Instinctual (15 page)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Robert waited in anticipation as the officer made the call that would get The Gladiator off the hook.

Gary’s voice could be heard saying, “How did you get this private line?” The rest was a blither of yelling mixed with curses. The officer looked stressed as he tried to calmly talk his way through the conversation. He was, after all, just doing his job. He didn’t know these strangers or what their motives were, so treading with caution was vital, even if it meant being yelled at by another stranger who sounded like he was ready to blow a gasket.

When he hung up, he walked over to Robert with sweat on his brow and motioned towards the front door.

“I’m-a sorry to waste-a your time. You are-a free to go now.”

Finally! They could get this search going again. Robert shook hands with the officer and added, “If you really want to assist you can help us search. Now that we have wasted so much time here, the chances of finding my daughter are dwindling away. Paul Hinchley and I are going to check from the Esplanade across towards the tower and up the hill. You boys can look on the other side of town behind the church if you could.”

Robert hadn’t wanted to get anyone else involved but too much time had already been wasted. His daughter was in mortal danger, he could feel it. There wasn’t much time left. The agony of it was eating him alive. He had to try and stay focused and not lose it totally. If he didn’t think without a doubt that his daughter’s life was hanging in the balance he wouldn’t have traveled on an urgent whim and involved Gary or The Gladiator. He’d had his suspicions about Kate’s boyfriend long before their last phone conversation. The fact that he was away all the time shouldn’t have worried Robert in the least. He should have taken the whole ‘salesman’ act at face value, but when he had feelings about a person he couldn’t shake, he’d learned after years of experience not to ignore them. It wasn’t that he had betrayed Kate by enlisting a watcher for her. He’d been merely keeping an eye on her for his own piece of mind. It was lucky The Gladiator was already in Rome when Robert had called Gary. After pulling some strings he’d had the soldier on a helicopter to Vernazza immediately.

Being a quiet night, even with a number of tourists still remaining in the town, two of the officers decided to join in the search. They each grabbed a flashlight and headed out the door, happy to have something exciting to do to pass the time.

Robert walked out behind them and moved towards The Gladiator. Jake didn’t wait for the door but moved through it as close to Robert as he could be without touching him.

The Gladiator held out his hand to Robert.

“Sir.” He held Robert’s gaze as both men shook hands and nodded at each other.

“You need to tell me everything. I want you to take me to the place you last saw my daughter so we can start our search there. You need to tell me where you have searched and how thorough you’ve been. I want no stone left unturned. We need to think of all possibilities. People don’t just vanish.”

“I understand, sir.” The hulk of a man’s voice rumbled, deeply.

“Lead on.” Robert motioned for The Gladiator to proceed to the last point of contact with his daughter, not wasting another second.

The tension hung in the air like a heavy blanket, following them on the steep hike up the sharp incline. It was Robert’s first trip to Vernazza and under normal circumstances he’d be in awe of the antiquated town, but on this particular night his mind was only focused on one thing. Finding his Katie. If this wild goose chase proved nothing more than a waste of time and money and Kate was fine and well, then he’d be able to relax and play the innocent tourist. Until then, he would stay centered and
on
top of his game. His gut still screamed at him that all was not well in this chaotic assembly of thrown together buildings that was one of Italy’s gems. Seeing the numerous faxes left unread on her machine regarding work had almost confirmed his theory that she was in danger. It was uncharacteristic of Kate to leave work unattended to. She was a workaholic like himself.

As they climbed some uneven concrete steps to another terraced level, Robert’s cell rang. The screen revealed it was Gary. He’d been expecting the call.

“Hi, Gary.”

“Jesus, Rob. What the hell is going on over there? I’ve just had the Italian police calling me to verify who you and our watcher are. Why are the police suddenly involved?”

“I’m sorry, Gary. We’ve had a slight hiccup but it’s all sorted now. Our man was detained for suspicious behavior but he’s been released and we’re on the move.”

“How much did you tell them?”

“I had to tell them why I was here and what our watcher was doing. Two of their men are helping in the search.”

“Fuck, Rob. We weren’t going to have anyone else involved. I don’t like this.”

“I know, but they won’t find out about The Organization’s possible involvement. I didn’t mention anything. I was just a concerned parent, wanting to find my daughter. I’ve sent them on a search over the other side of town. They’ll come up empty, I’m sure. The Gladiator is leading me to where Kate was last seen and it’s nowhere near them.”

