Slipping the Past (22 page)

“We’ll go into town, dig up some of the local history on the place to support the evidence, and I can call Nate from the room, check in on him.”

“You two are really close.”

“I raised him. My mother was bipolar. She was a good mother, loved us a lot, but couldn’t handle raising us alone, without support. My father took off when I was born. Came back long enough to make Nate and leave my mother with a pile of financial woes. When she got sick, I had to grow up fast.”

“Did you ever wonder if maybe she didn’t have bipolar disorder but she really was a gifted psychic like yourself?” Gabriel shifted in his seat, turning toward her. “The ability comes from somewhere and is often confused with mental illness.”

“She took her own life. That’s not a gift.”

Gabriel froze.

“When I turned eighteen and was of legal age for prosecution, the warrant came to the door. She couldn’t handle the thought of them taking me, so she packed up Nate and me, told us to run. That night I met Ian. He stepped out in front of the transporter I was driving. I swerved to avoid him and hit a barrier on the interstate. I barely got out of the wreck and he was on me. If it wasn’t for a freighter clipping him and dragging him away, I wouldn’t be here. That brand he wears is to cover up the scar from that night. He had a nasty case of road rash and I don’t think he’s ever forgotten how he got it.”

“Were you hurt?”

“I took a hit to the head, but I didn’t dare go to the hospital after what happened to Ian. I slipped the past for the first time that night. I saw my mother’s death and thought perhaps it was a nightmare brought on by the stress or the injury to my head. It wasn’t until later I discovered from an old family friend my mother had taken an overdose of prescription medicine and died three hours before the accident. So, no, I don’t think she had the same abilities I have. I’m not sure that mine didn’t come from the injury to my head.”

“Don’t be so certain. Often it manifests itself as mental illness and not always from childhood. Look at Saefa. He’d be diagnosed as a schizophrenic. He hears voices in his head.”

“Ian is crazy. My mother was sick. There’s a difference.”

“I think when we’re done here, maybe we should look into your family medical history a bit more.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“What if the reason Josephine Laurette Smith was accused of being a witch was because she was gifted and somebody saw her abilities manifesting in an unexplainable way? To a Puritan three hundred years ago, it would be witchcraft.”

Jocelyn put the vehicle in gear and took the right turn on the road leading to a small town. “There was also food poisoning caused by mold in rye bread the people were eating. It caused hallucinations and hysteria.”

“Stop trying to explain it away. You have a gift. Chances are it has transferred down through the generations, from mother to daughter. Have any of the sons had abilities?”

“No.”

“Mental illness?”

“No.”

“I don’t think you’re the only one who had a gift transferred down.”

Jocelyn shifted. “I don’t follow.”

“I saw Saefa in the Puritan vision. He’s the one Liberty Dover accused of murdering her family.”

Jocelyn slammed on the brakes, and turned to Gabriel. “You’re telling me this now?”

“I didn’t want to voice my concerns too early. I needed to know what we were dealing with.”

“I can’t believe you kept that from me. When were you planning on telling me? He translated my past crimes to my current file and presented the DSLE with the evidence for my warrant. He could have covered up anything from the past he was involved in.” She sucked in a breath and sat back. “So, he is aware of every crime, where we’re going, and what we’re looking for.”

“Yes. It’s why I needed to get you away from Nate. He should be safe in the hospital. Ian might show up at any of these past-life crime scenes and who knows what he’ll do to your brother. He doesn’t want his soul.”

“How can you be certain?”

“He shoved him off the building. He wasn’t there to collect his soul; he wanted him dead. I haven’t figured out why yet. I also think he wanted my soul. He waited for me when he took Nate up to the roof. He could have killed him before I got there, but didn’t. He’s got some kind of grudge. I just don’t know why.”

Jocelyn shifted the transporter into a higher gear and punched the accelerator. “I need to call him.”

***

“I’ll have the steak tartare, a Caesar salad with extra Caesar, a bottle of your vintage wine, and do you have the dessert menu?”

The busty nurse dropped a plastic container with red Jell-O on the tray in front of Nate. “You think you’re a comedian?”

