Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
The first time Eliana awoke in the hospital, she wasn’t alone. Her throat felt thick and tight, and swallowing against it hurt. She had no idea how long she’d been here, but night had fallen and she was awake now. What on earth time was it?
A woman stood facing the curtains that hung floor to ceiling on the right, over the big window. The room had a tiny bathroom and another sink in the wall unit where the TV had been mounted.
“Mom?” Eliana tried to sit up, but her whole body felt weighty. The covers were aggressively tight, and the handset for the bed controls lay beside her hand. “Mom.”
The woman had long dark hair, but now she didn’t seem as tall as Eliana’s mom.
“Who are you?”
The woman stared out the window, between a slit in the curtains. Dark clothing. Her features in shadow. Now she seemed younger than Mom—older than Eliana.
Eliana tugged at the covers, trying to move.
Finally, the woman turned from the window, and Eliana saw a small box in her hands lit only by the small yellow light above the tiny sink. It looked like…it was her box.
The woman placed the wooden box with the odd symbol on the blanket beside Eliana. “I came to return this to you. I know you lost it.”
“Are you on the Board of Governors?”
She shook her head, and light reflected in her eyes, but she remained in shadow such that Eliana couldn’t even tell how old she was. “Keep it safe. It seems you may need its protection.” She ran slender fingers over the surface of the box. “The Greek letter psi.”
“I know.” Eliana had looked it up but couldn’t remember all that it’d said right now. “Mind, or soul. Right?”
“Perhaps it offers protection.” The woman had a highbrow accent that Eliana hadn’t heard in small-town Wyoming or really here in Chicago either. It seemed as if she belonged somewhere like the Harvard campus or a fancy New York restaurant.
What had she said?
Perhaps it offers protection.
“Protection from what?” Eliana asked.
“I think you know now.” The woman took a step back, receding into the shadows. “I’ll do what I can. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
Eliana watched her walk to the door, not really all that comforted.
Her parting words had actually sounded more like a threat.
A swath of light came in from the hall, and she disappeared out the door.
For a moment, Eliana caught a glimpse of dark hair with red tones and a long blue trenchcoat with a waist tie and wide collar.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she erupted into coughing.
The woman from my nightmare.
The coughing went on long enough that she had to sit up. A nurse came in and turned the light on—apparently, she’d made enough noise coughing to draw attention.
How could she calm down? She’d given her statement to the police and even the FBI for goodness sake, telling them all what had happened in that apartment. Two women were dead, and the two men who’d been there had somehow managed to get by the police surrounding the building.
Now the woman from her nightmare, the one whose name she couldn’t remember, thought she needed protection? How was Eliana supposed to know she wasn’t this “Mother” person everyone was so afraid of? Maybe she was the one Eliana needed protection from.
“Hey, you’re—” Carlos came in, carrying a brown paper bag in one arm and flowers in the other. He rushed around to the other side of the bed. “Is everything okay?”
“I was coughing. I got excited.” She handed back the cup of water the nurse had given her. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” The nurse smiled. “Hit the button if you need anything.”
“Thanks.” Eliana watched her walk out, closing the door behind her, then looked at Carlos. “Are those for me?”
He dumped the vase on the table beside the bed. “Yep.”
Eliana smiled. “They’re beautiful.” He looked over, and she had no idea how to decipher the expression on his face. She’d never seen him look at her like that.
He cleared his throat. “I also got you some supplies, clothes, and things from your apartment. A sweater in case you get cold. I didn’t see a robe in your bathroom or your closet. And I checked on Patience. We had pizza for dinner. She’s a hoot by the way.”
“Thank you for doing all that.”
Carlos ran a hand through his hair and pulled the chair toward the bed, sitting beside her. “How are you?”
“I don’t even know.” Hot tears gathered in her eyes.
She should tell him about the woman. He probably wanted to know more about what happened in the apartment as well. But even though it seemed like the whole sordid story was on the tip of her tongue, she just couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Her throat clogged, making her cough again. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for.” Carlos got up. She leaned forward, her chest spasming, and he rubbed a hand up and down her back. “I was supposed to protect you.”
