INK: Abstraction (31 page)

“Fuck, Carl, I’m
trying to calm down,” he says, still hanging his head.

“That’s not
an answer.”

“No, I didn’t
find him. I’m pretty sure he’s gone. No one has seen him
for weeks and his tracker hasn’t moved.” He shakes his
head in disbelief. “I’ve never lost one before.”

“I have faith in
Aiden. If things get too dire for her, I know he’ll come.”
I try to reassure McNab.

“Well, shit’s
pretty bad right now and where the hell is he? I mean, no calls, no
emails or texts. Does he give a shit about her at all?” He’s
calming down, but now he’s just feeling sadness for Shay.

“Yes, he just
doesn’t know how.” I pause for a minute so I can segue
into the next topic. “Now, about the school bus.”

“What about it?”
he asks, leaning up and shaking my hand off his shoulder.

“I don’t
think the Specter was after me,” I tell him.

“Really Carl, he
was just practicing?” His tone is sarcastic.

“No, I think he
was gunning for Bailey.”

“Bailey? I
thought you said he wasn’t any kind of threat.”

“That’s the
thing, Bailey can not only block me, but he can make it so that I
can’t tell that he is.”

He looks at me in
disbelief. “What is he?”

“Aside from a
serious threat? I don’t know. But I’m going to get to the
bottom of it,” I assure him.

“Well, we’ve
got a wedding to stop. I might as well change into some clean cargo
pants.” McNab stands and starts digging through his travel bag.

“Yeah, well, we
aren’t invited. So it may be tough stopping it.”

“No, we can’t
stop it, but Harry can. I’m going to Miranda’s hotel, you
go to Harry’s. Call me if you find anything. And for Christ’s
sake, we have to stop this. She’ll be miserable,” he
says, heading for the door.

Shay

The
ring casts an amazing rainbow of color and sparkles every time the
light hits it. It didn’t take more than the short car ride to
the courthouse to convince me that this is the right thing. Eli and I
are getting married anyway, we might as well make it sooner rather
than later. It’s one of life’s inevitabilities. I’m
even okay with having the wedding later when things calm down. I’m
excited to know that I’m going to be Mrs. Elijah Walker. I look
over at Eli all starry-eyed. He affords me a glance as we pull into
the parking lot.

“I love you,”
I proclaim, looking into those beautiful sapphire eyes of his.

“I love you too.”
He pulls the parking brake and looks over at me with a glint in his
eye. “Are you ready?”

“You bet I am!”
My enthusiasm is one hundred percent real.

“You know you
don’t have to do this, that we can wait if you really want,”
he offers.

“No, I’m
ready. I don’t know why we would wait. I’m only going to
love you more tomorrow.” A satisfied smile rises to my lips.

“Okay, then.
Let’s go make an honest woman out of you.” He grins,
grasping my hand.

We step out of the car
and he wraps his arm around me. “So, I know we’re putting
off the wedding, but please tell me we’re going to have the
honeymoon.”

“Where do you
want to go? The sky's the limit.” He waves his hand in the air.

“Anywhere you
are.” I smile at him and he squeezes my shoulder.

“Mountains,
beach, you name it, I’ll make it happen for you.” A lewd
grin rises to his lips. “I’ll make lots of things happen
for you.”

“Eli!” I
can’t help but blush at his naughty implications. “I like
it. Just so long as it’s just us.”

“Kansas?”
he asks.

“Kansas?”
I’m wondering what he’s thinking with that.

“No one would
ever suspect that we went to Kansas. We might actually get a few days
alone,” he reasons and it makes sense.

“It could work.”
I think about it for a minute. “Actually, I like the idea.”

“Well that’s
too bad since I booked us two tickets to Anchorage. We leave tomorrow
morning.” Excitement dances in his eyes.

“Oh Eli, I’ve
always—” He cuts me off.

“Wanted to go to
Alaska, I know.” He’s very pleased with himself.

I walk up the steps
knowing that when I walk back down I’ll be Mrs. Walker; a new
name, a new woman, a new life. I’m ready. I squeeze his hand
and lean my head on his shoulder. “I love you.”

