Cross Waves, page 10
She focused on his voice. He sounded thoughtful, but Geneva knew he wasn’t searching his memory banks. No, the turquoise color issuing from his mouth indicated the man knew how long it had been.
“Twenty-one years, hasn’t it? A little taller, but you haven’t changed much.”
She blinked. “Why are you here?” The words seemed to come from a long way off. Shock probably. She swallowed the bile in her throat.
“I’m here to administer your tests, of course. The doctors here thought I would be the best choice given our history.” Dark gray spewed from his lips. Lies. The trouble with her type of talent, she had no way of knowing if the entire statement was a lie or a portion. Why? What was Grimshaw hiding? He obviously didn’t care if she knew it was a lie or not.
A throbbing began at the base of her skull. Her thoughts came slowly, but every cell in her body screamed at her to tell Grimshaw where to go. She gasped for air but only drew a shallow breath. Geneva held her hands together and rubbed, hoping to increase the circulation.
“This will go easier for you if you cooperate.”
Dr. Grimshaw’s voice wavered in and out. Each time he spoke, Geneva couldn’t stop listening, like his words held the secrets of the universe. They didn’t, of course.
Somehow, she found herself lying in the brown leather recliner. She did her best to relax her body, ignoring the shimmering energy waves around her. Grimshaw sat opposite her, crossing his long legs. He held a shiny clipboard and a pencil.
“Think back to the moment you saw Julia being threatened at the convention center in Phoenix,” Grimshaw said.
Her mind did Grimshaw’s bidding, recalling Percy’s face as he’d raised the giant stiletto in the air. Power rushed through her system, pooling at the base of her skull. She tried to sit up but couldn’t move. She lay there, allowing the energy particles to magnify as if she had no will or control over them. Sweat formed on her face and the back of her neck. She licked dry lips that tasted salty.
“I know how you’re feeling.” Grimshaw got up and crossed to her recliner, bending over her, his breath hot on her face and smelling of coffee and day-old bread. “You don’t need to work so hard, my dear. We’re all friends here, aren’t we? I won’t allow you to harm anyone. You’re safe. Aim for the crystals. They’ll draw your energy.”
Geneva’s eyes moved to the strange crystals resting on the table next to her. She had avoided looking at them ever since Dr. Grimshaw pulled a white bundle from one of the cabinets and opened it on the counter. Now she found herself drawn to them. One of them—the one on the right—was different, yellower than the others, its composition thicker.
Dr. Grimshaw said they needed to talk. He wanted to help her. She knew better than to believe him, but whatever they’d given her was having a strange effect. It seemed to give Dr. Grimshaw control of her mind. She’d almost done his bidding. What was wrong with her?
“You always were a stubborn patient.” Grimshaw eyed her, frustration evident on his bony face. “Feisty. You never liked to listen.” He pulled out a long, thin needle. “I’m confident I can help you relax.”
Fear slowed her thoughts. She watched the doctor squeeze the air out of the syringe as if she had an out-of-body experience. Waves of roiling coral energy covered him. Determination. She knew the color well, having seen it surrounding her own face in the mirror on occasion. Grimshaw was determined to make her lose control. She had to stop him. Rolf, she called. Silly. Rolf could not hear her. He was too far away to pick up her cry. She was on her own.
She sucked in air, drawing more of the vibrating molecules inside.
“Now, now.” Grimshaw patted her arm like she was a small child. “This will pinch a little, and then you’ll be able to relax. I can complete the testing, and perhaps, if you cooperate, you can be released to your family. Don’t you want to go home again?”
Yes, she did want to go home again. But not like this. “Don’t touch me, asshole.”
Her words did nothing to quell Grimshaw, who pulled at her arm. Stop. She shouted the words, but they were in her mind. Her body lay helpless. The doctor raised her arm in the air and tied a band around her biceps. He poked one long finger at her vein.
Rage hit her lungs with an icy jolt. Energy particles collected in thick, heavy clouds, taunting her, begging for release. Did Grimshaw comprehend the danger? The urge to draw the particles to her was immense. If only she trusted herself not to aim and fire, killing the doctor in the process.
