Arryn: Mystic Protectors Series (14 page)

“Will he get up again?” She looked at the man that she had thought was dead, then at the winged man. “He won’t get up, will he?”

The officer that was suddenly there told her no, he was dead. He put his hand over hers and told her that he had her. Nodding, Jenny watched him pry her fingers off the gun like it was being done to someone else. When he had it free, he asked her to back away.

“He said that he got up this morning and wanted to kill somebody.” She looked around at the bodies. “I think he did it.”

The bubble of laughter had her putting her hand over her mouth. It was then that she noticed that she was covered in blood. As she started for the kitchen to wash up, the officer told her not to move.

“I have to wash my hands. Jimmy, the cook, will be really upset with me when he sees what a mess I am.” Jenny knew that she was babbling, but her head didn’t seem to want to work with her mouth. And there was so much pain in her leg that she thought that she’d pulled something again. “I just want to wash up, and then I’ll need to get the mop.”

“You’ll need to see a doctor first.” She asked him why. “You’ve been shot, love. Did he do that to you? Is that why you shot him?”

“I shot him? I don’t think so. I don’t know how to use a gun. But if I did, I think I’d shoot him because he was going to kill me and nothing else. He said that he’d make it quick if I gave him his gun back. But to be honest with you, as sucky as my life has been up until now, dying quick or slow had never occurred to me.” Feeling slightly dizzy, she asked if she could have a seat. As she made her way to the stool several more cops came into the room. “Have a seat, I’ll be with you in a minute.”

She was still giggling when she was led out of the diner. It was colder than she’d thought it was, and she said that to the man who was helping her walk. He only looked at her oddly, then said it was winter.

“I know that. But when I was working, the door opened and….” Something was right there for her to touch on, but she shied away from it. “What happened to me?”

“What do you remember?” She said that it was cold and that the door opened. “Nothing else? Do you remember the man with the gun?”

“Gun? No. You have one.” He nodded, but just watched her like she was going to grab it and start kill— “I think something happened. I can almost see it, but I don’t…I don’t think I want to.”

“You’re in shock.” Jenny didn’t say anything because her mind was playing tricks on her. The man with the wings told her that he’d be there with her for a little while longer. But he told her to not talk about him. The officer asked her what her name was.

“Jennifer Hale, but everyone calls me Jenny. I need to lay down, please. I feel kind of sick.” Almost as soon as she said it, her belly began to rumble. Someone helped her to lay down, but she sat up before she tossed her cookies. As she tried breathing through it, not puking all over the place, the man with her started to work on her leg.

“What’s happened to me?” He asked her if she was allergic to anything. “I don’t think so. I can’t afford anything so I never use stuff. Maybe some aspirin when I can get it from work, but nothing else. You never told me what happened to….” She felt light, and her body seemed to be crumbing down on itself. As the man with her shot something into her arm, she tried her best to ask him what he was doing. Then there was nothing else.

When Jenny woke again she was in a hospital room. There were people in the room with her; one she knew, the rest she had no idea. The nurse that had been taking her blood pressure asked her how she was feeling, and she told her fine and asked why she was there.

“You’re in the hospital. Just out of surgery, as a matter of fact. They removed the bullet from your leg and had to do some repair work too. The doctor will be in soon to talk to you.” Jenny didn’t say anything but asked when she could go home. “Not for a while yet. I’d say about a week. You have to stay off your leg to make sure it heals.”

“I can’t be off work for that long. Jimmy will fire me.” The nurse nodded and moved away. A man that she didn’t know came to stand in front of her, and she thought he looked familiar. Jenny tried to toss the covers off her to get up when she realized how tired she was.

“Miss Hale? My name is Benny Anderson. I’m with the homicide department downtown.” She asked him if someone she knew had died. “They told me that you were a little out of it. Did you hit your head when he shot you?”

“I wasn’t shot.” Mr. Anderson said nothing but pulled a chair to the side of her bed. “I need to go home. I’m not sure what happened, but I have to go to work. There was…I think there was a mess to clean up. Did I drop a tray?”

