Authors: Carly Fall
Chapter 10
“Hello, Ella.”
“Joe.”
“Zachary! I trust everything is going well for you?”
Zach nodded as he held on to Savannah’s halter. “Yes, everything is fine. Ella has been very kind.”
A beat of silence ensued as his words hung in the air. He hadn’t known Joe very long, but he had pegged him as a man with manners, and whatever the issue between him and Ella, he doubted Joe would contradict his statement, or have a sarcastic quip on the tip of his tongue.
“I’m happy to hear that. Thank you, Ella.”
She didn’t answer.
“I have some good news. Can I please come in?”
“Of course,” Ella said, her tone slightly pinched.
Zach backed up to allow him access into the foyer. He smelled a light cologne, a scent he’d come to associate with Thomas, Joe’s right hand man who rarely spoke, and he’d always been curious as to why.
“Hello, Thomas,” he ventured.
“Hey.”
He followed the group into the dining room and listened as chairs were being moved around, most likely to accommodate Joe’s wheelchair.
“Zachary, please, come sit down. This will concern you, as well.”
He did as told and found his chair.
“I apologize for interrupting your dinner,” Joe said.
He must have noticed Zach’s half-eaten sandwich and the bottles of wine.
Joe had interrupted far more than that. If he hadn’t shown up, would he have Ella laid out on the dining room table, licking wine off her breasts? The thought made him grin, and he shifted in his chair.
“What’s up, Joe?” Ella asked.
Her voice had changed. The tone seemed a little harsher, but he doubted anyone else in the room would be able to pick up on it.
“Well, as you know, I’ve had you working on a virus to break into the back door of the Group Nine server. If we can get access to that, we’ll be able to move on them, not to mention disable their plans.”
“I’d just as soon gut them,” Zach murmured.
“Why is that?” Ella asked.
“Zach’s blindness wasn’t a coincidence, Ella. His whole unit and their paranormal abilities are a product of a government experiment.”
The silence stretched as she took in the information.
“I didn’t know that.”
“Yes. He’s got a little skin in the game,” Joe said.
“What about the others? What are their paranormal abilities?”
“I’ve only found a total of four of them, but they’re all interesting in their own right. Brody can control the sea, poor Lucas sees people dying, and Garrett can turn into a bear.”
“You’re kidding me,” Ella said.
“No, I’m not. Quite an eclectic group, wouldn’t you say?”
“That’s crazy.”
“I agree. Now, let’s continue. Ella, I’ve also had two other programmers looking to enhance the virus to get us in, and it seems one has been somewhat successful. We were able to get into their server and see a few things. One thing we did find out was that they have activated one of their agents, and he’s on his way to the West Coast. He’s landing in Los Angeles in two days’ time. What he’s doing there, I’m not certain, but it’s something.”
Zach listened intently, his heart racing. How he’d love to get his hands on an agent from Group Nine and rip him limb from limb.
“What do you want me to do?” Ella asked.
“This is a huge task, but I’d like you to see if you could figure out what the hell he’s doing there.”
“And how do you expect me to do that?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
Zach’s mind spun. Group Nine’s objectives seemed to be simple—death. In fact, they reminded him a lot of his time in the clandestine group all those years ago. If the operative had been activated, he would most likely be killing someone.
“I have some ideas,” he said. “That is, if you’d like my help, Ella.”
“Okay,” she said, and he heard the hesitation in her voice. “We can work on it together.”
“Excellent. I appreciate your offer to help, Zachary. I’ll leave you two to your dinner and the rest of the evening.”
Zach stood at the sound of the rustling around him of the others standing and the roll of Joe’s wheels on the carpet.
“Please, I can see myself out,” Joe said.
Zach sank back into his chair. Ella picked up her glass, it seemed, the fragile crystal tinkling against the marble countertop.
The front door shut, and she turned on him. “Why didn’t you tell me you were part of an experiment?”
He shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I guess I was far more interested in your story.”
“Was it horrible?”
“What? The explosion?”
That night came back to him with such clarity, he could feel the heavy humidity slick on his skin, the weight of his gear on his back. Every step he took along the damp foliage seemed to reverberate throughout the jungle. He’d sensed something had been wrong that night, and as far as he knew, so had the rest of his unit. Garrett certainly had, but they’d all ignored their inner warning bells.
“All of it, Zach. How bad was it?”
“Yeah, it was horrible.”
“Tell me about it.”
He took a long sip of wine. Maybe the time had come to tell her everything. He’d definitely hit on all the high points, but she still didn’t know his full story. What would it hurt?
“We knew something was off, but we didn’t know what. The forest had gone completely silent, and in that second, my suspicions had been confirmed—something terrible was going to happen, and it did.”
He told her of the bright light, the deafening sound, the earth that seemed to shake so hard he couldn’t get his footing, almost as if he tried to run on jelly.
“What happened, then?”
“I woke up completely blind. After a few moments of panic, I was told I was in a hospital in Cheyenne, Wyoming.”
