Page 73 of Polestar
“No kidding,” Emilio said.
“Why are you here?”she said to Antony.
“Because you need to save them,” he said, exasperated.
Emilio said, “because they picked us up after the confusion of the accident.Hey, you mentioned Antony and trying to reach him since he died.You’re not Analiese, are you?”
Ana froze.“How do you know my name?”she grabbed the flashlight phone, aiming it at Emilio.He wore a dirty uniform.Shining the light back down the length of the room again, she noted several more men in uniforms.“Oh, my god,” she whispered.
“Yeah, Ana.I told you tosavethem, notjointhem.”
“You,” she jabbed a finger in Antony’s direction.“Your sarcasm isn’t helping.”
“I, uh…” Emilio said.
“You,” she turned to Emilio.“You’re one of Antony’s crew mates, right?You were on his ship when the accident happened?How the hell are youhere?And yes, I’m Antony’s … friend, Analiese.”
“I should ask you that same question.”
“Put the light out, will ya?You’re blinding us.There’s no cell service, so you might as well turn it off,” one of the other captives said.
She switched it off, throwing the room back into darkness, and tucked the device into her pocket.
Ana sat in the darkness listening to her own breath and those of the other people trapped with her.Eventually, her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she could see the cracks of light outlining the door at the far end of the box.
This is real.This is real.
I’m trapped in a fucking cargo container.
I should have ignored Carson’s call.
“Maybe, but that’s not helping you right now,” Antony said.
Jolted, she gaped.
Antony can hear my thoughts.
“Yeah.I can.”
Just like Aksel in his Bear form.
“Who?”
Never mind.Where the hell have you been?All this time?
“Mostly bouncing between here, keeping an eye on my boys and trying to get your attention, Ana.So much for being a psychic if you can’t even hear me when I’m yelling at you.”
She drew her legs up, curled her arms around her shins and rested her pounding forehead on her knees.
You were in my nightmares.
“Nightmares?I was trying to show you what happened, Ana.And that my guys needed your help!Do you know how exhausting this is?”
Sorry.It’s probably the guilt.It creates a barrier sometimes.
Tears stung her eyes.
Yeah, what kind of psychic am I when you needed me most?
