Dead Girl Dancing (17 page)

An exact location is required.

“He’s staying in a beach house with his friend Alonzo. I don’t know the address.”

Find out.

“How am I supposed to do that?” I retorted. “I’m just a rookie Temp Lifer who messed up my first real assignment. What do you expect from me? A miracle?”

A three-letter word flashed across the page—large, bold, and demanding.

YES.

Then, without my even touching the book, it slammed itself shut.

“Why’d you close it already?” Eli asked, peering over my shoulder. “We haven’t asked for advice on how to help my sister.”

“The book has ideas of its own,” I said, a little annoyed at being ordered around by a bunch of paper. “But I’ll ask it about your sister afterwards.”

He furrowed his brow. “After what?”

“After we go to the beach.” I tucked the GEM into my pocket. Grammy and Cola may have warned me not to get involved, but as a Temp Lifer, I had to obey the GEM.

“Why the beach?” Eli asked, following me to the door.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Apparently I’m still on the job.”

Spring Break: Day Two.

Traffic insanity, pedestrians swarming the sidewalks, surfers in black wetsuits and rainbows of bikinis everywhere. And the action at the beach was even crazier. Finding a Dark Lifer was like trying to spot a minnow in the deep sea.

Unfortunately, I lacked Cola’s sniffing talent.

“What does this dude look like?” Eli asked, because of course he’d insisted on coming with me even though I’d warned him that it could be dangerous. And I wasn’t just referring to the Dark Lifer, I thought privately as I stared at hot, tanned girls showing lots of skin and curves. Eli was only in high school and too trusting. I’d have to stay close to protect him from any bikini-clad predators.

“Warren is blond, with big muscles and an ever bigger ego,” I explained. “He wears leather gloves.”

“Gloves? Weird.”

“Exactly.” I nodded. “I think he’s hiding gray fingernails and glowing hands.”

“It’ll still be hard to find him with so many people hanging out on the beach.”

“He and Alonzo will probably be hanging with Sadie and Mauve. Sadie is petite with long black braids and Mauve has bright pink hair so she should be easy to—there she is!”

“Mauve!” I called, running toward the beacon-pink hair.

She was sitting on a beach towel, smoothing sunscreen over her skin while staring off at a volleyball game where all the players were (a) male (b) bronzed (c) beach-a-liciously hot.

“Hey, Rayah,” Mauve said lazily as she closed the lid on the sunscreen. “Guess you survived the crappo condo—or did you find somewhere else to stay?” Her gaze drifted to Eli.

Catching her drift, I firmly shook my head. “No!”

“No reason to get all defensive.” She giggled. “So what if he’s a little young? He’s kind of cute and—”

“—my brother.”

“Oh … well, that explains why he looks so familiar.” She lay down on her stomach, grinning up at us. “He’s grown up a lot since the family portrait. So are you going to introduce us?”

“Mauve, this is Eli.”

Eli nodded, blushing as if suddenly shy with an older, pretty girl. “Nice to meet you,” he murmured.

“Cute and polite, obviously you’re nothing like your sister.” Mauve smirked knowingly. “So what brings you here, Eli? Did your parents send you to spy on Rayah?”

“I came down to visit some friends.” Eli’s gaze drifted to Mauve’s hands as she worked the suntan lotion deeper into her thighs. He was a guy, after all, so I couldn’t blame him for noticing. Mauve wasn’t exactly a prim-and-proper girl next door; she was closer to a girl-going-for-anything-wild.

This was getting us nowhere and wasting time.

“Mauve, have you seen Warren?” I folded my arms across my chest, impatient to get moving.

“You just missed him. He went with Sadie and Alonzo to watch the sand-sculpture contest. They wanted me to go, but I’m working on my tan. The contest is over that way.” She gestured far down the beach, where the dark mass of a crowd gathered near the shore.

Without giving Mauve a chance to ask any questions, I tugged on Eli’s hand and headed off down the beach. I heard his sneakers slapping the sand so knew he was following. The sun was brighter today, with fewer clouds and no wind so the air seemed thick and muggy. Sweat dripped down my forehead and underarms as I hurried forward.

“What’s the plan?” Eli asked, falling into step beside me.

