Page 43 of Carte

She stirred slightly, but still didn’t wake up.

“Dynamo,” my voice was soft. I didn’t want to spook to her, but I also had to wake her up.

“Wh-wh,” she mumbled, her eyelids fluttering, but sleep still held her in its hands.

I reached over and gently ran a finger on the side of her face, “Wake up, baby. I need you to wake up.”

“Warden,” she mumbled, her voice raspy from sleep.

“Get up.”

“What?” She looked around. “What’s going on?”

“Come on, Dynamo,” I whispered, taking her arm and gently pulling her from bed. “Get up.”

She frowned, “Why?”

I stepped back, pulling her away from the bed. She stumbled slightly, but went without protest. Turning I positioned her where I needed her to be. “Here, take this,” I pressed the Taser in her hands. “Don’t move from this corner. If someone comes in, anyone but me, aim in their middle and squeeze the trigger. The barbed probes can go 15 feet so the moment they cross the threshold they’re in the range. Don’t hesitate.”

Her hands started shaking, “Carter, I need you to tell me what the hell is going on.”

“I will,” I grunted and started slowly going to the door. “I just need to check the house first. Stay here. And remember, if anyone that’s not me, come in, aim and squeeze.”

“Carter,” I could hear Harley desperately hissing my name, but I was already out the door.

I checked the house room by room. Every inch of it.

The only sound was of me skulking through the dark rooms, and my heavy breathing.

I was usually more quiet, but the adrenaline and fear that someone was going to hurt Harley was making me sloppy.

There was no one.

The windows and doors were all locked, and nothing was disturbed.

I pulled away the curtains in the living room that I pulled closed last night, and peered outside.

Nothing. It was all still. Not even the slight sway of the branches in the night breeze.

How the hell was that picture taken then?

Putting my gun in the waistband of my sleep shorts, I went to her.

By the time I came back into Harley’s room, she was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

I put both of my hands up, “It’s me.”

She didn’t react to my words at all. She just kept staring at the door, the Teaser held loosely in her hands, and her lips trembled.

I came up to her, and took the Taser from her hands, and threw it on the nightstand. She still didn’t move. Still didn’t even react to me being in her room.

“Dynamo,” I called. “Look at me.”

She swallowed, and finally looked up at me but I could see she still wasn’t focused. She was spiraling into shock. “You’re back,” her voice trembled but it was void of any real emotion.

I dipped down, and put my hands on her arms, rubbing lightly, “I’m back.”

My words and touch brought back focus into Harley’s eyes. Her gray blue eyes searched mine, “You left me.”