The Embers Of My Heart, page 27
I finally got a ghost of a smile from him. "You're welcome to try."
"I'll talk to them," I said. I didn't have the faintest clue of where to start, but I could try something. Lisa would want that. "I'll pull us back together one way or another. Got it?"
"What if they don't want to?"
"Then I'll kick some ass."
"You?" He raised an eyebrow.
"I've been known to hand out some ass kicking in the past, you know."
"You're still kind of scrawny."
"Mind over matter." His face fell and I bit my tongue. "Is there anything you'd like to do? I mean, starting with the guys, at least?"
He shrugged. "Something active, I guess. The less talking the better."
"Got it. You free the rest of today?"
"Let me check my schedule." He turned to his computer, opened up a blank document, and pointed at it. "Looks clear to me."
"I'll be back, then." I gave him a wave and left the room.
My first stop was Andreas's room. No answer, no surprise. My next stop was Kaitlyn's room. Since Nikki had moved out, Jess had moved in. I didn't know whether the college had allowed it explicitly, or whether they just let it happen. It made sense to me. Knocking took a bit more willpower than I thought. I knew Nikki wasn't in there anymore, but the feeling that she'd jump out of nowhere was strong.
Kaitlyn answered. Her smile faded as she saw me. "Oh. Hey."
"Hey, Kait. Jess in?"
"She's out with the boyfriend."
"Any idea where they are?"
She crossed her arms. "Why would I know, and if I did, why would I tell you? Maybe they want privacy."
"Just asking," I said. "Do you have any idea when Andreas will be back?"
"Wow. Am I your personal information service now? I don't remember getting hired as a secretary."
"Hey, hold on," I said. "What's the deal with the sudden hostility?"
"I don't know," she said. "What do you think?"
"I don't know what to think, but I'm trying to help people out here. I'm just looking for them and thought you might know. If you don't know, that's fine. I'm not going to bother you if you don't want to be bothered."
"Fine." She started to close the door. "I don't want you to bother me."
I let the door close, though I was tempted to stick my foot in it and confront her. I didn't know if her grudge against me was for turning her down, or something else. Nothing else came to mind. Her growing hostility bothered me, but I didn't have the time to deal with her. I took a walk out back to the garden that was starting to see leaves hitting the ground. When I was sure I was alone, I reached out with my mind and traced Max. He and Jess weren't far away and they didn't seem to be doing anything private.
They were watching the sunset together on a hillside. Max lay on his back, hands clasped behind his head. Jess lay next to him, fitting right against him. Neither of them noticed my approach until I sat down next to them. "Whoa. Hey, Kev," she said.
Max looked over at me and frowned slightly. "Hey. What's up?"
"Nice sunset," I said.
They exchanged looks, then both of them sat up. "Something up?" Max asked.
"Why'd you come find us?" Jess was more direct.
"Drew," I said. They exchanged another look, but stayed quiet. I pushed back a sudden burst of temper. "He's hurting and you're avoiding him. Why?"
Jess looked down the hill while Max sighed. "He's noticed?"
"Of course he noticed. I've noticed too. I've been a little distant too, but you're acting as if he'll blow up at any moment. He needs help, he needs support, he needs his friends, he doesn't need to be pushed away and ignored!" I pushed my hand against the ground and tried to calm down. "We can't treat him like this."
"But he might blow up at any time," Max said.
"What?"
"You remember what he did to you at the hospital, right?"
I nodded. "He was under stress and pressure and more. I don't hold it against him. I'm the one he hit. If I'm not holding it against him, neither should you."
"I knew it," Jess muttered.
"He's still under stress, Kev."
"It's not stress anymore, Max. It's depression."
"Either way, he's not stable. He's different." Max's tone grew harsh. "He's not the same guy anymore. He hit you out of raw anger. I don't want to hang around with people who do shit like that, ok? I didn't know he had that sort of dark side."
