Alternate Worlds: The Fallen (10 page)

Mad or not, he saw no reason to let the bed
go to waste only for rest. In fact, he hardly let me get any rest
at all. I wasn’t sure what he was trying to prove, or if he was
trying to prove anything at all, but my legs were so wobbly and
sore the next morning I couldn’t walk without wincing.

We got off to an early start. We’d checked
every place close to the temple the day before. We widened the
search, driving down every back road we came to and stopping at
every run down barn and storage building. By noon, I’d begun to
seriously consider the possibility that it would never be found.
Maybe the cops had found it and it was sitting in their evidence
room? Maybe some kid had found it and took it off to play with it?
Maybe the cultists had taken the sword after all and had hidden it
somewhere?

Day two was as much of a bust as day one had
been.

I considered fobbing the realtor off when he
called to ask me to dinner. Instead, I accepted, deciding I’d tried
everything else. Maybe I could pump him for information and
discover something.

Gideon did
not
like it. He was even
less happy about it when I insisted on going out alone with the
guy, but after I’d pointed out that I wasn’t likely to get anything
out of the man if Gideon was going to be glaring at him over the
table the whole time, he got pissed off and left.

I had a headache by the time I met the
realtor at the local country club. I was vaguely amazed that they
even had one, but I supposed there were rich white men all over the
south and whither they were, there was going to be a club.

By the time our dinner was served, I already
knew the man was going to be no help at all. He bounced back and
forth between flirting outrageously with me and flirting with my
pocket book.

He tried plying me with drinks even though
I’d already told him I didn’t drink—which wasn’t strictly true. I
did drink occasionally, but I was pregnant now. Alcohol would not
pass my lips.

I was ready to go as soon as we’d finished
eating—actually before we finished, but I figured I had to be
polite and not behave as if I couldn’t get loose from him fast
enough. On my way to the ladies room to calm down and regroup, I
just happened to glance at the paraphernalia that had been mounted
on the walls as decoration.

I came close to passing out when my gaze
landed on a long sword. I had to make myself walk past it. I was
shaking by the time I got into the lady’s room.

“It was just a replica,” I told myself. I
didn’t believe it, though. I was no expert at such things, but I’d
seen enough war memorabilia to know that sword didn’t look like any
I’d ever seen from any period of world history. The hand guard and
hilt were gold, encrusted with gems like I’d never seen, and even
the blade was different, wide like a medieval broad sword, but
shorter and serrated at the tip almost like a hunting knife.

The G was the biggest giveaway, though.

Chapter Nine

By the time I’d calmed down a little, I
realized that it wouldn’t necessarily look suspicious just to gaze
casually at the wall. There were a lot of things on it—old
pictures, old tools and weapons—all antiques I supposed. When I
left the ladies’ room, I strolled by, stopping several times to
examine things I had no interest in, just so it wouldn’t look
suspicious when I got to the sword and lingered long enough for a
thorough look.

I hadn’t imagined the initial. There was a
design that reminded me of a medieval coat of arms, not exactly
like those I was familiar with but similar enough I thought that
was probably what it was.

I don’t know why I did so unless I sensed
that I was being watched, but I glanced toward the tall window as I
started to move on. Gideon stood framed in the glass. His gaze
wasn’t on me at that moment, however, but on the sword.

For a handful of heartbeats our gazes met. I
saw triumph in his eyes. The next moment, that strange phenomenon
I’d seen before began, except this time I was looking at Gideon,
not behind him. The glass, the wall, the air seemed to ripple.
Gideon’s form vanished. A coolness brushed along my arm. When I
glanced down at the prickle of sensation I saw the sword was
gone.

He’d taken it and no one save me had even
noticed.

An odd assortment of emotions washed through
me—gladness was uppermost, though, because I knew Gideon had his
sword now and he was going to be alright.

I moved on after only a moment and stopped
to study a few other items for good measure. The realtor got up and
pulled my chair out as I reached the table again. I sat, heavily.
My knees felt unaccountably weak. My thoughts were still chaotic,
but I didn’t want to sort them at the moment. I needed to be alone.
“I’ve really enjoyed this.”

