Atoning (Darkness Rising 3.1)

Five

"Rae!" I called.

The door had already shut. I went after her, running into the street and looking around frantically. There was no one in sight.

I knew I'd seen Rae, beyond any doubt. The question was: had I really seen her...or her ghost? At the thought, my stomach clenched so hard that I nearly doubled over.

I forced myself to replay exactly what I'd seen. Rae's reflection in the mirror. Did necromancers see the reflection of ghosts? Honestly, I'd never had reason to notice.

I hadn't seen Rae open the door as she left, though, that was because it was around the corner. Nor had I seen her open the one to leave the theater. Yet I had seen it open. That was undeniable. I had watched her walk through an open door and seen it close behind her. She wasn't a ghost.

I took out my cell phone. In Badger Lake, they work on a private network, but out here, we have full access. I'm sure they track our calls, but it still gives us some sense, again, of autonomy. We weren't captives or prisoners. If we really wanted to, we could call for help before the Cabal could intervene.

I rang Derek. Or I tried, but no answer suggested cell service was blocked for moviegoers.

I was trying again when the door opened and Derek stepped out.

"Was I gone five seconds too long?" I said.

"Yeah, sorry."

Speaking of autonomy...Derek knows I need my space, but giving me that can be a struggle for him. There's a fine line between watching out for your girlfriend and making her feel she can't watch out for herself. It's particularly hard with a wolf's instinct to protect.

"Well, in this one case, I appreciate it." I lifted the phone. "I was trying to call you. I just saw..."

As I remembered what I'd seen, my smile of welcome evaporated. Derek strode over. "What's wrong?"

I told him.

"That's..." he began.

"Extremely statistically unlikely?" I said. "The probability that I'd randomly run into Rachelle in a North Bay movie theater?"

"Yeah."

"I know it's a trap. Which is why I didn't take off after her myself. Someone's gotten to her and is forcing her to lure me away. So I need you to go back inside."

"And get Moreno?" He shook his head. "Whoever set this up knows our plans. Meaning there's a leak and--"

"I know that. I also know that the more people we bring into this, the greater chance we have of losing Rae. Same goes if we stand out here discussing it. I want you to go back inside and out a rear exit. Wait until I take off after her--presuming she'll try again--and then follow us."

"To do what?"

"Rescue Rae, of course."

He rubbed his mouth.

"Yes, she betrayed us," I said. "Me, especially, and for that, you didn't even want her in Badger Lake. If she did come back, you didn't want me to have anything to do with her. We argued about it enough that I could hardly forget. But I'm going after her, Derek. Either you help or you go watch the movie."

He gave me a look.

"As much as you don't like Rae, there's a difference between ignoring her when she's safe in Badger Lake and ignoring her when she could be in real danger. You're not going to stop me, and you're not going to make me handle this alone, so just register your disapproval, and let me go after her."

"It's serious disapproval."

"Noted." I

lifted up and kissed him. "And I'm sorry. Mostly. But I'm going to give you the chance to tell me off, as loudly as you can, and then I'm going to run away, and you're going to storm back inside and pretend you've left me to chase a figment of my imagination. In three, two, one... Go."