The Mind Games (The Mind Readers)

by Lori Brighton

  He wore the gray jumpsuit that all prisoners wore, making him looked washed out and pale. But as the light hit his face, the circles under his eyes were so dark he almost looked like a football player trying to block the glare of the sun. It was his shaved head that startled me the most.

  My happiness faded. “Yes…yes, fine. You?”

  Maybe they’d shaved his head because they did it with all male prisoners. Or maybe, just maybe, they were going to go into his brain as they had with Nora.

  He nodded. “I’m okay.”

  For a breathless moment, we didn’t speak. I couldn’t help but notice how he had his left arm wrapped around his waist, his palm flat to his right side. He was hurt. I swallowed hard and shifted my gaze to his shoulder where that bullet had hit. “Your wound?”

  He rolled his shoulders. “Good. It’s healing. Just a bit stiff.”

  What was wrong with him, because I could sense that something was different? Did he blame me for putting him in this mess? “Why?” I snapped, gripping the bars more tightly. “Why did you step in front of that bullet? Of all the stupid things!”

  He gave me a crooked smile, a smile I knew well. A smile that made my blood warm. “I couldn’t let him hurt you.”

  I felt the sudden sting of tears, but was determined to ignore them. “You could have died.”

  “I’m okay.”

  But he didn’t look okay. He looked like a pale reflection of who he’d been; almost as if I talked to a ghost. I swore, even though it had been less than a week, he seemed thinner. And he was acting different. Something was definitely wrong.

  “What is it?” I demanded, tired of the secrets, tired of the games.

  He raked his hand over his shaved head, obviously flustered. “Why are you here? Did you not get my message?”

  Confused, I frowned. “Message?” Suddenly it dawned on me…the dream when we’d kissed in that field. My eyes widened. “It was real?”

  He nodded hesitantly, as if he wasn’t quite sure himself.

  “How?”

  He lowered his arm and shuffled toward his cot like a man decrepit and broken with age. “I don’t know, but when I stood in that field with you, I just knew it was real.”

  This conversation was becoming way too personal. I glanced up and down the hall, looking for cameras but saw none. Still, I knew we were being watched; most likely they could hear us talking. I had to be careful about what I said. “I had to try and save you.”

  He closed his eyes and hung his head so his chin rested near his chest. “It was stupid Cameron. There was no way you’d break me out. It was stupid to come here. You’ve only put yourself in danger as well.”

  “Gee, thanks,” I said. His words stung. I couldn’t very well tell him that I’d gotten caught on purpose. I stepped away from the bars and paced, trying to work the numbness from my body. I still felt weird, off balance. My mind seemed too…silent. I paused, bemused.

  “Oh God, my powers,” I whispered.

  That’s what was different! I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath and tried to reach out to Lewis with a mental message. What did they do to me?

  The message went nowhere. I was like a person yelling into an empty room; echoing, bouncing back. It was…wrong. Frowning, I opened my eyes and looked at Lewis. My powers weren’t working. Fear chilled my veins; I’d never felt more insecure and alone. “What did they do to me? Why don’t my powers work?”

  “I think it’s something newly invented.” He shook his head. “A type of stun gun. It messes with your brain and basically your powers. They seemed pretty excited about its success rate.”

  Goosebumps formed on my skin. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to draw warmth from my body. “How long does it last?”

  He shrugged. “It took about two days for mine to return. I think. I barely remember arriving here, and I was in and out of it over the past few days.”

  The guilt hit me hard. How badly I wanted to tell him everything; to promise him we’d escape. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t because the cameras would overhear us, but also because for the first time since taking this journey, my confidence wavered. I felt like I was slowly losing the life I knew, piece by piece. And Lewis… Lewis was disappearing from me. God, he could barely even look my way.

  “What have they done to you?” my voice came out rough with emotion.

  He stood and started toward the doorway of his bathroom. “Not much…yet.”

