Unleashed (29 page)

"Claire?" The voice was soft. Kind.

"Ethan?" She crawled over to him and lifted his head onto her lap to keep the water and blood from washing onto his face. So much blood. It poured from his body, but just as fast, the rain washed it away. She pressed her hand to the gaping wound.

Ethan's eyes met hers. "Thank you," he whispered.

She shook her head, hot tears burning her cold cheek. Ethan’s eyes closed and she shook him. "No, Ethan. Please. You can fight this. Please!” She shook his body, pounded on his chest. Anything to get him to open his eyes again. “Come on, Ethan. Wake up!”

But his eyes remained closed. Claire frantically searched for a pulse on his neck. When she found none, her head dropped. “This wasn't supposed to happen. Not with you.” The rain drowned her words, took her tears, and together with the blood, the sea carried them away. “You taught me to love again,” she whispered.

Claire allowed herself one minute. One minute to grieve. One minute to say goodbye. That’s all she dared take, knowing that Logan was back at her house still hurt. But those sixty seconds were the most painful of her whole life.

When the time passed, she gently laid Ethan's head down, water wrapping him in a cold embrace. She stood up and faced the sea. The sailboat was still there. Still fighting.

She turned around and walked away from the man she loved. The man she had killed.

FORTY-THREE

Claire's hand felt cold over Logan's warm one. She still hadn't warmed up even though it had been four days.

Logan moaned and his eyes tightened. He still hurt a lot even though he'd never admit it. At least when he was sleeping he grimaced less. This was pain that she had caused.

Kate stuck her head into the hospital room. "How long are you going to wait?" she whispered.

"Until he's awake," Claire said. She was glad Kate had come with her. She hadn't been ready to say goodbye to her last night.

"I’m going to get some breakfast,” Kate said. “You want anything?"

"Maybe something I can eat in the car."

Kate nodded once and took her head back.

Logan moaned again and tried to turn over, but his bandaged shoulder stopped him. He grumbled and fought at the sheets.

She let go of his hand. "Logan?"

He relaxed and opened his eyes. "How long have you been here?"

"A little while."

"I thought you were coming later for my big release party?"

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Better."

"Liar."

Logan attempted to sit up. He managed not to cry out, but the pain was evident in his face. "See? I'm fine."

"Not really."

"You can stop feeling guilty, Claire. It wasn't your fault. If I hadn't gone in there, guns a-blazing you probably wouldn't have shot me. It’s just that, when I saw Smith, I lost it."

Her chest tightened and she tugged at a strap from the backpack sitting on the floor next to her.

"Look at me," he said. "You didn't know. He fooled us all."

"Uh-huh." She twisted the black strap around her fingers.

"What's with the bag?"

She looked down. "I'm leaving."

Logan was quiet, then, "For how long?"

"At least until the end of the school year, until I graduate. I'm going to stay with my aunt in Portland. Go to school there."

"But there's only four months left."

"I know. I just can't be here, know what I mean?" She searched his eyes, pleading, hoping he'd understand.

He turned and looked out the window. "How was the funeral?"

Claire leaned back. Smith’s funeral was yesterday. She had sat next to his wife. They both cried. “It was good. For a funeral.”

“I’m going to miss him,” he said.

She took his hand. “Me, too.”

“So Johnson’s going to take care of everything?”

Claire nodded, remembering what happened after she had shot Ethan. She’d raced back to the house and called an ambulance for Logan, who was unconscious on the floor. Then she called Officer Johnson and attempted to explain what had happened. He was one of the few who knew what was going on. It took her four tries, but finally she managed to say it all. The tears came when she mentioned Smith.

Tom, who was a Lieutenant under Smith and the senior most officer, handled everything. According to the reports, Ethan had been secretly stalking Claire for some time. He was the one who had caused Claire’s car accident, and who had killed Smith and shot Logan (Logan easily backed up the story). After Ethan had supposedly shot Logan back in the house, Claire managed to get away from him by running into the woods and to the ocean where they fought. They’d wrestled and the gun went off.

"Have they found his body yet?" Logan asked.

She shook her head. By the time Johnson and the other officers had gone out to look for Ethan, his body was gone. The tide had gone out and carried his body to sea. Claire liked this thought. The sea was a beautiful, peaceful place. Just what Ethan needed.

"And what about Bodian?" he asked.

"Have you seen the news this morning?”

Logan’s eyes flashed to the blank TV in the corner. “Not yet. What happened?”

“They announced they were shutting down their research division due to a lack of funds. Several people were let go.”

His face brightened. “That’s great! We won, Claire.”

“Won?” She frowned. “We didn’t win anything.”

“But Bodian’s gone. And Gage, too. They must’ve realized his trail would lead back to them somehow.”