He opens the doors for
me and we walk in together. He’s walked through these doors a
thousand times, and I’ve been here more than most, but only
because I’ve met Dad and Eli here many times. I am amazed at
the incredible architecture. I’ve never noticed it before. The
beautifully carved marble with angels that look down upon us from the
ceiling as though guarding this place from evil.

It’s ironic
really when you consider how much evil has walked in and out of those
doors. People literally getting away with murder, it used to really
bother Dad. We get through security and head for the office where we
will get our marriage license.

“You okay?”
Eli asks as we go into the Clerk of Courts office.

“I’m
great.”

We take a number and a
seat, waiting to be called. My license, birth certificate and social
security card are getting crinkled and damp being clutched tightly in
my hand. I was sure to bring everything they asked for on the
website. I didn’t want anything to hold us up.

The woman at the window
on the end calls out, “Forty-two, come to window six.”

We approach the window
and I’m holding onto Eli for dear life afraid that if I let go
this might not happen. “Good morning,” I offer with a
little too much enthusiasm.

“Well good
morning. Mr. Walker, how are you?”

“Hey there,
Lizbeth.” Eli grins and I look up at him with a questioning
gaze.

“I remember when
Eli was still interning and did all the footwork for the DA’s
office.” We slide our paperwork under the slot.

After she examines it,
she says, “It is a good morning. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”
Eli and I say in unison.

She stamps our
paperwork. “So when is the big day?”

“Today.”
Eli beams with pride.

“Wow, which judge
are you going to see?” she asks.

“I was going to
see if Judge Sterry is in court this morning.”

She looks at Eli with
an expression that says Judge Sterry rarely spends time in court in
the morning. “It’s ten thirty, I’m sure he’s
still in his office.”

“Excellent,
thanks so much Lizbeth. Take care.” We leave her window and I’m
feeling giddier than ever.

We head up the grand
marble steps to the second floor.

“Mr. Walker?”
A voice calls from across the atrium.

Eli turns and sees a
woman. “Sharron?”

She makes it to where
we are standing and I recognize her from the DA’s office.
There’s a panicked look on her face. I’m not liking this.
She looks at me, her eyes filled with remorse. “Hey Eli. I’ve
been trying to call your phone.”

“I’ve got
it turned off.” He blushes. “It’s kind of a big
day.” He squeezes me in and holds up our marriage license.

She offers a
half-hearted smile. “That’s wonderful, but, well, I’m
trying to—”

“Shayleigh!”
My dad’s voice booms from below.

“Dad?” I
look over the railing.

He runs up the stairs,
reaching the top winded. “Shayleigh, what the hell are you
doing?” he demands.

“I’m
getting married,” I answer simply and nuzzle into Eli.

“Married? What
are you thinking? You can’t get married.” Dad is
outraged.

“Why can’t
I get married?” I’m experiencing a little outrage of my
own. “I’m a grown woman, they even let me sign the
paperwork without parental consent.” The tension between Dad
and me has been ratcheting up.

“Honey, marriage
is something you don’t want to take lightly. Not something you
should do on a whim.” Miranda inserts her two cents, and
honestly, I’d like to insert my fist in her narrow face.

“If I want shit
from you I’ll squeeze your head.” There’s fire in
my eyes just from having to hear the sound of her voice. She’s
got Dad wrapped around her finger and I don’t like it one bit,
but now she’s trying to tell me what to do? “Oh fuck
this.”

“Shayleigh,”
Dad reprimands.

“I’m
getting married today with or without your blessing.” I shake
my head. “You’ve always wanted me to be with Eli, I
thought this would make you happy.”

“Harry, listen.
We’re going to have a wedding after everything dies down.”
He rests his hand on Dad’s shoulder. “We want to be
together.”

Dad turns to me,
brushing Eli’s hand off his shoulder. “You can’t do
this, you haven’t thought it through. I would like you to take
some time. The judge will still be here tomorrow, next week, next
month.”

“Dad, I don’t
need to wait. I love Eli, we’re meant to be together. I’m
not sure where this is coming from.” I pause for effect,
looking the bitch in the face then back to Dad. “But you’ve
always given Eli your blessing. Nothing’s changed.”

Dad grabs me by the
wrist. “We’re getting out of here now.”

My vision starts to
close in on me and angry heat is coursing through my entire body. Eli
takes a step back from me and Dad lets go of my wrist. In my mind I
hear Carl’s voice. “Darlin’, I need you to calm
down. Just breathe and calm down.”

