Unspeakable (Beyond Human)

by Nina Croft

  A woman came to join him, and a genuine smile wiped the coldness from his face. She had her back to them. Tall, slender, with long black hair. Travis leaned in close, kissed her cheek and looped his hand through hers. His gaze caught Ethan’s again, and his expression was blank. Then they were both heading their way.

  “What the fuck?” Sadie’s fingers dug into his arm.

  “What is it?”

  She gritted her teeth. “Who the fuck is that?” The words came out as a growl, and he turned to peer at her. “The woman with Travis—who is she?”

  “That’s Travis’s wife, Joelle.” He’d been at the wedding, but hadn’t really talked to her in any meaningful way, and after that, she’d stayed in the background. Now, he studied her as she walked toward them on Travis’s arm. And something clicked in his head. It was the reason why Sadie had seemed so familiar from the start. The similarity went way deeper than mere hair and eye color. They weren’t identical, but close. The curve of her cheek, the straight nose, even the way she moved.

  “Do you know her?” he asked, though the answer was obvious.

  “She’s my goddamned sister. My goddamned dead sister. What the fuck is going on?”

  …

  A scream welled up inside her.

  No!

  Kaitlin went still as everything around her seemed to slow while her mind raced.

  Don’t panic.

  This wasn’t happening. She wouldn’t allow it to happen.

  Her gaze took in the room, everyone and everything in it. Fergus was still strapped in his seat, an expression of…pity on his face. No help. Or maybe…

  A diversion. He’d offer them a diversion, and she gave a quick nod. It wouldn’t be enough. They were unarmed. Two guards plus Peterson.

  “Dex. We have to move and we have to move now.” The guard was already turning him around, shoving him back against the wall, his hand moving to the pistol at his waist.

  “I know. Maybe…you don’t need to die. Live. Get out of here. Make the world a better place.”

  “Fuck off. If you die, I die. But we’re not going to die. They are.”

  Peterson was unarmed—they could leave him until last. But they had to take down the guards.

  “Wait until Fergus moves,” she said. “Then go for your guard.”

  He was already pulling the weapon from the holster. She went into Fergus’s mind. Now, he told her, and at the same moment, he heaved himself backward crashing his chair to the ground. She was vaguely aware of Dex diving for the guard, but she focused on her own. His attention swerved to the man on the floor, and his grip on her arm loosened. She jabbed her elbow up beneath his chin then whirled around and kneed him in the balls. He swayed but stayed upright, and she kicked her foot into his shin and slammed the edge of her hand into his throat so he choked and bent over. Fisting her hands together, she chopped him over the back of the neck so he collapsed to his knees. He was stronger than her, and she couldn’t afford to let him get in a single blow or a hold.

  “Kaitlin, catch.”

  Dex threw the pistol, and she snatched it out of the air, smashing the weapon over the back of the guard’s head, and finally, he collapsed to the floor. She spun around, shifting the gun in her hand.

  The whole thing had only taken seconds, and Peterson stood, eyes wide as if he had no clue what was going on. Stupid fucker.

  She raised the pistol, and without hesitation, she shot him between the eyes, feeling no remorse as he toppled backward, hit the wall, and slid down, eyes open and staring.

  There was a movement behind her, and she whirled around, raised the pistol and aimed.

  “Whoa,” Dex said in her head, and she forced her hand to relax and fall to her side. She blew the air out of her lungs, and then took a deep breath and looked around. Dex’s guard was unconscious, as was hers. But who knew for how long? She hunkered down, pulled the pistol from the holster, tossed it to Dex, then searched the man, found cuffs attached to his belt, and she hauled his arms behind his back and cuffed them. Dex was doing the same to his guard. Only when they were secured did some of the tension drain out of her, and her shoulders slumped. She closed her eyes briefly.

  Christ, she’d thought that was the end.

  She didn’t want to die.

  And they still had to get out of there. Where was Jake?