“That must have been terrifying.”
“It was, especially when people wouldn’t tell me what had happened to the rest of the unit. After a couple of days of feeling sorry for myself, I realized I needed to learn to live with my disability. As I began my training, I poured my energy into it as I hate being dependent on others.”
“Well, you do quite well for yourself.”
He nodded. “Yes. When the counselors came in that first day and told me that I would need to basically relearn everything I knew about surviving, I told them I was willing to do whatever needed to be done so that I would become a fully functioning person, one who relied on no one.”
“When did you figure out your mirror trick?”
“About two weeks into my hospital stay. I had gotten to the bathroom by myself and splashed cold water on my face. I lifted my head, and suddenly, I could see my reflection in the mirror, but just for a brief second. Then all these other images appeared, and then nothing.”
“What did you think was happening?”
“At that moment, I thought I was having some strange side-effect to being blind, and for a brief time, I thought my vision was returning.”
“How did you know that you were seeing snippets of the future?”
He sighed. “As the days wore on, I began to have a sense of déjà vu when things would happen, and then I realized that I must be seeing bits of the future.”
“Like what?”
“Well, for instance, one day while looking in the mirror, I saw a bowl of red Jello and a gorgeous Golden Retriever. That afternoon, I had Jello for lunch, and two days later, they brought me Savannah.”
“Amazing.”
“Quite.”
The sat in silence for a few moments, and Zach resumed eating his sandwich. Savannah laid her head on his lap, and he debated whether he should slip her a little piece of turkey. It would be bad practice, but he could never deny her.
“She’s more than just a seeing eye dog,” Ella commented.
He nodded as he chewed. When finished, he set his sandwich down and wiped his mouth. “Far more. Yes, she helps me, but she’s also an incredible companion. Oftentimes, I wonder if there’s a human soul in there. She’s kind and her feelings get hurt. She’s truly wonderful.”
“I’ve never had a dog.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I grew up in the military.”
He smiled, letting her know he understood. “Let me guess … a large family, and mom said she had no time for a dog, especially when you moved around a lot, right?”
Ella laughed again—definitely a sound he could get used to.
“Exactly.”
“I grew up in an orphanage in Salem, Oregon. We weren’t allowed pets, either, so I was surprised how attached I became to Savannah in such a short period of time.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be. It is what it is, and in the meantime, feel free to love up on this girl.” He stroked Savannah’s head. “She never gets tired of it.”
“I’ve never even petted her,” Ella murmured. “I’ve never been much of a dog person.”
“Come here.”
“What?”
“Come over here.”
She got up, her chair scraping back, and came to his side of the table, standing next to him. Heat radiated from her body, the smell of lilacs almost making him light-headed.
“Give me your hand.”
As he opened his palm, she placed her hand in his. He set it on top of Savannah’s head, and Ella stroked her.
“She’s so soft,” she murmured.
Savannah began to pant, and Ella laughed. “Her tongue is hanging out the side of her mouth, and her eyes are rolling in the back of her head while she looks at me.”
He chuckled. “Now, you’ve made a friend for life.”
The room grew quiet as they both petted Savannah, the only sound being her happy breathing.
Chapter 11
Ella stared at Zach. It seemed odd to have someone in her office, and she tried to remember when she’d last shared the small space with someone.
She couldn’t.
How pathetic her life had become.
The room only measured about ten by ten, and with Zach in there, it seemed even smaller. He stood tall, but thin and muscular; yet, his presence in the small area seemed to almost suck out all the air. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized he proved to be a force of nature—strong, incredibly clever, and devastatingly good-looking.
Inhaling to try to clear her thoughts, she smelled his light cologne. The scent, something woody and natural, sent shivers traveling down her back.
“So how are we going to do this?”
She needed to get down to business, not think of Zach’s smell, looks, or intelligence.
“Well, I think we’re looking for some type of function, a meeting or party with a list of wealthy people.”
“How do you know that whoever he’s after is wealthy?”
He shrugged. “I don’t, but considering he’s landing in Los Angeles and there are areas all around the city that hit the top one hundred richest lists, I’m making an educated hypothesis.”
She nodded. It sounded far-fetched to her, but she didn’t have any ideas on what to go on, so she’d follow his lead.
“Where do we find that list?”
He sat down in the chair next to her. “How about if you just start with a general search? Parties, Beverly Hills. Meetings, Los Angeles. Fundraisers … political events. Just start somewhere.”
“It kind of seems like a waste of time to me,” she murmured as she began typing.
“It’s not. Rich people like everyone to know their business, especially when they’re going to be surrounded by people richer than them, and possibly more important. Big ego boost and all that.”
After a few moments, she spoke. “Here’s an announcement of a Democratic fundraiser taking place at a producer’s house.”
“What’s his name?”
“Steve Gill.”
Zach rubbed his hands together. “Excellent. Write it down please, Ella.”
