Dissolve (30 page)

Hours later, all the snacks were gone and the night was already drifting into the day. The sun was rising in the east and I had to have Nessa pull the visor down just to keep it out of my eyes. I didn’t want to search around in back for my sunglasses. It seemed like way too much work at this moment.

The mountain scenery of Colorado was slowing to a hilly horizon and everything looked less rugged and somehow smoother in Kansas. The yellow tops of sunflowers began to filter through the fields as the hills diminished and the land opened into prairie. It had been hours since our last stop and I knew we needed gas soon.

“Hey Liam, how does our gas tank look?” I asked.

“We are getting low; I think we should stop in the nearest town. I need something to eat again,” Liam replied.

“That is an excellent idea, I am absolutely famished,” Nessa said.

“Yeah, I am too. I am parched as well, I could use a bottle of water right now,” Vienna responded.

We pulled into the nearest gas station with cars at it just off the highway. Liam went about filling the SUV with gas and we all tumbled out to stretch our cramped legs.

“Mia and I can go in and get some stuff,” Shane volunteered.

“Sounds good, I could use an energy drink too. I want to get to Colby before I stop driving,” Liam said looking towards them.

“Nessa, Cora, what would you guys like?” Mia asked as she opened up the door and stepped out.

“I would like a Frappuccino if you can find it,” Nessa replied.

“Make that two,” I added.

Shane followed Mia out into the warm summer day and headed hand in hand into the convenient store. I was still stuck on the idea of them tracking us and shivered at the thought. We had to look for a tracking device or something. I had thought about it a lot in the past hours and came to the same conclusion over and over.

“Hey guys, we should look for some sort of tracking device. Maybe they are tracking us, but we can’t be too sure unless we look,” I said.

“Okay, what have we had this whole trip that could hide a tracking device?” Noah asked.

“Maybe it is hidden in our clothes,” Nessa said.

“They were in our room while we were out a while back. It is completely plausible. How on earth will we know?” I replied, looking down at my own clothes in suspicion.

Everyone began to check their clothes, paranoid now. Noah went around the side of the vehicle and turned toward to the back. He swung open the back door and began to search our bags. Five minutes later we were still searching with no luck. Shane and Mia still hadn’t returned and I was starting to wonder if they got lost.

“Hey Vienna, could you go and check on the love birds inside? They are taking forever.” I asked her.

“Sure, I guess. I could use a minute to stretch my legs anyways,” she said nonchalantly.

I watched as Vienna came left her perch standing near the back side door. My eyes were fixed on her all the way until she disappeared into the store. Then, my eyes flicked to Noah.

“Are you having any luck?” I asked.

“No, but you are right. There has to be one somewhere. They aren’t omnipotent. We just have to find it, which is next to impossible,” Noah said with a sigh.

“If anyone has any more ideas, we would be open to them,” I replied.

“I’m tapped out, we already covered the obvious places,” Liam spoke up.

“Damn, if we could just figure this thing out,” Nessa said.

Then a thought occurred to me. It was absolutely brilliant and more than likely the source of a tracker. “Hey guys, I think I might know where the tracking devices are,” I said.

Intrigued, Noah looked up and watched me intently. “Where do you think they are Cora?”

“The one thing we have held onto each time we were found, is the note cards. There must be a microchip hidden in the raised blue emblem on the back of them. That is the only thing I could think of that is plausible,” I replied solemnly.

“You’re right, let me check,” Noah said. He started sifting through the contents of the bags until he found the cache of note cards. He studied one for several minutes before bending one at the emblem.

Sure enough, the embossing cracked to show a tiny microchip underneath. His eyes looked worried when they met mine. “Damn, you were right. We need to leave them and get the hell out of here. There is no telling where they will show up next.”

Nessa frowned and peered toward the gas station window. “They sure are taking a long time in there. Maybe Liam and I need to hurry them along.”

“Good idea, let’s go,” Liam said.

Noah and I were still in shock over the discovery of the microchip. He was still pulling up notecards and checking the embossing for any more microchips. There was one in each and every note card. How could we have been so stupid? We were leading them to us every time, none the wiser.

Noah pulled out each microchip and placed them on the cement. Then he twisted his foot down, effectively crushing them. I sighed in relief as they were destroyed. His brown eyes lifted and I saw the worry in them. He was truly shaken. I couldn’t blame him. I was in a state of shock over this myself.

He came around the side of the vehicle and placed his hands on mine. His mouth was saying everything would be okay, but his eyes penetrated mine, showing me everything in a look. He was in love with me and I was falling for him whether I wanted to or not. Before my mind could catch up to my brain, Noah leaned in and brushed his lips against mine and I returned the kiss more ardently.

I lost myself in that kiss. He tangled his fingers in my short hair and I moaned slightly. I wanted him with a primal need that I couldn’t explain. Every molecule in my body wanted him, needed him. My heart was fluttering in my chest a mile a minute. I was so close to him, my hands at his hips, pulling him closer.

He finally broke away from the kiss, leaving me breathless. My lips were slightly pink and swollen from his lips on mine and I had to steady my breathing. I didn’t know what to say after that. There weren’t words to explain what just happened, so I changed the subject before he could comment.

“It is taking them forever. I don’t understand why they haven’t come out yet. Maybe we need to go in after all of them.”

“I hope nothing happened. Let’s go on in and peel them out from the tiny selection of cookies and candies,” Noah said before grasping my hand in his. He gently pulled me and we walked towards the store, unable to wipe the goofy smiles off our guilty faces. We faded out of the sunlight and into the dark recesses of the store.

As we stepped into the store, I became acutely aware of the silence. Something was definitely up. I broke from Noah and peered down the next aisle over from him. I passed the assortment of chips and cookies and found no one in the isle.

