Arc Angel (28 page)

She slid inside and shut the door.

Do you know what you’re doing?

THE VEHICLE IS ELECTRIC. I CAN CONTROL IT.

She touched the ignition, her hand shaped as if she had a key, and carefully pulsed energy down the ignition column to the main computer. In an instant, the engine turned over and began its steady hum.

We need to go to Dr. Harris’s clinic. I’m not sure how to get there from here…

I REMEMBER. WE WILL BE SAFE THERE?

Once again, Miranda was nonplussed at being asked a question.

I suppose we will be, yeah.

Her mild reassurance seemed to be sufficient since she sat up straight, pulled on her seatbelt and pulled out into traffic, her eyes cold and focused.

Chapter 20

“You’re sure you don’t want me to come up with you?”

“I’m sure, Matthews. I can go and see the doctor on my own,” Bryce snarked from the back of the car as it sat in the clinic’s back parking lot.

Matthews twisted in his seat to face Bryce.

“I’m not offering to hold your hand while you get your shot like a big boy. I’m worried about someone getting to you when you’re in the building. Not a lot of great exit strategies for this building.”

Bryce looked out the window so he wouldn’t have to meet the older man’s eyes. Hadn’t he made a resolution with Miranda to try to stop pushing people away? Easier than it seemed, apparently.

“Sorry, Matthews. Of course that’s what you meant. Do you really think something might happen? You said you didn’t think anyone followed us.”

“I’m sure we weren’t followed. Still, this Mr. Brown character knows an awful lot about Miss Miranda, which may mean he knows about this place. I’d just feel better going in there with you.”

“After three years of being my dietician and nursemaid, it’s kind of fun being my bodyguard, isn’t it?” Bryce asked with a smile.

“I don’t like that you’re in danger, sir,” Matthews huffed, turning back to face the front window. “But yeah, it is.”

Bryce chuckled.

“Alright, Matthews. You can come in with me and check the perimeter or whatever it is you want to do. But then I think you should come back down here and wait for Miranda. She should be here in the next 10 minutes or so.”

“Agreed.”

Both men climbed out of the car and headed toward the entrance. Matthews knew Bryce well enough not to offer him his arm, but Bryce knew Matthews well enough to know the older man wanted to. Instead, the older man kept a constant watch on their surroundings, as if expecting soldiers in camo to appear at any minute. They reached the door without incident.

“I told Dan to be sure to activate the full security system today, so we’ll need to enter the code he gave me.”

“Good thinking, sir. And Miss Miranda?”

“I’ll show you the code so you can pass it on to her, but something tells me that won’t be necessary. Miranda’s quite good with security systems.”

Matthews grunted in acknowledgment of both the truth and the humor of the statement.

Bryce punched the code into the keypad slowly enough for Matthews to see the numbers being entered, and, after a second, the door buzzed and unlocked. Matthews pushed open the door, ushered Bryce in, and then made sure it closed and latched behind them. They crossed the small lobby and got on the elevator.

They started the ride in silence, until the nervousness that Bryce had been suppressing since Dan had called a few hours ago floated up to the surface and words began to pour out of him.

“This could be it, you know,” he said. “Dan could have found a way to have Miranda fix my heart. Maybe she’ll do it today. In a few short hours, I could be… healed.”

His emotions fluctuated like he was on a motorized teeter totter: one minute flying high with the hope of a cure, the next slamming down toward the ground as he considered how unlikely the odds were.

“Yes, sir. And then I’ll be unemployed.”

Matthews had spoken in his usual dry tones, so it took Bryce a minute to realize that the man was joking.

Before he could formulate a response, the elevator chimed its arrival, and the doors slid open. Matthews gestured for Bryce to stay back and let him go out first.

The older man peered out of the elevator before he stepped off and motioned for Bryce to follow.

“It’s clear, but stay behind me, just in case.”

Bryce wanted to roll his eyes and dash out ahead. Miranda was the one in danger, not him. Still, he’d learned years ago that listening to Matthews was almost always the best choice, whether regarding his health, his relationships or simply what fruit was in season.

