JINXED: (Karma Series, Book Two) (9 page)

Chapter 12

A Dark Ride

It was dark day at the office. Even the employees who came in weren’t speaking much. After Kitty’s disappearance, everyone was off balance, wondering what would happen next. I was right with them, wishing someone would fill me in as well.

Jockey strode over and stopped by my side. “You ready?”

“Ready?” I looked up at him, having no clue what he was talking about.

“To see the Night Mares.”

“Yeah,” I said, and grabbed my bag. I’d forgotten about our agreement, with Kitty’s disappearance on my mind and now Malokin breathing down my neck.

“You have to come now. They're expecting you.” Jockey turned on the heel of his riding boots and headed off.

I followed him down the hallway to a door I'd never noticed before. Strange, I'd thought I'd seen them all. This was going to lead to the stables? I'd walked around the building before and I'd never once seen a horse. I couldn't deny I was beyond curious, especially with this being such an elusive experience. Why so secretive?

It opened onto another hallway that stretched out fifty feet in front of us, this one much more dimly lit. An aged and rustic door stood ominously at the very end.

I followed him in. When the door behind us slammed closed, the lights dimmed even further. The walls and ceiling seemed to fade into the abyss. I reached out my fingers to the side but didn’t feel anything.

A cool gust blew the hair off my shoulders and it didn’t feel like it came from an AC vent. The screams started then, children, adults, male and female. The entire spectrum of the human race seemed to be letting their voices be heard. I walked a little quicker, following right behind Jockey while trying not to step on his heels.

“You sure this is okay with them?” I asked Jockey.

“Yes.” Jockey paused before the door with his hand on the large iron handle. “I'll go first, to let them know you're here. Open this door in five minutes.” He leaned in slightly and stared directly into my eyes. “Once you are in, I tell you to leave, immediately run for the door.”

He turned back to the door and I grabbed his arm before he could go in. “Why? What would happen?”

His face scrunched up. “Just don't stay.” He opened and closed the door so quickly I didn't even get a peek inside.

The wind kicked up again and the screams got a bit louder. It might have been the slowest five minutes in my life before I pushed open that door.

Even though there should've been bright midday sun, the sky was sparkling with stars. A field, instead of the paved parking lot outside of the building, seemed to go on for miles and miles. Grass, moist from a recent rainfall, sparkled with the reflection of the moon. Trees lined the entire perimeter. But the most beautiful vision were the horses, all black and sleek. A more perfect creature couldn't possibly exist.

Jockey made a clucking noise with his tongue and the largest of the horses turned her head and trotted over. Its sleek muscles rippled in the moonlight as they worked beneath the glossy mane. Jockey tilted his head as the horse stopped beside him and nuzzled his neck.

“So beautiful.” She was massive at close range, larger than most of the horses I’d seen in my life by about a foot. I was in awe.

“Her name is Terror,” Jockey said, his hand running down her neck. “She’s the queen of the herd.”

“May I touch her?”

“If she'll let you. She doesn't take to strangers well.”

I took a hesitant step forward and reached out my hand. Terror approached me with confidence then ducked her muzzle beneath my palm. When she came closer, for a moment I feared she was going to trample me, but then she brushed gently against my side.

“She wants you to ride her.” Jockey looked at me. “This is an honor.”

All thoughts of bailing out politely went to hell with that statement. Why not? How often did you get a chance to ride a Night Mare? A lap or two around here wasn’t going to take very long, considering the size of these beasts.

He didn’t ask if I wanted to do it, just cupped his hands in front of me. I took his offer. Guess it was giddy up time.

Terror didn't have a saddle or reins so I leaned close and tangled my hands in her mane. The moment I was settled in, we were off, and within a few seconds we were flying full speed ahead, right at the tree line. I ducked low, hoping not to get clobbered by branches, but they disappeared into nothing, along with the field. The grass beneath us was gone as well.

We were galloping at full speed through nothing but blackness for a handful of seconds, and then our path was lined with images on either side. As soon as I got a glimpse of one, they changed. We whipped past them and more sprang up in a distance with no end in sight.

