Aris Returns (28 page)

“Yeah, I know.” She glanced at Sarah, then into the rear view mirror and back to the
road. “If you know anything I should know, please tell me.” The trees whizzed past,
their trunks black against the bright green foliage. “I want to help him too.”

“I don’t quite know what you mean.” Sarah was evasive. She knew it was obvious.

“Just don’t keep things from me trying to protect him. It’ll take a village to keep
that guy out of trouble. And I’m a part of his tribe.”

“I know you are.” She turned to look out the window. “I know you are.”

#

They sat comfortably across from one another, her desk between them. “Carlos, have
you heard anything else from the gang?” Her voice was a lot calmer than she felt.

“Not really.” He hesitated. “Well, yeah. Some of the guys came by the store the other
night. They still want me to help them do a job on the market.”

She stood quickly.

“Don’t worry about it. I think they want me involved in another theft so they don’t
have to worry about me spilling my guts to the cops. I know more about them than anybody
else and it scares them I might tell you or Colleen. I made sure they understood that
I’m still a brother to them and I won’t squeal about anything.”

“A brother to them?”

“I told you, they were family to me when I didn’t have one.
Nothing is going to change that, nothing is going to turn me against them. I may not
be one of the gang anymore but I’m still tied to them. I always will be.”

“After all this work you still don’t see that you’re different from them?”

“Yeah, different but no better, Sarah. I just got lucky when I met Colleen and you.
I told you, you’ve shown me I can be something worthwhile in my life if I just keep
on going forward. Nothing is going to get in the way of the promise I made to you.”
He smiled. “Look I haven’t gone nuts once since I’ve been seeing you. Talk therapy
and those regressions have helped me calm down and see myself more than you know.”

“How have the regressions helped you? I still mostly think Aris is just a figment
of your imagination stemming from all the horror movies you’ve seen in your life.”

He downed the last drop from the can of soda he held in his hand, crushed it and placed
it on the edge of her desk. “You keep saying that but I don’t think I’ve got that
kind of shock theatre in me, Sarah. I don’t know where he came from or what kind of
subconscious evil seed he is, but he’s some kind of bad.”

“You sound as if you like having him around.” She leaned forward in her chair, opening
his file.

“Yeah. Are you going to write this down?” Smiling at him, she picked up her pen. “Okay,
yeah. I do like having him around. It’s like having this really macho big brother.
Nobody would mess with me if they knew about Aris.” He chuckled.

He watched her make notes for a few minutes. When he spoke, the tone of his voice
was very different. “You know, sometimes I think it’s him that you’re interested in.
I mean, we spend a lot of sessions talking about him or talking to him. I thought
a shrink would be more interested in their patient, not some figment of somebody’s
imagination as you called him.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. The reason we began this therapy was for
you, to help you.” She laid her pen on her desk, closing the file, lifting her eyes
to meet his.

He stared at her. “Yeah, well that’s how it started. But I’m not so sure it’s the
same equation now, is it Sarah?”

“Carlos, it’s impossible for you to be jealous of a two thousand year old vampire.”

“Is that right, Sarah? Are you sure that’s right?” He stood, reaching for the soda
can. He threw it in the wastebasket. “Well, I’m not so sure.” He walked to the door,
turned and looked at her one final time. “I’m not so sure at all.”

#

“Thank you for seeing me, Miss Hagan.” Isabella sat on the edge of the chair, twisting
a handkerchief in her hand. Sarah couldn’t remember the last time she saw anyone carry
a cloth handkerchief. There was something dignified about it.

“Please, Isabella, please call me Sarah.”

The older woman looked over Sarah’s shoulder at the city outside the window. Sarah
saw fear and sorrow in her eyes. She stood and walked around her desk. She stooped
down next to the chair where Carlos’ mother sat.

“What is it? Can I help you?” Her voice was soft, filled with compassion.

