The Travelers: Book One (9 page)

“If things were crazy at the police station, the hospital isn’t going to be any better. I have enough first aid training from the Army to patch him up. I just hope you think scars are sexy because I’m a terrible sewer.”

Gemma smiled in spite of herself and swiped at a tear she hadn’t noticed trailing down her cheek.

“That’s okay. I can do it. I’ve had to play nurse before,” she said.

Aaron didn’t argue with her as he and Desmond each hefted a portion of Carson’s weight onto their shoulders. They carried him into the apartment and dumped him in the master bath at Gemma’s insistence.

“No, really, I can handle it,” she said, shooing them out of the bathroom.

Ty frowned and reached into his back pocket for a cell phone. He tapped a few things on the screen and handed it over to Gemma. A large red button took up the entire screen of the phone.

“A panic button. We don’t know what is going on or if he’ll be affected. If anything happens, just press this and we’ll come running. Keep it nearby,” he said.

Gemma nodded, setting the phone down on the marble counter top.

“Really, I’ll be fine, I just want to take care of him,” she insisted.

Aaron still looked hesitant to leave, but as he was formulating his excuse for staying, Carson began grunting and groaning in earnest.

“Hey buddy, you’re gonna be all right, okay?” Aaron called over Gemma’s shoulder.

“… fucking stings…” Carson mumbled.

“Yeah, he’s gonna be just fine,” Aaron said with a laugh before leaving them alone.

Ty motioned at the phone on the counter, “Arm’s length.”

They were finally all gone and it was just Gemma and Carson alone together. Carson seemed to be regaining his faculties; it didn’t seem like he’d ever fully lost consciousness, but he was definitely teetering for a little while.

Gemma set to work dampening cloths and digging out antiseptics and a first aid kit. She started cleaning his wounds and Carson hissed and flinched as she touched the raw nerve endings.

“Ow!”

“Hold still,” she said, yanking his arm back towards her.

His head hung forward and he sucked in another breath as she dabbed at a cut on his forehead.

“That’s not a carpet stain you’re scrubbing on there,” he said, a twinge of pain making his voice crack.

Gemma’s hands flew to her hips defensively.

“I wouldn’t even be doing this if you weren’t insane! What were you thinking?”

Carson closed his eyes trying to ward off the verbal onslaught.

“I… I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking. I was thinking about Izzy and something inside me just snapped.”

Gemma sighed and sat on the floor next to him, still absently tending to his cuts and scrapes.

“We are going to find her,” Gemma said.

“I know.”

“But stunts like you pulled tonight are only going to slow us down,” she said.

“I know.”

“And I would hate to see anything happen to you…”

She looked at her hands for a long moment.

“I would really really hate it.”

He crooked a finger under her chin and brought her gaze to meet his.

“Hey, I’m right here.”

“I just… I thought… I was worried about you,” Gemma faltered, her eyes never quite meeting his.

“I’m going to be just fine,” he answered.

She just couldn’t quite believe it. His voice was still weak, his forehead showed the faint sheen of a cold sweat and his face lacked its usual vibrant golden hue.

Her eyes fell to her lap again and Carson wrapped his uninjured arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

A flood of warmth flowed through Gemma from head to toe and for a moment she allowed herself to be carried away by the current. She drifted out to sea, bobbing peacefully, content to remain at the whims of the sea. His breath on her cheek was the sweet ocean breeze and his hand caressing her back the gentle waves lapping against her. For a moment she thought that she could be happy staying adrift forever.

Carson, too, felt something strange as he held Gemma in his arms. He felt himself melt away until he was separated from  his body. It was the most liberating experience he’d ever felt. He suddenly realized that he’d been caged — his body was like a straight jacket for his soul — and now that he was free he marveled at how he never noticed it before. He pranced around, happy and free, wondering if Gemma felt this same sensation. He saw her sitting there next to him, a beacon of shining golden light. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He took a step toward her and realized that something wasn’t as it should be. Something was different. Something was strange.

It was then that he looked down at his foot and saw a massive furry paw where it should be.

Chapter 11

Carson slammed back into his body like jumping into an ice cold lake. He was frozen to the core and his brain couldn’t process anything for a moment.

He looked down at Gemma, still seeing the afterglow of her golden shimmer. Her face turned up to meet him; their lips were nearly touching… he could already taste her in his mind.

“Oh my god,” she said, moving away from him, her eyes wide with surprise.

“What?” Carson didn’t particularly appreciate the all-too familiar ache from being teased so.

“Your arm!”

“It’s fine it doesn’t even—” it was then that he looked down to inspect his injury and saw that it was gone.

“…hurt.”

Gemma was ghostly pale, her hands trembling uncontrollably. She reached for one of the wet rags nearby and started to scrub at the dried blood crusting his skin. Soon, his arm was completely clean without a hint of any injury.

“Carson, what the fuck happened?” Gemma asked, her voice an octave higher than usual.