“Admit it, that was pretty funny.” Nate crossed his arms and smiled at the nurse, who snorted and grabbed his wrist to check his heart rate. He shouldn’t be antagonizing her, but damn, he loved her British accent and she was pretty hot.

“Take a deep breath.” She listened to his chest and nodded. Her breasts pushed against him and Nate snuggled closer, sighing.

The nurse growled and stepped back.

“Could you smile or something? I thought you nurses were angels of mercy.”

“You’re lucky I’m a nurse. I used to sell cyanide. Eat your Jell-O, drink your water, and swallow this pill or I’ll give it to you as a suppository.”

Cyanide? Suppository? Nate snatched the small cup with the pill from the nurse and popped the medication in his mouth, washing it down with the water. “You meant the pill. Right? That could be really kinky, getting Jell-O as a suppository.”

The nurse shot him a drop-dead look, spun on her heel, and hit the lights as she left.

“Hey. I wasn’t ready to sleep.”

“You will be in a minute.”

Tipping his head, Nate watched her ass as she marched away. God, she had great legs. Were they really that long? Who cared, but she could use some lessons in social skills. She didn’t need to leave him in the dark.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nate glanced over at a picture of a whaling ship on the wall. The sea began to rock and a bell on the mast rang. He blinked his eyes and the sailors hung over the side and began to wave. “Shit. Not good.” The stuff she’d given him worked quick. He needed to find a holo, hack the DSLE database, and retrieve the report Doctor Charming had sent out.

“He’ll be sedated when they come.”

Nate tuned in, listening to the nurse outside. The “he” they were talking about could be none other than himself, but who was “they”?

“Good. I just got off the com with their reader and assured him that Nate Miller will be here for pickup. He promised me his body.”

“You talked to their reader? And you are not afraid he’ll get in your head?” the nurse said.

There was a snort. “Readers have to have direct contact with the energy a voice projects. They can’t get into your head, any more than I can, over the com. People are so freaked by them, they don’t stop to think that they’re human and might have weaknesses as any human does. All Enforcers have limitations and have to obey the same laws we’re held to. Even if he could read me over the com, unless I’m suspected of a crime, it’s against the law to do it. They don’t intimidate me,” the doctor said.

“You are a braver soul than I.” The nurse laughed.

Nate grabbed the side of the bed, swung his legs over, and glanced at the bathroom door.
Close to a mile
. He could make it. He attempted to stand but did more of a short bounce instead. The room began to spin. He closed his eyes, placed a foot on the floor, and hoped it would stop the whirling. It didn’t. He swallowed and opened his eyes again.

“Agent Ian Saefa should be here soon. He just has to finalize the warrant and get the paperwork together for the release of the body after extraction.”

“A warrant?”

“Yes. I thought something more was going on. That’s why I called them directly. They’ve been looking for this kid for a while. He’s wanted on multiple charges.”

“Is there a bonus involved?”

“Yeah. Twenty thousand in credit.”

Forget hacking, he needed to get his ass outta there. Nate’s heart jumped, thumping into his tonsils. He pushed to his feet and stumbled for the lavatory. He’d hate to tell the doctor, but by the time the asshole got done with him, they wouldn’t have a body they could use. Ian wasn’t well known for recycling.

Nate dropped to his knees in front of the commode and shoved two fingers down his throat.

“What do you mean I can’t talk to my brother?” Jocelyn tightened her grip on the com. “He checked out?”

“Hang up now.” Gabriel reached for the com and Jocelyn stepped back.

“He wasn’t supposed to be released for three more days,” she said.

Gabriel grabbed the com and sparks danced around his fist. The communication device hummed, smoked, and finally disintegrated.

“What’d you do that for?”

“They were putting a trace on the connection.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do.” He lifted his wrist and typed in a code on his micro-processor. “They said he wouldn’t be ready to leave for four days. The bill was paid in advance, so they had no reason to release him.”

“You said he’d be safe there.”

“He mustn’t have been able to stop the report from going through. It’s all right here on the DSLE database.”

“Is he okay?”

