Cross Waves, page 17
When they reached the other side, she took a breath and opened the door, jingling the bell. “You look left, I’ll look right,” she said to Julia, whose face had grown pale the minute they stepped inside. “What’s wrong?”
Geneva’s gaze moved to where Julia stared. Rolf sat in a corner booth. He looked how she remembered him the last time they’d been together. Tight T-shirt, blue jeans, and a smile that could charm the devil himself. Except where did the green in his aura go?
Geneva’s gaze rested on Rolf’s eyes, which seemed to grow larger in his face. That’s when fear grabbed a tendril of her heart and unwound it, bit by bit. The look in Rolf’s eyes was frigid—like the icy cold waters of Lake Erie in the dead of winter. Not a hint of recognition sparked from their frozen depths.
Geneva grabbed Julia’s hand and stepped backward. Rolf’s eyes pulled her in and held her captive so she couldn’t look away. He tilted his head. Dark energy blasted forth in a steady stream. “Get down,” Geneva ordered.
Her friend remained motionless, her skin chalky white. In seconds, she would be swallowed by the dark energy. Panic ripped through Geneva’s system. Time slowed to a crawl until it seemed to stop altogether. In the split-second Geneva had to consider, she noticed many details at once. Patrons, oblivious to the psychic storm about to erupt, chattered and ordered drinks. Energy shimmered in the air. Nate’s energy, who had entered behind them. She pulled it inside as the dark reached for Julia with deadly hands. Tears trickled down Geneva’s cheeks, and the swollen bubble inside her chest popped.
Energy blasted from her body with all the focus of a spewing volcano. A sound screeched through the shop, like a train derailing and plowing into the building. The foundation shook.
“Earthquake,” someone yelled.
People ran in every direction, plowing into her in the process.
“Get down.” Nate pushed her and Julia out of the way, missing the black tendrils stretching toward them by mere inches. The dark energy swallowed the tables and chairs in its way, creating a clear path in front of Rolf. Debris flew through the air, striking her cheek.
“Julia!” Nate yelled, crouching over Julia’s body. She lay on the floor, unmoving. He had his hands on hers. Nate was working to bring her to consciousness.
Rolf stood and moved toward them.
Oh God. Geneva blinked. A shadowy figure stood beyond Rolf and moved toward the back of the shop. Her eyes couldn’t pick out features, but her heightened senses revealed a bright yellow. A familiar yellow. Where had she seen it? Was the mysterious person controlling Rolf?
“Rolf, no.” Geneva pleaded, hoping for a sign of the old Rolf. Hoping for compassion. “Don’t do it!”
He didn’t stop moving. His eyes weren’t eyes at all, but two black pits inside his skull. He grinned, and the horrifying sight sent Geneva’s heartbeat ricocheting in her chest.
“He’s turned.” Nate looked up at her, his eyes reflecting the panic she felt. “Kill him.”
Her heart was being ripped from her chest and stepped on, splintering into hundreds of tiny fragments. She must kill or be killed.
“Hurry. Do it. Now.” Nate sent her round balls of teal energy.
She sucked the energy inside, careful to avoid the dark waves. She closed her eyes, not wanting to watch Rolf’s destruction. She crossed her fingers and let the gigantic ball of energy she’d gathered flow through and out of her.
Tears leaked from Geneva’s eyes. She and Nate traveled back to her apartment in his flashy black Mustang. She could see her brother’s anger in the red pulsing from his aura, but there was mauve in the mix, too. He knew her sorrow. He was giving her time to grieve. And grieve she did.
Geneva cried for unrequited love and empty promises. She cried for Julia, who lay in a coma in the hospital, fighting for her life. She cried for the man she loved, who had turned from her fiercest protector into a soulless demon she didn’t recognize.
Nate’s phone buzzed, and he answered. “Hello.”
Geneva half-listened. She stared out the window at the scenery flashing by her window, not bothering to wipe the tears that continued to roll down her cheeks.
“She’s fine. I don’t agree. Why the hell would you do that?”