It was one of the most terrifying and invigorating things I'd ever experienced. Suddenly, Terror slowed to a trot and we moved into one of the scenes playing out around us.

It was Malokin, with an image of a female who looked too similar to me to be anyone but. She, or I, was standing in the center of an empty room as Malokin circled around her. From his fingers sprung a web. Slowly, he kept circling the girl, thickening the sticky covering that she struggled to get loose from. I could see her hands pressing outward as her mouth opened in a cry, but she’d lost her voice. Turn after turn, the web got thicker and denser and she struggled less and less.

“Are we in Malokin's dreams? What does this mean? I don't understand.” The horse neighed in response and then we were sprinting forth again, until we were in the field once more.

Jockey grabbed my waist as I slid down Terror's side. She nuzzled my arm before taking off into the field, leaving me standing there, shaky and breathing heavily.

“It's quite a trip, isn't it?” Jockey asked, mistaking my demeanor for excitement and not the fear that it was.

“They're just dreams, right?” I crossed my arms and rubbed my palms over them.

“Yes. Everyone's. Anyone's. Where did she take you? Did you get to see a good one?”

“Just a random dream.” I'd never seen Jockey so animated, and I wished I could partake in his enthusiasm, instead of wanting to run for the door.

“They can go anywhere in the dream world. Any mind that's sleeping.”

“Thank you, but I really need to go,” I said, my voice flat, no matter how I wanted to fake it. I took a couple of steps toward the door, wanting nothing more than to get the hell out of there.

“What about the manual?” he called after me when I finally succumbed to the urge.

“Of course. I'll give you an outline of what I need this week,” I replied without stopping.

Chapter 13

On the Job Training

We met at the end of the pier in Surfside. He was already there, standing amidst a brewing storm. Thunder clapped in the near distance and lightning flashed behind him, silhouetting his body.

He was facing away from me, hands resting on the railing. His head was angled slightly to the side, just enough to catch a glimpse of me in his peripheral vision. He knew I was approaching.

I took every step towards him as if I were approaching the gates of hell. Perhaps I was. I'd still keep going, even if it were the devil himself I marched toward. If Kitty was in hell, she was simply my seat warmer. I wouldn't let her burn for me.

I stopped by his side, just close enough to hide my aversion but hardly warm and cozy. I leaned on the railing, and bent over it slightly to watch the waves churning. The ocean smashed against the pier's support, trying to take it down, annoyed at a foreign presence where there shouldn't be one. I understood the ocean's anger at the intrusion. It was how I felt about Malokin walking around in my universe.

He leaned forward as well and rested his forearms on the railing, as I was. Every action he took was intentional. It was a common tactic, to mimic someone's actions to put them at ease. He wanted me to feel that we were alike.

We weren't. I didn't care what had happened in my past life. I'd made mistakes, and had regrets, but I'd never be like him.

“I'm assuming that you're ready to start work?”

“Kitty's situation needs to be resolved.” The fact that I’d walked away from our meeting with no answers had grated on me since the second I left. What bothered me even more was that I still couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

“Of course.” He turned and offered me his arm. It was a little too cozy, but I went along with the gesture. I swallowed back my aversion and placed my hand in the crook of his elbow.

“I know we aren't starting off with ideal conditions, but this will work out for both of us.” He spoke with so much confidence it worried me. He'd been around a lot longer than I. Did he know something I didn't? Was he aware of something about me that gave him surety?

No, I couldn't think like that. I made my choices, no one else. And as soon as I started rationalizing away from that, the quicker I would be like him. Whatever he believed, I'd prove him wrong.

“And if it doesn’t work out? What then?”

“Let's not make this meeting unpleasant for no reason. You're with me now; let's think positively about the future.” He patted my hand that rested on his arm. I'd let him. And then I'd use that same hand he touched with familiarity to break his neck as soon as I got Kitty out of this mess.

We walked toward the Jaguar, parked at the entrance to the pier. It was something I'd expect him to drive. He held the passenger door open for me, keeping to his gentlemanly demeanor, regardless of what lay beneath.

“No driver?” I asked as he got behind the steering wheel.

“I wanted to give us some privacy.”

Or to kill me with absolutely no witnesses. “Where are we going?”

