The Thirteenth Chime
by
Emma Michaels
Bokheim Publishing
* * * * *
Smashwords Edition
The Thirteenth Chime: Book One of “A Sense of Truth”
By Emma Michaels
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Copyright © 2010 by Emma Michaels
All rights reserved. This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com or Bokheim.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
A Bokheim Publishing Book
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http://publishing.bokheim.com
ISBN: 1453715061 (Print)
Cover art rights owned by Bokheim Publishing
Cover art design by TS
First digital copy, August 2010
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Chapter 1
Destiny flipped her light brown hair back into the flow of the wind. When she had been little, she had always disliked her father’s convertible. Now that she was a college student, she loved the opportunity of getting to be in one. That her friend Stephanie had a convertible and that she had invited Destiny out to the West Coast to a beautiful house Stephanie’s mother was renovating was just too good to pass up. With midterms looming, the last thing Destiny intended to think about was school.
Especially when Destiny had a wedding to plan.
It was odd to think about getting married, especially when Destiny had always told herself that she would never get married. She had never liked the idea of marriage. It felt like something she would be trapped within – confining her to the point her life would pass her by. Scott, her fiancé, wasn’t like that though. He was a very sweet man that never pushed her or made her feel as if she had to justify her life.
“Hey!” her friend Stephanie said, poking her in the ribs. “I was asking if you had considered that maybe getting married to this guy so quickly is not the best idea?”
Destiny shook her head and smiled. “I think it’s a great idea,” Destiny replied, over the sound of the wind.
“I know,” Stephanie said. “But I had kind of always thought you would marry that other dude who you used to talk about nonstop.”
Destiny closed her dark green eyes and sighed. Even more so than school or exams, the last thing she wanted to think about was David.
David had not been Destiny’s first true romantic interest, but she had been his. With his light-hearted humor, yet deeply passionate and full of the belief that he was right about everything, David had been the first man to ask Destiny to marry him. Not only that, but his timing could not have been worse when he had asked her.
Without looking at Stephanie, Destiny merely shook her head and didn’t say anything. Stephanie glanced quickly from the road to Destiny’s face and noticed her clouded expression.
Stephanie sighed.
She had invited Destiny on this trip because she didn’t want to make the drive herself, but she was also worried about her friend. Although she didn’t know what had happened, she knew that Destiny had been in an accident with David and that they had both ended up in the hospital. Something had happened at the hospital and shortly afterwards, Destiny was no longer dating David, but instead started seeing Scott. Although Stephanie had never met either of them, Destiny had always seemed to really care about David, which was why it was so confusing when Stephanie had found out that now Scott was in the picture.
What was even more confusing is that her roommate and friend refused to explain why.
“Did he do something?” Stephanie pressed, determined to find out what had happened by the end of the trip.
Destiny turned towards Stephanie, glaring. “It’s been almost a year – what difference does it make?”
“It makes a difference because you were with David almost four years – he was your high school sweetheart,” Stephanie shot back. “You both break up for no apparent reason and now a guy, whom you haven’t even been dating a year, suddenly asks to marry you and you accept him right away?”
“What does it matter? I’m happy,” Destiny said, turning away again, feeling angry that her friend was cornering her.
“If it doesn’t matter, then why are you with me right now instead of with the guy whom you just agreed to marry.” Stephanie shot back in a flat tone.
Destiny gave a dramatic roll of her eyes and just said dryly, “Because you’ve got the convertible and the beach house.”
Stephanie grinned at this. “True, I beat both guys because I’ve got the awesome car. Although...”
Destiny’s eyes narrowed on the ‘although’ her friend had left off on. “Yes…?” Destiny pressed warily.
“Well, the house is above the beach – not really on it.” Stephanie admitted, in a completely innocent tone while not looking at her friend.
Destiny lowered her face until she was looking at her friend from just beneath her eyebrows. “Oh?”
Stephanie nodded.
Destiny cleared her throat and asked, “So, how far away is the beach from the house?”
“Oh it’s really close,” Stephanie replied, brightly. “Just straight down about forty feet.”
Destiny just stared at her friend.
§
After a few choice words at her friend’s revelation, Destiny laid her head back and tried to soak in the sun. As she glanced around the surrounding area, she had to admit her father had been right. Washington State, in the summer, was beautiful. The sky was a deep blue hue and endless green forests stretched for as far as she could see.
Stephanie explained that Steilacoom, where they would be staying with Stephanie’s mother, was a port town. As it came into view, she could see the entire town was placed on a hill that overlooked the bay. Off in the distance, she could see an island that had a number of large, mismatched buildings with what appeared to be a large perimeter fence surrounding them.
The road up to Stephanie’s new house was a long, winding road that followed the length of the cliff as it overlooked the prison island. “What a view…” she mused to herself. Still, she had to admit that even with the knowledge that the island was for a prison it was a very beautiful area.
