by Regan Black
"I don't think so. Not in this town, with this lunatic on the loose. Go find her. Preferably them."
"You know I don't work for you."
"Yet you're in my region, tailing a valued member of my team. I've got resources too, Callahan."
Gideon didn't react. It was just one more piece to fill in the big picture. He needed that picture filled in ASAP. Especially the piece that showed who was behind the massacre in the Sears tower office.
"Find them and let me know. Whatever's going on, you can trust me."
Gideon didn't bother to explain he trusted no one. In their line of work, Kincaid would know that.
He left the kitchen gore behind for the controlled chaos of his room. He sent another message to the Commandant's address as he packed his clothing, surveillance gear, and computers. He left long enough to borrow a cart from housekeeping and then he bagged his trash, changed the linens, and scrubbed the bathroom. Leaving Petra to her own devices wasn't ideal, but the last thing he needed was to feed extra clues to Kristoff's henchmen or Kincaid's snoops.
There was no doubt the Health Chairman was manipulating facts and people to his own benefit. Gideon's department had been trying to unravel the how and why for several years already. It was that unraveling that dropped Nathan into the lion's den of prison since a peripheral op had knocked Gideon out of play.
Satisfied with his cleaning effort, he replaced the housekeeping supplies. After stashing the gear he didn't want to carry in another suite, two floors up, he went in search of Petra.
* * *
Petra felt Kelly's eyes on her. "I'm fine."
"You're pale."
"I'm naturally pale," Petra insisted.
"Uh-huh."
Kelly went silent for a minute or two and Petra enjoyed the hum of Nathan's car embracing her. She'd only feel better if he were driving. "I'm glad you brought the car." Kelly didn't answer. "Where are we going?"
"I was hoping you'd tell me. You're sitting on the map."
Petra opened one eye, but the passing scenery only made her stomach churn more. She shifted and recovered the flat square from under her backside. "Most people stick this on the dash or console."
Kelly huffed. "Most people aren't driving a classic Mustang. Nathan won't want to detail this beauty first thing after his release."
"He's scheduled for release?" Petra revived instantly.
"Not yet."
She deflated just as quickly. "I can't see him, Kelly. Can't reach him. He pushes me away."
"He doesn't want you close to this. He wants to keep you safe."
Petra held her tongue, since all she wanted to do was scream. It wasn't Kelly's fault she couldn't reach her brother. She'd hired Kelly for her clarity of thought and intuitive skills. Yelling at her for the very gifts she appreciated made no sense. At the moment self-control was a precious commodity.
"Where to, Petra?"
"University of Chicago campus."
Kelly drove around the next block and aimed the car in the right direction. "Past the museums right?"
"Sort of." Petra programmed the holographic map, pressed display and then closed her eyes and laid her head back on the seat.
The images came softly, sneaking into her mind like a lover's whisper. Nathan's last day at work. The shell of the scientist's body in the lab. Her mother's eyes first warm, then bitter cold. Her own face on a statue in the ancient city of Petra.
Then she was the statue, looking down into streets bustling with life and trade. She heard the prayers and tears of those seeking her intervention. She smelled the incense and burnt flesh of animal sacrifices.
The power swelled through her body. A rush, an infilling she could taste and savor. There was no emptiness or inadequacy. She was perfect, sought after, in control.
This was her temple, her home on earth, built by those devoted to her fair and just control.
The temple bells began to ring. Round, clear notes that carried through the city. Passersby stopped to kneel at her sculpted visage. She heard their thoughts, knew their hearts, and drenched them with her soothing peace.
At last she'd found her place. The glorious sense of belonging filled her more.
When the earth trembled, and the wrenching sound split the earth, she tried to protect her devotees. They fell, scrambled, hurting each other in their terror. She gathered her power to restore calm, but she couldn't control either man or nature. She wept, her tears becoming a torrent that washed everything away.
"Petra!"
She watched her beautiful statue shiver and crumble.
"Petra! Wake up!"
