Cross Waves, page 13
23
Loose Ends
Gemcatcher peered through the examination window into the room where Jorgensen and the Girard woman were held. Jorgensen grew agitated. The Girard woman had retired to the far corner of the room. She knew better than to interfere. Cynthia leaned over and kissed Jorgensen on the lips. Must you? She had to know he watched. He couldn’t stop his frown of annoyance. They didn’t need further complications. Cynthia had always enjoyed drama. That was something they had in common. They both played well to the camera.
Jorgensen, of course, looked stunned. Who wouldn’t after they’d been kissed by Cynthia? Her blonde head glowed in the dark. My beacon. She stamped out the dark energy streaming from Jorgensen with a flick of a finger, grasped the needle, and prepared to inject the paralyzing agent.
Cynthia never failed to amaze him. So cool and poised under pressure. Pride bloomed in his gut. Her talent only worked in close quarters and for mere minutes, but her victims didn’t know it. Her movements were quick and efficient. Gemcatcher relaxed when the shot went in, and Jorgensen sank back on the hospital bed. He pressed his hands against the cool glass. This next part was critical to their success.
Dark energy streamed from Rolf’s chest and arms into the synthetic crystals. He watched for an explosion, but the two crystals on the table absorbed and contained the lethal energy. Bingo! The synthetic crystals held. They’d done it. Excitement raced through his system, his heart to thumping. Now it remained to place a price on each crystal. How should he price death? He smiled. After all these years, he would have the wealth and power he craved. He had a list of buyers waiting to purchase the deadly crystals.
He tapped on the glass. Cynthia didn’t spare a glance in his direction. She scooped up the crystals and left, leaving Jorgensen on the cot. The drug Grimshaw had concocted would wear off with little effect. Jorgensen would be ready and able to charge more crystals within twenty-four hours.
Cynthia looked from side to side, handed him the crystals in silence, and hurried through the hallway to the exit. He checked his watch—a little after three in the morning. At this time of night, no one would notice them exiting the vacant building. Still, it wouldn’t do to take unnecessary risks. They spent little time in one another’s company here. If anyone were to spot them together, it would raise questions. Cynthia would return tomorrow on her own.
He took one last look at Jorgensen, who lay unmoving, and turned toward the exit. He fingered the crystals, warm and solid in his hand, before pocketing them. By now, Cynthia had had plenty of time to leave the premises. Time for him to climb into his car and head home.
He exited the building and made his way toward the Jaguar. Cynthia had Jorgensen well in hand. It would be his task to eliminate the loose ends. Number one on the list would be Percy Withers. Now they had a solid source for the synthetic crystals, they no longer needed the real thing. Percy was dumb enough to talk. After all their careful planning, they couldn’t afford any screw-ups. Besides, they needed to make sure the synthetic crystals could kill. What better target than the hacker.
He shook his head in disgust, opened the car door, and slid into the driver’s seat. He pulled from his pocket an initialed handkerchief he’d had made when he’d first become a public figure. It reminded him he’d made it despite his father’s dire predictions.
Gemcatcher entered the highway, admiring the Jaguar’s smooth suspension like he always did. He caught a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror. No one must suspect him. He nodded his satisfaction, rubbing his chin with one hand. Not a wrinkle marred his white shirt or his forehead.
He stepped on the gas, heading to the exit and the airport. He’d get on the next flight to Chicago and deliver surprise packages to Percy Withers and Julia Jorgensen. Once he deposited the crystals, he’d put some distance between himself and the scene of the crime. The next time either of them used their psychic gifts, the crystals would activate. Then it would be good riddance to both of them.
“Ohhhhh…ohhhh!”
The moaning sound woke Geneva from a deep sleep. She sat and looked around at the still-dark room, struggling to recall her location. She, Julia, and Percy had spent the evening discussing their next steps. Rather than get her own room, Geneva agreed to share Julia’s room, so neither would be alone. She looked at the bed next to her where a body tossed and turned, beige waves floated above her. “Julia. Julia, wake up!”
