Jack patted the older man on the shoulder. “Calm down, Doc. You’ll have a heart attack. Brian’s the strongest one we’ve tested yet.”
“Yes, yes. But later I want to hear all about your escapade.” Gossling smiled at Brian. “I think you’re ready. It’s lunchtime now, so why don’t you go to the dining room, mingle a bit, and try your new toy. After that, come back here and report.” Gossling started to pat Brian on the shoulder, stopped, and pointed at the ring.
Brian twisted the stone. The doctor put his hand on Brian’s shoulder, but Brian didn’t get a thing. Relief spread through him like warm honey. “This is fabulous. Well, as long as I remember to wear this ring.”
“After a time, you might learn to control your visions without it, but for now, my boy, don’t take that ring off. Igor, come.” He pinched Jack’s earlobe between his fingers and led the poor guy away.
Brian navigated the maze of hallways until he found the elevator. It groaned slowly upward before depositing him in the main hallway. Delicious smells drifted from the dining room, and Brian looked at his watch and saw it was after one o’clock. No wonder he was so hungry.
The dining room still contained a few late diners. He went to the buffet table and got an assortment of cold cuts, some macaroni salad, and a soft drink. He sat next to a woman he’d met the previous evening but couldn’t remember her name. She glanced up at him, smiled, and continued reading her paperback mystery. Brian checked to make sure the opal rested in the proper place, than accidentally bumped her elbow. Nothing.
“Sorry.” He moved away and continued eating. His head felt better, too, and perhaps the pain was from hunger rather than the ideas he’d gotten from Jack. He stifled a chuckle. Looking at the guy, he never would have guessed.
He hadn’t seen Robin all day. Surely, she couldn’t still be asleep. He finished up and went to check her room.
The door to Robin’s room stood open, the bed had been made, but there was no sign of her. Brian shrugged. She had to be around here somewhere, maybe outside enjoying the nice weather. He made a quick stop in his room to freshen up then went looking for her.
Chapter Fifteen
In her dream, Robin was in the desert. Hot sun seared her skin, and she knew she should get up and leave before she got a worse burn, but she couldn’t move. Something held her down. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.
Slowly, she swam into consciousness and pried her eyes open. Sweat-slicked hair slithered across her cheek and into the corner of her mouth. She struggled to sit up, finally realizing that somehow the bedspread had tangled around her.
With a jerk, she pulled the fabric out from under her. The air of the room cooled her, and she looked down at her sweaty, wrinkled uniform.
“What on earth?”
Slowly and deliberately, she swung her feet out and over the edge of the bed. Her head thrummed painfully, and she swayed when she tried to stand. Holding onto the bed, then the desk and a chair, she made her way to the bathroom. Once there, she stripped off all of her clothes and stood under the beating cool water of the shower.
What had happened? The last thing she remembered was going into dinner, starting to eat, then….nothing. She hadn’t drunk that much wine, had she?
Hot tears of humiliation mingled with the cold water. She wanted to curl up and die. Brian must have put her to bed after she got drunk at dinner. But she had only had two glasses of wine, she was sure.
She leaned back against the wall, opened her mouth, and drank the cold shower water. Feeling better, she got out and toweled herself off. She’d go next door and see to Brian, apologize, and…her heart skipped a beat when she looked at her watch. It was eleven o’clock.
“Oh, my God! What happened to me?” Quickly she ran into the bedroom, yanked on underwear, a pair of jeans, and T-shirt. She jammed her feet in flip-flops before going to the connecting door to Brian’s room. His room was empty.
Why had he left her all alone? What if he wasn’t even at the institute anymore? On the edge of panic, she made herself take deep, calming breaths. She went back into her room, dried her hair, and put on some makeup. There had to be an explanation for Brian’s absence.
