Chapter 30 Skin and Bones by. David Kushner
Jackie
After a very boring yet busy morning at the hospital, I was home. Well, I guess Will’s home, but I knew he would refuse to let me sleep at home alone ever again. I was okay with it. He even had my cat Jedi settled into the library here.
I sat on the couch in the living room and watched the rain through the windows. It was a beautiful day, the perfect kind of day, but I felt… off. The doctors said I would feel this way for a while. My body had been through a lot and it would take a long time for the shock to wear off.
Truthfully, my body felt fine. I felt tired and hungry, but other than that I was fine.
It was my mind that couldn’t seem to stop running.
The doctors explained that I had been awake for days when they had found me.
It would explain the memory loss about what had happened.
What it didn’t explain were the dreams I remembered.
None of them made a lot of sense, but they were clear.
I hadn’t told anyone the details, they would probably think I was insane.
There were moments from the dreams I couldn’t explain. Things Nate said that I couldn’t have come up with.
I asked Kai this morning if he had called Nate before Nate’s accident. Kai was shocked I knew and told me yes. He hadn’t told anyone. Not even Theo knew. So how did I? It was small things like that, that made no sense.
I took another sip of the chai Theo had made me when we got to Will’s. No one really knew how to help me, but were all trying in their own ways. Theo was constantly trying to feed me, Kai had made it his duty to make sure Will’s house was safe. Will refused to leave my side.
I turned to look at him as he sat next to me and graded papers.
Apparently he had barely worked in the last month and not at all this last week.
His TA showed up this morning with the stack of papers, dropped it in Will’s hands and stomped away.
Will had his glasses on and a short-sleeve shirt on so his tattoos were on full display.
I was happy with him wanting to stay close.
He made me feel safe.
Sarah and Oliver were here as well. Sarah was playing with Violet on the living room floor. Oliver was with Theo. If the bickering I heard was any indicator, they were getting along as usual.
The only person I had yet to see was Fai.
I sighed thinking about him. I hated where things were with us, but I did know Sarah said I still had a job. At least I would see him there. They all said he felt guilty for how we left things and didn’t know how to make it right.
I had an inclination that there was something else going on. The last month we had been more distant because of this case, but the last almost year had been different as well. I hadn’t noticed it at first and in the moment, but looking back, he had seemed… different.
“Sunshine?”
I looked up to see Will staring at me with his gorgeous blue eyes. They were lighter today, almost clearer. “Yeah?”
“I love you.”
I smiled.
Damn was I lucky to have him. Theo explained all he did to find me. He was apparently a force to be reckoned with. He also had barely slept or eaten the entire time. I hated hearing that. Kai said he actually broke Griffin’s hand as well. I fully supported that.
“I know.”
“Did you just Han Solo me?” he asked, faking offense. He even had a hand over his heart. Bless his dramatic flair.
“Yeah, I did,” I responded with a smile.
“Oh you’re going to get it!” he joked as he lunged and pulled me down on the plush rug with him. He tickled me relentlessly as I laughed beneath him.
“Oof.” I looked up to see Violet on his back.
“I’ll save you, Auntie Jack!” she yelled with passion. I watched as Will faked being taken down by my five-year-old niece. At one point he even had a dramatic death scene.
I scooped her up in a hug and held her tight. “You saved me.”
She smiled before sobering quickly.
“What’s wrong, Vi?” I asked, concerned by the change in behavior.
“Are you going to save me?” she asked quietly.
“Of course.” I responded without hesitation. “I’ll always save you.”
She gave me a kiss on the cheek and wiggled out of my arms onto the floor before running to play with Sarah again.
“What was that about?” Will asked as he threw his arm around my shoulder. His beard was a bit longer than usual and his hair had grown out longer as well. I liked it. He seemed more relaxed like this.
“Not sure. I think me going missing was just hard for her.”
“It nearly killed me,” he whispered.
I wrapped my arms around his torso and hugged him tight. “I promise I won’t get kidnapped by a psychopath and cult ever again.”
I felt his chuckle. “Sounds perfect.”
“I’m going to have to get used to all of this gross PDA, aren’t I?” Kai asked as he entered the living room and dropped on the couch.
“Yep,” I responded with a smile. “At least while you’re here.”
“About that…” he began.
“What?” Theo asked as she came in and sat next to him.
“You know how I put in those transfer papers?” he asked. I nodded, urging him to continue. “I got approved.”
“That’s incredible!” I beamed, still hugging Will. “Where are you going?”
He smiled at Will for a moment before answering. “Here.”
“What?” “How?” Theo and I asked in unison.
Will cleared his throat before answering. “That was me, I guess. On the flight back from New York he mentioned how he wanted to be closer to you and Theo. Especially now that Theo is moving here as well. So I made a few calls.”
“You called the US Army to make sure my brother got transferred here?” I asked in shock.
“Jack, your boyfriend over there could probably call anyone, drop his name, and get whatever he wants,” Kai explained.
“It helps when I don’t specify if I’m William Bly Sr. or William Bly Jr.” Will chuckled out as he looked down at me. “Are you mad?”
This man may be powerful, but I held the power in the relationship.
“Not one bit,” I responded as I went on my tiptoes to kiss him.
“Wait…” Sarah interrupted. “So Ophelia, Theodora, and you, Malachi, will all be here? In Eugene?”
“Yeah?” Kai responded. “And why the long names?”
She waved his second question off. “You’ll get used to it. Does anyone realize the potential significance here?”
We all shook our heads no. Sarah just sighed.
“Ophelia, did they tell you the street you were found on?” I shook my head no. “It was the same street Joey was found on.”
I heard everyone’s intake of breath. “Now we know the Cult seems to have some operation set up here. They took Joey and you and deposited you both in the same spot. That can’t be a coincidence,” she explained.
“Griffin, who we think is part of the cult, said you were an Advocate and so was Malachi. This means two of the four supposed Advocates will be within miles of each other.”
“Fuck,” Kai muttered under his breath. I felt the same way when it all clicked into place.
“What? I don’t understand?” Theo asked.
“Remember what Mom and Dad said when we were there? About the plan and the roles we played? The four of us?” I asked her.
“Are you saying…” Theo began.
“Kai, Theo and Jackie are who the cult has chosen as Advocates, that’s your role to play,” Will answered for me. “And Nate was the fourth.”
“But he’s dead. So does that mean they’ll replace him?” Kai asked. “And with who?”
We all sat in silence as we pondered that very thought.
However, I wasn’t so sure he would be replaced.
I wasn’t so sure Nate was dead.