Fear Tomorrow (The Fear Chronicles Book 4)

by C. C. Bolick

  “You’re awake?” I asked. “That means Angel’s power worked.”

  Her voice filled with a quality I couldn’t name, but I’d never heard Rachelle sound like this. “It’s me, Double-oh-Seven.”

  My heart pounded in my chest. “Rena?” She reached for my cheek and I moved away. “You can’t touch me.”

  She lowered her hand. “Your powers are back, I know.”

  “You’ve been watching me.”

  “No, Dr. Greene told me you needed my help.”

  I couldn’t look away from Rachelle’s face. This was my sister’s best friend growing up. I’d watched her since we were kids and I knew more about her file than Rachelle probably realized. She had the power to make the air cold, a coma had destroyed her mind. But that person no longer stood before me.

  Rena had found a way to come back. I had to get a grip on my thoughts. “What if I need proof?”

  She watched me with contempt that quickly changed to humor. “I don’t think Rachelle would know you proposed to me. I’m holding you to that, you know.”

  “I… can’t believe you’re back.”

  “We’ve got a mission,” she said. “You don’t have time for revenge.”

  “Travis came to kill me,” Van said. “You should let him enjoy his revenge.”

  “No,” Rena said. “I won’t let him become what you are.”

  He stood and walked to her. “I owe you an apology.”

  Rena raised her head. “You can’t just apologize for killing me and I can’t just forgive. It doesn’t work that way.”

  “Why not?” he asked.

  I stepped between them. “I’m not killing you today, but that’s the only promise I’ll make when it comes to you.”

  He looked over my face. If he was reading my emotions, he’d know to treat me with all the caution due a viper about to strike. “What’s changed?”

  “Rena thinks we should save Earth first. You’ll have to wait.”

  Van returned to the bed. “When you’re ready, I’ll be waiting.”

  I led Rena from the room and sealed the door. “The thought of killing him was real, even if it only lasted a few seconds. I think I’m losing it.”

  She looked away from me. “I don’t want to think of you as a killer.”

  “I don’t think I could have gone through with it,” I said. “I’m glad you stopped me.”

  Rena followed me back to Paleris’s room. Angel rushed forward and threw her arms around Rena’s neck. “You’re healed,” Angel said.

  “No.” Rena pulled away. “I’m not who you think.”

  She blinked. “Rena?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Angel rubbed her arms. “Don’t be. I want Rachelle back, but I’m happy to see you too.”

  Dad watched Paleris through the glass. Inside, the prisoner stared up at the ceiling.

  “Will the serum knock him out?” I asked.

  Dad shook his head. “We need him awake and coherent for this mission.”

  “He’s part of the mission?” I asked. “He’ll kill everyone before he’ll help save them.”

  “Let’s hope not,” Angel said.

  I put a hand on the glass. “You said he created an advance method of cryogenics. Doesn’t that make him some kind of genius?”

  “He stole the technology,” Dad said.

  “So, he’s a thief,” I said.

  “He stole the technology from the man his daughter married and paid handsomely to make it work. That man is the genius.”

  “Are you ready?” Angel asked.

  I looked from her to Dad. “What’s going on?”

  “Angel will use her power to control him,” Dad said. “She’ll make him give up the frequency.”

  Dad opened the door and she followed him inside. I stayed with Rena in the hall.

  Next to the bed, Angel held out her arms. After a moment of concentration, she made fists with her hands.

  Paleris only laughed.

  She gave Dad a look of resignation.

  “I guess her power does have limits,” I said. “First she can’t save Rachelle and now she can’t control Paleris.”

  “Old friend,” Paleris said, looking up at Dad.

  “You owe me,” Dad said. “For thirteen years I protected you. For thirteen years I turned a blind eye to your agenda for Golvern.”

  “You didn’t believe in keeping Golvern pure?” Paleris asked with mock surprise.

  “I didn’t care about humans living on Golvern. Why would you think I hated humans after I chose to spend my life with one?”

  “Humans are a disease. They spoiled our way of life and diluted our genes until the powers began to fade.”

  “You’re proud of Golvern’s history,” Dad said. “I understand what you were trying to protect.”

  “Isn’t that why you helped me?”

  “I helped you to find a way to save my wife.”

  “That couldn’t have been the only reason.”

  Dad folded his arms across his chest. “You only care about yourself. It’s why you can’t believe I’d do anything to bring Emily back. You never intended to give me that frequency.”

  I held my breath. That frequency was the only thing that could open the cylinder with Mom locked inside. If Dad couldn’t figure out what made the sound, there was no hope in saving her.

  Paleris sighed. “My intentions were never to keep the frequency from you. To prove this, I’ll give you a hint.” He stated a series of familiar coordinates.

  Stunned, I asked, “The apartment in New York?”

  “My grandchildren lived there.”

  My jaw dropped. “You had grandchildren on Earth?”

  “My daughter made the unfortunate mistake of choosing to love a human. Her children were half-breeds like you.”

  I thought of the red bedroom filled with toy cars and the pink bedroom filled with dolls. “What happened to them?”