“You’ll like the dessert even better. I took
the liberty of ordering while you were gone.”

The polite smile I’d pasted on collapsed.
“That is so sweet! But I’m watching my weight.”

“Just a taste.”

I should have insisted on leaving then. I
didn’t want to be present when someone noticed the sword was
missing. Not that I could be blamed. I didn’t have it. And I
refused to feel guilty about the guy ordering desert. It wasn’t my
problem that he’d ordered something I didn’t want. I didn’t really
like being rude, though, and it couldn’t take long to eat a bite or
two. “I suppose. I really do need to get back, though. I’m just
exhausted from driving around and looking at places.”

To my relief, the dessert arrived fairly
quickly. I didn’t see anything particularly special about it. It
was cake, and not especially good cake—bone dry, in fact. I took a
bite and washed it down.

“Did you notice the sword?”

I looked at him blankly, trying to pretend I
had no idea what he was talking about. I couldn’t keep my damned
color from fluctuating, however. “Sword? Oh, that strange one.”

He chuckled. “The only one on the wall. I
found it a while back. No idea where it came from or what it was
doing in that old barn, but I figured it would look good on the
wall and make me look good if I donated it.”

“Oh,” I said, stalling while I wracked my
mind to think of something to cover my slip. Obviously, he’d
noticed me looking at it. I didn’t especially want him to notice it
wasn’t there anymore so I resisted the temptation to say ‘what
sword?’, knowing he’d instantly look. “I wasn’t paying much
attention,” I added lamely. “I suppose it’s a replica?”

He smiled.

A wave of dizziness washed over me.

“You think it’s a replica?”

“I’m not really up on antiques, to tell you
the truth,” I managed, beginning to feel really odd. “You know—I
don’t like to be rude, but I think my fatigue is starting to catch
up to me. I think I’m going to head back to the hotel.”

He frowned. “Sorry to hear that. Let me walk
you to your car.”

I didn’t really want him to walk me to my
damned car. I just wanted to get out of that place. Gideon had his
sword.

I hadn’t gotten the chance to say
goodbye.

I didn’t want to think about that, though,
because I had a bad feeling that if I let myself think about it I
was going to end up squalling.

A harder wave of dizziness hit me when I
stood up. I had to put my hand on the table to find my balance.

“A little too much to drink, huh?” the
realtor commented, smiling.

I blinked. “I haven’t drank anything but
tea.”

He chuckled, nodding at the couple at the
next table. “Why don’t you let me give you a hand?”

By the time we’d made it to the wide front
porch of the club, he was practically carrying me and I knew I was
in serious trouble. He’d put something in my drink while I was in
the bathroom.

Stupid! Stupid! That was how the guys always
slipped the date rape drug to their victims and I should’ve known
better than to drink anything I’d hadn’t been keeping an eye on.
But how was I to guess the guys in Hicksville were doing it,
too?

“I think I should drive you.”

“No! No! I’ll be fine,” I said, but the
words were slurring together as if I really was drunk.

“You know, I owe you one for that trick with
the damned taser,” he said almost matter-of-factly as he marched me
down the stairs and into the parking lot.

As far gone as I was, that comment didn’t
take more than a couple of seconds to compute. “The guy in the
tower? That was you?”

“I recognized you almost immediately. I
might not have if you weren’t still with the demon, you Satanist
bitch, but you’re in league ....”

He didn’t get the rest of the sentence out.
Something huge and black slammed into him, hitting him so hard he
flew backwards several yards and into the side of a parked car. I
sprawled out without his support. When I finally managed to
struggle upright, I saw an avenging angel standing over him—my
angel. I could tell just by his stance that he was disgusted the
guy was out cold and unable to present any kind of challenge.
“Gideon,” I said in pleased surprise. “You here?”

