He looked startled and something else I couldnt quite put my finger on, but definitely startled, like he hadnt ever thought Id be crying over him.
I dreamed you were alive, I said. You were calling me and you needed help, and I wanted to go but I swallowed. It didnt make sense. I told myself you couldnt be, so I didnt, and Im sorry if
You wouldnt have found me, Maya. If I called you, it was only in my dreams, when I was out cold. I never expected you to come after me. I should be dead. He tugged me into his arms. Im just really, really glad Im not.
He kissed me, and it wasnt like the other ones, all fire and emotion. This one was achingly sweet and when we separated, the look in his eyes was almost sad.
II dont know where Annie is, I said. Im sorry. I
Dont be. Another quick kiss, then he put his arm around my waist and started leading me back toward the house. Well figure all that out later. Right now
The sliding back door to the house squealed. Daniel stepped onto the deck. Rafe and I were still in the woods, but we could see him, through the trees, and he could see us. He stopped dead. Kenjii raced past him. She barreled down the steps toward us, and gave me a passing lick before jumping on Rafe. He pushed her down, laughing.
See, I am real, he said.
Hmm, still not sure, I said. Dogs are supposed to be able to see ghosts, you know.
Maybe, but Im sure that guy cant. As we stepped from the woods, he waved at Daniel, whod come down to the bottom of the steps and was frozen again. Though he does look as if hes seeing one. He raised his voice so Daniel could hear. Yes, its me. Not a ghost or a zombie or a long-lost twin brother.
Rafe? Daniel started walking slowly across the yard.
In the flesh. Battered and bruised flesh, but apparently it takes more than a fall from a helicopter to get rid of me.
Wow. I cant believe it, but obviously He looked Rafe up and down and shook his head. Wow.
Holy hell. Now Corey stood on the back deck, staring.
He came over and we had to go through the whole thing again. Yes, it was Rafe. Not a ghost. Not a zombie. Not a long-lost twin brother. As ludicrous as all those ideas sounded, though, they seemed more likely than the truththat a guy fell from a helicopter and survived.
You sure about the twin thing? Corey said when Rafe had finished.
Yes, I dont have a long-lost twin brother.
I do, I said. Or so Iveheard.
Rafe grinned at me. Yes, but Im not him.
Which is good.
Very good. He squeezed my hand.
Well be inside, Daniel said.
Uh-uh, Corey said. Romantic reunions are officially on hold, even for guys whove returned from the dead. Were neck-deep in crap here and we need to dig our way out. Or at least come up with a plan. He looked from me to Daniel. Ideas?
I have a couple, Daniel said. I just need time to think them through.
Sure, Rafe said. While you do that, can I tell you mine? Ive been here almost a day. Plenty of time to think as I waited for you guys to show up.
We should head back to Sam, I said. Shes at her place.
Corey nodded. And I want to know how in hell you not only survived the fall, but made it back here before us.
Rafe seemed a little surprised at how quickly Daniel and Corey bought his miracle heal story, until I explained that they knew about the skin-walker thing. I told him briefly about benandanti and our theories of Salmon Creek, so he wouldnt think Id just randomly confessed to having supernatural powers. Then he gave his story.
How did Rafe make it back so fast? Same way we did. He stole a ride. A motorcycle. In his case, though, he skipped all the steps between. No tortuous trek through the woodshed landed relatively close to a town. No attempts to get help, because Rafe wasnt like us. His life experience was closer to Sams. His mom had sheltered him as best she could from the ugliness of life on the run, but he hadnt grown up in a world where you could stroll into town, ask strangers for help, and expect to get it.
Annie used to have a motorcycle, he said, and shed taught him to ride it. He also knew how to hot-wire one. I wasnt asking how. Like I said, his life experience wasnt ours.
And you knew we were alive? I said as we approached the outskirts of town.
I knew you were alive.
That made me feel I dont know. There was a flutter of happiness at the thought, but some guilt, too, because Id had the same experience. Id known that he was alive. Yet I hadnt trusted it.
Are you going to even ask who else survived? Corey said. Did I imagine the touch of sarcasm in his voice?
Well, obviously you guys and Samantha, Rafe said. Im guessing He shrugged. Im guessing, um, no one else made it. Not exactly the subject anyone wants me discussing, Im sure.
