Red-Line: The Shift (Volume One) (20 page)

That comment rewarded Ramsey with another malevolent look from Z as X put his hand on Z’s arm.

“So where’s Y?” asked Declan again. “Didn’t he want to join in?”

“Maybe he didn’t,” replied Ramsey, continuing the pressure. “Maybe he can get women the old-fashioned way, like dating them. Maybe he’s the normal one.”

“Well,” said Declan, pushing through his pain, “it’s obvious you two are the result of a seriously dysfunctional family. You guys realize you have some repressed hostility?”

“So who’s Y?” Ramsey probed, feeling their animosity mount, especially X’s, and he wanted to know why. He considered one possibility. “Oh, I get it.” He met X’s eyes as he asked the next question. “You scared of him?”

X, calm until that point, finally reacted. He narrowed his eyes and focused intently on Ramsey. His lips clenched in anger and he opened his mouth to speak but then stopped himself. The tension in his body betrayed him as he curled and uncurled his fingers. Z said nothing, but one glance at X made him take a step back, as if he sensed the energy his sibling was anxious to unleash.

X, coiled and ready to spring, directed his attention to his brother. “Z,” he said, “Go find her and do whatever you have to do to bring her here. Kill the nurse if you want. Just make sure Sarah is alive. You understand me?”

X’s fury seemed only to be fueled by Z’s grin and the nod of his head. X looked back at Declan and Ramsey. “I’ll take care of these two.”

And with that, both brothers advanced.

HANNAH PUSHED THE shards of glass away with her feet. After shutting the bathroom door, she placed the bags on the counter and turned back toward Sarah, who was still lying in the bubbling tub, her eyes only half open, staring at nothing.

After pacing a few minutes, Hannah’s nervous energy needed another outlet, so now she kicked the glass, attempting to shove it into a sad resemblance of a pile. She succeeded with the bigger pieces, but not with the smaller ones. She brought up her hands and massaged her neck and shoulders, trying to ease the knots created by the tension of the past few hours. She rejected the temptation to put her ear to the door. Her imagination created enough horrifying scenarios without adding unknown sounds to the equation.

Worse than that, what if she heard nothing? Her training as a nurse had prepared her for stressful situations, and she had dealt with most, but this brought a whole new level to the equation. She had to consider the possibility that neither Ramsey, Leroy, nor Declan would be the first ones to the door. Despite the minimum threat she posed to anyone who meant her harm, she knew she’d defend herself and Sarah.

She looked down at the shards she’d kicked into the sad pile. A few of them were long enough to make a significant weapon. She glanced up at the bags on the counter. She thought for a moment and then opened one of the bags.

“Hannah?”

The soft mention of her name startled her, and she turned. She was surprised to see Sarah sitting up in the water, making eye contact with her.

“Sarah?” Hannah turned away from the counter and kneeled next to the bathtub. As she approached, Sarah leaned back.

“Better not to touch me, Hannah.” Her voice sounded clear and calm.

Hannah took a second to assess the change in her. She appeared completely lucid, as if her bubbling bathwater and reddened skin were all the results of a hard workout at the gym.

Sarah also seemed to assess her surroundings. She looked around the room and then leaned forward. After studying the floor for a moment, she looked back at Hannah. “Can you get my shoes, please?”

Hannah’s confusion must have shown on her face, because Sarah offered an explanation. “The glass, Hannah. I can’t walk on the glass.”

Hannah glanced at the floor, which was littered with the glass shards. “Sarah, where exactly do you think you are going?”

Sarah gazed at her as if that was all the explanation that was required, and Hannah understood that this was not a request. Sarah wanted shoes because she apparently intended to leave the room. That, or she planned on pacing the floor with Hannah.

“Sarah,” Hannah said, “It’s not a good idea for you to go anywhere right now.” She debated how much to tell Sarah, but decided she needed to be honest. “You could be in danger.”

Sarah managed to push herself up and sit on the edge of the tub. Water dripped down from her wet clothes and skin and pooled onto the floor, and steam rose from her skin as the cool air contacted her heated, wet body. She again looked over at Hannah.

“My shoes, please.” She looked again at the floor, then up at the counter and then back at Hannah. Hannah realized that Sarah was considering other options if Hannah didn’t retrieve her shoes.