Petra opened her eyes to Kelly's worried face and panicked touch. "A dream. Thank God."
"A dream? Try nightmare. You were crying and thrashing so much you almost knocked me out."
Petra's nerves were shot. Her skin prickled and her heart thudded in her chest. They were parked, but not anywhere she recognized. "Where are we?"
"Burnham Park. Like the view?"
"It's dark."
"True." Kelly touched her forehead. "You were sleeping so well. You even looked happy. I was afraid to stop the car and wake you."
Petra couldn't argue. That had been one of Kelly's first instructions. Because often when Petra appeared asleep she was really gathering information. If she only knew how to interpret this onslaught of feelings and images.
"Enduring physical harm goes above and beyond your job description. Thanks for pulling me out of the nightmare."
"Need to talk about it?"
She rubbed her eyes. "You'd think being a beloved goddess would be a dream."
Kelly shivered theatrically. "Not to me. I'm not into that whole blood sacrifice thing."
Petra laughed, the sound restoring her perspective. "Me neither, but they loved me. Until I couldn't save them."
"What destroyed them?"
"Earthquake." She rubbed her arms, trying to purge her mind of the images as she told Kelly. "The ground made the most horrendous noise. People were terrified, begging me to intervene. They didn't get that I was useless. Oh, the smell! It was..."
She stopped, realizing it was the same smell from the battle at the steel mill. Having a sense of smell in her dreams was beginning to bug her as much as hearing bells.
"What was the smell?" Kelly prompted.
"Sulfur. I'm missing something, Kelly. Something big."
"Where should we start looking for it?"
"It's hovering on the edges–just out of my reach."
"Like when you're close to someone up to no good?"
"Bigger. Heavier than that." Petra decided to share or be devoured by the perplexity. "No one smells in dreams, Kelly. Going back as far as I can recall, I've never experienced any aroma or scent in my dreams. Until the call that brought me out here. I think the smell is a signal of something manipulating my dreams or flights. Whoever it is either doesn't know they're telegraphing, or doesn't care."
"Whoever framed Nathan wouldn't care."
"It makes me feel better to know you believe he's innocent. Only someone at the highest authority could've railroaded him like this."
"Speaking of high authority...ever heard of Leo Kristoff?"
"Of course."
"Do you recall where?"
"On the news most likely." At least originally.
"Or maybe the dinner table." Kelly flipped on the overhead light and reached into the back seat. She came back around and plunked the thick file on Petra's lap. "He was your mother's obstetrician."
"You said the practice dissolved and the physicians were unnamed."
"I didn't have time to tell you I broke their coding system. Once I got the list of doctors, I researched them all. Kristoff has the most accomplished career."
Everything and everyone pointed to Kristoff. There had to be evidence somewhere to connect him and stop him, but stop him from what? If he'd been so integral in her mother's pregnancies, why sabotage his own 'work'? If he was behind Nathan's imprisonment, she might n
ever uncover enough to prove her brother's innocence. It all seemed too big, too much to tackle.
Petra sighed. "Naturally, Mom would demand the best," she said. "Someone with a huge clientele and loads of high-brow references." She thought of Gideon's rant at the hospital. "I don't recall her naming names, but Mom always raved about the doctor who helped them."
"She should. She got you and Nathan out of the deal."
"What deal?"
"Genetic experiments." Kelly opened the file and shuffled to the correct page. "Check it out. The couple saved money, Kristoff got his guinea pigs, and hopefully the kid got a neat surprise. Everybody wins."
"Guinea pigs?" Petra stared at the medical notes, far from pleased. Though she couldn't decipher it perfectly, she got the gist quickly. "He manipulated our DNA to make us...whatever we are? Why?"
"I'd bet to see if he could do it. Probably to entice parents to select him over the other infertility specialists. He's a real piece of work, Pet."
The shock was so complete she couldn't even be angry yet. She figured as soon as she regained some energy, fury would top her list. She'd have to be careful where she was and who she was with when it broke free.
