Damn.
He closed his eyes and had nearly drifted off despite the headache, when the door opened. He feigned sleep, knowing full well who had come to see him.
She sat on the edge of the mattress near his knees.
He opened one eye. Maybe it would hurt less if he only used the one eye.
“I’m proud of you Kale. It worked perfectly.” Tanya seemed pleased. One manicured hand pushed hair from his face. “You have to be more careful,” she whispered. “We almost lost you. Can’t have that now can we.”
“Cross?” The single word cost him, but he needed to know. If he couldn’t find out on his own, maybe Tanya would do him this one favor and tell him about Cross.
“Cross is none of your concern. You know that.”
Kale squeezed both eyes shut. “Please.” He despised the pleading tone in his voice but he was too hurt and too wiped out to even pretend to be witty or devious. What was worse, he knew Tanya knew that as well. He understood that was the point. If he was exhausted, he couldn’t help his brother.
“Please, what, Kale? Please tell you that Cross is alive? That he is devastated now that he knows the truth about his life? Tell you that Coben and Gabriel totally destroyed him, that we have isolated him from everyone and everything he thought of as the truth or a friend? Or please tell you that you were instrumental in bringing him in? That now the betrayal is complete?”
Tears leaked out from behind Kale’s closed eyes. No matter how hard he tried not to hear her words, Tanya had made herself understood. She placed a soft kiss on his cheek and wiped the blood from his face with the sheet that covered him. “Now why would I do that Kale, when I know exactly how it would make you feel?”
Silent sobs shook his chest at her words. What had he done? He had only wanted to protect Cross. His entire life– that had been his singular goal. To protect Cross. He had only managed to drag him down into the pit with him. The monsters were swarming and Cross didn’t even know how to identify them.
What did I do?
“Why would I tell you that in your condition? Rest, Kale, heal.” A gentle hand caressed his face. “No further contact. Is that understood?”
He didn’t need to answer. He hated that Tanya knew exactly how her words had affected him. The mattress moved as she stood. With his eyes still closed he heard her walk to the door and knock to be left out.
I’m sorry, man.
He knew Cross couldn’t hear him, not now. But he would do exactly as Tanya told him do. He would rest and he would heal. And when he was well enough he would make strong on the promise he had made to himself all those years ago. He would keep his brother safe. Tanya might not have realized it yet, but she had started a war that Kale was more than willing to finish.
Hold tight, man. This isn’t over.
Chapter 12
CROSS MADE A decision. He wasn’t crazy and Kale wasn’t dead. Whether or not that belief was based on reality didn’t matter. Not anymore.
For nearly a week he waited for Kale’s distraction and when it didn’t happen, Cross understood what he had to do. He could stay where he was and let Coben and Tanya dictate his actions, or he could take control of his life.
Bit by bit anger replaced the sense of helplessness that had nearly overwhelmed him after he’d learned the truth. If there was one thing Cross could never be accused of, it was being helpless. Stubborn pride was what helped him survive those first months of learning how to cope without his sight.
Even if everything Coben and Gabriel told him was the truth, there was no way he was rolling over for them.
No fucking way.
He would deal with this the way he dealt with every obstacle in his life. Head on with no flinching. He desperately needed to find Kale. His brother was alive, and Cross would find him. No maybe about it. But first he needed to find his way out of the room they had locked him in. Yeah, anger was a perfect fit for his situation. The bastards had Niko. That alone was motivation enough.
If Kale wanted him to leave, Cross had no problems with that. Thanks to Finn he now knew the layout of the apartment. The apartments were a few blocks away from the Department’s main building, but were staffed twenty-four seven if anyone was staying there. Each unit was rigged with audio and video surveillance devices which fed into a command center staffed by one or two agents.
Cross had no idea if he was the only occupant of the three-unit complex. But it didn’t matter. The units were all on the first floor, so no stairs or elevator to navigate. That simplified things.
No one had come to wake him yet, so it was still early. He wished for his braille watch so he knew what time it was, but apparently total disorientation was what Tanya was going for. One of the security guards had the TV on in the next room. Although they didn’t have a set schedule, Cross had managed to figure out a routine of sorts.
Tanya never came to him first. It was always one of the guards. So far it had only been two. Robert usually came in with Tanya a few hours after the first guard would wake him up. Cross had heard Robert call him Bernard. He was by far the larger of the two, but Cross felt Robert was the bigger threat. Robert displayed independent thinking. That made him dangerous.
As far as Cross could figure out, Bernard’s main job was to exhaust Cross before Robert and Tanya had at him. He had to give the guy props, Bernard was exquisitely good at his job. First thing he would do is turn on everything in the apartment that made noise, TV, radio, stereo, anything that could disorient Cross. It worked beautifully. Once the assault on his senses started, Bernard would begin the physical attacks.
Cross’s cane had disappeared the first day, so he was left with only his mental map of the apartment. Bernard would rearrange things to purposely trip him up. It was childish and it shouldn’t have bothered him to the extent that it did, but Tanya was very good at psychological warfare.
