Page 22 of Dark Medicine

“What’s your name?” asked Flip.

“Paulina. They take me from my home and bring me here.”

“Well, you’re going home, Paulina,” said Flip. She nodded again, the tears still falling, but no sound.

“Let’s get back to the girls and see if we can make a plan to find the other two.” Flip carried Paulina on his back the entire hike back as if she weighed no more than a rucksack. Which, in truth, she didn’t.

Kane explained the situation of Paulina, and Aislinn took the girl upstairs to shower and give her clean clothes. He made the necessary calls to the authorities to get the girl safely back to Poland. The authorities would ensure that she gets a passport and has safe passage to her family.

An hour later, Kane and Adam sat in the small bar area downstairs, waiting for Flip to return. Kane looked up to see Aislinn, Fiona, and Paulina come down the stairs. Paulina looked refreshed. Her hair was combed, clean, and pulled back in a neat ponytail. The fresh face of a seventeen-year-old stared back at him, her rosy cheeks glowing. She was dressed in a pair of leggings and a long sweater, her own sneakers still encasing her feet.

Adam looked at the girl, smiled, and then stood, frowning at Fiona.

“You didn’t!?” he said, staring at Fiona.

“I did, and you’ll not yell at me so, Adam Thorn!”

“Do you know how dangerous that was?! Fiona… Fiona…”

“Don’t you Fiona me! The girl has a chance now. I was able to heal her, and she has a chance.” Adam held Fiona’s hand, and as suspected, there were no signs of the disease. He moved toward Paulina, who stepped back, slightly afraid.

“I’m not angry at you, Paulina,” he said.

Paulina looked up at Adam, fear and concern filling her face. She left with them, trusting that they would see her to safety. She only wanted to return home where she could die peacefully in her mother’s arms. Tentatively, she held out her hand, and Adam let out a long slow breath. Her disease was gone.

“You’re going to be fine, Paulina. You’re perfectly healthy. The disease is gone.”

“I don’t know how you do this, but thank you,” she said, crying against Fiona.

Her tiny body tucked under Fiona’s chin. Fiona rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head, staring up at Adam. She gave him a wag of her tongue, and he couldn’t help but grin. It was unbelievably risky for her to do such a thing, but Adam knew had the circumstances been reversed, he would have done the same.

Two women arrived from immigration and child protective services taking full statements from Paulina as well as the men. Although they were unable to tell the full story of what happened, they gave as much factual information as they could. They led Paulina away, her ticket home secured and paid for by Kane. She waved at the strangers, their secrets locked in her heart.

“Alright,” said Kane, “let’s go duck hunting.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

The Duck Pond was a quaint country pub aptly named because of the duck pond behind the building. Adam parked the car in the far corner of the small lot and turned in his seat to face the building.

“They’re in there,” said Spook. It appeared to be mostly locals in attendance, a soccer game blaring on the televisions held their attention. “Roman is trying to call someone, but he can’t get through to them. Maybe someone from the camp. The other one, George, is on a tablet. He’s e-mailing someone. Wait. I have the address. I’ll look at it.”

“Damn, brother,” said Kane, looking at his friend with a grin, “you are one handy dude to have around. Don’t ever be ashamed of this, Spook. What you have is amazing.”

Spook smiled at his friend. A few months ago, he wouldn’t have spoken about this to anyone. But when Kane met Aislinn, the beautiful woman found her way into everyone’s heart, including Spook’s. He was a different man now, no longer hiding from his friends.

“Okay, same plan,” said Kane. “Flip and I will go in with Adam and you holding back. They would recognize Adam right away. Spook? Can you make sure no one calls the police until we’re ready? I don’t want them interfering in our little party.” Spook grinned at his friend and nodded.

“Let’s go,” said Flip, standing to his full height.

The flannel shirt stretched tight across his chest, his loose-fitting jeans cinched at the waist, further emphasizing his muscular build. Flip too hid his gifts from his friends until a few months ago. Adam long suspected that Flip was ‘special’ like the others but never pushed. Again, Aislinn encouraged him to step out of the shadows and admit to his gifts.

Kane opened the door to the pub, the contrast of the bright sunlight faded into darkness as he stepped inside. The small pub contained about ten tiny round tables and chairs and a long mahogany bar. Roman and George, seated in the corner, whispered to one another, their heads close together in conversation.

Heads turned to see the two large men, eyebrows lifting in curiosity. Flip stood at the bar and ordered two beers. The bartender sat the cold beverages in front of him, and Flip downed both in record time, licking his lips and running the back of his hand across his mouth. The bartender’s eyebrows lifted, and he grinned.

“Take it easy, lad. I’ve plenty,” he smiled.

“Two more,” said Flip. Kane grinned at his friend. He knew that Flip’s capacity for alcohol was legendary. He’d seen the man drink a case of beer and never flinch. “You know the boys in the corner?”

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