Gary let out a loud sigh. “Keep me posted, okay?”

“Will do.” Robert was about to hang up when he quickly added, “Oh, and Gary?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks for the weapons and for getting me to Vernazza as quickly as possible. I appreciate it.”

“I’d only do it for you, Rob, you know that.”

“You’re a good friend, Gary. I’ll keep you up to date and call you straight away if we find her.”

The two men hung up. By that stage Robert was puffing and panting from the exertion of the climb. They came to a dimly lit narrow street where The Gladiator stopped short.

“What is it?”

“This was the last point of contact with your daughter, sir.”

“Here?”

“That’s correct, sir.”

Robert looked around, searching for anything that would solve the riddle in his head. An even smaller gap between the long row of houses was the only way to duck out of view and disappear quickly. Had Kate sensed she was being followed by The Gladiator and escaped down the narrow opening? But why? What was she afraid of? Why run? Why not enter a shop and call the local police? He was hopeful that Carlos hadn’t abducted his daughter if he truly cared for her, but more likely his connection to the Organization had sealed her fate. It made sense.

“I’ve door knocked the whole area and so far the outcome has been negative.” The Gladiator watched as Robert’s lips twitch with restrained anger. “Sir, is it possible your daughter has been visiting a friend?”

Robert shook his head at that notion. “I’ve thought of that, don’t worry. I’ve wondered if pulling you all the way here from Rome to watch Kate because my gut instinct has told me that her not so squeaky-clean boyfriend has been up to no good has all been a waste of time. Now that I know that Carlos is involved with The Organization, my suspicions have been justified. All I wanted for you to do was keep her safe. You were given limited information because I had limited information about Carlos Santini. I’ve been watching the crime syndicate for years. I’ve had a spy giving us inside information. These boys are dangerous. Something has happened to my daughter, I just know it.”

Dismissing the tiny aperture they stood adjacent to, eyeing the water at the end of the ledge, Robert decided they needed to keep looking elsewhere. “Let’s keep moving. We’re nearly at the top of the town. I want it checked first and then we’ll re-assess our search. Figure out what we’re missing.”

They moved upward and onward, turning sharp corners, climbing steps and getting lost in the tangled mess of layered villas.

***

Jake was absorbing as much information as he could garnish from his two allies, already having gleaned firsthand information that only he was privy to from Kate herself. Or more to the point, her ghost. If he’d been asked six months ago if he could imagine being out of his own body, being kept alive by machines, searching for Kate’s body back in Vernazza, the answer would have been, never in a million years. But here he was doing just that. How things had changed. His heart was still bleeding. He was broken into millions of pieces, grieving for a woman that had always existed at the crux of his being.

Tonight though there was no time to dwell on his crushing heartache. There was a body to find. He had to try and focus. To see if he could seek her out even in death.

Little did he know that at the end of the small alley that intersected the buildings they had stopped in front of moments ago, was the stony ledge that had swept Kate over the edge.

Chapter Thirty

Kate was getting antsy. Waiting wasn’t one of her strengths. It had been over two hours since she’d returned to her villa and discovered her father’s arrival. She had expected him to return a while ago. Checking the clock on the living room wall which read 11 p.m., Kate was getting concerned. It wasn’t like her father to be out so late anywhere, let alone in a strange town he’d never been to before. She got up and started pacing, trying to figure out what could have led him here in the first place. He’d traveled fairly light, so it appeared his stay was going to be short. Kate’s mother hadn’t accompanied him so it would seem that he was here on business. Is that why he was out so late? What business would keep him out so soon after his arrival? He hadn’t even had time to unpack.

Still forgetting that she was out of her body, she floated into the kitchen, hoping to find her cell still scattered on the floor where she’d left it. She’d call her father and find out where he was and why he hadn’t waited to see her.

The floor was clean. There was no sign of her cell. She checked the table and benches of the kitchen but it wasn’t anywhere. Had her father found it and picked it up? Maybe he’d seen her cell splayed all over the floor and worried that something had happened to her. Maybe he was out looking for her.

As these thoughts skimmed across her mind, suddenly it hit her. Looking down to see a shimmering glow emanate around her ethereal form, everything came flooding back again. The fall. Lying motionless. Bleeding. She grabbed onto the chair for support and then staggered back out into the living room, sitting on the sofa, her head in her hands.