Geneva watched her brother’s reflection in the glass. He glanced her way. Dark red energy spread across his form, blotting out his normal teal aura.
“All right. Okay. I got it. I’ll call you later.”
She turned toward him. “What’s the matter?”
Nate’s lips thinned. “It’s not good news.”
“What do you mean?”
“The CMU has listed you a threat. They’re stripping your badge.”
“I’m not a threat.”
Nate pulled the Mustang into her apartment complex. “Peter doesn’t think so, but he has no choice. You caused a 4.0 magnitude earthquake back there, injured Julia and dozens of others, and you didn’t kill the bad guy. He’s having a really hard time explaining that.”
“What will happen to Rolf?” She clasped her fingers together to keep them from shaking or latching onto the energy shimmering in front of her, waiting for her to exercise her talent.
“What do you mean, what will happen to him? You were there. Jorgensen’s snapped and on the loose. You’re clearly his target. I’ve got to stop him.”
Shivers racked her body, and she wrapped her hands around her body. Why couldn’t she stop shivering?
“I’m sorry, Sis. I know this is hard for you to accept. You’re too young to remember the last time a dark master snapped and went on a rampage. But I was ten. I remember it well. It was right before our mom died.”
A shudder struck her. “What…what happened?”
“The guy attacked a summer camp of children. Killed almost a hundred kids and injured a hundred others. It took Dad and a dozen hackers from many countries to band together to bring him to justice.”
“Where is he now?”
“Dead. He died in prison after serving multiple terms.”
The engine sputtered and stalled. A muscle ticked in Nate’s jaw. “Get a hold of yourself.”
Geneva folded her hands together in her lap and dug her nails into her palms. Then she filled her lungs and emptied them. She’d kill the sons of bitches who had done this to Rolf. The man she knew would never harm his sister, let alone try to kill her. And he’d protect Geneva with his last dying breath. If it was the last thing she did in this world, she’d find who had made him do this terrible thing, and she’d kill them.
She wouldn’t think beyond that. Couldn’t think beyond that. Without Rolf, nothing else seemed to matter.
33
Escape
“Rolf, no, please no. Don’t do it!”
The words screamed in his head, but he remained in the dark room, the madwoman nearby. Or was it he who was mad?
“Geneva? Are you hurt?”
Silence greeted his frantic thought. He couldn’t sit still, knowing Geneva needed him. He rose and walked toward the woman. Geneva’s fear vibrated over the dark psychic channel that allowed him to share in her distress. Anger, hot and white, stabbed into his brain. He grasped the sides of his head as if doing so could take away her agony.
The doorknob turned. Although he’d lost track of time in his prison, their only visitor since he’d arrived had been Cynthia. Cynthia, who drained him of energy on a regular basis with her cold and merciless talent. Today, she’d handcuffed him when she left.
Dark energy erupted, incited by his fury. Cynthia was smart to cuff him. He couldn’t stand one more second in this godforsaken place. He would escape.
“It’s time.” He motioned to the woman who moved toward him, although there was no way she could see his arm movement. Funny, his plans all hinged on her cooperation.
With his cuffed hands, he pushed her toward his cot. She ripped off his shirt, and her lips somehow found his. The door opened, and lights flooded the place, blinding them.
“What the hell?”
The scene distracted Cynthia, giving him a few precious seconds to attack. He shoved the woman out of the way. Dark energy exploded from his chest and arms like he’d lit a can of gasoline. He didn’t wait for Cynthia to recover enough to disperse the dark energy, but exploded past her in a rush, using the energy to dissolve his handcuffs and yanking them apart to grab the door from her startled grasp. He tore through the hallway, the woman close on his heels. “Follow me,” he yelled at the woman who scrambled after him.
More footsteps sounded close behind. He didn’t waste time looking to see who followed. He kept running, running, running, his eyes closing in on the exit door ahead. Five more seconds until he reached it. Four, three, two. He burst through the solid wood door. Thank God it wasn’t locked.
