A Shadow's Light: Book Two of The Shadow Series Read online

Test nodded his head as his brain cells slowly began to come back on line. “Yeah, I’m all set.” He stood silent once more, and then winced to himself for not returning her compliment right away. “You--you look great too.”

  She was wearing a long summer dress with thin straps and open toed sandals. Her tanned shoulders looked soft, yet toned, and her hair laid over them like silk curtains. As she looked at Test, she nervously pushed her hair behind her ears. He found the irony in her wearing a summer dress, which made him think of Nicole, but the thought was fleeting.

  “You really do look great,” said Test with a little more confidence now that he’d caught his breath.

  Alyssa smiled and replied. “Thank you.”

  From behind her, Enrique honked the horn. With his head sticking out the window, he prodded. “Let’s go you two. It’s getting late.”

  The young couple looked to Enrique and then back to each other.

  “Uncle E isn’t the most patient person in the world, but you probably already knew that, huh?” said Alyssa as she peered over Test’s shoulder. She noticed the broken mirror in the washroom, but didn’t say anything.

  Test looked around her and, with a nod to his boss, replied. “No doubt; let me get my keys and we can get going.”

  He walked to the washroom and picked his keys up off of the counter. He then noticed the mirror.

  Oh, I’ll bet that looks great, he thought to himself.

  Quickly, he turned off the light in hopes that she hadn’t seen it and then walked back to the front door.

  “All set,” he said with a smile.

  Alyssa turned and walked back to her uncle’s car. Test closed the door behind him and followed her. In the passenger seat of the car was Enrique’s wife, Julie. She was a nice looking woman, a little on the heavier side, with long straight blonde hair.

  Test walked quickly to catch up with Alyssa and opened her door for her.

  “Oh, a gentleman,” said Julie as she smacked her husband’s shoulder. “Why don’t you open the door for me?”

  “I don’t need to suck up, I already landed you,” said Enrique with a laugh. “Thanks though, Chance. You’re making me look bad.”

  “Sorry boss,” replied Test.

  “We’re not at work, you can call me Enrique.”

  Alyssa didn’t look at him as she climbed into the car, but gently laid her hand on his as it rested on the door. He inhaled her scent deeply. It was soft and intoxicating. As he gently closed the door behind her, he caught a glimpse of Julie as she shot Alyssa a big grin. Coming around to the passenger side, he reached for his door handle and took a deep breath. Just relax, he thought to himself. It’s just one night. He opened the door and climbed in.

  “How have you been, Chance?” asked Julie. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

  “I’ve been good,” replied Test. “It’s good to see you too, Mrs. Franco.”

  “Please call me Julie. Mrs. Franco makes me feel old.”

  “Got it,” replied Test with a nod of his head. “So, where are we going tonight?” he asked.

  “We’re going to go to the Warm Springs Café. You ever been?” asked Enrique.

  “No sir, I haven’t been out to eat since I came to Saratoga,” replied Test.

  Enrique looked back over his shoulder with a strange look on his face. “Seriously?” he asked.

  “Yes sir,” replied Test. He looked over to Alyssa feeling somewhat embarrassed. She still had her smile.

  She continued to push her hair behind her ears, and speaking in an anxious voice, she answered. “There’s nothing wrong with that, Uncle E. I don’t eat out much either.”

  Enrique turned to Julie with his eyebrows raised.

  Julie whispered to him. “Just shut up and drive.” Then turning to the backseat, she spoke softly to Test with her hand covering her mouth from Enrique’s view. “With the wages Enrique pays, I can’t say as I blame you.”

  Even more embarrassed now than before, Test ran his hands through his hair and replied. “That’s not it at….”

  “Don’t argue with a woman, young Mr. Johnston. You can’t win,” interrupted Enrique.

  Shaking his head, he started the car and backed out of the parking stall.

