“Pretty messed up still.” Pat said.
Zion laughed. “It’s the truth.”
Pat shook his head. “You’re going to have to work a lot harder to convince me. I’m extremely skeptical.”
“You shouldn’t say that kind of stuff to me. I will take you up on it.”
Pat glanced up at the rearview mirror and it looked as though the storm was chasing them. It made him feel nervous because it was so dark you couldn’t see anything through the clouds. It reminded him of the beast that took Justice.
“I think I saw my wife too.” Pat said, suddenly changing the subject.
The teasing smile faded from Zion’s face. “What do you mean?”
“When you saw the apparition of your wife, I saw my wife standing beside me. She spoke to me.” Pat cocked his head to the side and scratched the tip of his nose to partially conceal his face where a flash of despair flickered over his features.
“Was that the first time?”
Pat sucked in a deep breath. “No.”
“When did she pass away?”
This question caught Pat off-guard. “She’s still alive.”
“I’m so sorry. I assumed about what happened from news reports.” Zion said honestly.
“They say she was murdered but her body was never found. They found parts of my Father but not a piece of evidence was found for Justice. I continue to see her beside me and in my dreams. She’s so real.” Opening up to this man he barely knew was not like him. Pat had to use all his self-control to keep from letting tears fall down his cheeks. Even so, he sniffed slightly as his nose refused to get the memo about not crying.
“What happened to your mother?” Zion pressed on and Pat felt pressure in his heart.
“She committed suicide when I was two years old.” Pat said softly. The raw truth of it tore through him like a knife. He didn’t know why it hurt so much. He didn’t remember his mother but the loss of her was still something noticeable whenever he spoke with other men his age who still had their mothers.
“This is a heavy burden for you to be under, Pat.” Zion said. “My heart breaks for your loss and lack of closure.”
“I don’t remember my mom. But, Justice, I want to find her.” Pat pushed on trying not to acknowledge the kindest piece of sympathy he had ever been given. “I think she might be where the apparitions are coming from.”
“When we get back, let’s discuss this with Dr. Evers and figure out a plan of attack.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CLIVE WAS NORMALLY not a rule breaker, but instead of going with Pat and Zion, he decided to keep tabs on Arrow. Arrow was involved in his wife’s rescue somehow and Clive suspected he would lead him to where Mayre was being kept. Another thing the doctor did that was against his personality was to wear all black. Being the fashion-conscious individual that he was, he tended to pair a vibrant tie with chic neutrals. Today, he wore black sweats and a black t-shirt he found at the bottom of the dresser in his room.
As it neared dinnertime, Clive saw Arrow leaving the dining room early. As he followed from a distance, Arrow seemed to be deep in thought and didn’t notice Clive. After several twists and turns, they ended up at the back of the main house. Arrow exited and Clive followed as soon as the door shut. Peeking through the windows at the top of the door, he saw Arrow walk towards a black car that was being loaded up with supplies.
Clive’s moment came when everybody loading the vehicle walked around to the front of the house. The trunk was still open, so Clive only entertained his half-baked idea for a moment before rushing out. Climbing into the trunk he pushed to the very back and rearranged the bags around him to hide the parts of his body not covered in black fabric. Just as he settled in, he heard the sound of voices. A couple more things were dropped into the trunk and then the hatch was shut, plunging the space into cool darkness.
The limited airflow inside the trunk made his heart rate speed up for a moment. It was thrilling and frightening all at once. He had never done anything like this before and he felt somewhat proud of the lengths he was going to save Mayre.
“I’m coming, Mayre.” Clive breathed.
The car then roared to life and they were crunching over gravel. This jostled him around a lot until they reached the paved road outside the facility. During Clive’s extraordinarily cushy life, he had never experienced something quite as uncomfortable as the trunk of a car. All the worst smells were stronger in the confined space and the feeling of being crushed by darkness was inescapable. Every time they went downhill or hit a bump his body would shift uncomfortably to one direction or the other.
The only thing that kept him going was what people would say about him when he arrived home with his beautiful wife. They would recount the great lengths he had gone to save her. He was seen as a hero by many already, but it would add to his credibility as a practitioner if he was a family man as well. Mayre would also be pleased, and this was the one thing that Clive was convinced would win her back to him.
The minutes passed at a crawl and Clive was beginning to feel like he couldn’t go any longer. He was not prone to anxiety, but riding in a car in this fashion was testing his fortitude as a man and as a doctor.
Clive sensed a shift in the car’s course as it slowed down and began to turn. In a few short seconds, the car pulled to a stop and the engine powered down. He did his best to pull back to the furthest reaches of the trunk and cover himself with supplies, but it was fruitless because they spotted him immediately.
“Arrow?” A young woman called over her shoulder uncertainly. She was dressed in all black and had a handgun holstered at her waist. Her hair was tied in a tight blue ponytail. Clive recognized her as the keyboard player during the church service.
At her call, Arrow rounded the corner and didn’t seem surprised to see Clive curled up behind their supplies. “How’s it going, Doc?”
Clive shifted and began to crawl out of the confined space. As he placed his right foot on the blacktop, he realized that his foot had fallen asleep, and he crumpled to the ground hitting his cheek hard. “It’s going.” He grunted, sitting up and stretching the numb leg until it began to tingle.
Arrow reached out his hand to his friend. Clive took it gratefully and stood. “I figured you’d find a way.”
“It’s my wife, Arrow.” Clive said simply.
“Exactly. You’re too emotionally invested to be here.” Arrow argued.
The girl who had found Clive was standing awkwardly behind the men and trying to appear uninterested in the conversation. A couple of others circled waiting for orders from their leader.
“That’s exactly why I need to be here. I will do anything to get her back.” Clive’s usual crooked smile wasn’t present on his face but had been replaced by a firm and determined line. “Besides, I don’t recall how any of you are more qualified than I am.”
“What are you saying?” Arrow demanded.
“Are you part of the CIA and I didn’t know it? Are you cops or Navy Seals? Are you even licensed to carry guns?” Clive waved his hand at the firearms being pulled from the trunk.
“I have a concealed carry license.” Sirona said.
