BLOODBURG Page 2

  All the hairs on the back of her neck instantly stood up as she stared at the vacant old bench. Something about its twisted wrought iron form felt dark and sinister, making her feel almost nauseous, and she suddenly had an overwhelming need to get as far away from it as possible. Shaken by the odd mixture of familiarity and foreboding, Allie hurried up the street.

  “Hmm, this one might be a problem,” Joseph grumbled, sitting on the very same park bench Allie had fled from so quickly. He stood and adjusted his purple-tinted glasses and black fedora before following her.

  She stopped several times, ducking in and out of doorways, trying to shake the feeling of being stalked.

  Joseph knew she had no way of seeing him, and he continued to walk only a few yards behind her, closely observing her erratic behavior.

  Allie headed into a local coffee shop, eager to blend with the crowd of customers. She ordered her usual French vanilla latte and lingered, letting the cup warm her fingers. Feeling herself calm down, she opened the door to leave and ran right into a well-dressed man with purple-tinted glasses and a black fedora, spilling her coffee all over his suit.

  “Oh my God!” she gasped. “I’m so sorry. Your suit is ruined!”

  “And it appears your coffee is, too. I guess that makes us even.” Joseph smiled. “French vanilla latte. One of my favorites. Truth be told, I was absolutely addicted to the salted caramel coffee they have here…it was to die for. Please, let me buy you another latte.”

  Allie was dumbfounded by his generosity. “Are you serious? I spilled coffee all over you, and you want to buy me a new one?”

  “Sure, why not?” he replied.

  “But a coffee is like five bucks…that suit…it’s worth a lot more than a coffee. Oh, wait!” Allie reached into her pocket, pulling out the small stack of fifty-dollar bills. “At least let me pay for the dry cleaning bill. Do you think fifty dollars will cover it?” she said, staring at the top bill that read MAKE BETTER CHOICES.

  Joseph smiled. “That’s very kind of you, but let’s just call it even.”

  “Are you sure?” Allie asked, puzzled. “If this kind of thing happened with anyone else, I’d get my ass chewed out before I could even apologize.”

  “Who knows; maybe your luck is changing?” Joseph offered politely.

  “Maybe.” She smiled at the thought. “Would be nice. But hey, are you sure we’re okay, here? I’m really late for work.”

  “Yes, of course.” He nodded. “Shit happens, right?”

  Allie laughed. “Yeah, usually to me. Thank you for being so nice.”

  “Not a problem. I’m Joseph…Joseph Beckemeyer,” he replied, holding out his hand.

  “Allie McCleary.” She smiled as she shook it politely. “It’s nice to meet at least one person in this city who isn’t a total jerk.”

  “Give me time. I’m sure I can work on that.”

  “No! You stay exactly the way you are. The world needs more people like you,” she said as she started to walk away. “See ya!”

  Joseph waved goodbye and pulled out his cell phone. After tapping the screen a few times, he put the phone to his ear. “Marcus, I need you to find out everything you can about an Allie McCleary. I think she works in the city. I’ll let you know when I find out where,” he instructed before ending the call and continuing to follow Allie.

  -2-

  Joseph followed Allie for another two blocks, keeping just a few steps behind her, until she suddenly darted over to a particularly tiny and somewhat forgotten-looking storefront. Before Allie went inside, she stopped and gave one last look around, making sure she hadn’t been followed.

  “Get a grip,” she muttered to herself as she pushed the door open.

  Joseph didn’t bother to follow her inside, fearing her current state of paranoia would be made worse by the sight of the door opening right behind her with no one there. Instead, he watched her through the front window as he stood beneath the large neon sign that read PALM & TAROT READINGS.

  After a few minutes, Joseph backed up a bit, looking up toward the top of the building, and pulled the cell phone out of his coat pocket. He once again called his most-trusted friend.

  “Hello,” Marcus answered.

  “Marcus, find out all you can about The Park Crystal. It’s some kind of an odd little shop,” Joseph sighed. “And yes…it’s on Park Street.”