She wandered through the halls of the mansion, her flip-flops echoing in the emptiness. She looked into the dining room but it, too, was empty. She walked across the vast space, pushed open the swinging door, and entered the kitchen, hoping to find someone there. A woman and the butler sat at a small wooden table drinking coffee. A stout, older woman, wearing a full-body apron, stood over a six-burner stove stirring something in a large pot. Conversation stopped, and all three stared at her.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I was looking for my patient, Mr. Wakefield?”
A smirk flashed across the man’s face, there and gone almost so fast she wondered if she imagined it.
The young woman at the table laid a hand on the butler’s arm. “He’s not here, ma’am. Did you check his room or outside by the pool?”
They must have thought she was an idiot. Well, perhaps she was. Who else would go looking for someone in the kitchen of a mansion? Just one more clue that she didn’t belong here.
“Sorry.” She backed out and fled down the hall and into the library. For some reason, the room filled with books comforted her. She ran her fingers down the spines of several leather-bound tomes before selecting one. She started to leave but saw a recessed nook next to the fireplace with a padded seat. A perfect spot for reading. She stepped out of her flip-flops, stretched out on the seat, opened the book, rested her head against the soft pillow there, and yawned. A clock on the wall ticked in unison with her heartbeat. Her eyes grew heavy.
The soft whoosh of a door closing made eyes pop open.
“Well, what do you think we should do about her?”
Robin froze.
“I don’t think we have to do anything. She seems to be screwing up enough by herself. “
She recognized one of the voice’s as Phelps. She didn’t know who the other belonged to. She tried to make herself as small as possible in the niche and squeezed her eyes closed tight.
“Well, I want him to go solo. I damn near shit when he showed up with her. The nerve, not to even call and get my okay,” Phelps said. “She made a pure ass of herself last night.” His evil chuckle sent chills down her spine. “After she stumbled out of the dining room, several of our people commented on her lack of decorum, dress, manners. She simply does not fit in.”
“He really seems besotted with her. What if he decides to disappear?”
“Not possible, my friend. We can track him anywhere in the world.”
Robin’s leg cramped, and she shifted slightly. The seat beneath her squeaked. She wiped a film of sweat off her forehead with the bottom of her T-shirt and waited.
They obviously hadn’t heard and went on talking. “How did you manage to drug her wine?” the strange man asked Phelps.
“Rubbed a little of the liquid on her glass before everyone came to the dining room. The wine mixed with the drug and voila, one drunk nurse.”
“So, what do you want me to do? Disappear her?” the other man asked.
“No, just watch and listen for now. Are the cameras and bugs still working all right?”
“Yeah, clear as a bell and very boring, so far.”
“She’s a stubborn bitch,” Phelps said after a pause. “I’ll let her go on this first assignment. If you think she doesn’t fit in here, wait until she tries to mix with a crowd of wealthy European nobility! I predict he’ll tire of her quickly. If not, there are ways to get rid of her.” Phelps voice grew softer as the two men walked across the room and out into the hallway.
Gasping, Robin searched the room, looking for escape. Her body shook and tears ran down her face. She had to find Brian and tell him. They both had to get away from this malevolent place.
She rubbed her face to make sure she was awake. Had she fallen asleep and dreamed that whole conversation? Slowly, she walked toward the door, confusion
clouding her mind. Without looking where she was going, she bumped into an end table and heard the rattle of ice in a glass. She looked down and saw the dregs of some brown liquid swirling around the melting ice.
It wasn’t a dream! Those men were in the library talking about her. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears. She crept to the door, eased it open, and peered both ways. Empty. She ran down the hall as fast as she could in her rubber flip-flops. She’d go to her room and wait there. Brian had to come and find her eventually. Then she remembered the man’s words about listening devices and cameras. Now she was glad she’d been drugged and passed out. If not, she and Brian would have had sex.
Her stomach roiled at the very idea of some strange men watching her make love.
Chapter Sixteen
Brian made a quick stop in Robin’s room, but she wasn’t there. He couldn’t imagine why she hadn’t come to the lab to find him. No doubt she figured he’d be busy and went her own way. He’d catch up to her sooner or later. He hurried back to the lab.
