Red-Line: The Shift (Volume One) (7 page)

“Are you sure you don’t need to call a doctor? She looks so pale.”

“Oh, I will. I’ll get her upstairs and call immediately. I’ll call someone to come pick up Grandpa, too. We’re trying to keep this under the radar, if you understand what I mean. Ambulances and police would upset her even more.”

“Yes, of course.” She nodded in understanding. By now, the small crowd had begun to disperse. They had left the matter to the concerned citizen who appeared willing to help.

Ramsey turned toward Sarah’s building, carrying Sarah in his arms. He looked back at the woman. “Thank you again.”

“You’re welcome. Good luck with everything.”

She watched the kind man nod and walk away. Carrying his sister, he headed up the stairs of the nearby apartments and disappeared into the building.

She looked at the man slumped over in his car in the back seat. “Jerk,” she said with distaste, and she turned and walked away, eager to tell her new, exciting story to her friends over coffee.

**

RAMSEY KICKED SARAH’S apartment door open with his foot after he’d managed some fancy maneuvering to get her keys out of her pocket and unlock the door. He closed the door behind him and carried her to the couch. She was still groggy but apparently aware enough to know she was in safe hands. He tried to get her to lie back on the couch so he could look her over, but she wouldn’t let go of him.

“Sarah? Hey, let go. I need to get a look at you.” He gently pried her hands loose from his shoulders. She made a moaning sound he didn’t like, but he managed to get her settled back on the couch. He rested her head on the pillows and took a good look at her. Her head had a nice bump on it and she had a scrape on her cheek, but no other outward damage that he could tell. She was hot, likely feverish, but she wasn’t sweating. Not a good sign. Her eyes were open, but unfocused, like she didn’t know where she was or what was happening.

He got up from her side and headed to the kitchen. He went through the pantry and drawers until he found two dish towels and a sealable plastic bag. He grabbed some ice, put it in the bag, and wrapped a towel around it. He wet the other towel in the sink and wrung out the excess water. He brought both over and wiped her face to cool her, then placed the ice on the bump on her head. He rested the wet towel on her forehead.

“Sarah, can you hear me?” He tried to get her to focus. He needed her to be able to respond to him, but she continued with that glazed look and the occasional moan. He didn’t know why she remained dazed and semi-conscious. The bump on her head appeared minor. She should be pissed, scared, upset, something more communicative than this. Despite being grabbed and almost thrown into a car, she had escaped relatively unscathed. What else could cause this? Was she in shock?

He went to grab his phone, but stopped. He thought for a moment, reviewing the incident in his mind. Stupid that he hadn’t considered it. He looked over her exposed skin and saw nothing on her arms or legs. He lifted her shirt and saw nothing on her stomach. He gently rolled her over so that he could lift her shirt from behind, and that was when his suspicions were confirmed. Angry red lines flared out from a center point on her back.

“Damn,” he said. Apparently, Grandpa had hit her with a good jolt in order to subdue her. As a result, she couldn’t stay conscious and her other symptoms were escalating as well. He couldn’t keep her here. The danger was evident. He couldn’t be sure, either, if the Good Samaritan on the street wouldn’t change her mind and call the cops anyway. Plus, Grandpa wouldn’t be out of it for much longer.

He picked up the phone and dialed Leroy’s number.

“Sherlock? How’s it going? Having fun yet?” said the voice that picked up the line.

“You have no idea how much. You at the house?”

“No, why?” asked Leroy.

“I’ve got a patient, and I need to bring her in. Now.”

There was a brief pause and Ramsey imagined all the questions likely running through Leroy’s head. “I’m on my way,” said Leroy, apparently opting to wait for answers until later. The line went dead.

Ramsey put the phone back in his pocket and went to the bed and grabbed a blanket. He wrapped Sarah in it as best he could. Then he inspected the apartment for the items he would need. He found a bag and threw some essentials into it. Anything he thought she would take if she left on a short trip. He went to the bathroom and grabbed some toiletries. He made her bed and took out the trash, being careful not to be noticed in case there were any nosy neighbors. Finding her phone, he turned it off and grabbed her charger. He packed her laptop and the book by the side of her bed. He threw all the dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on.

