Unfair Advantage

CHAPTER EIGHT



Dani came awake like the switching on of a light. An army of aches and pains marched beneath a dimming veil of medication. The sun had risen behind the blotting skyline, leaving the room dim. Artificial light from the hall spilled in, showed the outline of a person in a nearby chair.



Clutching the scratchy sheet over the gauzy gown, she sat up.



Fielding jackknifed upright. “Must’ve dozed off. You okay?”



Her empty stomach twisted. Not so much from hunger as memory. Black inhuman eyes. Icy manacle grip. “No I’m not.” Maybe not ever again. She swung her bare legs from under the sheet.



Fielding glanced at them, flushed. “Christ, uh, Larkin brought some things from your hotel.” He scurried to retrieve a neatly folded down brown bag from an alcove where her ruined outfit hung. “We can get you more painkillers. Whatever. You’ve earned the happy pills, Miss Richards. Take them.”



Dani opened it. Perfect. “I’m grateful,” she said, wrapped the stiff sheet around her. She made a loose toga of it, grabbed the roll-mounted, portable heart monitor. Holding it with one hand, bag with the other she crossed to the bathroom and closed the door behind her.



Old green tile, scrubbed spotless, looked dingy nonetheless under florescent light. Dani inhaled the antiseptic and permeating smell of despair. Trembling, resolved, she vowed this would not become her world. She’d fight.



Dani knotted up her hair with the barrette she’d worn in. Stripping off the flimsy gown, she climbed into the shower, adjusted the spray. It required considerable effort to wash and not disturb the suction-held electrodes. She cut the water, dried with the stiff, bleach-scented towel.



From the bag she withdrew undergarments, jeans, a white button-up blouse, toothbrush, moisturizer and deodorant. A fleeting thought went to Larkin’s insight into female grooming. Most men wouldn’t have included the lotion. She got ready in a flash, left the hospital gown in the floor, took the bag and monitor out.



Fielding must have closed the door to the hall behind himself to afford privacy. She made certain she’d gathered her few things. Except for the ragged suit. That she left for the institution to toss.



Dani plucked off electrodes. The dreaded flatline alarm sounded. She strode from the room, passed the rush of responding nurses.



One white-clad man with brilliant blue eyes recognized her. “Miss Richards!”



Fielding dropped the pen he stood chewing at the tip. “Oh shit!” He fell into stride behind her. Dani could hear him punch buttons on his cell phone. “Larkin, call me.” Then, “Miss Richards, there’s all sorts of paper work to fill out. But, you really need to see the doc first.”



She headed down the hall, followed signs to the elevator. Irrational as she knew the idea, Dani felt every second she spent here brought her closer to the edge. Nearer a place she might not return from. From behind came raised voices, much scuffling and chaos.



Dani stared ahead as the doors closed. Tim left another voice mail for Larkin. Steeled, she stepped through the opening doors. A tall black woman with close-cropped hair, strong features, broad shoulders, and a Rubenesque figure stood directly in front. Dani recalled her from the previous day.



A name tag said Doctor Sova Tobias. “Making good your escape, Miss Richards?”



She entertained denial. “Yes.”



“I’m you’re treating doctor, Miss Richards.”



Dani replied, “Yes. I remember you.”



Fierce intellect glittered in black eyes. “I understand your rush to return to more normal surroundings. However, until we isolate the cause of these attacks, I believe your health is at great risk.”



“I know what’s at risk.” Dani met the other woman’s gaze. “Yesterday I gave all my credit card info to billing. I’ll sign the release at the front desk. Thanks for your concern.”



“Miss Richards, I could hold you for twenty-four hours.”



Something in Dani snarled. Still, her tone remained cool, controlled. “You can’t Baker Act me, Dr. Tobias. I know my rights.”



The doctor nodded. “Clearly you do.”



From behind her, Dani heard Tim leave another message. “Larkin, you better fuckin’ check your voice mail.”



Dani said, “I’m going.”



Dr. Tobias responded, “I’ll help you minimize the paperwork if you agree to let me run a battery of tests.”



“We’re bargaining?”



“Yes.”



Dani assessed the woman. She meant business. Dani took a small pad and pen from her purse, jotted vital contact stats, handed it over. “Have we reached an agreement?”



The doctor inclined her head. “Come with me, Miss Richards.”



Fielding strode forward, cell phone in hand. “Damn it!”







Roarke saw his partner’s name on the screen, answered the phone. “Yeah?”



“Larkin, I’ve left you three messages.”



“What’s up?”



“She signed herself out. Hopped in a taxi and adiosed before I could stop her.”



Roarke glanced at half-finished report on his desk. “She’s most likely headed to the Plaza. Meet me there.” He hung up and made the trip in record time. When he stepped from the elevator, his partner stood hammering on the suite door. Roarke asked, “Is she in there?”



“Yeah. She’s ignoring me.” Suddenly the door opened, leaving Fielding with his fist in the air.



“Gentlemen,” she began, “staff has returned my car and just took down my bags. I’m leaving within fifteen minutes.”