A set of stairs led to the next level. What was this place? Some sort of underground bunker from the looks of things.
“Stop, or I’ll shoot.”
The man’s voice called after them, but Rolf ignored it. He plunged toward the steps, the woman close behind him. He could feel her warm breath on his back. Hear her gasps for breath. A gunshot rang out, the sound amplified by the open stairwell, then two more.
Up, up, up they went, a mad dash for freedom.
He reached the top, blinking at the dimness of the second level. More gunshots. This time a bullet grazed his neck. He flinched and yelled, stumbling and running. A stinging pain numbed his skin, and a gush of blood smeared his neck. His hand found the spot and rubbed and came away wet. But there was the doorway to the outside. Three seconds more to freedom.
He grabbed the woman’s hand and lunged toward the exit.
“If you leave, you’re a dead man.” Cynthia’s voice came from the bottom of the stairs. “The CMU has a warrant for your arrest. They’ll find you and kill you.”
He didn’t bother to respond but rushed through the door, the woman on his heels. An empty parking lot greeted them. He paused a moment to catch his breath, glancing back once at the building. Moonlight shined on what appeared to be an abandoned factory. Nothing moved. No one followed. He grabbed the woman’s hands and fled into the night.
They ran and ran and ran until they could run no more.
“Please.”
He stopped and glanced back at her. For the first time, he got a closer look at his companion. Blonde curly hair, wild eyes, a thin, narrow white face. She looked giddy and frightened at the same time. Her clothes hung on her thin frame.
She gasped and bent over to catch her breath. “Please.”
He stilled. She looked familiar. A dim memory of someone he knew. A familiar ache started at his left temple, and he winced. The pain struck sharp and deep. He doubled over, clutching his skull.
“Rolf, what’s wrong?”
The woman had crouched next to him. He caught a breath. The pain eased.
He raised his head. “I remembered your name.”
“My name?”
“Yes. You were the sister of the rogue hacker on one of my last big jobs. Your name is Kaitlyn Girard. You’re an illusion talent.”
Now it was her turn to wince and moan, holding her head in her hands. He watched her recover, helpless to take away her pain.
He wiped his sweating palms on his jeans. “We should—we should keep moving.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
But he did know. The dark energy knew. It craved the light. With his psychic senses on full throttle, his feet moved forward. “Follow me.”
Large hills appeared to the side of the road they traveled. What were they? The glow of a streetlight ahead helped him get acclimated to their surroundings. They were in the Flats in Cleveland. The hills were large piles of iron ore. They kept walking until they came out of the Flats onto Euclid Avenue. They had no money, but he managed to flag a cab that happened to be passing.
“Take me to Lakewood. Summit Street.”
The cabbie nodded, and off they went.
“Where are we going?”
The woman would not like his answer. But he told her anyway. “Geneva’s apartment.”
“She won’t want me.”
“Don’t worry about Geneva.”
“Here’s Summit Street.” The cabbie interrupted their secret conversation. “Where do you want me to drop you off?”
“This is good.”
The cabbie pulled over. They opened the doors and got out. The total on the meter read thirty-two dollars.
“What is your name?”
“Adolpho.”
“Give me your business card, Adolpho. I’ll mail you the payment.” He injected a pulse of energy with each word. Dark energy filled his chest, eager to break through and devour every scrap of living tissue in its path. Sweat dripped from his forehead. He gritted his teeth until they hurt.
The cabbie’s eyes widened. “Yes, okay.” He handed Rolf his card.
Rolf punched the door shut and watched the taillights as the cabbie pulled away from the curb. The dark in him had taken control. Thank God the cab driver had been cooperative.
Fear dislodged another memory he’d forgotten until now. He winced and gasped as the pain came, and he doubled over. He’d been twelve, walking home from school, when he’d run into the neighborhood bully. The kid had made fun of his beloved Nonna, telling some fantastic tale about how she could pull a person’s soul back into a body at the moment of death. Before he could stop it, dark energy shot from his hands and covered the bully. He hadn’t injured him, though. Nonna had been horrified when he’d recounted the story to her.
