Chapter 7: Chapter 7
"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 the hospital with her; that's just too much. We don't need any speculations. So, while Hannah and Elliott accompany her in public, you lay low at the hotel. Stay out of sight and just be a support person, got it?"
"Got it!" Eliza agreed, patting Cadence on the shoulder. While she was happy to have the opportunity to help her friend in this difficult time, one glance back at Cadence's broken expression was a distinct reminder of all that she was going through. "It'll be all right," she said softly, nodding her head.
Cadence nodded as well, though she wasn't sure she believed it. However, thinking of a life without Jack in it was more than she could handle just now, and she became even more resolved to wait until she reached her destination to fully digest all of the information she had recently acquired. Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself to her feet, the others stepping back out of her way as she did so. "I guess we need to get going," she said, looking at Eliza and then at Elliott.
Jamie reached over and wrapped his arms around Cadence, wishing his healing powers could work on emotions. "Take care," he said quietly, brushing her hair back.
"Thank you," she replied, releasing him. "You, too," she added, smiling meekly.
Christian was still standing in the aisle, and she embraced him next, feeling a bit awkward at first but pushing those thoughts out of her head. He kissed the top of her head softly and messaged her directly saying, "If you need anything at all, let me know, and I'll be there."
Cadence did not reply; she just caught his eyes, a look of gratitude in hers, and waited for him to step out of the way.
Eliza and Elliott were already exiting the plane, clutching their carry-ons. Though Elliott headed straight for the smaller plane waiting nearby, Eliza lingered at the exit, waiting for Cadence. Jamie squeezed his way past her and followed Christian down the aisle, leaving Cadence alone with Aaron, who still hadn't moved.
This alarmed Cadence a bit. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked.
He smiled up at her. "Don't worry about me," he replied, avoiding her question. "You've got a plane to catch." He had been busy giving orders to get Eliza's luggage from one plane to the other, but the true reason he hadn't gotten up yet was because he wasn't sure his lungs had healed completely from where the bullet had ripped through them the night before, and he wanted to take his time getting out of the plane. He certainly didn't want to alarm Cadence or give her anything else to worry about.
But she was worried. "Do you need some help?" she asked, wondering if she needed to call Christian or Elliott back in, though she knew with her now superhuman strength she could probably lift him herself if she needed to.
He waved her off. "I'm fine," he declared, finally deciding he was going to have to prove it to her and pulling himself to his feet, mustering every ounce of determination he could come up with to do so without grimacing or falling over.
Cadence wasn't completely convinced he was being honest with her, but she knew she needed to be on her way. The fact that Jamie was nearby was comforting to her, and she knew the Healer would do whatever it might take to help their Leader make a full recovery. "All right," she said, lingering for a moment in those piercing blue eyes. "I guess I'll go, then." She glanced down the aisle and then back at him, wanting to say more, but not sure of exactly what she wanted to say or how she was going to say it.
"Let me know if you need anything," he said nodding slowly, the pain in his chest making it difficult to keep up the charade that he was all right much longer.
"I will," she nodded, taking a step backward. It was all she could do to keep herself from leaning forward and kissing those soft lips. But thoughts of Jack and the difficult journey ahead of her kept her from doing so, and instead, she reached out and placed her hand on top of his where it rested on the back of the seats in front of them. She closed her eyes for just a second, as if she were soaking him in, and then turned and proceeded down the aisle and out of the plane.
As soon as Cadence exited, Aaron collapsed back into his seat, his strength finally giving out. He ran his hand through his light brown hair, and watched Cadence make her way onto the other plane, Eliza's arm around her. Sighing in exhaustion, he collected his thoughts and attempted to regain his strength before he endeavored to exit the airplane. He didn't want to call for help unless he absolutely had to. As much as he didn't want to, he was beginning to realize he might have to ask Jamie to do a second round of healing. There seemed to be some damage that had not been completely corrected the first time. The longer he sat, the more the pain in his chest subsided, and he contemplated the possibility of walking out of the plane under his own power.
The pain from the wound was not the only unsettling thought on his mind, however. The circumstances surrounding the sudden illness, odd behavior, and unusual symptoms that had led to the tragic and unexpected death of Jack Cook also seemed both familiar and disconcerting. He was concerned that Cadence may be walking into an even more devastating situation than she realized.
