Read Online UNSEEN by John Michael Hileman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: John Michael Hileman
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say? Did she tell you who he is? Who the killer is..."
" No, well, she said her name was Kara and that she was supposed to tell me something. That’s pretty much all I got."
" That’s it?"
" Yeah."
" What was she supposed to tell you?"
" How would I know?!” He glared at his friend. "This thing is getting weirder by the minute."
" Weird left the building with Elvis, man. This is way beyond weird."
" Maybe these—ghosts—are being sent to me as messengers to lead me to the killer." A hint of relief passed over him. "What else could it be? That has to be it."
" It's as good a theory as any."
Even if it wasn't true, Jake allowed himself to believe it. Hope, even misplaced hope, had the effect of a healing balm on the heart.
" Where is she now?" Dan got to his feet.
" I don't know. She came in here, then went back out there, then she was just gone."
Dan looked in the closet and behind the couch.
" I already looked for her, she's gone. And besides, you can’t see her anyway."
Dan bolted to the door. "Maybe she's in the hallway." He was gone for several seconds, then returned with a sullen face.
Jake wanted to get frustrated at the thought of her being unreachable, but something deep inside reassured him that these ghosts were here to help. It couldn’t be a coincidence that they started showing up the day his nephew went missing.
Holly returned from the bathroom in a more recessed mood than when she went in.
Jake attempted to comfort her, but knew it would not be well received. "You okay, Holly?"
She gave him a cold look. "Save your big brother act, it's just us."
" I came over because I care."
" I saw you while we were talking to Agent Grant. The last place you wanted to be was here. You hardly looked at her the whole time she was talking."
" I was trying to hear what they were talking about in the other room."
She tilted her head. "Why are you here, Jake? Is this your chance to take Gabe from me? Are you waiting for your chance to swoop in and be his hero?"
" If that were my goal, he would already be living with me."
" Oh really!"
" Do we have to do this, Holly? I'm here for you, I've always been here for you. You're my sister. I don't always like how you behave but..."
" Well I'm sorry I haven't lived up to your exacting standards, Jake! We can't all be perfect like you."
Dan stepped in. "Guys! We don't have time for this. We have to figure out what we know, and get Gabe back. We should be thinking about him right now."
Whether it was exhaustion or an overwhelming surge of emotion, Jake didn't know, but Holly started to crumble to the ground. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. They fell against the couch and Holly began to shake and cry uncontrollably. Her voice was desperate and weak. "I'm sorry, Jake. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm such a screw-up..."
He held her tighter. "We're okay, Holly. We're going to be okay."
" I break everything I touch." She shivered. "And I don't know how to stop. I don't know how to stop being a screw-up. I don't know how to be strong for him. What is wrong with me?"
" We're going to get through this."
" I'm not strong enough to save him, Jake. And I'm afraid. I'm so afraid I'll never get him back. Even if they save him, I'll never get him back."
" We'll get him back, Holly. Shhhh, it’s okay." He rubbed her back.
Her voice became a whisper, and tears poured from her eyes. "I need him so much, Jake. Don't take him from me. Please don't take him from me."
He held her and let her cry. There was nothing else he could say. He couldn't make her believe that he was not there to take Gabe away. That was something Holly had to figure out on her own. His words were empty. Only actions would prove his love was real. Despite all her flaws, she was still his sister, and he loved her, unconditionally.
He had tried to be a good brother, but her destructive behavior seemed to always pour out into his life. That was why he’d started pulling away. It wasn't a lack of
" No, well, she said her name was Kara and that she was supposed to tell me something. That’s pretty much all I got."
" That’s it?"
" Yeah."
" What was she supposed to tell you?"
" How would I know?!” He glared at his friend. "This thing is getting weirder by the minute."
" Weird left the building with Elvis, man. This is way beyond weird."
" Maybe these—ghosts—are being sent to me as messengers to lead me to the killer." A hint of relief passed over him. "What else could it be? That has to be it."
" It's as good a theory as any."
Even if it wasn't true, Jake allowed himself to believe it. Hope, even misplaced hope, had the effect of a healing balm on the heart.
" Where is she now?" Dan got to his feet.
" I don't know. She came in here, then went back out there, then she was just gone."
Dan looked in the closet and behind the couch.
" I already looked for her, she's gone. And besides, you can’t see her anyway."
Dan bolted to the door. "Maybe she's in the hallway." He was gone for several seconds, then returned with a sullen face.
Jake wanted to get frustrated at the thought of her being unreachable, but something deep inside reassured him that these ghosts were here to help. It couldn’t be a coincidence that they started showing up the day his nephew went missing.
Holly returned from the bathroom in a more recessed mood than when she went in.
Jake attempted to comfort her, but knew it would not be well received. "You okay, Holly?"
She gave him a cold look. "Save your big brother act, it's just us."
" I came over because I care."
" I saw you while we were talking to Agent Grant. The last place you wanted to be was here. You hardly looked at her the whole time she was talking."
" I was trying to hear what they were talking about in the other room."
She tilted her head. "Why are you here, Jake? Is this your chance to take Gabe from me? Are you waiting for your chance to swoop in and be his hero?"
" If that were my goal, he would already be living with me."
" Oh really!"
" Do we have to do this, Holly? I'm here for you, I've always been here for you. You're my sister. I don't always like how you behave but..."
" Well I'm sorry I haven't lived up to your exacting standards, Jake! We can't all be perfect like you."
Dan stepped in. "Guys! We don't have time for this. We have to figure out what we know, and get Gabe back. We should be thinking about him right now."
Whether it was exhaustion or an overwhelming surge of emotion, Jake didn't know, but Holly started to crumble to the ground. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. They fell against the couch and Holly began to shake and cry uncontrollably. Her voice was desperate and weak. "I'm sorry, Jake. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm such a screw-up..."
He held her tighter. "We're okay, Holly. We're going to be okay."
" I break everything I touch." She shivered. "And I don't know how to stop. I don't know how to stop being a screw-up. I don't know how to be strong for him. What is wrong with me?"
" We're going to get through this."
" I'm not strong enough to save him, Jake. And I'm afraid. I'm so afraid I'll never get him back. Even if they save him, I'll never get him back."
" We'll get him back, Holly. Shhhh, it’s okay." He rubbed her back.
Her voice became a whisper, and tears poured from her eyes. "I need him so much, Jake. Don't take him from me. Please don't take him from me."
He held her and let her cry. There was nothing else he could say. He couldn't make her believe that he was not there to take Gabe away. That was something Holly had to figure out on her own. His words were empty. Only actions would prove his love was real. Despite all her flaws, she was still his sister, and he loved her, unconditionally.
He had tried to be a good brother, but her destructive behavior seemed to always pour out into his life. That was why he’d started pulling away. It wasn't a lack of
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