"No." My fingers dug into the ground. "He had a breakdown! You can't tell me that you'd be completely rational if Jess was in the same situation!"
"You know, I am sitting right here," she snapped. "And I agree. I don't think Max would be completely rational either. As much as I hate to admit it, he's usually level headed, but that sort of shit makes people act out of character."
"But I wouldn't act that way," he said. "I wouldn't hit you, Kev. Not out of anger. I can't believe I would do that, and I can't trust that he wouldn't do the same to someone else."
"What if you blamed me?" I said. "What if you thought I could do something to save her, and I didn't do it. What would you do then?"
"He knew you couldn't do anything."
"He knew, but he didn't know!"
"What the fuck are you two going on about?" Jess asked. We both shut up and I looked away. "Kev, there's nothing you could have done. Why the hell would Drew think otherwise?"
"He had his reasons," I said.
"That's stupid."
"He had his reasons," Max said. I glared at him, but he wasn't looking at me. "Just leave it, Jess."
"Oh, so you two are keeping something from me. That's adorable." Her tone sharpened. "Spill. Now."
"We're all keeping secrets these days," I said.
"You always keep secrets. Ugliest thing about you."
"Tell her," Max said.
"No," I said.
"Tell me," Jess insisted.
"Ask your twin the next time you talk to her."
There was a moment of dead silence. Max's head spun around to look at us. "Wait. Your twin's dead. That's what you told me?"
"We all keep secrets," I said as I stood up. Jess stared up at me and I knew that she wouldn't forgive me for this for a while. "I'll let you two chat about that one for a while. But, you know what, Max? You're right."
"Of course I'm right. What am I right about?"
"Telling her. I'm done with that secret. Once we can get the whole group back together, I'll tell everyone." I turned back to them. "All of us. Got it?"
"Whatever you say," Jess snapped.
I walked back to the garden and recovered my burner phone. She'd be mad. I hadn't called her in weeks. I dialed the number and waited for her to pick up and shout at me. "Kevin?" Star sounded worried.
"Hey."
"I'm so glad to hear from you, I was worried!" A bit of tension faded from my shoulders and back. "I don't like not having a way to contact you in case of emergency. Can we do something about that? Just in case?"
"That's a good idea," I said. "Things haven't been great out here."
"I know what you mean. We've been busy here. I'm coordinating a bunch of newbies and we have to deal with some of the craziest people coming across the Pacific. I think the Bureau just gave up the fight. Haven't seen or heard from them in the past week." She continued to tell me about her adventures out there for a few minutes. I closed my eyes and leaned back on the bench. "So the splinter Kaze group is basically in charge in northern California. Not much we can do about it now, not with the resources we have."
"Why don't you just have Todd beat them down?" I asked.
"Todd's gone," she said. My eyes sprang open. "He took off about a week after you left. He's the boss, Kevin, he doesn't stay in one place too long. You're lucky he was around when you came out here."
I closed my eyes again. "Yeah."
"Something wrong?"
I swallowed and sighed. "Lisa."
"Jessy's roommate?"
"She was in a car accident. She didn't make it."
"What? Oh my god! Kevin, I'm so sorry, what happened?"
I swallowed again. "Shade woke up. He came after me. He's coming after me."
"Are you alone right now?"
"Always."
"You need to be protected. All the time. Are they watching you? Why are you on the phone with me?"
"If they are, I haven't heard about it." Absynthe hadn't contacted me since the funeral. Nothing had come up about the hearing. No one from the Establishment was talking to me. If someone was watching me to make sure he didn't come after me, they were doing a good job of staying hidden. I'd checked. "I don't think they're trying to keep me safe. I think they realize I'm a liability now."
"That's a bad sign."
"He's after my friends and family. He made some random normal guy smash his car into Lisa's. When I found the poor guy, he had a message for me. Suffer. That's what he told me as he bled out." I shook my head and tried to force that memory out. "I tried to help Lisa, but he was there. We fought, but all he did was force me to waste time until it was too late. I can't let this happen again."
