Chapter 6
The sun began to rise, giving the clouds hues of burnt amber, red, purple, and even navy blue. The birds lining the tops of the buildings and in the trees had already begun their morning songs. Traffic downtown had not yet picked up and would probably be lighter than usual. Many people prepared to take the Friday before Memorial Day off, getting an early start on their weekend trips.
The soda building, as Stephen liked to call it, appeared dark, only a faint glow came from the second floor, about halfway down the side of the building. Stephen knew that light was Patty’s and had expected it to be on. She always came in early, even on Fridays.
Stephen had a small bouquet of daisies and carnations in one hand, and a bag from a pastry shop down the street in the other. He wanted to surprise her with flowers and breakfast. They had been seeing each other for a little less than two months now. The two of them had grown closer.
Patty had started asking what Stephen did with his extra time when he and Waltz would go off together. He didn’t lie to her, but he didn’t really tell her anything either. And while they hadn’t fought about it, he knew she was displeased. They had talked about it on the phone earlier this week. He wanted to try to apologize before the weekend.
He walked into the building, eager to see her. As he entered, he sensed that Patty wasn’t the only one who had come in early. Stephen hadn’t really gotten to know anyone in the office other than Patty and Johnathan. He had seen the thoughts of the others, some of which concerned him. The others simply weren’t people he had much in common with.
Alright, who else is here? Stephen listened for thoughts.
“Hey, Frank! Check that drawer. There’s gotta be something somewhere.” There’d better be anyway!
“Yeah, Chuck, just keep looking. We’ll find it!”
Stephen heard them upstairs just as he began searching for their thoughts. He didn’t recognize either of the men. He walked up the stairs, still focused on the strangers.
“Frank,” one man yelled. “Check the girl. Make sure she’s still out.”
Stephen ran down the hall. Anger engulfed him, as he had caught an image of Patty lying on the floor, blood in her already red hair.
“I see her here. We’re good. Just keep looking.”
If she’s hurt . . . Stephen threw his thoughts at the men.
“You hear that?”
“Yeah, where did that come from?”
Over here! Stephen saw a large, muscular man standing near Patty’s office. The other man remained out of sight, down one of the cubicle aisles.
“Frank!” The man’s voice trembled. “I think we should go.”
“Nah, Chuck. I see him coming down the hall. I can break him like a twig. You keep looking. I got this!”
Frank stood tall, more than a head above the cubicles. Stephen slowed as he approached him, knowing that Frank had no idea what he was in for. He could feel Frank’s confidence in his large muscular frame. The man expected a short fight. Boxing had been more than a hobby when he was younger. Stephen didn’t care.
I’m gonna enjoy this! Frank started to grin, revealing a missing tooth.
No you won’t! Stephen smiled. Frank’s facial expression changed to uncertainty.
Frank tried his hardest, punching and grabbing with all the skill and strength one might expect. Stephen knew every move before Frank executed it. It looked as though Frank punched at the wind. Stephen played with him, smiling more and more with every punch he dodged.
That’s enough! Stephen landed a hook to the behemoth’s ribs.
Frank winced and swung again.
Stephen ducked and stepped to the side, just before kicking Frank’s knee, tearing tendons and ligaments.
“Argh!”
He grabbed Stephen. “I’ve got you now!” Frank looked around for his partner. “Chuck! I’ve got him!”
Chuck came around the corner carrying a large stapler. “I see! You’ve got him, huh?”
“Yeah! I’ve got him,” Frank panted.
Stephen began laughing.
“What? Why are you laughing.”
Chuck spoke. “I think he has you, Frank. You and me!” Chuck smiled as Frank’s face again turned to confusion, just before the stapler came crashing onto the top of his head.
Frank fell unconscious with a loud thud.
“What? What did I do?” Chuck dropped the stapler.
“It appears you hurt Frank, Chuck.” Stephen smiled.
“That voice. I know your voice. It’s in my head. Why’s it in my head? Get out!” Chuck began clawing at his head, scratching it. Then he grabbed for Stephen.
“Good night.” Stephen’s elbow crushed the man’s jaw.
Stephen turned his attention toward Patty’s office, just ahead. Patty stood there with a blank expression. Stephen ran to her and attended a cut on her forehead.
“Patty, are you okay? You’re bleeding. Sit down.” Stephen helped her to a chair.
“I’m okay—just a little dizzy still, and my head hurts. I called the police. They should be here . . .” Patty’s words trailed off.
Stephen grabbed a bottle of water from her desk. “Here, drink this.”
She took a sip. “Stephen, I’m not sure what I just saw. Did the small guy turn on the bigger one?”
“Yeah, it looked that way. Lucky for me.” Stephen looked back to the two lying on the floor. “Maybe that was his plan all along. I guess he thought he could take me next.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Patty grabbed her head. “Wait. What are you doing here?”
“Oh!” Stephen smiled. “Surprise? I was bringing flowers and breakfast. I’m not sure you want either now.” Stephen look back over his shoulder. The flowers were in pieces, and the bag had been trampled on.
They both laughed a little, sounding uneasy. Stephen grabbed her hands, which continued to tremble.
