Walker, page 8
“I’m good with that too.” Calum smirked. “Oftentimes that is still the very best way we have to find answers.”
“Yeah, but it’s slow, and it’s tedious, and a lot of people don’t want to talk to us,” Walker complained.
After breakfast they headed outside and started walking up the street. “It would help if we had better photos.”
“I know, but what we have is the latest ones from Kim. They may not be great, but I’m sure he’s still quite recognizable.”
“Except that he’s quite sick now.”
They went from store to store, asking if anybody had seen the young man. Every time it was a no, a no, and another no. By the time they had finished asking all the employees and customers of the shops on the main streets, they shared a look.
Walker finally voiced it. “That’s interesting.”
“It makes me suspicious,” Calum stated. “How is it that nobody knows anything? It’s not as if this is a huge place.”
“Do you think they’ve been threatened into silence or something?”
“Not necessarily. It’s more that they’re willing to be silent, or something else is going on here that we know nothing about.”
“And that would be what?”
Calum shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Which isn’t helpful, since I’m fresh out of guesses.”
Chapter 6
There. Ashley had done what she could do, at least for the moment. Moving slowly, as if she’d aged one hundred years, she made her way into her simple bedroom, but, rather than just crash, she sat down on the nearest chair, not able to make it to her bed. Every movement was so hard, as if her bones were made of glass, because that’s how she felt right now—fragile—as if everything around her was coalescing into this huge bubble, but a bubble heading toward a complete explosion, when whatever was going on caught up with her.
She just didn’t know what it was or why … or in what way it would all implode. She had had nothing to do with anybody for the last five years, staying to herself, living a quiet and simple life, healing those who came to her. Ashley had ignored everybody else—or had tried to. She’d stayed close to McClintock, mostly because they had a work history already, before she’d gone into hiding, and he understood the type of work they had done. He had been all for her going to ground and had been one of the few people she kept her lifeline attached to, even when she felt as if there was no point in any of it anymore.
Now she needed him yet again, but in a way she hadn’t expected. But to keep calling on him, to keep asking him for favors, just put her in a position she didn’t want to be in. She knew he would laugh and would tell her to stop worrying about it, but she hated to be indebted to anybody. Particularly to somebody like him, who had power at his fingertips and utilized it willy-nilly as he needed to. She didn’t want to owe him anything. That put her in an even worse position right now because she didn’t know what to do with the weird feelings running through her.
After a rest, she finally made it to her bed.
When her phone rang, she ignored it, pulling the pillow over her head and crashing deeper and deeper, until she found the peace in the souls of a world without physical form, where she could just balance on a spiritual level and stay there.
When her phone rang again, she rose enough to realize that she’d been in the same position for hours, and, chances were, it may have been even longer than that. She picked up the phone and checked the screen. It was Terkel. She answered it, her tone slurred and tired.
“Are you all right?” he asked, his tone harsh.
She blinked several times. “I think so. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but it took more out of me than I expected.”
“You also went deeper than most people would have on a trip like that,” he snapped.
“Oh, are there rules, layers, and levels? Guess you forgot to give me those details.”
His tone was sad when he admitted, “I know, and I didn’t realize it, until I could feel the pull on the ethers, and that in itself was something.”
“Pull on the ethers?” she asked in wonder. “What does that mean?”
“Energy being shifted in a big way. Clary was working on healing another person, and she told me that you were out there working, and that’s when I realized you were going deep, probably too deep for the kind of work that you were trying to achieve.”
“And yet you were the one who told me to go out there and to see if I could find Frank.”
“Did you?”
She blinked several times. “Yes, and I sent the address to your men.”
“Interesting,” he murmured.
“Haven’t you heard from them?” she asked, sitting upright.
“I’ve been really busy, so I haven’t checked in, and they haven’t checked in with me.”
“Well, maybe you should reach out,” she muttered. “And, while you are at it, I’ll just go back to sleep.”
His tone was full of laughter when he added, “You won’t sleep now anyway. You’re far too curious to see if they found anything.”
“They did. I just don’t know if what they found is what we were looking for.”
“Interesting, though I don’t love the fact that everything in our world is riddles these days.”
“No, I don’t either. It used to be simple, you know? Do something for the government, go in, do the job, and get out. Then it got more complicated, as the government got more corrupt, and life was no longer delineated by right and wrong. Instead it became more about How do I do this and stay alive?” she muttered.
“I understand that,” he whispered to her soul. “And it’s okay. You did a phenomenal job, and you survived. That’s what you have to keep reminding yourself of.”
“Yet there should be more to this existence than just survival,” she murmured. “A lot more.”
“There will be. You’ve been out five years, and you’ve hidden for a good share of that time,” Terk noted. “When you hide from your problems, it takes a little longer to adjust and to adapt.”