Once there, he found Jack and started using his ring again. Jack took him from room to room so he could try out his newfound gift when he wanted to. Brian found that the more he touched and read people, the easier it became and the less his head hurt.
He discovered a ton of useless information, some of it quite amusing. A rather dumpy female scientist was in the midst of two affairs, one with a man and other with a woman. When he read her, she gave him an amused look, clearly not giving a flip what anyone thought. Another young guy about Jack’s age was totally controlled by his mother and couldn’t leave the house and live on his own. The list went on and on, some stories amusing, some sad. Finally, people started to leave, and he ran out of victims.
“Okay, I think that’s enough,” Jack said as he clapped Brian on the back. “Phelps tells me you’ll be leaving for Europe tomorrow.”
“Yeah, but do you really think I’m ready?”
“Absolutely. Gotta go, hot date in town tonight. Hey, bring me back a bottle of good scotch, okay?”
“Sure.” Brian watched the young man leave. He decided to go to his room and take inventory of his clothes. He had no idea what to wear to meet a duke.
He found a Tuxedo hanging in the closet, just his size, or maybe it was his. The people at the institute seemed to be able to work miracles. He’d forgotten again to ask Phelps how the man had appeared in his hospital room that night.
He opened the connecting door to Robin’s room and saw that she, or someone, had begun packing. A new, large suitcase lay open on the bed, and he could see several dresses and what looked like a ball gown in her closet. Relief flooded through him. She was okay, just busy getting ready for the trip.
He stretched out on his bed and quickly fell asleep. When he awoke, darkness filled the room. He went to dinner and found the same assortment of people that were there the night before.
“Ah, Brian, so glad you could join us. Where’s the lovely Miss Guyer?” Phelps asked from his place at the head of the table.
“I have no idea. I thought she’d be here. Has anyone seen her today?”
Silence. No one commented.
“No worries, Brian. She’ll turn up. The institute isn’t that big. Enjoy your dinner and when you’ve finished, please meet me in the library so we can go over your itinerary and a few details.” Phelps raised his glass of ruby wine in a toast and took a sip.
Once again, the food was delicious, the wine tasty, and the German chocolate cake for dessert heavenly. When Phelps got up to leave, Brain followed along behind him.
The two of them were alone in the library.
Phelps handed Brian a folder and a cell phone. “Everything you need is in here, my boy, including your first-class tickets, and Miss Guyer’s new passport. You’ll be landing in Geneva, and there will be a car there to take you to the castle. If you have questions, just use this cell phone. I have a list of things I’d like to know about the Duke, which you can review on the plane. You might not be able to answer everything, but don’t worry. The main thing is to probe his mind about the illegal arms. Any questions?”
Brian thumbed through the document. “Just one. What do we do after the ball?” He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Jeez, I sound like Cinderella.”
A tight smile flitted across Phelps’ face. “Take your time, play tourist, see Switzerland, France, the Riviera. Then if nothing comes up, or you get tired of traveling, you’ll go home to San Diego. Sound good?”
It did. He hoped he’d have time to relax and work on recovering his memory. He had plenty of money, so why not use it? “Yes. I’ll look at this further tonight. If I have any questions, I’ll touch base with in the morning.”
“Fine, fine. Hunter will be ready to drive you to Logan after an early lunch. Your flight leaves at eight, so that should give you plenty of time.” He looked at Brian’s ring, smiled, and clapped him on his shoulder. “Welcome to the WIPAT. I hope this will be just the first of many successful ventures you undertake for us.” He turned on his heel and walked out.
Brian strolled back to his room and finished packing most of his things. He seemed to know just where to put everything, so obviously he’d done this before. He’d managed to gain control of his psychic thoughts, the headaches were lessening, so now all he wanted to do was regain his memory. He was about to take one of the diminishing pile of pain pills and go to sleep when he heard a noise just outside the French doors, so walked over there and peered out into the night.