“You’re right. I don’t. They look worse than me.”
Sirens neared outside. The lights began reflecting off the buildings across the street. The sound of footsteps coming down the hall eventually filled the room, echoing down the hallway.
“Police!”
“In here,” Stephen boomed out for all to hear. “We’re over here.”
A couple officers rushed over to where the two sat.
“We’re okay. She needs to be looked at though.”
Stephen could just barely see around the corner to where Frank and Chuck lay. Several more officers began checking on them. “This one’s just unconscious,” one officer said.
“This one’s gone,” said another. The officers holstered their weapons and cuffed Chuck.
Stephen realized he had just killed a man. It was self-defense. But, he hadn’t meant to. His heart began to race.
“Sir . . . sir.” An officer tried to get Stephen’s attention. “I need you to come with me for a moment.”
“Okay.” He turned to Patty. “I’ll be right back.”
The two stepped to the side, away from everyone else. “What happened here? Did you do this?”
“Yeah, kind of.” Stephen explained how he had come to surprise Patty and found them there. “The big guy rushed me. I’ve studied martial arts. I guess training took over. But he managed to grab hold of me. Then the little guy turned on him!”
“Where was she?” The officer nodded toward Patty.
Stephen looked over. He listened to the other officer’s thoughts. He was asking Patty questions as he tended her head wound.
“I’m not sure. When I looked up, she was standing only a couple of feet from where she is now. I ran to her and barely got to her before she fell. She was dizzy.” The officer with Patty stepped away as the EMS workers arrived. “I need to get back to Patty.”
“Sure thing.” The officer smiled. “We may need to talk more though.”
Stephen pulled out a business card. He never understood why Vincent had them printed. This was the first he had given out. “This has all my information. I’ll be avai
lable whenever you need me.”
As Stephen walked back toward Patty, he could hear a ruckus behind him. He turned to see the paramedic putting Chuck on a gurney. “Wait. Stop it!” Chuck yelled. “I didn’t mean to. The voice made me. I couldn’t get away from it. It’s in my head. Get it out! Get it out!”
They wheeled the man down the hall toward the elevator. Stephen heard him yelling all the way out of the building.
When Stephen turned back around, he noticed how frightened Patty looked. He walked over and sat down next to her. “You okay? You look worried.”
“I am. That man’s a lunatic.”
“Well, I’m here.”
Patty punched him!
“Ouch! What was that for?”
“What did you think you were doing? You could have gotten killed!” Patty punched him again.
“Really? You’re beating me more than they did.”
She punched him several more times, yelling as she did. “It’s not funny.”
Stephen laughed hard before grabbing her arms. “Okay, you’re right. It’s not funny. I guess we’re lucky the one guy was crazy. I knew you’d be here. I had to make sure you were okay.”
Another paramedic brought a gurney over to Patty.
“Do you really have to take me on that thing? Can’t Stephen take me?”
“Patty,” Stephen said, “it’s probably best, just in case. I’ll follow behind in your car, if you don’t mind me driving it.”
Patty nodded.
“I’ll follow you out and then meet you at the hospital. I’ll gather your things here and let Vincent know what happened. Okay? I’ll be there shortly. I won’t be long.”
“Okay.” Patty grabbed Stephen and kissed him. “I love you!” Then they put her on the gurney.
She loves me? Should I say it back? What do I do? Crap! It’s too late now. Stephen’s head raced. He wanted to listen to Patty’s thoughts but felt he would be violating her trust. He walked alongside her, out to the ambulance.
“Patty?”
Patty put her finger up to Stephen’s lips. “It’s okay. I know you aren’t quite ready yet. Something’s holding you back. I just wanted you to know how I feel, in case they did some serious damage to me.”
“You’re gonna be fine.” Stephen smiled as he grabbed her fingers and kissed the top of her hand. “You’re wonderful!”
“I know,” she smiled.
Stephen had barely gotten back up the steps when he heard Waltz in the lobby.
“Stephen,” Waltz called out as he jogged up the stairs, Vincent in tow. “Are you alright?”
“I’m good. Patty took a bit of a jostle before I got here. Two guys were trashing the place. If I had been here sooner, they wouldn’t have touched her. I think she’s okay, though. They took her to the hospital. I’m heading there now.” Stephen couldn’t help but feel protective of Patty.
“Be that as it may, you’re okay?”
“Yeah, Waltz. I’m good.”
“What happened in there?” Vincent asked, his attention divided as he looked down the hall to the covered body.
“I don’t really know how to explain it to you. I was fighting with this big guy. He got hold of me. His partner came up and smashed him in the head with a stapler. Then, I knocked the other guy out.”
“Strange.” Vincent continued looking down the hall.
“It is.” Waltz looked right at Stephen, his eyes glaring in disapproval.
Stephen shrugged.
“Excuse me a moment, gentlemen.” Vincent said, excusing himself.
Vincent walked over to the sergeant who was giving other officers directions. Stephen couldn’t make out what was being said. I wish I could read him! He looked back at Waltz, wondering why Waltz continually protected Vincent. Is it a test?
Vincent approached again. “Waltz, the officer is going to let me through to make sure nothing was stolen and see if I can tell what they were looking for. You can come with me.”