Hannah made a quick decision and hoped it was the right one. “Okay. Just wait a second.” She stood and moved toward the door. “They’re out here. I’ll need to go get them.” She moved toward the door but hesitated as she reached for doorknob.

Sarah addressed Hannah’s obvious distress. “Don’t worry,” she said, “Nobody is out there. Just go quietly.”

Hannah didn’t take the time to think about how Sarah might know that, she just decided to open the door before her fear stopped her completely. She unlocked it and slowly turned the knob. She felt the door unlatch, and she pulled it inward. Her heart was pounding so hard she felt sure that if anyone were nearby, they would hear her. She got the door open far enough to be able to see into the room, and she saw the shoes on the floor by the end of the bed. The bedroom was empty, the bedroom door stood open, and Ramsey was gone. She opened it far enough to slip through, and she tiptoed across the carpet and grabbed the shoes. She froze when she heard a loud thud, as if something had slammed against a wall in the other room. The adrenaline surged through her, and she ran back into the bathroom, staying as silent as possible. She closed the door behind her and handed the shoes to Sarah, who swung her legs over the tub and quickly put them on.

Once they were on, Sarah stood, and the glass crunched beneath her feet. “Thank you.” She turned and looked at Hannah. “You can come with me, or you can stay here. It’s up to you.” She turned and reached for the knob.

“Whoa!’ Hannah cried. “What are you doing? You can’t go out there, Sarah. They’re looking for you.”

Hannah prayed Sarah would understand the seriousness of the situation and reconsider. If she walked out there and got killed, Hannah would be next—when Ramsey got a hold of her.

Sarah continued as if Hannah had been speaking Eudoran. She pulled back on the knob, opened the door, and stepped into the bedroom. She stilled for a moment, but then she walked confidently toward the open bedroom door. Hannah’s frayed nerves frayed more as she watched Sarah head for the doorway, her hair wet and clothes dripping water as she walked.

Deciding she couldn’t stand to sit and wait any longer, Hannah scanned the floor and the bags, grabbed what she needed and moved fast to catch up to Sarah. Her muscles twitched with fear as Sarah entered the hallway and approached the turn into the living area. That’s when Hannah heard the voices.

“You understand me?” said an angry male voice. There was a brief pause before the voice spoke again. “I’ll take care of these two.”

It was at that moment that Sarah, with Hannah behind her, turned the corner.

RAMSEY READIED HIMSELF, willing to do whatever possible to keep these men from Sarah, regardless of his own safety. As both men took steps forward, he prepared himself both mentally and physically for the anticipated battle. And despite whatever hold X had on Declan, Ramsey knew he would also fight with whatever was at his disposal.

As they advanced, Ramsey pulled himself up to achieve better balance. He closed his eyes and took a breath. As he opened them again, he saw with surprise that X and Z were standing still after taking only a few steps, and they stared wide-eyed at the area of the hall behind him.

“Well, well, well,” X said, “look who we have here.”

Ramsey followed X’s gaze and found himself staring at Sarah, who was standing only a few feet behind him. Her clothes were wet, her hair sodden, but she exuded the demeanor of a woman who’d just received unexpected guests for dinner. Behind her stood Hannah, who carried a slightly less confident air.

“Sarah?” said Ramsey, who didn’t know whether to be angry or scared but was upset just the same. “What are you doing?”

Sarah did not acknowledge him, but X did. “It appears that she knows who her true benefactors are,” he said. “Frankly, I’m not surprised. It was just a matter of time before her interest in you waned.”

Ramsey heard X but watched Sarah. He felt the words pierce through his gut as he considered the possibility that X spoke the truth; Sarah may have chosen to leave with X and Z. He masked his fears, though, as he looked back at X. “You think she’d rather be with you? You two are just Y’s errand boys. Nobody respects the hired help.”

X’s smirk disappeared, and his eyes held Ramsey’s, but he didn’t let his earlier show of anger return. After a moment of unexpressed hostility passed between the two, X relaxed and, choosing to ignore Ramsey, shifted his gaze back to Sarah, appearing almost giddy.

“It’s very noble of you to join us in order to save your friends. You arrived just in time. Had you been delayed, these two would be dead now.” X glanced back at Ramsey, who knelt on the floor, and Declan, who sat in his chair, one hand gripping his midsection. “It’s unfortunate, though. Z and I were looking forward to having a little fun.” He stared again at Sarah, his eyes roving over her. “But I’m a man of my word. You leave peacefully with us, and they will not be harmed.”

