CHAPTER EIGHT
Logan showered, settled into his own cottage for a few minutes and then changed his clothes for dinner.Summer was upon them and the humidity was making its way toward an oppressive state.For now, at least, it was manageable and nighttime still brought relief and comfortable breezes.
He stepped out onto the porch and looked up and down the paths to see who else might be out and about.His eyes caught sight of something and he froze for a moment, then looked again.Standing at the iron gates of the family plot was the long-haired beauty that occupied his thoughts for the last twenty-four hours.
Not wanting to scare her, he shuffled along, kicking stones intentionally so that she would hear him.Casually, she looked over her shoulder and then back at the pristine white headstones.What bothered him were the visible tears on her cheeks.
“Blythe?Are you okay?” he asked softly.She shook her head.
“This place is beautiful.Quiet.Well-cared for.My sister deserves a place like this and I don’t think I can give her that.”
“She could be here,” he said without thinking.“I mean, if you decide to stay, we could bury her here.We’ve done it for many family members and friends.Over there, Tony, he was just a kid when he died but he worked with our intelligence and communications teams.He was brilliant.
“That one over there is another that wasn’t born here or lived here.The family who owns this property, the Robicheaux family, they’re very prominent.But they are equally kind, generous, and loving.They have an amazing ability to envelop everyone around them and hold them to their breast.”She gave him a small smile and he stared at her.
“Did I say something wrong?” he asked.
“No.No, not at all. It was all wonderful.I just, well, I wasn’t sure if you knew you have a very subtle clipped way of speaking.You sound like your grandfather.Very Nordic.”
“Oh,” he grinned.“Well, other than my parents, my grandparents were my favorite people in the whole world.My grandfather and I used to go fishing whenever we could get away.He and my father taught me how to be an honorable, decent man.I pray every day that I make them proud.”
“And you do,” said the deep voice behind him.He turned to see his grandfather smiling at him.“Blythe, are you well?”
“Yes, sir.I’m fine.You’ve all been so kind.I was just getting lost in my own grief.”
“Ah, yes.Your sister,” he nodded.Noah cleared his throat and looked at Logan, then back at Blythe.“Blythe, sometimes there are things in this world that you cannot understand, we cannot understand.Nor can we explain them.I have known since I was a boy that I can see the dead.There are others here who can as well.”
“Is, is this a joke?” she whispered.
“I assure you, it is not.Your little sister recently cut her hair.I could not have known that.She says that I should tell you she did not suffer.When her organs were taken, she was told that it was routine surgery for appendicitis.She knew nothing of what they were doing until afterwards.One of the teachers questioned the Americans who came to the orphanage and school.That’s why they bombed the school.”
Her face paled and she leaned against the iron fence, looking around her.Logan reached out to steady her, his hand gripping her upper arm gently.
“Blythe?” he said softly.
“I’m okay.I’m okay.He’s right that she did recently cut her hair.She wanted to look more American,” she said laughing softly.“Her hair was so beautiful.”
“She says to tell you, it’s just hair,” smiled Noah.“She cannot stay visible to me for long.She just wanted me to tell you that she is okay and it is not your fault.”
Blythe nodded at the massive Viking and slowly walked toward him, putting her arms around his waist as she rested her head against his upper abdomen.
“Thank you.You have no idea how much this meant to me,” she said wiping her eyes.Noah gently squeezed the young woman, kissing the top of her head.
“Tru and Caroline are waiting to take you to dinner,” he said smiling down at her.Blythe turned to Logan.
“Will you be there?”
“I’ll be there,” he grinned.“Save me a seat.”Blythe walked down the path toward the two women, walking arm-in-arm toward the cafeteria.
“Did Olive really not suffer?” he asked his grandfather.Noah stared at his grandson, almost wanting to lie to him.But he wasn’t a child any longer.
“She suffered horribly.She was alive for a few moments, hearing the cries of the others as they slowly died.Logan, they barely used enough anesthesia when they harvested their organs.She remembers the pain.”
“What the fuck?” he muttered to himself.“Why?Why would he make them feel the pain?”
“Maybe thinking it would keep them silent,” shrugged Noah.“Either way, we must find this man and make him suffer as well.”
“You can count on that,” nodded Logan.They walked silently toward the cafeteria, two towering figures.If they’d been wearing fur and carrying axes, they would have looked like long-deceased Vikings invading the shores once again.Instead, they appeared to be carbon copies of one another.