“We need to make a stop before Kitty.”

“Where?” Maybe he really did want to kill me? If that was the case, he was going to get a run for his money. I wasn't going down easy.

“I wanted a little demonstration of you stopping something that was meant to happen.” He looked over at me. “I've never seen you in action. You don't mind, do you?”

I found his statement odd, but nodded. “Sure.”

I resisted the urge to fidget or show any nerves. When I'd done this before and killed the man in the forest, I hadn't realized the full picture. I’d seen someone about to get hurt and acted on instinct to protect them. It hadn’t been a planned intervention to mess with the larger scheme of things.

This was exactly the type of thing that could kill me—as in gone forever, no passing go. You lost and you didn’t get a lousy reincarnation to soften the blow. You got nothing but erased, as if you never existed at all. I knew it well now and was certain he did, too.

But I still turned and asked him, “What did you have in mind?” I asked because—right now—I didn’t have any other option.

“You'll see.”

It was exactly those types of answers that had my hand itching to grab one of the knives holstered at my ankles.

Chapter 14

A Storm is Brewing

He parked at a marina, not far away from the pier we'd just left. I followed him to the beginning of a large dock, lined with decent sized boats and the occasional yacht. It was empty for the most part, due to the rough weather caused by the hurricane riding up the coast.

The ones that moved their boats were smart. I knew about the storm Mother was sending our way. She'd been carrying on about it, back at the office, for more than a week, raving to anyone who would listen that it was some of her best work to date. The fact that we weren't in hurricane season didn't seem to take the wind out of her sails, or anyone else’s.

Without a word, Malokin indicated a boat all the way at the end, which was holding up under the waves better than the smaller vessels. It had to be a sixty-five footer, a beautiful craft, with multiple decks made of gleaming teak.

Light from the inside cabin filtered through the shades and I could see shadowed movements within.

“There are two men on that boat tonight who are arguing.” He looked at me intently and I dreaded what words would come from his lips next. “One will shoot the other in the next thirty minutes.”

Oh God, what did he want me to do? Make sure they both died? So much for going undercover to spring Kitty. I was going to have to bail on the first job he gave me. What had I really expected, though? I'd be handing out fliers for the election of a new President of the Universe?

My hand tensed in preparation for a possible fight. If we left here without him getting my cooperation, Kitty might be dead by midnight. I wasn't sure if I could take him. There was a power that simmered underneath his exterior, just waiting to explode, and I felt it. Either way, someone's blood would be staining the dock beneath our feet.

If I did manage to kill him, would I be able to find Kitty? Or would I be condemning her to death anyway?

I shifted my stance, getting ready to go for a knife. I should’ve brought the gun. Why didn’t I? I knew why. I was afraid I was going to shoot myself with it. But somehow, the knives they just felt natural in my hands.

“I want you to stop them.”

My entire body relaxed with those words. I didn't have to kill anyone. A scream of relief wanted to burst from my chest, but I held it in. Saving someone, now
that
I could handle. I felt a kernel of doubt about my abilities but nothing compared to the overwhelming anxiety of a minute ago.

But what if I couldn't? It didn't matter; I'd figure it out. I'd saved people fated to die before.

I took a step forward and he followed. “I'll come just close enough to see you in action.”

So much for the southern gentleman act. I hoped he carried a handkerchief. Drooling over blood wasn't a good look.

Shaking my arms out, I cleared my mind and pushed Malokin’s presence from it. I focused all my attention on the boat, on the job at hand. If I didn't get it done, three people could lose their lives tonight.

With Kitty on my mind, I headed toward the yacht. The screaming was audible before I even climbed onto the deck. I wasn't working with the Universe on this but against it, as evidenced as soon as one of the ladder rungs broke beneath my foot. My hand firm on the side rail, I plowed ahead.

Also, there would be no cloaking of my presence. This was going to be all me, and I had no idea how I was going to do this.

No need to get worked up. Baby steps. Who knows, my appearance alone might calm the situation. The shooter wasn't likely to want witnesses.

Two men, both in their late twenties, with very similar features, stood in the main room right off the deck, arguing with each other.