  “They died.”

  “That’s it?” I asked. “Don’t you feel anything?”

  He shook his head. “They’re better off dead than facing the truth of what they were. Golvern would not have accepted them.”

  “Golvern has changed,” Dad said. “My brother made sure of it.”

  “Raymond was misguided,” Paleris said.

  “We need more than coordinates,” Dad said.

  “My grandson’s favorite color was red.”

  “That’s it?” Dad asked.

  “I’ve been more than fair,” Paleris said. “The rest is up to you.”

  “I can’t find a sound with a color.”

  “You’ll get nothing more from me, old friend.”

  Dad left the room. Angel followed and met us in the hall as Dad sealed the door. “I’ll check the coordinates he gave.”

  “I’ll go with you,” I said.

  He nodded.

  “Were you really going to show him the future?” I asked.

  His eyes widened and he laughed with irony. “You knew.”

  “The queen told me you would try to show Paleris the future. She didn’t want you to give up your life like your brother did.”

  He leaned against the wall and hung his head. “After Raymond died, his plan to keep her alive long enough to take the throne was put into motion. It kept people like Paleris from taking control of the planet. They wanted to kill all humans.”

  Next to me, Rachelle put a hand over her mouth. I slapped my forehead. No, Rena.

  “Can you give us a minute?” I asked Dad.

  “Sure.” With a hasty look over her, he disappeared.

  “I think I’ll take a break too.” With those words, Angel took another look at Rena and headed for the elevator.

  “You could at least introduce me to your dad,” Rena said.

  “This isn’t the time. I’ve got to leave and I still hate him for what happened to you.”

  “There might not be a better time.” She looked at Paleris. “Who is this guy?”

  “
I never got the chance to tell you about my visit to Golvern. This man died and had his heart transplanted into the body of the queen’s brother. I’ve heard about strange things happening to transplant recipients like transferred memories. In this case, Paleris took over the younger man’s body.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Pade called him Chadsworth. Like I said, he’s the queen’s brother.” Since learning Pade was her husband, his obsession with saving Chadsworth now made sense.

  “Why didn’t Chadsworth fight Paleris?”

  “It sounds easier than it looks,” I said. “Remember your mother broke into my mind during the coma? I asked her to help Chadsworth while we were on the island and she couldn’t.”

  “At least she wasn’t trying to make you kill people.”

  “Paleris erased two years of Chadsworth’s memories so he’d have no idea what was going on. That way he wouldn’t know how to fight.”

  She seemed to consider. “That’s evil. Doesn’t the queen have technology that can help her brother?”

  I shook my head. “There’s nothing they can do. Agent Lockhart went to Golvern when I did. He used his power to bring back Chadsworth’s memories.”

  “That didn’t help?”

  “No.”

  “That doesn’t make sense,” Rena said. “Are you sure Agent Lockhart worked his magic?”

  “I was watching.”

  “There must be another reason,” she said. “I wish we could find a way to help him.”

  “Why? These people have done nothing to help us.”

  “They’re trying to save their planet and ours. Why can’t you get that through your head?”

  I stared at the floor. “When my mother died, Paleris had a way to preserve her body with cryogenics. My dad cut a deal with him to make it happen.”

  “Why won’t you look at me?”

  Surprised, I glanced up. “I was afraid you would think I’m nuts.”

  She laughed. “First of all, Travis Payne isn’t afraid of anything. Second of all, I’m dead and talking to you through someone else’s body. If anything, I’m the one people should think is nuts. Now tell me about this deal.”

  I cleared my throat. “He froze her body in a cylinder that’s on Golvern. Paleris demanded his services in exchange, which is why Dad left thirteen years ago.”

  “Where are his loyalties now?”

  “He wants to save Earth, but he’s also determined to save my mother.”

  “He loves her.”

  “She’s dead.”

  Rena squeezed my arm. “Do you still love me?”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I can’t believe you’d ask that.”

  “If you could find a way to bring me back, would you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then it’s settled. What can I do to help?”

  “The cylinder she’s locked in is coded with a frequency. To open the door, we have to generate a specific sound. The only hint he gave us is that the clue is red and it’s in the New York apartment.”

  “I’ll go with you and find this clue.” She stared through the glass. “It’s sad how Paleris stole someone’s body and won’t leave. That poor guy is trapped in there.” Rena swung around to face me. “Do you think I could make him leave? If I can break into his thoughts—”

  “Your mother tried and said it wouldn’t work. He’d have to be asleep.”

  “We’re on the isolation floor, where they put you in a coma.”

  I glanced around. “You’re right, but I don’t know if we have the time.”

  From the other end of the hall, Erin approached.

  “Talk about timing.” Rena smiled. “This won’t take long.”

  * * * * *

  Rena

  After Paleris was put under what Erin called a ‘twilight,’ I left Rachelle’s sleeping body on a bed in an empty room. Erin looked on as I touched his head and took myself into his mind.

  I appeared in a room with white walls that reminded me of the isolation floor. The memory of Travis lying motionless in a bed with a sheet of glass between us hit me out of nowhere.