They always made sure he had enough to drink, but food was hit or miss, as was his sleep. He could pretty much count on starting the day hungry and tired. Bernard would make him breakfast, which Cross was more than welcome to eat, but first he had to find it. It could be anywhere in the apartment or even tipped onto the floor.
They were keeping Cross so mentally and physically spent that there was no way he could even think about using his psychic abilities or, God forbid, contact Kale.
When Tanya and Robert showed up, the real fun started. She was obsessed with having Cross recreate the energy he had used to escape ten-years ago. Once he had managed to form a ball of psi energy in his hands. If he hadn’t already been so exhausted he might have been able to do something more with it, but it only lasted a few minutes before it dissipated.
That only increased Tanya’s efforts.
By this point Cross was close to his breaking point. That morning when he heard Bernard out in the main living area, Cross was glad for the noise. Feet wedged against one wall of the narrow bedroom entry and his back against the other, he inched up until he was directly above the door. All he had to do was wait. Bernard was predictable. A few minutes after he engulfed the small apartment in noise, he barged into the bedroom.
Bernard stopped in the doorway and clapped his hands. “Time to rise and shine!” It was the same line every time.
Cross dropped. He spread eagle and let go. Gravity did the work for him. His weight flattened Bernard. Cross figured he had one shot at this. If Bernard got to his feet, Cross would never get another chance. Tanya would lock him in that glass walled room for sure.
As soon as he touched the floor, Cross rolled and came up fast on his feet. Keeping Bernard’s general location in his head, Cross aimed and hoped to hell he made contact. A low roundhouse and the heel of his foot hit Bernard soundly on the side of his head. From the sound and feel, it was a direct hit. Bernard grunted, but Cross took nothing for granted.
He found Bernard’s hair and used it to know where to drive his elbow down hard across the guard’s nose. Bernard went limp without a sound.
Cross wa
s breathing heavily. His hands were wet with what he assumed was blood. He almost laughed with the shock that he had actually done it.
“Don’t get cocky,” he muttered. “You aren’t out of this yet.” He felt around Bernard’s neck. Finding the lanyard he ripped the ID badge off. Now all he had to do was get out before whoever was watching the monitors realized something was up.
Finn had once told him that no one liked monitor duty. Most of the time the people slept at their posts. Especially early in the morning or late at night. Cross had no idea what time it was and he was too keyed up on adrenaline to try to send out any psychic feelers. All he had going for him was speed and surprise.
It took him two tries to find the door. Then he couldn’t find the key-swipe and when he did, precious seconds ticked by as he had to swipe Bernard’s ID a few times until he heard the soft click of the locks disengage. He had never heard a more beautiful sound.
Sweat poured off him as he closed the door behind him. “To the left, ten steps to the outer-door.” Cross had heard them come in enough times that he started counting how many steps they walked and from which direction. The room wasn’t meant to be escape proof. Guess they figured a blind guy wasn’t going to get too far.
He heard no alarms, no one running after him, nobody yelling at him to stop. Every step he expected either a bullet or the fucking Taser to stop him. Sliding a hand along the wall, Cross counted out the steps to the door at the end of the hallway. He almost fell out of it when it pushed open.
The air rushed over him as he opened the door and stepped outside for the first time in days. The sounds of the city washed over him as he felt for and found a railing leading down stairs. When he reached the bottom he had no idea where to go next. No cane, no Niko, nobody to help steer him in the right direction.
Everybody was moving too fast for him to get a clear lock to use anyone as his eyes. He froze in place until he heard the alarms blare behind him. It would only be a matter of seconds until they found him if he stayed where he was.
“Shit!” His heart slammed against his ribs as Cross stepped into the Manhattan foot traffic. He had never been more terrified in his life. People buffeted against him and turned him around. Twice he stepped off the curb, fumbling against parked cars. Only when he stepped on something sharp did he remember he was barefoot. They had taken his shoes when they took the cane. He found the side of a building and used that as a guide of sorts, but he had no idea where he was going or in which direction. For all he knew he was standing directly in front of the door he just left.
He heard running. Feet hitting the pavement hard and fast, Cross had no doubts that the runners were looking for him.
“He can’t have gone far, I want this area completely canvassed.” Robert’s voice. He was close. Way too close.
Cross froze, unsure what to do, when someone grabbed his arm. His first instinct was to fight. He tried for a simple jujitsu grip but was surprised when his move was countered.
“Take it easy.”
He didn’t recognize the woman’s voice. “Fuck you.” His wrist was in a lock, any move he made only increased the pain.
“Yeah, you’re a real charmer.”
Cross tried to get free, but a small, sharp pain in the side of his neck caused him to suck in his breath. A moment after that, his face was on the concrete and he forgot he was supposed to be fighting back. The noise of the city muffled and then went quiet. His last thought was one word. Caught.
Chapter 13
KALE LAY BACK on his bed and stared at the ceiling. It had been days since his last contact with Cross. It had taken him longer than normal to recover after the massive push Tanya had him do. But now he felt strong, edgy and very caged. Nerves tingled through his system. He needed information and all his normal avenues had been shut off to him. That worried him.