As the house itself came into view, Destiny blinked. Although she had not yet seen very much of Washington State, the house seemed rather out of place. It was a large, Victorian-era house, which would have fit better on the eastern seaboard rather than here on the western. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful house. Magnificent in the way it stood out at the top of the cliff, overlooking the island and town.
As Stephanie pulled her car up to the front, Destiny grabbed the small bag she had brought with her and got out of the car. A slender but tall woman with deep red hair waved to them from the front door.
“Prepare for ‘hurricane mom’,” Stephanie joked.
Destiny did her best to hide her smile as the middle-aged woman jogged up to them with a bounce in her step and hugged Stephanie. Then to Destiny’s surprise, the woman grabbed and hugged her too. Stephanie made a choking expression where her mother couldn’t see and let her and Destiny be led away with their arms intertwined with Stephanie’s mother’s.
“So what is the latest gossip? Any cute boys on the way here? Oh and please, call me Leslie,” she said, ushering them into the house.
The house was just as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. There were still a number of plastic drop cloths hanging, but it did little to deter the overall image the house presented. Yet despite the presentation of the house, it made Destiny feel wary for some reason. She shrugged it off as her being surprised by Leslie’s forwardness.
As she began to tune into Leslie and Stephanie’s conversation, she listened to Leslie describing what she had done to the house. As they approached the landing halfway up the staircase that separated the opposite sides of the house, she noticed a large grandfather clock in front of them.
Destiny had never really thought much about clocks as she had been born into the digital era. This clock, however, could be described as nothing less than intimidating. Rising to a full two feet above her and made with some kind of dark, red wood, the faceplate of the clock was wider than the span of her shoulders. The closer they came to the clock as they climbed, the less Destiny liked it.
“Mom, what is with the gothic antique clock?” Stephanie asked, exaggerating a shudder.
Leslie just laughed. “This clock came with the house and had been packed up and left in the attic. I cleaned it up, and although it doesn’t work as I can’t figure out how to wind it yet, it makes a great landing piece and terrific find,” she replied, smiling proudly. “I’m hoping to have it evaluated soon as I think it might be a unique antique piece.”
“I can’t imagine why it was left in the attic, mom,” Stephanie joked, earning a lighthearted slap to the shoulder by her mother.
“Now, you girls will have adjoining rooms and the same bathroom,” Leslie explained to the girls, as she showed them up to the right of the landing.
“We’ll each get our own room? Sweet! I might just come back to this hotel,” Stephanie joked, winking at Destiny who smiled back in response.
Leslie took Destiny’s arm and ignored her daughter. “This, Destiny, will be your room and it’s the nicest room in this wing of the house,” she told Destiny, smiling innocently while not looking at her daughter.
“Awww mom!” Stephanie complained.
Without answering, Leslie continued. “It has the nicest bed and the bathroom is in this room, so you won’t have to worry about stepping out at night in order to make use of the facilities. Which also means you can lock the adjoining door if you want privacy.”
Stephanie, who had already left the room to check out her own, could be heard grumbling. Destiny suppressed a laugh, but allowed her smile of appreciation to show to Leslie, who smiled back. “Now, I’ll let you girls freshen up and we’ll have a light dinner in an hour,” she said.
After Leslie had left, Stephanie came in and fell back onto the top of Destiny’s bed, glancing around the room. “Well, it’s official, my mother is so uncool and outdated for giving me the second best room,” she drawled, a sulking tone to her voice.
“I heard that, young lady!” Leslie’s voice came from the landing.
“Only an old lady would call someone my age a ‘young lady’,” Stephanie shot back in a sweet tone.
§
As Stephanie took a shower, Destiny unpacked her bag and put her clothing into the drawers of the small nightstand next to her bed. Besides the bed, the only other piece of furniture was the rather heavy looking bookshelf next to the door with a few odds and ends on it. By the time Destiny had finished and changed to a light colored top and jeans, Stephanie appeared wearing only a peach colored bath towel and with her hair still wet.
Sitting on the bed and crossing her legs, Destiny looked at her friend as Stephanie stared out the window. “Beautiful view, isn’t it?” Destiny said after a moment.
Stephanie nodded. “Definitely better than the last place my mother renovated. Even better is this one has a beach nearby.”
“Yes, and it’s just a short drop away,” Destiny teased. Sticking her tongue out at Destiny, Stephanie turned around and went into her room, dropping her towel to the floor as she did.
Destiny stared at her friend’s back. With lighter colored red hair than her mother’s, Stephanie had a lightly tanned and well-toned body from all of the years of volleyball she had played. Destiny felt envious. She had no doubt that when both girls were wearing their swimsuits and standing next to each other Stephanie would be looked at more – especially by guys.
