INK: Abstraction (18 page)

Once the nurse leaves I
look over at Eli and motion for the hallway. I need to talk to him
about what Dr. Green had to say and who I found in the morgue. “Eli,
let’s go get our girl something decent to eat.” I turn to
Carl. “Did you want anything?”

Carl shakes his head.
“No, I’m fine.”

“Thank you,
Daddy.” Shayleigh grins from ear to ear.

***

Eli closes the door and
we head for the elevator. He’s stiff with tension. “We
have a problem.”

“We have several
problems.” Eli bores into me with his eyes.

“Look, Eli, I’m
not sure what’s going on with you, but you’d better get
your priorities straight.” I stop and return his stare.

“Harry, my only
priority is Shay. My goals have not become convoluted. You on the
other hand seem to be keener on protecting Glass than your own
daughter.” When did this kid grow a pair?

“You don’t
know what you’re dealing with and you need to drop it.” I
keep my voice low as some nurses pass us by. “Right now I’m
more concerned about the body in the morgue than trying to nail
Glass.”

“What body?”
he asks, alarmed.

“Nigel, the
reporter.” I try to read his response.

“Shit.” Eli
runs his fingers through his hair and puts his hands on his waist,
pacing the hall. “What happened? As if I really need to ask
since Shay already drew the scene.”

“Looks like
Kevin’s murder. Sloppy.” The memory leaves a lump in my
throat that I try to swallow. “Eli, you have to make her stop
with these drawings. It's going to be the end of her.”

“Good luck with
that. She's not going to stop,” Eli concedes. “Where did
they find him?”

“They pulled him
out of the St. John’s not far from where Shayleigh was found.”

He closes his eyes,
thinking for a minute. “You’re sure it’s Nigel?”

“Yes, positive.”
I recall his lifeless face. “They are also going to be dragging
the river for Aiden’s body.”

“They won’t
find it.” He pauses. “Does McNab know?”

“Not unless
Miranda called him.” I don’t like bringing up her name;
it’s like summoning a demon.

“This is
spiraling out of control. I know that Filson’s going to come
after her for this. I’m sure kidnapping won’t be a viable
alibi.” He inhales deep, looking up at the ceiling.

“I’m not so
sure he’s going to be gunning for her as much as Glass would
like. I have some information that may alleviate some of those
concerns.” I have a trump card up my sleeve on that son of a
bitch.

“Keep him close.
I’m going to call McNab, will I see you later?” he asks
while pushing numbers on his phone.

“It’s
getting a little late and I have some things to take care of. I’m
also trying to keep Miranda out of here.” Shayleigh hasn’t
really responded well to her.

“Okay, I’ll
see you later,” he says, dismissing me.

I put my hand on his to
stop him from dialing his phone. “Hey, I also want to discuss
Shayleigh coming home with me. I think it will be better. Can I count
on you to help her see what’s best?”

Eli looks taken aback.
“Harry, she’s coming home with me where I can keep an eye
on her.”

“You don’t
think I’ll look after my own daughter?” I’ve never
seen this sort of behavior from Eli.

Eli leans in close and
looks me directly in the eye. “I don’t know what’s
going on with you, Harry. You’ve got this organization, Miranda
and now you’re telling me I have to back off of Glass, the one
who took her? Tortured her? I’m not so sure that she’s
safest with you.”

I have to resist the
urge to push the little shit into the wall, but I don’t want to
make a scene. I step in nose to nose. “That’s my little
girl in there. There is no one that cares more about her than I do.
You’d do well to remember that, son.”

Eli blinks first and
takes in a deep breath. “Harry, I don’t mean any
disrespect, but I think we can do a better job at my house keeping
her safe. Not to mention there will always be someone at my place.”

My phone rings, and I
check the caller ID. “It’s Miranda, I need to take this.
This conversation isn’t over, Eli.”

He nods with his arms
folded across his chest. “Not by a long shot.”

“What is it,
Miranda?” I snap at her on the phone.

“I was just
calling to remind you we were supposed to be in on a conference call
with the home office ten minutes ago.” Her voice is smooth like
strychnine.