“No, ma’am. A man by the name of Edward Goodman came into the restaurant yesterday morning. Do you remember that?” Jenny told him that she didn’t know anyone by that name. “He came in around noon when the diner was full of people. You were behind the counter.”

“I work the counter. I’m good at it.” He nodded and smiled at her. “What are you trying really hard not to tell me? I feel like I’m in some sort of movie where there is a mystery but no one knows what it is.”

“Mr. Goodman came in to the diner about ten after twelve. He had three hand guns and enough extra ammo to shoot several hundred people. When he came through the door, he shot a woman sitting at the counter, and you screamed and ducked below the camera angles. There were cameras all over the diner, did you know that? Anyway, Jimmy—I’m assuming that’s the cook—he called it in, screaming at us that someone had come in shooting the place up to rob you and that everyone was dead. The dispatcher heard the shots then as the phone laid there on the floor; she heard his conversation with you before you killed him.” Jenny shook her head. None of this was real. “He shot you in the leg when you wouldn’t get up quick enough. Then when he jerked you toward him, you grabbed the gun. The first time you fired at him was a fluke, I think. You seemed as surprised as he was that it went off. As the first officers arrived on scene, they witnessed you—”

“No. Stop.” Her head was spinning and she put her hands over her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t shoot anyone. I was working. Today, I was serving breakfast and that’s all.”

“There were nine people still alive in the restaurant when you killed him. Had you not shot him, we’re sure that he would have killed them as well as you before we arrived.” Bits of it were coming back to her. Not all, but enough that she knew some of what he was saying was right.

“I’d like to go home please. Can I please go home? Now?” He shook his head and handed her a photo. Jenny turned away from it when she saw the face. “I don’t know him. I can…I don’t want to remember. All right? I just want to forget.”

“I’m sorry, but I need you to remember what happened. I don’t want people thinking you were a part of what he did.” She asked him who would think that. “Anyone that would think that suing you would get them a big payday.”

“Payday? I can’t even afford my cell phone to keep it working. I don’t have a car, no money in the bank. Every penny I have goes to a credit card company that I never heard of, paying a debt that I didn’t incur, and to rent. I only have food in my belly because I get two free meals a day when I work a double, and my tips are split between me and five other waitresses that rarely show up to work but on payday.” He told her he was sorry. “I can’t afford this. I can’t be here, I can’t help you, and I certainly don’t have any money for this so called payday. I’d very much like to go home.”

“If I have to arrest you to get what I want, then I will, but in the meantime, you’re going to be here. Do you want me to put a guard outside this room? Or do I need to handcuff you to the bed?” Jenny laid back on the bed. Somewhere in her head she knew that he was treating her wrong, but she was just too tired at the moment to fight with him. Closing her eyes, Jenny heard him telling someone to set a guard on her, and that he was arresting her on suspicion of something. Jenny felt someone touch her hand and looked at the winged man again.

“I’ll take care of you.” She nodded. “Close your eyes, love. In a little while, you’ll understand what I’ve done for you.”

“I want to go home.” He nodded. “You’re real, aren’t you? I mean, you’re really here talking to me.”

“I am. And soon you’ll be with friends. And with a man that will love you above all others.” She told him that wasn’t going to happen and she thought that he laughed. Her eyes felt heavy and she let them close as something hard and cold was put on her wrist.

About the Author

Kathi Barton, author of the bestselling series Force of Nature, lives in Nashport, Ohio with her husband Paul. In addition to writing full time Kathi likes to spend time with her eight grandkids, three children and three children-in-laws. She writes to relax and have fun.

Her muse, a cross between Jimmy Stewart and Hugh Jackman brings them to life for her readers in a way that has them coming back time and again for more. Her favorite genre is paranormal romance with a great deal of spice. You can visit Kathi on line and drop her an email if you’d like. She loves hearing from her fans.
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