The two men crept down the hallway to Harris’ office. Bryce kept his eyes and ears as wide open as possible, but didn’t notice anything unusual.

When they got to Dan’s door, Matthews pulled the same routine he had with the elevator. When he seemed satisfied that the coast was clear, he waved Bryce in.

Dan Harris appeared from the back room.

“I thought I heard you guys. Where’s Miranda?”

“On her way. Matthews is going to go wait for her down in the parking lot, when he’s done playing bodyguard for me…”

Matthews’ bushy eyebrows pulled down even lower as he glowered at Bryce.

“Everything looks clear here, sir. Call down to me when you and Miss Miranda are ready to go, so I can verify that it’s safe to do so.”

Bryce gave a mock salute.

“Sir, yes sir!”

Matthews just frowned again and headed toward the door. As he reached for the door handle, Bryce called out: “Matthews, one more thing.”

Matthews turned back to look at him.

“Sir?”

“Thanks.”

Matthews returned Bryce’s salute, though this one seemed real, and then headed back down to wait for Miranda.

“He’s a good man,” said Dan.

“Yeah, he really is,” agreed Bryce.

Dan perched on the arm of one of the waiting room chairs.

“I assume we’re waiting for Miranda?”

Bryce nodded. He wanted nothing more than to shake the doctor until the test results came spilling out, but he knew that wasn’t an option. So instead he sat on a chair opposite Harris and tried not to study the man’s face for clues. Dan’s face displayed its usual cheerful countenance, but Bryce didn’t know whether that meant the doctor was trying to hide something or that he truly was feeling good. Dan always looked happy and friendly; the man’s face couldn’t tell him anything. Bryce tried not to scowl in reaction.

“Should we small talk or anything?” Dan asked, not quite meeting Bryce’s eyes.

“No.”

So the men sat in silence, the only sound in the office the soft hum of the overhead lights and the occasional murmur of the heating system sighing off or on.

***

The drive to the clinic sped by for Miranda as the car traveled smoothly through traffic, never hesitating in its path.

As the clinic came into view, Miranda spotted Bryce’s car in the small parking lot.

We should park on the side of the building.

It was the first time Miranda had “talked” since they’d started driving.

Arc Angel didn’t respond, but did as Miranda suggested, pulling over on the street that edged the clinic’s west side. She unhooked the seatbelt and started to push open the car door.

Hang on a second!

She paused and let the door swing shut.

I don’t mean to sound ungrateful or anything, since you did get us out of there in one piece, but we’re safe now, so I really think it’s time for you to, you know, let me take over again.

For a few seconds there was only silence in her head. Maybe Arc Angel had seen reason and disappeared on her own this time.

Doubtful.

WHY?

Why? Why do I want you to go? Because it’s my body!

THAT IS INCONSEQUENTIAL.

Miranda was taken aback. And then very pissed off.

Inconsequential? I think it’s very consequential. And I want you gone, now.

She didn’t wait for a response this time. Instead, she threw herself forward at full speed, hoping she could take Arc Angel by surprise. It seemed to work, and she felt the two of them switching places. Glee filled Miranda as she filled her body.

Yes! I win!

But as Arc Angel faded back into the darkness, Miranda thought she heard the words “FOR NOW.”

***

When Miranda pushed open the office’s glass door a few minutes later, Bryce leapt to his feet as if zapped by a cattle prod. Dan was only seconds behind him, and both of them strode toward Miranda, voices overlapping.

“Miranda! Welcome. So glad you could join us.”

“Did you have any trouble on the way over?”

“Hi, Dr. Harris. Define trouble, Bryce.”

“So something did happen.” Dammit. It had been his idea to have her meet the detective. If anything had happened to her because of it…

Miranda took Bryce’s arm and led him back to the plush chair he’d just exited, sitting him down and curling up in the chair next to him. She tried to pull her arm away when they were settled, but Bryce caught her hand and kept it in his.

“First of all, I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Take deep breaths.”

“I’m
fine
too, dammit. Stop stalling.” He squeezed her hand to take the sting out of his words.

“Someone knew about the meeting. Kate and I were attacked in the diner. But we’re
fine
.”

