"I've gotta get going," I said, checking the clock. My friends would be waiting for me at the campus library.
"What!" I heard Alice exclaim from her bedroom. "How?" She was silent for several seconds. When I peeked in her room I saw she was on her phone. "No. He'll come in this afternoon. It can wait. I'll be in shortly."
"What happened?" I asked, pushing the door open the rest of the way.
"You know that guy Jason caught outside our house yesterday?" I nodded. "He’s dead. They think it was Kindred."
FIFTEEN
Jason
After a long, nearly sleepless night, I woke to a silent house. The only thing I could hear was dripping from the faucet in the bathroom; something that would need to be fixed at some point. Alice was at work by now, and Hannah might have gone to school, but where was Sam? He wasn't one to sleep in, and school didn't start today, so where was he? With a deep sigh, I got up to head upstairs and figure out where my brother was, automatically sending tendrils of power around the house to make sure no one was around.
I looked around the kitchen and noticed a note from Alice on the table. It said she had dropped Sam off at Dan and June's before she went to work, and that I should call her once I got up. A smile crossed my face. Sam would enjoy a visit with his friends. He needed to be able to spend time with the other kids and not feel so alone. I checked the clock; it was nearly noon, so I decided to eat lunch before calling Alice. After putting a pizza in the oven, I went back downstairs to shower and change clothes. So far, there was the normal flow of lunch hour traffic outside, and a few other people out walking nearby, but nothing suspicious. When I went upstairs again I allowed myself to sit in the soft recliner in the living room and relax for a few minutes while the pizza finished.
Unfortunately, as I've stated before, wanting to do something and actually doing it are two different things. I found myself thinking about last night, and could feel the tremors of fear at the thought that Kindred had been nearby last night before my blackout, and I hadn't even noticed. Dustin had suggested that Kindred might have something to do with what was going on, since he didn't believe that my blackouts were simply results of PTSD. Was it even possible? How could he have gotten close enough to do anything to cause the blackouts? His footsteps were light to the point of being nearly non-existent. Did he have some sort of cloaking ability? Could that be how he’d gotten close to me? I had a suspicion that he had an ability, and that it had something to do with how Mason had gotten away with so many horrible crimes, but how? I wasn't sure.
What was Kindred's plan? Would he just keep killing anyone he thought was a threat to me until he got caught, or was there some other agenda that we couldn't see yet? Either way, we needed to stop him. Any plans made by the assassin could not be beneficial for me. There was always the possibility that he would become offended by my lack of gratitude and turn against me. And he would never get appreciation from me. Despite removing my father as a threat, I could not bring myself to feel grateful. At least… no, gratitude to this monster was out of the question; I wouldn't allow myself to be thankful. That would make me no better than him. But it was nice to not have to worry about my father ever coming back into my life.
The buzzer for the pizza was going off, and I pulled my thoughts away from Kindred to go get it out of the oven. As I cut the pizza I strained my powers to sense the footsteps outside. My attempt at relaxation once again disappeared into a cloud of paranoia. Or was it? Is it still paranoia if I really did have a killer practically stalking me? Either way, being paranoid could possibly save my life.
Once I finished eating, I headed out, figuring I could save the phone call and just talk to Alice in person. I would drive myself crazy if I stayed in the house by myself all day. The phone rang as the door swung shut and locked. I hesitated before figuring that by the time I'd get back in the house I would have missed the call anyway, so I shrugged and walked the block to the bus stop. After pacing around the bench for a couple minutes and drawing stares from a couple other people waiting for the bus, I decided to walk. It wouldn't take much longer than taking the bus, since I could take a more direct route, and I needed the extra security of being able to watch my back. In a bus I could be followed. On foot it would be more difficult. Most of Mason's goons knew about my abilities, but none of them had figured out a way to follow me without my knowledge. Since being blindsided the previous fall, I'd been more careful about always putting some energy into watching the steps and echoes behind me.
I didn't ever want to get caught off guard again. Especially since many of those who might follow me could also know that using electricity on me would cut off my ability to access my power. At least temporarily. It was painful, and something I definitely did not want to go through again. So I used the extra energy necessary to prevent it. As I concentrated, I felt a slight tingling in my head. When I shook my head to clear it, I noticed that I was nowhere near the police station. Instead I was in a warehouse. When I looked around in shock, I figured out that it was the warehouse Mason had held me in the first time he'd abducted me. I continued looking around with a frown, wondering how I'd ended up there, and why.
"Is anyone here?" I called, feeling slightly foolish. I would notice movement, but if someone was just watching, I might never know they were there. "Hello?" There was no answer, but I couldn't shake the feeling I was being watched. I studied the warehouse critically, trying to see if there was anything different about it since last time I'd been there. Was it just my subconscious telling me I needed to resolve my issues with what had started here? Or was something else at play? I wasn't sure, but I was beginning to lean toward the latter which was making me feel very uncomfortable.
A feeling that was proven more valid when I saw the white envelope attached to the door of the storage cage in the corner of the room.