  *****

  The café was dimly lit in an attempt to provide a romantic atmosphere, but the lighting was contradictory to a staff that was full of energy and wit. Table after table of people seemed to be enjoying themselves at a volume not conducive to romance, and that was actually okay with Test. He didn’t want romance. He was scared to death that life would repeat itself and that Lincoln would happen all over again.

  The four of them were sitting in a booth midway through the room; Enrique and Test on one side and the girls on the other. They had only been seated for a couple of minutes when Enrique, being the impatient person that he is, motioned for the waitress.

  “Hello folks! My name is Grace and I’ll be serving you this evening. Can I start you off with anything to drink?” asked the woman.

  Grace was a thin haired woman in her late sixties. She had messy gray hair that was flipped in every direction. Her skin was leathery and wrinkled, and she had a comforting voice that when she spoke, made people feel like they were at their grandmother’s house for supper.

  “I’ll have a diet soda,” replied Julie.

  “I’ll have the same,” replied Alyssa.

  “I’ll have a draw,” replied Enrique. “Chance, whatever you want; it’s on me.”

  “I’ll just stick to water. Thank you ma’am,” replied Test.

  “Are you sure? Get whatever you want,” said Enrique with a nudge.

  “Thanks, but I don’t drink. I had a couple of bad experiences and just don’t do it anymore,” replied Test, his anxiety level beginning to rise.

  With a shrug of his shoulders, Enrique replied. “Good enough.”

  “Okay, I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your order then,” said Grace with a yellowed denture smile.

  “Thank you,” replied Julie.

  Enrique picked up the napkin-wrapped silver ware in front of him and began to fidget. “So, Chance, you’ve been working for me for almost a year now and I don’t really know much of anything about you. What brought you to Saratoga?”

  Test looked as though someone had just pulled a gun on him. It shouldn’t have been, but to Test this was totally unexpected. He became flushed and hot as he exchanged nervous looks between Julie and Alyssa.

  “Well,” he said with a pause, “I just wanted to be close to the mountains.”

  “Didn’t you say you were from Kansas?” asked Enrique as he scratched his cheek.

  “Yes sir,” replied Test, tapping the table with his index finger.

  “Why come all the way up to Wyoming then? Why not Colorado?” asked Enrique.

  It had become obvious to Julie that the young man was uncomfortable. She intervened by saying, “Isn’t it obvious, Enrique. He’d heard about the pretty girls up here and had to come, right Chance?” She then looked at Enrique with a scowl.

  Enrique lifted his shoulders with his palms facing up on the table. “What did I do? I’m just trying to get to know the kid.”

  “It’s okay, Julie. I just don’t like to talk about myself,” said Test with a half hearted smile. The tension of the situation forced Test’s anxiety to sky rocket, bringing his worst fears to life. He felt the inner fire ignite and took a couple of deep breaths. He laced his fingers behind his head and tried to relax, but it was too late.

  Enrique turned towards Test, obviously annoyed at his wife’s reprimand. “Look, I’m not trying to be a jerk. I just thought we’d get to know you a little better, that’s all. If all you want to do is sit here and eat, fine with me.”

  Enrique picked up his silver ware once again and stared at the front door of the restaurant.

  Angered by the tone of the man next to him, Test was unable to compose himself. “Fine; here’s the story. Eleven months ago my mother was killed. A we
ek later my girlfriend dumped me, so I decided that I needed a brand new start. I opened an atlas and the first state that I opened to was Wyoming. Saratoga was actually the first town that I noticed on the map, so that was where I went.”

  Test stared blankly at the table while everyone else sat in stunned silence. None of them could look at Test, except Alyssa.

  “I’m so sorry,” said Alyssa in a soft voice, reaching her hand across the table in hopes that he would take it.

  “Me too,” replied Enrique. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

  Test took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and placed his hands on the table, tapping his index finger nervously as he waited for the awkwardness to pass.

  “Do you feel that?” asked Enrique. “The table’s vibrating.”

  “Yeah, I thought it was just me,” replied Julie.

  Test looked at the salt and pepper shakers and panicked as he noticed them dancing softly on top of the table. Immediately, he lifted his hands and put them on his lap. The vibrations stopped.