“I find Warren and then pass on his location through the GEM, which is right here in my jeans pocket.” The jeans were heavy and warm but the pockets came in handy and gave me the freedom not to carry a purse. “I just hope the DD Team responds quickly so that once I find Warren, he can’t get away.”

“Be careful around him,” Eli cautioned.

“I will.” I thought of the tomb-like bicycle warehouse, shuddering.

Glancing over at Eli, I considered telling him more about my scary encounter with Warren. But I had a feeling he might go all macho and do something stupid if he knew everything. And I had a guilty reluctance to say anything about Dyce. Eli might get the wrong idea about that, too.

It wasn’t like we could talk much anyway, since the sound of shouts and conversation were getting louder as we neared the crowd surrounding the sand-sculpture contest. There were large, sectioned-off areas with groups working together—and fast—to shape damp sand into museum-worthy creations. By tomorrow the sand sculptures would wash away, as if their lives were temporary, too.

Passing a group of little boys making a sand pirate ship, I heard music nearby and followed the sound to a group of spring breakers dancing on the beach. I saw Alonzo first, sitting on the sand and gazing out at the ocean. He looked up with a start when I interrupted his meditation, then pointed toward the impromptu dance floor. In the midst of the gyrating bodies, Sadie and Warren bumped and swayed with such abandon that I suspected they’d started drinking early, or had never stopped and were continuing from last night.

It was creepy being near Warren again, and even creepier seeing his dragon gloves. Didn’t he ever take them off? He had to realize he would stand out with such a peculiar style.

“Is that him?” Eli shouted close to my ear.

I nodded, pushing back nervous fear that made me want to run in the opposite direction. But I was too close to helping the DD Team capture Warren to quit now. I may not have the time to solve Sharayah’s problem, but I could do this and make my grandmother proud.

But Sadie’s proximity to Warren was a problem. I had to get her out of the way before I contacted the DD Team.

“Sadie!” I called, but I could hardly hear myself over the rush of noise. She didn’t even turn my way.

“I’m going to get her,” I told Eli.

“No!” he shouted, loud enough for me to hear.

“But he might hurt her.”

“Or you,” Eli said. “I’ll go get her.”

“Wait. I know what to do,” I said, although I wasn’t sure he could hear me.

I shook my head and pointed to Sadie. Her braids were swinging like black ropes as she rocked to the rousing beat, slapping into anyone unlucky enough to be within her range. Even Warren kept his distance, swaying his shoulders but keeping his tell-tale gloves close to his side.

Cola had warned me to stay away from Dark Lifers. Grammy wouldn’t be happy if I got too close to Warren, either. Okay, I’d play by the rules.

So I reached into my pocket and pulled out the GEM.

Despite the noise of ocean and music, when I opened the book and said I’d found the Dark Lifer, an excited rush of words streamed across the page.

Great work! DDT is on the way.

I’d hardly read the message before there was a startling flash.

Right in front of me, three people appeared: two men in business suits and a woman in a dignified, navy-blue skirt with a button-down white blouse. Surrounded by bikinis and casual jeans, they looked completely out of place. But only a few people seemed to notice them.

The woman bent close to me but didn’t ask me any questions. She pointed to the GEM and then at me, her look focused with an intensity that made me a little dizzy.

Then the trio advanced on Warren, slim silver whips draped over their arms.

He was just bending his knees to boogie down to the sand when the DD Team surrounded him. Sadie kept dancing, waving her hands as she twirled. But Warren stopped dancing, jumping back like he’d been clawed by a sand crab. When the DD Team closed in on him, panic crossed his face.

But before they could lasso him with their silver ropes and take him back to the other side, Warren let out a scream and pushed past them.

Then he took off, running for his life … his Dark Life.

“Warren! Come back!” Sadie cried, staring after him with dismay.

With the danger gone, I rushed over to her side and wrapped my arms around her. “Sadie! I’m so glad he didn’t hurt you.”

“Are you insane?” She pushed me away angrily. “Warren would never hurt me.”

“Thank God he didn’t get the chance!” I stared off down the beach where the running figures grew smaller, smaller … until they were only a smudge on the horizon. There was a glint of silver that could have been one of the ropes, and then nothing.

All four had vanished.

Sadie adjusted a shoulder strap of her bikini and wrapped a towel around her waist, covering the shiny red jewel in her belly piercing. With her hands on her hips, she glared at me. “What the hell is going on? And who are you?” She jabbed a finger at Eli.