  Not much, but something. I assumed they hadn’t invited him up for cookies and milk. He was putting on a brave face, trying to protect me. But they would eventually arrive, and then I’d learn the truth. I watched the way he hunched over his little sink and cupped water into his hands to drink. His back was to me, but I didn’t miss the flinch of pain that crossed his face when he’d moved.

  Finished, he turned toward me, leaning against the door jamb of his bathroom. “They’re waiting for me to heal, I think.”

  But he looked tired. So tired. I wanted to ask him if they’d been feeding him well, if they’d had a doctor to see to his wound. I wanted to slide my fingers over his face, press my lips to his and tell him not to worry; I would save the both of us. I would make it up to him.

  “Why would they place us so close?” The cells next to Lewis were empty, and as I’d yet to hear another person nearby, I assumed the cells next to me were empty as well.

  He glanced down the hall. “They want us to talk. They’re hoping to uncover information.”

  Of course. I followed his gaze, scanning the empty corridor. It felt as if we were the only two people in the world, yet forever separated by our cages. “Is there anyone else down here?”

  He shuffled forward and gripped the bars of his cell. “Two guards at each end.”

  “Other prisoners?”

  He nodded. “A woman with black hair. I saw her the first day I arrived. At least I think I did. Hell, maybe I was hallucinating.”

  “Deborah,” I whispered, more to myself than him. It made sense that she would be high risk, but then where were the kids?

  “Who’s Deborah?”

  Startled, I glanced at him. He’d known her before I had. He didn’t remember, but I shouldn’t have been surprised. Aaron had erased his memory. I had been his only link to this crazy world. A link I should have cut. Instead, I’d selfishly pulled him back into this life.

  “She works with Aaron.”

  “The man who raised me?”

  “Yes.”

  We were silent for some time, the only sound was the buzz of the fluorescent lights. There were so many things I wanted to say to him, but couldn’t. They would listen, and my powers wouldn’t work. Overwhelmed, I turned away and moved to my cot. I hadn’t expected the stun gun. I hadn’t expected to lose my powers. I was a helpless newborn.

  “Who are these people?” he asked. “What do they want with us?”

  I lay back on my cot and stared at the water-stained ceiling. “They call themselves S.P.I.; Society for Paranormal investigation. Some of them are normal humans, some of them are mind readers.”

  “What do they want?”

  “To use us.”

  It was blunt, but it was true. I could hear him shuffle to his own cot, the creek of the frame as he settled on the small bed. I wondered what he was thinking. Slowly, I turned to face him. He was staring away from me, at the wall of his cell. How many hours had he spent staring at those cement blocks? How many hours had he wondered why he was here? Wondered how he had gotten pulled into this life?

  “The man who runs this place is my father.”

  He jerked his head toward me, the surprise evident although I could barely make out his features through the shadows. “Did you just say—”

  “Yeah.”

  He hardly moved; didn’t say a word. Did he hate me now? Did he blame me for this situation? It didn’t matter, I blamed myself.

  “Will he eventually release you?” he asked.

  In other words, did my father even car
e about me?

  “No,” I whispered. I didn’t dare tell him the truth; my father would kill me before he’d let me go. “But it will be okay.”

  Obviously that was a lie, but Lewis didn’t need to know that. I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes. I had the sickening feeling that Mom and Aaron had been right. I would never get out.

  My father had tortured Nora. I knew I was next. I didn’t even have my powers.

  Nothing was going to be okay.

  Chapter 9

  The corridor went dark.

  I had no idea what time it happened, but at some point the lights went out. There was no warning, no nothing. I’d been in the tiny bathroom, splashing cold water onto my face, attempting to clean away the fogginess of the stun gun, when it had gone pitch-black. With my hands extended, I managed to shuffle to my cot without slamming my face into the cement wall.

  “They go out every night when it gets dark outside,” Lewis said.

  We hadn’t talked since our first conversation, and I was beginning to worry he’d had enough of me and my crazy family. “How do you know it’s night outside?”