Julia didn’t wake. Geneva turned on the lamp on the nightstand, slid out of bed, and went to her side, shaking her. “Wake up, honey, you’re dreaming.”
Geneva persisted until the moaning stopped and Julia’s brown eyes, wide and fearful, peered into hers.
“What’s the matter? What were you dreaming?”
Julia shot out of bed. Geneva braced herself. The beige dream energy surrounding Julia’s body had turned cherry red. Julia let out a low, keening moan. “It’s Percy. Oh God! Someone wants him dead. C’mon, there’s no time to waste.”
Geneva scrambled to find her jeans and slip on her sandals to chase after Julia, who was already halfway down the hall, still in her pajamas. Julia stopped at a door and pounded. No answer. A faint trickle of pink fog found its way through the doorjamb. Too late. Geneva placed one hand on Julia’s. “He’s dead.”
“Oh my God!” Julia sobbed. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left him alone.”
Geneva shook her head. “It’s no one’s fault; least of all yours. Percy put himself in danger the moment he agreed to help the Gemcatcher. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. I forced him to stay here and help us. If I’d let him go home, he might still be alive.”
Guilt gnawed at her insides, taking a chunk of her heart with it. Geneva placed a hand on the locking mechanism and ejected energy into it, breaking the seal. She pushed open the door, expecting to see loads of pink energy. Nothing could have prepared her for what greeted them.
She gasped. Julia let out a cry. Dark energy seethed above the bed where Percy had rested—Rolf’s energy. Nothing remained of Percy, not even whatever he’d been wearing. The room was cloaked in blackness.
24
Fire
“Shut the door, hurry!”
Geneva froze in place. Dark energy raced toward her and Julia, attracted to their combined light. It couldn’t be. Rolf would never harm his cousin. She knew it like she knew her own name or the color of her hair. And yet there was no doubt the seething dark energy in Percy’s room was Rolf’s, and it had blotted Percy out of existence, covering and absorbing his energy molecules. And it was set to do the same with her and Julia if she didn’t get a move-on. She shut the door at the exact moment the long tentacles of dark energy reached for her. A tiny piece clipped the outside of her right hand.
“Ow!” Geneva grabbed her hand and leaned against the door to catch her breath. The dark energy slithered and disappeared, devouring the spot of flesh with it. Pain, sharp and intense, penetrated her foggy thoughts. She peered at the tiny hole where her skin should have been. Blood oozed from the wound.
Has Rolf been here? Had he killed Percy…snuffed out the life of his cousin? Maybe he’d turned into a raging psychopath as the legends claimed. I saw it. He pulled the dark waves out of you. He took them inside himself. Julia’s words from the previous day haunted her, ringing in her head with a conviction she could not ignore. Rolf was a dark master, incapable of feeling or expressing love. Geneva cared for the one man who couldn’t love her back. Was he also capable of murder? Had he let the dark overrule any goodness in his nature? Had he deliberately targeted Percy, hitting him with a fatal dose of dark energy?
“Are you okay?” Julia’s eyes were big and wide, her face creased with concern. She pulled Geneva toward her. Not that they needed to worry about the dark energy in the bedroom. It was attracted to living tissue. If they kept the door shut, it would eventually dissipate. It was outside the bedroom it would be a problem.
Energy from every end of the spectrum gathered in front of her hissing and coiling.
“Geneva, you’re scaring me. Snap out of it.”
Geneva took a breath. “I’m trying.” The energy ball inside her grew to alarming proportions. Sweat beaded on her forehead. For once, she wished to let loose. To not have to be the one always in control.
The light above her head sparked and fizzled, followed by the next and the next down the long hallway.
“This isn’t the time to lose control. Get a hold of yourself. There are innocent people in these rooms.”
Geneva registered Julia’s voice as if it came from a long distance away. Had Rolf really murdered his cousin? True, what Percy had attempted was wrong, and she, Rolf, and Julia were paying the consequences. But was Percy’s weakness any reason to kill him?
