Instinctual (22 page)

As Jake walked over to Kate’s side, her legs crumpled beneath her and she started to fall towards the floor before she disappeared for the second time in as many days. The last thing she heard was Jake cursing loudly.

Chapter Thirty-Six

“Fucking hell, Kate! You have to stop doing that!”

Jake didn’t panic as much this time though, as he came to the conclusion that both Kate’s disappearances had come about after she’d gone into shock. At least he hoped it was the case this time. He knew how close she was to losing her fight to live and it still worried him that she wasn’t by his side so he could stay connected to her.

Not knowing where she had gone, he decided to return to her apartment because the sun was about to come up and he was sure Robert would be leaving to resume his search shortly. He couldn’t afford any time looking for Kate when he needed to try and let Robert know where his daughter’s body lay. He would have to take matters into his own hands.

As he was just about to close his eyes and teleport away, he looked angrily at the sleeping Carlos and grunted, “Your day’s coming, asshole!”

The sky had started to lighten and when Jake appeared in Kate’s kitchen, Robert had arisen and was making a cup of coffee. He looked disheveled and washed out, as if the little sleep he had managed had done little to revive him.

Jake knew that his mentor would be sick with worry, as would any parent who loved their child the way Robert loved Kate. If Jake were a father he would be demented by now and didn’t know how Robert was keeping it together so well.

After watching Robert pour himself a mug of coffee, Jake followed the man into the living room, wondering how he was going to get his attention. It needed to be soon.

The two men sat side by side, Robert’s shoulders hunched as if carrying around the weight of the world. He clenched the mug like it was the only real thing he could grasp onto in that moment. It was a weird feeling being beside a man you had looked up to for so long, knowing they could neither see nor hear you. It gave Jake time to really study Robert and to remember the fun times back in the States. One of his sacred memories. The ball games they’d attended, just the two of them. An obsession with the same football team had immediately forged a bond that had seen them spend many a weekend day either at a live game or sprawled out on the sofa with beer and pizza. Those brilliant days seemed like a lifetime ago. He wished he could go back to that time and make different choices. If only.

Jake’s eyes left Robert to look around the room for something he could use to draw the man’s attention. He walked to the armoire and opened one of the glass doors, wondering if that’s all it would take. Turning to Robert, it appeared not. Kate’s father was still heavily engrossed in whatever deep thinking had overcome him, still staring into his mug.

Jake lifted up a statue of a brown and tan dog and walked back over to Robert, sitting down and placing the dog directly in front of Robert so that he had no option but to see it.

Robert flinched, spilling his hot coffee all down the front of his shirt, yelling as the liquid soaked through to his chest and stomach. “Ahh, shit!” He patted his shirt a few times, pulling it away from his skin, never taking his eyes of the dog.

“What the Goddam?” He picked it up and turned it over in his hands. “That did not just happen. I’m seeing things. I’m still suffering jet lag.”

Jake snickered at the sight of the big, tough cop out of his element. “Welcome to my world, Rob.”

Placing the dog back on the table, Rob took a swig out of his half empty coffee mug and dropped his head to his chest. “I really need a vacation. I’m starting to lose it.”

Jake could tell that Rob was going to dismiss the dog as his own mind playing tricks on him so he looked for something else he could use. Before he could find anything, Robert downed the rest of his coffee and made a move to the bathroom, unbuttoning his stained shirt as he went.

Perching on the edge of the tub, Jake watched Robert turn on the shower faucet, undress, and step in as he wondered how he was going to pull this off. There had to be a way. What could he use that Robert would see as a sign from Kate?

He walked over to the sink and looked at the fixed shelf on the wall beside it. Was there anything he could use there? Deodorant. Hairspray. A razor.

As he looked at the steam covering the mirror above the sink, he smeared his hand over the glass to clear some of the fog, curious to see once again that he had no reflection.

He couldn’t get over how freaky it was not seeing anything staring back. It was almost like not existing and the body he felt himself in was just an illusion. Technically it was.

As the mirror soon fogged up again, a thought pierced through Jake.

His finger moved to the glass again and drew a line through the fog. He let the line disappear and then did it again, excitement bubbling. That was it!

The idea was brilliant and had to work. He just had to hope that Robert looked in the mirror before leaving.

Jake patiently waited while Robert finished his shower. It seemed to take forever but eventually he heard the taps turn off and Robert leaned out to grab the towel he’d tossed on the floor.

Jake moved out of the way to give Robert room, stepping close to the basin but to the side, ready
to put his plan into action.

Robert dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist before walking over to the sink beside Jake, lifting a hand to clear the mist away from the mirror so he could run a comb through his hair.

Before Rob’s hand could touch the mirror, Jake quickly reached out and with his index finger he started to write on the mirror.

Robert cocked his head, watching a word appear. Clearly perplexed, he waited until it turned into a complete sentence in handwriting that Jake hoped would seem familiar to him.