  There were no windows, no doors that I could see.

  “A few days ago they took me upstairs where I’d managed to glance out a window. When they brought me down here, I counted, keeping time. Not exactly accurate, but I know it’s night when the lights go out.”

  So I’d only been captive about seven hours, although it felt like days. I’d been so exhausted I’d slept some of that time, but as I lay back on my cot, feeling way too tense to sleep, I wished I would have stayed awake to keep on track. I wanted to scream, hit something, anything. It wasn’t supposed to be this way; they were supposed to question me, take me to the torture rooms, anyplace where I’d have a chance to escape. Not leave me to rot in a prison.

  I curled my hands. A weird tingling sensation swept through me, as if I’d been electrocuted. I froze, startled. Was it possible my powers were already returning? I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath and sent a mental message to Lewis. Did you try to break out? Did you try to use your powers to unlock your cell?

  It felt different this time, my brain open, the message free as it floated through time and space.

  I waited with bated breath for one long moment.

  Finally he replied. “I did, when I knew the mechanics of the locks. They’ve changed them since.”

  “And?” I bolted upright, relieved.

  And they caught me.

  He didn’t say more, he didn’t need to. I could imagine what they’d done to prevent him from escaping again. I lay back down, and curled into a ball, wrapping my arms over my roiling stomach. If Lewis hadn’t tried to escape again, their punishment must have been horrible.

  “How did we meet?” Lewis’ voice whispered across the corridor, so quiet that for a moment I thought I might have imagined his question.

  I rolled on my side to face him. Although I could see nothing in the dark, I felt closer to him this way. As if it was just Lewis and me. I knew whatever we said could be heard. Most likely they had night vision cameras on us even now. But it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Lewis was here, talking to me.

  “I’d spent almost my entire childhood with my Grandma,” I started, the journey of my life sad and pathetic, in my opinion. A story I’d dwelt on for way too long. “We traveled a lot and I knew little about my father and mother. I barely had friends and I was so desperate to belong, I would have befriended anyone. But it didn’t matter who I talked to, who I became close to, I still felt alone. And then I met you. I didn’t feel alone anymore.”

  He didn’t respond and I wondered if he still listened. Heck, he might have fallen sleep and I was the idiot for continuing to spill my guts into the dark. But once I’d started, I couldn’t seem to shut up.

  “With you I didn’t feel like a freak. I felt…normal for the first time in my life.” I rolled onto my back and stared up at the black ceiling wondering how far down the corridor Deborah was located. Could she hear us? I hoped not.

  “What happened?” he whispered.

  So, he was still listening. “I…I fell for you, but I started questioning the way Aaron was running things. I couldn’t accept his beliefs, his rules any longer. He said I could leave, but if I left my mind would be erased.”

  We were silent for a long moment. The only sound the soft buzz of the ventilation systems. My body was exhausted, my muscles ached. I curled into a ball, having no blanket to keep me warm. I’d apparently missed dinner and my stomach growled with the need for nourishment. Or maybe they didn’t bother to feed us.

  I wasn’t sure if Lewis was still awake, but I kept talking, needing to think of something other than hunger and impending doom. “I tried to escape. I was caught. They erased my memory.”

  I heard his breath hitch. “I betrayed you.”

  Sudden tears stung my eyes. “No. You tried to save me.” How wrong I’d been about him, thinking he had taken Aaron’s side.

  “I failed.”

  “No.” I took in a trembling breath, forcing the tears not to fall. “I escaped and that’s all that matters.”

  I had escaped, but Lewis hadn’t. Who knew what Aaron had done to him because of me. I hadn’t been there to find out, and Lewis wouldn’t remember. And who knew what my dad would do to him here, now.

  “Is it back?” he whispered.

  I knew what he was asking…my memory. “I think so. Most of it anyway.” I felt guilty for answering; guilty that my normal mind had returned, while he remained lost in the dark.

  “Do you think mine will come back?”