All eyes watched her for her reaction.

“Sarah,” Ramsey pleaded, “please don’t do this.” Her appearance threw him. He did not have a plan if Sarah decided to leave.

Sarah continued to stand in the small alcove where the hallway became the living room. Since she had turned the corner and faced the men in the room, she had not moved. She addressed neither X nor Ramsey. As she stood there, she perused the room as if studying it and her face held the look of someone only half paying attention to the events unfolding before her. For a brief moment, her face held a pained expression, and she looked toward the back bedrooms. Finally, she seemed to gather her attention and proceeded to address X with a casual air.

“Both of you gentlemen should leave now.”

X did not react, but Z looked at his brother and began to chuckle.

“Sure, we’ll leave,” Z responded for the first time. “Right after I swing that pretty, wet ass of yours right over my shoulder.”

“Z, please,” said X, smiling, “refrain from the sweet talk. You’re not helping the situation.”

Z smiled back, but stayed quiet.

“I don’t think you quite understand the situation here, my dear.” X crossed his arms. “We are not leaving without you. Now I know you’ve been through a lot recently, and you’ve probably formed some sort of attachment to this half-wit over here.” He bobbed his head toward Ramsey. “But I can assure you, where we are taking you, you will learn far more than you will ever learn from him. Your abilities could be greater than you can imagine. I promise you that. You just have to trust us.”

He watched Sarah, but when she said nothing, he continued. “You are in a very sensitive state right now, Sarah, which is why we chose this particular time to come for you. You are highly aware—still very fragile, yet able to function clearly. This is just a brief window, though. Shortly, you’ll revert back to the weakened state you were in, and for who knows how long. Now is the perfect time to get you to where you belong without any serious damage occurring.” He uncrossed his arms and held one out to her. “So how about we cut out the chit-chat, make like a banana, and split.” He smiled at his joke.

The room remained silent as X stood with his arm out, as if waiting for his escort to join him for a dance.

Sarah remained unmoving. “You’re right,” she said. “We don’t have time for chit-chat. I’ll say it one last time. If you wish to leave uninjured, please do so now.” She then turned her head toward Hannah, who still stood behind her. “Hannah, please go to the back bedroom. Leroy needs your assistance.”

Hannah, whose presence had not been acknowledged until that point, stood uncertainly in place. In front of her stood two very intimidating men, who, by all accounts, would kill her the minute she followed Sarah’s direction.

Sarah sensed her indecisiveness. “It’s okay,” she said. “You won’t be harmed.”

The men, however, no longer looked so amused. “If she moves,” said the apparent leader, “she dies.”

Ramsey shared Hannah’s anxiety as he watched the showdown unfold in front of him. Both X and Z stood in certain disbelief and then anger as Sarah boldly and confidently confronted them. He didn’t know what to expect either. The woman standing behind him holding her own, who was almost kidnapped by an elderly man less than seventy-two hours ago, now apparently felt she could face down two threatening and malevolent intruders. He prayed she knew what she was doing, but he was relieved that she had not left with them. Now he waited to see if Hannah trusted Sarah enough to move toward the bedroom. And more importantly, he waited to see what would happen if she did. He glanced over at Declan, who looked back at him, likely wondering the same things as Ramsey.

The taut energy filled the room as everyone waited on Hannah’s decision. Apparently deciding it was now or never, Hannah followed Sarah’s lead. She took a tentative step away and moved out from behind Sarah.

“Be careful, Hannah,” said X. “You were warned.”

“So were you,” replied Sarah. Her gaze never wavered from X or Z. “Go, Hannah.”

Choosing to push through her fear and trusting Sarah, Hannah moved fast. She stepped into the living room, walked unobstructed past Ramsey and Declan, and disappeared into the darkness of the back hallway and bedroom.

As Hannah moved toward the opposite side of the house, the rush of energy that flooded the room took Ramsey by surprise. It was as if a pulsing force field had entered the area and surrounded Hannah. Ramsey watched X and Z as Hannah headed without incident to her destination. Their faces transformed from contempt, to anger, to confusion, to disbelief, and finally to rage as they realized that whatever techniques they were trying to lash out at her had failed.