Shaking her head and chastising herself for thinking about any guy other than Scott, she moved to the window to appreciate the view her friend had just been enjoying. A seagull passed in front of her gaze and dived from the cliff not a hundred paces away. The island and town couldn’t be seen from this window, which gave the impression the house was in a remote, beautiful area.
Destiny jumped slightly as she felt a wet towel thrown at the back of her head and turned around to see Stephanie grinning, wearing short beach shorts and a tank that showed off her midriff just slightly.
“Ready to head down and grab some food from the old lady?” she teased.
Nodding as Destiny realized that she was famished, she followed her friend downstairs. Leslie was already waiting for them and she smiled as she saw them.
§
During dinner, Destiny felt a little out of place watching Stephanie and Leslie together as if no time had passed. They laughed easily and clearly got along well together. It made Destiny think of her own relationship with her mother. They had never gotten along and Destiny had always been more partial to her father, especially after her parents had divorced. It was one of the many reasons she had always been so hesitant about marriage until now.
After they had finished, Destiny and Stephanie retired to their rooms. After talking for a bit about their plans for the town tomorrow, Stephanie had passed out unceremoniously and Destiny took the opportunity to enjoy the nice bathroom that was connected to her room. It had a large, elegant old-style bathtub with clawed feet. Unable to resist, she poured a hot bath for herself and soaked away the remnants of the drive.
As she lay in the water, she felt her long hair move slowly past her shoulders as she settled down. The drive had been long, with little opportunity to enjoy such an amenity. Crossing her legs, she laid her hands on her stomach, pleased at feeling full with something other than fast food. She closed her eyes to relax.
Destiny realized she must have dozed off as she awoke with a start to what sounded like chimes from her old high school band room going off. It took her a minute to identify the source of the sound, but she recognized the deep chimes from a clock she had once heard in an old movie. Still somewhat half-asleep, she thought that maybe Leslie had somehow fixed the grandfather clock on the landing and that it was now ringing.
She lay back into the water that was now cooling rapidly and listened to the chimes, counting them off in her head. One. Two. Three. When she heard the twelfth chime, Destiny realized how long she must have been in the tub and began to climb out.
Then she heard another chime.
Frowning, she wondered why the clock would chime thirteen times. Didn’t clocks only have twelve numbers? Shrugging it off and attributing it to Leslie still working on the clock, Destiny climbed out of the tub and wrapped herself in a towel.
Just as she finished wringing her hair out, she heard a sound like a gasp. Then the gasp turned into a scream.
Her heart pounding, Destiny dashed out of the bathroom to see a sleepy Stephanie who had woken to the same scream. Standing shakily, Stephanie grimaced and gave Destiny a look, wondering what was going on. Then they heard another scream and ran to the door to Destiny’s bedroom.
As Stephanie grabbed the doorknob and tried to turn it, she couldn’t make the door move. Confused and clearly not alert yet, Stephanie began yelling for her mother to see if she was alright. The screaming, now shrill and panicked, began to sound as if it was muffled, as if it was far away or as if something was covering the source of the scream.
“I can’t get the door open!” cried Stephanie, panicking at the screams from her mother. Destiny pushed her friend aside gently and grabbed the doorknob, twisting it as hard as she could and pulling with all of her weight.
The door didn’t budge.
The bedroom, which was dark save for the light coming from the bathroom, seemed to grow darker. Destiny swallowed as the screaming stopped and they heard a large sound like something rolling down the stairs, before it ended in a deep thud.
As Destiny looked down at the bottom of the door and continued to try to open it, she heard a new sound and noticed what appeared to be a faint green light coming from the other side of the door.
Something hit the door to her room hard, as if shouldering it, and both girls jumped back screaming in surprise. “Mom! Mom is that you?” Stephanie cried and grabbed the door handle again to turn it.
Destiny grabbed her friend’s arm and shook her head as some kind of deep and primal instinct within her told her not to open the door. Stephanie, panicking and not understanding why Destiny would stop her, yanked her arm away and pulled the door open.
§
Destiny sat in a daze, holding the cup of coffee that the deputy had given her. She hadn’t drunk any of it. She felt numb all over and things were happening in a blur around her.
She heard the deputy’s questions about what had happened, but Destiny herself wasn’t sure. All she knew is that Leslie, the kind woman whom had greeted her just hours ago, and her best friend and roommate Stephanie, were both being loaded into an ambulance. Both women were in bad shape.
“Miss?” the deputy asked, still trying to get something out of her.
“Sorry, what?” Destiny mumbled, unable to think clearly.
“I asked if there was someone we could call for you, someone who could take care of you?”
“I – I don’t… know anyone here,” she whispered. “I just came with my friend for a few days for a vacation.”
“Well, we can’t leave you here as this place will be filled with police for a few more hours,” he replied, hesitantly.
