Lost in Pages {2}

Chapter 2, Fiery

Unusual Heroes are sometimes the unexpected mixed with the expected. The Greatest team of all is misfits of the vast differences of character. ~ Destarti McQueen

Rain splashed on the glass only to be swatted away by the windshield whippers, which seemed to be going to the beat of the rock music being played in the vehicle.

London Kidd tapped her Land Rover’s steering wheel as drove through the windy back road. Wet trees surrounded her on either side. Alone in her car she could think or not if she choose.

It felt good to get away from work.

The last few weeks had been tough. There had been lots of paperwork and reports to turn in. People didn’t realize how work places really did deal in paper and ink. The thought that someone made paper for a living was as crazy as thinking people went to college to file paper for money.

Now London could let go and not feel like a sponge. Soaking life in had been a little too much for three weeks. Life and people could get to the point of no return in her book.

The drums and electric guitars blared through her rover. Some people just didn’t get that it unwound nerves like hers.

However she wasn’t going to exactly get much rest on her trip. She was going to a school reunion, a reunion that she wasn’t thrilled to be attending. 

Pressing her lips together, London stopped tapping to the music. Flashes came back to her mind.

Head bashed into a locker.

Water.

Depth, gasping for breath.

Face slapped.

Blood dripped onto the cold cement floor.

She reached down and rolled down the window. The smell of rain wafted in. The sound was calming as was the spray from the drops onto her face. Clutching the wheel, she tried to push the memories out of her head.

Dark memories were back and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to relive them, again. There were just too many of them. When she had accepted the invitation, she didn’t get why she had. Nothing was back there for her, there never had been.

She looked up into the mirror. Nervous black eye liner brown eyes looked back at her. Going in blind was never her first call in anything.

Her cell rang ‘the godfather’ theme music. Sighing she clicked the answer button on her cd player. “Hey, there Marko.” Her partner, the Italian mobster want-to-be. “How’s the trip been so far?”

“Quiet.”

“Sure it has been,” Sarcasm dripped in his heavy accented voice. “I bet you haven’t been playing any of your rock music or let’s not forget the rap.”

London smiled. He had started to figure her out after four years of working together. “I didn’t say I wasn’t listening to music. What got you to give me a call at this time?”

“Well, I did want to check on you.”

“Marko, spill it.”

“Okay it is also work related.”

She knew it. “Yeah, so tell me.”

Marko’s chuckle floated through her rover, making it a little lighter. “I knew you would want to know.”

London never felt too lonely with her friend. He was good at taking down her defenses and easing the tension. That day they first met was a pip and she never would forget it not like she really forgot anything. They had been thrown together because people judged things about them without trying them first. Now everyone wanted to be a part of their work.

“I’m waiting, Marko?”

“Oh, right. I know your heading to your school reunion and all, but something came up that may have to do with it.” He paused and breathed.

“Go on.”

“Well, the local feds just found three bodies. Looking into their histories and all, they found that they went to the same school as you.” Weird there was no one who was from her town let alone her school.  “Now I couldn’t remember what class you were from, so I don’t know if you would know them. High schools are so big.”

“What class year?”

“2009.”

Chills ran down her back. London glanced at the radio Bluetooth. No way, this can’t be. Moments passed.

“I take it that was your class?”

“Yeah, yeah it was.” She found her voice again. “What were the names of the victims?”

“There was a Devon Vance, Trent Avery, and Sarah Beth Longmont.”

All three were daunting names from her past. All of which she had been dreading to face back at school, but now all three were dead.

“Kidd? Are you still there?”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“Are you okay?”

“Mm…what? Oh, yeah.” She cleared her throat. “Do you know what happened?”

“As far as we can tell, they were murdered.”

“Murdered!?” Her brow tightened. “How and when.”

“The when was over two day period. Devon was killed first by what the coroner told us. Then the next night was Trent and Sarah Beth.”

Her agent juiced started coursing. “They were night killings?”

“The times of their deaths point to it.”

“That’s interesting.” Her mind was spinning to the past glued to the present events.

“The how is rather complicated.”

“Oh, how complicated can it be?”

“Enough to say the pictures are rather graphic and the reality even worse. I would say an angry and insane man was working on this.”

A tone in his voice gave off what he was trying to say. “So are you sending or bringing me the files, Marko?”

There was silence for a minute or so. “Which would you prefer to hear?”

She moistened her lips. “When are you getting to town?”

“I should be there the day after tomorrow,” he replied. London clearly heard the smile in his voice. “Check your email as soon as you can. Try to find me a place to stay while you’re there. Later, Kidd.”

Ending the call, London released the music to play again. So much for escaping work, yet here it was. It always managed to find her no matter the time or place. In a way she was relieved to have something to do. The distraction was welcoming especially with the reunion in her home town and all that was going to come with being back.

She turned down another side road.