“Yet it shouldn’t,” she murmured. “I feel as if we should get bonus points for having hidden.”
He burst out laughing. “It never happened that way in my world.”
Ashley asked him, “How is it that you’re doing as well as you are, when you haven’t been out very long?”
“Because I have a team,” he noted. “A team who works together, a team who has held on through all this. We know that we need each other, and, because we need each other, there are no arguments about it. Without my team, I don’t think we would be anywhere near as far along as we are.”
“Lucky you. I didn’t have that team.”
“No, but you don’t have to stay isolated either,” he murmured.
“Says you,” she replied, her tone sharp. “It’s never that easy, you know?”
“No, and your own hurts have to heal before you can join up with a team like mine,” he stated, “but seriously you might want to consider it. You’re well on your way to healing. I just think the isolation has become a habit for you because you think that you still need to heal. However, if you look at it objectively, I think you’ll find that you’ve already pushed past that barrier quite nicely.”
“Even if I had, that doesn’t mean I want to go back into anything related to this field again.”
“Maybe not, but there is safety in numbers,” he reminded her. “Particularly with numbers like ours. Numbers where the people are like you, and you are safe and free to be who you are.”
She snorted. “Yeah? Is that the propaganda you pass on to everybody on your team?”
“So far, I haven’t needed any propaganda. It’s just the honest truth.” With that, he ended the call.
Ashley had to sit and wonder if that were even possible. Was there a group of people who she could feel comfortable with? Where she wouldn’t feel isolated? Wouldn’t be alone? The answer was unclear. She couldn’t imagine not feeling like the world was against her. Things worked out for her here because nobody really paid any attention to or was bothered by the strange woman at the end of the road outside of town. The few people who ever came to see her thought she was harmless.
She hadn’t needed much to live on here, and she bought anything she needed locally. The only person she’d stayed in touch with was McClintock, and that was because of their history. She couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to have somebody like Terkel in her world on a regular basis. He was irritating enough right now, and she knew better than to consider the prospect of his changing. She felt his laughter whoosh through her mind, and she smiled, trickling him a message. It’s true, you know?
It is, he murmured back at her telepathically, but it’s a two-way street.
She sighed because, of course, that was the truth. When you had that kind of relationship with people, it went both ways and required trust on all sides. Her solitary life hadn’t required much in the way of trust, so she was out of practice and uncertain of how much she could muster. Plus, she had sworn that she would never have anything more to do with this lifestyle. I guess I’ll think about it.
After Terkel left again, a thought popped into her mind out of nowhere. Is somebody trying to force me back in again?
She practically heard the gears turning in her mind. Is that what this was all about? Is that why that sick young man disappeared? Is somebody gearing up to see what she could do? And then what? Hold her captive again? Was it the government? Because she was more than done with any of that, and, if that’s what someone thought they would do, they had another think coming.
She got up slowly, then walked into the kitchen. She needed food, though it didn’t really matter what it was. But she definitely needed some fuel in her system. She quickly scrambled some eggs and made herself some toast with fresh bread from the village.
As she sat outside with it, she slowly started to feel some of her energy returning fully. Yet her mind and soul were confused. Plus, she was still tired and worn out, a state she hadn’t felt in a very long time. That wasn’t comfortable, or even something she thought she would feel again, at least not this soon.
When McClintock contacted her a little later, she was sitting outside, sipping coffee.
“How are you doing now?” he asked, his tone tinged with worry.
She smiled. “I’m better. Getting some sleep really helped.”
“Is that what you call it?” he asked. “Personally it seems more like you just unplugged. It’s not like sleep because it’s not even that sense of relaxation and rest. It’s almost a disconnection from the world around you. It’s a very bizarre thing.”
“You’re one of the few people who’s seen me do it,” she noted. “So keep it to yourself, will you? It might freak out the locals.”
He burst out laughing. “It definitely would freak out the locals, and I realize it’s one of the things you prefer to keep to yourself.”
“Good,” she murmured. “Did you come up with anything?”
“Ah, that’s you, right to the point already.”
“Yeah, a young man’s life is at stake.”
“Now tell me something. Do we care about this young man?” he asked curiously, not with any emotions in his tone.
That was one of the things about him that had always drawn her. It was as if he looked at the world completely dispassionately. It amazed her, and, at this point in time, she sometimes felt that everything he’d had to do in his life up until now had eaten away at the part of his soul that allowed him to feel empathy. Or maybe he never had it in the first place. She seemed to be his Achilles’ heel, and it was a real problem because she didn’t want that responsibility. She didn’t want that connection. She murmured. “Yes, I think we do. Remember? He came to me.”
“Yet maybe that doesn’t matter,” he offered. “Maybe it doesn’t matter that he came at all. Maybe it’s better if we just wipe out any record that he’d ever been here.”
She froze. “No, that would not be a good idea.”