  No. “I don’t know.”

  Could he hear the lie in my voice? The place was so still, I thought my heart would explode. I could barely take it. What was he thinking? How did he feel about me? My fingers curled into the cot as I resisted the urge to demand he say something, anything.

  “Cameron,” he said, as if hearing my plea.

  My breath hitched. “Yeah?”

  “Were we… in love?”

  I swallowed hard, tears stinging my eyes. “Yeah.”

  “Tell me. Tell me something, anything about our past together.”

  I sat up, confused. He wanted a memory, a memory that only we shared. Perhaps he wanted to know what he had missed, perhaps he wanted to feel less alone. Whatever his reasoning, I was desperate to give him what he wanted.

  “Describe to me a memory.”

  I could do one better. “Open your mind.”

  I closed my eyes and thought back, flipped through the memories in my mind like index cards on a rolodex, until I found the perfect one.

  “Are you open?” I whispered.

  “Yeah.”

  I released my hold and sent the memory flying across the cell.

  Suddenly we were at Aaron’s compound in Maine once more. It was as if I hovered over the home, hovered over the memory.

  Lewis shoved open the back door and we stumbled outside. “He won’t notice.” He paused and I fell into his chest. My legs were weak, my balance off. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the heels, or because I was so close to Lewis. Our laughter faded as a sense of solitude wrapped around us. Only us. His face was serious, his gaze warm under the glow of the backdoor light.

  “You’re cold,” he said softly.

  “I’m all right.” Even though I wasn’t, I was afraid if I told him I was cold, we’d return to the party.

  He shrugged off his jacket and placed it around my shoulders, his warmth and scent clinging to the material. It was totally romantic and my heart swelled with the act. He pulled the edges of the jacket closed, at the same time tugging me closer to him. I knew if I looked up into his eyes, he’d kiss me. My heart hammered, warring with my rational mind.

  I looked up.

  For one moment we merely stared at each other. Finally, just as I was getting ready to bite the bullet and kiss him, he lowered his head. My eyes closed and I held my breath, waiting. His lips met min
e. A soft kiss, a wonderful kiss. My toes curled in my shoes, my heart jumping madly against my ribs. I’d been kissed before, but never had it felt this…soft, warm, intense.

  All too soon, he pulled back, then just as quickly, leaned forward and pressed his mouth to mine again…as if he just couldn’t help himself.

  “It was our first kiss,” I whispered, letting the memory linger, before closing off my mind once more.

  He didn’t respond, and after five minutes of silence, I stopped waiting for him to. I wondered what he was thinking, but was too afraid to ask.

  Instead, I closed my eyes and forced the tears not to fall. I’d cried enough in the past year. The worst that could happen had happened. There was nothing more to cry about.

  ****

  The lights burst to life.

  “Wake up,” someone demanded.

  I jumped, startled, confused. A woman stood outside my bars, two male security guards behind her, guns in hand. It was a quick and sickening reminder of where I was.

  “Put this on.” The female guard shoved a folded gray jumpsuit and black shoes through the bars.

  So, I was truly a prisoner now, uniform and all. I thought I’d remembered seeing her walking the compound when I’d worked here, but couldn’t be sure.

  I stumbled toward her, my legs still slightly numb, and took my new fancy outfit through the bars. Lewis was sitting up, watching with a weariness that worried me. I knew they weren’t here merely to keep me abreast of the latest prison fashion trend. They were here to take me to my dad. Lewis’ worried look said it all.

  I went into my small bathroom and changed, hating the fact that my hands trembled. My mind felt less muddled, but my body was still exhausted. Was it morning already? How long had I slept?

  “Bring me your clothes,” the woman demanded.

  “Only if you say please,” I said, pausing in the bathroom doorway.

  She didn’t respond, merely glared at me.

  The jump suit was soft and smooth against my skin. Although it wasn’t exactly fashionable, I was thankful to get out of the dirty and torn clothing I’d worn since trudging through the woods.