  “You got it.”

  Joseph shut the phone off and slid it back into his coat pocket. He’d done all he could for the moment. Knowing Marcus would come through for him as he always did, Joseph headed elsewhere.

  When Patience heard the bell jingling against the door, she instantly popped up from behind the jewelry counter. Her expression was hardly joyful.

  “I know, I know,” Allie said quickly before her sister could get a word in. “I’m really sorry. It’s just that I was—”

  “You were what?” Patience barked. “Hungover?”

  “No, not exactly,” Allie said, somewhat defensively. “I—”

  “You know what, Allie? It doesn’t matter. What you do on your own time is your own business. I’m your sister, and I’ll always worry about you. But if you’re going to work here, I need to know I can rely on you.” Patience sighed. “Do you understand?”

  “I do.”

  “Good. Now, I need you to start on inventory. We’ve got a new shipment of hematite jewelry coming in today, and I want to mix the new pieces with the necklaces and bracelets we have on display now. I’d like to get an updated count of what we already have in the store,” Patience instructed.

  “Okay,” Allie said, disheartened. Allie could tell that Patience didn’t want to hear about anything that happened to her the night before; at least not until she had some time to calm down.

  “Oh! I also need the counts for each of the stones in the healing crystals display. I might try to reorganize it to make room for the new chakra sets coming in with the shipment.”

  Allie nodded. “Sure.”

  “I have a few things I need to finish up in the office,” Patience said, moving toward the beaded curtain that separated the sales floor from the back room. “Just bounce between the register and inventory if someone comes in, okay?”

  Allie forced a smile. “Yeah.” There was no arguing with Patience when she was in a mood like this.

  Over the next hour, Allie lumbered through the tedious task of inventory. She sorted and counted various colored gemstones, tarot decks, and rack after rack of “transcendence apparel”—what Allie felt was nothing more than just a fancy name Patience made up for the old hippie-style clothing she loved to wear each day.

  Patience had always felt a strong connection to things like auras and inner body energies, but Allie thought it all to be nonsense. Believing that rocks and stones held powers of influence over the way people acted or lived their lives was something Allie had never bought into, however, she loved Patience and worked at the store as much as she could to show her support for her sister.

  “Dammit!” Patience cursed loudly from the back room.

  Allie poked her head through the beaded curtain. “What’s wrong, Patience?”

  “It’s the fax machine. I’ve been trying to send something for the past ten minutes, but it keeps crapping out on me,” Patience complained.

  “Fax machine?” Allie laughed. “Who still uses a fax machine?”

  “Our new tumbled stone supplier, that’s who. I need to get these order sheets over to them by noon today, and this damn machine isn’t cooperating.”

  “Can’t you just email them?” Allie asked.

  “You’d think so, but no,” Patience replied in an exasperated tone. “For some stupid reason, Precision Gemworks won’t take the big step into the twenty-first century like everyone else. They insist on doing all their business with a fax machine. The owner told me she doesn’t trust emails whatsoever!”

  “That’s ridiculous!”

  “I
know,” Patience acknowledged. Suddenly, a horrible, long connection tone screeched. “Okay, here we go…fingers crossed.”

  Patience and Allie watched as the three sheets slowly fed themselves through the machine. The sisters held their breath as the screen flashed TRANSMITTING until finally, they heard a steady beep confirming the fax had gone through successfully.

  “Oh, thank the Goddess that worked!” Patience cheered.

  Allie rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say,” she said sarcastically before returning to her inventory task. Patience quickly dropped the faxed sheets onto her desk and followed her sister into the main area of the store.

  “So…are you going to tell me about him?” Patience asked, trying to hide the worry in her voice. She genuinely wanted Allie to be happy, but the idea that you could meet somebody from the internet in person for a date terrified her.

  Patience had been happily married to a new-age preacher named Steven for fifteen years until he passed away from a rare form of thyroid cancer. Because Patience and Steven had been together since high school, she couldn’t support the concept of online dating. Frankly, she didn’t understand it, as she often commented how it bothered her that people never met the old-fashioned way anymore.

