“We went to find the Eroi, to ask them to help you guys, but they were waiting for us. They have Zander!”
“Wait, they have him, or they shot him?” I demand.
Ketchup lurches forward, nearly knocking me off the couch. “What? Who’s shot? What the hell is going on, Van?”
The pop of the front door opening is followed closely by the rush of cold air that sweeps into the living room. Smashing the phone to my face, I hiss, “I’ll call you back.”
Quickly, I shove the phone back into Ketchup’s hand and lean against him as if we have been sitting here calmly the entire time, as if Annabelle didn’t just call and tell me my brother has been shot! My pulse is racing as I pretend snuggling with Ketchup is the only thought in my mind. When David pauses in the doorway to the living room, his eyes don’t seem to see anything amiss.
Taking my chances, I slowly force my aching body up to standing. “David, would you tell my grandma that Ketchup and I are going to go over to his house for a while? His mom needed him to take care of a few things for her, and I need to stretch a bit after that MRI and get some fresh air.”
David’s eyes narrow. “Are you sure you’re up for that?”
“I feel great,” I say with a roll of my eyes. No need to make him suspicious by being nice or anything. “I’m just so tired of sitting around here. I want to get out for a while.”
“Ketchup, you’ll stay right with her?” David asks.
“Of course.”
He seems to consider it a moment longer, probably trying to figure out if I’m attempting to pull something over on him. Finally, he nods and heads up the stairs. I move causally until he is out of sight. Once he’s gone, I grab Ketchup and whisper, “Get my coat and shoes, and hurry! I think Zander’s been captured by the Eroi.”
“What?”
“Just hurry! I have to call Annabelle back.”
I hobble out onto the porch in my socks and only my sweater while Ketchup gathers my things. I don’t need David overhearing anything until I know what on earth my stupid brother got himself into! Tapping in Annabelle’s number as fast as my phone can keep up, I shiver as I wait impatiently for her to pick up.
“Why did you hang up on me?” she demands.
“David walked in! I figured you might not want me telling him you and Zander went off on some half-baked plan to attack the Eroi and got my brother captured and shot!” I say, barely restraining myself from screaming at her. “What were you two idiots thinking?”
“We didn’t go to attack them. That would be suicide!” Annabelle counters. “We went to ask them for help, to save you!”
“To save me? What are you talking about?”
“Who’s trying to save you?” Ketchup asks as he starts shoving my feet into my boots.
I shrug helplessly. “Where are you?” I ask Annabelle.
“I’m almost to your house. I’m coming to get you.”
“No!” I yell. “Do you want David to know what you’ve been doing? Geez, Annabelle, park at the end of the block. Ketchup will drive me to you. Just sit still until we get there and think really hard about how you’re going to explain all of this when we do!”
I quickly end the call and cling to Ketchup. I’m doing a lot better with the pain/hunger issues, but going long distances is still a challenge. Ketchup knows my limitations better than anyone. He helps me walk down the driveway to his car, and then speeds down the road to where Annabelle is waiting in Zander’s truck a few houses down. He’s gotten so used to hauling me around that he easily rips the door open and lifts me into the seat of the truck. Two seconds later, he is climbing in behind me. Both of our eyes pin Annabelle to the seat.
“Where is my brother?” I demand.
“Colorado… inside an Eroi compound.” Annabelle holds very still after giving us that news.
My hands start shaking. I try to say something, but all that comes out is incoherent stuttering.
Ketchup rubs his hands against his head and groans. “And did I hear something about him being shot?”
“Yes,” Annabelle says hesitantly, “but I think he’s okay.”
“You think? You think?” I screech. Ketchup wraps his arms around me from where he’s sitting in the backseat, either for comfort or to keep me from killing Annabelle.
Seeing the potential threat, Annabelle backs herself up against the door. “They let us get all the way inside the compound before they attacked. They could have killed us at any point. I think they wanted Zander alive. Besides, the guns didn’t look like normal guns. I think they were tranquilizer guns.”
