Page 40 of Dark Visions

The entire group smiled at one another. It was nice to have others who understood what it was like to be different.

“Alright then,” said Kane, “it looks like we should stick together then.” Flip and Adam nodded with a small smile.

“We still have to find a way to stop Krauss,” said Aislinn, “and that odious woman.”

“Yes,” said Angela, “well, that’s something I don’t think I can help with other than to keep an eye on Deborah if you need me to. Although, I must tell you that being around her would be emotionally draining for me.”

“No, that’s too dangerous,” said Kane. “We need to find another way.”

“I could follow her,” said Flip. The small group walked back toward Angela’s office, crowding into the small space.

“Flip, I love you, buddy. Really, I do, but you’re not exactly easily hidden in the shadows,” said Adam, grinning up at his friend. “What about Spook?”

“We could ask him to track her phone. Angela? Do you have her phone number?”

“I do, dear,” she said, shifting the stacks of paperwork. “I have every student’s cell phone number. Oh, dear, it’s here somewhere. Yes, here it is.” She wrote the number on a small slip of paper and handed it to Kane.

“Alright, let’s call Spook and see what we find. Thank you, Angela, and please be careful.”

She watched the small band of friends exit her office, each unique, each with their special gift.

Watch over them. They’re special.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Krauss felt the vibration of his cell phone in his pocket but ignored it. He was checking the breath sounds of a two-year-old who was struggling with bronchitis. Her tiny body was hot to the touch, her temperature reading at one hundred and one. She let out a small hoarse cry that nearly broke his heart.

“It’s alright, angel. Everything will be alright,” he cooed.

“She’s just been so sick, and her pediatrician told us to just bring her here. The antibiotics don’t seem to be helping,” said the worried mother. She was young, as was the father, but they both seemed genuinely concerned for their child.

“Well, I’m glad you brought her in when you did. She’s quite sick right now, but we’ll have her fixed up in no time,” he said, smiling down at the little girl, “won’t we, sweetheart?” She gave a weak, faint smile, and his heart nearly melted.

“Thank you, Dr. Krauss,” said the father, reaching for his hand.

“Andrew will get you all set. We’ll admit her for a few days, pump some heavy-duty antibiotics into her and get some breathing treatments started. Once we’re able to get her temperature down, she’ll feel more like eating, and that should help.” The grateful parents nodded again, her mother picking up the child and hugging her close to her chest.

Krauss handed Andrew the set of orders and walked toward the lounge, where he sat to check his phone. Three missed calls from Deborah and one from his brother. He hit redial and heard the exhausted voice of his brother.

“Hello.”

“Hey, I saw you called. What’s up?” he asked.

“I was arrested.”

“What?!” he said, shocked. A large pit formed in his stomach.

“Yea, it’s nuts. Someone, someone gave an anonymous tip that I killed these people. It was, shit, it was awful.” He could hear the strain and confusion in his brother’s voice, and his stomach bottomed out.

“That’s crazy! You’d never hurt anyone!”

“Says my brother,” he grinned on the other end of the phone.

“Do you want to meet for dinner tonight?” he asked.

“That would be great,” he breathed with a sigh of relief. “I could really use your support tonight.”

“Of course,” he said, standing as the nurse entered the room, indicating he had another patient. “The usual place?”

---