“My cell phone… it’s in my room – I can call someone,” she said, lowering her face into her hands.
Nodding, he left and when he returned, he handed her the cell phone from her room. Taking it as if it were some alien thing, she flipped it open slowly and opened the address book. She was about to press send when she realized whose number it was before her.
“Why call him?” she whispered to herself. “As if he would even care...”
“Miss, sorry what?” the deputy asked, confused.
Destiny shook her head and the deputy gave her privacy for a moment to make the call. After he had moved away, she couldn’t help thinking that she should call Scott, but the number in front of her wasn’t his.
It was David’s.
She pressed ‘send’.
Chapter 2
“Come on, man, just open the door,” Andrew called into the apartment.
David turned to his partner. “County says they are still fifteen minutes away. Another dude just tried to shoot up a mall,” he told Andrew.
“Man, what is up with people lately?” Andrew shook his head and sighed.
David just nodded. It was true – things had been really bad in the city recently. Of course, every city had its bad period that occasionally would show up, but the last two months had seen a surge in violence that was unlike anything that either of the young men had witnessed before. It just felt like everyone was losing hope and despair was starting to affect everyone. Without hope, people were doing the only thing they knew how to do – lash out.
For EMTs and paramedics like Andrew and David, this meant an apparently never-ending battle against anyone who was unfortunate enough to be stuck in the crossfire. That was bad enough, but what was making things worse is that even emergency medical and law enforcement divisions were beginning to feel the toll with no end in sight. Even some of their own had been unable to avoid the growing tide of pain that could be felt throughout the city.
For David and his partner, their latest bout with the tide was here in an apartment where a crying child could be heard. The only thing that 911 Dispatch had told them about the situation was that it involved a disgruntled man threatening to commit suicide. Normally, emergency medical was supposed to wait for county to intercede, but county had its own fight currently downtown.
It was when they heard the sound of a child crying inside the apartment that Andrew and David decided to make contact.
Andrew and David were strictly ‘by-the-book’ individuals, and ordinarily they never allowed anything to interfere with their professionalism. Every now and then, however, a child would be involved and then it didn’t matter the threat to either men – they would help if they could. As Andrew was a family man, he only hesitated if their lives were in jeopardy. His wife, Julie, made him promise to come home safe.
“This guy isn’t going to open the door, Andrew,” David said to his partner.
Andrew nodded. “This is going to be one of those days,” Andrew replied, sighing.
Turning his attention back towards the apartment door, Andrew raised his voice to the man again. “Come on, dude,” he said. “Let’s just have a nice chat. We can hear that little girl crying – how about we all sit down to a cup of tea and-”
Andrew was interrupted as David grabbed him, taking them both down to the floor as a shot could be heard, creating a sizable hole in the wall next to the door. Andrew swore as he went down with David on top of him, then they both rolled away from the door. David tossed his radio to Andrew.
“Dispatch,” Andrew growled into the handset, “Be advised, shots fired at medical personnel, we’re pulling out!”
David frowned and grabbed the leg of his partner while he shook his head.
Andrew immediately shook his head in response. “No way, David!” Andrew whispered. “Don’t even think about it.”
David’s only response was to thumb in the direction of the child, who could now be heard all out screaming. Andrew swore again and contacted dispatch. “Dispatch, ETA on county back-up?”
“County will be at least an additional fifteen minutes. Recommend immediate pull-out until further notice,” crackled the 911 dispatcher’s voice over the comm.
“It’s a kid, Lake,” David told his partner, as his eyes bored into the wall where the bullet hole now resided.
Andrew eyed his resolute partner and sighed again. This was definitely not the first time he had seen that look. David had just been crossing the line of late. “Alright fine,” Andrew began, “What do we do?”
“Find out whatever you can about this guy from the 911 dispatcher,” David replied.
“Bah, and what are you going to do?” Andrew gave him a pleading look – hoping his partner and friend understood his silent request for him not to do anything foolish.
“Going to see if there is any other way into this apartment,” David replied, already half-standing once he was away from the door and moving away.
“Another way into the…” Andrew stared after him. “Dude, it’s a Cleveland apartment! There are no other ways into them,” he muttered after him. However, David had already left the hallway and he was headed for the emergency staircase.
§
David took off running as soon as he was away from the apartment they had been called to respond to the suicide call. He had heard Andrew’s comment and knew it would probably be fruitless, but hearing that child screaming, he knew that he and Andrew just had to get into that apartment and quickly. In situations like these where a parent or guardian was threatening suicide with a child in the room, most would normally release the child before dealing with his or her own pain. Probably the only thing that had stopped the man was the interruption by the two young men.
“Here now,” called an elderly looking man who was peering out of his apartment. “What’s going on?”
“Sir, there is a situation,” David hurriedly told him as he rushed by. “Please just remain within your apartment for your own safety.”
