Requiem

Chapter Fifteen The Truth in Sixty Seconds

Jared shut the curtains, allowing me to relax a bit. The morning sun hurt my eyes, and the ache in my head throbbed every time my heart beat. I turned another page of my textbook, trying to catch up to classmates that hadn’t missed the last two days.

I pressed my fingers against the skin between my eyebrows. “The computer guy didn’t know what he was talking about,” I said. “I said simple. This laptop is impossible.”

Jared rubbed my back. “Not impossible. You just have to adapt to change.”

I slammed my book shut. “That’s all I do, Jared: Adapt to change. The only thing that is constant is the fact that everything keeps changing.”

Jared smiled, kissing my shoulder. “I’ll leave you alone to finish your paper, and then we’re going to get out of the house for a while.”

“Thanks,” I grumbled, opening my book again.

My eyes passed over the words, but nothing sunk in. Wedding plans, Kit Anderson's children, Ryan being in danger, dead birds and the whereabouts of the book danced around in my mind. Each thought lingered only for a few seconds and then I flipped to the next one like the channels of late-night television. When I caught myself wandering from the topic of my paper, I would force my focus back to reality. Each time that happened, I grew more frustrated.

Two hours and six pages later, I pulled on my boots and met Jared outside. The crisp air surrounded me as I walked down the drive, and I buttoned my coat to ward off the cold.

The Escalade was left running so I wouldn't have to shiver while the cab warmed to a tolerable temperature. Jared helped me inside with a smile, kissing my red nose before shutting the door, and then we made a new set of tracks down the street. The sky had dropped another six inches of snow on the ground, but only after a few hours of sleet had laid down a solid bed for the snow to stick to.

Jared had no trouble navigating through the ice and powder, but red and blue lights lit the inside of the cab, and the Escalade came to a stop next to a nine foot snow drift.

“Can’t he just call?” Jared said, gripping the steering wheel.

Ryan knocked on the window, and Jared lowered it. Ryan began to speak, but Jared let his finger off the button, stopping the window half-way. Ryan waited patiently, and then Jared lowered the window again. When it was at chin level, Ryan addressed me, but Jared, once again, let his finger off the button.

“Funny,” Ryan said. “Where’s Claire? I haven’t heard from her today.”

“It’s possible she’s not going to pick up the phone every time you call, Ryan,” Jared said, amused.

Ryan's eyes focused on me. “Have you seen her?”

“Not today. If she’s not answering, then she must be busy.”

Jared sighed. “If you pull me over every time you can’t get Claire on the phone, we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other.”

“I just…,” he shook his head, “I just came across some information I wanted to share with her. About the investigation.”

“Like what?” Jared asked, annoyed, but curious.

Ryan narrowed his eyes. “Walter Grahm was the man that tried to rob Nina outside the pub. Ronnie Studebaker, whose friends called him ‘Stu’, was the man that stabbed me. Robert Benson was with them. They were never caught, or charged.”

“Yeah. So?” Jared said, impatient.

“They were all detectives of the Providence Police Department. Now they’re dead. Grahm was killed while answering a robbery call, Benson stopped breathing in his sleep, and Stu went missing. His body has never been found. I can’t account for the fourth man involved in the attack.”

“Do you have a point, Ryan?” Jared said.

“Commissioner Johnson and six members of state government, in addition to seven police officers have come to untimely deaths in the last eighteen months, including Kit Anderson. Grahm was killed the same night twenty-three deaths were reported in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. All GSW’s.”

Jared laughed once. “You’re not telling me anything I don’t know, Ryan.”

“Exactly. How do you know this information unless you are responsible for forty-one deaths?”

“Whoa! You are way off, Ryan,” I said, shocked at his conclusion.

Ryan leaned into the window. “You know what I think? I think the cops were dirty, and that they and those dead officials are part of some sort of crime ring, and Nina got mixed up in it somehow. There’s no way you could have killed twenty-three people at the same time in two different states, so I think they lied about what happened. You with me so far?”

Jared grinned, amused with Ryan’s story. “I’m with you. You’re full of crap, but I’m with you.”

“I think everyone that’s dead is a threat to you somehow because they know too much about whatever it is that you do. The question is, how much is too much? And how much more can Claire tell me before you take me out?”

Jared laughed out loud. “You should ease up on the cop shows, Ryan. Now, if you don’t mind, my fiancé and I have wedding shopping to do.”

“Wait,” Ryan said. “You’re not married, yet?” He looked to me, genuine surprise on his face.