Ketchup stares at Annabelle, shaking his head slowly. “You walked right up to an Eroi compound without a stitch of resistance, and nothing struck you as odd about that?”
“The plan wasn’t to get in and out without them knowing we were there,” Annabelle argues. “We wanted them to know we were there, we were just hoping they wouldn’t kill us before we told them what we wanted!”
I have already been poked by needles, dosed with radiation, and put through a battery of rehab exercises those idiot doctors think I need to speed my recovery today. Now I have to go save my brother? My fingers tighten around Ketchup’s arms, which are definitely holding me back now.
“Why on earth would you ever go to the Eroi for help after they tried to kill us?” I ask through my teeth.
I don’t understand why Annabelle’s eyes fill with tears now. She looks at me with such sadness that I feel like it’s trying to suffocate me. “Zander told me about your grandma being sick. I know that’s hard enough to deal with, but Van, have you even considered what will happen if she dies?”
I shake my head, not wanting to think about my grandma being anything but healthy and here with us. “She’s going to be fine,” I argue weakly.
“But if she’s not,” Annabelle says, “there will be decisions to make, decisions regarding who will become your guardian, Van.”
“What?” I look back at Ketchup, but when he ducks his head, I realize I am the only one who has not been willing to face the what ifs floating around in my life right now.
Annabelle reaches out and touches my hand comfortingly. “Zander would fight to stay with you, you know that, but he wouldn’t win, Van. Not with David seeking custody. You know he would. He wants your power, and he’ll stop at nothing to get it.”
Numbness spreads through my body as I take in everything she’s saying. Not only will I lose my only other parent figure if my grandma dies, I will be handed over to the man I hate more than anyone in this world to become his pet project. I have no delusions that working for David will involve anything but immoral and dishonest deeds.
And what about Ketchup? I close my eyes and fall limp in his arms as I realize it would be the end of being with Ketchup. David would not stay here in my grandma’s home so I could finish school with my friends, with Ketchup. I would be packaged up and sent off to the compound without a second thought. I wouldn’t see him for two years at least, and even then, there would be no guarantees. Who knows who and what I would become after two years spent as David’s protégé.
Opening my eyes, I finally understand why Zander would do something so risky and insane. “That’s why Zander went to the Eroi, to ask them to protect me from David?”
Annabelle nods, frowning. “Zander has tried talking to your grandma, but she won’t admit she’s sick.” Annabelle twists her fingers around the ends of her sweater. “You know, don’t you? She won’t tell anyone, but you know what’s wrong with her because of your gifts.”
My heart breaks as I nod my head. “Leukemia. My gifts weren’t strong enough to know it was there before my hunger erupted, but I can feel it every time she gets within ten feet of me. She’s in so much pain.” My shoulders tremble as I finally admit out loud what I have known for weeks.
“How long does she have?” Ketchup asks softly.
“I don’t know, but it can’t be very long. I tried looking it up on the internet. From what I can sens
e, it’s in her blood and bone marrow, and it’s moving into her organs. She can’t have more than a few months left.” My fingers wipe away tears furiously. “She’s dying, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”
I lean into Ketchup’s embrace as he curls himself around me. “We’ll figure this out,” he says softly, “but first we need to get Zander back.”
“How?” I ask. I’m barely more capable than an invalid. I’ll be completely useless in a fight. Ketchup and Annabelle seem to realize this as well. Only Annabelle appears to have an answer.
Slowly, Annabelle flattens her hands against her thighs. She doesn’t look at either of us as she says, “We need Oscar.”
“Oscar?” Ketchup asks. “In case you’ve forgotten, he’s locked up in a mental institution.”
“I know,” Annabelle says, “but I can get him out.”
“What?” Ketchup and I both demand.
Annabelle looks up, smiling this time instead of cringing away from our anger. “You can thank Zander. It was his idea. When we realized your grandma was sick and we needed to plan for what might happen after, we knew we needed a backup plan as well. If Zander couldn’t get you away from David, we’d break Oscar out and get you back with his help. He’s incredibly powerful, Van, just like his siblings.”