Dark masters were ruthless, she reminded herself. Merciless. Incapable of loving or being loved. It was said when they turned, they gained extraordinary abilities to track their victims, walking through walls, blotting out the existence of their victims one by one. With each death, they grew more powerful.
She groaned into her hands. “Oh God.” Next to her, the box containing a fire extinguisher popped, spraying glass in every direction.
Julia shook the glass from her hair. She gripped Geneva’s shoulders, speaking calmly in her ear. “Think. Rolf’s being coerced. The government is using him as a weapon.”
Geneva clasped her hands in front of her. “You’re right. Rolf would never do this. He’s being forced to use dark energy.” Her breath hitched. She didn’t voice her greatest fear—that if Rolf were forced to use dark energy, he would eventually turn on everyone he loved. Instead, she closed her eyes and focused on the mass in front of her, stretching from floor to ceiling.
It took a solid half-hour to disperse the energy clustered around her and return the levels to something more manageable. By the time she was through, she slumped against the door. Her muscles ached in every part of her body, drenching her in sweat. She wiped her palms on her pants. Julia tugged on her arm.
“I know you’re beat, but we have to get out of here and alert Peter. There’s no way he’s involved with this. He can help us figure out where Rolf is being held and put a stop to what’s happening. There’s nothing we can do to help Percy, and if we’re caught here, we’ll spend hours responding to questions we can’t answer. Better let Peter handle this mess.”
Geneva nodded and struggled to her feet, her legs cramping. Working with such large volumes of energy built up an excess of lactic acid in her muscles.
“C’mon.” Julia grabbed her hand and pulled her along until they reached their room. She began packing her suitcase. Geneva called Peter and put him on speakerphone.
“Rolf killed Percy?” Peter’s voice held traces of sleep. “Impossible. You told me yourself Rolf’s not in Chicago. There’s no way he could have killed him.”
“He doesn’t have to be in Chicago. The government is manufacturing synthetic crystals. They’ve figured out how to store our energy in them. They activate when someone uses their talent. That’s what Dr. Grimshaw was doing when he tested me at Corvey. They were after my energy. And now they’ve forced Rolf to store dark energy in the crystals and used it to kill Percy.”
“Why would the government kill one of its own men?”
“I don’t know. I only know Rolf would never murder Percy.”
“The government understands the danger of using dark energy. They wouldn’t turn a hacker into a violent lunatic unless there was a good reason.”
“Right—and that’s money. The crystals are worth billions to other countries. The government plans to sell them. Explains why there’s so much secrecy around where Rolf is being tested.”
Worry crept into Peter’s voice. “I hope to God you aren’t right. I’ve been working a few leads to see if I can discover where Rolf’s being held. Did you learn anything more from Percy before he was killed?”
“Just that he was working with a guy who calls himself the Gemcatcher.”
“Who is this Gemcatcher?”
“Percy’s Internet contact.” Julia pulled clothes from the dresser drawer and shoved them into her suitcase. “He has a website where they met. He’s sort of an expert on rare gems. Percy had a deal on the side with him. He was going to pay Percy to recover the real crystals. Gemcatcher had a couple and believed more existed.”
“Did Percy find any?”
“No. At least he told us he hadn’t.”
“Hmm.”
“What?” Geneva called from the bathroom, where she was collecting Julia’s personal items.
“If this Gemcatcher orchestrated Percy’s death, then he must not have needed him to find the crystals.”
“Maybe he found the stones and didn’t need Percy anymore?” Geneva exited the bathroom and dropped shampoo and a razor into a bag. “Maybe he was worried Percy would tell someone what he knew? I’m certain Percy knew more than he told us.”
“Like what?” Julia unplugged her devices and stuffed the cords in her purse.
“Maybe something that would lead to the Gemcatcher.”
“You may be right,” Peter said. “But if that’s the case, you’re both in serious danger.”
“What do you mean?” Julia asked.
“He means Gemcatcher would suspect Percy would discuss the matter with us. He won’t take the chance we know his identity. He’ll kill us before we can point a finger.”
