Chapter 4
phone rang as they turned off their street onto the service road, headed towards the estate Fane’s parents were renting. She answered it without looking to see who it was.
“This is Lilly.”
“Lilly, it’s Jeff from the store,” she heard her employee say and she noticed that he sounded nervous.
“Jeff, is everything okay? You sound a little tense,” Lilly told him.
“Well, there is a little problem. We have an irate customer demanding to see you, saying something about being ripped off. He won’t go into details, but he is really angry and I didn’t know if I should call the police or what so I called you.”
“If he hasn’t hurt anyone don’t call the police, we don’t need to bother them with this if I can solve it by me coming up there and talking to the man. Give me five minutes and I will be there,” Lilly told Jeff.
Lilly hung up the phone and took the first turn that would lead to her bookstore.
“Mom, what’s up? Is everything okay at the store?”
“I’m not real sure. That was Jeff, he is one of my assistant managers, and he says there is an irate customer demanding to see me. Jeff seemed pretty apprehensive about it so I think I need to stop by, but I will make it quick.”
“It’s no big thing, wolf-man can wait a few moments. I’m not going to tell him we are making a detour, let’s make him sweat a little when I don’t show up exactly at 1:00,” Jacque said with a mischievous smile.
“I don’t think you and Jen should be allowed to hang out any more, Jacque, she’s beginning to rub off on you and I can’t handle more than one evil witch at a time,” Sally said sarcastically.
Jen rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with making the man sweat a little. I mean, come on, he did fake his death and nearly drive our sweet little Jacque out of her mind. All’s fair in love and war, baby.”
“Well, there is that,” Sally conceded.
They pulled up to the curb in front of the book store and all four of them piled out of the car. It was way too hot to sit in the car even with the air on and besides that Jacque didn’t want her mom facing some lunatic by herself. Once they were in the store, Lilly started looking around, expecting to see or at least hear this so-called irate customer, but there was nothing. Everyone in the store was quiet, perusing through the store, some talking softly to one another. She walked up to one of the employees and asked where Jeff was.
“He said he had to leave, something about an emergency,” the employee named Lisa answered.
That’s weird, Lilly thought. “Well what happened to the customer who was so upset?” Lilly asked.
“What customer? There haven't been any upset customers this morning.”
Although Jacque had noticed that she hadn’t been picking up emotions lately, she could feel something wasn’t right. “Mom, I’m not really liking the sense of this whole situation. Let's go, okay?” Jacque told her mother.
“Yea, I’m with ya, Jac. I’m getting a bad vibe,” Jen added
Lilly felt the same way; something was wrong. They needed to leave but she didn’t feel comfortable leaving the store open. She turned back to Lisa and told her to politely tell the customers there had been an emergency and that the store needed to close, and then asked her to lock up.
As they all got back into the car, Jacque couldn’t stop the chill that ran through her body. She was blocking her thoughts from Fane and even trying to block her emotions because she knew if he thought she was even in the tiniest danger, or that there was even a potential for danger, he would come flying to the rescue and she didn’t feel like the situation was that dire.
As Lilly began to pull away from the curb, Jacque asked, “So mom, what do you think that was about?”
“I’m not really sure. Jeff has always seemed honest. I don’t understand why he would lie about an irate customer,” Lilly answered.
“Maybe he’s one of those disgruntled employees who’s gotten his panties all in a twist because he didn’t get that raise he wanted. Or maybe he’s got one of those problems where you hallucinate and see things that aren’t there. Or maybe he’s on crack so he’s hallucinating and seeing things that aren’t there, or hmphmm -” Before Jen could continue, Sally slapped a hand over Jen’s mouth.
“We really need to work on that whole brain, mouth filter, Jen,” Sally said morosely.
“Hmm hmm hmming” Jen grunted around Sally’s hand.
“Yes, yes, we know you're just saying,” Jacque translated for her.
“Well, whatever his panties are in a twist about, as Jen so eloquently put it, they just became the least of his problems considering he lied to me and then left in the middle of his shift.” Lilly pinched her forefinger and thumb on the bridge of her nose. It was times like these that owning her own business seemed like the least brilliant of all her bright ideas.
Jacque was looking at her mom, seeing the tiredness seeping into her like water searching for cracks in a foundation when she heard Jen whistle.
“Check out that tall drink of somin, somin.”