“Hello?” I approached the large room they were in, separated by glass doors.

They paid me absolutely no mind at all, just continued to scream at each other. I didn't care what their argument was over, but it was hard not to pick up on the particulars as I stood there.

It seemed one of them had been caught embezzling the funds of their jointly owned company. Of course, the accused denied this vehemently and screamed how the accuser had been slacking in his obligations. He'd deserved more. It didn't matter to me one bit. The only goal I had tonight was that nobody died because of it. Looking at the two of them and their cracking skin, it wouldn’t have been a big loss.

“Hello?” I repeated, quite a bit louder, and accompanied it with some pounding on the door.

I needed to handle this and in an impressive manner. Not because I cared what Malokin thought of me from an ego point of view, but because the more adept I appeared, hopefully the more leverage I'd have. Standing at a locked door and screaming didn't look very impressive.

Not sure what else to do, I thudded on the door even harder, as if I really meant it this time. I had the first time as well, but this was an
open up or I'll break your door down
kind of pound, or at least my best impression of one.

Finally, they turned to me. The larger of the two opened the glass door and then they yelled in unison, “Who the hell are you?”

I put on my best lady in distress appearance. It was a bit of a stretch after the pounding on the door and my black cat-burglar outfit. “I have a boat docked a few spaces away and—”

“Get the fuck out of here!” The guy who opened the door screamed so loudly I could see spittle flying in the air. This is how you treat a woman in need? Animal. It almost made me sorry I'd have to save one of them tonight.

“But…” I fluttered my lids, trying to work up a good cry.

I didn't have time to force tears before they each grabbed an arm. I was then manhandled off the deck and over the railing. My fingers grabbed for the ladder just as they released me, not caring if I fell or not.

I had to save one of these jerks? It might have been better if I was supposed to kill them both.

They loomed over the railing, ensuring my departure. My feet hit the dock and I proceeded to take a couple of steps away while their eyes were still on me.

Malokin was watching from the end of the dock but I paid him no heed. If he had a complaint over how it was going, he could take off his nice suit jacket and get his hands dirty. Otherwise, in my opinion, he could shut up.

The sound of the boat door slamming closed spun me on my heels. I doggedly headed back toward them, trying to think of a new approach and getting angrier as I went. What if I'd really been stuck? What kind of men were they? Either way, one of them was getting some saving tonight, whether he wanted it or not.

I slinked up the side of the boat, ignoring the breaking ladder as I went. This time, I stayed out of sight and simply watched the fight escalate. The argument took a turn for the worse with a shove, and the smaller guy fell into the table behind him. The larger one, already having the upper hand, turned his back and pulled out a gun. Well, that wasn’t very nice.

Plan or not, I was out of time. Running across the distance, I yanked the handle but the door didn’t budge.

This was going to have to happen the hard way. Backing up several feet, I launched myself through the door. Glass shattered everywhere and scraped along my skin in various places. That wasn't the tough part. It felt like I’d hit a cinder block wall right beyond it. In truth, what I was hitting was the Universe's resistance to what I had in mind. I didn't remember it feeling quite this bad last time. When I'd saved that woman in the woods so long ago, I'd experienced pushback but not of this caliber.

 My legs felt like they were being tugged at the ankles and I’d been laid out on an ancient torture device, like the rack. There was even more pressure against my torso, to the point I lost my breath.

I forced my way through it until it gave and was shot through the room like a torpedo. I took the guy down just as the gun went off.

The bullet skimmed across my back, just as I landed on top of the intended victim. There was a trail of burning pain, but I could breathe normally. No puncture wounds, just a graze. It was manageable damage, as long as the guy didn't shoot again.

“Who the hell are you?” the voice across the room asked in a mixture of shock and agitation. I looked up to see him staring at me, the gun pointed in my direction.

I stood, slowly moving off the guy beneath me. I raised my hands in the air, in an effort to mentally disarm my current foe.

“Who are you?” he repeated, screaming; his intended victim was looking at me, as well.

“I'm no one. Just a random stranger who saw what was happening.” My voice was as calm and level as I could make it.

He eyed me up and down. The hand holding the gun was shaking as it pointed at my chest.