“Good thing you’re fair-skinned. Much easier to find your veins,” Grimshaw grunted, poking the needle into her skin. The sharp sting sent a wave of fear through her.
Rolf, I need you. Geneva screamed inside her head. A waste of precious time. Rolf couldn’t hear her. Neither could Grimshaw.
Dark energy shimmered in a corner of the room. Geneva tossed and turned on the leather recliner, a thousand fire ants biting into her skin, injecting their poison. What was happening? What had Grimshaw done?
“Quit fighting. It hurts because you’re resisting. Listen to my voice. That’s it.”
Despite herself, she found herself listening to Grimshaw. By the time the first fireball rolled from her palms and entered the crystal, she couldn’t remember why she fought to hang onto it.
She watched as though it was happening to someone else. The hardened crystal seemed to suck the raw waves into it, expanding and contracting in front of Grimshaw’s sunken eyes, bulging from their sockets. He dropped the needle he’d been holding and raced toward the door, flinging it open and dashing through. What was the matter with the man? He’d gotten what he wanted, hadn’t he?
All the crystals but one shattered into a thousand slivers, and the energy waves came rushing back to their source, a tsunami of particles demanding entrance. Geneva gasped at the punch to her gut, her body jerking left, then right, reabsorbing the molecules.
18
Dark Energy
An electric charge raced down Rolf’s spine. “Geneva? What’s wrong?”
A small shot of dark energy rushed from his fingertips before he could stop it, melting the portion of the chair he was sitting on into nothingness. Shit. He sucked in air and wrapped his heated palms together, jerking the dark power inward. What the hell? Lucky for him, Julia and Percy were in a heated conversation and didn’t notice the damaged seat cushion.
Another jolt of electricity snapped down his spinal cord. He stood and dashed toward the doorway.
“Where’s the fire?” Percy asked.
“Are you okay?” Julia called after him.
“It’s Geneva. Something’s wrong with her.”
“Wait. I’m coming with you.”
Another electrical charge shot through Rolf’s skull, urging him onward. Faster, faster, faster. The dark beast raged for its freedom, but Rolf drew on his training to bind it. He couldn’t lose control. Not now. Not when Geneva needed him.
“What’s wrong with her?” Julia huffed behind him. He could hear the pounding of her feet and her breathlessness.
Fire burned a path in his chest. Pain lanced his lungs. He yelled over his shoulder, but he didn’t slow down. He couldn’t. “She’s hurt. In agony.”
Two terrifying minutes passed while Rolf zipped through the corridor, praying no staff tried to stop him in his mental state, drawing on his dark talent to dictate his path. Beads of sweat formed and dripped into his eyes, slick and stinging. He swiped a hand across his face and fought for control. He couldn’t lose Geneva. Not now. Just a few minutes more, and he’d be by her side.
Rolf spotted the open door up ahead. Sixty seconds, ten. He burst through the doorway, his eyes searching and finding Geneva’s shape lying on a recliner in what looked to be an examination room. She looked small and fragile. She looked dead. But Rolf knew she wasn’t. The dark energy inside him strained toward her light. He didn’t take his gaze from her, heading straight to her side.
Julia followed behind him in her blue hospital gown, with Percy a few steps behind her.
“What’s happened to her?”
“I’m not sure. Don’t…”
Julia reached for Geneva’s hand before Rolf could stop her and flinched, dropping it. “My God. It’s like putting my fingers in an electrical socket. She’s overloaded. There’s gobs of energy around her. Almost…almost like she attacked herself.”
Rolf frowned. “That’s impossible.”
“Not so impossible.”
Rolf looked toward the door at the older gentlemen who entered. Her doctor, he presumed.
“The patient is unstable. She nearly killed me just now. I was forced to give her a shot to calm her. Unfortunately, there’s no way to divert the energy she’s harnessed. It’s returning to its source. I had to run for my life. We’ll need to wait until the energy dissipates, or she wakes and dispels it.”
