followed, but there was no one behind her. Maybe her overactive imagination had played tricks on her after all.

  It wasn’t until she had exited the freeway and was headed down the quiet highway to Granite Falls that she was able to relax. Another check in the mirror revealed an aging, red minivan but no one else. She breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head at her excitable state of mind. Obviously no one had followed her.

  She adjusted the volume on her favorite radio station and turned her thoughts back to her morning visitors. Why would they claim that she was in danger unless it were true? What could they possibly have to gain from her involvement? They hadn’t asked for money, so it wasn’t like they would benefit financially. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. Was it possible that there was an ounce of truth behind their story?

  For a few moments, she noted the evergreen trees, fields of horses, and occasional houses. Then her surroundings became indiscernible as she replayed their conversation in her head. But after reviewing everything they had told her, she was drawn back to her original conclusion. “They must have had the wrong person.” She spoke out loud but found that her fears weren’t suppressed. She couldn’t unleash the feeling that she was being followed. She began to doubt herself and wondered, not for the first time, if it had been a mistake to send Eddie and Liliana away.

  “But, why would anyone want to find me?” she asked herself, out loud. “What purpose could they possibly have?”

  They want to find you, so they can get to me, the voice in her head replied.

  The truck swerved dangerously close to the ditch, on the side of the road. With a racing pulse, Sarah realized that she had crossed the white line and quickly straightened her course. For a minute she focused to keep the truck between the lines, but soon her thoughts wandered as she thought about the voice.