“How do you plan to get him out?” I ask.
“The last time Zander went to visit Oscar, I took the liberty of exploring a bit and getting to know some of the staff. A few of them lost their ID badges,” Annabelle says as she pulls several plastic cards out of her inner jacket pocket.
Ketchup reaches forward and grabs one. “Whoa! How did you manage that?”
“Van’s not the only one with gifts,” she says.
Ketchup hands the keycard back with an appreciative nod. “Well then, let’s go break Oscar out of the loony bin.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight: What It Seems
(Vanessa)
Ketchup helps me up the steps of Peak View Hospital as quickly as I can manage. I curse my luck as I hobble up the steps. Why did I have to spend most of the day in the hospital today of all days? Or better yet, why did Zander have to plan this ill-advised trip to the mountains when I wasn’t capable of running off after him? Grimacing as we mount the last few steps, I beg Ketchup to stop.
“Just a second, I need to catch my breath.”
“Van,” Ketchup says, concern dripping from that single word, “are you going to be able to do this? There’s going to be a lot of emotional pain in there.”
I straighten up, trying to pretend I have more strength than I do. “What choice do we have? They won’t let you or Annabelle in without a family member, and I’m all you’ve got right now.”
“I know, but…”
“But nothing. We don’t have to pass any of the patient areas to get to the visitation room. I can do this, Ketchup. I just need your help, okay?”
Ketchup puts his arm back around my waist and gets me upright the rest of the way. “I’ll be there every second.”
I lean on Ketchup heavily until we round the corner to the nurses’ station. Before anyone can see me, I put every ounce of effort I can into walking the short distance on my own. I don’t want to give them any reason not to let me see Oscar. I suffer through the inevitable questions about my health from the nurses at the desk.
Silently, I wish they would just go get my brother and leave me be. I know they mean well, though, and normally, I would be touched by their concern. Today, I just don’t have the patience or fortitude to handle them. I’m thankful when they tell me Oscar will be ready in a few minutes, and Ketchup discretely helps me to a seat in the little waiting room.
Ketchup’s knee starts bouncing impatiently after about two minutes. His eyes watch the hallway nonstop, waiting for someone to come get us. I’m actually grateful for the chance to rest. I’m going to need it to make it to Oscar. We wait a full ten minutes before we’re finally given permission to head to the visitation room. I stand on my own, and we slowly make our way to find Oscar.
A case of nerves hit me as we near the door to the visitation room. I haven’t been to see Oscar since getting out of the hospital because I wasn’t in control of my hunger enough to make the trip. Before that, he was left unshackled during our visits since he was doing so well. What if something has changed? It would be just my luck that Oscar has relapsed and will be carted in and out in chains.
When Ketchup reaches for the door handle, I hold my breath and fight against the urge to close my eyes. He swings the door open and gives me a small tug to get me moving. I step forward, trying to prepare for the worst. The screech of a metal chair scraping over the hard floor makes me jump. My eyes snap to the source to find Oscar standing behind the table, grinning.
“I’ve missed you, baby sister!” His hands tap against the table anxiously. I feel myself getting more nervous as his eyes dart back and forth between me and the doctor standing across the room. I blink in surprise at his presence. We have always been allowed private visitation time. My grandma demanded it from the very beginning. The man says nothing, so I look back to Oscar for an answer. Finally, Oscar’s eyes fix on me.
“They said, they said I could hug you if you said it was okay.” His eyes jump back to the doctor. He watches Oscar, pen in hand to make note of his behavior and my response. Oscar’s fingers pick up the pace of their tapping. He looks back at me. “Tell them. Tell them it’s okay so they can write it down. Tell them, Van, please.”
I pull my gaze from Oscar and face the creepy doctor watching us on the other side of the room. I try to look calm and confident, saying, “It’s okay.”
