Damned and Cursed (Book 2): Witch's Kurse (2 page)

"I've still got quite a drive ahead of me.
 
I'm not trying to be pushy, but how long are we talking here?"

"It won't be a long time," he said, unmoved by her attitude.
 
"Just have a seat.
 
I promise, I'll work as fast as I can."

She sighed as she sat in a chair against the wall.
 
Nathan continued to do whatever he was doing.
 
He shifted from machine to machine, copied data to multiple flash drives, and prepared the photo booth.
 
She glanced out the small basement window not far away, noticing the full moon in the dusk sky.
 
When she turned her attention back to the basement she caught Nathan staring at her.

She smiled slightly.
 
"I know you want to ask."

"It's none of my business," he said.
 
"I'm a professional.
 
I just do the work.
 
Your reasons are your own."

"I'm not a murderer, or a serial killer, or anything like that."

He shrugged.
 
"Again, none of my business."
 
He nodded at the briefcase.
 
"You pay me to do a service."

"And what a payment it is," she said, taking a deep breath.

They shared a laugh as he again went to another computer.

"So, what are your plans?
 
I
can
ask that, at least.
 
What's the first thing you're going to do in your new life?"

Jane sighed.
 
She had plans.
 
She wanted to get back to her roots.
 
She wanted to get back to Sandy Cliffs, the small town in Montana where she was born and raised.
 
It'd been decades since she'd been home, and she decided it was finally time.
 
The quiet woods, maybe a small house or apartment, restoring her parents' old bar.
 
She didn't think that was too much to ask for.

Of course, she'd have to start her new life minus decades of savings.
 
She had a nice nest egg saved up, but losing one hundred thousand dollars was painful.

"The first thing," Jane said.
 
"I'll probably eat a nice, juicy steak."

Nathan laughed and shook his head.
 
Jane stood and stretched her arms over her head.
 
Her blouse rode up slightly, and Nathan enjoyed the view, eying her slim stomach.

"What's your story?" she asked.
 
"Like I said, I wasn't expecting to come all this way to meet a family man."

"You were probably thinking something like the movies, right?
 
Some young tech nerd with empty pizza boxes all over the place?"

"Something like that.
 
I definitely didn't expect a wife and kid.
 
Your wife knows what you do?"

He hesitated before deciding he was willing to share a little of himself.
 
"Let's put it this way.
 
Before she was my wife, she was a client.
 
So she understands why someone might need to do what you're doing."

Jane didn't push further.
 
She wasn't sure she wanted to know much more about Nathan and his family.

With dramatic flare, Nathan scooted his chair across the basement, from one computer to another.
 
His hand hovered over the keyboard.

"Okay.
 
Are you ready?"

"Definitely."

He hit the enter key.
 
Four printers went off all at once, creating quite a racket in the basement.
 
"All done.
 
Jane Doe is officially deceased."

"That's it?"

He pointed at different printers.
 
"Obituary.
 
A copy of your death certificate.
 
A copy of the will you wanted to make, although we need to talk about that in a minute.
 
You died peacefully in your sleep three days ago."
 
He smiled at her.
 
"Although I don't think that's happening to you for a while."

She nodded slightly, actually impressed.
 
"What's next?"

He gestured to the photo setup in the corner.
 
"Have a seat over there."

Nathan took pictures of Jane from every angle, both sitting and standing.
 
She thought she'd go blind from all the flashes when it was done.
 
He spent another thirty minutes moving between computers, and finally made another grand gesture of pushing the enter key one more time.
 
An unusual-looking printer spat out a very convincing driver's license.
 
Nathan smiled as he handed it over.

"You are now Marie Johnson."

Jane, or rather Marie, ran the license through her fingers.
 
She knew it was a big moment in her life.
 
Her old life, everything she ever was, gone with a few strokes at a keyboard.
 
Emotions assailed her, and Nathan put a gentle hand on her shoulder as she dabbed at her eye.
 
The emotions quickly faded as realization dawned on her, and anger took hold.

"Johnson," she said.
 
"That's not my old last name."

He held up a finger.
 
"About that—"

"We talked about this.
 
I told you.
 
I have property I wanted to hand down to…Marie, in my will.
 
I need to be related to my old life."

"That's the last thing you want.
 
Whatever you're running from, you want to be as far away from your old identity as possible.
 
Linking them in a will?
 
Terrible idea."

"Well then how am I supposed to get my property?"

"You mean that bar?"
 
He grabbed a few more pieces of paper from a printer, along with several flash drives.
 
"The lady who just died in her sleep sold that bar ten years ago, and it passed hands a few more times, before Marie Johnson bought it five years ago."

Marie glanced over the paperwork, all proper and legal.
 
She had to admit to herself that she wouldn't even know where to begin with what Nathan was doing.

She finally smiled.
 
"Marie Johnson?
 
Not very imaginative, is it?"

"Hey, the plainer, the better.
 
You don't want to stand out.
 
And I think Marie is a pretty name."

She mulled it over.
 
"You're right.
 
It is."

"Okay," he said, holding up the flash drives.
 
"These have copies of all the paperwork I'm giving you.
 
Your driver's license is perfect, but your home address is currently empty, so if you're moving to Montana, do it soon."

Marie's shoulders tensed.
 
