Eleven (Brandon Fisher FBI Series)

Chapter 33 & 34

Chapter 33

THE BANGING ON THE DOOR pulled me from a dream where Deb was crying and telling me she took back everything she had said. Deb lifted her shirt and there were slice marks in her torso. My breathing was rushed from the dream transformed nightmare.

The knocking on the door repeated. "Open up."

I got up from the bed and nearly tripped and fell flat on the hotel carpet when my foot got wrapped up in the comforter that lay spread on the floor. I undid the chain and opened the door.

"What took you so long? We have to go." It was Paige, and she was already dressed.

I turned around to look at the clock on the nightstand. In my fuzzy state, I seemed to have forgotten it was not visible from the door. "What time is it?"

"Six. Get dressed." She glanced down at my boxer shorts and smiled. "Do you own a six-pack of the plaid ones?"

Instinct wanted me to reply, you can find out if you want, but the reality was until I knew for certain Deb was gone, I was a married man. "I'll be out in five." I inched the door closed with Paige being pushed backward into the hallway.

I only had time to turn around and Paige banged on the door again. I didn't open the door but yelled out to her, "Five minutes."

And I was impressed that I had adhered to the time limit I gave myself. Five minutes later I opened the door dressed, armed, and ready to go. Paige wasn't as impressed. She was leaning against the far side of the hall. She pushed off with a foot when I came out.

"I need to tell you something. I should have told you yesterday."

"Sounds like a confessional."

She waved a hand. Her cheeks flushed a light hue. "It has nothing to do with last night. All the same I'd like to forget any of that happened."

The flash that fired through her eyes disclosed her pain. She didn't forget, nor did she want to. "Sure."

"I should have told you yesterday," she paused. "Jack's here."

"What—"

"Kid, you're up. Good thing we've got work to do."

My head snapped to face down the hall. Jack and Zachery were walking toward us.

Was this still part of my sleeping cycle? Was I having a continuing nightmare?

Paige leaned into me and whispered, "I should have told you yesterday."

"You knew?"

She nodded, and her eyes pleaded for forgiveness. "He told me when I took the call at the hospital."

"You knew," I repeated.

"You were going through something bad yesterday. You needed time to wind down."

We held eye contact until the other two reached us.

"Paige, good morning," Jack said.

"Morning." She dragged her eyes from mine to look at Jack.

"Pending." That seemed to suffice for Zachery's greeting.

"Why do you look like a deer in headlights, Kid? I'm sure Paige told you we'd be coming."

"Yeah, of course." The latter two words took a while to form. She did tell me but only after I knew.

"We're going to put this animal behind bars where he belongs. I understand local PD is guarding him." Jack patted his shirt pocket for his beloved pack of cigarettes.