  Fergus was still on the floor tied to his chair, and she went across and unfastened the restraints. He eyed her warily as he pushed himself to his feet. He wanted to warn his boss, was unsure if they’d let him, and was wondering if he could take them. She lifted the pistol, aimed it at his chest.

  “No,” she said. But she went to where Peterson’s body lay slumped on the floor and crouched down, delved in his pocket, and pulled out the cell phone. She straightened and held it out to Fergus.

  “Go ahead,” she said. “But be quick. I want to get out of here.”

  He took the phone, then punched in a number, lifted it, his gaze darting between the two of them. “Ethan, you have a problem. Travis knows about your girlfriend.”

  He listened for a moment. “I’m fine. But your security is compromised. Stay in the main room until I get there.”

  He ended the call, put the phone in his pocket, and nodded to her. “Let’s go.”

  As she turned, gunshots cracked the silence outside the door. A moment later, it was kicked open, and Jake stood there. Stefan and Connor behind him.

  For a moment, they stared at each other, and she could feel a grin stretching her mouth. Jake glanced past her at the bodies littering the floor.

  “Been busy?” he asked.

  She gave a shrug. “We had to do something while we waited for you.” Then she dropped the pistol to the floor and ran into his arms.

  He wrapped them around her and held her tight. For the first time in months, she felt at peace. But this wasn’t over yet. She raised her head.

  “Sadie’s in trouble.”

  …

  Her mind was in turmoil.

  What the fuck was going on?

  She hardly noticed the approaching man. All her attention was fixed on her sister.

  “Josie?” She reached out with her mind and found nothing. An emptiness. Or a wall she couldn’t breach. She wasn’t sure which. She came out of her mind and looked into her face. Josie appeared normal, but there was a blankness to her eyes. A smile was fixed on her face, but there was absolutely no recognition.

  Ethan’s hand tightened on her arm as though in warning. “Don’t make a scene here,” he told her in an undertone. “You’ll be taken out immediately. There are snipers watching from the balconies.”

  Glancing up and around, she spotted one directly across from their little group. She swallowed and breathed deeply. She couldn’t lose it. Not if she wanted answers. But none of this made sense. She’d felt off balance since she’d walked into the ballroom and recognized it from her vision. All these people unconscious or dead.

  It hadn’t been real. There was no reason to think it might come true. All the same, she’d had to fight the urge to warn them, to scream at them to get out of there, something bad was coming. But she had no clue what. And she had a headache forming at the base of her skull, dulling her mind.

  She was sure the woman in front of her was Josie, but Ethan had said she was Travis’s wife. Joelle. What the fuck?

  They’d reached them now, and she didn’t know what to do. What to say. The world had turned to chaos. Everything she’d believed was overturned. The woman was dressed in a long cream lace gown that showed off her vivid coloring. Diamonds at her throat and ears glittered in the light. Her long black hair gleamed with health. She looked sleek and expensive…like a sleek, expensive fucking doll.

  Sadie had never seen her sister’s body. But she’d never doubted for a second that Josie was dead. Why would she have doubted? She’d lost contact. They’d been in each other’s minds since they’d first become telepathic. And now, there was nothing there. Just a huge hole where her
sister had once been.

  Fury rose inside her.

  For the first time, she turned her attention to the man at her sister’s side, the man with a possessive arm at her sister’s waist. He had a look of Ethan about him, same height, same dark hair, though his was longer and his eyes were a pale, cold gray. She couldn’t get inside his head, but then they’d expected that. So he was going to have to tell her what the hell had happened to her sister.

  She opened her mouth as Ethan’s phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. Some of the tension went out of his shoulders as he listened, and she delved into his thoughts.

  Fergus. He was alive.

  “I know,” Ethan answered, “We’re with him now. At the party.”

  He listened again. “I won’t.”

  He put the phone back in his pocket and turned his attention to Travis. “What the hell is going on?”