“I… don’t know,” he said, turning his arm over every which way to look at it.

They both took up the task of cleaning him and each found that there were no wounds left.

“This is… impossible!” She said, jumping to her feet, pacing back and forth.

“You were hurt… I saw it… what happened?”

Her knees buckled underneath her and Carson dove to catch her before she could hit the ground.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, concern shining through his gaze.

She didn’t look well; she was clammy, pale and her eyes unfocused. He wanted to ask her about what he thought happened, but she looked so fragile in his arms. All he wanted to do was protect her, even if it was from his own curiosity.

“Gemma, hey,” he said, stroking a hand against her cheek gently.

She blinked and the focus returned to her gaze.

“I just got really dizzy,” she mumbled.

“That’s okay. This is all a little crazy.”

She nodded and wandered out of the bathroom into the master bedroom where she sat on the edge of the bed staring off into space.

Carson joined her on the bed but didn’t say anything. She seemed like she’d be easily spooked right now.

“It’s weird…”

He wanted to ask her what was weird, but she looked like she was in a trance. If he broke it, he didn’t know that he’d ever find out.

“I felt like I was… floating. I know that sounds crazy. But I didn’t feel like I was here at all…”

Carson’s eyebrows drew together in a frown.

“Just now? When you got dizzy?”

“No, before. I thought…” The color returned to her cheeks with a vengeance and Carson couldn’t suppress his smile.

“What?”

“No, it’s dumb,” she said.

“Gemma, whatever it is… I feel like this is all somehow connected.”

She sighed, avoiding his eyes.

“When you put your arms around me… God I sound like an idiot,” she muttered, “I got all warm and tingly. I mean…. I just thought it’s been a while you know?” She shrugged, trying again to hide her embarrassment.

“But it was different. I don’t know… Like I said, it’s dumb.”

Carson reached his hand out and rested it on her shoulder.

“It’s not dumb. I felt something, too. Like an out-of-body experience. And… I think I was a dog or something.”

“Okay, so floating in the ocean is sounding less weird.”

Carson’s hand dropped and he wondered if he’d made a mistake in being so open with her.

“So, I’m floating, you’re a dog or something and then magically you’re healed?”

“Maybe we shouldn’t tell the guys about this.”

“I’m not even sure I believe it. I think we might be going crazy.”

“Maybe we are,” he said.

That didn’t make her feel any better at all.

“Well,” Gemma said, “I think that we should bandage you up and once everyone’s off to bed we’ll try it again?”

Carson nodded; he felt guilty for keeping something so huge from his friends, but he couldn’t afford them losing faith in him right now. Not when the search for Izzy seemed more dire than ever.

And how could they not lose faith in him when he was talking about magical healing and turning into a dog? He was losing faith in himself.

Gemma wrapped his arm in gauze and put a bandage over his forehead for good measure. They went down the stairs together to an eager crowd.

“You’re alive!” cried Trick.

“Glad to see you’re all right,” Aaron added.

“I’m fine, really,” Carson said, dismissing them with a wave of his hand.

“I don’t know man, that guy took a pretty gnarly chunk out of your arm, are you sure you’re okay?” Ty asked.

Carson shook his head, waving them off again.

“It looked a lot worse than it was. I’m as good as new thanks to my nurse.”

“Where do I sign up for that kind of bedside manner?” Trick teased, making Gemma blush and Carson drape his arm around her protectively.

“Anything new?” Carson asked, drawing attention away from Trick’s lewd insinuation.

Ty stared at the bandage on Carson’s arm, the wheels in his head turning.

“I should have done it before you cleaned up, but I wanted to get a sample from your bite wound to analyze for rabies.”

Carson’s jaw clenched involuntarily and he shook his head.

“I told you, it looked worse than it was. There’s nothing to sample.”

Ty opened his mouth and then thought better of it, closing it again like a trout gasping for breath.

“There hasn’t been any new activity, no,” Ty said.

Aaron looked back and forth between the two, sensing some tension though he couldn’t pin point why.

“Well, it’s getting late. We didn’t all take naps this afternoon,” he said with a yawn and a stretch.

Trick gave him a lop-sided grin, “Yeah, we wouldn’t want you to miss out on your beauty sleep. It hurts enough to look at you already.”

“Ha ha,” Aaron replied.

Before long, Aaron and Trick each left to go to their respective homes near-by.

Desmond was restless. He sat for a while watching television before pacing around the couch a few times. He walked across the room and threw a few darts at the board on the wall before walking away from that, too. Finally, he grabbed a duffel bag from a hidden closet and hefted it over his shoulder.

“Dez…” Carson said, a frown crossing his features.

“I’ll be back,” he grunted.

“You know—”

“Yeah, whatever. I’ll be back.”

Gemma gave Carson a questioning look, but he just shook his head.

“You know there’s no use talking sense to him,” Ty piped up from behind his computer.

