Fallen Elements (34 page)

Ryan tilted her head back, and stretched her
neck from side-to-side. “She clearly prefers beer to gin.”

Carol chuckled. “Whatever.”

The bartender returned with an open can of
Natty Boh. “Let me know if you need anything else.” She looked at
Carol. “Can I get you another Tanqueray and tonic, miss?”

Carol shook her head. “I’m good for now. She
needs to catchup.”

The bartender smiled. “Check.”

Carol waited until the woman was out of
earshot. “See? Miss.”

“You’re silly.” Ryan took a drink of her
beer. “What brings you back to Baltimore so soon?”

“The whole family is here, actually.” Carol
smiled. “Mother wants us all to do lunch tomorrow if you’re
available.”

Ryan shook her head. “I’m busy. Why are they
here?” The fact her cousin hadn’t really answered her question
wasn’t lost on Ryan.

Carol took a long drink of her gin and tonic,
nearly emptying the remainder of the glass. “Something to do with
business. You know they can be vague. I was just happy to have
another chance to see you.” She smiled, raising her glass toward
Ryan. “Cheers.”

Ryan lifted her can of beer. “Cheers, and I’m
happy to see you too.” She smiled.

“Speaking of seeing people.” Carol’s gaze was
focused on her glass as she ran her finger along its rim. “Are you
still seeing Leah?”

Ryan paused mid drink, and put the can of
beer down on the bar. “That was a seamless segue.”

Carol smirked. “I thought so.”

In spite of the rest of the family’s penchant
for secrets, and Carol’s for gossip, Ryan and Carol had never been
particularly good at keeping them from one another. “I’m still
seeing Leah. Nothing too serious.” Ryan still felt cautious in
spite of her and Carol’s history together. A twinge of guilt tinted
her white lie, but she was resolved to maintain the half-truth.

Carol emptied her glass, and gestured for the
bartender to bring her another drink. “She nearly killed my
father.”

Ryan coughed. Her last drink of beer caught
at the back of her throat with Carol’s words. “What?!”

The bartender placed a fresh drink in front
of Carol, and seeing Ryan coughing, quickly handed her a small
black cocktail napkin. “Are you okay? Would you like some
water?”

Ryan shook her head, her voice strained. “I’m
good. Thanks.”

The bartender hesitated. “Okay. Let me know
if you need anything else.”

Ryan managed a nod, and after another short
cough, turned her attention to Carol. “What are you talking
about?”

Carol’s eyes filled with tears. “When we were
here last, she and my parents got into an altercation, and she
burned my father’s arm.” Carol reached across the bar, and
retrieved a cocktail napkin from the bar caddy. Wiping her eyes,
she took several deep breaths. “I didn’t even know if I should tell
you, but if you’re still seeing her, I can’t just say nothing.”

Ryan’s heart was racing, her face felt hot,
and she was having trouble catching her breath. “How could Leah
nearly kill Derek?”

Carol blew her noise quietly, and discreetly
tucked the folded napkin into her front pant pocket. “You have to
know. I mean, if I know, you must know.”

Ryan wasn’t sure how to play this game. She
was truly distressed to see Carol so upset, but she didn’t want to
say too much, and inadvertently expose Carol or Leah to harm. “What
should I know?”

Carol chuckled, but her eyes narrowing as she
turned to Ryan. “Are you feeling me out, Ryan?”

Ryan stiffened at Carol’s use of her first
name. It was a small thing, but the formality of it immediately put
Ryan on the defensive. “Why would I be doing that?”

Carol emptied her drink, and grabbing another
napkin, wiped her mouth. “I’m so scared for you, and you being with
her.”

Ryan gently touched Carol’s shoulder, trying
to reassure the woman. “Let’s just take a second here. What are you
talking about?”

Carol pivoted on the bar stool so she was
facing Ryan. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke.
“She’s a witch, or whatever the hell you want to call it.”

Ryan focused on keeping her face
expressionless. “Who told you that?”

Carol’s expression softened, and she took
Ryan’s hand in hers. “I know everything.”

Ryan leaned back. She was still unwilling to
show her hand. “What do you know?”

Carol sighed heavily. “I can’t believe you’re
doing this? Lying to me by omission.” Carol released Ryan’s hand.
“We have always been honest with each other.”