“Oh Sarah, I am so afraid.” She dropped the handkerchief into her lap, bursting into
tears, she buried her head in her hands.

“What is it? We’ll figure it out.” She wrapped her arms around Isabella. Sarah held
her gently until her sobs quieted.

“There was a dead dog on our front porch this morning. And a note.” She handed the
envelope to Sarah.

She opened it and read. “This is what will happen to your son if he doesn’t come through.”
She folded it and put it back in the envelope. “Did your husband see this?”

“No, no.” She shook her head as she spoke. “I buried the dog before he came home.
I hid the note. He must not see it. He will go to the police and those bad people
will kill my Carlos.” Her voice broke as she spoke.

Sarah pulled several tissues out of a ceramic container. She handed them to Isabella,
waiting until she was calm once again.

“Don’t worry Isabella.” Brushing the dark hair out of the woman’s eyes, she assured
her, “I’ll handle this. Nothing is going to happen to Carlos. There are too many people
who care about him right now.” Isabella’s hands were cold as Sarah took them in her
own warm ones. “I promise you. Carlos is going to be alright.” She smiled what she
hoped was a confident smile.

“Now you just sit here while l go into the other office to get you a drink of water.”
Sarah stood, moving toward the door. Just before she reached for the handle, she turned.
“Are you going to be okay for a minute?”

Isabella sat up straight in the chair. “Yes Sarah, with your help we will all be okay.”

#

“Carlos doesn’t want me to tell anybody what’s going on but I don’t know what to do.
If I tell him about the dog, he’ll confront them. Then who knows what will happen.”

“Crap. Let me talk to Bob. Maybe we can work this on the outside and not bring anyone
into it.” A car horn honked twice just before Sarah heard Colleen curse under her
breath. “Why do all the lousy drivers always get in front of me?” She honked again.
“Look, don’t mention it to him. Let me see what I can do before we bring him into
it. Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it. Got to go.”

“Bye,” Sarah spoke to an empty line then looked at the dead phone in her hand. She
sighed, put the phone down and picked up the book that lay open on the sofa next to
her. A loud crash of thunder threatened rain as Sarah leaned back onto the soft
cushions. She stretched her legs along the seat, crossing her ankles. “Everything
is going to be okay. I’m sure of it. I just have to believe it. I will believe it.
No. I do believe it. I’m not going to think about it anymore right now.”

She leaned over the coffee table to grab her tea. “I might as well learn all I can
about the sixteenth century since it looks like I’m going to be hanging around there
for a while.” She spoke out loud to no one, wrapped her hand around her warm mug,
tipped it to her lips and finished drinking the amber liquid. She let the empty cup
rest on the pillow next to her as she began to read. The rain commenced with a soft
shower then suddenly fell in torrents. Huge drops pounded on the deck as her eyes
grew heavy and she drifted into sleep.

#

She felt the power of his muscular legs as the black stallion galloped into the wind.
Her long blond hair blew wild behind her and her blue velvet riding skirt flapped
in the blast of warm air. It was a glorious summer day. The sun shined down on the
rich green fields of the King’s hunting grounds. She had left the royal hunt to feel
the freedom of a ride without the eyes of the court constantly watching her. The baying
of the dogs grew distant as she urged her horse to run faster and faster. She laughed
as her horse jumped one gully after another.

Suddenly a boar ran just in front of the horse. Surprised and frightened, the huge
animal slammed to a halt, pawing wildly in the air. She fell as he took off across
the meadow at full gallop.

Standing and taking note, she found she was uninjured. A bit bruised and a great deal
chagrined but without any broken bones or blood. She brushed her skirt free of weeds
and grass. She sighed as she was about to begin the long walk back to the hunting
lodge when the sound of hooves pounding on at a great speed reached her ears.

She turned in the direction of the clatter and saw a rider racing toward her from
the thick forest to the east of her meadow. As the horseman approached, she saw he
wore a mask over his eyes and was dressed all in black from his boots to the cloth
that held his long, dark hair in a thick braid at the base of his neck.