“Sticks and stones. There’ve been far worse things said about me.” She’d gotten down on one knee, and looked him in the eyes, a fierce expression on her lined face. “You mustn’t ever use dark energy unless your life is in danger. Understand me?”
Funny that. Hackers were always in danger.
The pain had lessened now. He straightened and thought more about that day—the day his lessons began. That was the day Nonna began training him to master the darkness. And she’d succeeded, too. But he’d always known there would be a day of reckoning. Nonna had known it, too. That’s why he’d been sworn to secrecy. Until now. I’m sorry, Nonna.
Thinking of his grandmother made him wonder if she’d recovered, and if his father cared for her at her home, as he’d promised. He turned to the woman, who stood watching him. “Are you coming or not?”
She nodded. “I’m staying with you.”
He walked toward Geneva’s apartment. He didn’t wait to see if the woman followed. But his feet slowed when they were four houses away, and the woman bumped into him.
“Sorry. I need a second.”
He studied the house. Light shone from the windows. The curtains were drawn. But something was wrong. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to wander.
“Danny and Dad are on their way over here.”
Nate paced her apartment, walking back and forth from the fireplace to the couch to the windows and back again. “I hope to God Julia survives.”
“I know. Me too.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. She sat on the couch and clutched a throw pillow to stop the shakes. “I never believed Rolf would try to kill his sister. He loves her. I’m sure of it. The man in Coffersations…he…it couldn’t have been Rolf.”
“What do you mean?” Nate stopped pacing midway to the windows and turned to face her, concern etched on his face.
“I mean the man I saw looked like Rolf and sounded like him, but his eyes were dead. Like someone controlled him.”
“That’s what they say about someone who has turned. They can’t express emotion. The dark energy rules their nature. That’s what you observed.”
“Yes, that’s what I thought, too, when he took aim at Julia. I thought he had turned. But…”
“What?”
When she didn’t answer, Nate walked to the couch and sat next to her. He took the throw pillow from her hands and set it aside. Then he wrapped a long arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Geneva, what happened in there? You could have killed him. I know you could have. You let him escape, didn’t you?”
She nodded. “Oh God.” A fresh deluge of tears spilled from her eyes. Nate handed her a box of tissues, his aura going from teal to mauve. Pity. She took a couple tissues and held onto the box. No doubt she’d need them.
“Why’d you do it? Why’d you let him go?”
“Because I saw a figure behind him. Someone else was there in the shop. Someone was manipulating him—making him do it.”
“Are you sure? I didn’t see anyone.
“Positive. There was someone else there.”
“Who was it? Anyone you recognized even vaguely?”
“No, it was too dark. But…” She blew her nose into the tissue.
“But what?”
His answer was interrupted by the chime of the doorbell.
“Hold your thought. I’ll be right back.”
Nate went to answer the door. Geneva spent the time reviewing the decision she’d made. In the split second she’d had to decide Rolf’s and Julia’s fate, she had faced a life-altering choice in the truest sense of the word. A choice to allow Rolf to live or die. A choice to give him a chance to redeem himself and keep Julia safe from harm.
She rubbed her hands across her face. She’d chosen life—or so she thought. She’d directed the energy ball to the right of Rolf so he wouldn’t receive its full impact. It should have been enough to stun him until the authorities arrived. But in the aftermath, her attention had been diverted to Julia, who had been knocked unconscious when a piece of the crumbling building struck her in the head. When Geneva turned back, Rolf had disappeared.
She heard raised voices, announcing her dad’s and Danny’s presence before she saw them enter the family room. That and the force of the trio’s energy. The familiar colors in their combined auras leaped across the room at her. Bright cornflower, royal blue, and vibrant teal.
“Dad.” She surged to her feet, swiping at her eyes.
Her father took two giant steps and enveloped her in a massive bear hug, pressing her face into his red-checkered, flannel-clad chest. “I’m here now, Geneva, my girl. It’s going to be okay.”