The snap-snap of Oscar’s nails on the table draws my eyes back to him. He’s nodding now, again and again.
“I told them it’s okay,” I say.
Oscar doesn’t step forward. He stands behind the table, tapping incessantly on the surface. The noise is only making my anxiety worse, so I take the first step and reach my hand out to him. For a moment, he looks at my hand as if it is a foreign thing. I am worried that this visit is not going to go as planned, but suddenly, Oscar stops tapping and looks at me with calm, alert eyes.
“Will I hurt you if I hug you?” he asks.
Possibly. I can only imagine the pain Oscar is carrying around. I’m not about to deny him this, though. “No, I’ll be okay.”
“Are you sure?”
I nod.
That’s all it takes to bring Oscar out from behind the table to wrap his arms around me. The second he pulls me into his embrace, I start crying. Startled, Oscar pulls back and the doctor steps forward in a panic. I reach out for Oscar’s hand, but I look toward the doctor first. “I’m okay,” I say quickly. “I’m okay. I’m not hurt.”
“Are you sure, Miss Roth?” the doctor asks.
“I’m sure. Please, just give us a few minutes.”
He hesitates, but eventually steps out and closes the door to give us a small amount of privacy. I turn back to Oscar and smile. The pain he is carrying in his heart makes me ache, but it’s different than I expected. I don’t know how to explain the difference, but it’s something I haven’t felt before. It doesn’t affect me the same way Grandma’s pain does.
“I hurt you, didn’t I?” Oscar asks sadly.
“No,” I tell him, “it just made me so happy to be able to hug you again. I didn’t realize how much I have missed that. You’ve always given the best hugs.”
With a sad smile, Oscar cradles me against his chest. “I’ve missed giving you hugs, my little Nessie-girl.”
Slowly, we pull away from each other and I collapse into a chair. I would have liked to have stayed hugging Oscar for a little longer, but I’m quickly running out of stamina. Oscar notices this and says, “That man, Chris, visited me and said there was something odd about your hunger. I see what he means now. Your hunger won’t stay put inside you where it belongs.”
“Uh, what?” Ketchup asks.
“Hunger should stay inside of you, feedin
g off what it comes into contact with, but Van’s hunger keeps escaping, touching people and tasting their emotions and pain.” He shakes his head. “It’s not supposed to do that.”
“How can you tell that’s what my hunger is doing?” I ask.
Oscar’s eyes narrow. “I can see it. It’s my gift, but I don’t want David to know.”
Ketchup snorts. “Don’t worry, we’re not in the business of telling him anything we don’t have to.”
I would love to ask Oscar more questions about his gift and what’s going on with my hunger, but we’re running short on time. If all goes well, we’ll have plenty of time to talk on the way to rescue Zander. Keeping my voice low, I ask, “Oscar, if I were to give you something small, could you hide it from the doctors and orderlies until you got back to your room?”
“How small?”
“The size of a hospital ID badge.”
Oscar’s eyebrows rise as curiosity takes hold. “I could hide that, but what do you expect me to do with it once I get back to my room?”
“I expect you to escape and meet us behind the hospital in twenty minutes. Zander has been captured by the Eroi, and we need your help to get him back.” I hold my breath, waiting for Oscar’s reaction. His volatile nature makes me wary even when he’s doing so well.
Instead of lashing out at Zander for making a mistake, Oscar only shakes his head. “I feared he would do something like this.” Oscar folds his arms across his chest and sits back in his chair. “Twenty minutes. I’ll be there.”
Ketchup and I glance at each other. I’m sure we’re both wondering how Oscar is managing all of this so calmly. I’m also wondering why Oscar doesn’t ask how to get out of the hospital. Annabelle carefully scouted a route out when she was here, and I have it memorized to repeat to Oscar. I struggle with the thought that my oldest brother already knows exactly how to escape this prison. Why hasn’t he chosen to use this knowledge before now? I try not to ponder the whys of anything Oscar does too deeply.
Wicked Power Page 29