“My brother. He just arrived.”

“So ruining my life runs in your family.” Sadie turned from us, staring off down the beach anxiously. “Is Warren going to come back? And who were those suits chasing him?”

“I really don’t know.”

“What do you know?” she demanded.

“Only that Warren was bad news,” I said, raising my voice to be heard over the music. “I’ll tell you what I know, but not here where I can hardly hear my own thoughts.”

She nodded, complaining all the way from the beach to a shady area with benches. “This so sucks. Just when things are working out with Warren, these people show up and ruin everything. Warren was going to take me out tonight to a romantic, private resort.”

“You wouldn’t have liked it,” I told her ominously.

“Says who? You’re just jealous because I got Warren and you’re hanging out with your little brother.” Her words were sharp, but her lower lip quivered as we sat down on the cement bench farthest away from the jogging path. “Why did Warren run?”

Eli raised his brows at me as if to say,
What are you going to tell her?
I answered with a small head shake:
As if I know!
I ran all kinds of answers through my mind, but each one sounded more and more ridiculous. While I was racking my brain, Sadie’s eyes welled up like she was going to cry … but not because she was worried about Warren. She was worried all right—for herself. And I had a good idea why.

“Sadie, this might be hard to believe,” I said carefully, placing my hand on her arm. “Those people after Warren were undercover cops.”

“You’re right—I don’t believe it.”

“It’s true,” Eli added.

She turned on him, glaring. “How do you know?”

“They showed us their badges when they questioned us.” Eli sounded so convincing I almost believed him.

“You were questioned and didn’t tell me?” Sadie exclaimed with an accusing look at me.

“Sworn to secrecy,” I said gravely.

“Oh. My. God! This is ridiculous! Why are they after Warren?” She clutched her hands around her bead-fringed designer handbag. “What did he do?”

“Identity theft,” Eli said.

“Shoplifting,” I said at the same time.

“Which one?” Sadie demanded.

“Both,” I replied before Eli could say something completely different.

“So everything he’s told me … is a lie?” Sadie rubbed her reddening eyes. “Is his name even Warren?”

“Doubtful. He’s had lots of names,” I improvised. “Mark, Bradley and Alejandro were some I remember the police mentioning. That’s why I warned you to stay away from him.”

“But stealing isn’t that big of a deal,” Sadie insisted. “Everyone’s done it at least once.”

“Not everyone,” Eli said.

Sadie put her hands on her hips and faced Eli skeptically. “Like you’ve never stolen anything?”

Eli shook his head. “Never.”

“Not even from your parents? Not candy, money or a car?”

“Well … ” His shoulders sagged a little. “I’ve borrowed a car without asking a few times.”

“Borrowing is just another word for stealing. So don’t come off like you’re better than Warren because he’s made some mistakes. It’s not fair how they chased him like some animal. What can they prove, anyway?”

“They’ve had him under surveillance since he used a stolen ATM card yesterday,” I lied.

“Yesterday?” Sadie’s mouth dropped open. “But I’ve been with Warren … do you think they’ve been watching me, too?”

“Sure, but all you’ve done is hang out at the beach and the shops, so there’s nothing to worry about. Right, Sadie?”

“Right,” she said too quickly, gnawing on her pink-frosted thumb nail. She shifted her handbag to her shoulder and glanced down at the neon watch on her wrist. “I just remembered something I need to do.”

“Shopping?” I guessed.

“No!” She shook her head, looking sick enough to vomit. “I may never shop again.”

Eli tilted his head curiously when Sadie raced off like she was being chased by the DD Team. “What’s with her?” he asked.

But I just shrugged and said I didn’t know. Even though I wasn’t really Sadie’s friend, I felt loyal to her. And I had optimistic hopes that Sadie’s conscience (or fear of tacky orange jail jumpsuits) would cause her to return stuff she stole and give up stealing forever. A book I’d read called
The Infernal Optimist
advised to always expect the best of people because they might surprise you by living up to your expectations.

We gazed back toward the ocean. The dancing had spread from the center of the beach all the way to the foaming shoreline, where barefoot spring breakers splashed and kicked up sand with the rise and fall of the surf. Due to the addition of a DJ and sound system, sound waves rivaled ocean waves, rocking powerfully enough to topple the sand sculptures. The people who weren’t dancing were watching the dancing; no one seemed aware of the drama that had just taken place.