Thirty minutes of silence later, she spoke again. “Here’s a Republican fundraiser in Beverly Hills.”
Zach threw his head back and laughed, a deep, throaty sound that sent shivers through her. She couldn’t help but smile.
“What’s so funny?”
“Their guest list will be locked up tighter than a virgin’s chastity belt. Very few in Hollywood will admit they’re conservative because they fear for their jobs.”
She didn’t pay much attention to Hollywood, but guessed he must be right. She remembered seeing an article a few years back about six months after the presidential elections. An actress had come out in support of the more conservative candidate, and she couldn’t find work after that.
“Mark it down, anyway, if you would, please.”
After three hours, they had five potential events, three of which had been announced in the
Los Angeles Times
, including a black-tie affair thrown by a tech company that had developed a chip to slip into a blind person’s brain to help them see again. She didn’t think this particular occasion held much value to them, but the thought intrigued her and she made a mental note to read up on the science of the chip.
“This isn’t much to go on.” She yawned.
“Coffee. We need coffee. Come on, Ella. Savannah, let’s go.”
He leaned over and lifted the dog’s halter, and Ella followed him out into the kitchen.
“I’ll make the coffee,” she said.
“I’m more than happy to. You’re the one who has been doing all the work.”
She grinned as she pulled the grounds from the cupboard. “Not really, Zach. I’ve just been the typist.”
“Oh, come on, Ella. You’ve been pulling search terms out of your ass for the past few hours.”
They both laughed, and the sound of the coffee pot coming to life filled the kitchen.
“I think we make a good team,” he commented.
She studied herself in the reflection in his glasses and became surprised. Staring back at her was a smiling, happy woman. She hadn’t seen that side of herself in so long. She pushed her hair back to reveal the horrible scar, and the smile faded. Despite how this man made her feel, he would soon leave, and she’d be back to where she started—scarred and alone.
As if he read her mind, he tilted his head to the side. “So what do you do here, Ella? Besides babysit unwanted men and rock climb? What does your life look like?”
His voice had also softened, reeling her in with its selfless kindness.
She poured the coffee into the cups and sighed. Zach reached into the refrigerator and pulled out the milk.
“Is this right?” he asked.
She smiled, thinking how observant and considerate he had been during his stay, despite his inability to see. “Yes. Thank you.”
“Good.”
He grinned as they sipped their coffee.
“You haven’t answered my question, Ella. Am I prying? I tend to do that.”
“No. No, you’re fine. As you know, I put my nose in other people’s business, as well.”
He didn’t say anything but leaned against the counter and set down his coffee cup, then crossed his arms over his chest expectantly.
“I-I pretty much stay cooped up in the house, except when I go to the store or rock climbing.”
“No friends? Lovers? An acquaintance to have drinks with?”
She shook her head. “None. I keep to myself. I’m wanted by the government, Zach. Frankly, I about have a nervous breakdown when I go to pick up groceries. I own a bunch of wigs, and wear a different one each time. I’m terrified of being found.”
“It doesn’t sound like much of a life.”
She grimaced. “It’s not. But I’m alive. The utilities and the house are owned by one of Joe’s shell companies. My name isn’t on anything.”
“So what do you do for fun?”
“I guess I study things that interest me.”
“Hmm … like computer hacking? I wondered how one goes from a nurse to a hacker.”
“Exactly.”
“Are there other things that pique your curiosity?”
She frowned, surprised by his question. Could he really be interested?
Let’s see.
She was afraid if she shared her passions, he’d be bored to death.
May as well start talking and see what happens.
“I enjoy studying history.”
“What time period?”
“Well, for instance, I watched this show on a place that had been found in Jordan, named Petra. They say it had been a thriving city between 400 B.C. and 106 A.D. The whole thing was fascinating. They discovered water systems in an area where there wasn’t any water. Of course, the land had been prone to flash-flooding as most desert landscapes are, but they had built these dams to protect their city.”
He listened with a furrowed brow as she described the housing and tombs the people of that time, the
Nabateans
, had carved into the sandstone. He seemed very interested in what she said, and looked as though he concentrated on her every word.
It felt good to have someone listen to her, to be attentive to what she said. It inspired her to continue, wanting to share her knowledge with him.
“The carvings on the faces of these buildings were so impressive. They showed different examples of how the carvers pulled architecture from all over the place, including the Greek-Romans. The city stood as a true hub for trade throughout the Middle East.”
Zach grinned when she finished, an almost ominous, cat-like smiled.
“What? Why are you smiling at me like that?”
“You’re quite the package, Ella—beautiful, incredibly intelligent, and interesting. I would love nothing more than to see Petra, to see that show.”
His compliments made her uncomfortable, but she allowed them to wash over her. “Thank you, Zach. I appreciate you saying that. It was quite amazing what they were capable of doing all those years ago.”
They sipped their coffee in silence for a few minutes.
“Should we get back to work?” she asked.
“Sure. Lead the way.”