Chapter 71 Hannah
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 immediately. First of all, the second Hannah touched her, the overwhelming grief she had been feeling for so many hours seemed to dull. It certainly was not gone, but rather than being a sharp, stinging pain, it felt more like an ache. Not desirable but certainly more tolerable. She was also surprised to see that Hannah was not dressed all in black, as every other Guardian she had ever encountered usually was. Rather, she wore a turtle neck sweater beneath a soft suede suit jacket, with a matching skirt, in hues of beige and gray, with knee-high brown boots.
"I felt that I should look like a business associate of yours, not a bodyguard," Hannah stated, as if reading Cadence's mind. She stepped back into the row of seats where she had been sitting, sliding over to the one nearest the window and gesturing for Cadence to sit next to her. Eliza took the seat directly in front of them, and since Elliott was nowhere to be found, Cadence assumed he must be in the restroom in the back of the plane, perhaps changing into something more suitable since he would also be accompanying them in public.
"How does your talent work?" Cadence asked, wondering if she needed to be in physical contact with Hannah in order to benefit from her skill or if just being in her proximity were enough. She buckled her seatbelt and glanced out the window at the G5, wondering if Aaron had ever gotten off of the plane.
Hannah tossed her long strawberry blonde tresses over her shoulder. "Well, as you may have noticed, I can adjust the emotional response one is feeling. So, hopefully you are feeling better now, though I am sure you are still very upset over the passing of your friend. I don't typically use it to combat grief, but Aaron was concerned that your judgment might be impaired if you are called upon to perform any of your Hunter duties on this trip without my assistance. And I'm sure he doesn't want to see you suffer when I can help you, though we are all aware that the grieving process is necessary to healing. I will still allow you to feel that sadness, just not to the point that your mind is clouded."
Cadence nodded in understanding. "What about my friends? Will they still feel the same way that they do now?"
"Well," Hannah replied, glancing toward the back of the plane. "Actually, Elliott will take care of that more than I will."
As if on cue, Elliott exited the confining restroom, a tight squeeze for someone of his girth, and approached them, dressed in a dark blue sweater and jeans. Cadence had seen him dressed in normal clothes once before, at Thanksgiving dinner, but it still took her a moment to adjust, and she did her best not to snicker. She already had a strained relationship with Elliott, and she didn't need him mistaking her unfamiliarity with jest. He sat down in the back of the plane, as far away from Cadence as he could, and placed his headphones over his ears, letting them know he did not wish to be part of their discussion. She knew Hannah could include him in their dialogue via IAC if she needed to, but Cadence couldn't help but feel a bit dejected. It seemed Aaron's plan to get them to work together was failing miserably.
Returning her attention to Hannah, Cadence asked, "Do I need to be in physical contact with you to use your gift, or can you do it from afar?"
Hannah's kind smile returned. "Oh, no, I just need to be in your proximity. How are you feeling now?"
Cadence was about to answer, explaining that she actually felt much better, when she saw the scene unfolding over Hannah's shoulder. Standing abruptly, she threw herself against the window, forcing Hannah to lean back sharply. "What in the world…" she began.
Jamie and Christian were making their way around the front of the plane, each with an arm under Aaron for support, practically carrying him. Cadence slammed her hand against the plastic window. "Dammit," she whispered, realizing she should have never believed him when he said he was all right.
Eliza was also staring out the window in disbelief. "What the hell?" she exclaimed, every bit as concerned as Cadence was. Hannah was the only one of the three who seemed undisturbed, only making a soft, knowing "hmm" sound under her breath.
Cadence decided she needed to get back off of the plane and go check on him when she realized the plane was moving. "Stop!" she called, heading toward the cabin.
She was met by a man wearing a pilot's uniform, apparently the co-pilot, who was just coming back to make sure they were all strapped in. "I'm going to need you to take a seat, sweetheart," the older gentleman said, gesturing toward the empty rows.
"We need to stop," Cadence said, not budging. "I need to go check on Aaron," she explained.
The pilot was shaking his head. "I'm sorry, honey, but we have a tight window for departure here. The snow is starting to come down, and if we are going to get you in to Lincoln before the airport closes up there, we've got to go. Now, go strap in before we take off."