“No.” Rolf forced the words through clenched teeth. He would deal with the so-called doctor later. “She won’t make it. Listen to me, all of you. We need to channel the energy surrounding her to another source.”
Julia’s voice sounded breathless. “But, Rolf, that’s impossible. We’d need a stronger energy source, and we all know there’s no one stronger than Geneva.”
“Yes, there is.”
A pregnant silence greeted his statement.
“What do you mean?” The doctor voiced the question, his tone thoughtful and clinical.
He ignored the question, his mind intent on one goal: bringing Geneva to consciousness. He grasped her hands.
Julia gasped. “Be careful. She’s charged, remember?”
He didn’t respond. He would not let Geneva die. Even if he revealed the one secret he’d swore he’d always keep. Even if they locked him up forever. Even if they destroyed him.
“Julia, you’ll need to work to absorb as much energy as you can. Percy, Doctor, stay back if you know what’s good for you.”
The doctor scuttled to the doorway, and Percy followed him, but neither left the room. Rolf caught sight of Julia, her eyes wide and frightened. Her puzzled gaze paused on the wound on his forehead. She sensed something wrong with him, but by the look on her face, couldn’t imagine what it could be. She would learn soon enough. They all would.
He ignored them, his mind settling on Geneva’s and the large amounts of dark energy encasing her. He issued a mental command. Toxic energy blasted forth from Geneva’s chest, a black cloud hovering over him.
He didn’t know how long he’d stayed there, absorbing the dark energy into himself and diverting the excess harmless energy to Julia. One minute? Ten?
Eventually, he’d siphoned enough energy from Geneva to stabilize her. The moment she was safe, Rolf blocked the flow, cutting the energy stream. Julia did the same.
He remained, head bowed over Geneva, his breath uneven. What had it cost him to absorb and channel dark energy? Another piece of his soul? Another step closer to madness? He moved an unsteady hand toward Geneva, then dropped it to his side. If he touched her, he’d transfer the lethal waves back to her.
He flicked a glance Julia’s way. She remained still, hesitant, her large brown eyes reflecting surprise, fear, awe. Whatever she read in his caused her to swallow and look away.
He cleared his throat. “Get moving. Try and reach her. Bring her to consciousness. But be prepared. She’s going to have one hell of a nasty headache.”
Julia nodded, and Rolf straightened, turning toward the doctor, who had re-entered the room to roll what looked like diamonds in a white towel. Rolf clenched his jaw but kept his demeanor a cold mask. “I want answers, and I want them now.”
“Of course.” The doctor smiled, all cool pleasantness. He pointed his long bony free hand toward the door; the other hand held the towel. “Follow me.”
Rolf moved to Percy, who stood frozen in place, a stunned expression carved on his face. “You and I will talk later. You’d better have a damn good reason for getting involved in this mess.”
He didn’t wait for a response but flicked a final glance at Julia, whose hands covered Geneva’s pale ones. Then he strode after the doctor, who headed to God knows where.
The danger had passed, hadn’t it? Geneva would live. He’d not let the dark power control him. So why did he keep revisiting Geneva’s lifeless body and the horrified expressions on the others’ faces. All but the doctor’s. He’d not been shocked or afraid like the others. No, on the contrary, he appeared almost gleeful.
19
Dark Master
He shouldn’t have left her. Rolf trailed the doctor, guilt gnawing his insides, threatening his self-control. He sucked in a shallow breath, a desperate attempt to manage his raging temper.
Did the doctor have any idea how close he came to being covered in blackness? Every speck of kinetic energy blotted out of existence? If he did, he gave no indication. Geneva must survive. Her light kept the darkness at bay.
“Right this way.” The doctor motioned to an empty examination room, starker than the one they’d left.
Rolf strode inside, his eyes sweeping the four corners, taking in the equipment and examination table with straps used to subdue the rowdier patients, he supposed. Rolf smiled, but it contained no warmth. Straps couldn’t conquer the dark energy threatening to consume him. He turned to the doctor. “Who are you, and what did you do to her?”