Then David paused and turned towards the old man who was muttering about all of the noise. “Excuse me, sir,” David called out to him again.
“What do you want now?” The elderly man glared at him, challenging the EMT’s presence with his eyes that bore a strength that defied his age.
David allowed himself a small rueful smile at the old man’s irritated question. “That apartment – 13B – do you know who lives in there?” David asked him.
“Why do you want to know?”
David immediately straightened as he saw the look of alarm and concern in the older man’s eyes – there was clearly something that was triggered in his mind that had nothing to do with concern about the noise. “Sir,” David began cautiously. “There is a man in the apartment that has a gun. 911 Dispatch was contacted and notified of a suicide attempt. My partner and I can also hear a young child in the apartment. Do you know anything that might help us?”
The elderly man’s already pale face went ashen. “I…” he began. “I know nothing!”
Torn between his anxiety for the child and the adrenaline surging to the surface, David worked to keep his composure calm. It was true – with everything having been so hard lately, there was a rising number of people who were dissatisfied with anyone who worked for the city. David just wished people would remember that the fire department and other Emergency Medical Services worked for the people, not the state – their only purpose was to help people.
“Sir, please,” David began, allowing some of his concern to show in his voice to appease the elderly man. “She’s a small girl. I’m asking you – no, I’m imploring you – if you know anything, please help us.”
“Ah… he…” the elderly man explained. “He lost his job six months ago. Last month, the funds provided by the government ran out and there are so few jobs...”
The older man trailed off, but David already knew the rest of the story – it was so familiar. A person lost his or her job and there was no work to be had. Some, if they had good credit, tried to stay afloat with credits cards for a while, but if the person was unable to make payments for long enough, the creditors would start calling and have the card declined. As many funds and grants that emergency actions created there was always a point where the help ran out.
David nodded. “Do you know his name, sir?” David asked the older man.
“His name is Jake,” the elderly man replied, “Jake Collins – and his little girl’s name is Chrissy. She is such a sweet thing...” He trailed off, clearly overwhelmed at the implications of what could happen. “You have to get to him – he is not a bad man! He raised that little girl on his own when her momma ran off. She is all he has. He is probably thinking if he can’t take care of her, then...”
David clenched his fist and he did his best to keep his composure. Sure, he understood. Nevertheless, nothing gave that man the right to frighten his child or take his own life by giving up. He hurried to thank the man and then dashed for the emergency stairs. He knew that if this Jake Collins was as desperate as the older man had said, the EMTs were running out of time. He just hoped Andrew was keeping the guy talking.
As he pulled open the emergency staircase’s heavy steel door, David went through, climbed onto the fire escape, and made his way around to the windows of the apartment where the man and his daughter were. Using a small mirror from his hip pouch, he glanced through one of the windows and saw the man facing the door while talking quietly to what David believed was the little girl.
He let himself in slowly through the open window. If only he could get to the man quickly, he might be able to end it without anyone getting hurt. Andrew was no doubt going to give him quite an earful later, but it was worth it if everyone was alright in the end.
That was right when David’s cell phone rang.
As the cell went off, David froze. The guy whirled around to the theme from “Poker face” playing as the ringtone. Shock and disbelief registered on both men’s faces as they stared at one another. Then anger showed on the man’s face and he pointed his gun at David.
“Well, this is... complicated,” David muttered, clearing his throat.
“Who the heck are you?” demanded the man. Then he noticed the uniform and his face showed panic. “You’re a cop!” He held the gun shakily in both hands.
David held his hands slightly up but kept them low to the ground. “No, I’m not a cop, I’m an EMT,” David replied, trying to keep calm despite the rising panic he felt inside. Hurry up Lake, he thought to himself.
Then David noticed the crying child, huddling in the corner as she looked at him with small, frightened eyes. He gave her a reassuring smile and looked back up at the man before him. “I’m here to help, sir,” David continued.
“Get out of my apartment!” the man shouted at him. Holding the gun a bit higher, the threat was unmistakable. “Get out!”
David slowly shook his head. “I can’t do that, sir. You and your daughter need my help,” David said. “I can help if you let me.”
The man laughed harshly, an edge to the laugh that told David just how close he was to breaking. If he was going to reach the guy, he had to do it fast.
“Sir, I’m an EMT, I was called here because one of your neighbors is worried about you,” David began.
“I don’t care who you are! Get out of my place now!” The hammer to the gun was pulled back. David swallowed.
“Listen, the old guy down the hallway is just worried about you and the little girl,” David continued, desperate to reach the man.
At this, the man faltered slightly and let the tip of his gun lower a bit. “Howard? What does he want? He should mind his own business!”
“He said I should help you,” David replied.
Laughing again, the guy shook his head and raised the gun once more. “How could you possibly help me? My life is over! Chrissy’s life is over!” he shouted.