Finally, he looked around the place and examined everything he had done. Not bad, especially since he had accomplished it all in about fifteen minutes. He grabbed her bag, ran downstairs, and put it in the car, then got in and drove around to the back alley. It wasn’t perfect, but he was going to try and get her out without being seen. He went back upstairs, grabbed her keys, did a double-check of her place and determined it was as good as it was going to get, picked her up, and started out the door. He looked down the hall and saw no one. Closing the door behind him, he turned and locked it with one hand, then headed down the back stairs that were used primarily as a secondary exit in case of fire. He stayed alert to any presence on the stairwell, but no one appeared. He went down the two flights and down the back hall, passing the quiet laundry rooms and maintenance closets. He headed out the back door marked with an exit sign and made it to the alleyway. Luckily, he saw no one there either. He opened the car door and slid her into the front seat, dropping the seat back and fastening her seat belt, getting her as comfortable as possible. He closed the passenger door and headed around to the driver side. Getting in, he started up the car and drove off.

**

INSIDE THE BLACK SUV on the corner, a phone rang. It rang several times before the call went to voicemail and the ringing stopped. A few seconds later, however, the phone started to ring again. The man inside stirred. He heard the phone and knew who was calling. He attempted to sit up, but fingers of heat slid through his midsection. It had lessened, though, and he managed to right himself despite the discomfort. He had to accept that, unfortunately, his younger days were behind him. In the past, he would have handled the situation better and with greater ease. He recognized now that he had acted too soon and that he should have anticipated Ramsey’s actions. Ramsey obviously knew more than they had presumed. They should have prepared for that. The Community had been smart to keep it low key, to pretend that this was a typical, if not complicated, Shift. But somewhere along the way, their Protector had discovered that there was more at stake. And if he wasn’t sure before, then he was clearly seeing it now.

The phone continued to ring its monotonous tone. He groaned, shook off the lingering effects of the heat assailing his midsection, and answered it. “I’m here,” he said.

“What happened?” asked a stern voice.

He spoke without pretense. “She’s gone. I lost her. Ramsey knows now.”

There was a brief silence on the other end.

“Where would he take her?” asked the voice.

“Maybe to the house, but if he suspects more, he might find another place to hide her.”

The voice on the other end remained quiet for a moment. “No, he’ll take her to the house.” There was another pause on the line. “Go take care of it. You know what to do.” The line cut out abruptly.

He listened to the empty air and then put the phone down. He sat and watched the cars drive by on the street. And as the pain in his belly receded, he picked up his phone again and dialed another number.

SIXTY MINUTES LATER, after a quiet but angst-filled drive, Ramsey’s car pulled into the driveway of the house. He hit the garage button and the door opened, allowing him access. He pulled the car forward and hit the button again, closing the door behind him. Jumping out, he went to the passenger side and opened the car door. Sarah lay against the seat, unmoving, her eyes closed. He unsnapped her seat belt and slid his arms underneath her and picked her up. She remained quiet and did not react. He got the back door open and brought her into the house, kicking the door shut behind him. Taking her into the master bedroom, he laid her down gently on the bed, pulling off the blanket that he had wrapped her in and covering her with it. She felt hot to the touch. He rolled her over again to look at her back, glad to see that the red marks were much less visible now. He rolled her back and tucked the blanket around her. Grabbing the damp towel, he entered the bathroom and wet it again. Wringing it out and returning to the bedside, he blotted her face some more and put the towel back on her forehead.

“Sarah, can you hear me?” He sat on the bed next to her and watched her with worry as he ran his fingers over her face, moving away some loose strands of hair. She didn’t stir.

At the front of the house, he heard his name. “Sherlock?”

“Back here.”

A few seconds later, Leroy entered the room and looked at both its occupants, assessing the situation. “What happened?”

“What happened?” Ramsey answered. “Someone tried to grab her off the street. And they almost succeeded. Damn near got her.”

“Who?” Leroy asked.

Ramsey continued to aid Sarah. “Older man with a gray beard. He was strong, too. Not your average elderly gentleman.”

“How is she?” Leroy asked.

