Blue Sacrifice (Blue Davison) (28 page)

“It is.”

“The town lies. There are no signs. You’re being
selfish,” Penny yelled then began talking to someone in the room with her, “No,
I need to talk to her. It’s important.” The voices in the background grew more
agitated and I sensed they were now fighting for the phone. Penny finally
screamed, “Once the clock chimes, everyone is going to die!”

The phone didn’t go dead right away. Instead there
was a struggle with a screaming Penny before the phone toppled to the ground. Setting
aside my phone, I felt hollowed out as if I’d left my aunt to suffer because I
was in love with a beautiful guy.

“It’s not fair what she’s asking,” Flynn said
gently as he pressed my head to his chest and caressed my hair. “I heard her
asking you to die, but why didn’t she do it years ago? Why doesn’t she do it
now? She wants you to die like your mom died, but it’s not fair. Your mom had a
child and Penny didn’t.”

“She sounded so afraid.”

“Just like you sounded the night you had that
horrible nightmare or how about when I found you bruised and exhausted on the
bridge after a night of torment? You’ve suffered so much, Blue. You’ve suffered
even though you’ve done nothing wrong. You don’t deserve to die and Penny knows
that. She just wants the easy way out, but wouldn’t it be her turn next time? It’s
better for her to wait this out and see what happens. I bet we learn no one
really has to die and it’s a sick bastard’s way of saving his own ass.”

“I hope you’re right. Even though it means my mom
died for nothing, I hope you’re right and no more sacrifices have to be made.”

Flynn held me for a long time as we pretended to
watch the Travel Channel. Finally giving up on TV as a distraction, I straddled
Flynn.

“I need you,” I said, pulling off my shirt. “Don’t
gloat please.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said and the smile he
gave me was full of love. “I need my Blue too.”

In Flynn’s arms, I put aside the guilt and worry.
Even when gunshots rang out in the distance, I didn’t let go of him. Even when
we heard a scream from a few blocks over, I held onto the dream of finding happiness
in a place full of death.

Despite my happy thoughts when the phone rang hours
later, I knew in my heart the darkness had come for someone I loved. Flynn likely
did too because he rushed into the room, carrying an empty bowl for the popcorn
he was making. Grabbing my phone and seeing Lacey’s picture, I imagined a
million different horrible scenarios.

Before I spoke, Lacey did. “Alyssa is in the
hospital. There was a shooting at a stop sign. She’s hurt, but I don’t want you
freaking out.”

“I’m coming.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“I want to see her.”

Lacey said something to someone on her end then
sighed. “Don’t freak out. She’s going to be okay.”

“I’m coming.”

During the drive to the hospital, I felt the
darkness laughing at how I thought I could walk away from my destiny. My mother
stood at every corner, bleeding and hating me. I heard her in my head too.

She hadn’t wanted me. I was a burden. I would
become a burden to Flynn. He would grow to hate me like she did. He would leave
me.
On and on…

Flynn tried to calm me. He tried music and
talking. Yet I couldn’t hear anything besides my mother inside my head. The
guilt about Alyssa allowed the darkness in and I couldn’t get it to leave.

After parking, Flynn learned what floor Alyssa was
on. He pulled me along as I focused on anything other than the sights and
sounds my mother, Assad, and the many dead Davison women forced on me. They
hated me for being a coward. They would kill everyone I loved. They showed me
Flynn leaving. Show me Lacey and the Zandis hating me for what I did to their
family. By the time I reached the third floor, I couldn’t see past the demons
flooding my senses.

“Blue!” Lacey yelled, shaking me. “Stop freaking
out!”

Focusing on her face, I saw how she had been
crying. Even though her face was dry now, her eyes were red and her makeup
smeared.

“How is she?” I mumbled, trying to focus.

“Fine. It’s a scratch. I just called you so you
wouldn’t hear from someone else and freak out.”

Vision wavering, I thought I might pass out. The
demons made the room bright then dark then bright until I had to sit down to
keep from falling.