Except Eli and me.

We walked down to a rocky outcrop, where surf swirled into tide pools and tiny crabs scurried into sandy holes and dark crevices. We climbed across rocks until the music was muffled to a faraway buzz, drowned out by the rhythmic crashing waves and sea gulls shrieking as they wheeled and dived. Sitting down on a sandy patch of peacefulness tucked between rocks, we were both silent, wrapped in our own thoughts. I wondered what Eli was thinking; perhaps he was wondering the same thing about me. We’d been so focused on other-side problems that there hadn’t been any time for us. Now that we did have time, there was an awkward silence.

“Well … ” Eli finally said, glancing at me expectantly. “Now what happens?”

“I’m not sure. I could be switched back any minute.”

He nodded, looking disappointed. I felt disappointed, too. Here I was with the guy I maybe-loved, relaxing by the ocean with salty crisp breezes and blue-gray sea curving into a forever horizon. We even had background music to add to the romantic ambience. And except for the “can’t kiss because he’s my brother” thing, this was the perfect romantic moment.

But any minute Grammy would whisk my soul away with no warning. Then good-bye beach and spring break. Zap! Back into a hospital bed and my own body.

But shouldn’t I have a choice about when and where my soul traveled?

Admittedly, I’d made some mistakes as a Temp Lifer, but I’d tried hard. I’d even helped take down a Dark Lifer. If I could take out a Dark Lifer (or at least point to where he was), why shouldn’t I be allowed to finish my assignment?

Not being the type of girl to stand by when I could be taking action, I came to a drastic decision.

Eli was staring at gyrating bodies on the beach when I tapped his shoulder. I gestured that I was going to get something to drink from a nearby snack cart. “I’ll be right back,” I said.

“I’ll wait here,” he promised, then returned to watching the dancing.

I bought a drink (non-alcoholic, thank you very much) from the snack cart. Sipping water, I glanced around to make sure no one was watching. Then I withdrew the GEM from my pocket.

I bent down low, opening it to the first page, and whispered, “GEM, can you get a message to Grammy Greta?”

A bold
YES
flourished across the page.

“I thought so. Please tell her that we need to talk.”

You Are Doing So Now.

As I stared at the book, the page burst into video of Grammy’s gentle, smiling face. Instead of words flashing, I felt a pressure in my ears as if someone had stuck in an ear bud, and I clearly heard Grammy.

“Hi, honey.” It was mind-boggling how I could read her lips on the GEM page at the same time she broadcast into my ears.

“Grammy! It’s so good to hear you!” I whispered, tears coming to my eyes because, no matter how many times I’d seen her since her death, she was dead and I missed her.

“I heard you spotted the Dark Lifer. Great work,” she said proudly.

“You really mean that? Even after I messed up by losing the GEM and having no clue how to act like Sharayah?”

“You’ve done fine and I’m the one who owes you an apology for putting you in such a challenging situation without any training. I admit to acting on impulse when I discovered you knew Sharayah’s brother. At the time, this seemed like a simple assignment, but I didn’t know about the Dark Lifer. I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t be. This has been a great assignment, and except for the scary stuff, it’s been fun. I figured out a lot of things about Sharayah and even got my GEM back—Eli drove four hundred miles to bring it to me. I think you’d really like him, Grammy.”

“I already do,” she said with a knowing lift of her brows. “He’s a very nice boy—and I have it on good authority that you’ll be seeing a lot of him.”

“You do?” I felt my cheeks get sizzling hot.

“Some future events are written in the Hall of Records and I’ve been known to sneak a peak when it concerns people I love. So I know you have many wonderful things ahead of you once you’re in your right body—which is what brings me here. You have good timing, contacting me just as I was preparing to contact you.”

“You were?” I gulped, tempted to slam the book shut and run away.

“It’s time, Amber. Your parents will be so happy when you wake up.”

I thought of Mom and Dad and what I’d already put them through. It was selfish of me to resist going back, yet that’s what I felt inside. Maybe my resistance was a leftover from Sharayah’s soul, some sort of defense system holding tightly to me like someone drowning grabs onto a life jacket. I was Sharayah’s life jacket.