  “You know, I’m really not feeling well. I think I need some fresh air,” said Test.

  “What? Are you sure?” replied Alyssa in a concerned and disappointed voice.

  Test’s eyes danced feverishly, making eye contact with each of them for only a fraction of a second. “I’m sorry, everyone. Thank you for everything, but I think I need to go.”

  He began to slide towards Enrique, forcing the large framed man onto his feet. As Test stood from the booth, he was careful to avoid eye contact with the girls, so much so that he inadvertently found himself standing face to face with Enrique.

  “Let me give you a ride. It’s a pretty good walk back home for you,” said Enrique.

  “No!” snapped Test. Red faced, he arched his back and took a deep breath. Placing his fingers to his temples, he tried to politely excuse himself. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. Thank you, but I think I need the fresh air.” He turned to Alyssa. “I’m very sorry ladies, maybe another time?”

  “I really would like that,” replied Alyssa with sad brown eyes. “I hope you feel better.”

  “Take care, Chance,” said Julie.

  Test turned from the table and headed for the door. As he reached for the handle, a hand from behind grabbed his left elbow.

  “Hey, wait a minute,” said Enrique.

  Test turned quickly and defensively.

  “Hey!” said Enrique, raising a hand defensively. “I’m sorry if I offended you or upset you. I didn’t mean to.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s not all you,” replied Test. “I gotta go though, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Test turned back and went out the door. He walked quickly down the sidewalk until he came to a dark alley that separated two buildings. Without hesitation, he turned and ran ten feet into the darkness. A sliver of light sliced through the shadows, revealing a trash dumpster at the end of the alley. In a fit of anger, he threw his right palm towards it, causing the side of the dumpster to cave in with tremendous force. A deafening bang of steel echoed back down the alley and to the street. With a guttural scream, he looked at his palms which were emitting a blinding red light. He turned back and looked towards the street to see if anyone was there. Seeing no one, he faced his palms to the ground and pulsed into the night sky.

  Chapter 4

  The switch had been flipped. Flooded with anger, mostly towards himself, he blasted through the night air, the cool breeze doing little to calm him. Now into the Medicine Bow Mountains, he saw Saratoga Lake, which was only a couple of miles from where he had taken off. He pulled his arms to his chest and began to descend rapidly. He closed his eyes for a moment and fell peacefully, contemplating never opening them again.

  In his mind, an image of his mother flashed. She looked fantastic, not at all like he’d remembered. She was young, healthy, and, most importantly, smiling. Her image gave him the reason to open his eyes, and his heart stopped at the realization of how close to the ground he’d become. In a quick, yet controlled motion, he threw his feet towards the forest below. His torso, arms, and hands now ablaze with color, he let his rage go. He held both palms towards the earth, and in an attempt to slow his descent, released a powerful pulse. He watched wide eyed as a swath of trees folded over in front of him. He slammed through the forest with debris flying in every direction; trees being uprooted and their limbs dismantled from their trunks. Giving one last pulse before he hit the ground, he landed unevenly and ripped through the trees that remained standing in front of him.

  Though the forest had become still, a deafening white hiss screamed in his ears. His heart pounded ferociously and he struggled to regain his breath. Now on his back, Test laid motionless with his eyes closed; a surge of pain shooting through his right ankle and the back of his head. He could feel the warm, wet liquid on the back of his neck. Opening his eyes, he reached back, his hand still glowing, and felt the blood soaking into his hair. He pulled his hand back around to his face to see the glow hidden in portions by the blood. Slowly he sat up, trying to stay focused. His head was pounding. Using the small tree beside him as a crutch, he stood, wincing from the pain. He put weight on his right foot to see how badly his ankle was injured, and while there was pain, it was nothing that he couldn’t deal with.