He swept her onto his horse, holding her tightly against his chest and turned to race
back into the forest. She fought like a demon but he held her steady. She tried to
twist out of his grip but he just laughed and his laughter was carried away on the
wind.

In one quick moment, they reached the forest and he slowed his mount to a steady walk.
She felt the warmth of his broad chest behind her and his heavy breath against her
hair. She shivered in terror. “Fear not my beautiful lady,” he whispered in her ear.
She wasn’t sure if it was he or the wind. “No harm will come to you.”

The trees parted and before them was a glade of flowers and tall grass. He dismounted,
lifting her easily to the ground. She spun out of his grasp and began to run. He seized
her hair and wrapping his hand in it, brought her into him. His free arm wrapped around
her tiny waist as he held her close. His lips met hers in a demanding kiss. For a
moment she fought him, beating against his chest with her small fists but he held
her firm, his lips burning into hers. His clothes and hair carried the scent of the
forest. His mouth tasted of the fresh streams that flowed through the dense greenery.
Her knees buckled and still he kissed her. The fight left her and she moaned as the
tip of his tongue traced the soft flesh inside her lower lip. Her body was a bed of
hot coals.

He swept her into his arms and carried her to a soft hill of earth and leaves under
a huge oak tree. It was there he began to undress her. When she was nude, he spread
her skirt and rested her porcelain body on its soft folds. Her hair surrounded her
head in a halo of spun gold. Quickly he disrobed, his manhood alert and strong. His
mask still tied firmly to hide his face.

She reached to draw him to her but he held off. He plucked a blade of soft grass and
began to stroke her long strong legs. She moved languidly beneath his touch. She was
hardly aware when the grass became his hands. He pressed her flesh with his fingertips
then slowly began to part her legs. His hand rested sweetly on her mound as he lowered
his lips to her warm firm abdomen. His tongue traced lines of fire and ice.

A loud crash of thunder was followed by the crash of the tea mug as it hit the floor.
Sarah jumped awake, knocking the book onto the floor. Her breath came in jagged gasps
and her heart was beating as if to leave her chest. “My God, I’ve got to get a sex
life. This is too real.”

She brushed her hair from her face as she stooped to pick up the pieces of the shattered
mug.

B
ob appeared a lot taller than he was standing next to Colleen. He was at least six
feet, but she was so tiny he looked like a giant. His dark hair cut in a crew cut
matched her spikes almost as if they planned it that way. His shirt was open at the
collar and his wedding ring was his only jewelry. He was handsome in a rugged sort
of way.

Colleen dished the pasta onto their plates as he filled their glasses with wine.

“I checked up on this guy, Manu. It seems he’s the head honcho and one mean sucker.”
He wiped the lip of the bottle with a napkin then placed it on the table. “He’s been
nothing but trouble; a huge instigator for most of the gang related crime in his neighborhood
and who knows where else.“

He took a bite of his dinner. “Hey babe, this is great. Where did you order from?”

Colleen’s smile was smug, “I didn’t order, I cooked.”

Bob grinned and Sarah was shocked, but happy Colleen was beginning to be domesticated.
She wasn’t sure her friend would ever settle completely into her new life as a wife,
however marriage seemed to agree with both of them. Seeing them together brought back
memories and kindled a desire to once again be one half of
a couple. She quickly put the thought out of her mind reminding herself that she and
Jeff were never like Bob and Colleen. She sipped her wine.

“Anyway, this guy has a record of petty crime. He’s been under suspicion of some heavier
stuff but we’ve never been able to prove anything to put him away. Does this woman
have any way of proving it’s Manu who put the dog on her porch?”

“No, there was a note but it was typed. She’s scared. Her husband is a real hot head
and she’s worried he’ll get Carlos in trouble if she tells him anything about it.”