Crimson Falls (eBook)

1

THE TRUTH.

The Chevelle added to the adventure pulsing through Joel’s veins. It left little room for memories of Cheyenne, the Valley, or his father. The time had come to learn the truth about himself, Pivoncia Poi, and his biological family. Although, Joel wasn’t sure how this inked-up, biker chick would aid in that knowledge.

Despite his very vocal arguments, Joel found himself bitterly sitting in the passenger seat of his own car, while a stranger drove the car he had built with his very own hands. (Bitterness, thanks to his new “gift”, was a constant battle for him now.)

Joel couldn’t help himself from staring at her tattoos. Greer had shed the leather, mafia jacket revealing the colorful inked sleeves down her arms. Amongst koi fish swimming around her right arm was a single dagger. It seemed similar to the one that Seth had allowed him to fight with. Only the tattoo dagger possessed a single feather tied to the dagger’s handle, and flames danced along the feather’s edge.

Two eyes grabbed his attention as they stared back at him from the center of the dagger’s blade. They reminded him of cat eyes, the haunting eyes of a leopard.

“If you take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Greer snarled.

Joel quickly turned straight ahead. “Sorry, I was just…” He didn’t know what else to say. The truth was he was staring. Maybe a picture would help, he thought.

Greer was different from any other woman he knew. A rough edge followed her every move. Her tattoos didn’t cause it. Her anger did. Every word she spoke seemed to be driven by some unspeakable pain or hatred. There was a purpose to her life that she obviously planned on fulfilling. Joel wasn’t sure he wanted to be around when she did.

Greer pulled off the road and entered a side road that led up to a red and white gas station. “I’m gonna get a couple of drinks and snacks for us.” The Chevelle stopped beside gas pump number 6. “Fill up the tank. I’ll pay with your card inside.”

Joel selected the highest grade of octane that the station had. The Chevelle needed higher, but it was hard to find it anymore with all the hybrids and fuel-efficient vehicles prowling the streets. Once he began pumping the gas, Joel turned to see Greer entering the station. He slid his phone from his pocket, thumbed through his contacts, and called Cheyenne despite the warning sign on the pump that read, “Do not use Cell Phone while pumping gas. The electric charge could ignite the fuel.”

“Hello,” Cheyenne’s voice carried through the phone. “Joel! It is so good to hear from you!”

“I don’t have much time.” Joel glanced down at his watch. “Greer said that she was going to grab some snacks and meet me back in the car.”

“Okay. Settle down - you called me, remember?” Cheyenne’s voice pushed through the phone as strong as ever.

Joel heard her frustration, but even if it wasn’t there, Joel also heard her smile. When she was truly happy, a crack in her voice always came before a smile.

“I’m sorry. Have you been able to research Greer’s background?” Joel asked.

“Yeah. I used that site you gave me yesterday. It’s got everyone on there and all their secrets. With your Dad’s password, we can find out anything about just about anyone. Even past presidents have some incriminating info on there,” Cheyenne said. “Do you want to know what I found out about J. Edger Hoover?”

“Let’s get back on track. What did you learn about Greer?” Joel asked, while looking at his watch again.

“You’re right, but you’re missing out… Okay, there are pictures of Greer throughout history. You aren’t gonna believe this, but there are pics from when photography began. The woman is old, like ancient,” Cheyenne said.

Joel drew in a deep breath. “Well, that verifies her immortal, Bacealian lifespan.” His eyes began to scan the crowd for Greer. “What else did you find?”

“Something a bit disturbing,” Cheyenne said.

“Go on. Tell me,” Joel replied.

“There are wanted posters of her on the site. Joel, she is wanted by governments all over the world for everything from identity theft to murder.” Cheyenne stopped talking.

“Figures,” Joel said. “And I’m supposed to trust this woman?” Joel thought about how to move forward. Should I run? Go back to Cheyenne and the Valley? Or do I continue?

“Joel? You still there?” Cheyenne asked.