  He lifted his head and his eyes caught the path of destruction through the forest. He now stood in front of a barren patch of forest twenty feet wide and over one hundred yards long. Trees covered the ground, each of them lying in the same direction, like a line of dominoes that had just fallen. With the glow of his arms and torso now fading, he fell back to his knees as tears began to stream down his face. He buried his face in his hands and allowed his body to fall forward onto the ground. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically.

  After a couple of moments, he pushed himself back up to his knees and looked to his left. Through the trees, he could see the moon’s reflection coming off of the water only twenty feet away. He gathered his strength and stood once more. As he walked through the trees and towards the shore, he watched the moonlight shimmer on the lake’s surface. He approached the waters edge, and without hesitation, waded further and further into the lake.

  The frigid temperature of the water was a welcome shock. It took his mind, even if only for a moment, off of his torment. Deeper and deeper he walked into the lake until his head was the only thing above water. He laid his head back, and running his fingers through his hair, stained the water with blood. He breathed deeply and looked to the sky. As his mind began to calm, so too did the tension in his body. Within a minute, he began to shiver from the chill of the water that encased his body.

  The image of his mother entered his mind once more. He really didn’t know if she was alive or dead, but had a feeling deep in his heart that she was, in fact, still alive. He felt large amounts of guilt for not having attempted to find her. Over the past nine months, he had thought of every way possible to reunite with her, but every thought led to the same end; the end. It seemed inevitable to him that he was either destined to be alone for the rest of his life, be imprisoned, or die before his time.

  His trance like state was suddenly interrupted by a new sound. His hearing muffled from being under the water, he lifted his head and looked across the lake. He could see the lights of several boats traveling in his direction. He then became aware of the rhythmic sound of a helicopter approaching from a distance and turned towards it. In a moment of panic, he quickly took for the shore. Now waist deep, he could see the light of the helicopter coming in and quickly turned to see that the boats were closing as well.

  His anger once again swelled to a fever pitch, and the glow from his body was now illuminating the water around him. With the boats closing quickly, he slipped onto his back, floating with his head facing the main body of the lake and away from the boats. He positioned his arms to his side under the water and let out a pulse. With an explosion of mist and waves, he skate
d across the top of the water for twenty feet. Upon coming to a stop, he pulsed again, once more propelling himself further out into the lake in torpedo-like fashion. Exhaustion had begun to set in, and his head dropped backwards into the water, causing his body and neck to contort in an unnatural motion and bringing him to a sudden and painful stop. As he righted himself, he struggled to regain his equilibrium and dizzily looked towards the shore. The boats were now only fifty yards from him, and with no where to go, he submerged himself under the water. With the glow from his body fading, he held his breath for as long as he could. He could hear the roar of the boat’s motors and tried to stay beneath the surface until he was forced to surface for precious air. In a very controlled ascent, he only let his head come out of the water to his nostrils.

  The boats were now on shore but, amazingly, their occupants hadn’t noticed him yet. He could hear the voices of people speaking, but, with the water gently lapping over his ears, couldn’t make out the conversation. He could see the helicopter’s lights now hovering low behind the tree line. The sight of it brought his last moments in Lincoln back to life.

  “It’s happening again,” he whispered.

  With a deep breath, he let himself fall back into the water and, once submerged, turned his body away from the boats and tried to streamline himself like a torpedo. Arms to his side, he let out as large a pulse as he was able and felt himself launch through the water. Struggling with oxygen deprivation, his body told him to surface, but he reached deep inside and managed one more pulse before surfacing. This time, upon surfacing, he laid his head back to where only his face was above the water. He tried not to breathe loudly for he didn’t know exactly where he was in relation to the shoreline and the boats. He inhaled deeply, with his mouth gaping, three times before letting his head up. His fear turned to relief as he was amazed that he was now several hundred yards away from the shoreline.

  His relief was short lived and quickly turned to fear. As exhaustion began to over take him, his arms began to cramp and his legs no longer had the strength to continue kicking. The glow of his body and arms was now completely gone. He began to struggle with keeping his head above water and, after several moments of resisting, he let himself fall. As he sank, his arms drifted lifelessly over his head.