“Okay, I’ll make it happen. I’m not sure how, but Harry will listen if I can convince Dean and Terence to side with me. Harry doesn’t know that this,” she motioned to the astral space that was her head, “is the way you and I are communicating, so I’ll tell him I heard from Turner. We’ll meet at Rocky Peak Park. Turner will know where.” Isabelle had a flash of anger in her eyes when she said Turner’s name and I had a brief second of anxiety that maybe her vengeance was stronger than her desire to help me. I guess my doubts were pretty evident in my face because she looked me straight in the eye. “I won’t betray you again. We’ll meet there at six.”
I nodded, still feeling a bit uneasy. “We’ll be there.”
I jumped out of her head before Isabelle could say more.
Opening my eyes, I took a few minutes to gather myself together. I seriously hoped we could trust Isabelle. I’d really hate it if Turner was right.
I made my way to the conference room, where Turner and Roberta were sitting, strategizing over their cups of coffee. I kind of waved when I entered and Roberta stood to welcome me, motioning me to sit.
Looking at the clock, which said 5:30, I didn’t bother. “We’re meeting them at Rocky Peak Park at 6. Isabelle said you’d know where.”
Turner stood up and his face betrayed his butt-hurt expression. Wow. Rocky Peak Park must definitely be another bump on their rocky road of a past. No pun intended. “Let’s get to the hover then,” he said without further comment.
We decided that only Turner and I would go. Roberta stayed behind in case Harry had decided to work with Elisha again and had brought in Eva or one of the Franklin clones to puppet Roberta into doing something we couldn’t control. A couple of live guards went with us, one to drive and one to protect. For added bonus we brought along two dead guards as well. Now that I knew Elisha’s powers weren’t as strong as mine, I was sure I could maintain control over them.
There was a part of me that worried Elisha would be there because the formula was so important to her. If Harry was working with her, he’d have told Elisha for sure that we had it. But we’d have to cross that bridge if we came to it. In the mean time I fully planned on keeping control over the dead guards.
It took less than ten minutes to fly to our destination. I could see rock formations and a scattering of trees below. There weren’t any buildings for miles, the place looked completely deserted, like an old western movie.
I observed Gramps out of the corner of my eye. He was fidgeting, which was very unlike him. Something about Isabelle made him nervous, angry and just plain hurt. Isabelle felt the same way about him. I’d like to think their whole separation was just a big misunderstanding, but I saw the same holo-footage Harry’d shown Isabelle, and Turner had definitely wanted her dead.
Our hover-SUV landed near a small cropping of trees overlooking an empty expanse of dirt and rocks. Isabelle and crew were nowhere to be seen, but I knew better than to assume they’d stood us up. It kept me more on guard.
Turner turned to me, very serious. “You take control of these guards. My network isn’t powerful enough if Elisha or even Eva is here.”
“Your network?” After all this time, was I finally going to find out how Turner controlled all his dead soldiers without having to constantly chant spells and perform rituals?
“Yes, my network. Can you do that?”
And, no such luck. “Yes, I can do that.”
I connected to the two dead guards’ black holes and the six of us exited the vehicle.
The two live guards stepped in behind us, while I made the two dead guards stand in front.
“What time is it?” I asked nervously. This whole thing was making my heart palpitate.
“Five ‘til.” Turner scanned the area like a soldier. Now that I knew he used to be military, a lot of his quirks made sense. Like how he was able to compartmentalize so well. Even when he was hunting me down trying to kill me, Gramps managed to separate himself from the emotion that I was his GRANDDAUGHTER. Who does that? That’s right, this guy does. I guess I shouldn’t blame the military, but there was something so mechanical about it. Roberta had been a crazed lunatic back when she wanted me dead, whereas Turner was always systematic and logical in his approach. Scary but efficient. Luckily, I was more clever than he had expected and I was able to maneuver myself out of harm’s way. My mother hadn’t been so lucky.
I erased those thoughts from my mind and tried to focus on the task at hand.
At what felt like eons later (probably a few minutes), Harry, Isabelle and Fortski walked out of seemingly empty space. Should have known: a dimensional displacement vehicle. They had been hiding there since we arrived, which most likely meant that Terence was aiming his gun at either Turner or myself from the comfort of being invisible inside the vehicle. Dean, meanwhile, could be standing right next to me for all I knew.
Isabelle and I made eye contact, which essentially equated to Hey, I have your back. At least I hoped that’s what she was conveying.
Harry and Turner looked like they wanted to strangle each other, but neither made any sudden moves.
