Chap 27 - Junction
Ian simmered with anger as he watched Sarah run into Luka's apartment, then practically fall against the wall in tears. It was a familiar anger, one that he'd always hidden a hatred for his so-called father that had lied dormant until Callie's reappearance in his life. He hadn't understood what was happening when Ken went into Sarah's room an hour ago… from where he'd stood in the wing of the house he'd heard only footsteps, Irons sitting, then Sarah's footsteps running. She had driven erratically, taken several wrong turns and missed several traffic signs. Irons had upset he, and the first person she'd turned to was Luka. Luka, not me… and yet I'm the one who considers her family. Ian knew Sarah didn't trust him, that knowledge hurt as it always had, but somehow sharper then before. Sarah didn't trust him… and yet she trusted Irons… trusted the one man who would hurt her.
***
Luka was amazed, in fact astounded wasn't even putting it lightly. He felt awkward, not knowing what to do. Most of his life Luka had been surrounded by strong women who were sometimes unfaltering then he himself was. To see Sarah crying was almost as strange and surreal as watching Callie cry. Finally, feeling like a useless lout. He took a tissue, went up to her, sat down against the wall beside her and handed her the tissue. Finally after a few moments she was herself again. Picking up the photo album, she turned it to the first page. "This picture was taken six months ago, when it was taken my partner was Danny Woo. Not long after Danny was killed during a shoot out at the Realto Theater, more accurately he was killed before the shoot out started." She stared at the photo for a second, then turned the page; "This is Detective Jake McCarty three years before his death. Detective McCarty was my partner for the last few months… he died a week or so ago." This time she looked off into space as Luka stared at the photo. It was almost familiar, the man in it stirring a distant memory of some sort or other.
She flipped the pages till she reached the end, then gave it to Luka "According to the police department, his landlord, and Kenneth Irons. No such person exists. His apartment has been rent to a couple for the past two years. At the job they say I never had a partner named Jake McCarty. When I called his family in California the number was disconnected. Electronic databases say he never existed… there isn't any birth, death, or marriage certificate. His ashes were scattered in the ocean so there's no grave…. Without this picture, I think I'd check myself into an asylum."
Luka watched the picture then looked at her. "You miss him don't you?"
Sarah nodded, then stared off slightly, as if lost in the past. "I remember finding him asleep on my couch on Christmas morning, he'd spent the entire night decorating my apartment. When I woke him up he was so embarrassed at being caught that he as completely speechless." A smile came to her lips, it was one of the few happy memories she had of this previous year. "We spent that entire day playing with a kitten he'd given me for Christmas." Sarah lowered her head it was just a memory. The only holiday memory she had of Jake. "And now they all say he doesn't exist."
Luka looked at Sarah, then standing up he offered her his hand she took it and allowed him to lead her to the table in his sitting area. "He exists Sarah, you know that. The only thing we have to do now is find him." surprised at his choice of words Sarah looked closely at Luka, but his eyes were unreadable. They held warmth, but their meaning was unreadable.
***
A little pink nose poked out of the basket it had been sleeping in, something wasn't right, things didn't smell right. Lightning quick a little pink tongue also poked out, that told her that things were even stranger then she thought. "Meow?" suddenly she noticed that she was moving, she didn't like it. It distorted all her senses.
"Oh no, the damn cats awake." The voice human, male, but it wasn't one of the two she recognized.
"I know, I can't believe we're being paid to kidnap a CAT. Who's the client anyway?" This voice was feminine and sweet. It was more melodic then the one female voice she recognized.
"Meow!" She was getting irritated, she wanted this incessant movement to stop, and she wanted someone to feed her. Maybe the person with the soft hands who smelled like cow skin all the time, or the longhaired one who smelled like lamb skin, with the gentle voice. Laying her head down she began to clean herself, humans, how was a cat ever to understand them?
***
"Snowflake?" Gabe dropped his keys on the table as he slammed the door shut behind him, calling out for snowflake, it was strange, but having someone (as he'd begun to think of snowflake) to come home to everyday had become strangely comforting. Today though, snowflake wasn't waiting for him on the couch, or even on one of the antiques Gabriel always chided him for sitting on. In fact, there wasn't a trace of the cat anywhere in his apartment.
***
When Callie got off of Dovidi's Yacht her first thought was of Ian, she needed to find him, but had no idea where. She could hardly go to her father house. It would defeat the entire purpose of having come to New Zealand. As she sat in her car, wondering where to go, she unconsciously did something that she'd known how to since she was two. Calling out with her mind, she suddenly became calm, and drove without thinking, navigating without knowing so.
***
Luka turned on his cell phone, waiting for the signal to be scrambled before dialing Gorgio's number. After listening to Sarah's conversation he had come up with an idea, it was a method his father had used to find those who eluded him. A method that those involved with the law knew absolutely nothing about. "Gorgio? It's me… yes I know, things are progressing… I've found a friend of mine here… yes, we can trust her… Don't worry about it. Listen, I need a favor…. Please, I owe you a million….I'm trying to find someone, his name is Jake McCarty. He's disappeared into thin air and no one can find him…. but they don't know where to look…"
As Luka spoke, Sarah sat in the next room drinking tea. Against her wrist the Witchblade began to swirl. Only this time she didn't feel it, but outside Luka's window, Ian did.
***
Ian felt the Witchblade and immediately began looking around, it was still daylight, and cars drove in and out of the parking lot freely, surprisingly Ian immediately honed in on one, a black impala. Somehow the car seemed driven to him and stopped in front him. When the engine turned off, he knew who it was despite the tinted windows. "What are you doing here?"
Callie heard Ian even through the sound insulated doors. She had tapped into the Witchblade without wearing it, it was what her father had wanted to do for her since birth, it was what her mother had always feared. "I came looking for you." It was strange, the two spoke to each other in whispers, they shouldn't have been able to hear each other, but they did. "Sarah' here… and he is to isn't he?" Ian didn't question who 'he' was. Only nodded inperceivablely to acknowledge her words, and strangely she felt it. "Let's go." Ian got into the car, and allowed Callie to drive off, unable to grasp her thoughts. For once he was frightened, what had happened to his sister?
