Nirvana Effect

61



Callista gets an Onge funeral. They burn her to ashes. Her messenger walks into the jungle with her ashes in a sieve and doesn’t come back until the ashes have all fallen to the earth. An hour later the messenger comes back with her head in the sieve.

Her head says, “I love you.”

Edward lurched awake drenched in sweat. “Oh, God,” he said. His head was wrapped under something. He was having a hard time breathing. He struggled up for air. He realized it was just a blanket over his head. He calmed down and slowly pulled it off.

He was surprised to see that it was dark outside. It wasn’t just the blanket. He must have been out for hours. His body had needed the rest.

Edward noticed that the after-pain had strengthened further. It was still nowhere near when he’d been forced to stand before the tribe and proclaim himself healed, but it was far worse than any hangover he’d ever experienced.

It’ll be gone once I trance again. It was a weak thought, but it was true. He would be trancing until he found Callista. He was certain of that. Even if he dropped dead from the after-pain, he did not care. He would do everything within his power to find her.

Consider it an experiment, he told himself.

Where the hell is Seacrest? Edward’s faculties returned to him fully. Yes, he had needed to rest, but he had needed every moment to find her.

The dark sky sent him into a panic. Callista might be on a boat by now.

Manassa will learn who she is once he sees her. He’ll use her to get to me.

I should have told her no. I should have left her out of this.

Edward clambered out of the car after Seacrest. He almost collided into the doctor.

“Boy, were you out,” said Seacrest.

“Are they still in the inn?” asked Edward.

“Yeah, been in there since noon. It’s eight, now. Figured they’re staking you out, hoping you go there. We need them to lead us to their little hideaway, so I just took care of some business.”

“What did you do?” Edward rubbed his head.

“I went in there and paid the little Chinese man a hundred bucks to go upstairs and tell those guys he saw the white man they were looking for. The white man poked his head in, I told him to say, then spooked and left in a hurry before China boy could go tell them. I think he’ll do it.”

“He already took the money?” asked Edward.

“Yeah, but I think he’ll do it.”

“Why?”

Seacrest kept his eyes on the inn. “He asked me if you were feeling better and wished you good health.” Edward smiled. “There they are!” shouted Seacrest. “They’re running! Hurry!” Seacrest ran to the driver’s seat. He glanced at Edward before taking his seat.

The Edward waved his hand and hopped into the passenger seat. By all means, take the wheel. Seacrest marked time, waiting for the black sedan to drive past the alley. “Oh, God,” he said after a good minute.

“What?”

“They must be heading south…” said Seacrest. Edward’s head slammed back into the headrest as Seacrest floored the accelerator. The car whipped around the corner. Edward almost collided with the doctor. He had to brace himself with the dash and the seat. A horn sounded. A car swerved passed them as they picked up speed. Seacrest used the handbrake to power slide around the corner across from the inn. Far down the road, Edward saw the sedan turning right.

“There!” he shouted, pointing.

Seacrest flew his Corvette. Edward wished he’d had Seacrest driving the whole time. The doctor wove the car full speed through traffic and the fickle curves of the narrow road that was designed for speeds six times less than what he was pushing.

Seacrest yanked the handbrake again to whip around the next bend. Closer, now, they saw the Onge’s vehicle turn left. Seacrest reduced his speed as he neared them. The Onge were driving pretty slowly. If he’d ripped around the corner he would have surely been spotted.

The doctor found a slow moving truck to lurk behind. Edward kept his eyes on the red tail lights of the sedan.

They followed for fifteen minutes to the eastern edge of town. Finally the sedan pulled up next to an empty warehouse. It seemed to have been some sort of industrial facility at one time. The Onge got out and ran under a gate that had opened for them. The gate closed. They have radio communication, now. Moving up in the world.

Seacrest slowly pulled his vehicle up to the hideaway. They both scanned their eyes over the building. Windows stretched across the top of the third story. A couple lights were on. Edward thought he saw movement.

“Do you see anybody? Anything?” asked Seacrest.

While the doctor was looking away at the building, Edward popped a t-pill. The trance came almost instantly. “Callista,” he said, his eyes closed.

He saw her not in the present, but in memory. He broke down that flash of motion he’d seen as they pulled up, frame by frame for inspection. It was her dark brown hair, and the tip of her forehead, almost in silhouette. The features, to him, however dark, were unmistakable. They’re moving her. There was something dark on her forehead. Maybe blood.

A moment ago, his mind had been a maelstrom of speculation and emotion.

Now, there was no thought at all.

“Stay in the car,” said Edward. It was not a request.