“How did you do that? Dive through the window like that and tackle him so quickly? How? I didn't even see it happen. It was a blur. What are you?” The last sentence was screamed. He used his gun to point to the shattered glass all over the floor.

“What I did doesn't matter. You can't kill him.” I motioned to his intended victim, still lying on the ground at my feet, where I'd left him. The guy looked more scared of me than his possible murderer. Good; hopefully he wouldn't do anything stupid.

“Says who?” His voice betrayed his fear of me. I just wasn’t sure if he was the fight or flight type.

“I do.”
The scary person
.

“What if I just kill you, too?”

He was quickly falling into the fight category. Time to dig deep and do something really badass, or we'd both be dead soon. If I went for one of my knives, and it got out of control, he might end up dead by my hand. Adding more weapons to the situation might not be a good idea.

The gun was waving in front of me and I knew I could reach it with a kick, but could I pull that off? I remembered back to the night I’d leapt onto that guy’s back and snapped his neck. Maybe I could.

Everything physical was easier now. I could run up several flights of stairs, taking three at a time, with the same level of difficulty as a leisurely walk down the street had once been. I shifted my weight and went for it. My foot shot up and knocked the gun from his hand.

Wow, I’m definitely badass. That could’ve been in a Bruce Lee flick. This is why transfers needed a manual. Someone should tell us about this sort of thing.

I grabbed the gun from the ground before either of them could get to it first. Stepping back, I kept them both in view. “This is how it's going to go.” I waved the gun towards the guy on the ground, “Get up. You're coming with me.” I pointed to the other one. “You. Stay here. On your belly.”

Neither of them put up an argument against the crazy lady with a gun and perhaps a black belt. They just nodded their heads.

“You, up, now!” The intended victim got to his feet as his would be killer dropped to the ground.

I took a few steps backward, with the guy following me out towards the door. I walked backward, keeping them both in view, as we made our way across the deck. The whole time, I imaged how badly I’d ruin my new persona if I fell on my ass.

Once we got to the ladder, I waved for him to go first. “Climb down and get the hell out of here.” I'd just saved the guy from being shot. This was exactly what he wanted, so there wasn’t an argument. He took off over the boat and ran down the dock.

I climbed down a bit more slowly, trying to keep the gun ready. Who knew if the lunatic in the boat had another one stashed somewhere? Crazy people often had a multitude of weapons at their disposal. If you dipped your toes into the crazy pool, you needed to be prepared for a swinging machete to come your way.

The wooden dock felt solid beneath my feet as I stepped off the boat and saw Malokin waiting. His hands were in his pockets and the look on his face was a cross between satisfaction and surprise. I wasn't sure which emotion was stronger.

His eyes shot to my neck. I'd thought I'd caught a couple of scratches there, but nothing compared to the damage he couldn't see on my back. It was making my shirt stick to me, but it wasn't lethal; just enough to be annoying. I walked slowly and deliberately in his direction. The last thing I'd want him to think was that my back was hurting. A position of strength was crucial in bargaining. His smile became more generous as I neared him.

I lifted my chin slightly. “I want to see Kitty.”

“Certainly.” He turned and I followed him back to the car. “That was impressive.”

That? Yes, I'd moved quicker than a human could, and had more agility, but it wasn't something any one of us probably couldn’t have pulled off. If he couldn’t figure that out, I wasn’t going to inform him, especially since we were heading where I wanted. Instead, I said a simple, “Thank you.”

We'd just gotten to the car when the downpour started. He held the car door open for me, ever the gallant and I grabbed the rain jacket I'd brought with me. I'd had a feeling there might be rain in the forecast and now I could use it to shield the damage on my back from his eyes.

“She's close by,” he said as he got in the driver's side. He pulled out and let the engine loose. It felt pretty fast, but maybe I was just used to going at my Honda's max speed of thirty.

It took us about ten minutes to get to our destination, neither of us speaking much during the ride. I’d been too distracted, waiting for my phone to ring the entire time. No irate Harold? I'd definitely pissed off someone with the golf ball sized hail that was coming down. I was pretty sure Malokin didn’t talk because he was distracted by the dents being made in his hood.