“Bluebell, are you alright?” Tyson asked, helping
me to a chair.

“Bluebell?” Flynn muttered. “What is that?”

Tyson glanced at Flynn as if he hadn’t noticed him
until that very moment.

“Bluebell is a kind of flower and I like to believe
this was why Rhiannon chose the name Blue. She viewed her daughter as a beautiful
flower.”

Flynn exhaled roughly, unhappy with Tyson standing
so close to me.

“What happened to Alyssa?” I asked.

“I told you,” Lacey grumbled. “She’s fine. Don’t
freak out and just go home and relax.”

Turning my gaze to Tyson, I took his hand. “How is
Alyssa?”

“She’s in surgery, but they say she’ll recover.”

“Why?” Lacey growled at her brother.

“Lying to her wasn’t helping, Lacey.”

“Whatever,” she said then turned to me. “Just
don’t freak out.”

On the other end of the room, I spotted Amira and
Yousef speaking to men I hadn’t seen before. The men felt like outsiders, possibly
foreign. Tyson noticed my interest and crossed his arms.

“My parents felt we needed more security. These
men are from Israel where my father has many friends. They are why Alyssa survived.”

“See?” Lacey said, sitting next to me. “We’ve got
this handled. Don’t freak out.”

“Stop saying that,” I told her weakly.

“You’re freaking out though.”

“Penny called…”

“Don’t,” Flynn said, sitting on my other side.
“You can’t listen to Penny.”

“I don’t want to agree with the outsider,” Lacey muttered,
“but he’s right. If Penny wanted a sacrifice to be made, she could go ahead and
do it herself.”

Nodding slightly, I turned my gaze to the doors
leading to the surgery area. Somewhere behind those doors was Alyssa who had
sometimes seemed aloof towards me, yet she also held a special spot in my
heart. She was the girl who had helped me buy my first bra.

It seemed like such a small gesture, but needing a
bra was the first real girl thing that happened to me after my mom died. When I
realized I couldn’t hide my growing chest any longer, I asked Gretchen to take
me shopping for bras. Instead she insisted I could shop on my own at Wal-Mart. Telling
her I wasn’t sure what size to buy, she had looked at me like I was crazy. “The
small kind,” she said and I’d realized that day what I’d always known. Gretchen
was my guardian, but she would never be my mom and not because I didn’t want
her to.

Once Alyssa noticed how I didn’t wear a bra even
though I clearly needed to, she planned a fun shopping trip with me and Lacey. The
rejection I felt at Gretchen’s disinterest vanished after a day with the sisters.
Alyssa was also the one who readied me for my period and took me to get birth
control. While Amira always helped out, she was clearly hesitant to create any suggestion
that she wanted to replace my mother. Alyssa though took the lead like I was
her little sister just as much as Lacey.

Now she suffered because of me. Despite everyone saying
it wasn’t my fault or responsibility, I could have prevented the bullet from
tearing through Alyssa. I had that power and I didn’t use it because I wanted
to be like everyone else. I wanted a future, so I took away Alyssa’s.

For despite what Tyson and Lacey insisted, I saw
the concern on Amira’s face. Across the room, she faked strength, but she worried
she would lose her daughter. Maybe she even knew it was because of me. Neither Amira
nor Yousef had looked at me since I arrived. Perhaps they were too disgusted
with me to look my direction or they just wanted to protect me from the
resentment I might see in their eyes.

“Bluebell,” Tyson said, kneeling in front of me to
the ire of Flynn, “you did not do this. A man with a grudge against our family
did this. You did not put the gun in his hand. You did not fill him with rage.
You are innocent and he is guilty. He deserves to be punished while you do not.
I hope you understand this.”

Knowing lies were what they needed from me, I merely
nodded and smiled. They all wanted me to believe the darkness was manageable
and a problem for others to worry over. Even Flynn, who might have sat me on
his lap and made out with me so the competition would understand how I wasn’t
available, agreed with Tyson’s words. I agreed in theory too, but they didn’t
truly understand.