“Are you sure? Because you won’t like any of the information that I found.”
She winced, and her back straightened. “It’s still better if I know.”
“If you say so,” he murmured. “Just remember that I warned you.”
“Warning noted,” she murmured. “Now, let’s hear it. What did you find out?”
He sighed. “I wish I didn’t have to tell you, but here goes. Remember Najor?”
“Najor, Najor,” she muttered to herself for a moment, and then she snorted. “Yeah, I remember him. A pencil pusher, penny pincher, or whatever you want to call him. He made our life hell because he kept cutting budgets, so we would get less and less in the way of reinforcements, less in the way of food, supplements, and all that stuff. He kept saying the government was responsible.”
“Yeah, he’s gone private. Beyond that, apparently he’s taken to hassling some of the original people from our team.”
“Oh, great.” Ashley winced. “What’s he trying to do now?”
“If he’s gone private, I suspect he’s trying to set up his own team.”
“But why would anybody want to work with him? He had a terrible reputation. He never went to bat for us or tried to make our lives easier. He never supported us in any way that I can think of,” she pointed out. “Why would anybody want to work for him?”
“I’m not saying that anybody is working for him. I’m just saying that he’s out looking for people to work for him.”
“The differences are slight,” she murmured.
“No, they’re massive,” he corrected. “I don’t know whether he has any ability to force people to work for him or not.” At that, she sucked in her breath, as he rushed to continue. “I’m not saying that’s what he’s doing with this young man.”
“No, but you brought it up,” she said, “so obviously it’s something that you’ve thought about. Your mentioning it already means that there is merit to the story.”
“It’s certainly something I’ve thought of,” he admitted. “Hell, at one time I even considered setting up a team myself, though I would do it a hell of a lot better than Najor ever could.”
She had to agree with that. “You would, and I wonder if you haven’t done that because I don’t know anything about what you even do. I didn’t want to know. I just wanted all this to go away.”
“And it did,” he stated. “You haven’t had to deal with any of it, have you?”
“Nope, I sure haven’t,” she murmured. “Was that the ostrich part of me, just sticking my head in the sand and hoping it would go away?”
“Absolutely.”
“I’m not sure it was the right thing to do at that point.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it now,” McClintock said. “It’s already been a long time, and it’s been a process. I’m just letting you know that Najor’s out there, and he’s looking for recruits.”
“He hasn’t contacted me, so either he knows what my answer would be or he hasn’t figured out that I have anything to offer.”
“Or he knows what your answer would be, and he grabbed the young man instead.”
*
Walker couldn’t help himself and snatched his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed Ashley. “What’s wrong?” he snapped.
She hesitated. “You know that’s getting very irritating.”
“I don’t care whether it’s irritating or not. Something’s wrong. Just tell me what it is,” he demanded.
She sighed. “I really don’t like the strong-arm techniques.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Then at least tell me that you’re fine,” he said, with that note of urgency. “I know something just hit you hard.”
She sucked in her breath. “How do you know that?” she whispered.
“I don’t know. I don’t know anything about it,” he muttered. “I can just tell that’s what I felt. So, what’s going on?”
“It was just suggested to me that maybe this young man was kidnapped in order to push me into doing something.”
“By whom?” He put it on Speakerphone so Calum could hear. “Who would do something like that?”
“Somebody I used to work for in the government. We didn’t get along very well, and I’d already erased him from my mind. He’s apparently gone into business for himself and is recruiting a team, but McClintock is wondering if maybe he grabbed the young man as a way to pressure me into working for him.”
“What would your answer be?”
“My answer would be no,” she stated, “but, to save the young man, well, maybe …”
“Would he kill Frank to prove his point?”
“Yes, but he doesn’t have … I don’t even know how to explain what this guy is like. Think about somebody in the military who’s always cutting corners, then runs to the boss and tattles. The guy comes back and gleefully tells you about cutbacks made because of your failures. Then you find out later, he’s the one who made the suggestions, largely because he knew it would make us suffer more.”
She appeared to be trying to reel back some of her anger by taking a deep breath. “That’s the kind of guy he is, and even that didn’t explain it very well.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Calum replied. “We get it. We’ve all met guys like that, the ones who were happy to rise to the top on somebody else’s blood, sweat, and tears. Yet, when it came down to it, they weren’t exactly the kind you wanted to have on your team.”
“No, I would never work with him or for him. The last time I saw him, we had quite an argument, so, if he is involved with Frank, Najor has no love for me. The thing is, he doesn’t have any love for anybody. That’s just the kind of guy he is.”
“So, that answers our question. If he wanted you to do something for him, he would take this young man as his hostage until he got you.”
“Yeah, but why would he wait though? He’s not contacted me. Nobody has,” she shared. “If the young man is suffering, waiting for somebody, for some kind of a rescue …”
