by Jenn Nixon
“Sorry,” Theo said softly as he rounded the medical bed. Liam tossed the knife. “None of these guys are going to talk, Liam. They’re all soldiers.”
“How do you know?”
“I know the type.”
“And none are old enough to be Gardner,” he said, frowning.
“Duncan will have to mindwalk.”
“We need to tear this place apart, too.”
“Bates and I can get the generator running after I take these two to the shuttle. You got Val?”
“Yes,” Liam said, gazing down at his soon to be father-in-law.
Theo dragged his guard over to the other, and then all three vanished, leaving him alone in the makeshift lab, with barely enough light to make out all the equipment inside. Liam didn’t have time to waste, wrapped his fingers around Valtor’s wrist, and teleported to the penthouse kitchen.
He glanced into the base, catching Duncan’s eye.
“What happened?” Duncan called as he teleported to the doorway.
“Nothing good,” Liam answered, watching Lexa and Bates near the exit as Duncan went to his father’s side. “Hinta and Theo are at the shuttle with the guards, they’re going to need your help. Where’s Dina?”
“Uh,” Lexa stammered, gazing back into the base.
Liam shuddered and darted through the group to see Dina in a fetal position on the couch in the lounge. He knelt beside her, brushing the hair from her forehead. Duncan came into the base, carrying his father and frowning. He set Valtor on the chair across from the couch and tried to make him as comfortable as possible.
“Medlab is full,” Duncan sighed. “I didn’t want to wake her…”
“What happened?” Liam asked.
“She pulled Caelum into her memories again,” Lexa began, taking Bates’s hand when he came to her side. “But she’s okay, we’ve been monitoring her as best we could without the medbeds.”
“How are the others?” he asked, studying Dina’s face, unsure if he should probe her mind and try to wake her either.
“Kim said Zila should be awake soon, the others…we’re not sure,” Bates answered. “The bioscans found a trace of something in their blood that we can’t identify.”
Duncan nodded. “Along with the cocktail Cogers came up with…on steroids.”
“They’ve perfected it,” Liam mused, turning to Lexa. “Caelum?”
“In Rivia’s ship with Sanjeeta, he was pretty messed up.”
Torn between staying at Dina’s side and getting back to work, Liam met eyes with Bates as he rose to his feet. “Theo’s going to need help on site in Virginia while Hinta and Duncan interrogate the Phoenix guards. Get Aime access to the computers so she can start going through their files.”
“You got it, mate,” Bates replied, kissed Lexa’s cheek and went for the exit.
“You want me to send Jazara back to help out?” Duncan asked, reluctantly leaving his family unconscious in the lounge and following Bates.
“Kim went to the store to get some supplies and soup for Zila and the others when they wake,” Lexa said, moving toward the hub. “And Casey texted earlier to check in, she says she needs another hour or two, we should be okay.”
Duncan nodded and exited.
Lexa called back from the stations. “What is she working on?”
Liam answered. “Identifying Gardner.”
“Grr, this guy. I swear…if I knew who he was…” Lexa grumbled as she walked to the last station in back and glanced at the screen. “You have to look at this thing in their blood…it’s gotta be alien, Liam.”
A shiver ran up his spine. He teleported to the hub and brought up all three medical scans from the medlab. He reviewed their DNA scans, neurological readings, and blood work. As stated, Zila had the barainum-drug cocktail in her system, Marjorie and the unidentified male psychic both had the weaponized version and something else in their blood.
Aime had nothing in her database to compare it to, therefore couldn’t identify what it was. However, she extrapolated an image from a microscopic scan. It didn’t help much, he needed to look himself, with a sample.
Whatever it was seemed to multiply in their bloodstream, keeping the barainum in the system longer. His gaze settled across the room on Dina. She was their best chance at healing Marjorie and the man, but Liam wasn’t sure she should share her energy anymore after Caelum’s revelation.
“Lexa, I need a fresh sample of blood from both, can you set it next to my microscope in the techroom?”
