Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes(100)
“I’ve been thinking about your visions,” he said, holding my hand. “Can you make your visions happen?”
“No, they just come. I always fought them, but the one I had with Ashley, I didn't fight and it had more details.”
“Have you ever tried to have one? To make it happen?”
“No, Momma said they were a sign of my demon possession.”
Joe snorted. “It’s a good thing I didn't know your Momma. You are not demon-possessed.”
After the last night in bed with Joe, I wasn't so sure about that.
“Why don’t you try it,” he coaxed, “on me?”
I was torn. Nothing good had ever come from a vision. Why would I will one to happen?
“Come on, give it a try. What do you have to do? Touch me?”
“No, they don’t work like that. They just happen. I don’t see visions for me, though. I see visions for other people, through their eyes. The one with Daniel Crocker was the first time I’d ever seen myself in a vision, and the first time I’d ever seen something really bad. Usually it’s things like where someone misplaced their keys.”
“Sounds useful.”
“It's a nuisance because whatever I see just blurts out of my mouth.”
“Like when you told me about Hilary’s dog.”
I nodded. I didn’t want to think about Hilary but I had to know. “Is Hilary your girlfriend?”
“No, we have a working relationship.”
I wondered what that meant, but said nothing.
“So what do you say?” Joe said. “Let’s try it.”
“What?” I asked confused. “A vision? I don’t know… I wouldn't even know how to begin.”
“Since you see visions for other people, maybe you could concentrate on me.”
“All right,” I agreed with great reluctance. I turned to face Joe on the sofa, sitting cross-legged and held his hands in mine. I closed my eyes and thought about Joe working for Crocker and the big meeting. I concentrated really hard and tried to picture Joe’s face in my mind. A little flicker appeared in my head. And then I felt a vision coming. I squeezed his hands and kept concentrating.
I saw a warehouse. It looked like a mechanic’s garage. A couple of men carried small bundles and loaded them into a delivery truck. Crocker and some other men came into view and I felt myself being slammed against the wall, Crocker’s face in front of mine.
“This is your last chance, McAllister. Tell me where she is or I’m gonna kill you.” Crocker held a gun up to my forehead.
“I don’t know,” I heard Joe’s voice say.
There was a gunshot and then nothing.
“He’s gonna kill you,” I whispered. “Because of me.”
My eyes flew open to look into Joe’s surprised ones. Then his expression changed, becoming grim before he said, “I figured he might try.”
“You knew?” I asked in disbelief.
“I suspected.”
“Then why are you doing it? Don't go!”
“Because I think I can stay alive long enough for somethin' important to happen. If I don't go all of these past months work and Sloan’s death will have been for nothin’.”
“But he’s gonna kill you because of me. Crocker wants me and thinks you know where I am. Maybe I should turn myself into him.”
“Absolutely not.”
“I’ll tell him I ran away, that you had nothin’ to do with it.”
“Absolutely not.”
“If I do it before you show up, maybe I can stay alive long enough for what you need to happen.”
“This is not up for discussion, Rose. He will probably hurt you the moment he sees you, if not shoot you dead first. You’ve embarrassed him twice.”
“But he’s gonna kill you. Because of me.”
“No, he won’t.”
“I saw it!”
“You’re livin' proof that what you see doesn't always happen. Rose, I can’t not go because you saw somethin' happen in your head.”
“You’re the one who made me try it,” I said, hurt by his reaction.
Joe pulled me into his arms and gave me a kiss. “I don’t want to leave with us fightin’.”
“Then don’t go.”
Joe sighed and got up. “Do not look out the windows. Do not go outside until I come back. If something happens to me, Hilary knows you’re here and will come and get you herself. Do not open the door for anyone.”