Help. Kate fell. Bottom of a ledge overlooking the ocean.

Robert moved closer, his nose almost touching the glass as the steam started to fog over the mirror again. His eyes widened as he read and he dropped the comb into the basin.

“No way. No way!” He took a step back as if the mirror was possessed. He stumbled over the bath mat but regained his balance when his shoulder touched the wall. He looked all around as if searching for the source of the writing, backing out of the bathroom.

“Come on, Rob! You’re smart. Can’t you figure it out? I’ve spelled it out for you as clear as day. Use those cop instincts and do something!” Jake’s voice was loud and laced with frustration as he followed, not ready to give up.

Robert was fishing around in his bag for a minute and then pulled out a bottle of pills, taking two out and walking into the kitchen. He grabbed a glass, filled it with water, and swallowed both pills together as he kept drinking until the glass was empty. He was talking under his breath. “Jenny keeps telling me I need to retire. I’m getting too old for this crap. I need to listen to her.”

Jake felt like he was getting nowhere. There had to be something else. A pen and paper would be good. He was running out of ideas. He couldn’t see any pens on the work desk but there were
plenty of sheets of paper. Pulling open the top drawer he found a black marker. That would grab Rob’s attention.

Robert was already backed into the cupboards at the sink, looking on in panic at the sight and sound of the drawer opening, pen being lifted out and then a piece of paper being moved into place before the lid was taken off the pen and words appeared on the paper. He didn’t move.

Jake laughed trying to imagine what it must look like. He’d be pretty freaked out too if the shoe was on the other foot. Still, this was the only way.

He wrote in big letters,

You have to believe me. It’s Jake. Kate is dying. Help her. Ledge overlooking ocean. Southern side of town.

Jake picked up the piece of paper and walked it over to Rob, who had both hands out in front of him in what looked like an attempt to stop the paper from touching him. “Get back! Whatever you are, go away! Don’t touch me!” He seemed to shrink into himself.

“Oh for God’s sake, you frustrating man! Read the note! You’re a cop. Act first and ask questions later.” Jake was flailing the note around as he got right in Robert’s face and screamed, “Look at the fucking note!”

Robert look like he flinched slightly as if Jake had gotten through to him. Both men were now standing still, Robert looking dumbfounded and Jake waiting expectantly.

After a minute, something in Rob seemed to click as his eyes looked to the page that was right in front of him. He stood straight as he focused on the handwriting, face pinched. His trembling fingers reached out to take the note as he scanned over the page.

Jake knew when he’d hit a home run and Rob took the words seriously. He folded the piece of paper up and ran from the kitchen to the living room, digging in his bag for clothes, weaponry, and his cell phone. Questions hurled themselves out into the vacant room. “What the hell is happening around here? Jake? How come I can’t see you? Is it really you? Where are you? Why am I even considering this? Please tell me I’m just suffering from exhaustion! Even tell me I’m going nuts. I can accept that. This is not real. It’s not real.”

Jake knew that even as Rob questioned his own sanity he wasn’t prepared to dismiss the note. Not when Kate was involved. Not when it was the only lead so far. Finally the cop was doing what he was trained to do.

As Robert manically tried to pull up his black pants, the fingers of one hand were on speed dial on his cell, calling The Gladiator.

Acknowledgements

I would firstly like to thank my amazing family and friends. You all know who you are and I consider myself extremely lucky to have such extensive support. You all give me the courage and strength I need to pursue this burning passion I call, writing. Having said that I owe a huge thank you to my parents for without them this writing journey I’m on wouldn’t be possible. I am so grateful that you introduced me to books at such a young age. It opened up worlds I couldn’t have dreamed of and ultimately led me to start writing in my early twenties. Thank you both from the bottom of my heart for giving me the childhood that allowed me the independence to become my own person. I love you both more than you know.

A special thanks to Maxine Gold, my cousin, whom I chose as the winner of a writing competition I held on Facebook. She helped me write a scene in the book and it was then I discovered that she indeed has her own writing talent! You need to explore that more.

Thanks to Limitless Publishing for believing in me and my writing ability. You’ve helped make the publishing experience effortless and I’m going to enjoy working with you more in the future.

To those reading this book. I thank you for purchasing and hopefully enjoying Instinctual. There are more books coming so feel free to follow me on social media to stay updated about future releases.

Lastly to all the animals in the world, the ones I’ve been blessed to share my life with and those I haven’t. For me, you make the world a better place and you bring out a side in me that shows both compassion and love. I couldn’t bear the thought of having a world without animals. You’re all beautiful.

About the Author

I am married and a mother of two beautiful children, living in sunny Queensland, Australia. I've been reading books ever since I can remember and love all things related to books. Writing has become an extension of that and I hope to pursue a full time writing career. I currently write part-time and work as a remedial massage therapist. I love spending time with family and hope to one day travel to Italy and England.

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