“Sure, no problem,” she replied and vanished.
While Lexa got to work, Liam reviewed all three medical profiles again. That was when it hit him. The barainum cocktail affected all three equally. The male psychic, Marjorie, a descendant, and Zila a visitor.
Growing nauseous, he tapped in a command to Aime to see if there was anything in any of the databases that could help remove the barainum quicker or at the very least a countermeasure against future attacks.
Several minutes later, Lexa returned base and checked on Valtor and Dina before taking a seat in front of the hub.
“Everything’s ready,” she said.
“Thank you,” he replied and glanced down at his screen when the station beeped. “Casey’s back.”
He and Lexa both gazed toward the opened door. When Casey walked in with a bright smile on her face, Liam sensed the hope spilling off her.
“You found something?” Lexa rose from her seat.
“Thanks to Duncan, yes,” Casey replied and froze near the hub gasping. “For fuck’s sake, what happened?
“Long story, they’re okay, what do you have,” Liam asked more anxiously than he meant to come off.
“Picture of Gardner.” Casey pulled out her Netphone and went to Dina’s usual station and set it down on top. “Aime, can you pull up the three most recent pictures I took.”
“Affirmative.”
Three images of an unfamiliar man filled the screen. One from at least twenty years ago fit the description Admiral Reich gave to Theo. The second and third seemed to be a different man, the eye coloring was the same, but the face had changed drastically due to a hundred pound weight gain and full beard.
“No wonder we had no luck with facial recognition,” Lexa said.
“How did you find these?” Liam asked as he read the text under two of the pictures stating the man’s rank, name, and post: Captain Stanley Gardner, Special Envoy to Child Health Services.
“He may have scrubbed his internet presence, but the Military always has print backups of most official photos. The first is from a type of military yearbook and the other two came from a press release and a fundraiser.”
“Terrific work, Casey,” Liam said, nodding. “I’ll have to remember to thank Duncan as well.”
“I’ve been so enamored by your tech that I forgot my roots. Leg work, research, paper trails, they’re all important, too.”
“All the more reason we need everyone working together and not on five different things at once,” Lexa said with a shrug. “When it’s urgent like this, I mean.”
“Agreed,” Liam replied and glanced up at the hanging monitors. “Aime, begin facial recognition on the new photo of Gardner. Concentrate on the Phoenix building and all previous locations specified.”
“And England,” Casey added.
“Yeah, he supposedly moved there after he retired a few years back and the UK is jacked with CCTV, should be easy to get into their archives,” Lexa said. “Considering the black site trace is a bust this may be the break we need.”
“We still have the computers at Phoenix,” Liam added. “Check in with Bates, get an ETA. I’m afraid we’re going to have to pull a double shift.”
***
The moment he woke in Rivia’s ship, every memory left in Dina’s head tore through his mind. He saw himself arguing with the group and leaving. Dina begged her brother and Liam to help find another missing person. Then Kim and Valtor got sick. Hinta was next. He didn’t see how
. Duncan and Liam both died in Dina’s arms. It all seemed so vivid, so real.
Dina sat in the middle of the penthouse kitchen, sobbing into her knees. “Where are you Caelum?”
He appeared behind her, frowning. “I am here.”
She was on her feet in an instant shoving him back with a hard shove to his chest. “You bastard!”
Caelum seized her wrists, fear on his face. “What happened?”
Tears filled her eyes. “All of us…we’re all infected, Caelum.”
“With what?”
“Something…a virus, I don’t know. Sandee’s immune for some reason—you met her right? Not the rest of us, Theo, Jazara, and now Lexa’s showing symptoms…I guess we were better at holding it off?”
“Where is she?”
“They’re all in the medlab.”
Caelum and Dina blipped into the base medical room. He ignored Theo and Jazara sleeping on cots on the floor and went to Lexa, who was groaning on the medbed looking paler than normal. Her quivering lips were dark purple. “Elexanji?”