  Travis ignored the question and turned to the woman at his side. “I need to talk business, darling. Why don’t you go and get a glass of champagne? Mingle for a little while.”

  She smiled sweetly. “Of course.” She nodded to Sadie and Ethan and glided away. Sadie watched her go. The body might be that of her sister, but the mind was gone. She was like some fucking Stepford wife.

  She took a step closer to Travis.

  “Sadie,” Ethan murmured from her side. He was scared she was going to get herself shot.

  “I’ll be good,” she said. “But I want answers.”

  “And what makes you think I’ll give them to you,” Travis replied.

  Arrogant fucking bastard.

  “Because if you don’t, I’ll rip your fucking arms off and beat you to death with them.”

  His eyes widened, as though she wasn’t what he’d expected. Maybe he’d thought she was another Josie. But Josie had always been the sweet one. No one had ever accused Sadie of being sweet.

  “What the fuck have you done to my fucking sister?” she snarled.

  He didn’t answer her, but just turned to Ethan. “What do you think they”—he waved a hand around the room—“are going to say when I tell them you brought a telepath into their midst?”

  “If you do that, I’ll tell them you’re married to one.”

  She followed his gaze to where Josie stood with her back to them, talking to Ethan’s father.

  “I’m afraid poor Joelle has lost her ability to read minds.”

  “Her name is Josie, and what did you do to her?”

  He shrugged and brought his attention back to Sadie. “Personally, nothing. We wanted to investigate ways to…limit your powers. Ultimately, turn them on and off. Unfortunately, your sister was the first test case, and she woke up from the operation with no abilities and no memories beyond that day. She’d been scheduled for termination—of no more use to us. I happened to be there that day. You could say it was love at first sight.”

  Her eyes pricked and she blinked. All these years, she’d believed Josie dead. Would that be better than this half-life? She looked over at her sister; she was laughing, her head back. She looked young and beautiful and carefree.

  “Christ,” Ethan said. “That’s why you went dark.”

  “I had no choice. There was someone coming after her people. Somehow finding them, when we’d failed. I couldn’t risk them coming after Joelle.”

  “Josie. Her goddamned name is Josie.”

  Travis shrugged. “I do love her. And she loves me.”

  “She wouldn’t, if she knew what you’d done.”

  “And you’d tell her and spoil her happiness.”

  She glared at him. But he wasn’t living, no matter what. She didn’t care how unhappy it would make her sister—Josie would get over it. “It will probably help her reconcile herself to being a widow.”

  “You’ll hardly be able to kill me from your cell.”

  She opened her mouth to answer, when the pain in her skull flared into life, and a scream pierced her mind. She dragged her attention from Travis, as the first body folded, almost gently, to the ground.

  Chapter Seventeen

  All around her, people were falling, crashing to the floor, glasses smashing.

  A splash of scarlet across the room drew her eye; the woman Lauren, sprawled on the floor unconscious or dead. Beside her, Ethan gave a cry and collapsed to his knees, and then the floor. He lay on his back, his eyes closed. Panic kicked in, forcing her to move.

  Sadie sank down beside him, put a trembling hand to his throat, felt the flutter of his pulse, and some of her terror receded. Hopefully, the rest were also just unconscious. Though it did occur to her that if they were all dead, Kane would be happy. Bloodthirsty fucker.

  What the hell had happened?

  Were they under attack? But by who?

  The pain in her head had gone, but something hovered at the edge of her mind, trying to push into her thoughts. Something strange and yet familiar. She stayed crouched down and searched the room. Only a few people were left upright. Josie stood amongst the bodies as if petrified. Ethan’s father was beside her, looking around, and then close by, Travis, his attention fixed on his wife. As she watched, he hurried over, spoke to her, and she nodded, clung to his arm.

  Common denominator. Either Tribe or reflector device. So it was some sort of psychic attack. But she’d never come across anyone with even close to this much power.

  What to do.

