Page 27 of Pieces Into Place

“Jesus Christ, Kane. You scared me.”

“What are you doing walking in dark alleys?” he asks, his voice tight with concern.

“It’s a short cut. It’s not a big deal,” I lie, unwilling to admit how frightened I am of the danger that lurks in the shadows surrounding us.

“It is a big deal, Olivia,“ he argues. “Anytime you’re alone gives someone the advantage. You’re so much easier to abduct or kill when you’re not around other people.”

“You can call me Liv,” I tell him, making him screw up his face in confusion.

“Did you hear what I said?” he asks.

“I heard you,” I tell him. “But I’m looking around, and the only person currently stalking me is you. So you might as well call me Liv,” I repeat.

“It’s ironic your nickname is Liv, since you seem hell-bent on doing everything you can to get yourself fucking killed,” he scoffs.

“Well now you’re just being dramatic,” I say. I’m fairly certain his head is about to explode if the red color of his cheeks and the vein protruding from his forehead are any indication.

“Please, just hurry up and get your shit,” he asks with a sigh. “I’ll follow you and make sure you get back to the car.”

“OK.” I shrug. “Let’s go on an adventure.”

Chapter fourteen

Kane

My phone rings and I check the caller ID: She Devil. “What can I do for you?” I inquire, trying to maintain a level voice.

“A pleasant morning to you, too,” she comments sarcastically. “I wanted to let you know we’re going on a field trip today.”

“There is no way that’s happening,” I reply flatly.

“Yes, there is,” she counters with equal conviction. “I go to the aquarium every year as a chaperone, and this year isn’t going to be any different.”

“Olivia,” I say, rubbing my temples in frustration, “Every time you defy me, it puts you in danger and makes my job that much more difficult. You have to understand that.”

“This is all I have, Kane,” she retorts sternly. “I need some normalcy in my life. Please don’t take this away from me,” she begs.

I exhale a deep breath and mull over the conversation I had with Henry last night. There’s no indication anyone is any closer to finding her today than yesterday. I can’t deny her this. It’s clearly something that means a lot to her.

“Fine,” I reply, envisioning her taking the school bus in my mind. “You’re riding the school bus, right?”

“Thank you,” she replies, a relieved sigh heavy in her voice through the phone. “And yes. We leave at 8:45, sharp.”

“I’ll follow behind and make sure you get there safely,” I tell her. My next question brings more frown lines to my forehead. “Is the aquarium closed for students or open to the public?”

“Open to the public,” she answers.

That presents more of a problem, but I don’t bother to tell her that. She’s made up her mind and can’t be reasoned with at this point.

I watch as the first grade classes, led by their teachers and parent volunteers, shuffle onto the buses, dressed in heavy layers against the chill of winter. At the head of her class is Olivia, a woman with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen stretched across her face, a paper crown topping her brown waves and streamers made from construction paper that mimic jellyfish tentacles swaying around her hips.

Everywhere she looks, there are cheers and laughter, which only seems to make her big smile even wider. It’s suddenly clear to me that teaching these children is everything to her, just as my former job had been everything to me. We may have been doing wildly different tasks with contrasting outcomes, but this job is no less important to Olivia than being a soldier had been to me. She’s a woman with a purpose, and I can’t help but respect her despite our differences.

As the buses arrive at the aquarium, I watch as they slowly file off in a semi-orderly line toward the entrance. Olivia’s group is particularly chatty and cheerful, their school bags bumping against each other as they make their way to the front of the line.

After purchasing my ticket, I follow them inside and into the room with a large glass tank ahead. Rays of sunlight penetrate the water, sparkling like stars on a clear night sky as stingrays gracefully glide past and schools of colorful fish dance around coral gardens and waving strands of algae. I can’t remember the last time I visited an aquarium, and seeing it through the children’s eyes paints a smile on my face.

Olivia catches my eye and reciprocates with her own smile before silently mouthing, “Thank you.” I offer her a small nod before we move from one tank to the next, finally arriving at the tide pool area. The kids eagerly reach into the shallow pools of water, searching for small snails, crabs, sea cucumbers, and starfish.