He closed his eyes and searched for Cross. His brother had always appeared to him as a bright light in a dark sea of souls, but as he searched the complex where he was kept and even beyond, all he found was the darkness. He knew they had Cross, but he had no idea where they had him, but he never had trouble finding him before.
He’d always found his brother. Always.
Cross, where the hell are you, man?
Instead of an answer, the door to his room opened. He hadn’t sensed anyone approaching, which showed him just how preoccupied he was. No one surprised Kale.
Tanya sauntered in and the door closed behind her. The deadbolt and electronic locks clicking into place. Locks were as much a part of Kale’s world as isolation. The ceiling lights highlighted her high cheekbones, the full mouth. Such a beautiful monster.
Tanya approached him in two easy steps. “Kale,” her voice soft, his name a purr. “I hate to see you so upset. You know you’re special to me. When you’re in pain, it hurts me as well.” She moved closer to him and placed a soft hand on his face. Kale closed his eyes at the contact. The warm vanilla scent of her filled his head. “Talk to me Kale.” Tanya’s hand slid to his wrist as she pulled him to the bed. Kale sat next to her. She kept her hand in his, and leaned in so her face was close. “Come and tell Tanya what’s wrong.”
One finger traced the contours of his face, down his cheek, along his jaw, to rest at the hollow of his throat. He could feel the trail her touch had left on his skin as if it were fire, and he grabbed her hand to pull it away.
He didn’t want too. He wanted to keep her hand on him. He wanted to feel something other than the cold and pain. He took a deep breath inhaling the scent of her and gathered his courage. He opened his eyes and tried to sound sincere. “No, not this time, Tanya.”
She looked confused, hurt even. “Not this time, what Kale?”
“You know what.”
“I can see you’re upset. I care for you Kale. I know you find that difficult to believe sometimes, but it’s the truth. All your life, all I’ve ever wanted is what was best for you. It hurts me to see you like this. I can help. That’s why I’m here. I want to help you.” She tilted her head to look at him as her free hand gently pushed the hair from his face.
She always sounded so sincere. Every word the truth, and exactly what Kale was desperate to hear, to believe. He hated that he needed her, that despite the fact that he knew she was using him, he wanted her.
God how he wanted her. How he wanted anyone.
He tried to pretend the isolation didn’t matter. But it did. Kale craved what was denied to him. Simple human interaction. Even when he and Cross were little, he was the one who always did as Tanya asked, because it meant he got to see people, to talk to them. To pretend he was normal, if only for a little while.
Back then Cross had been his only companion and that had nearly been enough. But when they took Cross away and locked Kale in a little room it had almost driven him insane.
Maybe it had. Some days Kale wasn’t sure. Tanya starved him of affection and then gave it to him in small doses to control him. Kale understood what she was doing. He could see it easily, but he was helpless to tell her no.
“You know I care for you. Haven’t I always taken care of you?” Tanya pushed the hair from his face in a gesture that was both loving and terrifying. She wanted something from him. Something big. Kale could feel it.
“I can’t.”
“Kale,” her voice was soft, believable. He always wanted to believe her.
His skin felt hot, it tingled where she had touched him. She was the only woman who had ever touched him. The only person for years, who had ever touched with him with something other than pain.
He wanted to pull her close. He wanted to push her away. He was so cold and her touch burned his skin. He shook with the need for her. He wanted to be warm if only for a little while. Tanya chased the cold away. She also froze his soul every time they were together.
Her hands slid down his neck and began to unbutton his shirt. Kale knew he should push her away. Tell her to get her hands off of him. But he had been alone for so long.
; He tried to forget the way his body betrayed him. He took a deep breath and forced himself to remember Cross. “Where’s my brother?”
Tanya tilted her head. “Kale, we’ve had this conversation many, many times. But I’m a patient person. I’ve told you, Cross is none of your concern. You do what you’re told and your brother stays safe. What part of that is hard for you to understand?”
He pulled her hands off of him. He shivered from fear and false bravado. “The part where you brought him in. The part where you decided to change the rules. Cross isn’t safe, not anymore.” He didn’t like the way his voice shook as he said the words. He wanted to brave, he wanted to be strong for his brother.
Tanya kissed him gently on his cheek and then moved so her lips lightly brushed over his. Kale breathed in the scent of her. She was like a drug to him. He needed more warmth, the cold was killing him. He let out a shaky breath, touched her hair and even as he hated his weakness, he kissed her back. His body hardening. The fire burning in his gut spread. He felt alive. But when did what he feel ever matter. He fought to remember what was so important only a moment ago. “I know you brought him in, I could feel him,” Kale pull her closer.
Tanya let him. “And how exactly did you feel that, Kale?” she breathed into his ear. “You were in contact with your brother, weren’t you?” Her voice had lost its seductive tone and was now accusatory. “What is my number one rule, Kale? The one rule you choose to break time and time again?”
Kale pushed away from her. He couldn’t think clearly when she was near him like this. “No contact,” Kale said.
“But you have contacted him, haven’t you?” She closed the distance between them, her lips trailing down his throat. “I’m disappointed, Kale. But I can forgive you, all I need is for you to tell me the truth.” She sucked his ear and little shivers of pure lust bubbled through him.
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