Page 5 of Traces of Kara

He reached up, touching the warm liquid, and wiped it away with his hands. He thrust his hand into his pocket and withdrew the photo, rubbing his thumb along the image of Marissa’s hair. A slow calm enveloped him.

A loud thud echoed in the night.

Roland snapped his head around, clutching the photo in his palm.

A woman stood atop the iron balcony overlooking the forest. Her blond hair blew around her face, carried by the cool breeze. She pulled a white mask from her face, shaking her head from side to side as the mask pulled free. Roland’s breath caught in his throat. Marissa.

He released the photo and wiped his eyes. His chest rose and fell with each excited breath. He took a step closer.

She looked down.

Roland backed against the tree, the rough bark cutting into his back.

She glanced in his direction, moving closer to the edge of the walkway.

It was her. He was sure of it. He recognized the way she moved her bangs from her forehead, just like she did when she was younger.

She looked in his direction, craning her neck toward the forest. Roland’s throat swelled. They’d be together on their birthday. It was all he’d ever wanted. He bit back the urge to call out to her.

She wrapped her arms around her middle and retreated inside.

Roland crouched by the mechanical building at the rear of the plant, where he’d disabled the outside cameras. The dead camera leered in his direction. Child’s play. Even if Marissa were happy to see him, the police and Social Services had kept them apart. He was taking no chances. No one would stop him from being with his sister.

He followed the fence line into the forest again, and stopped in front of a metal conduit coming from the plant. He followed the line with his eyes, then walked the twenty feet to where it snaked around another fenced generator and met the building. He peered around the perimeter. The hum of the plant and the sound of the water flowing through the canal broke through the darkness. Roland climbed over the conduit to the other side. Just beyond, there were heavy metal Bilco doors. Roland grabbed the cold metal handle and yanked. Locked. He’d expected this, of course, but had hoped he might get lucky.

Trees lined the path ahead of him, enclosing the rest of his walk into pitch black. He slid his hand along the concrete wall, feeling his way, step by step. He touched the metal fence, flinched, and quickly withdrew his hand—there was no electricity, he remembered. He had disabled that in the mechanical room as well. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart, and moved a shaky hand toward the fence again. Dead. Nothing. He ran his hands up and down the fence, catching his palm on a jagged edge. He wiped the blood on his pants, breathing fast and hard in anticipation. Roland followed the edge of the fence down toward the ground. The opening ran the length of the fence. He tucked his sweatshirt sleeve into his palm and grabbed the ragged edge, driven by one thought—Marissa. Sweat beaded his forehead. Eight months he’d planned this, and now it was happening. Chills ran down his arms. He had to get to her. He ripped the fence back, leaving an opening just wide enough for him to push through, then slipped the board from the window frame, and climbed in, feet first. He dropped four feet to the concrete floor below, landing with a muffled thud.

The cold, dank smell of earth and coal permeated the cool air. Roland walked through the bowels of the power plant, following metal air handlers that ran along the low ceiling. A constant vibration rumbled beneath his feet as he wound his way through each cavernous room. He listened, but could hear nothing beyond the clanking and humming of the equipment on the upper floors. His pulse raced. There was no turning back. His mind was wrapped tight with determination. He’d found her. He’d never lose her again.

Chapter Five

Kara walked down the stairs toward the office, having finally unclogged the coal chute. Where the hell was Paul’s replacement? This would not sit well with Jackson. As far as she was concerned, the guy should already be fired.

She could have used some help. She stopped at the top of the second floor, leaning over the railing and peering at the concrete floor below.

“Paige?” Her voice echoed in the open bay. “How long can Joe go?” she mumbled, and headed toward the bathroom thinking about her own lack of a love life. It had been so long since she’d felt any passion toward a man. Dean had been a few regrettable minutes, and Daryl…the passion had worn off with the first lie. Kara didn’t have time for many moments of loneliness in her life. She was driven by her desire to finish her course, get accepted to nursing school, and leave town; but now, with Paige and Joe together doing God knows what, a tingle of loneliness pinched her heart. She reached for her phone, feeling guilty for the way she’d cut her mother off when she’d called earlier. She knew her mom meant well, even if she was annoying at times, and it wasn’t her fault her husband was such a jerk. Kara’s back pocket was empty. She’d left her phone in her bag. She’d have to call her after she washed up.

Having written off the new employee, Kara mentally ran through the homework assignments she had to tackle as she worked her way through the maze of hallways on the second floor toward the office. Biology was a breeze, all memorization, but anatomy was definitely not her thing. She heard the drone of the rear elevator. Paige. She turned around and headed down the dark, narrow hall that lead toward the rear of the building. Why on earth would they use that elevator? Paige hated the older side of the building.

The elevator doors opened slowly.

At first Kara didn’t understand what she was looking at in the darkened elevator. An unfamiliar man stood in the corner, his face shaded by a blue hat. Her heart jumped in her chest. Goosebumps dotted her arms. Then, a relieved smile accompanied the memory pulled from earlier. Finally. “You’re Paul’s replacement?” She smiled, waiting for the man to exit the elevator.

He remained still.

“How’d you get to—” She turned and pointed toward the back of the building, shaking her head.

“Marissa.” His voice was low, calm.

“No, I’m Kara. Didn’t Jackson tell you I’d be showing you around? You’re late, by the way.” She shrugged, relieved he was finally there, then walked into the elevator. “We might as well take the elevator up to the office. You have to clock in.” She dug soot from beneath her nails. “So, Jackson already gave you an ID card, I see. Any trouble getting past the gate?” She looked up.

The man kept his eyes trained on the ground.

Great, a weird one. She pushed the button for the third floor.

“I’ve…I’ve been looking for you,” he said.

“Oh, I know. The damn coal chute was stuck.” She waved her hand in the air, dismissing the concern. “No worries. It’s fixed, but from now on, we share that awful job.”