Jeanne Stein - Haunted

I’m bone weary and homesick so I agree to leave. I call my pilot from the hotel, but as luck would have it, my plane is in for its annual inspection. There is an “international” airport in McAllen where I book a flight to San Diego. It’s going to take five hours and one plane change. I’m spoiled. I’d forgotten how much trouble it is to fly commercial.

I pack the few things I’ve acquired since coming to McAllen, stop one last time at the hospital, board the commuter jet for the first part of the trip and settle in for the flight.

I have a window seat so I buckle in, sit back and close my eyes. The same themes that plagued me for the last five days slide into my consciousness.

Max. Stephen. Vampire.

Nothing I can do about Max now, or Stephen. Vampire is content and quiet for the time being so any control issue is moot.

Another person worms his way into my consciousness.

Two people, actually.

Daniel Frey and his son.

I realize I want to see them. I realize I need to see them.

And I’m suddenly flooded with warmth.

WHEN I UNLOCK THE FRONT DOOR TO MY COTTAGE, I find I have to push at it to get inside. Something’s jamming it. At first, vampire instincts kick in and I think, shit, someone broke in. I drop my carry-on and brace myself to face an intruder.

But I detect no strange smells nor do I hear anything except the ticking of a clock and the chirping of my telephone alerting me that I have voice mail.

Allowing my shoulders to relax, I shove the door inward. As soon as I’m inside, I see what’s wedged against it.

My things from Stephen’s apartment. The clothes I’d left there, some toiletries, a toothbrush. All deposited neatly inside a paper bag. At some point, the bag had fallen over, which explained the jam.

There’s a note, too. From his sister, Susan.

Stephen didn’t have time to return these things before packing his apartment and leaving for Washington. I told him I’d do it. You’ll find your key under the doormat. Not very original, but then, neither are you.

Susan

Whoa. She’s really pissed at me. The only thing missing is “bitch” at the end of the last line. I suppose it never occurred to her how difficult it would have been for me to leave San Diego.

Then again, Stephen is her brother. She may have seen those pictures of me with Max at the hospital, too. She was here to experience Stephen’s hurt and anger and sense of betrayal firsthand.

It doesn’t matter that there was no betrayal.

No intentional betrayal anyway.

I crumple the note and toss it into a wastebasket on my way upstairs, drop the bag and carry-on on the floor in my bedroom and throw myself across the bed. My bed.

Feels good.

SUDDENLY, MAX IS STANDING AT THE FOOT OF MY BED.

I sit up, rubbing my eyes. Did I fall asleep?

He smiles. “Hey.”

He’s wearing jeans and a T-shirt. He looks good. “Hey, yourself. When did they let you out of the hospital?”

“An hour ago. I was afraid you weren’t going to wake up in time.”

My head is fuzzy with sleep. I give it a shake and focus on Max. “You really look good. I just left Texas a few hours ago. You made a miraculous recovery.”

“In a way.” He takes a seat on the end of my bed. “I have something to tell you. And I don’t think I have much time.”

I smile. “Why not?”

“Oh, you know, places to go, people to see.”

“You realize Pablo is in custody.”

“Yes. But that’s not why I’m here.”

I prop myself up straighter against the headboard and try to concentrate. My brain isn’t cooperating. It seems to be trying to cut into my thoughts, to tell me something. I tell it to shut up, that I only want to listen to Max. I lean toward him. “Go on.”

He sighs. “First, I owe you an apology. I didn’t treat you very well when I found out you are a vampire. I was afraid of what it meant—to me. Stupid because it meant nothing. Not really. Above all, you are a good woman , Anna, and my biggest regret is that I realized it too late.”

I shrug. “You can make it up to me.”

He shakes his head. “No. Believe me, it’s too late. But there is something else. Learn from me. You have a real chance at happiness now. Take it.”

My turn to shake my head. “If you mean Stephen—”

“No. Not Stephen. There is another. You know who it is.” He stops, tilts his head as if listening. He nods. “I only have a few more minutes. Don’t regret what happened in that hangar. I know you’ve been wondering whether you will always be stronger than vampire. You only need to want it. All the strength you need is within yourself. You are right about Culebra. He has found new meaning for his life with Adelita. He has found a way to make up for past mistakes. He has finally found peace. Make sure he understands he is not to blame for what happened to me. He fought as hard as I did to stop Pablo and Luis. He needs to concentrate now on the future. Let the past die.”

I tilt my head. “But how did you know what I was thinking at the hospital? You were unconscious the entire time.”

“All the same, I heard your thoughts. Loud and clear. In fact, it was those thoughts that kept pulling me back when I was ready to let go.” He laughs. “Your will is too strong. I was relieved when they sent you home.”

“I don’t understand,” I say while my gut is saying, of course you do. You know.

“It was my time, Anna.”

Anger wells up and with it fear. Fear of losing a friend. Fear of losing Max. “No. I don’t want you to go.”

“It’s too late. It’s a tribute to your power that I was allowed to hang around this long. To say a proper good-bye. I’ll miss you, Anna.”

“No.” I lunge forward on the bed, reaching for his hand.

It slips through mine as though made of fog.

He smiles a slow, sweet smile and raises his hand in farewell.

And then before I can reach out again, he is gone.

It isn’t until I’m awakened by the ring of the telephone on my bedside table that I realize the truth. That I realize Max had come to me in a dream. I know what Max’s doctor is going to say before his somber voice officially informs me.

Max has died.

I hold my head in my hands and let the tears fall.

I’D BEEN TO THE FUNERAL OF ONE OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT agent—Warren Williams’ “son,” Ortiz. Max’s funeral is full of the same militaristic pomp and circumstance. Over a hundred agents are in attendance as well as high-ranking officials of the DEA and its Mexican counterpart. I’d forgotten that Max had been a marine until a twenty-one-gun salute echoes like ancient thunder over the hills of Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. As Max had no family, the flag that draped his casket is taken to be flown on the cemetery’s Avenue of Flags.

David came with me to the funeral. He and Max were never friends, but he respected him. He also knew that Max and I had been lovers once. He was the first one on my doorstep when he heard of Max’s death. He holds my hand and lets me lean on him as the proceedings come to a close. One by one the guests leave.

Now we’re the only ones left. I insisted on staying out of sight during the service. I hate funerals. I’ve never been comfortable sharing my feelings, especially with strangers. David didn’t question it. He’s never been big on public displays of emotion, either, and he knows my history—I lost a brother when I was seventeen. There were enough public displays of emotion at that funeral to last an eternity.

I touch David’s arm. “You can go now, David. I appreciate your coming with me, but I’d like a few minutes alone.”