“I’m here,” the voice said, already stable.
I collapsed into a cramped-up heap, putting the phone back to my ear. She’d said the thing I most needed to hear.
“Hi. It’s Lexi Larkin. You came to my house the other day.”
“Yes, I remember you, Lexi.”
“I—I’m sorry to disturb you so late.”
“That’s okay.” Her voice was calm and sympathetic. “I was hoping to hear from you. Are you ready to talk?”
“Yes.”
***
I took a steadying breath as the SUV pulled up to the curb. Riding in vehicles with strangers hadn’t led to anywhere good in my life. But this woman knew something about what was going on. She might have answers for me. She might be able to help. And above all, she looked completely human.
I opened the door and Reesa’s thin lips curved up into a sympathetic smile. She didn’t look as put together as the last time I’d seen her. She was wearing jeans and a button up shirt, but her dark hair was pulled back tightly, giving the impression that she was ready to get down to business, even if it was three a.m.
I slid into the seat, putting my fate in someone else’s hands once again. Hopefully I wouldn’t have to be the first to speak.
“I’m glad you called, Lexi. I know this must be hard for you. You probably feel like you’re alone, but you’re not anymore.”
I felt my chest relax. Somehow Reesa Warner knew all the right things to say. But it seemed strange to keep using her full name. “What do I call you? Agent Warner or something?”
“How about Reesa?” she said, smiling.
“Okay, Reesa, how did you know ... about me?”
“There were reports about activity in your neighborhood. And when I talked to you I had a feeling you knew something. I thought you might need my help.”
I tugged on a lock of hair. “So where are we going?”
“I’m taking you to a facility, just temporarily, where you’ll be safe. I’d like to ask you some questions. It’s kind of a you-help-us, we’ll-help-you operation. So your cooperation will be good for everyone involved.”
I stiffened a little. I didn’t care for the words facility or cooperation. In movies, those words were never used by the good guys.
“It’s okay,” she said, smiling again. “I know you’ve been scared, and it’s hard to know who to trust. But we’re on the ground, and that has to be a good sign.”
I smiled weakly, watching the road ahead. We were heading toward the canyon. The SUV turned left, following the road that led to the mental institution. My eyes widened, and my hand gripped the door as I contemplated jumping.
“Lexi,” she said, her voice firm. “I told you, we just need to go somewhere safe where we can talk. My operation’s closest facility is in Boise. I have connections here, and they have medical professionals on stand-by, which is sometimes helpful with people that have experienced trauma, mentally and even physically, as you probably have.”
I lowered my hand, but didn’t relax a muscle as she pulled into a parking spot. What was the worst that could happen? They couldn’t keep me here without my mom’s permission. And why would anyone be interested in committing me anyway? I hadn’t said anything about what happened to me yet. I was the only one who’d been questioning my sanity these days.
I raised my chin and stepped out of the vehicle. I had to trust someone. It may as well be a human with some kind of clout. From the look of the expensive Cadillac SUV, whoever Reesa worked for had clout.
When we reached the entrance a man in a white coat let us in. After everything that had happened with my dad, I never thought I’d walk willingly through those doors, but I followed Reesa inside, clutching the cuffs of my hoodie against my palms. We stopped at the front desk.
“They need you to leave your phone here,” she said. “It’s for privacy issues.”
I squinted one eye. I wasn’t a tech geek like Austin, but that sounded ridiculously fishy.
“Please. It’s one of the rules we agree to when we use the facility. Also”—she moved closer to speak in my ear—“they can use it to track you. I’ll have someone work on it, and you’ll get it back before we leave.”
I slowly slid it out of my pocket and placed it on the front desk. The man thanked me and put it in a box. Reesa smiled and led me across the lobby to the elevator doors, and she punched the up button. When the doors opened, I followed her inside, letting it swallow me up. Then we waited in awkward silence as it took us to the third floor.
The doors opened to a large area that looked like an empty cafeteria. I followed her down a hallway that was lit just well enough for us to see where we were going. The whole floor was silent except for the cries of an unhappy patient behind a closed door somewhere. The sound made me feel queasy.
Reesa opened a door and ushered me in. There was a table with two soft chairs on either side. I couldn’t help feeling like it was an interrogation room as I sat down in one of the chairs. I wrapped my arms around myself.
“Okay, Lexi. This is a safe place. You can tell me anything, and although it probably doesn’t look that way, I won’t think you’re crazy.” She chuckled shortly. “You’ve probably guessed that I’m used to dealing with the unusual.”
I stared at her, not sure where to start.
“Maybe I can help you get started,” she said, all traces of humor gone. “You were taken somewhere in the middle of the night, by someone who wanted to study you. Am I on the right track?”
I swallowed and nodded.
“How many times were you taken?”
“Three. The first time I fell off a cliff, and he stopped my fall.”
She raised her brow. “He saved your life?”
I shrugged. As far as I knew that part was true. “How much can they manipulate the human mind?”
“It depends. As with humans, they have different skill levels. They can manipulate feelings and memories.”