At hearing her name, the girl whimpered and cried out to her father. Tears dripped down the man’s face as he heard the little girl’s voice. “I can’t help her... I failed her,” he said, his voice cracking.
“Maybe not,” David replied, seeing his chance. “If you let me help you, maybe there is something we can do. What’s your name?”
The man faltered, then shook his head but replied, “Jake. It’s Jake Collins.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Jake. I’m David,” David continued.
“You can’t help me. No one can,” Jake’s eyes closed as fresh tears dripped down his cheeks.
David hesitated. Part of him wanted to jump for the gun now, but he wanted to reach this man – he was convinced he could do it.
“Howard said you lost your job – I have some friends who may be able to help.”
Jake shook his head. “It’s too late. I lose the apartment next week. I’ve lost my car, sold my tools to a pawn shop, and I even sold all of my clothes to buy this gun in my hands,” he said, his voice broken.
Just then, a pounding began on the door. “This is the Cleveland P.D., please open the door!” came a voice through the heavy wooden door.
“David? Man, you okay?” Andrew’s voice was muffled, but David could hear the concern present in his partner’s voice.
“I’m fine,” David replied slowly, grimacing at the same time. “Everything is okay, just give us a minute,” he finished. From the sounds coming through the door, the cops were going to do anything but give him that minute. David realized he had better act fast.
“Look, any minute now those cops are going to come through that door. When they see you with that gun, you’ll lose your daughter,” David told him bluntly.
Jake, looking even more haggard, hung his head with his eyes closed.
“Want to keep your kid?” David asked.
Jake looked up, a small spark of hope in eyes filled with despair appeared.
“Alright, then I need your help,” David said. “Here is what you do. First, would you please get rid of that gun? You’re making me nervous!”
§
It took less than thirty seconds for David to relay his thoughts and for the police officers to come through the door. When they entered, guns raised and ready to take on a small army, what they saw was Jake, David and Chrissy, sitting on the floor over a monopoly board. David waved to Andrew, whose face went purple in response.
After multiple retellings of what happened, with the police clearly not believing the story, David calmly waited with his back against the wall as the police grilled Jake. David accepted the drink his partner appeared with and grimaced when he tasted the black coffee. “Lake, you know I hate this stuff,” David complained absently.
“Yes, I know,” growled Andrew. David looked out at him from the corner of his eye and cleared his throat quietly.
“Something on your mind, partner?” he asked.
“You know darn well something is on my mind!” Andrew whispered angrily. “You’re covering for that guy, I know you are!”
David closed his eyes and sighed. “Look at the girl, Lake.”
“No, man – I want you to look at me!” Andrew snapped at his partner.
David complied and looked right into his friend’s eyes. “Yes?”
Andrew sighed and looked away for a moment. “If you’re wrong about this, he’ll only try again...” he muttered.
David shook his head. “We’ve seen his type a lot this year. He needs a chance, that’s all. That girl is terrified enough without being taken away from the only family she has, Lake,” David responded.
“But that is not our call and there is a reason for that. You know that for a fact.”
David took a deep drink of the coffee and made a face, then handed the cup back to his partner. “Know what I know for a fact?” he asked him.
“What?” Andrew replied warily.
“You really do have lousy taste in drinks.”
Andrew kicked his partner in the shin. Hard.
§
After questions had been cleared up, Jake and Chrissy were escorted down to the precinct for further questioning and David and Andrew headed back to their station. Andrew didn’t say a word for the entire trip. David knew it was best to give his friend and partner time to cool off and decided to let things lie for now. Besides, their personal problems between one another aside, they had a bigger problem to worry about before they addressed personal things.
That particular problem was waiting for them inside the bay when they parked their rig.
“So boys, want to fill me in or shall I just fill in your pink slips now?” Station Manager Harper told them with a blank look.
Andrew grimaced and David held out his clipboard, which he had only just now finished filling out. “It’s all here, sir,” David replied.
“Last will and testament? Or is this your feeble attempt to pin it all on Lake?” Harper replied coolly.
A small, whistling sound could be heard from inside Andrew’s throat. Both David and Harper turned towards him with a single raised eyebrow.
Pulling them into the station locker room, which was currently deserted, Harper flipped idly through David’s notes while listening to the two junior officers speak about what happened. “So let get me this straight – David is the lone ranger, and you’re Tonto, right, Lake?” he asked the older of the two partners.
“Uh... sir?” Andrew asked, hesitant.
“Because only an idiot would let his partner do something this stupid,” Harper finished.
“Sir, it was my choice. Lake gave me an order and I disregarded...” David began, but stopped when the station manager held up a hand to silence him.
“As far as you are concerned, kid, CPA wants your butt on a barbecue and I’m seriously contemplating offering it with a side of relish and barbecue sauce,” the older man glared at him.