Roarke caught her chilly mood. “We didn’t get a chance to talk to you yesterday. Could we have a few moments, please?”



“A few.” She stepped back. “Come in.”







Dani took a seat in a chair. They sat on the couch. Larkin had his customary spiral top notebook. “Could you tell us what happened to you?”



“After you pointed it out to me that somehow I’d changed point of views, I decided to go back to the alley where Michael disappeared.” She folded her hands in her lap to still their trembling. “I encountered a spirit there.”



“Can you give a description?” Fielding leaned forward, obviously intent.



Fear and despair the ghost imparted lingered, sharp and disturbing. “He … ah.” She steeled herself. “About my height. I got the impression he was thin. Almost emaciated. He wore baggy jeans and a big sweatshirt. The hood covered everything but his mouth and chin. It even hung down past his hands.”



Larkin jotted notes, fixed her with what she’d begun to consider his ‘cop look‘. “Race?”



“Caucasian.” Black eyes loomed in her mind’s eye.



“Anything distinguishing?”



“I’m not certain what’s of use to you.” Dani exhaled. “I had this strong liquor taste in my mouth. Something harsh. And I choked on the smoke. It was so strong. Bitter, yet almost nutty.”



They exchanged glances. Larkin answered her question before she could ask it. “The smell meth labs produce is often described as bitter almond. An apartment in that area did have an explosion. The address was under an active investigation.”



Dani considered what he said. "I just know he saw what happened, and he died."



Fielding’s brows hiked. “Holy shit.” On a more professional vein, "Anything else you can remember?"



She inhaled. "I\'ve never seen a spirit like that." Physical description failed to convey its nature. "So bleak, terrifying." The knot in her stomach tightened. "Every cruel horror of human suffering attacked me."



Larkin scratched a few final notes, fixed her with a more intense version of his \'cop look\'. "I believe that covers it. As a courtesy, would you allow any follow-up questions that may arise?"



"Certainly."



"Thank you."



Suddenly the difficult physical complications, boisterous city and especially Larkin became too much. Dani rose. "Good luck, detectives."



"Really a privilege meeting you, Miss Richards." Fielding stood, extended his hand.



She shook it. "Take care." She smiled at Tim. Despite everything, she’d come to think of him as the brother she never had.



For a brief instant she sensed Larkin\'s frustration and anger. Her eyes met his. Whatever she\'d tapped into he had sealed behind an iron veil of an expression.



Dani couldn\'t think about how her actions effected him or the case. It had become a matter of self-preservation.



Not to mention sanity.









Brand had a major bidding war on his hands. The high money men had settled on the blond. Now they fought to gain control of their visual toy\'s fate.



It amused him what two middle-aged men with unlimited funds and deviant urges would do to get their fixes. Because he stood to gain so much, Brand didn\'t mind making a photographic expedition. Parents would flip if they knew how easily their children became targets. Names, addresses, schools and even general schedules.



As he watched the muscular blonde swim laps in the athletic center\'s pool, Brand found himself thinking of her. He hadn\'t expected Mayan\'s keeper to strike so temporary a deal. He\'d intended to decide the duration. A month would probably prove more than he wanted. Nonetheless, he\'d lost some control.



He waited for the money shot. The kid levered himself out of the water in an impressive ripple of young brawn. Brand snapped an almost continuous series of frames as the blond stretched, then toweled.



The bidders would salivate.



After several hours, Brand finished other errands. He returned to his apartment, went into his computer lab to sort through the photos and post them in the final gallery. As worked, he thought about the wisdom of giving into his unusual desire for one woman. It didn\'t sit well with him on some level. Then again, he allowed, completing his task, what else should he do with all the money he made? Why not indulge his whim?







Dani turned onto the unlined road leading up to Pine Lake. The trees held hints of autumn color. Sunlight filtered through green and yellow-orange leaves to dapple the road with puddles of shadow and light.



Her head throbbed too much to truly appreciate the wild beauty. The anticipation of her own quiet space beckoned, beacon-like. The road bridged over a creek only an eighth of a mile before her driveway. Soon as she crossed it, Dani felt the fatigue and emotional strain bear down upon her. She opened her cell, scrolled through the sparse phonebook to Ashlyn, hit \'send\'.



Two rings later, "Girl, where are you? I\'ve called the hotel. Tried this number about ten times."



Dani held the phone away briefly. Glanced at the face. "Sorry. The ringer must have switched off in my bag."



"Where are you?"



She stopped at the black box with eleven Lake Road enameled in red on its side. Opening the door, she removed the shallow pile of mail. "I\'m turning up into my drive right now."



"Check your messages. I left four and your Mom called me to say she\'d left two and hadn\'t heard back."



Dani shut the box, pulled away. "What did you say about where I was?"



"Nothing. She already volunteered you might have the ringer off on your cell. And we know you can\'t hear the house phone if you\'re outside."



"I\'ll call her tomorrow. I\'m going to bed soon as I get inside."



"Okay," Ashlyn\'s voice lost its scold. "I\'ll come check on you after I close tomorrow."



"See you then."



"Bye, honey."



