Strangers in Danger

Chapter 9: Lucas

I had hoped that we had been forgotten. Not worth the effort. Instead, we were now more valuable. I heard the shower begin to run and took the opportunity to call Diane. Our history was complicated but I knew I could trust her and she had the resources to keep us safe. She was one of the few people in my life that knew I could read minds and that I used this ability to help me gamble.

I dialed the long remembered number expecting her to let it go to voicemail when something unfamiliar popped up on her caller ID. But she didn't and her voice caught me off guard.

"Hey, Diane. It's Luke." The silence on the other side of the phone was deafening. "Did I catch you at the office?"

"No, I, uh, don't work weekends anymore," she replied. "What's going on?"

I explained everything. Starting with getting caught, escaping with Cara, making our way to this motel and everything Cara found on the dark web. Diane asked few questions and listened through until the end.

I heard her take a deep breath and sigh. "I can probably arrange for a safe house, but it'll take a few days. Where are you?"

"I'd rather not say. The less people know, the better," I told her.

"Ok. Well, start making your way up towards DC. Stay off the highways and use back roads as much as you can. Don't stay anywhere longer than a couple of days. Be careful."

We hung up shortly after.

I found myself staring at the window. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow against the native trees. Lost in my own thoughts I hadn't heard the shower turn off and was almost surprised to see Cara coming out of the bathroom. She wore comfortable-looking flannel lounge pants that hung low on her full hips. A thin-strapped tank top cinched at her waist and showed off a colorful tattoo on her shoulder that spread down her bicep. She had washed her hair and pulled it up lazily with a hair tie. Her contacts were gone and librarian-style glasses donned her face.

She moved through the room, finding places for all of our belongings so that both beds were clear. Right, of course we're not sleeping in the same bed, I thought.

"Up for a movie?" She asked, unplugging her laptop and sitting down on the bed. "Stealing movies is like hacker 101."

"Winter Soldier?" I suggested, sitting down next to her and propping myself up with a few pillows.

"Sounds appropriate," she said as she opened up a few windows. "I actually own that one so we don't have to steal it."

"Man, what would I do if I got kidnapped with a girl who wasn't a Marvel nerd?"

Cara laughed and I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to know if she felt the same. I held back. I wasn't sure which was more tempting, kissing her or reading her mind to know if she wanted me to.

The movie started and Cara propped herself up next to me, the laptop resting between us on its case. It didn't take long for me to start dozing off and I quickly stopped fighting it.

A scream pierced through my sleep and I woke up with a start. My adrenaline surged through my body. Cara was still next to me, breathing heavily and crying. The laptop was still between us but the battery dead and the screen black. "Cara? Are you..." I never finished my sentence. She gasped and I was sent flying across the room into a wall. I groaned in pain as I stood up and turned on a light.

I kneeled down next to the bed and gently took her hand while also bracing for another flight. "Cara," I said quietly. "It's Luke. You're safe."

She inhaled deeply, "Are we though?" She sobbed.

"Right now, you're safe. At this moment we're safe," I squeezed her hand and continued to coax her through her panic attack. After about 15 minutes her breathing had slowed to a normal pace. Her face was wet and her eyes puffy but she had stopped crying. I fixed the pillow under her head and pulled the blanket over her. I took a step back toward the other bed and she grabbed my wrist.

"No. Please. Stay close," Her eyes suddenly filled with fear again.

I let my control down for a second and I heard her silent pleading in my head. I'm scared. I don't want to sleep alone.

I nodded, saying a silent apology for digging too deep. I climbed into bed next to her, my body just grazing hers. I could feel body heat radiating off her back. I tucked one arm under my head and slowly put the other around her. "Is this OK?" I asked.

She answered by sliding in closer so that her body was now touching mine. I could smell the lingering scent of her conditioner and the hotel bath soap on her skin. My arm found a comfortable spot resting on her ribs, just under the breasts. I heard her breathing begin to quiet. I could feel her heartbeat slow. She was finally calm and I began to fall asleep.