“Robin? Where have you been all day?” Brian took her arm to bring her inside, but she wouldn’t budge.
“No, you come out here.”
She was wearing a dirty T-shirt and jeans, her face was streaked with sweat, and she looked, well, wild. Shit, that’s all he needed. First she got drunk, now she was getting squirrelly.
Might as well humor her.
“Okay, honey, what’s up? Are you feeling okay?”
She pulled him out beyond the shrubbery surrounding the house. “We have to get away from these people, Brian. They want to kill me!”
“What?”
“Don’t you understand? This is an evil arm of the government—they’re spies, or assassins, or something. They want to get rid me so they can control you completely.”
“Robin, please…”
She went on without stopping. “Where were you today? I looked and look and got so scared when I couldn’t find you! I hid in the library, and I heard Phelps and another man say they were going to get rid of me.” She stood in the shadows, twisting her hands and nibbling at her lower lip.
“Why would they want to get rid of you? That doesn’t make sense.”
“They thought you were coming here alone. Then when I showed up, and they saw we were together and that you cared for me–” She stopped and looked up at him with a combination of terror and longing in her eyes. “You do care a little, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course. But having you with me shouldn’t make a difference to them.”
“If you’re looking out for me, it would. Brian, they want to control you so you’ll go on assignment for them and do what they want. I’ll bet that’s why they separated us today, so I’d become anxious without you.”
Brian stepped closer and held her by her upper arms. “Didn’t you get my note?”
Her eyes grew enormous. “What note?”
“When I got up, you were still sleeping, so I left a note on your sink telling you to come find me in the lab. Didn’t you see it?”
She stared up at him. He could almost see her searching her mind. “No, someone must have taken it. There was nothing on or in my sink.” She clenched her jaw, and her eyebrows came together in a frown. “Those bastards. Phelps mentioned that our rooms are bugged for sound, and they have video cameras watching, too.”
“Honey.” He stepped closer, took her into his arms, and held her tight. Maybe she wasn’t being paranoid. After all, someone had come into his room, without his permission, and taken his rin
g. He turned Robin so her back was to the French door. He scanned the room, but nothing obvious jumped out at him. With his lips almost touching her ear, he whispered, “We have to play along with them until we get out of here.”
In a normal tone of voice he said, “All this has been so fast, I’m sure it’s upsetting. I think you need to get a good night’s sleep.”
She looked up at him with trust and nodded her head slightly.
He smoothed the curls away from her face and kissed her temple.
“Phelps has given me my first assignment. Tomorrow night at this time, we’ll be flying to Europe. Once we’re away from here, you’ll be able to relax.”
“I can’t go with you! I don’t fit in with all these rich people. I don’t have a passport or clothes or… My job, what about my job? I only took a week of vacation.
He pulled her into his arms and rested his head on top of the tangle of her amber curls. “You fit in perfectly.” He was gratified to feel her back stiffen with resolve. “As for your job, why don’t you send your boss an email with your resignation? Just explain that the private duty job you’re on will take longer than you anticipated. Heck, honey, you’re a nurse, you can always get another job.” He snuggled her closer and gave her a squeeze. “You don’t have to work anymore, Robin. I’ll take care of you.
“And you do have a passport. I got it from Phelps tonight.” Just how had Phelps gotten the paperwork for Robin through so fast? Something odd was definitely going on. “There are some lovely clothes, shoes, cosmetics, even underwear in your room,” he continued, trying to keep his voice light and even. “Haven’t you been back there today at all?”
“No.” She snaked her arms around his waist and relaxed into him. She jerked back. “You’re holding me! Can you read my thoughts?”
“Nope. I spent the day learning to control them—with a little help.”
Brian felt her stiffen again, and then she whispered, “Did they put something in your brain?”
Mysterious Gift Page 7