“You came in at the right time.”
Carlos settled on the edge of the bed. “It wasn’t soon enough. And it was Maizie who realized something was wrong. I didn’t even know.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“But protecting you is my responsibility.”
She shook her head, not wanting to get into that family debate, and sniffed. “I’ll be okay. The police will find those two guys.”
“What about the Mother?”
Eliana knocked the lid off the wooden box. “That’s what this is for.”
Carlos got off the bed, paced away a couple of steps, and turned back. “A knife? You can’t seriously want to fight her.”
“I want to be able to protect myself. I should’ve had this today, but I lost it when those people tried to rob the vault and I dropped it. That isn’t going to happen again.”
Carlos ran his hands through his hair. “The FBI is on the Reverence Sisters case. They’ll take down everyone involved, and then you won’t have to use that knife on anyone.”
“Fine.”
“Fine?”
“Great. Sounds good.” She looked at the box and the knife inside, in its sheath. While everyone was waiting for this to be over, she’d have the ability to protect herself.
No one was going to take that away.
She slid the lid back on the box. “I just need to figure out how that woman who brought this to me just now got the box that was on my dresser in my bedroom and brought the knife here in it.” She was pretty sure the sheath had been in her laundry pile.
“What are you talking about?”
Eliana shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m exhausted. Maybe too exhausted for this conversation.”
He stared at her, looking frustrated. Whatever for, she had no idea. She was the one with injuries, lying in a hospital bed. What had he been doing? Oh, right. Helping make sure her neighbor got dinner.
Eliana cleared her throat. “Anything new on the investigations, the murders, finding Luci, or anything else that I should know?”
He pushed out a breath and grasped the rail at the end of the bed. “A possible lead. I need to know if you see those detectives, Wallace and Maloney.”
Eliana frowned. “Why, what’s up with them?”
“Just call me immediately if they come around. The rest of it we’re leaving to the FBI.”
“And Luci?”
His eyes lit with a note of grief he probably didn’t think she saw. But Eliana saw more than Carlos wanted her to—she was sure of that. “I have no idea where to find her,” he said. “Or even if she’s alive.”
One thing she knew? “We can’t give up hope.”
Even if that horrible woman, Sarah, had inferred Luci would pay a price for their actions, Eliana was going to trust that God had this whole situation in His hands.
She couldn’t believe Luci would willingly stay with those people.
She must’ve succumbed to some kind of brainwashing, or the powerful draw of a community of likeminded individuals, even if it would inevitably turn deadly.
No one could say they’d never fall victim to something like that.
It sounded too much like hubris, and that only led to destruction.
People had been duped throughout history by so many persuasive leaders. Manipulated into doing or saying things they never would have without the influence of a figurehead to follow. Those people probably never would’ve imagined it could happen to them.
“I’m not giving up hope. Ever.” He squared his shoulders. “I’ll be hounding the FBI and asking my own questions. We’ll find her.”
Eliana reached over and pulled the knife free of its sheath. “I’ll help.”
Carlos shook his head. “I don’t want you in danger.”
“I’m not going to sit here and do nothing.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Well, it’s too late for that, so you can let me help you.” Just saying it was terrifying, and all she had was sentiment. Facing the Reverence Sisters was another matter entirely. “I need my phone back from the police. They took it as evidence.”
“Your phone is evidence.” His expression softened. “You should probably just get a new one and have everything transferred over.”
“I need my phone. What if my mom calls?”
“I filled her in on everything. They’re wrapping up their case and then they’ll head here. But driving from Alaska to Chicago in the RV will take a week. At least.”
“Then we have a week to find Luci.”
Carlos smiled. “You should get some rest. Try to sleep tonight. I’ll come back tomorrow and take you home.”
“And sleep on my couch again?”
He nodded. “I’ll pack a bag and sleep on your couch.”
Relief loosened the knot in her chest. “Thanks, Carlos.”
“You’re family.” He knocked his knuckles on the tray table at the end of the bed and walked out.