He turned at the sound of his name and moved
toward me. Kneeling, he scooped a hand under my shoulders, running
his free hand over me as if to check me for injury. His palm
lingered on my belly for several moments, making me wonder what was
going through his mind. Apparently satisfied, he slipped his other
arm beneath my knees and stood up again. I wrapped my arms around
his neck and dropped my head on his shoulder because my head was
spinning and felt too heavy to hold up.

“I didn’t get to say goodbye,” I
muttered.

“What did he do to you?” he asked
sharply.

“Date rape drug, I think,” I slurred.
“Something in my tea, anyways. But you rescued me.”

“I need to take you home.”

“Can’t. Need my car. And my suitcase,” I
pointed out, holding onto consciousness with a supreme effort.

He kissed me, to shut me up, I think. “I’ll
get them for you later,” he said when he lifted his head to look
down at me again. “Right now I just want to be sure you and the
babe are safe.”

My stomach went weightless. I had a feeling
I was no longer on the ground, but I wasn’t entirely certain. I
struggled to remain conscious just a few minutes longer. There was
something I wanted say, but I was having a hard time thinking of
it. “Take care of yourself, Gideon,” I murmured finally.

Light was shining in my eyes when I woke up.
I felt like I’d been on a drinking binge. Everything on me hurt,
but my head most of all. Groaning, I rolled over in the bed,
dragging the pillow over my head to block out the light.

Sleep eluded me. Finally, I threw the pillow
off and struggled upright, thoroughly confused when I looked around
at my room. I frowned, but to save my life I couldn’t remember
getting there. A few snatches of memory flitted through my mind,
but it was like a dream one couldn’t quite remember, just random,
blurred images.

I had gone back to Hicksville, though. I
remembered that. I’d gone with Gideon to find his sword because he
needed it to get home.

The sudden urge to blubber like a baby
rolled over me without warning like a tidal wave.

I couldn’t remember anything about last
night—not after seeing the sword. Gideon had it now, though. I knew
that. Had he brought me home? Or had I, horror of horrors, driven
myself and lost all memory of it?

I supposed it didn’t really matter. I was
home. I’d done what I’d set out to do. I’d helped Gideon. I didn’t
want to think about the enemy he’d gone after, but I knew he had. I
comforted myself with the knowledge that at least he had a weapon
now to defend himself with.

A few painkillers and a shower later, I
still felt like shit. I spent most of the day lying around the
house and sleeping. I spent the following day almost the same
way.

On the third morning, I got up and kicked
myself in the ass. I was going to be a mom. I was supposed to be
planning, celebrating—looking forward to the rest of my life.

After I’d showered and dressed, I went out
for boxes and to rent a moving trailer. I wasn’t carrying that much
with me—the house was furnished. By the time I’d packed up what I
wanted to take with me I discovered I didn’t even really need the
trailer. I threw the boxes into it anyway.

I still had a month left on my lease. After
wrangling with the manager a while I finally paid the thieving
bastard for the month I wasn’t going to be in the apartment and
left. As soon as I’d made all the calls I needed to to have the
utilities turned off, I got in my car and drove away without
looking back.

I wasn’t going to look back at all, I told
myself. I was just going to look forward from now on.

I entertained myself on the drive to the
farm with deciding on a decorating theme for the kid’s room.

I remembered as I drove up in front of the
house that I’d forgotten to cancel my appointment with the
obstetrician. I dismissed it. I needed a local doctor now and I
might not even have to wait three or four months just to get an
appointment.

The work I’d paid for had been done since
I’d been here last, most of it anyway.

I hadn’t had the lights turned on and the
well wouldn’t work without electricity.

Unhitching the trailer without emptying it,
I rushed back into town to take care of that and beg them to send
someone out so I wouldn’t have to sit in the dark. The woman
promised to try, but she didn’t look very hopeful of actually
managing it. Since I didn’t think she’d manage it either, I stopped
by
the
supermarket and bought bottled water and candles.

I was sitting at the kitchen table like
someone about to perform a séance when the lights abruptly came on.
I leapt up from the table with an Indian war whoop and did a little
dance around the kitchen table.