“He got away. They’re scanning the area. He’s been drugged, so they don’t expect he could’ve gone far.” Furrowing his brow, Gabriel moved the pad of his finger across the processor.

“Drugged?”

“The doctor sedated him. I should’ve known.”

“You have to go get him.”

Gabriel looked up. “And how do you expect me to find him? I don’t have any better an idea where he is than the rest of the department.”

Jocelyn wrapped her arms around her herself and shivered. “What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to do what we came down here to do.” Gabriel tugged her into his arms, pulling her against his chest. “We have to get them to dig up the bodies and uncover the evidence. Nate’s smart. I doubt they’ll catch him.”

The screen blipped.

“What’s that?” Jocelyn pulled her head off Gabriel’s chest.

“Incoming message.”

Ditc’d psycho Grim. Skip’d town on the T. No prob. I’m OK. Wil fil U-N on the deets L8R. C-U-N 3 days
.

Jocelyn jumped to view the message. Even if he wasn’t sound enough to get out of the hospital, it had been the best thing he could have done. From the looks of Gabriel’s micro-processor, the Enforcers had been on the doorstep when he’d escaped. “Thank God, he’s safe.”

“Appears to be the case. DSLE database says Saefa was dispatched to apprehend Nate and bring him in for questioning.”

The screen blipped again.

FYI, keep ur mits off my sis or I’ll kic ur ass
.

“Yeah, he’s okay, but I’m beginning to wonder if he’s actually going to make a move to do it.” Gabriel punched a couple of keys, shutting the device down.

Jocelyn collapsed against him. “I can’t lose my brother.”

“He’s okay.”

“I have a really bad feeling. I’ve had it since we left him at that hospital.”

Gabriel cupped her chin, lifting her gaze to his. “I can’t promise nothing will happen. But I can promise I’ll do everything I can to protect you and your brother.”

She nodded.

Gabriel lifted the com and pressed a button. “I need to book a room at the Magnolia Inn. One night.”

“We’re staying the night there?”

“No, we’re not sleeping. We’re going to get a shovel and dig. If we find remains, we can call the local authorities and have them exhumed. They won’t dig up the orchard without proof. It’s an historical landmark.”

“I don’t know if I can go back there.”

“I need you to show me where to dig. The orchard covers ten acres, according to this brochure. I don’t have time to stick the shovel in the soil and hope I come up with bones. You’re the only one who knows where. I’ll try to draw the vision off if one comes, but there’s nothing else we can do. Sitting around worrying about Nate isn’t going to help.” He studied her face, brushing his thumb over her bottom lip. “The last thing I want is to hurt you, but if we don’t get this evidence, all of us will be condemned.”

“Okay.”

***

Nate’s head bounced against the train window while he watched the world glide past. Images overlapped the scenery and he blinked, trying to clear the drug-induced fog. Whatever they’d given him….

“Don’t do this. She’s not worth it.”

“The land’s mine. She betrayed me. I’ll do what I damn well please.”

“I won’t let you do this.” He pulled his sword and faced off with Ian, who eyed the crying women huddled in the corner.

“Don’t challenge me, Jasper. I won’t hesitate to have you drawn and quartered. Put it away.”

“They’re defenseless.” He lowered his weapon.

Nate sat up and blinked. What the hell was that? His vision began to fuzz again and he grabbed a glass of water off the table and took a sip. Water slopped over the sides, running down his wrist and soaking his sleeve. He set it down and rolled his hand into a fist in an attempt to stop the shaking.

“Hold her.”

Nate grabbed his head and began to rock. “Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.”

The iron moved toward Jocelyn. She screamed and he tightened his hold. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’ve no choice.”

“No!” His hand swept the table, sending the glass of water flying through the air and crashing into the compartment wall. He dropped his head to the table and pounded it against the surface. “I didn’t do that. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

A hand touched his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Nate lifted his head and turned to a young woman. “Yes.” He glanced back down at his shaking hands and balled them into fists.

She lifted a brow and squeezed his shoulder. “Are you sure?”

“No.”

“You’ve put a lump on your forehead.”

“Yeah.” Nate rubbed the spot. “Guess I did.”