“We’ve been busy,” I said, embarrassed.

Jared’s jaw tensed. “The date has been set. June first. We’ll be sure to send you an invitation…that is if I haven’t taken you out, yet.”

The wheels spun against the wet snow, but the Escalade didn’t move. “Damn,” Jared said.

He pushed open the door, forcing Ryan to jerk back, and disappeared behind the vehicle. The snow drift kept me from getting out on my side, so I climbed over the console, and Ryan helped me to the ground.

“What are you doing?” I asked Jared.

“Digging the truck out. It’ll be just a minute, Sweetheart,” he assured me.

“Do you want help?” Ryan asked.

“No,” Jared said quickly.

I turned to Ryan, crossing my arms. “You don’t really think Jared is responsible for your partner’s death, do you?”

“If he is, Kit’s not the first cop he’s killed. There is a single connection tying every single one of those deaths together. Maybe you could talk your boy into keeping his gun in his holster until I figure it out. Or maybe you could just tell me.”

“I don’t know anything,” I said, feigning offense.

“I saw what Jared is capable of the night I was stabbed. I’ve experienced first hand what Claire can do. They aren’t…normal. I know Grahm and the other cops were dirty, but Anderson was a good man. He didn’t deserve to die. Quit treating me like I can’t keep a secret and just tell me.”

I looked past Ryan to see Jared stand up, look around, and then lean against the Escalade, freeing it from the ruts without effort.

“Okay, Baby. We’re out. Let’s go.”

Ryan walked to the Escalade, evaluating the slide marks the tires had made. He craned his neck at Jared. “I’m going to figure this out. It would save us all a lot of time and energy if you’d just tell me.”

“Let’s go, Nina,” Jared said.

I nodded, climbing into the cab.

“Maybe I could help you. Have you thought about that?” Ryan said.

Jared took off, leaving him in the snow-buried street.

I pulled my coat tighter around me and stuffed my hands under my arms. “It wouldn’t hurt to have a connection in the police department.”

“Not Ryan,” Jared said.

“You sure talk a lot of smack to Claire about thinking with your emotions. You’re not being objective at all!”

Jared ignored me, instead, pulling over when he noticed a woman trying to dig the snow out from under her buried tires.

A short drive around town turned into a three hour- long aid mission to free stranded motorists from the ice and snow. I would pretend to help, and Jared would pull or push cars and trucks out of snow drifts, ditches, and the side of the road.

It felt good to use Jared’s abilities to help others; even if it was something small.

When we returned to the house, Claire’s Lotus was in the drive, along with a police cruiser.

“I don’t believe it,” Jared said, helping me from the passenger side. He carried me through the snow to the side entrance, and then stomped through the house until he found them.

They sat in the kitchen at the breakfast table, laughing. Claire seemed genuinely happy for once, and I smiled at the sight.

“How long have you two been here?” Jared demanded.

Claire’s smile faded. “Don’t worry, I waited for you. I told Ryan you’d tell him what you thought he needed to know.”

“No questions asked,” Ryan promised.

Jared’s hand balled into fists at his side, and the tendons in his neck were strained. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to charge.

“I’m not telling him anything,” Jared growled. “Leave, before I do something we’ll all regret.”

He turned his back to Claire, and she jumped up to stop him.

“Wait,” I said, landing the palms of my hands on Jared’s chest. “Sit, calm down…we’ll just talk,” I said, nodding to Claire and Ryan. “Let’s just sit down and hear them out, and if you still feel the same way, we’ll go.”

Jared took a deep breath, and then nodded, taking a seat across from Claire. I sat beside him, placing my hand on his knee.

Claire mimicked his sigh, turning to Ryan. “Anything Jared tells you is privileged information, Ryan. Nina has lied to you, to her best friends, to her family. Are you sure you want to know?”

Ryan glanced at me.

I leaned forward. “It’s not fun knowledge to have. In this case, ignorance is bliss. I recommend you walk away, but it’s your decision.”

Ryan met Claire’s eyes. “I’m sure.”

“Okay,” Claire said. “First thing’s first.” She grabbed his shirt and ripped it open, popping off the buttons.

“Hey!” Ryan said, holding up his hands.

“Standard procedure,” she said, pulling up his white tank top underneath, bearing his chest. She ran her fingers down each side, and then around his back.

“Come on. You think I’m wearing a wire?” Ryan said, looking at each of us.

“I killed your partner,” Claire said, expressionless.