SIXTEEN
Kindred
Sneaking into a police station to get at a prisoner proved to be less of a challenge than I had anticipated; it was too easy to make people believe I wasn't even there. The only person who saw me was my victim. He'd seen me and fell apart immediately. Obviously my reputation was alive and well within Mason's ranks, and his reaction made me smile. It was good to be appreciated. I'd been in a good mood; my experience with the Tracker earlier in the evening had been a fun moment for me, so his death was quick. No fun with the knife, just a quick slice across the throat, and he was gone. The security cameras were easier to avoid than anticipated. They would only have pictures of an unidentified male wearing a hat that blocked any usable facial features. The police would be able to guess at height and weight, but beyond that they were out of luck.
My plan was to leave a message for the Tracker on the security video, but a different option occurred to me as I finished in the cell. By now, Jason would think he was going crazy with the blackouts, and I didn't want to hurt him anymore than he already was. It was time to make it obvious that they had nothing to do with what he'd gone through in the past. I was testing my limits in case he ignored my warnings. I was indebted to him but would not give up my newfound independence for him. I left the police station and went back to my apartment to get some rest.
I led the Tracker to what had been Mason's warehouse—the place where I first saw him—to get my note and next warning. He was not to help the police find me. I counted on the threat of what happened in the warehouse to make him think twice about going against me. Controlling him enough to move some of the loose dirt still dug up from last fall was just fun. I'd known that, in theory, if I could control his mind I'd be able to gain control of his power as well. It was thrilling to prove my hypothesis. He still didn't know I could do it, which only added to my elation.
Despite owing him, I found pleasure in his confusion and fear when I gave up control. It made me feel powerful, and it was a high unrivaled by any of the many victims in my past.
My game with the Tracker was just more fun.
SEVENTEEN
Jason
Especially since I was certain he'd been there with me, watching.
Alice was still talking, "I've been trying to reach you for hours. We think Kindred was here last night, and when you didn't answer I thought…" she left her thought hanging; the worried and slightly angry look she was wearing spoke for her. “We have surveillance video of a man. He somehow managed to walk by several people without being seen, but was caught on the video in two spots. We could use your help, Jason.”
"I've been busy," I said, handing her the envelope from the warehouse. Dan watched from his desk, apparently unwilling to interrupt as his partner yelled at me for going off-grid for the morning and early afternoon.
"At least I know now what's causing the blackouts," I was working to keep my voice calm and professional. I didn't want to attract attention, but I wavered slightly as I spoke.
Alice stared at the note and the picture of the man she'd arrested the previous day. Like the others his throat had been slit. Unlike them, there were no other injuries. She seemed confused as she read the note. "Why would he tell you?" she asked, her brows furrowed as she tried to figure it out.
I shrugged and handed her the second slip of paper that had been in the envelope. "He wanted to spare me thinking I was going crazy, or so he says."
I slammed my fist into Alice's desk angrily as I leaned forward. She started, leaning back in her chair a little. "He's controlling me, making me do who knows what, and he's not going to stop! And he thinks that telling me about it makes it okay? He warned me again, about helping you find him. This guy can make me do whatever he wants! How can I stop him?"
Dan came up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder to try to calm me. "Breathe, kid," he said calmly. I glared at him, and saw the two detectives exchange a worried look. My opinion of the older detective had improved, but his relaxed demeanor was getting on my nerves. I took a breath and realized: irritation aside, he was right. I needed to calm down.
"We need to get this guy, and soon," my voice remained urgent, but the tone was quiet. The other officers who'd been attracted by my outburst disbursed when Alice glared and waved them away.
"I know we do, Jason. We are trying. This is a little out of our league, you know. Until you, we didn’t even know there were people with abilities. Now Kindred has popped up, and he can apparently disappear at will, and control you!”
"I know you’re trying,” I said, a little taken aback by her outburst. Still upset I continued, “But meanwhile, I'm stuck never knowing when he's going to take control. We're lucky he hasn't decided to use my abilities for anything yet," I said quietly. My voice betrayed my hopelessness.
"Maybe you should get out of town for a while," Dan suggested quickly. It seemed that he too was a little overwhelmed by the Kindred situation, despite his feigned calm.
I opened my mouth to answer. "He can't," Alice said before I could. "Kindred would probably either disappear until he came back or follow him to wherever he goes. And," she directed the next statement to me. “I would rather have you where we can keep an eye on you, and protect you. If you left, we wouldn’t know if you were safe.”
"Then what can we do?" I asked, not thrilled with the powerlessness I was feeling.
Both Alice and Dan shrugged uncertainly, but another, unexpected voice chimed in. "The Bureau could probably lend you a tracking anklet. At least then you'd always know where he is."
"Jones, what are you doin' in our neck of the woods?" Dan asked, giving the other man a firm handshake.
"I was going to be asking Alice to join me for a late lunch, but now I'm going to see if I can help you guys with keeping track of Jason."
I narrowed my eyes, "How much did you hear?" I asked, not liking the idea of yet another person knowing my every move.