“Yes,” Peter agreed. “He would want to eliminate anyone who might be able to incriminate him. I’d suggest you both high-tail it out of there and back to Cleveland tonight where we can keep an eye on you.”
“But what about Rolf?” Geneva asked. “We have to find him.”
“Right,” Peter acknowledged. “But we know Rolf’s not in Chicago. Whoever this Gemcatcher is must be high up in the food chain. Who knows what resources they have at their disposal? I don’t like it. I’m booking tickets for the next flight out of Chicago tonight, and you both need to be on the plane. Hurry! Let’s get you out of there.”
Something glittered on the desk in the room, attracting Geneva’s attention. A crystal?
Julia let out a scream, scrambling toward the door. A line of fire sprang up in her footsteps.
“What’s the matter? Are you all right?” Peter’s voice shouted through the phone. But Geneva didn’t spend precious time answering. She dropped the phone, staring in horror at the flames trailing Julia. Fear raced through her system. Her best friend was about to turn into a puff of smoke.
25
Her
Pain surrounded Rolf, digging into his skull and tearing at the walls of his resistance. What was he forgetting? Don’t try to remember. He blanked his thoughts and the pain lessened. He blinked, opening his eyes. The room was once again in blackness. He tried to swallow, but his tongue was dry. His legs and arms were no longer restrained, but the weakness in his limbs made him doubt their ability to hold him. He peered into the darkness but could not see Cynthia or the halo surrounding her. Is she gone?
“She left a while ago.” The woman he had met earlier answered his unspoken thought.
Rolf turned toward the sound and cleared his throat. “Cynthia?” His voice croaked.
“Is that her name? She never told me. I call her the bright one. She’s much nicer than the other.”
“What other?”
“The man that comes. The angry one.”
Rolf attempted to sit. Heat radiated from his palms, indicating a large expenditure of energy. What had Cynthia done to him? His head throbbed. Did he want to know?
He lay back, eyes closed, not trying to remember. Maybe it was better this way.
The woman spoke again, bringing him back to his surroundings and the pain licking his temples. “Are you hungry?”
His stomach chose that moment to let out a growl. The woman gave a high-pitched squeal. “Of course, you are! Why didn’t I think of it earlier? We have plenty of food and water, if you can eat in the dark. They bring fresh food every day.”
She left her chair, and he could hear the sounds of her fumbling across the room. Minutes later, she returned and handed him a plate. A few blind touches, and he recognized a sandwich. He grabbed it, taking one bite and then another—within minutes, he’d devoured the whole thing.
“Feel better?”
“A little. Is there a bathroom?”
“Of course. I’ll show you the way. Watch your step.”
It appeared they had all the creature comforts in their prison, except light. The woman seemed to delight in having a companion and talked often. He supposed it came from spending time alone in the dark. She chattered the whole way to the bathroom and back to his bed. His limbs refused to hold him; he had to lean on the woman to walk to and from. When she returned him to his cot, he lay for a time to catch his breath. His bladder was empty, but the pain in his head remained.
“Do you want to sleep? I hoped you’d stay awake for a while, but I know it’s tiring after they visit.”
“I do need sleep. My head aches.”
“Oh, I can help with that. Since you came, they’ve lost interest in me. I’m not tired. Let me help you.”
Before Rolf knew what she was about, the woman placed both her hands on his head, sending a jolt of electricity through him. He groaned. After the initial shock of her touch, the relief was immediate and welcomed. His head still ached, but it was much less intense than moments earlier. “Thank you.”
“Of course. You would do the same for me.”
Her hands remain tangled in his hair. Would he have shared his energy to take away her pain? Rolf wasn’t so sure of it. The way he figured, he would have lost his mind in this cave long before he could be of any help to her. Still, the energy exchange had been intimate, revealing far more about the precarious mental state of his companion and her interest in him than he’d anticipated. He brushed her hands away, careful to place some distance between them. An awkward pause stretched. “How often do they visit?”