I was about to tell Noah, but I turned around to find him and wasn’t able to locate him. Maybe he just bent down to look at some candy; I rationalized even though I felt in the pit of my stomach true terror.

I turned the corner, my heart beating a million times too fast. A true picture of horror proceeded. Noah was lying on his back, unconscious. I rushed over to him and checked his pulse. It was weak, but still there. I was about to try and wake him when true hell broke loose.

We were in so much trouble. That was the last thought I had before the prick of a needle punctured my neck and a burning sensation ensued. I tried to turn and see my attacker, but my vision was too blurry and I just saw a silhouette behind me. That is when everything faded to black and I slid to the floor next to Noah.

Chapter 27:

It was a crisp fall day and Nessa walked briskly beside me on Main Street. I had buttoned my black pea coat shut and a plaid scarf was wrapped around my neck. The trees were brilliant colors of reds and yellows as the season was in mid change. I let out a pooled breath before we crossed the cobblestone path. We made it to the other side of the sidewalk and continued down the string of shops until we found one to go into.

We entered the Green Vixen and a small bell tinkled behind us. A younger woman with a warm smile looked up and offered us a good afternoon. We smiled in greeting and stepped further into the store. It smelled of lemongrass and I let it fill my senses. Soft sounds of Celtic music from the speakers flooded the store and set the ambiance.

I untied my scarf and walked over to the shop’s counter to order a tangy orange tea to warm up. I was freezing and the warmth of the store was slowly calming my tensed body. A hippie guy waited on me and took my order. He rang me up and began to assemble my hot tea. When he was finished, I thanked him and lingered over the steaming cup of tea. I sipped at the tea as I left Nessa to order and browsed over the section of books.

The store had such a wide selection of eclectic books. I wanted to find the perfect gift for my mom. She was one of those hippies from the seventies and was a practicing Wiccan. I always supported her and tried to buy her appropriate gifts. This store always had the best selection of modern practices for today’s Wiccan, as well as tools.

I pulled a teal book of the shelf and read the cover.
Wiccan rituals and rites
it read in a cursive font. I slid the book open and skimmed the pages. The book looked like the real deal and not just a tourist type book. Satisfied, I tucked the book under my arm and sipped my tea. I made my way to the incense and picked a sage scented group as well as the book.

Nessa walked up, tea in hand with a playful grin on her face. “Let’s buy an Ouija board. It could be so much fun Cora,” she pleaded.

I just looked at her and shook my head no. “Absolutely not, my mom taught me not to mess with forces we don’t understand. There are harmful and unclean beings that litter the spirit realm. Calling them forth only brings trouble.”

“Yeah, yeah party pooper. Let’s at least get some of this lemongrass incense, it smells awesome.”

I nodded in agreement and we took our selections to the front counter. The girl smiled as we walked up. “Welcome to the Green Vixen, did you find everything okay?” she asked.

“Oh yes, thank you. This is a great little store,” I said.

“Thank you, I try to keep a good selection of items for just about everyone,” she replied still smiling.

The woman ran up our items and gave me the total. I paid her and she placed the books in a bag before handing them to me. As we turned to leave, she said, “merry meet and merry part.”

We exited the store with another small jingle of the bell and stepped back out into the crisp fall day. I sipped at my tea as we walked down the sidewalk and headed back to our car. We crossed back over the cobblestone street and to the other sidewalk again. Once we reached the parking lot behind a string of shops, I unlocked the doors with my key fob.

We entered the car and shut the car doors. I went to look at Nessa to find her dimming and her silhouette flashed before disappearing completely, leaving me alone in the dark. I swiped at my eyes but couldn’t see a thing. Frowning, I went to open the car door and got nothing but air. That is when I began to truly panic as reality set in and the truth flooded back.

We were drugged. My eyes snapped open in a panic. I tried to peer around but it was useless in pitch blackness. “Hello?” There was no answer. Tears began to form in my eyes as I remembered the vision of Nessa and me. Things were so simple back then. The most complicated thing in our lives was work and men. I wept for Nessa and the times we had that are now lost to a future of uncertainty.

I tried to gather my strength as I began to feel my surroundings. I was on a cool concrete floor. I spread my hands out and moved them through the air, but felt nothing. Shakily, I stood and felt through the air again. There was nothing. I took a few steps forward, and felt again, but nothing. I went to take another few steps when I tripped on something and crumpled to a heap on the floor.

My leg burned from where I collided with something. I felt around and found a wooden crate of some sort. I probably had a large gash or scrape on my leg from it. I just prayed it wasn’t bleeding. This was truly my worst nightmare. I couldn’t imagine a fate worse than this. Everything was so uncertain and I was just a mere pawn in this morbid game of chess.

I felt the ground around me and touched on something else. Upon further examination, I felt the cloth and finally a body. I slid my hands across it to find a pulse. The skin was cool and pallid, but there was a weak pulse. I sighed in relief that I was not alone. I felt around the body to discover it was a man. I felt the six o’clock shadow and short hair, but he didn’t even stir.

I shook the man and cried, “Please wake up.”

There was still no response. I brought my head to his chest and cried. This man was my only hope at this point and he was unconscious. I hoped it was Noah, but I wasn’t positive. All the guys needed to shave and it could be someone else completely. That didn’t stop me from uncontrollable sobs. I was wiping at my eyes when I heard a voice.

Relief flickered through me and I said “Hello” once again.

The voice responded. “Who is there?”

The voice was shaky but I recognized it. “Mia? It is Cora.”

“Cora?” she replied.

“It’s me, are you okay? Can you follow my voice and reach me?”