CPA, or Children’s Protective Agency, was an agency sworn to protect children. Unfortunately, as with all bureaucracies, they sometimes pulled children away from situations that were not without hope. It wasn’t that CPA didn’t care, but they had to do what they felt was in the best interest of the children’s immediate, but not always long-term, welfare. In Chrissy’s case, this would mean never seeing her father again and being placed with strangers.
“Do you know why they want your butt?” Harper asked, lowering the clipboard in his hands as he focused wholly on David.
“Those ladies love a man in uniform?” David quipped.
Andrew groaned.
Harper didn’t crack a smile.
Tough crowd.
Harper dropped the clipboard onto the wooden bench for personnel to sit on when in the locker room. The noise of the metal clipboard hitting the wood sounded reminiscent of a gunshot going off. Neither David nor Andrew missed the similarity.
“Hear that, kid? That’s the sound of your career,” Harper replied. “That could have also been the last sound you and your partner ever heard.” Harper sighed and ran a hand over his face. “CPA wants your butt because of a testimony you gave concerning that man and his child, plus a letter of reference on your honor as an EMT that you gave to the police,” he continued. “Do you get what that means?”
David nodded.
Andrew looked green. He hadn’t known about the letter.
“It means you brought in the reputation of our entire station here to cover your butt,” Harper finished, ice in his voice. “All I have to do is not support you and both of your careers will sound like that clipboard.”
“She belongs with her father, sir,” David replied.
The ice in Harper’s eyes matched the sting of his voice.
Andrew looked ready to faint.
“Lake belongs with his little girl. I belong with my grandkids, and you, as mentally vacant as you appear to be, must belong somewhere other than at the unfriendly end of a gun!” Harper snapped. “You treat symptoms – you’re not a doctor – yet. Doctors treat causes.”
Breathing out slowly, Harper seemed to calm down. “I want you both gone for the next week while this mess is sorted out. I so much as see your faces within that period and your files will end up like that clipboard. Understand?” he told them, looking down at them from narrowed eyes.
Andrew nodded emphatically.
David hesitated a moment. Harper’s eyes bored into his, as if daring him to say a word. “Sir?” David began. “About my request...”
Harper ground his teeth with his eyes closed. “Do you realize how close you are to becoming a civilian at this moment, kid?”
“Sir, it’s important...” David finished, opening himself wide to whatever action Harper would take.
Harper turned around and strode to the door. “I’ll think about it. He screws up once and you’ll share his fate. I mean it, kid.” Then Harper walked through the door and it closed silently behind him. The silence seemed more deafening that the gunshot had.
As David turned around to his partner, Andrew grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him up against the locker doors. “Are you nuts!” he yelled.
Andrew, upset and shaking slightly, looked down and wouldn’t meet David in the eyes. “I’ve got a wife and kid, and I need to take care of them… if anything happens to me, then they have no one.”
David listened and then nodded. “I... understand,” he replied.
Andrew grabbed him again and pulled him close. “Do you really understand? Because I don’t think you do. I don’t think you get how I or that guy from the apartment feels. All you seem to think is that small things don’t matter and you can fix anything. Guess what, partner?” Andrew growled sarcastically. “Sometimes there are things you can’t fix and you can only go forward.”
“Andrew,” David began. “I... really do understand.”
“Good,” Andrew shot back. “Because I can’t take this anymore. I know whatever happened all of those months ago you are still dealing with it, but you’re borderline dangerous, David!”
David sighed and closed his eyes. Then his cell phone beeped, announcing a new text message. He pulled it out slowly and checked the message before sighing again.
“What is it?” Andrew asked him.
“It’s... her,” he replied.
Andrew grimaced. “Talk about timing,” he muttered.
Scowling, David replied, “You have no idea – she actually called me right as I got into the apartment. She could have gotten me killed!”
Glaring, Andrew nodded. “Yeah, I can’t even imagine how that might feel,” he shot back.
Wincing, David looked at his friend and partner. “So, now what?”
“Well, this sure as heck isn’t a break-up, if that’s what you’re thinking!”
Giving a small half-smile, David chuckled slightly and shook his head. “We still partners?” he asked the older man.
“I... honestly, David, I don’t know. You need to get your head on straight. I really can’t deal with this anymore,” Andrew replied, shaking his head slowly. “What does she want, by the way?”
“I’m not sure – something happened while she was on a trip with a friend. Now the friend and the friend’s mother are in the hospital. She seems to think something is up and wants me to go out there,” David replied, snapping the cell phone closed and tossing it onto the bench next to them.
Andrew nodded. “I think you should go do it,” he said.
David glared at him. “You just got through telling me I need to get over the past and now you want me to fly right into enemy lines?” he asked, an incredulous tone to his voice.