All of a sudden Jacque heard a huge bang. Lilly began to swerve. She jerked the steering wheel to the right to compensate but it was too hard. The SUV began to spin and as they hit the ditch on the side of the road, the car began to roll. Over and over it rolled like a barrel down a hill until it finally came to an abrupt stop, landing upside down with its wheels in the air. Jacque was screaming, hell, they were all screaming. She could feel the passenger side door crush into her side, the side of the front dash slammed into her leg and she felt a bone shattering crunch shoot up her leg and the seat belt was like a noose across her neck. She was so confused she didn’t understand what had happened. Finally the rolling stopped and as the car came to a jarring halt Jacque felt her head hit the side glass window and then it was quiet.
For a few moments it was eerily quiet except for the rapidly growing fire crackling in the air, smoke rising like a beacon declaring their crash site to all around. Finally Sally groaned and began to try to move. She shifted her legs, experimenting to make sure she was still intact.
“Everyone okay?” It was she who spoke first.
“If by okay you mean are my ears ringing out of my head, is my leg all scrapped to hell, did my seat belt cut a gash in my neck, and did our stinking car just do the tango down the side of a ditch, then yes Sally, we are okay,” Jen answered.
When Jen didn’t hear Jacque respond with a snarky come back she knew something was seriously wrong.
“Jacque, are you with us?” Jen asked. There was still no answer.
Then Sally spoke up. “Ms. Pierce, are you okay?”
“I hit my head pretty hard but otherwise I'm good,” Lilly answered. She looked over at Jacque in the passenger seat and saw that she was unconscious, very pale and had blood trickling down her face. Lilly sucked in a deep breath and let it out slow as she reached over, hand shaking, to check for a pulse and although she could feel one she didn’t think it was as strong as it should be.
Just then they all jumped as a loud popping sound erupted, drawing their attention to the front of the car. The engine was on fire and the flames seemed to be growing hotter and getting taller.
“Ok, so I’m thinking that’s not a good thing,” Jen said, her voice quivering despite her resolve to hold it together.
“Jen, I must say your powers of observation astound me,” Sally said dryly.
“Dammit girls, neither of you are helping with the smart ass remarks,” Lilly growled, which was completely out of character for her. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for,” she told them.
“It’s okay Ms. P. Not many of us handle being burned alive very well, it’s a little traumatic,” Jen said, trying to lighten the mood, “Okay, here is what we are going to do.” Jen started taking charge, realizing that Lilly was going into shock and Sally was, well, being Sally. “Ms. P, I need you to get your seat belt off and crawl to the back seat to climb out because the fire is going to keep you from climbing out the front. Sally, you need to get your seat belt off as well and crawl out your window. I’m going to crawl to the front next to Jacque and help get her turned so we can slide her out of her window. Sally I need you to go around and pull her from the outside.”
“But what about the fire? We will get burned. How will we slide her? What if her neck is broken? You aren’t supposed to move someone who might have a spinal injury. What, OWWW HOLY CRAP! What was that for, you psycho cow?” Sally screamed as she placed a hand across the cheek Jen had just slapped.
“GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, MAN! Do what I tell you. We can’t worry about her spine because it won’t matter if she burns to death, dammit!” Jen yelled, snapping Sally out of her spaz attack.
“Okay, okay. I’m good. I just needed a minute to lose it but I’m good now,” Sally said as she began to climb out the passenger side window. Lilly was also making her way to the back seat to climb out the window. She didn’t say anything, she was moving on auto pilot, numb from shock. Once Sally and Lilly had made it out and Sally was going around the back of the SUV, Jen began to climb to the front of the vehicle.
“Jacque babe, you with me?” Jen asked gently, pushing Jacque’s fallen hair from her face. Jacque didn’t respond. “Okay, chickadee, here is what’s going to happen.” Jen was talking to Jacque as if she were conscious because it was the only way she could keep from falling apart. She couldn’t believe this was happening, couldn’t believe that her spunky friend was lying limp, all spark gone out of her. “I’m going to grab you under your arms and turn you so your legs are facing the passenger window, then Sally is going to grab your legs and help me drag your ass out of this royally screwed SUV. Do you hear me, Jacque? You have to be okay, you have to be because someone has to argue with me, and tell me when I’m being a pervert. Jacque, Fane will go crazy without you and we both know how much damage a crazy ass werewolf can do.” Jen continued to talk out loud to Jacque as she began to reach around her, sliding her right hand behind her back and underneath her right armpit. She then slid her left arm under Jacque’s left armpit, and bracing her back against the side of the driver’s seat to gain leverage, she lifted and began to turn Jacque’s body. “Holy crap, your little frame is deceiving, hoss. Did you hear that, Jacque? I basically just called you a fat ass, so wake up and chew me out already!” There was nothing but silence to answer Jen’s monologue. Sally was trying to get close enough to grab Jacque's legs but the flames from the engine kept jumping out. Sally almost felt like they were alive and determined to keep her friends trapped in the burning tomb.