  Something was going to happen. She sensed it.

  She felt too exposed in the middle of the room, so she grabbed Ethan by the shoulders, dragged him across the marble floor until they were behind one of the long tables holding food. It was the best she could do for now.

  She wanted to call to the others, to Rose or Jake, but maybe they were behind this. She didn’t know, and frustration clawed at her.

  At least she could try and bring Ethan around. She reached into his pocket, found where he’d stuffed the reflector device, and pulled it out, placing it around his head. He twitched a little, but his eyes remained closed.

  She got his cell phone next, punched in Rose’s number, but something was blocking the signal. She breathed slowly, forced her panic down, and concentrated hard.

  “Rose?”

  “I’m here.” Her voice was faint but understandable.

  “Something’s happened. Almost everyone is unconscious…or dead.”

  “Should I come in?”

  “No, you’re more use on the outside. I’ll take a look around, see if I can see anything. But it was some sort of psi attack.”

  “Let me know if you find anything. I’m ready to come in if you need me. Oh, and Jake has found Kaitlin and the others.”

  “That’s wonderful. I have to go now.”

  “I’ll be waiting. I’ll keep watch for anything moving out here.”

  She breathed deeply, forcing back the panic, getting her mind to function. In…out. A measure of calm returned. First, she needed a weapon. She peered around the edge of the table. No one had moved, they appeared frozen in place. Though, as she watched, Travis crouched down beside the nearest body and put his finger to the woman’s throat. “They’re alive,” he said. “Something must have knocked them out.”

  “Gas?” Ethan’s father asked.

  “I don’t know. But I suspect not.”

  He’d probably also made the connection with the reflector device.

  He looked around, searching the room, as if only just realizing that she and Ethan had vanished. She looked past him, up to the balconies, and saw the crumpled body of one of the snipers. She needed to get up there. Get a weapon, but she didn’t want to leave Ethan.

  Reaching across, she checked his pulse; it was stronger now, steady.

  Time to go.

  But as she made to move, the double doors were flung open and two figures stood in the opening. They looked…she couldn’t put her finger on it, but not quite right. They wore black, close-fitting military uniforms—she’d never seen anything like them before—with some sort of weapon
s in their hands, and masks over their faces.

  Time seemed to slow. They looked around, their gazes settling on the only upright people. As they raised their guns, aiming at the little group, Travis pushed Josie, sending her crashing to the ground. One of the soldiers opened fire and a bolt left the weapon, cutting Travis down so he almost pitched to the floor, hitting it hard. He lay still. The other aimed for Ethan’s father, but he was already on the move, diving for cover.

  “What the hell is happening?” Ethan spoke in a low voice from beside her.

  Thank God, he was awake. “Shh,” she whispered. “We’re under attack. Almost everyone is down and unconscious. And they’re shooting everyone else.”

  “Who is?”

  “I have no clue.” If this was Kane’s work, he would die for it. But she didn’t believe that. They would have warned her. And she knew all their people, and these two were strangers. She’d swear it, even with the masks. Besides, while this had been a psi attack, it was beyond anything they could do. Plus, they were going after the people who remained conscious, not the Conclave who were out cold.

  Sadie peered around the edge of the table, focusing on the two soldiers. She reached out with her mind, but hit a wall when she tried to get into their heads. At each body, they checked the pulse, but left them alone when they realized they were unconscious. Josie was still on the ground where Travis had thrown her. She wasn’t moving. One of them reached Travis and crouched down. They removed the reflector device, studied it for a moment, and then shot him between the eyes.

  She had to stop them before they reached Josie. “I need a weapon,” she said to Ethan.

  “My father will have a gun,” he replied. “He’s the only one allowed to carry at this thing, and he never goes anywhere unarmed.”

  They were moving methodically around the room, checking each body. It was only a matter of time before they reached Josie, or found their hiding place. She searched the room, saw the slightest twitch of movement from behind the table opposite them.