No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find my way back. I was lost in the darkness, unable to move or speak, and it was driving me crazy. To make matters worse, I knew my brothers were there in the room with me. I could hear them talking, but I couldn’t make out the words. They were speaking in just above a whisper, making it impossible to grasp what was being said. I tried to concentrate, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t understand. Regardless, I could still tell there was something wrong. It was in the tone of their voices and the tension I felt hovering in the room. I desperately wanted to know what was going on, but I was trapped in the darkness, unable to reach the surface. I was becoming more and more frustrated, and it only got worse when I heard someone’s cellphone ring.
Seconds later, I heard Clutch’s voice. “No change. He’s still out, but his stats are looking better.” He paused for a few seconds, then continued, “Yeah. Stitch is looking into those leads right now. Hopefully he’ll find something we can use to get these motherfuckers.” There was another pause, this one much longer, before he said, “It has to be someone local, and they had to have someone on the inside to find out the location of our drop. Whoever it is, we will find them.”
I had so many questions that I wanted answered, but no answers came—just bits and pieces of information I couldn’t decipher. I tried to fight my way out of the darkness, but I was too tired. The fog was too thick.
Before he hung up, Clutch said, “We’ve got him covered. Bear will be here with him while we’re gone, and Doc messaged that he’s coming in the morning.”
Bear was one of our prospects. He’d gotten his road name for being in a piss-assed mood every morning. With his burly build and thick beard, he reminded us of a grumpy black bear. I wasn’t surprised that he’d be keeping an eye on things. If anything went south, he’d be able to handle it. Once he’d arrived, I heard them spout off some orders, and then they left. With my brothers gone, an overwhelming feeling of desperation crept over me. Every minute, every hour that passed, it just got worse. There was nothing I could do to fight it.
Until she walked into the room.
There was a low rumble of someone talking, and then I heard footsteps approaching. “Hey there, handsome.”
The woman from the strip club was back, and I couldn’t have been more relieved. Her voice was like a beacon of light pulling me from my desolation.
“Thomas wanted me to check in and let him know how you were doing.” I could feel the palm of her soft, warm hand on my arm as she continued, “You’re already looking better. The swelling is going down a little. You’re starting to look like you again.”
I liked the warmth of her touch, and immediately missed it when she removed her hand and started moving away from the bed. Her voice grew faint, making it harder to understand what she was saying as she spoke. I heard the legs of a chair scoot across the floor, and then the soft sound of her voice started again. “I’ve been reading up on comas, and they say talking helps patients recover. No one really knows for sure, but I don’t see the harm in trying. Since I don’t really know what to talk about… I thought I’d read to you. I have to get this paper about the main character done by the end of next week, and I’ve only read a few chapters. It’s been really good so far. It might be one of my favorite books ever.”
I’d only seen her once, but I still remembered how beautiful she was. At that moment, she seemed like an angel from heaven, complete with wings and a halo. I became calm and peaceful just having her next to me. I’d seen my fair share of beautiful women, but it wasn’t just the good looks with her. She was a fighter with a fire inside of her like none I’d ever seen. I couldn’t deny it. I liked it, and having her in the room and hearing her voice—and just knowing she was there—was the only thing keeping me from completely losing it.
I had to wonder why she kept coming back to me. I feared for her safety and hoped she hadn’t put herself at risk by being there. I listened as she read to me about a lawyer in the south and his two kids. Something about the story made me think of my dad. I couldn’t remember the last time we’d actually talked—really talked. When I was a kid, most of our conversations fed into a hidden lecture, but more times than not, I deserved them. I thought back to the time when he’d caught me after I’d snuck out of the house. I came slipping in at four in the morning, and he was there waiting on the front steps when I walked up.
When I opened my mouth to give him some lame excuse for being late, he held up his hand. “I don’t want to hear it, Seth.”
I stood there feeling the impending doom as he glared at me in anger. There was nothing I could do but apologize. “I’m sorry, Dad. It won’t happen again.”
“You’re right about that.” He motioned me over to sit next to him as he calmly said, “I think it’s time you and I had ourselves a talk.”
I lowered myself down onto the last step and looked up at him. “She’s leaving in a few hours. I just wanted to see her before she left.”
“You were with Sarah?”
“Yeah. She’s going to Tennessee for two weeks to stay with her grandparents.”
“Is Sarah someone you care about?”
I sighed with aggravation. “She means everything to me, Dad. You know I’m crazy about her.”
“So, you think this girl is special… that she’s the one.”
“Of course, I do. You’ve met her. You know how incredible she is. She’s smart, beautiful, and funny. Her folks are good people. She’s the real deal.”
“So, I take it this is someone you could see yourself being with.”
I knew he was getting at something, but I had no idea what it was. Playing into his hand, I answered, “Yes, Dad. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“And you don’t think you should respect this girl you care so much about?”
“What do you mean? I do respect her. I love her, Dad.”
“Then, you have to show her.”
“I did show her,” I said with a smirk.
He shook his head with frustration. “You’ve got a lot to learn, son.”
“Come on, Dad. You’re making a big deal out of nothing. I just went over there to tell her goodbye. You know… spend a little time with her before she left. It’s no big deal.”
“Did you tell me or your mother you were going?”
“No.”
“Did her folks know you were there?”
My eyes dropped to my feet. “No.”
“You knew what you were doing was wrong. You broke the rules… rules that your mom and I set in place to protect you and her folks set to protect her. What do your actions say about you, Seth?”
“It says that I care enough about her to break the rules to see her.”
“Does that mean she’s the kind of girl that has boys coming over at all times of the night?”
My back stiffened as I turned to him in anger. “No! She’s not like that.”
“Then, why did you treat her like she was?” He placed his hand on my shoulder as he looked me in the eye. “You have to respect her enough to do the right thing… the right thing for both of you. Show her she’s worth that.”
“I didn’t think of it that way.”
He left me hanging as he sat there staring out into the darkness without saying a word. Finally, I asked, “So, I take it I’m grounded.”
“You got that right.”
The memory started to fade and my attention was drawn back to her when she said, “I think something bad is about to happen. Scout is awesome. If something happens to her, it will ruin this whole book for me… I hope I’m not boring you. Maybe we should try something else for a little while.”
Some time passed, and then she said, “This is one of my favorite songs. My dad used to play it all the time. He’d say it reminded him of me, and now it reminds me of him. I really miss him. He died last year, and it’s been hard not having him around. He was my rock, and it just hasn’t been the same without him.”
Her voice was low and filled with sadness, and there was no doubt her mood had grown somber. The room was suddenly filled with silence, and I started to think she’d left the room until another song started playing. There was no more talking, just one song after another.