Jack had known better than to walk in the front door of his dorm building wearing only a hospital gown and a lab coat, though he had seen party-goers coming home drunk wearing equally suspicious outfits upon occasion. Nevertheless, he had decided to use the custodial entrance, the one next to the dumpsters. The door appeared to be locked from the inside, but he was able to pull it forcefully enough to open it anyway, though he was fairly certain he wouldn't be locking it behind him, especially since there was now a gaping hole in the doorjamb where the deadbolt had ripped through.
He had manag
"Please?" Eliza begged, recognizing the unsure look on her long-time boss's face. "Cadence wants me to, don't you?"Cadence nodded. She would feel better knowing she had a true friend among the team members who would be accompanying her."All right," Aaron agreed, seeing Cadence's expression shift momentarily to one of relief and Eliza's to joy. "But, I don't want all three of you going to t
Hannah was tall with long strawberry-blonde hair, a sharp nose, and hazel eyes. Cadence noted that she was pretty, though not in a traditional way, and that she had a warm smile. "Cadence," she said, standing and approaching the girls as they boarded the plane. "I'm Hannah. It's very nice to meet you." Rather than offering her hand, she actually embraced the Hunter, using her gift to ascertain that Cadence had heard of the passing of her friend. "I'm so very sorry for your loss," she added quietly.Cadence nodded, stepping back. "Thank you," she replied quietly. She noticed two things almost i
Cadence opened her mouth to protest but realized her argument was futile. She looked over her shoulder at Eliza who was also still standing. "All right," she finally said, sighing. She glanced back out the window as she walked back to her seat, seeing her friends fade into the distance. She knew she could easily cover the ground in just a few steps if she were out of the plane, but destroying the exit and wrecking the plane would accomplish little, and despite the fact that she wanted to make sure Aaron was okay, she knew there was not much she could do to help him. Jamie would be the best person for that, and he was right there. Still, having lost one man she used to love made her realize just how important Aaron was to her, and the urge to run to him when she saw him struggling had been instin
The flight from Kansas City to Lincoln was not a long one, and before Cadence knew it, she was being jarred awake by the jolt of wheels hitting tarmac. Her eyes flew open and reality hit her like a ton of bricks. Jack was dead. She should be overwhelmed with grief. Yet, she wasn't. Glancing around, she saw Hannah's comforting smile next to her and remembered why.Then, she realized, Jack wasn't the only person she was no longer worried about. She had never even contacted Aaron to see how he was. Somehow, Hannah must have blocked that worry from her mind as well. As much as she appreciated the
They sat in silence for the remainder of the trip. When the car pulled up in front of The Cornhusker Hotel, the snow was coming down even harder. The building was decorated with red and gold ribbons and lights; one of the few reminders Cadence had seen that it was almost Christmas. She had to press thoughts of the most joyous time of the year out of her head, however, as the driver opened the door, waiting for Hannah to slide out."I'll go on to the other hotel," Eliza said, as Cadence slid past her to get out of the car. "We are staying at the Embassy Suites. I'll see you guys when you get ba
Jack's preferred hang out was a bar named Duffy's, which was a favorite amongst the college crowd. Though he would have loved to have stopped by and had a drink with some friends, he didn't feel it was safe, for some reason, to do so. Instead, he made his way on foot across town and found a lesser populated hole-in-the-wall where the older crowd hung out. It was a bit early, but the place was open, so Jack wandered in, hoping that alcohol would have the same effect on this sensation in his throat as the blood he had consumed earlier.The bartender seemed disinterested in Jack as he approached
Twenty-two-year-old Juan Arriaga had been a custodian at Bryan Health for almost five years. Over the course of that time, he had seen enough to sicken and revolt even those with the strongest stomachs. The only thing that ever bothered Juan was the idea that he was not alone, even while he was mopping the floor outside of the morgue, when he should have been completely by himself. His entire family was highly superstitious, and he believed the spirits of the dead still roamed the halls of the hospital. This day, however, it was not just una fantasma he feared. No, it was something more. He had pretended not to see what Dr. Doss and Dr. Martin were discussing, as he opened and closed the drawers in the refrigerator, making sure no unknown bodies were located inside. However, just as soo
Jack took another drink of his beer, gulping the rest down before he placed the glass back on the table, wiped his mouth on his hand, and attempted to formulate the question burning in his mind into articulate words. Somehow, however, before he even asked for clarification, he knew what Giovani's answer would be. "Who is Holland?" he began. "And, how can she be my mother?"Giovani smirked and signaled to the waitress who had just started her shift. Still tying her apron, the petite brunette approached the table, her shoes clicking noisily on the wooden floor. "Can I get a couple more Buds?" he