“Yeah, but can they make you feel ...” I shook my head and exhaled loudly, leaning against the farthest corner of the chair.
Reesa’s interest was easy to read. Her eyes narrowed. “Maybe that’s something you’ll be ready to tell me about soon.” She paused. “Did you get any indication of why they chose you?”
“It’s in my blood, I guess.” I gave her a humorless smile. “My dad was a gold card member.”
“And when was your first abduction?”
“Almost a week ago.”
Reesa’s eyes widened. She licked her lips as she leaned forward. “You were taken three times in less than one week?”
“Is that unusual?”
“A little.” She leaned back in her chair, an unsuccessful attempt at looking casual. “Can you tell me anything else about their interest in you? Did—”
Her head turned at the sound of footsteps in the hallway.
“Hold him,” a muffled voice shouted.
Loud thumps shook the door. “Don’t tell them anything! They’re not on our side!” It was a deep, rough voice. I’d heard it before, but I couldn’t remember where.
There were sounds of struggling, and a look of panic flashed in Reesa’s eyes. Her thin lips hardened, turning down at the edges.
“I’m sorry about that. There are some patients who suffer from acute paranoia. They must have lost control of one of them. Just answer the question, please.”
The words sounded like an order. My chest constricted. The room suddenly felt smaller, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was just another kind of lab. I felt my empty back pocket, and wished I hadn’t handed my cell phone over.
“Can I call my mom, please?” I asked. “I’m really exhausted, and I think I’ll be able to talk better tomorrow.” I’d run off twice in one night. Mom would be livid. But we had a deal. Call home, say the password, and she’d pick me up, no questions asked.
“We’ll call her in just a few minutes. I’m concerned about you, Lexi. The sooner you talk about what happened to you, the bet
ter you’ll feel. Besides, if you wait, you may forget things. Important things.”
I stood up, backing toward the door. “I’d like to go home now, Agent Warner.” I tried to keep my voice firm, but it wavered as I reached for the door handle behind me. It was locked.
Chapter 21
I stared up at the white ceiling, imagining faces in the texture. I had no idea how long I’d been curled up in the corner of the room, waiting. Waiting for what?
Agent Warner hadn’t liked it when I’d sealed my lips and dropped down on the chair, my arms folded. I wasn’t going to say anything if I was going to be treated as a prisoner. I couldn’t believe I’d been stupid enough to believe all that crap about a safe place. Then again it probably was a safe place to keep me while they tried to extract information from me.
It was Sunday. Were Mom and Cody in church as usual, or out searching for me again? I couldn’t imagine her letting Agent Warner keep me locked up. Maybe, if she thought I was safer here than running off all the time, or that I’d taken after my supposedly crazy father.
Lexi, are you okay? Where are you?
I squeezed my sore eyes shut, concentrating on making my mind blank. The last thing I wanted to hear right now was Micah’s voice.
I’m sorry. You were right. I am a coward. I have always done what I was told. But that is not why I didn’t defend you. You don’t know the cruelty my superior officer is capable of. I wanted to proceed carefully, and with a plan. Perhaps I was wrong.
I clenched my teeth, unable to keep back a response. Don’t lie to me. I was just a stupid experiment to you. You just wanted to see how well you could manipulate me if you duped me into having feelings for you.
It was quiet for a moment. You had feelings for me? That wasn’t just an Earth-girl who was intrigued by the strange and unusual looking to try something new?
Shut up!
I had to give them an explanation, but I meant everything I said to you.
Even if that was true, what are you going to do about it? Cry while you carry out your orders? Nothing has changed. You said so yourself. There’s no way out.
I once felt that way, but I will do anything to get you out of this. I will keep you safe.
I kicked at the wall. What about my little brother? Will he be safe?
We will figure it out. But you need to tell me where you are.
I’m sure you’d like to know. You probably have that big slimy guy, Teavers, breathing down your neck. And your daddy. Is he as disgusting as that guy?
It was quiet, but I still felt him in my head. It was like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how. I felt a tinge of regret at what I’d said, even though he deserved it.
Teavers is my father.
My jaw dropped. The more I saw of Micah’s heartless culture the less hope I had for the future of Earth. That horrifying monster had treated his son as if he was nothing more than an underperforming student. No wonder Micah was so messed up.
I’m sorry you had to see that. It must have been frightening. As if he was speaking out loud, his voice had that vulnerable sound he sometimes let slip out. I wished he was all smug certainty instead. I should not have let them touch you. I should not have let you kiss me when you didn’t even know what I was. Half of me, but it may as well be all of me. I’m certainly no human.
I stared at the wall again, waiting. I wished he would say something else. Something that I could snap back at, and that would push away the feelings that were trying to seep back in. But Micah was gone.
Without him in my head the room was empty again. At least mind-yelling at him had given me something to do. But it also made me wonder whether I might belong in this facility after all. I was talking to someone in my head. I believed it was real. Crazy people never thought they were crazy. Maybe I needed to rethink the past week.