I doubted if they could save people, Flynn, Lacey,
and Tyson be so dismissive of their responsibilities. Tyson especially would
have no qualms sacrificing his life to save others especially the innocent. Yet
he expected me to sit back and enjoy life while others like Alyssa suffered. Flynn
and the Zandis meant well, but they were selling me a lie.

“Do you think Alyssa will be out of surgery soon?”
I asked.

“Yes,” Tyson said. “The nurse came out a few
minutes before you arrived and said Alyssa would be moved to recovery soon.”

“Where was she shot?”

“In the neck,” Lacey mumbled after a pause then added
more strongly, “Sounds worse than it was. Those former Mossad guys went
A-Team
on the jerk that was shooting.”

“
A-Team
?” I said with a grin. “You’re such
a tomboy.”

“I really am,” Lacey replied, smiling along with
Tyson. “It’s just my natural way to be butch. Couldn’t help it if I tried.”

Laughing quietly, I took her hand. “Thanks for
helping me not freak out.”

“Thanks for not forcing me to slap you to keep you
from freaking out. I was seriously worried I’d have to go Cher on your Nic Cage
ass.”

“What’s with all of the 80’s references, child?”
Tyson asked.

“I’ve been watching a lot of movies with Mom. You
know how she loves Cher. The
A-Team
thing is all me though because of my
manly side.”

Smiling faintly, Tyson nodded and stepped back.
Flynn exhaled quietly once the competition moved away from me. It was rather
comical to see him jealous, mostly because he didn’t seem to know what he was doing.
His facial reactions were just a hint off-kilter.

“You okay?” I asked him and he nodded. “Can we
stay until Lacey has seen Alyssa?”

“Whatever you need.”

Kissing his cheek, I dodged his attempt to kiss me
in return. I knew he wanted to mark his claim Flynn-style by humping in public.
Yet Tyson was working so hard to be fine with Flynn and me dating. With his
sister injured, his family under attack, the girl he wanted with someone he had
encouraged her to love, I knew the tension ate at him. Tyson’s awkwardness was
obvious by how he avoided looking at Flynn.

“Thank you for your kind words, Tyson,” I said, needing
him to know he still owned a piece of my heart.

Tyson wanted to say something. I saw it and I
thought Flynn saw it too, but Tyson just smiled and nodded. His gaze focused on
the ground and stayed there even after he found a seat nearby.

For the next hour, we waited for updates. Once
Alyssa awoke from surgery, Amira and Yousef were able to see her. I waited with
Lacey who played games on her phone. Flynn sat next to me, glaring at the chair
next to Tyson as if wanting to glare at the man, but feeling it disrespectful
under the circumstances.

When Amira returned and spoke to us, I listened to
her put a positive spin on Alyssa’s injury. I saw the fear in her eyes though. Lacey
must have seen it too because she was suddenly holding onto Tyson like he might
fall down without her assist.

No attempt to make a plan, I merely waited while
the darkness devised my escape. The waiting room was quiet except for whispered
conversations and the overhead television. Then I heard someone yelling about how
the doctors were lying. His mother wasn’t dead. They were hiding her somewhere.

The Israeli security men instantly moved to
protect the Zandis. When hospital security hurried to the floor, the distraught
man saw them coming and took off running. He must have hit the fire alarm because
the hospital went from rather quiet to absolute chaos.

In the commotion of people moving around, I
slipped away from Flynn who was standing between me and several family members
of patients who were now yelling. I only needed a few minutes to get down the
stairs and out the exit.

Outside my mother waited for me, wearing sweats
and running shoes. “Ready to go for a swim?” she asked as I ran past her.

Joining me, she smiled brightly. “The cold isn’t
so bad. If you promise to be a good girl then I promise to help you stay warm.
Not right away. You’ve been too much of a bitch for that. Eventually though I’ll
find it in my heart to forgive you. Then we’ll wait for Penny to join us and the
Three Musketeers will be back together.”