Before she'd learned to shield and control her emotions they would spill out at inopportune times. Her toddler years and early school years had proven most challenging. Her parents laughed about how their little beauty didn't projectile vomit food–just rage, sadness, joy, and anything in between. She'd caused many near riots in nurseries and classrooms growing up. Her mother often said her only salvation were the moments she used her innate ability to give a person comfort.
"You're saying I'm genetically engineered."
"Oh, no you don't. I thought you might go there, so I prepared a speech. Are you listening?"
"Sure."
"I can see you want to tune me out, but maybe something will stick anyway." Kelly took a deep breath. "He might've messed with your DNA, but you're exactly who you've decided to be. You decided to nurture and apply your gifts for the greater good. You could've denied any of your talents and you didn't. You explored them and followed through. Whatever his initial intent, Kristoff didn't make you who you are right now."
"Nicely put," Petra admitted. "I'll try to remember that. Right now, I'm desperately tired and trying to figure out how and why a serial killer has latched onto me."
"The guy you sensed in the hotel was the serial killer Kincaid's been tracking?"
"Yes. I was able to manipulate his memory to get us out."
"Without touch?"
"That's right."
"Whoa. That's a significant growth spurt."
"Don't credit me. That's Jaden."
"Who?"
"My sister. The sibling I thought you'd find. She's not a blood relative in this life. We were sisters in the mid 1900's."
Kelly blinked her huge, dark eyes. "You're serious. Past lives?"
Petra nodded. "We were very close, though I was several years younger. A really nasty pedophile used us both, but he killed me to frustrate her. Theirs is another long and sordid story that goes back a thousand years. The point is the connection between her soul and mine. It seems to enhance us both."
Kelly traced the full circle of the old-school steering wheel with her fingertip. "I think I'm tracking. When can I meet her?"
"You believe me? Just like that?"
"Are you lying?" Kelly smiled gently. "Why shouldn't I believe you? The world is full of mysteries. Eternity. Birth. The platypus. Why not reincarnation? If you've got a major, soul-deep purpose and didn't quite get it done the first time around, I can buy that you're back to finish the job."
"You constantly surprise me."
"Don't know why. I work with you, after all."
"True enough."
"You want the rest now or later?"
Petra sighed. "Now. It might distract me from not knowing where in the hell we should go."
Kelly's chin dropped. "Today must've been something serious. You never swear." She continued when Petra only grunted. "You and Nathan are twins."
Petra laughed, aware that the sound was laced with mild hysteria. "I told you we're two years apart."
"Not genetically. Genetically you're too similar to be regular siblings. I'm not sure how Kristoff managed the whole thing–aside from fertilizing two eggs at the same time–but you were kept on ice until your mother asked for his help in conceiving a little sister for her wonderful son."
"Mom or Dad would've said something."
"They couldn't have known. The records are clear enough, Petra. He got two embryos growing, told them about one, tweaked it, implanted it at the right time, and kept you to himself. I don't get the medical details, but you don't need a degree to know it was unethical and wrong."
Petra thought about the bells she'd been hearing; the unprecedented link to the serial killer. If Kristoff had programmed her somehow to receive his input...the implications of that were truly frightening. "Could he have manipulated Nathan into committing murder?" the thought slid out, uncensored.
"You said you knew he didn't do it."
Kelly's voice had risen with potential panic. Petra calmed her down. "Of course he didn't do it. Unless you ask my mother. She won't believe anything other than Nathan lost control."
"Ever wonder where your mom got such major control and responsibility issues?"
"Why would I want to know?" Petra snapped the file closed, laid her head back, and stared at the roof of the car. "I've got enough of my own issues at the moment."
"I know it's a lot to absorb. And you're not allowed to go back down that nasty path where you think you're worthless or sub-human or anything similar."
"Control freak," Petra said, attempting to tease. "I did hear you and I do get it." She opened her eyes and looked out over the dark lake. "I'm more concerned about where we go from here."