“What?” Ryan said. His eyebrows turned in, and he shifted nervously in his chair.

“Just get right to the point, Claire,” Jared said, shaking his head in disapproval.

“Why would you kill Kit? He was a good man. He was a good cop….” Ryan said, trailing off.

“He set you up. He asked you to meet him so men working for someone named Donovan could kidnap you, and ultimately use you as bait.”

Ryan shook his head. “No. Kit wouldn’t do that.”

“Then he was forced. He has kids. They probably threatened to kill them if he didn’t cooperate.”

Ryan’s shoulders fell. “So you were protecting me.”

“That’s my job,” Claire said.

Ryan’s once confused expression metamorphosed into suspicion. “W-What do you mean it’s your job?”

“Here we go,” I said, covering my mouth with my hands. I remembered the moment Jared had told me the truth about what he was, and I knew Ryan wouldn’t believe her.

Claire was stoic. “I’m your guardian angel. My father was an angel, my mother is human. When my father fell in love with my mother and decided to stay with her, he was cursed by Heaven so he would continue to protect his Taleh…his human.”

“My dad,” I added.

Claire continued, “The curse is carried throughout the bloodline for a few generations, so Jared, Bex, and I also have Taleh. We have trained our entire lives to be able to protect you, and we have superhuman speed and strength. Nina is Jared’s…you’re mine. I killed Anderson to protect you. I killed everyone else to protect Nina, so Jared could stay with her while she healed. I watched you throughout your entire military career, and yes, I pulled you out of the desert.”

“I thought you said you were going to let me tell him,” Jared said, displeased.

“I don’t have all day,” Claire answered.

Ryan was silent.

“You forgot the most important part,” I said.

Claire rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah, and because of the curse, I can’t die unless you do.”

The room was silent. I squeezed Jared’s knee, thankful he hadn’t dropped the truth on me the way Claire had just done with Ryan. We all waited for him to breakdown, yell, or try to leave. He just sat in his chair, letting it soak in.

I took my hands from my mouth and slid them across the table. “Are you okay?” I asked, touching his hand.

“Yeah,” he blinked. “Just trying to get it all straight in my head.”

“If you tell anyone, I’ll end your life,” Jared said in a low, frightening voice.

“Not likely, since you’d also be killing your sister,” Ryan said.

“He was paying attention,” Jared said.

One side of Ryan's mouth turned up. “So you would literally take a bullet for me.”

“No,” Claire said, with zero emotion.

“No?” Ryan said, surprised at her answer.

Claire rolled her eyes, annoyed that she had to answer. “If I have time to stand in the way of a bullet, you have time to move.”

“True,” Ryan said, nodding.

“So the question is,” I said. “What will you do with the information now that you have it?”

Ryan paused in thought, and then fastened the few buttons left on his shirt. “Find Donovan.”

“Welcome to our club,” Bex said, plopping into the chair beside me. “I just talked to Kim. They’re on the move.”

“Kim. Our Kim?” Ryan asked, his eyes darting to me.

“Yes. She’s sort of the opposite of a demon magnet.”

Ryan left that one alone, turning to Claire. “Sounds like you left a lot out.”

She stood, pulling Ryan with her. “Yes. This is going to be like on-the-job training. Can you handle it?”

“So far,” he said.

“That’s the hardest part,” I said, turning to Bex. “Where are they now?”

Bex traded glances with Jared before he spoke. “We have to move. They have an entourage, so it will take all three of us.”

“Okay,” Jared said, nodding as he was lost in thought. “Where is Kim?”

Bex twitched. “Outside.”

Jared nodded. “Kim, stays with Nina.”

“Jared!” I protested.

Claire pulled on her coat. “Did you hear Bex, Nina? The three of us are going. We don’t need Kim.”

“Ryan,” Jared said. “I’ll need you to stay with Nina. The only things you can’t handle will be protecting what we’re going after.”

Ryan nodded. “I won’t let her out of my sight.”

“You have your gun?” Claire asked.

Ryan patted his side in confirmation.

I threw my arms around Jared and squeezed, shutting my eyes tight. “Don’t stay away long.”

“In and out, Baby. In and out,” he smiled.

“And don’t come back full of bullet holes this time!” I called after him.

The door shut, and the sound of the Escalade’s engine faded as everyone I loved most in the world traveled farther and farther away.

“Bullet holes?” Ryan asked.

“Come on,” I said, pulling him into down the hall. “Let’s find more comfortable chairs. This is going to take a while.”