I look around and find
him and McNab standing at the bottom of the stairs, unmoving. “What
the hell, Carl?”

“Look down at
your hands.” His voice wafts through my mind. I obey and see
there are sparks, actual sparks coming from my hands. They are small
and hardly noticeable, but they are there. In a panic I clench my
fists in hopes that the sparks will stop. I’m dead scared at
what the hell that was and Miranda is looking at me with a knowing
smile on her face. I’m smart enough to know that isn’t
good.

Carl and McNab run up
the stairs. “You okay, kid?” McNab asks in his cool tone.

Somehow I nod through
my bewilderment. Everyone is looking at me, even people I don’t
know. Apparently I’ve drawn quite the crowd. I’d like to
shrink into a ball and disappear right now.

“That wouldn’t
be wise,” Carl says out loud as if I could actually
dematerialize. “Just focus on staying calm.”

“Okay, I’m
so glad we’ve all chosen to come together. But Eli and I were
pretty clear that this is a private affair.” I interlace my
fingers with Eli’s, who’s hesitant and studies my hands
closely.

“I think you
should wait, kid,” McNab offers.

“Yeah, well, I
thought about it and we’re not waiting.” I look up to Eli
for reassurance and he doesn’t look so sure.

Eli leans down to my
ear. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

With an incredible
seriousness I look him in the eye. “I don’t want to spend
one more minute not being your wife.” I pull him by the hand in
the direction we were going before this clusterfuck happened.

“Eli,”
Sharron calls to him insistently.

“Shayleigh,”
Dad pleads, but I ignore him. I feel a slight pang, but damn it, I’m
going to do this.

“Miss Baynes, I
was just coming to see you.” A vaguely familiar voice calls
from behind. I stop in my tracks.

“Eli, listen.”
Sharron tugs on Eli's shirt.

“I'm sorry,
what?” Eli's confused by all that's happening at once.

“What the fuck
now?” I whirl around to see that asshole cop Filson.

“I wanted to see
if you had a few minutes so we could talk.” He’s holding
a manila folder and uses it to indicate the direction he’d like
me to follow him.

“Um, you’re
going to need to schedule something with her attorney,” Eli
chimes in.

“Well that’s
the thing. You’re an attorney, right?” he asks. This
fucker is so condescending.

“I’m not
her attorney, I’m about to be her husband.” He
straightens the collar on his suit.

“Well I just have
a few questions, nothing too terribly deep. It’s about her
abduction.” He puts the folder behind my back, herding me
toward a hallway past the judge’s chambers.

I look to Eli, who’s
at a loss, but he’s still trying. “Filson, you can’t
question her without her attorney.”

“This isn’t
about the Roth case, this is about her kidnapping. We have a few
leads and I’ve yet been able to really talk with her. Surely
she has nothing to worry about in answering a few simple questions.”
The words drip off his tongue like honey, but I’m well aware I
need to be wary of the sting of the bee.

“Yeah, I’d
prefer to have my attorney present any time Palm Harbor’s
finest is questioning me.” I don’t give a shit if he
catches the implications, but I’m not so sure he’s smart
enough.

“Miss Baynes.”
He moves his coat to the side, revealing his side arm and badge. “Do
you see this badge?” He grabs it lovingly with pride and seems
offended that I’m not impressed. “It means I took an oath
to protect and serve the citizens of this fine city, and I’m
going to do just that. I believe we can possibly close the case of
your kidnapping and the heinous murders taking place if I can talk
with you for a few short minutes.”

“That’s all
fine and good, but when an asshole dirty cop is the one that
kidnapped me, I’m sure you’ll understand if I have a few
trust issues with your ability to make or keep an oath of any kind.”
I can’t believe I said those words. Someone please stop me from
running off at the mouth.

Eli steps between
Filson and I like a human shield. “Make an appointment.”
He hands him a card. “Jason Eddins is her attorney. Now if
you’ll excuse us.” Eli takes my hand and pushes past him.
I offer him my best “fuck you” look I can afford, but
there’s something haunting in his eyes. Something’s not
right here.

I just need to keep
her here for another minute and I'll have this little twat.
Filson
looks at his cell phone then me.