Hayley and Nicole were kidnapped, I said.
I dreamed you were alive, I said. You were calling me and you needed help, and I wanted to go but I swallowed. It didnt make sense. I told myself you couldnt be, so I didnt, and Im sorry if
You wouldnt have found me, Maya. If I called you, it was only in my dreams, when I was out cold. I never expected you to come after me. I should be dead. He tugged me into his arms. Im just really, really glad Im not.
He kissed me, and it wasnt like the other ones, all fire and emotion. This one was achingly sweet and when we separated, the look in his eyes was almost sad.
II dont know where Annie is, I said. Im sorry. I
Dont be. Another quick kiss, then he put his arm around my waist and started leading me back toward the house. Well figure all that out later. Right now
The sliding back door to the house squealed. Daniel stepped onto the deck. Rafe and I were still in the woods, but we could see him, through the trees, and he could see us. He stopped dead. Kenjii raced past him. She barreled down the steps toward us, and gave me a passing lick before jumping on Rafe. He pushed her down, laughing.
See, I am real, he said.
Hmm, still not sure, I said. Dogs are supposed to be able to see ghosts, you know.
Maybe, but Im sure that guy cant. As we stepped from the woods, he waved at Daniel, whod come down to the bottom of the steps and was frozen again. Though he does look as if hes seeing one. He raised his voice so Daniel could hear. Yes, its me. Not a ghost or a zombie or a long-lost twin brother.
Rafe? Daniel started walking slowly across the yard.
In the flesh. Battered and bruised flesh, but apparently it takes more than a fall from a helicopter to get rid of me.
Wow. I cant believe it, but obviously He looked Rafe up and down and shook his head. Wow.
Holy hell. Now Corey stood on the back deck, staring.
He came over and we had to go through the whole thing again. Yes, it was Rafe. Not a ghost. Not a zombie. Not a long-lost twin brother. As ludicrous as all those ideas sounded, though, they seemed more likely than the truththat a guy fell from a helicopter and survived.
You sure about the twin thing? Corey said when Rafe had finished.
Yes, I dont have a long-lost twin brother.
I do, I said. Or so Iveheard.
Rafe grinned at me. Yes, but Im not him.
Which is good.
Very good. He squeezed my hand.
Well be inside, Daniel said.
Uh-uh, Corey said. Romantic reunions are officially on hold, even for guys whove returned from the dead. Were neck-deep in crap here and we need to dig our way out. Or at least come up with a plan. He looked from me to Daniel. Ideas?
I have a couple, Daniel said. I just need time to think them through.
Sure, Rafe said. While you do that, can I tell you mine? Ive been here almost a day. Plenty of time to think as I waited for you guys to show up.
We should head back to Sam, I said. Shes at her place.
Corey nodded. And I want to know how in hell you not only survived the fall, but made it back here before us.
Rafe seemed a little surprised at how quickly Daniel and Corey bought his miracle heal story, until I explained that they knew about the skin-walker thing. I told him briefly about benandanti and our theories of Salmon Creek, so he wouldnt think Id just randomly confessed to having supernatural powers. Then he gave his story.
How did Rafe make it back so fast? Same way we did. He stole a ride. A motorcycle. In his case, though, he skipped all the steps between. No tortuous trek through the woodshed landed relatively close to a town. No attempts to get help, because Rafe wasnt like us. His life experience was closer to Sams. His mom had sheltered him as best she could from the ugliness of life on the run, but he hadnt grown up in a world where you could stroll into town, ask strangers for help, and expect to get it.
Annie used to have a motorcycle, he said, and shed taught him to ride it. He also knew how to hot-wire one. I wasnt asking how. Like I said, his life experience wasnt ours.
And you knew we were alive? I said as we approached the outskirts of town.
I knew you were alive.
That made me feel I dont know. There was a flutter of happiness at the thought, but some guilt, too, because Id had the same experience. Id known that he was alive. Yet I hadnt trusted it.
Are you going to even ask who else survived? Corey said. Did I imagine the touch of sarcasm in his voice?
Well, obviously you guys and Samantha, Rafe said. Im guessing He shrugged. Im guessing, um, no one else made it. Not exactly the subject anyone wants me discussing, Im sure.
Hayley and Nicole were kidnapped, I said.