  At the far end of the room, Paleris sat on the floor before a table. He had the same white-blond hair but, instead of the white outfit, wore a black uniform similar to the one Van wore. The uniform made a stark contrast with the white walls and floor. Was this Paleris or Chadsworth?

  On the table sat a chessboard with pieces carved from a dark pink stone on one side and a dark green on the other.

  I crossed the room and sat at the opposite side of the table. “I need your help with a tough question.”

  He reached for one of the pink stones. “That’s not how I would have started.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If I’d sat down at a table where you played a one-sided game of chess, I would have offered to play. Especially if I knew you were stuck here alone.”

  “Are you Chadsworth?”

  “Call me Chase,” he said. “Do you know how to play?”

  “I think so.” Years had passed since Mama taught me how to play chess, and Alfie had only wanted to play checkers. I’d attempt one game if that meant getting Travis the information he needed.

  “You can take the green pieces.”

  “Do you play this often?”

  “Van liked to play. He always insisted I sharpen my skills and chess was a great way.” He looked up. “Do you know Van?”

  “Van shot me with a laser. Vaporized my body.”

  “Which explains how you’re in my head. Interesting.”

  “Interesting?” I asked. “That’s not how I would have answered.”

  He stifled a grin. “I can see why my sister likes you.”

  “Why are you locked in this room?”

  “To keep him out.”

  “Paleris?”

  The grin faded. “What do you know about him?”

  “I heard he transplanted his heart in your body so he could take over your mind. Sounds like he wants to take down the queen.”

  “He won’t. Kayden is too strong for him.”

  “I also heard he erased your memory and Agent Lockhart brought it back. Is that true?”

  “Yes, I remember everything.”

  “Then why is Paleris still in control?”

  “You move first.”

  I lifted a pawn and moved it two spaces. “Are you afraid of him?”

  “Paleris? Yes. Van, no.”

  “I feel just the opposite.”

  “If it wasn’t for Van, I wouldn’t have married the woman I love. He’s responsible for my happiness.”

  “Van killed me.”

  Chase moved the queen into play.

  “You don’t seem scared of this game. Why not kick Paleris out?”

  “How does it feel being dead?”

  “Like I’ve lost everyone I care about. I can see them, but they can’t see me.”

  “Then you’re a ghost.” This time he moved a pawn. “Have you seen other ghosts?”

  “Only my mother. We have the same power and she believes that’s why we’re both still here.”

  “Sounds like a valid hypothesis.”

  Ten more moves and I pushed back from the table. This was going nowhere. How much time had already passed on the outside?

  “Are you okay?”

  “No, I’m not. Van took everything from me. He made sure I’ll have no future or happiness.”

  “But you’re still here.”

  “For now.”

  A banging sounded, shaking the room like an earthquake. The noise came closer and made me think of someone banging on the door to the camper where I grew up. I shivered.

  “That’s Paleris trying to get in. Don’t worry, he can’t hurt us here.”

  I thought about the endless halls in Rachelle’s head when I tried to find her. “How did you make a room and lock him out?”

  Chase shrugged. “It’s still my head. I make the rules.”

  “Have you t
ried to escape?”

  “I tried to fight him at first, but I wasn’t strong enough. I erected these walls to keep him out. At least in this room I can think my own thoughts.”

  “Then think of a way to kick him out.”

  “My sister was always the strong one. She promised to find a way to save me.”

  “What if she can’t?”

  His hand froze over the board. “She will.”

  “Do you know who Travis is?”

  He nodded without looking up.

  “We need your help finding something that Paleris hid.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Paleris created a way to freeze people after they die.”

  “A form of cryogenics. He didn’t create the technology; he stole it.”

  “He’s holding Travis’s mom hostage. The only way to unlock her is to find a sound that’s in an apartment in New York. The item is red. I know it’s not much to go on, but I was hoping you could point us in the right direction.”

  “I thought you had a tough question.” Chase looked up with a smile. “Your red item is a toy firetruck.”

  * * * * *

  When I awoke in Rachelle’s body, Travis was by my side.

  “How long was I gone?”

  “A few minutes. Did you learn anything?”

  I smiled. “Your red item is a toy firetruck.”

  Relief spread across his face. “Are you ready to go? I’ll teleport us to the apartment to tell Dad.”

  In seconds we appeared inside the apartment. Travis found his dad in the kitchen with a mixture of appliances and various electronics spread across the counter.

  “What are you doing?” Travis asked.

  His dad pulled a red blender from one of the overhead cabinets. “Narrowing down our choices. I’ve started a list of everything red.”

  “Let me guess,” I said. “Still not the time for us to meet.”

  “Nope.” Travis passed his dad and headed down the hall and into a bedroom.

  His dad shot me a look before following. Inside the room, Travis climbed on the bed and retrieved a red firetruck from the shelf above the bed.

  “That’s it?” Dad asked.

  “Yes,” I said.

  Back with his feet on the floor, Travis pressed a button on the side of the toy. The siren echoed through the room.

  Travis’s dad reached for the toy and examined it with amazement on his face. “How did you figure out this was the sound?”