“I’ll come too.” Stephen began walking with them. “I need to get Patty’s things for her.”
“Great. Tell her we’ll be by to check on her when we’ve finished here, will you?”
“Sure thing, Vincent.”
Stephen hurried through the hall, back through the office to grab Patty’s purse. He had to clear it with an officer. Then, he went out to Patty’s car, eager to check on her.
****
Stephen watched as Patty winced with each stitch the physician’s assistant made in her forehead. It was less busy than he had anticipated in the emergency room. The curtain concealed them from anyone outside the room. He heard the occasional scream from somewhere inside the emergency room.
“I’m telling you, there’s a devil in my head! He made me do it!”
Stephen smiled.
“What’s that devilish grin about? This really hurts.” Patty slapped Stephen’s arm.
“Owwww!” Stephen chuckled. “I wasn’t grinning at you. It’s that piece of work down the hall. It felt good to knock him out!”
“Ah! So you’re the hero I heard about?” The attendant looked up at Stephen.
“Hero?” Stephen scratched his head. “I don’t know about that. I just did what I had to.”
“It’s a shame about that other guy though,” Patty said.
Stephen looked up at Patty, wondering how she could feel sorry for the other guy. She was a victim, yet she felt concerned for them.
“Alright. That should do it.” The attendant stood up. “I’ll send a nurse in to get you checked out shortly.” He exited the room.
“Don’t get me wrong, Stephen. I’m glad you’re okay. But he didn’t have to die,” Patty continued.
“Yeah, he could have not been stupid in the first place,” Stephen protested.
“True. I guess that’s what I’m saying. There were so many other options that could have ended with him living. The loss of life is always tragic. You don’t agree?”
Stephen shrugged, not having given much thought to it yet. He could only think how good it felt to finally use his gift to do some real good. Sitting there with Patty though, he began feeling something else—guilt. Months ago he wouldn’t have gone as far as he did. He was devastated when Tommy died because of his own actions. Why had he enjoyed this? He had felt whole, complete for the first time in months. This worried him. He hadn’t intended to kill. But, the man did die.
“You didn’t answer me. Are you okay?” Patty looked concerned.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I was so concerned about you, I, well . . . I didn’t really think about either of them. Now that I know you’re okay, I guess I see your point. But, given the situation, I’m glad things turned out as they did and that you’re okay.”
They sat waiting for the nurse. Patty’s pain medication kicked in, making her drowsy. Stephen couldn’t help but consider her words until the nurse returned, and Patty was released.
After sending Vincent a text, letting him know they had left the hospital, Stephen drove her home to her apartment, which was not far from downtown. He hadn’t been to her apartment but a couple of times to drop off some things. Patty had decorated only with pictures of her family on the walls and desk. It was a small economy living space and not much for entertaining friends. Stephen helped her get comfortable before calling for a cab ride home. When he left, he noticed a picture by the door—a selfie of the two of them from their date at the zoo.
On the ride home, Chuck’s screams still echoed in his mind. “There’s a devil in my head” played like a broken record. He couldn’t help but wonder if that could be true. His emotions were in conflict with one another. On one hand, he felt the men got what they deserved; on the other, Patty had struck a chord that he knew was right. It was tragic. He also knew he could have prevented it. With his ability, he could have caused the outcome to be much different.
Stephen got out of the cab. Upon seeing Waltz seated on the porch, he knew there would be a lengthy conversation waiting for him, which he
dreaded. He slowly walked up. He didn’t attempt to search the mind of his mentor. There was no sense in it. He had seen that look on Waltz’s face many times when he was younger. Stephen was about to find out in Waltz’s own words exactly what he was thinking.
Waltz spoke in a gentle tone as Stephen cleared the top step. “Have a seat,” Waltz said.
Stephen stood there looking at Waltz, pondering whether or not he should say anything, in an attempt to fight the coming onslaught.
“Please.” Waltz patted the spot next to him.
Stephen sat down on the simple wooden bench, shifting his weight as he searched for the least worn spot in the already thin cushion.
“Stephen, I’m concerned—”
“You should be!” Stephen turned to look at Waltz. His eyes began to well up. The flood of emotion became overwhelming.
“Are you okay, boy?” Waltz turned to face Stephen, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“I don’t know. I don’t think so.” Stephen wiped tears from his cheek. “I don’t get it. I was doing good. I was in control of myself. What happened? And why did I enjoy it?” Stephen looked away for a moment, then back to Waltz. “You and Bernie had talked about me. Bernie thought I might have come from a Fallen. Is that it? Do you think that’s what’s wrong with me?”
Waltz laughed a tender, gentle laugh. “No, boy, I don’t think that’s what’s wrong. You’re going to be fine.”
“How do you know that’s not it? It could be, right?” Stephen looked at Waltz, hoping for hope.
“Listen to me. I know why this happened. And I know you are not the offspring of a Fallen. I can’t get into it now, but soon we’ll have a conversation about what I doknow about your parents. It’s about time you knew the truth. Trust me when I say it’s not safe to talk about now.”
Chronicles of Stephen BoxSet Page 8