“Jen, what do I do? The flames are going to burn all of us if we pull her out,” Sally yelled over the roaring fire.
Jen was wracking her brain for ideas, knowing time was running short. “Hey Sally, is there water anywhere in that ditch?” Jen asked, remembering that it had recently rained. She watched as Sally took off at a run. As Sally ran, Jen temporarily let go of her burden and stripped off her shirt. Good thing she had decided to go with a sports bra today. Then as gently as she could, which wasn’t very, but crap the car was on fire, she pulled Jacque’s jacket off.
Sally was back, winded. “Yes, there’s water.” She was bent over, hands on her knees, gasping with all the smoke swirling around.
Jen threw her shirt and Jacque’s jacket at Sally. “Take off your shirt and take these and get them wet, then put your shirt back on and then throw me these two back. We will cover Jacque’s body in them to protect as much of her as possible as we pull her out.”
“What about you?” Sally worried
“DAMMIT SALLY JUST GO!” Jen hated yelling at her but she had to keep her focused, she was also beginning to realize that she cursed a whole lot more when she was under pressure. Oh well, could be worse, Jen thought.
Sally was back, dripping wet in her shirt. She threw the jacket and shirt to Jen and did her best to cover Jacque. She figured her face and stomach, where there were vital organs, would be the most important which left Jacques arms partially bear and her legs completely uncovered, but it couldn’t be helped. Jen once again got her arms underneath Jacque’s armpits and lifted. Sally grabbed Jacque's legs and on Jen’s count of three Sally pulled and Jen pushed. With strength that neither could have ever dreamed they got Jacque’s limp form moving forward out of the window. Jen saw the flames leap forward and scorch Jacque’s legs. She figured this would wake her friend up but Jacque never stirred. Finally, Jacque's upper body was making it through the window which put Jen directly in the line of fire, literally. Jen felt the flames on her bare skin and couldn’t help the scream that forced itself from her lungs. The flames hitting her skin acted like a whip slashing her forward into motion. She heaved with all her might, lunging forward, but just before she could get her and Jacque far enough from the flaming SUV, there was a huge boom, a flash of light, searing pain, and then Jen saw no more.
Sally screamed as the engine exploded; the smell of gasoline permeated the air. She suddenly felt part of Jacques body go slack and she realized the explosion had pushed Jen forward and onto her stomach. Both of her friends were unconscious and laying on the ground next to a burning vehicle.
“MS. PIERCE!” Sally yelled. When she didn’t get a response she turned, looking for Jacque’s mom. Finally she saw her through the haze of smoke billowing from the burning vehicle, sitting and staring into the flames, her face as blank as a freshly painted white wall. “LILLY! GET UP AND GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE AND HELP ME!” The urgency and desperation in Sally’s voice snapped Lilly out of her shock and she ran over, realizing what was happening.
“Grab Jen’s arms, flip her on her back, and start pulling as fast as you can. Don’t worry about her skin, it will heal. We have to get them as far away from that vehicle in case it blows again.” Lilly jumped into action, finally realizing that the stuff had hit the fan and she had to pull it together.
“Okay, okay, let's do this,” Sally said as she grabbed Jen and flipped her on her back and began to pull and walk backwards as fast as she could.
Lilly grabbed Jacque by the arms and began to drag her back away from the flames as well. When they had finally gotten a good distance away, they fell down next to the two unconscious forms. Sally immediately checked to see if Jen was breathing. She was, but it sounded labored. Both girls were severely burned, but they were alive, and at that moment that was all that mattered. Sally could hear sirens blaring and figured somebody who had seen the smoke must have called 911. The sirens seemed really close but that wasn't what she saw first. Suddenly through the smoke Sally saw a form racing towards them, moving faster than she thought possible. Fane came to an abrupt stop in front of Jacque’s prone, still form. He knelt down next to her and, taking a deep breath, he let out a mournful howl of sadness and fury.