“Yeah. I want you to keep digging. Find out more about Greer. The more information that I have about her, the better my chances of survival.” Joel caught sight of Greer coming out of the gas station and walking towards the car. “She’s coming, but I need to you continue looking into these Bacealian people. Greer said that Bacealian time runs differently than Earth time. I don’t really know what that means, but I do know that they live a long time, if they are not immortal.”

Greer had nearly reached the car when Joel heard the Chevelle’s keys jingling in her hand. “I have to go. Bye, Cheyenne,” Joel said.

“Please, be safe. Bye, Joel. I lo…” Cheyenne’s voice cut off as Joel hurried to hang up and shove the phone back into his pocket.

Joel swallowed a dry lump forcing the longing he felt for Cheyenne as far down as possible.

“You ready to go?” Joel asked Greer.

“Waiting on you,” Greer said.

Joel pulled open the Chevelle’s door. Was Cheyenne about to say that she loves me? He felt more horrified by the thought of those three little words than the “murderer” sitting next to him. Cheyenne and Joel hadn’t uttered those words to each other yet, but there was no denying how he felt when she spoke. Every nerve ending in his body fired at her voice. If he let himself stare into her eyes, those same nerve endings always paralyzed him immediately after. Joel thought of the gray flakes that radiated throughout her blue eyes. I think I may lov…

“Hey!” Greer’s voice disrupted his private thoughts. “What have ya been doing? Ya seem off in another world.”

Joel hoped Greer didn’t know of his conversation. If she was the murderer that the internet said she was, he had to divert any thought that may be going through her mind. Besides there was one question that drove his heart and their journey. There was one question that could silence his feelings for Cheyenne. “So, where do we find my mother?”

“You miss your mum do ya?” Greer stared at him as if he was a toddler crying for his mother.

“I… a… Just wondered where we are going first.” His words stopped as he noticed the sign that read “West Gates Medical Center”. “What are we doing here?”

“Today is the day that you learn of the mess we are in. Up to this point, ignorance has been your bliss.” Greer released a chuckle.

Joel paused. What mess?

Greer pulled around to the hospital’s back loading dock and turned off the Chevelle. Joel watched as she opened the door, stepped out, and wrapped her leather jacket around her shoulders.

“Wait!” Joel followed her lead and got out of the Chevelle. “Wait. What mess are we in? We took care of Frau.”

Greer stared at the hospital loading dock and spoke without giving Joel a look. “Frau was a spoiled, arrogant fool! Killing him was preschool compared to…” She literally bit her lip as if saying the person’s name was more painful than the drop of blood collecting around her teeth. “We have to fix the problem that your parents created, but first, you have to know what that problem is.” She smiled as a figure materialized from the shadows onto the loading dock.

“I am glad to see that you have arrived.” The man’s voice carried through the shadows. “Everything is ready. Just follow me.” His figure disappeared almost immediately as he turned and vanished into the hospital.

“Come on,” Greer commanded.

Joel was too stuck on the man’s voice to care that Greer barked her command. He knew that voice, but from where? It connected with the hospital. He must have heard the man during one of his two visits. The problem was that his injuries somehow left a fog where the man should have been in his memories.

Once on the loading dock, Joel followed Greer between mounds of boxes marked “Syringes” and “Biohazard”. The biohazard sign hung over a large, red, plastic bin. He couldn’t help himself as he peered inside to see bloody needles piled on top of each other. The smell had to have been imagined, but he almost smelled the blood. A salty, rusted, metallic scent drifted into his nose and over his taste buds. This was quickly followed by vomit flavored tacos as his lunch requested a second visit.

Greer and Joel followed the man into a lighted hallway. It wasn’t the bright and sterile environment that he was used to. The light above them burned as if by emergency power, flickering and casting shadows in all directions. It did, however, produce enough light for Joel to see the man’s white coat as he led them.

He’s a doctor? Joel said to himself as thoughts of haunted hospitals and mental asylums filled his mind. Why are we down here? Nothing about this place feels sterile. Joel looked to Greer, who appeared fully on track with the doctor. She even had an intent look in her eyes, like she would learn some unspoken truth for herself.

After walking down the longest hallway that Joel had ever seen, the doctor turned to point them into a room. The gray-flickering light caught the man’s face enough to reveal his identity.

Joel walked into...