“I’ll get
on the call in a few minutes; I was in the middle of something.”
I hang up the phone and head for my car. Too many moving parts to
keep balanced right now.

Eli

Wow,
that exchange with Harry was intense. I seriously think he may be
cracking under the pressure. I’ll be there for him, but I’ll
be damned before I let him take Shay home. It just isn’t what
she wants, and honestly, it didn’t go so well last time.

I call McNab, but he
doesn’t answer his phone, so I call the office. He told me
that’s the best way to 'reach him secondarily, if he’s
unavailable on his mobile.’ He’s fucking ridiculous.

“Paranormal
Transmissions, this is Lori.”

“Hey Lori, it’s
Eli Walker. I’m trying to reach McNab.”

“Eli, he’s
presently in transit and will be unavailable until approximately one
AM Eastern Standard Time,” she answers.

What the fuck, doesn’t
anyone speak plain English in that office? “Okay, is he on his
way to Florida?”

“I’m not at
liberty to give out the details of McNab’s whereabouts, but
I’ll be happy to take a message.” Her voice is stern.

“Did I do
something to offend you?” The last time we spoke she didn’t
seem to have a stick up her ass.

“No, Mr. Walker,
we are simply following all protocol at the request of McNab.”
Sweetness veils her tone for a split second.

“Okay, well can
you please let him know that I need to speak with him as soon as
possible? It’s very urgent.” With emphasis on “urgent.”

Her voice softens. “Is
everything okay with Shay?”

“Not really, they
are as ‘okay’ as they can be.” A grimace pulls on
the corners of my mouth.

“I’ll let
him know.”

“Thanks Lori.”
I disconnect the call. Hopefully he’s coming back here soon.
I’m afraid it’s going to take more than just me to slay
this dragon.

***

When I get back to the
room, Shay is sitting cross-legged on the bed with her eyes closed
and her hands upturned on her knees. Carl puts his finger to his
mouth to quiet me. No judgments from me, if she thinks this will
help, then I’m all in.

“Now, let’s
bring things back around. Come on back and slowly open your eyes,”
Carl says in a soothing voice.

Shay opens her eyes.
They look a little sleepy, but more clear than they were twenty
minutes ago. “Hey babe.” She grins at me with a satisfied
smile. “Did you bring the goods?”

I hold up the box
containing her BLT and toss Carl a sandwich too. “I did, and I
figured you’d probably be hungry. Hopefully it will be our last
night of hospital food.”

“I think it will
be, I’m done with this place,” Shay says with her mouth
full of food.

“I’m glad
to see you eating.” I marvel at her strength. Even with what
she’s been through she’s showing an amazing fortitude
I’ve never noticed before. It makes me love her more, want her
more.

She smiles and looks to
Carl. “I’m starving, thanks so much. And I love you too.”
She leans forward on the bed to where I’m sitting and pecks me
on the cheek, holding my gaze a moment, conveying a different sort of
hunger to me. She leans in closer to my ear. “I want you too.”

What just happened
here? “Huh?”

“You heard me.”
She winks, biting down on her lower lip and sliding back under the
covers. “I’m going to get some rest. I’m feeling a
little tired and don’t want to be completely exhausted when I
get home.”

“Okay, I’m
going to make some phone calls outside. If you need me just holler.
Carl, are you going to be in here?” All I want to do is sit
here and watch her sleep, bask in her beauty. But I’ve got to
make these phone calls.

“Yeah, I’m
not expecting a call from McNab for a while,” Carl says,
looking at the time.

“Oh, is he coming
back soon?” Shay asks, excited.

“I’m not
sure, but I don’t think so. He mentioned having to take care of
something and that he would be a few more days,” Carl answers,
shifting in his seat.

“Well,
goodnight.” She presses her fingers to her lips then to mine.
“You should get some rest too.”

Shay

I'm
dreaming again. I've never been to the jungle before, but if I had it
wouldn't have been in a ball gown. As a matter of fact not even for
prom did I wear a proper ball gown. This Cinderella shit’s
ridiculous.