The doctor blinked, his eyes wide. “My name is Dr. Grimshaw. I assure you, I did nothing I haven’t done to hundreds of patients. I gave her a shot of a drug we use to calm patients when they grow anxious. She was agitated, worried about her growing abilities and the examination. The drug helped to calm her.”
“What was in it?”
“It’s a barbiturate. Suffice it to say, she did not handle the drug well. It caused her to lose control.”
Rolf ran a hand through his hair, struggling to absorb what Dr. Grimshaw told him. “She had an allergic reaction?”
“Correct. But the fact she had such a reaction is a concern. She appears to have little control of her energy. I need to verify she’s not a threat to society. Have a seat.”
Rolf eyed the chair but made no move toward it. “She’s not a threat.”
“You have proof?”
“I’ve been working with her for the past several days, and the only threat she’s been is to herself.”
Dr. Grimshaw held his clipboard in front of him and set the towel on the table. “Geneva Erickson will stay here until we can figure out what is happening to her. If I were to release her and she were to cause an innocent person to be injured…”
Grimshaw let the thought dangle, allowing Rolf to complete the sentence in his mind. The doctor would be at fault.
“What’s in the towel you rolled up?”
“Please, won’t you take a seat?” Dr. Grimshaw gestured to a hard, metal chair, his voice modulated. “We can talk about this sensibly, can’t we?”
Rolf sighed, sifting a hand through his hair again. The dark energy took its usual toll. No hacker could channel the amount of energy he’d manipulated and remain on his feet. He would crash and burn. He checked his watch. He had maybe five minutes to wrest the truth from Grimshaw, then he’d be useless for a couple of hours. He sat where Grimshaw indicated and fought to keep his eyes open.
“That was a tremendous amount of energy you expended. Who taught you to manipulate dark energy?”
Rolf grimaced, his thoughts shifting to Nonna as he’d last seen her at her house two weeks ago, making oatmeal cookies, her long, dark hair in its customary bun. He squelched the image. He shouldn’t give Grimshaw any more information than necessary. “No one. I asked you, what’s in the towel?”
“Oh, come now, Mr. Jorgensen. No one learns to manipulate that quantity of dark energy without some training. We both know it’s a specialized skill that’s rare among hackers. Who trained you?”
Rolf struggled to focus on the question. How had the doctor known his name? The room spun, and his hands automatically went to his head. He blinked and strained to keep his eyes open. Too late. No more time. Grimshaw said something. His mouth moved, but Rolf heard no sound. Yet, the words Grimshaw spoke rang in Rolf’s head.
“Pleasant dreams, Mr. Jorgensen.”
A sting of a needle pierced his arm, cutting through the fog around his brain. Rolf’s eyes closed on the sight of Grimshaw grinning from ear to ear.
Geneva came to with a jerk and placed a hand on her forehead, as if she could prevent it from splitting in two. She squinted at the cool violet shade next to her. Julia. “What…what happened?” Her voice croaked.
“Thank God, you’re awake. You were out for hours.”
She looked around her room at the Corvey Institution. “How did I get in here?”
“You don’t remember?” Julia drew closer, her face pale.
“No, last I remember I was in Dr. Grimshaw’s examination room. What happened to me?” Geneva lifted the blanket and let it drop.
“Don’t try to get up. Take it slow.”
Geneva ignored the warning, propping herself on her elbows. Pain radiated from her head to her toes in payment for the sudden movement. She lay back and took shallow breaths until the throbbing subsided.
“Here, let me help.” Julia placed an arm behind Geneva’s shoulders and lifted her, arranging the pillow behind her back. Dull brushstrokes of red color bled through the violet in her aura, relaying her worry and something more. Something closer to fear. “Drink this.”
“Thanks.” Geneva took the cup of water Julia handed her and drained it. “Where is he?”
“Dr. Grimshaw?” Julia returned the empty cup to a nearby table. “I’m not sure. I haven’t seen him since he left the examination room you were in hours ago.”
“No, not Grimshaw. Rolf.
Julia frowned and tucked her hands behind her back as if she didn’t know what to do with them. She cocked her head to the side. “He’s with Dr. Grimshaw.”