Fortski on the other hand just appeared terrified. When he saw Gramps, his eyes lit up and relief was etched all over his face. Apparently, Fortski actually liked my grandfather. I thought this guy was supposed to be a genius!
Harry addressed the both of us, “You have the formula?”
Turner pulled the small vial out from an inside pocket of his suit jacket (the guy always wore suits!) and gave it to one of the dead guards.
My turn. I made the guard walk over to Harry and hand him the serum. Harry shook the bottle with an annoyed expression. “Sampling the goods, Turner?”
Gramps grumbled, “There’s plenty left for you, Harry.”
Harry handed the bottle to Fortski for inspection and Fortski examined it carefully. Then he nodded. “This is it, though I have no idea how they stole it from me.”
I tried not to look guilty. I did after all body-knap the guy, rip open the really gross hiding place in his leg, and steal his formula. Oh yeah, and erased all memory of it from his head. I was such an awesome person.
Fortski handed the vial back to Harry, who pocketed it in his cargo vest. So many pockets on that thing, I’d be surprised if he remembered where he put it.
“I’d like John now, please.” Turner eyed Harry and Isabelle like they were going to pull out machine guns and start mowing us down.
“Of course.” Harry grinned.
I didn’t like that grin.
I didn’t like it at all.
Fortski started to walk toward us.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Three bullet holes to Fortski’s back and he fell face down in the dirt in front of us.
We couldn’t see where the shots came from, but it was obviously Terence from the cover of their dimensional displacement car.
I was in shock.
After everything, Fortski ended up dead.
I wanted to cry.
BAM! BAM!
The two dead guards were shot.
Terence was trying to take down our only defense so he could kill us.
Too bad the guards were already dead.
I made them pull out their guns as if the bullets that had ripped through them were mere scratches, which of course they were because… yeah, dead.
I couldn’t believe Isabelle betrayed us. I looked at her and that’s when I saw…
…She was as shocked as I was.
Small comfort considering Terence and Harry were now emptying their guns into the guards. I kept the two dead guys in a tight formation giving Turner and I some cover.
“Make them shoot!” Gramps screamed at me.
I couldn’t make the guards shoot Isabelle. Crap, I couldn’t even make them shoot Harry. I just wanted to get out of there. “Let’s just go!” I screamed back.
“You are going to have to learn to take sides!” Turner motioned to his live guards. “You get in the car and you shoot!”
Each soldier took their orders.
“Chelsan!” Isabelle yelled over the gunfire.
My two corpses were almost shredded. I was about to lose control of them.
I could barely see her behind my cover of the dead guys, but her eyes were screaming at me. She mouthed, “Take control of me.”
Isabelle wanted this to stop as much as I did. Even assassin girl didn’t want us dead.
She gave me permission.
It’s all I needed.
I leaped out of my body and shot myself directly into Isabelle’s. As soon as I jumped in I took control of her swirling white hole.
I immediately saw trails of light everywhere, even the bullets had them (though almost faster than I could process). I nearly freaked out when I saw the invisible Dean about to grab Gramps from behind and most probably try and snap his neck. Behind Isabelle, Terence’s heart beating and trigger finger were the only thing exuding movement.
I connected to all of it.
Even a bird flying by.
I didn’t have time to differentiate.
And I made everything and everyone stop.
Completely stop.
Harry’s eyes grew round with terror when he couldn’t move his arms. When Harry and Terence tried to move their legs…
“I wouldn’t do that,” I heard Dean’s voice say. He had just gone through the same tactical experience.
Once their legs started to move, I connected to the trails of light and froze them completely.
Dean reappeared and stood. His arms were frozen since they had been the only parts of his body that had been moving. “I’m just going to join my team,” he said flashing a kind of half smile at Isabelle, knowing full well I was controlling her.
Harry shouted at my actual body, “Get the hell out of my girl!” He, too, understood that I had control over Isabelle and wrongly assumed she was my victim.
Even frozen, Turner was more than pleased. I concentrated only on Turner and allowed him to move freely, but I kept my guard up in case he tried to kill them. And speaking of guards, there was no way I trusted Turner’s guards so I kept them frozen as well.
Gramps walked over to Harry with a triumphant grin and pulled the vial of Fortski’s formula out of Harry’s vest pocket. “I’ll be taking this.”
Fortski groaned from the ground.
He was still alive!
Turner whirled in shock at the sound and hurried to Fortski’s side. He carefully turned Fortski’s body over and to all our amazement Fortski started to sit up on his own. He looked just as surprised as everyone else.
Turner ripped open the back of Fortski’s shirt to examine his wounds.
There weren’t any.
Fortski was completely healed.
Fortski’s eyes were wide. “But I never took the serum.”
