The Hunt

Chapter 19 of Love from Above

Along the cliffs near Big Sur, there’s a small airport. Mostly for puddle jumpers and other privately owned planes. It can barely even be called an airport, it’s so small. I had ignored the No Trespassing signs, figuring that would make this a highly unpopulated area at night, perfect for telling a life altering secret.

 

I pace back and forth along the landing strip. The moon suddenly breaks free of the clouds and casts a ghostly light across me. I gaze up at it, still debating whether or not it's really a good idea to tell Jeremy about my being an Angel. Obviously, I want him to know the truth about me, and I sincerely hope he is able to accept me for it. And at this point I’m royally screwed when it comes to the High Council, so what does it matter if I break another rule by telling him? I’m just worried the truth is going to send him running in the opposite direction. I check my watch again; 7:55.

 

Suddenly I hear a noise in the distance that chills me to my core. I stop and whip my head toward the distant radar tower where I hear bloodhounds baying and see the beams of flashlights crawling across the ground. I curse under my breath and dart silently in the direction of the cliff edge. There is a tree surrounded by boulders that I crouch behind. I’m not sure why I even bother hiding. If those hounds catch my scent, I’m screwed either way.

 

I hear them sniveling closer and closer to my hiding place. I leap out from behind the boulders and bolt over to the rock face. I turn to see the dogs rush for me, barking eagerly. Men still too far in the distance to make out follow the sound of their baying. I smirk. Just before I bust out my wings to blow this Popsicle stand, I hear a familiar voice yelling my name.

 

“Kelsey!” Jeremy hollers. My blood chills in my veins as the option to simply fly away disintegrates as I turn to see him headed for me from the opposite direction as the other men, close enough to see the shock and terror on his face. One of the dogs makes a snap at me and I stumble back. Unfortunately, I was already at the extreme edge of the cliff, so I lose my balance and fall back into space.

 

“NO!” I hear Jeremy’s shattered cry over the whistle of the wind rushing past my ears. I blow out my wings and fly under a ledge, pressing my back as close as possible to the rough rock so that I’m out of sight for anyone peering down. Pebbles tumble down on my left as if someone had just skidded to the edge, knocking them off.

 

“Oh God! Oh no no NO, Kelsey!” Jeremy sounds choked and near tears. Horror contorts my face and my breath turns to lead in my chest. I’m being forced into letting him think I died. If we had been the only ones at the airport, I would have flown up and reassured him in a heartbeat. But as much as I wanted to I couldn’t, for the other men had arrived at the steep drop. More pebbles fall past me into the roiling black water.

 

“No way anyone could survive a fall like that,” I hear one man say with a hint of triumph in his cold voice. I’d bet my wings it was Jeremy’s a*s wipe of a father. “Looks like now you have no reason to stay here.”

 

“You killed her!” Jeremy thunders. “You caused her death just like you did Sophie’s!”

 

I have never heard Jeremy so mad. And mentioning his dead sister was definitely hitting his father below the belt.

 

I can almost hear steam coming out of his father’s ears when he says, “Jeremy, go home. Now. And when you get there, gather your things, I took the liberty of having your bags packed for you.” I hear a set of footsteps turn and run in the direction of my house. 

Another man clears his throat. "Jaegar what should I put in the report for this one?" Discomfort colors his tone.

 

"The truth. She was trespassing on private property and jumped before we could make an arrest. People will chock it up to just another over dramatic teenage suicide." Jeremy's father, Jaegar, says turning and striding away.

 

I see red at his flippant tone. That he so easily disregards the loss of human life. Or at least, a life he thinks is human. It takes all of my restraint not to fly up there and kick his teeth in just for the fun of it. 

 

As soon as his footsteps fade into the distance one of the med mutters, "I can’t say I'm sad he'll be moving away for work. That poor kid, though. Hopefully the fresh start in Pennsylvania will do him good." 

My heart crumbles away more and more the longer I can't explain to Jeremy that I'm still alive. I start at the information the man just gave up. Pennsylvania?? Jeremy is being moved to Pennsylvania?? My breathing quickens, I need these yahoos to leave so I can find him before it’s too late.

 

Slowly, painfully slowly, almost hesitantly, the other footsteps fade away as well. I fly back up to stand on the cliff. Before my feet even touch the rock, I’m running.