Gemma jumped, having forgotten that Ty was still around.

“Someone’s gotta try,” Carson answered.

“Better you than me, but for what it’s worth, I think you’re wasting your time.”

Gemma saw Carson’s hands clench and unclench at his side and she rested a hand on his arm to calm him.

“I’m glad you have so much faith in our friend.”

“I’m just being realistic,” Ty said, flipping his monitors off before standing.

“He’ll be fine, he just needs time,” Carson said, not knowing who he was really trying to convince.

“Yeah, okay. Well, I’m going to get some shut eye. If anything pops up, I’ve got this synched up to my phone,” Ty answered, excusing himself.

Gemma stared at the door that Ty disappeared through for a long moment, trying to decipher what the two men had been so terse about.

“What was that—?”

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s try this again,” Carson said.

He didn’t want Gemma to be distracted by the problems of his friends. While he was preoccupied with them, he needed her mind to be clear and focused on Izzy.

“Are you sure we should? I mean, it’s pretty weird and I’m not sure how we did it to begin with.”

He reached his hand out for hers, cradling it gently.

“I don’t know what’s going on any more that you do. I just know that this is all happening at the same time and I don’t have much faith in coincidences. If there’s any possibility that this has something to do with Isabel, then I want to explore it. Please.”

Gemma nodded, squeezing his hand in response.

“Okay, you’re right. Let’s do it. How do you think we should start?”

They spent countless hours trying to clear their minds. They tried to focus on one another. Each time they got close, Gemma panicked and pulled back. She was scared of the connection between them. She didn’t want anything bad to happen to Carson and she wasn’t sure she trusted whatever this mystical power was.

“I’m sorry,” she groaned, dropping her head in defeat as the warm tingles dissipated from her limbs.

“I don’t know why I can’t do this,” she said. They had tried about a thousand times.

“You
can
do this. You’re just blocking yourself,” said Carson.

Gemma sighed, exhaustion and frustration pushing her to the brink.

“Okay,” she said with new resolve, “let’s do it again.”

Carson gave her a thorough once-over before shaking his head.

“No, let’s take a break for a minute. Can I get you a coffee or something?”

Gemma nodded. Her eyes felt like they were on fire from being open for so long. They didn’t know how much longer they would have alone and she was determined to make the most of the time they had.

Carson returned with two steaming mugs and sat down next to her, slipping an arm behind her shoulders.

Gemma rested her head on Carson’s shoulder as she sipped the beverage. Liquid warmth flooded her system and revived her tired muscles.

“I just don’t want to let her down,” she said.

“What? How could you say something like that? You’re doing just as much for her as anyone else… if not more,” Carson said.

Gemma closed her eyes, determined to not let Carson see her vulnerability.

“I want her to be okay.”

“We all do, Gem.”

His fingertips played lightly against the soft skin of her upper arm, sending shivers all the way to her hands. The featherlight patterns he drew on her sensitive flesh were comforting. She found herself slipping away into that relaxed place. His warmth engulfed her and drew her further into him.

Her heart swelled in her chest until she was certain that it would burst. It beat like it was trying to escape from the confines of her rib cage. Carson’s hand dipped down her side, brushing over her waist before settling on the swell of her hip.

Warmth radiated from his fingertips through her flesh, filling her body with contentment. Tremors of pleasure trickled through her veins. There was no way for her to focus on anything other than Carson.

She worried that if she opened her eyes the spell would be broken. If she looked around, he wouldn’t really be there. She didn’t have the courage to make that discovery.

His hand stilled on her side and Gemma’s eyes shot open after feeling him tense next to her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Santorini is here with the video.”

Gemma had forgotten all about the surveillance tape and the restaurant owner. That whole encounter felt like it had happened weeks ago, not days.

Carson left Gemma without another word, but she trailed behind him, too curious to wait patiently.

He left through the rear stairs that she’d first been brought in through. He didn’t seem to mind that she was tagging along, but he didn’t wait for her.

“Took your sweet ass time getting it, didn’t you, old man?”

Jim furrowed his eyebrows.

“I had some other things to deal with,” he said.

Carson reached for the tape and the old man snatched his hand back, drawing the disc out of Carson’s reach.

“I believe you mentioned compensation for my time?”

Carson glowered at him and Gemma worried for a moment that he was going to swing on the portly man.

“That was
if
you got it to me
yesterday
,” Carson hissed.

Mr. Santorini glanced at his watch, “I’m only a few hours late,” he said.

“Those few hours could mean Izzy’s
life.
”

“I understand that, but it was still a pain in the ass to find this.”

Carson’s face darkened and Gemma made a move to reach out to him. Before her hand landed on his arm, his hand reached into his back pocket instead of making a fist like she’d expected. She withdrew her hand, running it through her hair in an attempt to seem casual.

“Here,” Carson grunted, thrusting a handful of cash at the old man.

Jim Santorini counted the bills before frowning.