Her eyes fluttered open. “Hey, you came back.”
“I am sorry, Lexa, I…I’m not supposed to interfere.”
“I know, but this is—” She coughed violently and spit up blood.
“This virus attacks indiscriminately, psychic, visitor, and descendant. Liam could explain it better…” Dina said, covering her eyes and holding back a sob. “Help me save who’s left, Caelum. Please.”
“How?”
“Feed me energy until I can heal them. We have to survive, all of us.”
“Of course,” he said, glancing to Jazara and Theo. “It’s not my intention to let you suffer, Dina. I simply can’t—”
“Yeah, interfere, I get it, just…concentrate,” she said, taking Jazara by with wrist and shoving her hand toward him. She spent several minutes absorbing his energy and feeding it to Jazara easily sensing her coming around. Next, she concentrated on Theo with the same satisfying results.
When they approached Lexa, the transfer of energy quickened, making them both dizzy. She wasn’t healing like the others.
“What’s wrong?” Caelum asked.
“It’s not working.”
“Try again.”
She began shaking her head. “I don’t think I can heal us…we’re too far gone,” Dina whimpered and covered her face. “Jazara was wrong, I can’t save them.”
“Did Jazara see a vision?” Caelum drew Dina’s hands from her face. “Star-wielder, look at me. Did she see a vision?”
Dina nodded. “She said I was going to save them, but I had to wait…forty years.”
Caelum snapped back to reality with everything in his mind. His head throbbed and his body ached. With a grunt, he flashed into the medical room, wincing as he rummaged through the cabinets for something to take away the pain. The lack of supplies that would work on him set him off. He blasted all the doors open, sending the contents tumbling into the room.
A wave of familiarity slammed into him, knocking him off his feet. The force grew stronger, tried to surround him with calm, but it wasn’t taking away his pain.
“Caelum?”
He glanced up, narrowing his gaze on the human psychic standing before him. The female’s presence warmed his body pushing everything aside. “I know you.”
“Yes.” She lifted her hand. He noticed the trembling. “You do.”
“Who are you?” he growled, as the silver shimmer surrounded his body to protect his mind from her attempts at penetrating it.
The female stepped closer, keeping her hand elevated. “I’m your Conduit, Enhancer. Take my hand, let me show you.”
“Rivia is dead,” he snapped, shifting into her personal space and staring down.
“I know. I’m sorry. Nevertheless, I am your Conduit now. Look at me, Caelum.”
“I see you, human. More than your mind can possibly comprehend.”
“Baby blues,” she replied, lifting her hand, and breaking through the barrier to touch his cheek.
His shield vanished and vision flipped. The stunning creature staring at him had the most amazing eye color he’d seen on a human and the silver ring of the Conduit around her irises. Her flawless brown skin, full lips, and adorable haircut knocked the air out of his lungs.
“There you are,” she said, smiling and causing his heart to thump.
Every moment of the last four days raged through his mind. Caelum winced as his knees buckled.
“Careful,” she replied, catching him by the arm and helping him to lean against the medical cabinet. The link between them happened naturally, instantly quieting his mind and allowing all his recent emotions to boil over. Unable to contain them, his body shuddered and eyes welled. She noticed and wrapped her arms around his neck as she pressed against him, adding a swell of new emotions to the mix. Her name filled his mind.
Sanjeeta?
It’s me, I’m here, she replied, shaking as well.
I saw… he attempted as he wrapped his arms around her body, absorbing her heat, sensing her arousal, remembering their time together and everything he’d said before leaving her.
What did you see?
The others…they were sick, Dina and Lexa were dying. I gave my life to heal them knowing Dina would go back to warn everyone. I had no Conduit to leave behind or stop me.
That’s all changed now, isn’t it?
He knew she was right and the guilt overwhelmed him. He’d seen what originally happened. He knew they had already altered the future. In the memories residing in Dina’s head, Sanjeeta wasn’t his Conduit. She wasn’t his lover. He’d left the MIND team for an empty life. A life consisted of moving from planet to planet, year after year, passing the time, and trying to find a place to belong.