  “Are you honestly curious about him?” Allie asked. “I’m not in the mood for an argument.”

  “Yes, of course I want to know about him,” Patience admitted. “How did it go? Did you bring that pyrite stone I gave you for protection?”

  “Yeah, I had it with me,” Allie replied, humoring her sister.

  “Oh, thank the Goddess,” Patience praised, letting out a relieved sigh. “So, what happened?”

  “Not much, but it was good. Kevin was a little shy at first. And to be honest, I don’t think he has a lot of self-confidence, but he came out of his shell after a little while. He took me to that Italian place down near our bank…Slicin’ Easy Pizzeria. It’s kind of a tacky name for a restaurant, but the pizza was good. After that, we walked a few doors down to McDooble’s Pub, did a couple of shots…”

  Patience’s heart dropped while listening to her sister. It was this kind of behavior that made her worry about Allie—staying out all night, drinking with people she hardly knew—but Patience tried to stay strong and supportive, forcing a smile as she listened.

  “…danced a little, and then we just hung out and drank and talked for a while. It was actually kind of fun, now that I think more about it. But as it got late, I was getting tired and he wasn’t ready to leave the bar, so I just walked home.”

  “You walked home?” Patience gasped, her hazel eyes wide with fear and concern.

  “Yeah, what’s the problem?” Allie argued.

  “What’s the problem?” Patience mocked. “The problem is that you went out with a complete stranger you met online, boozed it up, and then walked home…alone! That is dangerous, Allie! Why didn’t you take a cab?”

  “Because we went Dutch on the date, Patience! I only had ten bucks left by the end of the night. What was I supposed to do, take a cab around the corner?”

  “He sounds like a real Romeo,” Patience commented sarcastically. “He makes you pay for half of everything, and then doesn’t even have the decency to call you a cab to get home? I mean, what a catch, Allie!”

  “Oh, knock it off, Patience!”

  “I knew I should’ve given you the rose quartz in addition to the pyrite,” Patience grumbled. “Maybe then, at least you would’ve attracted a halfway decent guy at some point during the night; one who would have actually cared about your safety!”

  “I’m not an idiot!” Allie snapped, trying to defend herself.

  “Then why didn’t you call me?” Patience pleaded. “You met this guy on the internet, for Goddess’ sake! I would’ve come to get you, no matter how late it was.”

  “Because I’m a grown woman, Patience. I don’t need my sister to rescue me from a date with a good guy. Give me some credit. If he was as bad as you think he is, I wouldn’t have stayed with him past dinner,” Allie argued. “I actually had fun last night, and I want to see him again! Can we just drop this, please?”

  Patience stared at her sister and tried desperately to think of how to get through to Allie. They’d always had this sort of relationship. Despite her free-spirited nature, Patience was responsible and well-rounded, while Allie walked a wilder path through life. After their parents died, Patience had taken care of Allie as best she could, but often found her sister to be overwhelming.

  “Look,” Patience grumbled. “Let’s just try to get through the day. We have a lot to do here, and we can talk more about this whole Kevin situation later.”

  Allie shrugged. “Fine.”

  “Thank you. Now go finish up the inventory. I’ll make a fresh pot of lemongrass tea,” Patience huffed.

  Allie shook her head dismissively as she walked away. She never understood why Patience was constantly making lemongrass tea to offer the customers. Most of the time, the tea waited in the carafe, untouched and cold. The store had never become as popular as Patience had hoped for, but making the tea seemed to keep Patience’s spirits up, so, Allie never questioned her routine.

  A short while later, Allie had finished the inventory and dropped the report on the large stack of papers on Patience’s desk. Buried in her work, Patience offered a quick nod and a thank you. Allie smiled and returned to the front of the shop to wait for somebody—anybody—to come in and break up the monotony.