"My sister?"
"She's not taking it well."
"You'll protect her. Right?"
"I'm going to do my best, but I'm only one man." I considered my next words for a moment. "I'm going to tell her about our powers. All of my closest friends deserve to know why someone might try to kill them."
Star didn't say anything for a moment. "I'm scared."
"I know."
"This is what took me away from her."
"I know."
"I don't want her involved."
"I know. But she already is, and it's my fault."
"I know." She sighed. "I know. I know! When are you going to tell her?"
"As soon as I can convince everyone to get together again." I told her the quick version of how everyone seemed to be avoiding Drew. "The guys already know, but your sister and Kaitlyn don't, and they're definitely at risk."
"I hate breaking the rules like that, but I think you're right."
I started to say something, but a hand dropped on my shoulder. I jumped and looked over my shoulder. Absynthe stood behind me. "Don't make any rash decisions yet," she said quietly as I almost dropped the phone. "Please finish up your conversation. We need to go."
"Where? Why?"
"We have him."
My mind fizzled for a moment. I brought the phone back to my ear. "Kevin? Kevin, you there?"
"I'm here," I said. "I have to go. I just found out they have him."
"Call me soon." She paused, then added, "Bring Jessy and her boyfriend."
"I will."
"I love you."
"I love you too." I hung up and looked back up at Absynthe. "Do I need to keep this hidden any more, or am I already dead?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." She turned her back.
I didn't know why she was giving me the chance to cover this up, but I wasn't going to ask any questions. I put the phone back in its hiding place and stood up. "Thanks," I said.
"Let's go." We walked to campus together, heading for the main administration building. Instead of going up to Alistair's office, she led me to an unfamiliar wing of the building. A door that looked like a closet turned out to be a small hallway that led to another door with a keypad. She hid the code with her body, but I counted twelve clicks as she pressed buttons. The door slid open and we walked down three flights of stairs, below the normal basement. I felt a hum in the back of my head as we came to the bottom.
"I didn't know we had a secret base," I said as she punched in another code at a similar door.
"This is a high security area," she said. "Most operations take place openly or thinly disguised, as you know. This is for things that we do not want anyone to find. Nothing you see or hear here should leave this secure area. Understood?"
"Yes." We walked down a featureless concrete hallway with heavy doors at irregular intervals. At the end of the hallway, it split. We took the left path and stopped at the second heavy door. She pushed it open and gestured for me to walk in. The room was dark, barely lit, with a single spotlight pointing down and illuminating a circle. No one stood in the light. Absynthe guided me to the side, past a handful of people, to an empty portion of the chamber. We took places along the wall and waited. "This is an interrogation chamber, isn't it?" I whispered.
"In a manner of speaking," Absynthe said. "You don't have to worry. You're not on the list today."
"Not today. Great. Who's here?"
"More people than you know."
Someone entered the circle of light. I blinked as I recognized Alistair Ripley. "This emergency session will come to order," he said, silencing the whispers from around the room. "Relays, please confirm you are ready to proceed."
A few voices spoke up in affirmation. "Relays?" I asked.
"They're using telepresence for our agents who can't attend in person."
I nodded and fell silent again. After a moment, Alistair nodded at some unseen signal and lifted his hand. "This emergency session is regarding the events that led to the deaths of an ungifted student of Ripley University and a resident of Troy some days ago. We have already determined their deaths were due to unwarranted and unwanted psionic interference in their lives. This Establishment does not condone these actions. Indeed, we condemn them and the perpetrators in the strongest of terms. We have already provided compensation to the families of the victims and will continue to do so for a period of no less than ten years. Is there any objection from the membership at large?" There was silence. I blinked. Hard. I never thought the Establishment would lift a finger for untalented people.