I gasped for breath as the possibility of insanity overtook me. I had to move something, prove to myself that it had really happened. I stared at the empty table, willing it to budge. Nothing happened, unless you counted the ache that crept in behind my strained eyes.
What high school student didn’t wish she had super powers?
What kid whose father had walked out on her didn’t want to believe he’d done it for reasons beyond his control?
I covered my face with my hands, switching my focus to what was going on outside the door. There were lots of people gathered in the cafeteria, just down the hall. I could tell by the steady murmur of voices. My stomach growled. Probably lunch time.
Were they going to leave me here until I starved to death?
As if in response, the lock clicked and the door opened. A man with a receding hair line and a somewhat nervous expression opened the door. He relaxed at the sight of me crunched up in the corner. Probably you never knew what you were going to get when you were assigned to a patient who had been locked in solitary in the middle of the night.
I stood up quickly. The blood rushed to my head and I swooned. I heard the clatter of the lunch tray and felt my arm gripped securely.
“There you go, you’re all right.”
It was the voice of someone talking to a toddler.
“I’m not all right. I’m being held here against my will. Where is my mom? I want to talk to her.”
I used all my pent-up aggression to push past him and out the door. I ran as fast as I could down the hall, knowing there was little chance I could hide and even less chance of getting out of here. Eyes turned on me as I interrupted the tranquil lunch crowd. With the orderly close behind, I wound my way into the group.
I’d stirred up enough excitement that several of the patients stood up. They started banging their silverware on the tables and crowding around the orderly. I glanced over my shoulder as I hurried back out of the crowd, hoping to make it to the elevator.
I had it in sight when I was jerked so hard my head snapped to the side. When I saw the big, burly man that held me I nearly screamed for the orderly to come and get me. But then I realized I knew this man. He was the shopper at Mick’s that I’d nearly tased. He reminded me of a shorn sheep with his beard all trimmed and pale blue clothing instead of the layers of thick camo.
He pulled me down under a table, out of the sight of the distracted orderly, who had turned his head to remove a patient who was pulling on his arm. The table wobbled as the big man’s head bumped against the underside. He was so close I felt his warm breath on my face.
“You can’t get out that way. And even if you could, they’d stop you at the lobby,” he whispered, his voice low and gruff.
“Well, I have to try.”
He shrugged. “Won’t make no difference.”
He still gripped my arm.
“Why do they want us?” I asked.
“Here’s how it works. The government made a deal with the Slimes. They know they don’t stand a chance against them, so they might as well work with them, and maybe benefit from the studies they do.”
“So why are they keeping me here?”
“Couple of reasons. If they know someone remembers too much, if they think they’re gonna talk, they put them in the crazy house. They don’t want no one to know they’re lettin’ this go on. The other reason is even though they work together they ain’t on the same team. If they think you’re valuable to the Slimes, they want to know why. So don’t give ’em anything! They’ll put you in a lab as quick as those slimy son-of-a-guns.”
I peeked over the table. The orderly was coming my way. I couldn’t be sure he’d seen me, but I wasn’t going to wait around to find out. I pulled away from my well-meaning friend, jumping up to run for the elevator again. I forgot about running like they were after me, which they were, and instead I imagined my feet were flying over the blue track at my high school.
I glanced behind me. The big man had grabbed the orderly, nodding at me as if wishing me luck.
I’d just reached the elevator when I felt hands grab me from behind. I struggled, squirming until I could see the
female orderly that held me. I kicked and pushed, refusing to give up. Her arms weakened, and I took the opportunity to run. The elevator was probably locked anyway. Everything was probably locked. But that wasn’t going to keep me from trying to find a way out.
I only made it a couple of feet when a jolt of electricity went through me. When I carried my taser on my runs, I always wondered what it would feel like to be on the other end of it. Now I knew. I grunted in pain, and my body convulsed, sinking to the floor. The orderly bent over me as the world went black.
Chapter 22
I opened my eyes as Agent Warner entered the room.
“You might want a bodyguard. I’m unstable.”
She smiled tightly, leaning forward with her hands on the table. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”
I shrugged. My headache was pounding now, I’d been tased, and the only thing I’d eaten since I came here was a bowl of tomato soup, which they’d hesitantly brought last night after what they called “my little incident.” I could barely sit up. But I did, trying to look like it didn’t take any effort at all.
“Lexi, we’d like nothing more than to send you home to your mother,” she said.
I snorted.
“But given your erratic behavior we’re afraid that you might be a danger to yourself or others. I’m going to need you to communicate with me, to let me know that isn’t true.”
“Okay, it isn’t true. Can I go home now?”
Agent Warner gave me a fake smile. “I’m afraid it isn’t that simple. You’ve shown symptoms of a delusional disorder. I, along with the doctors here, want to help you recover. But first you need to open up about what you believe has happened to you, so we can get you back in touch with reality.”
My jaw dropped, and I scooted further back into the corner. She was going to deny everything and slap a crazy label on me.
“Will you do that?” she asked.
“Where is my mom?” I asked, my jaw clenched.
“We’ve contacted your mother, and told her about your situation. We explained that it’s important that you have no visitors at this time.”
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