“I don’t think so, but it doesn’t matter. I have everything I need." Claire patted the bag. Logan was the only one who knew that she had broken into Smith's office the night before to steal his files on Bodian.

Logan ran his hand over the bandage on his shoulder. "I wish you'd let me help."

"I'm sure I'll need your help soon."

"So you're coming back?"

Claire stood up. "Eventually. The world needs to know what Bodian did." She leaned over and gave him a long, gentle hug. "I'll call you.”

"I'll be waiting."

Before she left the room, she glanced back at him. He was staring out the window so she couldn't see his face. If only she had listened to him. But what would she have done differently?

She thought about that question the whole way to the cafeteria where she found Kate.

"How'd it go?" Kate asked.

"Fine."

Kate patted a seat next to her. "Me and Steph will take care of him.”

"I'm counting on it." She sat next to her.

"Did Steph come by and see you last night?"

Claire leaned into the table, resting her chin on her hands. "Yeah. She brought me a road trip bag full of pop and candy."

"That was nice of her."

"Hey, Claire!" a voice called from across the cafeteria.

She turned around. Standing in the doorway was Corey. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. His hair was messy and his clothes wrinkly.

"One sec," she said to Kate and walked over to him. "What do you want?"

He shifted his body weight from one leg to another and looked around the room as if deciding how much of a scene to make. Gratefully there were several others around. "I don't care what everyone's saying about Ethan,” he said, his voice low. “I know he wasn't a killer, and I know he wasn't stalking you. And for whatever reason, he loved you."

Claire softened her voice. "Why are you here?"

"You ruined his life," he said. "Do you know that? He had plans, big plans. I told him you were going to mess up his life, but he wouldn't listen."

"I'm sorry. Really, I am." She reached out to touch him, but he jerked away.

Corey’s lips pressed tight. He seemed like he was struggling to say something. Finally he looked at her and said, "About a week ago Ethan gave me something to give to you in case anything should happen to him. I told him he was crazy, but he made me promise." He removed a folded up envelope in his hand and waved it in her face. "Ethan knew something was going to happen to him. How? What did you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything," she said, her eyes focused on the envelope.

"One way or another, I'm going to find out. And then you're going to pay, do you understand?" He dropped the letter at her feet and walked away.

Claire remained still for almost a minute before she finally bent over to pick up the envelope. When she did, she dropped into the nearest chair, smiled at Kate so she'd know everything was okay, and then opened the letter. It read:

Claire,

If you're reading this then, thank you. It means you've done what I couldn't do—free me from Gage. I knew you would be strong enough to do it.

You probably have a million questions, and I wish I could answer them all but I only have a short time before Gage finds out what I'm doing. He's hurt and needs to rest somewhere deep inside my mind. But I have to tell you what I've seen and heard.

Bodian’s strong, stronger than you can imagine. They've unleashed others just as scary as Gage, but without the attitude. They take orders like perfect soldiers. Gage found them inside a big warehouse-like building about thirty minutes outside of Bandon. Bodian had them fight one. Personally, I think they were testing Gage to see how he’d do against one of their own. He won, but just barely. And then they let him go.

I believe they have big plans for him. And for you. They know Gage gave you some injections. I'm only telling you this, not to scare you, but to tell you that they're coming. They think you belong to them now. I wish I knew how to stop them, but I only have a name: Dr. Prescott. Lastly, there’s a cure, Claire. It’s the only thing that terrifies Gage. Find this cure. It may be your only protection from Bodian.

I'm sorry I wasn't stronger. I'm sorry for everything. Remember to be strong. I love you, Claire. 

Ethan

Claire read the letter three more times before she finally folded it up and put in her pocket.

"Everything okay?" Kate asked when Claire returned to the table.

"It will be." She picked up her bag and swung it over her shoulder. "Walk me out?"

"Of course."

"So what now?" Kate opened the front door of the hospital.

"We graduate," Claire said. The files in her bag felt heavier.

"But what fun will that be if we can’t graduate together?”

"Actually," she said. "I just decided that I’m coming back. I’ll just take a couple of weeks to regroup."

Kate stopped at Claire's car. "Serious? How come? I didn’t think you’d ever come back here."

A raven flew overhead. "That was before." She slid behind the steering wheel. "I have unfinished business here."

Kate rested her arm on the open door. "Aren’t you tired of fighting?"

Claire tilted the rearview mirror and stared into her solid green eyes. "I’ll stop fighting when I die."

About the Author

Rachel McClellan is the author of several young adult paranormal novels. She lives in New Hampshire, where the graveyards are as enchanting as the forests. When she’s not in her writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four children. Her love for storytelling began as a child, when the moon first possessed each night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was…

Visit her website at
http://www.RachelMcClellan.com
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