Eliana leaned back on the pillow and realized she still had the knife in her hand. She sat forward and got it back in the sheath, then closed the lid. She put the box on the bedside table. Those were gorgeous flowers, which she hadn’t exactly thanked Carlos for.
Another lean back, and a sigh.
Closed her eyes, the haze of the overhead light still shining on her face. She needed Carlos to shut off the light on his way out.
“Knock-knock.” A light tap on the door drew her attention.
She opened her eyes and saw Tony standing in the doorway. “I’m not in the mood.”
A light chuckle was the only response, and despite what she’d just said, he came into the room anyway. Then sat in the seat that Carlos had tugged over, leaning back and lacing his fingers across his stomach.
Eliana sighed. “Shut off the light when you leave, okay?”
“I can do that.”
“Why are you here?” Eliana stared at the TV on the far wall, wondering if she would get any sleep tonight.
She should probably put the news channel on and pass some time being entertained by wild theories about the rapture at the Reverence Sister’s compound, and someone trying to poison the city to incite some kind of purge.
“I heard what happened in that apartment.”
Eliana shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You don’t need to. Sylvia got me a copy of the police report. I read your statement.”
“Then why come here?”
“Because I wanted to see for myself if you’re okay.”
She’d be lying if she claimed his presence didn’t have a calming effect on her.
Which was basically crazy given he’d attacked her. But this man seemed more like who Tony was. His stillness and the steady way he spoke projected the same through the room, until it settled on everything. Even her.
She said, “Feeling guilty?” He’d attacked her just a few days ago. But still, did she need to have an attitude with him?
“Should I?”
She rolled her eyes. “Sorry.”
“You don’t have to be in a good mood. You had a crazy day.”
“I don’t need to take my feelings out on you, though. Do I?” She smoothed down the blanket under her fingers, feeling the ridges in the woven fabric. “I’m worried about Luci and what they might do to her in retaliation.”
“That’s part of why I came. Because I do feel bad about what happened. I want to help.”
Eliana turned her head, leaning her cheek against the pillow, and looked at him.
“The Board of Governors meeting.” He let that sink in, then said, “They voted to aid you in finding your friend, Luci Ryson.”
Eliana frowned. “What about those people trying to break into the vault? Are they all dead now?”
“Far as the Board can tell, they work for a new player in town,” Tony said.
“Someone who wants access to what Dominatus deemed too dangerous for the public to know. Doctor Splitfield was working on one of the artifacts, and they believe he was killed because he had information about that and other items in the vault.”
“Did they take the artifact when they murdered him?” Eliana’s stomach clenched. “And how does this connect to my neighbor’s murder?”
“They don’t know that it does, and as far as inventory goes, nothing is actually missing.”
“So who killed him?”
Tony shifted in the chair. “That’s not something you need to worry about.”
“I’m supposed to presume it’s all taken care of and not worry my pretty little head, is that it?” She shook her head. “I don’t want to investigate or put myself in danger, but I’m also not going to do nothing. I’m not sure Carlos and I need their help finding Luci.”
“It could mean the difference in her survival.”
Eliana pressed her lips together.
“Their help isn’t something you turn down.”
She said nothing, not wanting to say out loud how she felt about that. It wasn’t going to come out eloquently right now, and she’d probably end up saying something she’d later regret.
“I knew your family. Once.”
Eliana frowned. “I don’t know you.”
“It was before you were born.” Tony sat forward, his forearms on his knees and his fingers laced in front of him now. His beard shifted. “I’m not going to do anything to hurt you. I made a promise to myself, and that’s why I’m here.”
“You can’t know what you’re going to do. All you have is wishful thinking.”
“No more walking home alone. The Shrine will set you up with a car and driver.”
“I’m a security guard, not someone on the Board or an important researcher.”
“We both know you’re a whole lot more than that.”
“Do I know that?” She didn’t have an answer.
“You’re important to me,” he said.
“You mean, my mother is important to you.”
“I used to have her respect, and your father’s.” Tony paused. “I’d like to earn it back.”
“Do me a favor?” she said. “Shut off the light when you leave, okay?”
“I can do that.”
Eliana closed her eyes.