It was all almost overwhelming.
 
She glanced at her license.
 
Her birthday put her at twenty-nine years old, and she had to laugh.
 
She would gladly take appearing to be a twenty-nine-year-old forever, like many women did when they hit thirty.
 
She certainly didn't take an ugly photo.
 
For the past few months she wore her hair short.
 
It was simply easier to manage.
 
She went with strawberry blond, a color she didn't think she'd like.
 
The look had grown on her, and despite the identity change, wanted to keep the look, at least for a while longer.

Nathan slid all the paperwork into several folders, and handed them over, along with the flash drives.

"That's it?" she asked.
 
"There's nothing else?"

"I'm all done.
 
Of course, for a few dollars more, I can put to use more of those photos I took.
 
Give you some nice eye candy for your living room.
 
Fake pictures with a cat, some family that doesn't exist, an ex-boyfriend or two—"

"Oh, no," she said.
 
"I'd like to hold onto the dollars I have left.
 
Besides, I'm more of a dog person."

He smiled and extended his hand.
 
"It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Marie Johnson."

She shook his hand, and jumped slightly when a quiet sound reached her ears.
 
She cocked her head slightly to the side, focusing on the noise.
 
A pane of glass breaking quietly.
 
A doorknob turning.
 
A cat hissing before darting away.
 
Hushed, male voices.

Marie looked at Nathan, who looked back with concern.

"Marie?
 
Are you alright?"

"I doubt you're expecting company."

"Well, no, not really.
 
Why do you—?"

He went quiet as the floorboards creaked above them.
 
They both glanced up to the ceiling as more footsteps were heard.
 
Marie knew they weren't after her.
 
As much as Nathan thought otherwise, she wasn't running from anything.

"Do you have a back door down here?"

"Oh my God," Nathan said, grabbing at the sides of his head.
 
"Uh, no.
 
And these windows, they're kind of small.
 
What trouble are you in?"

"They're not here for me."

"What?
 
Whatever.
 
Do you have a cell phone?"

"Of course not.
 
I've been trying to kill my old name, remember?"

"Shit.
 
Mine's upstairs.
 
Let's try a window."

Nathan slid open the tiny basement window above the computer.
 
Marie had a chance at sliding through, but didn't think Nathan would fit.

"Go," he said.

"I can't leave you here."

"Go and get help!
 
I'll try to find a place to hide."

Marie jumped on the desk and reached for the window.
 
She pulled herself up with Nathan shoving from under her.
 
It was a tight fit, but with a wiggle here and there, she slowly made progress.
 
She was halfway out, her hips pressing against the window frame, when she heard a voice in the basement.

"Hey, Nathan.
 
Trying to run away before saying hi?"

"Eddie?" Nathan said.
 
"Is that you?
 
What the hell is going on?"

"I'm glad you remember me.
 
Do me a favor, and pull that woman back in here, before I kill you both."

Nathan hesitated, and Marie heard the cocking of a gun.
 
He grabbed her by the back of her tights and pulled.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Marie squeezed back into the basement.
 
She nearly tumbled off the desk, but Nathan held her and helped her down.
 
She turned to face the three new men in Nathan's home.

Eddie stood in front, a gun at his side.
 
Two large men were just behind him, oozing menace.
 
All three of them had obviously seen their share of fights.
 
A few scars here and there, and one of the men had fresh cuts on his knuckles.
 
Marie locked their scents away, just as other people would remember their faces.
 
She was just as proud of her hearing and nose as she was her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Nathan said.
 
"What's going on?
 
Did you break into my house?"

Eddie didn't answer.
 
He toured the basement as his henchmen stood motionless.
 
He took in the computers, the cameras, all the technology.

"So, this is where you do your thing.
 
This is where you gave my father a new life."

Nathan rolled his eyes.
 
"Oh, no.
 
Let me guess.
 
Your father got caught, didn't he?"

Eddie, not appreciative of Nathan's tone, glared at him.
 
He shifted his attention to Marie.

"And who's this fine little lady?
 
Damn," he said, stretching out the word.
 
"Do you got a boyfriend?"

Nathan took a subtle step in front of Marie, and she had to admire his bravery, if not his choice in previous clients.

"Your father, he didn't listen to a word I said," Nathan said.
 
"I told him, if he wanted a new life, he had to give up his old one.
 
But he didn't.
 
He hung out at the same places, talked to the same people."

"He was arrested last week," Eddie said.
 
He kept his eyes on Marie, and she didn't like the look he was giving her.
 
"And he's staring at a lot of time."

"Well, what do you want me to do?
 
I'm not a lawyer."
 
Nathan put a hand on Eddie's shoulder.
 
"Look, you're mad at me, fine.
 
But the woman here doesn't have anything to do with us.
 
Let her walk out the door."

He swatted Nathan's hand away.
 
"I don't know.
 
I'd like to see her crawl through that window again.
 
That was a nice view."

Eddie laughed, and his henchmen did the same.
 
He reached out to touch Marie's hair.
 
She backed up a step, and their eyes met.

He didn't like what he saw.

He'd seen fear before.
 
Half of his father's men were more afraid of Eddie than anyone else.
 
Even Nathan, despite his best bluff, had that sparkle of fear in his eye.