  As the morning dragged on, no one came in. Allie leaned on the front counter, doodling from time to time in a little notebook she carried around with her. Drawing was how Allie relaxed and decompressed, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the previous night. She went over and over it in her mind, pushing herself to the brink of a headache. She remembered the pizza, the bar, and then leaving to walk home, but that was it. The next thing she remembered was waking up in her bed, fully dressed. I couldn’t have been drugged, she thought. Too much time had passed between my last drink and my walk home. Why can’t I remember how I got home?

  Allie’s phone vibrated on the counter next to the register, startling her back to reality. She glanced at it, immediately smiling to see a text from Kevin, asking her if she wanted to meet up for coffee. But before she replied, Allie knew she’d have to pass it by her sister first. Otherwise, she’d never hear the end of it.

  “Hey, Patience?” she asked calmly, trying to mask the excitement in her voice.

  “What is it?” Patience called out from the back room.

  “Hey…would you mind if I—” the harsh buzz of the doorbell for the delivery door cut Allie’s words off. The truck had arrived. Disappointment clouded her mind as she feared she’d have to tell Kevin she couldn’t make it.

  “Oh!” Patience exclaimed brightly. “That’ll be the hematite delivery!”

  “Patience?” Allie called out again.

  “What is it?” Patience said hurriedly as she peeked through the beaded curtain.

  “Would you mind if I took my lunch break a little early?” Allie asked, pouting her lower lip in the cutesy-sad expression Patience always fell for.

  “But I need your help putting the new stuff away.”

  “Pretty please? I’m only going for coffee with Kevin…he just texted me…and I really want to go. I’ll only be gone for an hour. Please? I’ll even stay late tonight if you want me to.”

  The doorbell buzzed again. “Goddess help me,” Patience grumbled, annoyed that Kevin was now interfering in her own life and not just Allie’s. “Fine, go ahead.”

  “Yay!” Allie bounced happily up and down, clutching her phone as Patience rushed toward the delivery door. Allie texted Kevin back. Sure! I’d love to. Where?

  Rafi’s Coffee. Right near our bar. I’ll save you a seat, Kevin replied.

  Sounds great!

  And don’t worry about going Dutch again. This one’s on me!

  Aww, thank you. Okay, I’m on my way
! Allie typed as a flush warmed her face.

  See you soon!

  Excited, Allie tried to shove the phone into her pocket, but the wad of money she’d found earlier that morning made it impossible. She’d forgotten all about having it in her pocket with the events of the day. Now, an awkward sense of dread suddenly crept over her.

  She took out the money, reading that same ominous message on the top bill. “MAKE BETTER CHOICES,” Allie muttered to herself, wondering if it was even meant for her. Even so, the words made her stop and think about her choices. Was it a good idea to allow herself to become involved with Kevin? Or was she rushing into another dating disaster, as she always did?

  The bells on the front door jingled as a young woman walked in. She was wearing a paisley bandana around her head and a flowery linen top over a long flowing dress that slightly dragged across the floor.

  Allie called, “Patience! We have a customer, and I have to go!”

  “All right, all right. I’m coming!” Patience’s muffled voice replied.

  “She’ll be right with you,” Allie said, putting her coat on. “There’s somewhere I really need to be.”

  The girl grinned before replying in a somewhat calm and dazed tone, “Go wherever your inner energy needs you to be. Keep your spirit happy and it’ll set you free.”

  “Uh…” Allie couldn’t relate to most of their customers, but she was always polite. Right now, all she wanted was to get the hell out of there. “Okay…sure thing,” Allie said, forcing a smile as she exited the store.

  ***

  “Hello,” Joseph answered his cell phone.

  “I-I’m sorry, Joseph,” a deep metallic voice muttered, “but one of the members of the Network has gone rogue.”

  Joseph shifted uncomfortably on his favorite park bench. “What happened, Byron?”

  “Milex from Deltino Major helped smuggle a small group of bounty hunters onto the planet. He offered up the locations of everyone in the Network in exchange for his life and a ship, just so he could leave Earth and try to avoid the price on his head.”