“I swear to god, if you say ‘fine’ one more time…” Jesus, they’d been “attacked.”

Miranda hurried on. “We were able to stop the guys. Kate called in to have them arrested and told me to get out of there.”

“How did they…”

“We think it must have been Kate’s phone. She’s going to get rid of it and get a new, secure one. She’ll contact me later.”

“So she’s not going to arrest you?”

“No.”

Thank god for small favors.

Bryce threw himself into action mode.

“Okay, we’ve got to make sure we cover our tracks. I’ll call the cab company to let them know the driver can go back. We’ve got to get him away from here, in case they can track it that way. And maybe I’ll suggest that he go on a short vacation, just in case…”

Miranda shook her head.

“What?”

“He’s not here. After the scene in the diner, I didn’t want to risk them tracking us through the company, and I didn’t want to risk another innocent bystander getting hurt. So I didn’t take the cab.”

“You ran all the way here?”

“We took a car.”

“You took a…”

“A car. We’ll have to return it later. I feel bad.”

Bryce sat back, trying to process everything that Miranda had said, and not said. He’d suspected that Arc Angel had played a role in the scene at the diner, but now he knew she’d been involved in more than that. She’d helped Miranda hotwire and steal a car, and drive it across town. While he couldn’t read the woman sitting next to him well enough yet to say with complete certainty that she was not okay, it certainly didn’t look as though she’d made it through the recent encounter as unscathed as she’d tried to pretend. Her hand had a slight tremor, and her eyes were dull and exhausted. He decided to keep things light. She’d tell him more when she was ready.

“What did Matthews say about that?”

“About what?”

“About you showing up in some random car?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see him. I parked down the block and came in the back way.”

“I told him you were good with security.”

That brought out a little smile on her lips, warming him before it slipped away, leaving her expression as bleak as before.

To hell with waiting for her. He cupped her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him.

“Miranda, I know something happened to you. You need to tell me. Let me help you.”

“I talked to her. With her.”

“With Arc Angel?” Even knowing what Miranda had told him about how it felt to have Arc Angel inside her, Bryce struggled to process this new information.

“I tried to work with her, to ask her specifically for help, instead of simply letting her take over and going along for the ride.” Miranda’s voice quavered.

“And? How did it go?” Obviously not well, or Miranda wouldn’t look like she wanted to cry.

“She… she’s very strong. I had a hard time convincing her to come here.”

“But you did it,” Bryce said, stroking her cheek.

“I did, but… oh Bryce, she made it so difficult to come back. She fought me, actively fought me, when I tried to push my way back in. I didn’t know if I would ever get back.”

Bryce wrapped his arms around her and held her close, stroking her hair and murmuring indistinct words of calm and comfort. Inside, anger and fear fought to come to the surface. Yet another threat to Miranda had appeared, and he could do even less to help her with it than he could with any of the other threats. All the charm, money and resources in the world couldn’t help fight something that existed solely within her body. He cursed the day he’d “created” Arc Angel. The bitch was truly getting on his nerves.

“I hate to interrupt, but are we going to be talking about the test results any time soon, or should I go work on some paperwork or something? Give you two some privacy?”

Miranda and Bryce pulled apart, startled. They’d forgotten all about the doctor’s presence.

“Sorry about that,” Bryce said, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “Things have been a bit… crazy.”

“I only understood about every other sentence there, but I definitely got that sense. And I was just giving you a hard time; I’m happy to give you as much time as you need. Miranda looks like she could use a few minutes to relax.”

God, he’d been so wrapped up in anticipation, he’d completely forgotten about Miranda’s physical reaction to the “possession.” He looked down at her, trying to determine if the dark circles under her eyes had gotten worse since that morning.

“Do you need more time, Miranda? You know becoming Arc Angel always wipes you out. Do you want to rest before we talk to Dan? I’m sure you could lie down for awhile in one of the exam rooms.” If she decided to go lie down he may as well lie down on a bed of nails; the waiting had become that excruciating. But he’d wait another year if he had to. Miranda’s health needed to be the top priority.