Awakening - The Tigris Series Book 2

Chapter Seventeen

Doctor Adams was many things, but late was never one.

I'd been sitting in his office for thirty minutes before I finally pulled my phone out to call him. It wasn't like him to just not show up. Anytime there was a day where he wouldn't be able to come, he would call me to let me know. I hadn't heard from him at all, so he should have been here. His lack of notice was concerning; so of course, I assumed the worst with each ring on the phone.

Just before it went to voicemail, the ringing stopped. "Doctor Eugene Adams, how can I help you?"

I could tell that he was forcing his usual professional, firm tone, but the slight raspiness in his voice stood out to my trained ears. Something was certainly wrong.

"It's Kara. Where are you?" I questioned, sounding more demanding than I intended.

He sighed, and I could practically picture him brushing his fingers through his hair at his stressed tone. "That right, it's Wednesday. Sorry, I meant to call you. There will not be a session today."

"What's going on?" I pressed, furrowing my brows deeply.

"Nothing to concern yourself with, I assure you. Everything is fine. Something has come up in my personal life that is occupying my time, that's all. Please, enjoy your day, and I'll see you next week." he replied, still doing his best to hide his stress.

I scowled, staring at the empty spot on the couch in front of me where he should be sitting. ". . . Alright."

He hung up the phone, ending the conversation. I could tell that there was something of importance that he wasn't telling me, but I wouldn't pry. It was his personal life, after all. I shouldn't get involved; but, I couldn't shake that voice in the back of my head that told me to look into it. Something was definitely wrong.

I left his office with a sigh, flipping my long braid off of my shoulder to fall down my back as I left the building. Instead of going the route I normally took towards my apartment, I went the opposite direction towards the library. Since I didn't have a laptop of my own, I would need to borrow their public computers.

I hoped it truly was nothing, but I was going to make sure of it.

•••

April 24th, 2014

Normally I didn't mind traveling in the middle of the night. It was quiet, with hardly anyone out and about. It would be peaceful if it weren't for the looming doom that overshadowed the city with the knowledge that the Insight helicarriers were only hours away from taking flight; but what irritated me most about this particular late night trip was the fact that nothing was open.

My phone had been damaged and lost ever since the crash. So when it was past midnight, no one was around to ask to borrow their phone, and the library wasn't open to borrow their computer. Getting in contact with Steve would be difficult, let alone finding him within a short amount of time. I had no idea what had happened to them after I blacked out, so they could be anywhere in the city. Without technology to help me find them more efficiently, I would have to resort to doing it the old fashioned way, and put my heightened senses to good use.

I had found my way back to the bridge where everything had taken place. Left over remnants of everyone's scent lingered in the air, like invisible trails that lead me throughout the streets where the fight had taken place. I searched the entire area as if I was analyzing a crime scene, stopping near the very last place I'd seen Steve standing. The place I'd left him while he stared into the face of his long-declared dead best friend.

My stomach formed a knot when I thought back to that moment. So many different emotions had flashed on Steve's face when he realized who the Winter Soldier was. I could see the flashbacks that played in his mind through his eyes. The shock that froze him in place, blocking out the rest of the world as his vision tunneled on the Soldier. I dreaded facing him again, knowing that he would confront me about keeping such personal information from him the entire time. Though he had been forgiving about keeping Hydra from him, I doubted he would do it again after this.