Andrew absently scratched at an ear. “What I want is for you to deal with this. If she is calling you, she obviously has a reason for it. Find out what it is. Heck, use this week and go see what’s up. Just...” Andrew began and then sighed. “Just don’t come back unless you resolve things. Because if you don’t, we’re done,” he finished. Then he turned around and walked out of the locker room, leaving David alone.
“I don’t want to see her,” David whispered to himself. “Whatever is going on, I don’t want any part of it.”
Three hours later, he was on a plane for the state of Washington.
Chapter 3
The flight was not very long, but it gave David far too much time to think, which was the last thing he wanted to be able to do. After the plane had landed, he found her waiting for him in the terminal. He nodded to Destiny and she turned without a word, leading him to Stephanie’s car, which she had borrowed to pick him up.
The two drove in silence.
Truth be told, David and Destiny had never been much for talking inside of a vehicle while traveling. Looking back on that, he had to consider the possibility that maybe that should have been a hint to him about the future of their relationship.
Never one to let fate rule his mind, he turned to Destiny and opened his mouth to speak.
Noticing his attempt out of the corner of her eye, Destiny couldn’t keep a wry smile off of her face. “What would you like to talk about,” she asked, trying to humor him, but also feeling slightly hesitant over the possible topics he could bring up.
Looking back out through the windshield, David sighed. “Why did you call me, Des?” he asked quietly, not truly wanting to know the answer but needing to know what was expected of him. If she just wanted a friend, he wasn’t sure if he could do that.
Inwardly, Destiny grimaced. He is always like this, she thought to herself with a sigh. He gets emotional because of his feelings and won’t let things lie until he ‘understands’. While keeping her eyes ahead of her to avoid his eyes, she answered him cautiously. “Your number,” she began. “It was right there in front of me when I opened my cell. I knew – well, I just knew you were the one who could help me.”
Pain stung David’s heart and he couldn’t help the growing resentment within him. David decided it would be best not to say anything further. Destiny apparently agreed with him as they remained silent all of the way to the hospital. He followed her in quietly, but she stopped before entering into the large slide doors, turning around to face him.
“Is...” she began. “Is this how it is going to be while you are here?”
David looked at her and sighed. “What do you mean?” he asked her.
“You being cold to me,” she replied, looking away from him.
David swallowed back the words he wanted to say. “Sorry, your call was unexpected and it came right in the middle of some problems for me. That and the trip... it’s just made me a little out of it,” he explained, trying to be as civil as he could.
Destiny nodded and seemed as though she was going to move towards him, but instead turned back towards the doors and entered.
“Do you know how your friend and her mother are doing?” David asked, wanting a change in topic.
“Last I heard, Stephanie was stable, but her mother...” she trailed off.
David nodded. “I never met Stephanie, but you spoke highly of her.”
Destiny shrugged and led him to Stephanie’s room where her friend lay on an unfriendly looking white hospital bed. A nurse was there and nodded towards Destiny, followed by a questioning look at David.
“He looks off, but he is harmless,” Destiny kidded, and David noticed for the first time the wariness in her voice. As she sat down in a chair next to Stephanie’s bed, he looked at her more closely. The events of the past few days had clearly taken their toll on her. She had dark circles under her eyes and her cheeks looked withdrawn.
“Do you want me to get you anything?” he asked, regretting how he had been behaving since she had picked him up.
Blinking in surprise, she looked at him as if only noticing him for the first time. He noticed the tears that formed in her eyes before she shook her head and looked away.
She is still in shock, he mused to himself. While Destiny took and held her friend’s hand, David availed himself of Stephanie’s chart before the nurse returned. Frowning slightly at what he saw, he then pulled out his smartphone and began hunting for news articles on what happened when Destiny had called him. Little information was available, but there was enough to get a picture of what had transpired.
According to the articles and Stephanie’s chart, someone had broken into the house they were staying in, had attacked Stephanie’s mother and then Stephanie herself when she had tried to interfere. Destiny had managed to avoid being attacked, but had nonetheless seen what had happened, leaving her in a state of shock.
“Can you tell me what happened?” he asked, putting his cell phone back into his pocket.
Destiny bit her lip. “I... I’m honestly not sure,” she replied, hesitantly.
“I see,” David replied. “Des, what exactly are you hoping from me with this? I mean, if you just need someone ‘here’, its fine. But other than that, the police are already...”
Destiny shook her head fiercely and looked up into David’s eyes, pain showing clearly through her unusually dark eyes. “No!” she exclaimed. “I... there is something...”
David cocked his head off to the side slightly and waited for her to continue. “Yes?” he gently pushed.
“There were... weird sounds. And... lights,” she finished, lowering her eyes as if not wanting to see his reaction.
David blinked. “Well, we can rule abduction out, I think,” he mused aloud.