"Very well. I have called this emergency session as the alleged perpetrator has been secured. We shall now proceed with testimony and questioning." Alistair stepped back from the spotlight. I heard a clunk as a door opened.
Absynthe's hand came down hard on my shoulder. I shook. He walked into the circle of light. His head was freshly shaven, dark skin reflecting the spotlight. He wore his signature trench coat. I hadn't gotten a great look at him that night. He was thinner. The coat hung loose from his shoulders. His cheeks were sunken and his eyes bulged slightly. Handcuffs held his hands in front of him. I was sure they were just a symbolic gesture. Handcuffs wouldn't hold that bastard.
Another spotlight came on. I flinched again. This one illuminated another familiar figure. "Let the record show that Patricia Parker shall be the inquisitor for this session," my mother said. "Would the accused please state his name for the record?"
"My name is Shade."
Absynthe's fingers dug in. She didn't say anything. I couldn't say anything.
My mother paused before continuing. "Several members are requesting an advocate for your questioning. Do you wish to request one?"
"I waive my rights to an advocate." His statement set off a murmur of voices echoing through the room.
"Very well. The record shall reflect that. Let the record also reflect this session's wardens are Quincy, Spectre, and Beowulf. Under Establishment penal codes, they are empowered to maintain order in this chamber and to confirm the truthfulness of any statements you make. To block their access will result in a presumption of guilt. Do you understand and agree?"
"I have no intention to be anything other than entirely truthful," Shade said. "I agree."
I felt the hum in the back of my head intensify. Green light flickered from three places in the chamber. "This is Beowulf," said a deep bass. "He has complied."
"Thank you," my mother said. "Shade, you stand accused of unwarranted interference in the lives of ungifted humans. To summarize, you forcibly controlled one's mind and caused a vehicular accident, resulting in two deaths. Under Establishment penal codes, we charge you with two counts of murder in the second degree. How do you plea?"
"No contest."
Another ripple of murmurs echoed around the room. I saw my mom frown and hold a hand up. "No contest? What does that mean?" I asked Absynthe.
"It means he acknowledges he is guilty and has no defense for it," she said. "It's a complete surrender to the mercy of the court."
"I hope the court shows him as much mercy as he showed her."
"Shade, a plurality of members requests that you retract your plea of no contest. What say you?"
"I decline."
"Very well. You also stand accused of conspiring to kill a trainee of the Establishment. Under Establishment penal codes, we charge you with one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree. How do you plea?"
"Not guilty." His tone was firm. "I request an expedited questioning session. I don't feel like being tortured."
My mom paused a moment. "Your request is granted. You want to kill Kevin Parker. More so, you want to make him suffer first. You left a note saying you were going after him after awakening from your coma. You interrogated an Establishment nurse to determine his whereabouts. You told your captors what you were doing when they found you about to launch an attack on another ungifted student." I flinched. Which of my friends had been about to die? "Do you confirm or deny these allegations?"
"Those are all true."
"Kevin Parker is a member of the Establishment. Your plea makes no sense."
"You're making a bad assumption," Shade said. "He's not one of ours. Kevin Parker is a member of the Resistance."
My mother held a hand up. "Wardens, please confirm his statement."
"Spectre. I confirm the veracity of his statement."
This time, there were no murmurs. The room exploded in conversation. I turned to Absynthe. "That's not true!" I hissed at her. There was no way he could know what had happened. He had been in a coma when I was in Seattle. Whether or not it was true now, he couldn't know that.
My mother held a hand up. "Silence, please. A majority of members have requested that Kevin Parker stand as witness. Would Kevin please step forward?" Another spotlight turned on.
I swallowed hard, but Absynthe shifted her hand and pushed me back against the wall. She strode forward into the light. "I am Absynthe and I will advocate for my trainee," she announced. I could see Shade's lip curl into a sneer. "He is not a full member of our Establishment, and it is repugnant that he be asked to stand in full view of the man who has openly, willfully expressed the desire for his death."