“Hard to say. She’s feverish. She’s been unconscious since it happened.” Ramsey continued to study her, wishing she would at least open her eyes and look at him. That clenched feeling in his gut might ease up a little if she did.

Leroy observed Sarah, who lay still on the bed. Realizing they would need to make some decisions, he tried to get Ramsey’s attention.

“Sherlock.” He addressed his friend and waited, but got no response. Ramsey’s focus remained on Sarah, and Leroy could sense his concern. “Sherlock,” he said again, but with more force.

“What, Leroy?” Ramsey responded.

“Come with me. We need to talk.”

“So talk. I need to stay here. She can’t hear anything,”

Leroy knew what had Ramsey on edge. “You know you can’t be sure of that,” he said. “Let her rest. She needs it. Come on. She’s okay for now.” He waited for a moment, but then turned and left the room.

Ramsey examined Sarah, looking for any signs of trouble, but she appeared to be comfortable. He agreed that she definitely needed the rest. He took a deep sigh, closed his eyes, and made himself relax. A small degree of tension moved out of his shoulders and his stomach unclenched a little, and he felt a little better. He got up from the bed, tucked in the covers around her, looked around to ensure the curtains were drawn and the windows locked, and reluctantly left the room after checking on her one more time.

He walked into the kitchen, where Leroy was popping a one-serving sized filter into the coffee machine. He pulled the lever down, and it began its quiet whirring as hot liquid began to fill his waiting mug.

“Want one?” Leroy asked his friend as he came into the kitchen.

“Got anything stronger?” said Ramsey, sitting down at the table. He stared into space for a moment and then rubbed at his eyes. “Damn, Leroy. He almost took her,” he said as Leroy sat down across from him.

They exchanged knowing glances, but neither spoke. Leroy broke the silence first. “But he didn’t. You stopped him.”

“This time, I did.” Ramsey looked away then.

“And nothing else beyond that matters, Sherlock.”

“No. I guess it doesn’t. Not anymore.”

Leroy watched his friend with concern. “This is a different time and place. Different circumstances. Don’t let something that happened years ago mess with your head right now.”

“Different circumstances, maybe. But right now, it doesn’t feel all that different.”

Leroy attempted to encourage him. “This has stirred memories for you. That’s unavoidable and not surprising. But don’t let it get to you, John. You’ve got a job to do.”

Ramsey heard his friend’s advice. “I guess by actually using my first name, you’re trying to snap me out of my present state of melancholy?”

“Is it working?” asked Leroy.

“Ask me in a few minutes, Sampson,” Ramsey replied.

Leroy snorted. “Touché.”

Ramsey sighed, settled into his seat, and shook off the ghosts of the past. “So let’s review our present situation here.” He held up his hand to count on his fingers. “One, I’m assigned to protect a possible Red-Line.”

“Probable,” said Leroy.

“Fine. Whatever. Probable. Two—” He held up another finger. “—Morgana and the Council are watching this closely, although they are acting like they’re not. Three, Sarah has no idea who she is or what she’s about to go through. Four, we have no idea what we’re dealing with or who to trust, and five, somebody out there knows about Sarah and tried to take her today.” He paused. “Anything else?”

“Don’t forget the Mirror,” said Leroy.

“Ah, yes. Six, the mysterious Eudoran Mirror. The one we didn’t realize even existed up until now, and if it does, what its significance is, but may somehow come into play somewhere in all of this.”

“Correct,” replied Leroy.

“So we know a whole lot of nothing. Does that seem accurate to you?”

“Well, when you put it that way, it doesn’t sound good.” Leroy took a sip of his drink as Ramsey agreed with a nod of his head.

**

SEVERAL MILES AWAY, Morgana walked through the stately rooms of her home with her usual athletic grace. Her elegance and style were unmatched by most women her age. Her silver-white hair was swept up into a smooth chignon, and she wore black satin pants with a matching jacket. Her striking gray eyes missed nothing as she moved. She was tall and carried her height gracefully. It had served her well in her position as a councilor these past many years. She was a well-respected member of the Community. Her counsel had always been sought and heeded by her peers and, usually, her subordinates. There were always exceptions to the rules, though, as she thought about her latest endeavor.