You belong with me, she whispered in his mind, sniffling.
Caelum tightened his hold, aware of the flutter in his chest. After all I have said and done…you will still have me?
Sanjeeta leaned back and met his cautious stare. She curled her fingers around his neck, rubbing a thumb tenderly against his earlobe. “The four days you were gone were the worst of my life, Caelum. What I feel when we’re together…it’s indescribable. Now…now our bond can be so much stronger if you stay.”
“Keeping my distance from the team resulted in their exposure to this virus and not meeting you, Sanjeeta. I only returned because Dina’s mind fractured, otherwise you would not be here in my arms.”
“Maybe this is the universe’s way of confirming it…we’re fated, Caelum. I’m your Conduit.”
Caelum lifted his hand to her cheek, smiling. “On the contrary, little star, I am your Enhancer.”
Chapter Twenty-nine
Dina woke to soft chatter and loud clacking on the hub keyboard. As she rubbed her eyes thinking they should switch to an LED keyboard or at least a touch screen, she winced at the crick in her neck and lifted her head from the odd angle to see she was lying on the couch. Unfolding her body to stretch, she sat up and glanced toward the hub.
Liam’s head turned and his eyes flashed as he teleported to her side. She threw her arms around him, soaking up his freely given energy, and using it to heal her aching body. When he kissed her cheek, she realized her mind felt completely within her control. She sensed the walled off memories were still there, but the ones left behind didn’t seem so strong anymore.
Feeling better? he asked as he gazed down.
Yes, a ton better, what’s going on?
Mostly everyone’s in the living room talking with Val and Zila. Liam looked back to the med lab. “Marjorie and Travis, the kid’s name, they’re not doing well.”
“What’s wrong?”
“They have synthetic white blood cells laced with nanotechnology in their bodies attacking all their healthy cells…” Liam said, frowning. “It’s nothing I’ve seen before, but it’s not a disease, Dina, you should be able to heal them.”
None of his words triggered anything in her mind, however, she still fe
lt uneasy after everything that Caelum said. “What if I am making everyone stronger?”
“It’s something we can test over time, Dina, but I feel the same as Duncan, I’ll happily strengthen my abilities and live longer so long as you remain at my side.”
“I always will,” she replied, pressing her forehead to his. “After we get Gardner, I want to get married, Liam. I don’t want to wait anymore.”
“Nor do I,” he said, tipping her chin. “And we’re getting closer. Casey found his picture.”
“Really? That’s terrific.” The smile came automatically as she rose from the couch and took his hand. “I’m sure Aime’s already searching—”
“Yes, she is, and now that you’re awake, we can talk with the others and forge a new plan to go after him.”
“We should do that first, I’m going to need some fuel before I try to heal anyone,” she said, tugging him into the kitchen.
“I can make a pizza and pour you a shake, extra agave just for you,” Liam said, pulling her hand to his mouth and kissing it before breaking off for the EcoFridge.
“Thanks, spaceboy.”
He winked. “You’re welcome, Earth girl.”
Blushing, she went right through the kitchen and paused once she crossed the threshold. Jazara and Zila sat together on the loveseat talking with Duncan, Kim, and Valtor sitting across from them on the living room couch. Lexa sat on Bates’s lap in one of the chairs while Theo stood behind Casey’s chair.
“Dina!” Kim said, jolting the group.
“Hi.” Dina said as she approached.
“Hey, feeling better?” Duncan asked as every head turned her way.
“Much.” She nodded, approaching Jazara and sitting on the arm of the couch. “Where’re the others?”
“Hinta’s at the Phoenix building working with Aime to network their computers. They have a ton of information on several severs. It’s taking longer than we thought,” Theo said.
“We did, however, learn this is a privately funded operation with no ties to the military or government,” Valtor added, smiling at her.