The years of managing the chaos of their
upbringing together, and the countless moments they had confided
and consoled one another came rushing back to Ryan. “I know who
Leah is, and I know about the two families. I just didn’t think you
would ever know.”

Carol frowned. “Why wouldn’t I know?”

Ryan glanced around to ensure no one was
listening. “Andrew is the first born, and I figured you wouldn’t
ever
have
to know.”

Carol shook her head. “Andrew is a putz and
can barely stand upright with all that sneezing when he’s around
Leah.”

Ryan was shocked to hear Carol speak so
casually about the situation. “How long have you known?”

“Not too long. I don’t think my mother meant
to tell me. But after the last visit and Andrew’s – shortcomings,
and when I saw the scarring on my father’s arm – she didn’t really
have a choice.”

“I don’t know about any burns.” Ryan
insisted.

“Leah can’t control her powers, Ryan.” Carol
whispered. “My parents were trying to talk some sense into her
about your relationship with her, and then she attacked my
father.”

The doubt Ryan had when Lucy had talked so
crassly about Leah’s affinity for the Myers women was nowhere to be
found in this moment with Carol. She was confident in what she knew
about Leah, and who the woman she loved was.

“I’ve seen her powers, and I assure you she
is in complete control.” Ryan reached for Carol’s hand, and a
twinge of hurt shot through her when the woman pulled away.

“Then she willfully attacked my father.”
Carol voice was cold, and it reminded Ryan too much of Lucy’s.

“Or she was defending herself.” The spokes of
indignity began to spin inside Ryan, and she was not going to sit
idly by while Carol trampled over Leah with her lies and
misconceptions. Ryan’s breath caught as the memory of Leah’s
bruises that first time they were together, and her insistence it
had been a car accident popped into Ryan’s head.

“You’re defending her?” Carol hissed.

Ryan could count on one hand the number of
arguments she and Carol had over the years. She could tell from the
intensity in Carol’s eyes and the harshness of her voice, this was
going to be the worst. “I’m just asking you to be open to the idea
there may be another explanation.”

“Look, you know I’m not the biggest fan of my
family, but if you had seen the look on my mother’s face, and the
scar on my father’s arm, you wouldn’t be defending her.” Carol
pointed to her own forearm as she spoke. “They were third degree
burns!”

Can you make it hotter?
The answer to
the question she had poised to Leah was suddenly quantified. “Leah
was black and blue too, Carol. I saw her the next day.”

Carol shook her head, her eyes focused on the
bar. “My mother explained that they had to forcibly remove Leah
from my father, or she would have killed him.”

Ryan slumped in the bar stool, unsure what
she could say that would convince Carol of Leah’s true nature and
intentions. “You’ve made up your mind about this?”

Once again, Carol’s eyes filled with tears.
“So have you.”

Ryan placed her hand on Carol’s shoulder. “I
know what I know, but this crap doesn’t have to come between us.”
Tears pushed at the back of Ryan’s eyes, the thought of losing
Carol stabbing at her heart. “You’re my best friend.”

A muffled sob escaped Carol, and she covered
her mouth with her hand as she struggled to maintain her composure.
“You’re my best friend too.”

Ryan stood, and wrapped her arms around
Carol’s shoulders. “Then let’s figure this out. Together.”

To Ryan’s relief, Carol didn’t pull away from
her. She wrapped her arms tightly around Ryan. “I love you.”

Ryan leaned back, her own tears finally
coming. Smiling, she wiped at her face with the palm of her hand,
seeing several fellow bar patrons warily looking at her and Carol.
“We’ve made a scene.”

Carol pulled away, and wiped at her own
tears. “Perfect.”

“Should we get a bottle of something really
strong, and go up to your room?” Ryan was feeling relieved that she
and Carol were turning a corner, and they weren’t going to let
their family’s history destroy their relationship.

Carol hesitated, unable to make eye contact
with Ryan. “I did something.”

Ryan’s relief from a moment ago evaporated
with the dread in Carol’s voice. “What did you do?”

Carol winced. “When you were running so late,
and knowing what I knew – or thought I knew – I called my
mother.”

Ryan’s eyes widened. “What?!”

Carol finally looked up at Ryan. “I told her
I thought your meeting was really a date with Leah, and that I was
scared for you.”

Ryan grabbed her car keys and wallet. “I have
to go.”