"Enough to know that you guys are going after a very dangerous opponent. Do you know his footsteps?" Jones, the one FBI agent I felt I might be able to trust, had been thrown into that trust without any option; could I rely on him to help with the Kindred problem?
I shrugged, making the decision I once again had little choice in. "Yeah, but they are hard to find. He treads very lightly, and leaves almost no echoes. I didn't feel him today when he took over, but he was nearby last night." I frowned thoughtfully.
"What is it?" Alice asked, sounding a bit tight. The situation was stressful; not only for me, but for my friends too.
"I felt a tingling in the back of my mind, and a slight buzzing in my ears before I ended up in the warehouse," I answered. It seemed unrelated at the time, but maybe it was my mind's way of warning me that something bad was happening.
All three of my companions frowned. "What warehouse? When?" Alice asked.
"The one where I found that note. He… took me there, I guess. Still not sure why he didn't just deliver it as normal," I frowned, feeling the tingling again. The others were unaware of my slight discomfort as they glanced at each other.
"Where is the warehouse, Jason?" Dan asked, standing a little straighter as he slipped into the role of investigator.
"It's the one…" I stopped, wincing as I felt the tingling increase in frequency until it was painful. "It's happening again," I said through clenched teeth, trying to keep control. "There's something…" The tingling stopped, and I was speaking again, but it wasn't me.
"He won't be answering any more of your questions, officers," Kindred said.
I could still see Alice and Dan, and they were staring at me in horror. “Kindred?” Alice asked hesitantly. “What are you doing?”
He shrugged. “You weren’t getting the message any other way, so I decided it had to come from Jason’s mouth. This is your last warning. Keep Tra—Jason out of this investigation, or I will make his life miserable,” he stumbled over my name, as if he were unsure of it, or hadn’t used it before.
“Don’t you realize?” Dan asked incredulously.
“Realize what, officer?” he asked calmly, as if speaking out of another person’s body was an everyday occurrence, instead of a freakish anomaly.
“You’re already making him miserable. He doesn’t want the attention you’re giving him. He’s a good kid, and he’s been through a lot. Just leave him alone. Stop sending him pictures of dead bodies and notes warning him away. Let him be,” Dan urged. If I’d been capable, I would have thanked him for the thought, but telling a killer something he didn’t want to hear was probably not for the best.
“Is that right? He doesn’t like my gifts?” Kindred almost seemed…saddened by the thought. As if it had never occurred to him that someone wouldn’t like getting pictures of dead people on a daily basis…or ever.
Just get out of my head, so I can move on with my day. The feeling was strange, and I didn’t think Kindred realized that I was aware this time. I hadn’t been before, but as I started saying, this time there was something different. This was preferable to not knowing what was happening, but I was just as powerless as before. Or was I?
I still had my consciousness. Maybe I could access my ability somehow. But should I? Or would me attempting any kind of control allow Kindred the knowledge that I was aware of what was happening?
He seemed to be pondering what Dan had said, then shook his head…my head, actually. “No. You just don’t understand the connection we share. He doesn’t feel safe. I’m making him safer. For saving my life, I’ll continue to save his.”
Alice seemed confused. “Then why do you keep threatening him? If you aren’t going to hurt him, why keep threatening?”
“I won’t hurt him, as long as he doesn’t try to stop my work. I will not allow him to take away my freedom. Keep him out of my way. I don’t want to have to hurt him, Detective Farrow. Keep that in mind. Anything that happens will be on you.”
I felt another
pain in my head and my legs gave out as Kindred withdrew, leaving me on my knees with a massive headache.
“Jason, are you okay? It is you, right?” Alice had rushed around her desk and hesitantly put her hand on my shoulder, drawing back a little when she questioned my identity.
“Yeah…I’m good,” I rubbed my neck and winced as I stood unsteadily, Alice hovering nearby. “Just a headache for now.”
“Kindred…”
I held my hand up, stopping her as she spoke. “I know. Give me a minute to clear my head.”
“Here, kid,” Jones handed me a couple of pills. “It's just Ibuprofen. Should help with the headache.”
“Thanks,” I said as I accepted the tablets and bottle of water from Dan. “This time was different,” I told them after I swallowed the pills.
Alice nodded. “It started more painfully, and ended that way too.”
“Yeah, and I was aware the whole time. I don’t know why, but I don’t think he knew I was able to see and hear everything that was going on.”
Alice, Dan and Mark seemed worried, but Alice spoke first. “So what do you want to do?”
EIGHTEEN
Hannah
The test had been a disaster. There was no way I could concentrate on it enough to pull through. My friends noticed that I was a bit distracted. Rachel, one of my best friends, joked that there was no way I could concentrate on school as long as I had a super-hot guy living in my home. I think I managed a smile, but it may have come out a bit sickly. She knew almost nothing about Jason or what he’d been through, so I did not really respond. Besides, she was right to a point. It was because of Jason that I couldn’t concentrate, just not for the reasons she thought.
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