The trees are a thick
lush kaleidoscope of greens varying in shade from very light to very
dark with patches of brown and black where tree trunks and bark peek
through the thicket. For a moment I wonder if this is some sort of
variation of the Specter's haunted hideaway, but it doesn’t
feel like it. It doesn't feel right for that. It’s peaceful
here, almost safe.

All of my dreams are
unsettling, creating this bizarre paranoia that I carry with me
everywhere I go. There's no real way to tell the difference between
reality and
not
reality.

There is no sense of
safety, and it's not something I may ever feel again—ever.

Walking through the
lush solitude of the jungle is cleansing. I'm actually able to think
and imagine myself not being afraid of, well, afraid of everything.

Before Glass took me my
confidence was on the rise along with my self reliance. I didn't give
up when he had me tied up, so why would I now? I'm not going to, and
I'm going to reclaim where I was, reclaim what I was doing and
continue on the road to freedom and self-reliance. A shiver runs
through me at the thought of being alone. Can I do it? Can I really
be alone in a house or walk across a parking lot?

After considering the
alternative of being weak and dependent I realize there is no
alternative. I just have to take the time and remember that I am
strong. Every minute that I spend being afraid I spend belonging to
Glass. He can't take any more from me; I will not allow him to make
me a victim for the rest of my life. I'm a survivor. That doesn't
mean I'm perfect, it just means I'm not giving up and he doesn’t
own me.

The sound of running
water filters through the leaves. I move toward it wondering what I
will find. It's not a rushing river or an ocean, just a small stream.
I wouldn't want to cross it, specifically not in a ball gown. That
would be silly.

The stream is
strikingly clear. There’s a myriad of multicolored rocks that
speckle the stream bed that looks inviting. I let the water flow
through my fingers. It's very cool to the touch. Some small fish
scatter away from my hand.

"I've never seen a
more beautiful flower in the jungle before." His warm creamy
voice rolls over my ears, prompting me to look up to find Gabriel
staring at me from across the water.

"Gabriel." My
tone is mixed with excitement and relief. A wicked grin blooms on my
lips. I look at the stream and hesitate. I want to run to him, but
I'm sure if I try to cross I'll ruin my gown.

Without a second
thought he wades through the ankle deep water. For his long legs it's
only about seven steps and a jump to the bank where I'm standing.
Gabriel takes me into his arms and holds me tight.

"You look
stunning." He says it low and close to my ear. His breath
brushes my bare shoulder.

"You look very
handsome yourself, sir." I poke him in the chest playfully and
give his bowtie a tug. “Bowties are cool.”

We look at each other
in silence for a moment, both at a loss for words. A darkness enters
my thoughts. "Do you know why we're here?"

"No, I don't. So
far as I know there isn't any Specter activity. I'm keeping an open
mind though," he says, lacking confidence.

"How do you know
when the Specter is about to do something? I mean, how is it we're
able to find him or find what's left of his victims?" I need to
know everything about the Specter if I'm going to defeat him.

Gabriel's gray eyes
cloud over with a lifetime of sorrow. His head lowers from the weight
of the pain. I guide my hand down his stubble-covered face and guide
his eyes back to mine. "Gabriel?"

He inhales a deep
breath. "I'm connected to the Specter. I don't know how, and I
don't know why, but we are connected. He summons me to witness his
horror as though it's a sick game and he can't have fun if I'm not
watching."

"I don't
understand." My face crinkles with confusion.

"Somehow along the
way the Specter attached himself to me and for whatever reason he's
drawn me into his sick game of cat and mouse." There's moisture
mixing with regret in his eyes. "I've been working on different
ways to combat him. Ways to try to stay ahead of him. I've been
getting closer and closer. Now if I can just do something when I get
to him I might be able to make a difference. Now that I know they are
more than just a shadow of events and see them in real time, not just
an echo of a memory. I figured that out when your neighbors were
killed."

"Gabriel, I'm so
sorry." I press my face against his chest and wrap my arms
around him to hug the pain away that lives within him.

He rests his hands on
my shoulders and presses a tight smile. "I've got you now
though. Having you back makes it all worth it. I'm so lost without
you."

His feelings for me are
so confusing; I don't understand how he could feel so strongly. I've
always just chalked it up to being a dream, and honestly, who dreams
of an asshole for a lover?