Her body lay at the foot of some remote cliff on the outskirts of town that would be virtually impossible to find. She was in danger of dying.

“Dad isn’t even going to be able to see me, is he? He’s here and I’m not going to be able to hug him or talk to him. Or maybe he will be able to see me. After all, Jake could. Damn it! Everything is so fucked up at the moment, I don’t know which way is up or down.”

The hopelessness she’d felt previously now took on a whole new level. There might be no happy reunion with her father. Maybe ever. No reminiscing. No joking around like they always did. He’d never be able to send her treats through the mail, like her favorite red licorice or cookie dough that arrived like clockwork every month. She’d never hear him call her Katie Bear or rub his knuckles on the top of her head until her hair stood on end from the static. She’d always hated when he did that but now she craved it more than she did his annoying habit of twitching his right eye when he was angry. He couldn’t help her. It was too late. How could you help someone you couldn’t see?

Things were just so messed up. Crazy messed up. Her fist pounded into the sofa, leaving an indentation as fury surged through her into her hands. Carlos was oblivious to everything that had happened and was un-contactable. Her father, who was now in Vernazza, might not be able to even see her. And Jake! That part of her life was even more screwed up than being a ghost.

She closed her eyes and tried to think. All she could come up with was the feelings Jake’s kiss had left on her mouth. The burn from his touch. The ache where her heart should be. She shouldn’t have kissed him. Her resolve hadn’t been strong enough to resist. It angered her that she had let her guard down. What was even more perplexing was, how had Jake been able to feel her, touch her and kiss her when she was technically not even a person? How? It just wasn’t possible. Was the bond so strong that nothing could ever sever the connection? Did he have her gift? She had to find him.

Chapter Thirty-One

Once outside, Kate tried to focus her energy on finding Jake. If they truly were hot wired to each other, surely he would be easy to pinpoint. Where would he have gone after leaving her apartment? A motel? Was he even still in Vernazza?

There was no time to let herself feel bitterness or anger. There would be time for that after he helped her. She wasn’t done yelling at him. She would make him pay for sealing her own fate. All roads led back to Jake, and whether he meant any of it didn’t matter. It was all his fault.

What they’d shared in her apartment had been a mistake. A weakness. Nothing more than a release of all the pent up emotion that had been plaguing her for days. That’s all it had been. It wouldn’t happen again. She couldn’t let it. No. She was stronger than that. Once she had used him to her advantage she would discard him the same way he had tossed her aside without so much as a sideways glance.

Kate relished the night air, listening beyond the faint talking and noises coming from both inside and outside residents’ homes as Vernazza settled.

Feeling a chill wash over her, knowing it must be around midnight or after, she decided to see if she could utilize her newfound talent to her advantage.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she concentrated as hard as she could on some warmer clothes.

“Let’s see. What would I wear if I had an endless supply of the best clothing on earth?”

A smile came to her face as she focused on a pair of high-end Italian leather pants and fitted jacket with some matching black, chunky heeled, knee-high boots.

A giggle escaped her as she opened her eyes to see herself transformed. The black attire fit perfectly, of course, accentuating her long legs and full breasts. In a silly way she felt more feminine than she ever had. Never in a million years would she dress in full leather to go anywhere. It was so… naughty. She was a jeans and t-shirt kind of woman, normally.

Seconds later she was decked out in light blue 1900’s style full gown with petticoat and corset, spinning around and around, watching the wind catch the dress, causing it to billow out fully.

The possibilities were endless as she changed into a cowgirl and can-can dancer before finally settling on the original leather outfit.

Much more appropriate for Italy, she thought, before realizing that it really didn’t matter because no one could see her anyway. No one except Jake.

“Well, it’s time to start playing a little dirty, Jake Alexander,” Kate muttered out loud. “Let’s see your face when you see me in this!”

She already knew what his reaction would be and it ignited tiny sparks of fire in her soul. She wanted to make him beg and grovel for forgiveness. She wanted to feel and see his desire for her, knowing that it was too late now. He’d had his chance and let it go. Too bad. So sad.

Pulling her thick hair from under the leather collar, she let it cascade down her back and over her shoulders. She shook it freely, letting some tendrils fall over her face wildly before levitating across town to a place she knew would bring them together.