"With the Kristoff research?"
"No. With the car." Kelly did a double take at the joke, making Petra smile. "The hotel is compromised and probably the cell card, too. Got any Windy City connections?"
"Fresh out. Can't you go to Kincaid?"
"To say what? 'I think the illustrious Health Chairman is the real criminal and you should forgo your search for a ritual evisceration artist'."
"Eww." Kelly grimaced. "Ritual evisceration?"
"Yes. He's been messing with my dreams, but I don't understand how or why. He's even pulled me into his murders starting with the one they pinned on Nathan."
"So tell someone already. Your abilities have been verified as accurate evidence in past cases."
"None of those involved family. My testimony could overturn a verdict, but it's suspect because he's my brother. If you found the DNA manipulation records, the courts can, too. It could cast doubt on everything I've ever testified to."
Kelly pounded her frustration into the steering wheel. "Do you think Jaden could help you reach Nathan to get this all straight?"
"How?"
"Well if her proximity and your shared past has improved your sensitivity..."
"There's still the issue of the serial killer."
Kelly's sudden shriek interrupted her. Petra whipped around to see Gideon's face in the window. A startled squeak preceded a tidal wave of emotion that crashed over her. She shoved out of the car, making him back up to avoid getting smacked with the original steel door.
"What in the name of all that's holy are you doing here? How did you find us? You've got no right sneaking up on us. My assistant probably needs CPR and–"
"Then don't shout at me. Go help her."
His cool logic only added fire to her fury. "Get away and stay away. Tell whoever hired you that I'm permanently lost."
"That's the adrenaline talking."
"What do you mean?" Kelly asked, coming to stand beside Petra.
"She's been pushed too far recently." Gideon offered his hand and introduced himself to Kelly before continuing. "The surge and crash cycle's catching up with her," he
said.
"Her gifts are changing, too. That can take a toll," Kelly agreed.
"She's right here," Petra snapped.
Gideon didn't look away from Kelly. "If you go to this address, we'll sort this out in safety."
"You got it," Kelly rounded the car and slid back behind the wheel.
"You're just taking him at his word?" Petra's answer was the roar of the Mustang's engine.
"You'll come with me," Gideon ordered.
"I'd rather walk." She crossed her arms and looked away.
"Why are you so testy?"
"I'm sick of being followed, startled, and ordered about." She advanced, immensely pleased when he backed up. "I'm done worrying about appearances and meeting everyone's needs but my own. I have things to do and I don't need your help to do them."
"Your friend's gone. You need someone's help just to get out of here."
"Well, it won't be yours." She looked around for Kelly, or someone who looked at least half as kind. The park was empty. "I'll manage. I can get back to the Ritz and–" She squeaked when he picked her up and then sat her down hard on a motorcycle she hadn't noticed.
"Where'd you get this?" she demanded.
"The Chicago PD impound lot. Thank your sister next time you see her. It pays to have ties to the police chief." Holding her in place, he climbed on behind her. She was trapped by his arms, his chest, his legs. Her frustration she understood. Even her attraction, though she wished she could deny it. It was her temper, the recent and increasing surge of it that troubled her. Thoughts of disabling him filled her mind, though she knew it would be next to impossible. She'd had one brief lesson with Jaden. An effective lesson, but she had no delusions that it would be enough to defeat a black ops combatant also trained by her sister.
"I could call Jaden," she grumbled under her breath.
"She'd only tell you to come with me."
The motorcycle roared to life beneath her legs and her instant arousal only angered her further. She bit her tongue rather than express it and feed the negativity, but it seemed to take far more energy to remain positive, or even passive, lately. She suspected it had everything to do with her link to the killer Kincaid sought.
The wind in her face cooled her physically and took the barest edge off her internal tantrum. She closed her eyes and tried to sink into the sensations of the moment in order to relax her mind. The powerful vibration of the engine, the rush of air past her ears, the sensual symmetry as they cornered, the steady beat of his heart against her back.