Dani parked, set her bags on the gravel, locked the Camry. She toted the luggage up to the porch. As she stuck the key in the door and opened it, she heard a whimper.



Heart thundering, she listened. Faint, yet distinct, she heard low sounds of distress. Fuzzy with fatigue she tried to decide if her ears played tricks. Silence. She shook her head, went inside.



As exhausted as she felt, she just dumped her bags on the floor beside her bed, shucked out of her shoes and fell onto it. Her eyes closed. Flashed open at the sharp series of canine yaps. Afterward nothing. Her eyelids lowered drowsily. From under lifting and lowering curtain of her lashes she saw her bedroom.



Loud, frantic barks.



Dani jackknifed upright, slipped on her shoes and strode out of the house onto the porch. Now urgent wuffling, growling, crying sort of noises made her certain she dealt only with the natural world. So she descended the steps, walked around to the shadowed side of the cabin to the only nearby bush. Kneeling beside the rhododendron, Dani peered in. Bright eyes stared back. Somebody had lost their dog.



She sat back on her heels, wished the thing had found someone else’s bush to cower under. "Shit."



Dani stood, skirted the hard branches of the bush, closer to where the animal sat. A rumbling growl made her shake her head. "You\'re the one who called me. Some nerve." Kneeling, she could see the dog\'s head. Too tired to fear she made a swift grab, grasped a handful of stiff hair and dragged it out.



A whimpering little hill of mud-caked fur emerged.



Dani released her grip on the dirty scruff. Studied the animal. The face that returned her scrutiny resembled a wolf. One yellow eye and one ice-blue searched her own.



"What am I supposed to do now?"



The dog sat, met her gaze with a quizzical cant of its dirty head.



"Great." Dani started to leave it there. Realized it might run off, scooped the thing up touching as little filthy fur as possible. She carried the dog up onto the porch. Having nowhere to tie it, she decided to shut it in the guest bath while she made calls to area vets.



Two hours later she\'d learned that not only had no one - native or visitor - reported a dog of that description missing. But several other locals had found similar canines. Her last call went to Dr. Lanie DeWitt.



"Puppies?" She repeated the word, dumbfounded.



"Yes, Miss Richards," Dr. DeWitt replied. "Yours makes six. Spectacular survival rate for homeless animals."



"He\'s not mine." Dani turned as the scratching at the door increased. "What do I do with this dog?"



"Well, you live out a ways. A guard dog might come in handy."



Scraping of claws became almost frantic. Yips and growls that tapering into whines followed.



"Guard dog?"



"That puppy needs you, Miss Richards. Bring it in tomorrow, I\'ll give you a complimentary check up, get it up to date on shots."



Dani\'s head buzzed with fatigue and this unexpected event. "Thanks for your time."



For several moments she sat in a daze. Then she began to think. First of all, it had to have a bath. Every thing else could wait until tomorrow. She rose, walked down the hall. Using her foot to push back the puppy, she entered and shut the door.



Dani started the water, adjusted it very warm. A bottle of rosemary and bergamot shampoo sat on the tub\'s edge. She scooped up the wriggling animal, plopped it in the tub and proceeded to scrub the dirt and smell off it.



Off him.



The puppy\'s thick fur plastered his body. Ribs showed in clear delineanations. Dani\'s heart gave a sudden lurch. She saw spots on the his skin where the forest had cut and speared. Gently she soaped them. In contrast to previous vocal complaints, he bore the ordeal in stoic silence.



When she finished, Dani wrapped him in a big towel and carried him to the kitchen.



"You must be hungry. Let\'s see what I have."



Balancing him in the cradle of her arm and hip, she opened the fridge. Two bags of coffee, a container of field greens, a grapefruit and a bottle of Fume Blanc.



"Not very promising."



Dani found an uncooked chicken breast in a zip-locked bag in the freezer, a small bag of brown rice in the pantry. She filled a saucepan with water from her filtered tap, plopped the meat into it and turned up the burner. While the chicken cooked, she rubbed the puppy dry. She applied an antibiotic salve to his wounds, cleaned his ears with a cotton swab and hydrogen peroxide.



He broke his silence to groan with pleasure during that procedure. She smiled. Repeated the process.



As the chicken released some oil and scent into the water, Dani dumped in the rice. By the time it cooked and the meat was ready, the puppy had dried.



She sat him on the floor. Mixed chicken with stock-infused rice, placed in in a bowl and put it down for him.



Fluffy, white with silver-blue and slate patches of thick fur, the puppy looked better by the moment.



Dani still pictured the stark ribs, wounds.



He\'d cried for help, then suffered what must have proved a painful bathing process in silence. In a piercing moment of recognition, Dani knew she\'d keep him.



After he\'d finished and even licked the bowl half-across the room, she carried him outside. With her standing close he peed, stood on hind legs to be picked up. Dani carried him to her room.



Together they settled under the covers. He laid on his side, head within inches of hers, facing. Dani gazed into his mis-matched eyes. Saw a soul. She rested her elbow on the mattress, put her hand on his shoulders.



The dog blinked, extended his foreleg to rest his paw on her arm.