Carol followed Ryan out of the bar. “Where
are you going? I’m sure once they realized you weren’t there,
they’ll just leave.”

Ryan handed her valet ticket to the
attendant. “Please hurry.” She instructed the man.

“Ryan, you’re being ridiculous.” Carol was
pleading with her. “Let me call my mother, and she can –”

Ryan turned. Her fear for Leah’s safety, and
her anger over her cousin’s actions fueling the harshness of her
words. “You have no idea what you’ve done! You’ve put Leah’s life
at risk.” Ryan stepped off the curb as the valet pulled forward
with her car. “Leah is no killer, Carol. We’re the killers! Our
family has massacred and shredded our way through history, and
you’ve just set the hounds after the fox.”

Leaving a stunned Carol on the curbside, Ryan
quickly navigated her car out of downtown Baltimore. Once on the
highway, she accelerated to eighty miles an hour as she sped
towards Leah’s house.

Ryan maneuvered her Honda up the narrow road
leading to Leah’s house. It was ten thirty, and with the exception
of the porch light, Leah’s house was cloaked in darkness. It was so
dark Ryan almost didn’t see the black Lincoln Town Car parked off
the left side of the driveway.

Having her suspicions confirmed that Lucy,
and more than likely Derek, were in fact at Leah’s, sent a shiver
up Ryan’s back. Ryan fought to control the panic that began
swelling up in her chest.

Pulling the Honda in behind Leah’s Nissan,
Ryan put her car in park, and opened the door. Confused as to where
everyone was, Ryan cocked her head to the side, listening for any
signs of movement. The sound of the Patapsco River that ran along
the bottom of the shallow valley near Leah’s house was all Ryan
heard.

Ryan walked around to the covered porch as
she tucked her car keys into the front pocket of her pants. Putting
her ear to the door, she didn’t hear any movement in the house.
Deciding against knocking, she walked along the side of the house
toward what was actually the front door.

Rounding the front corner of the building,
Ryan saw movement out of the corner of her eye. A split second
later a sharp pain shot along her jawline, her ear began to ring,
and Ryan’s knees buckled under her.

Ryan heard voices, and in spite of her best
efforts, she couldn’t force her eyes open. Ryan wasn’t sure how
long she had been unconscious having been hit with something or by
someone.

The taste of bile and blood burned the back
of her throat. Ryan turned her head, intending to spit the vile mix
from her mouth, but the air was knocked out of her as a foot kicked
into her stomach.

“Andrew! Goddamnit, I told you to watch her.
Not kick the shit out of her.” Ryan heard Derek’s voice coming from
somewhere in the distance. She was still dazed, and her uncle
sounded as if he were yelling under water.

“She moved.” Andrew was looming over Ryan.
Ryan still couldn’t open her eyes all the way, she managed to make
out a muddied pair of black leather loafers inches from her
face.

“Andrew, she’s family. Don’t you hurt her!”
Lucy’s nasally voice pulled Ryan fully back into consciousness.

Rolling over, Ryan couldn’t move her hands
from behind her back, and realized they were bound behind her.
“Andrew, untie me. Please.”

“She’s awake.” Andrew shouted.

“That’s fine. Make her comfortable. We’ll be
done here shortly.” Lucy shouted back.

Andrew knelt next to Ryan. “Give us ten, cuz.
We should be done with that bitch shortly.”

Ryan jerked her gaze toward Lucy and Derek’s
voices, her eyes wide as she still struggled to focus.

Ryan’s stomach twisted and soured. The bile
at the back of her throat was threatening to come up. She was lying
in a small clearing she assumed was somewhere near Leah’s house. A
large fire burned near the tree line farthest from Ryan. Tied to a
tree near the fire, her hands and legs bound, was a bloody and
bruised Leah.

Leah was wearing a pair of black cotton
shorts and a torn gray t-shirt. Her blonde hair was matted to one
side of her head with what looked like dried blood. A thick black
leather strap stretched across her mouth, blood running from either
corner as the strap dug into her mouth. Leah’s eyes were wide with
fear, her cheeks stained with tears as she stared helplessly at
Ryan.

“Aunt Lucy! What are you doing?” Ryan shouted
as she rolled over to her knees. “Stop!”

A sharp stab of pain shot out from the back
of Ryan’s head has Andrew grabbed her by the hair. “Be quiet!” The
man shouted in Ryan’s ear.