Oh but he had. I’d made him take it. I didn’t know it would still be working a day later, but I was relieved that it did.
Gramps very soothingly said to Fortski, “We’ll get you back home, John, just help me bring my granddaughter to the hover.”
Fortski was positively gleeful as the two of them walked over to my crouched form and carried my body to the hover-SUV, situating me inside.
I told Isabelle in her head, I’m going to jump out of you as soon as our car is clear.
I could feel her approval.
Harry cried out with malice. “This isn’t over, Turner.”
After I released the two live guards and they were situated inside the vehicle with Fortski and my floppy body, Gramps turned to Harry. “You were always a fool, Harry. I’ll always be better than you.”
Harry screamed. A bloody, vicious I freakin’ hate you scream.
I’ll give Turner credit, he definitely knew how to press people’s buttons.
I watched, through Isabelle’s eyes, as the hover-SUV flew away. I left her body and slammed back into mine.
My eyes fluttered open and Gramps was there to greet me with a smile. “You did good.”
Was it weird that it actually felt kind of nice when he said that? Never mind, yes, it was weird, but I was proud of myself, too. With Isabelle’s help no one was killed. Except the already-dead soldiers, who were pretty badly mangled. Gross.
Fortski kept feeling his body like he was waiting for the bullet holes to come back. “I just can’t believe it,” he kept repeating.
I thought I’d ease his mind and I explained to him what I had done.
Fortski wasn’t upset. In fact, he looked relieved. “If you hadn’t done that…” He took a deep breath and turned to Gramps. “Geoffrey, this formula, it’s… it’s… what we’ve been searching for since we met. It doesn’t just cure you if you’re injured. It also has the same anti-aging compound as Age-pro. The difference is that once you take it you never have to take it again, the effects are permanent. It’s what Age-pro was supposed to be. Don’t you get it, Geoffrey? I finally did it! I finally invented true immortality.” Fortski’s eyes were overly bright from emotion.
I could tell Turner was soaking it all in. He was shocked, but also something else. I couldn’t pinpoint it, but I swear Gramps looked less tired. Like everything he’d been trying to do in life finally had fallen into place. Turner simply placed his hand on Fortski’s shoulder with gratitude. “You did it. I can’t believe after all these years…”
Fortski was on the verge of tears. “I know. I just wish Roberta could have taken it before…”
“She lives. That’s all that matters now.” Gramps didn’t want to relive Roberta’s death, not when she was still technically alive. “Anyone that takes the potion can’t be killed, is that what you’re telling me, John?”
“I’m proof of that,” Fortski confirmed.
A thought suddenly came to me, “What about decapitation or being blown to bits?”
Fortski was positively bursting with excitement. “Your body will reform! Once the serum is taken your cells are bound forever! It’s impossible to die!”
“Then we can never let Elisha get her hands on you or the formula. She could undo us all.” Gramps was horrified at the thought of Elisha being immortal. To have an enemy that couldn’t die, especially when that enemy was a sociopathic killer… It really was a scary thought.
Turner turned to me like he was seeing me for the first time. “I guess you don’t have to decide if you’re going to take Age-pro or not.”
That was a random thing to say to me.
Then it hit me.
I drank the serum.
I started hyperventilating.
I couldn’t breathe no matter how hard I tried.
Turner’s arm was instantly patting me gently on the back, trying to soothe me. Trying to soothe me! Gramps! My head was going to explode.
I couldn’t die.
I couldn’t die.
This shouldn’t be freaking me out, but it was. It really was!
“Why is she so upset? This is a miracle.” I heard Fortski’s confused voice ring in my ears. He sounded like he was in a tunnel. I was seriously going to pass out.
Turner’s voice sounded just as distant, “Because she’s a sensitive young lady.”
Sensitive young lady? Who was this guy? Gramps with any kind of sympathy was just odd, but to hear him sound so worried about me, squeezed my heart in all the wrong places.
I shrugged his hand off my back and started to calm myself down. “I’m not sensitive,” I said lamely. Why did I feel the need to argue with him?
Fortski had a look that had awkward written all over it. “You’re immortal, child, enjoy it. I certainly am.”
And Fortski definitely was enjoying himself. He wiped the remaining blood off his back with a handkerchief Turner handed him and kept mumbling the words, “amazing,” and “miracle.”
I kept my mouth shut the entire trip back, which was only about ten minutes.
Honestly, I really didn’t feel like talking to Turner. I somehow blamed him for all this mess. I knew it was illogical, but he was so da
mned happy about me being immortal that it made me mad for some reason. I was surprised he didn’t pull out the serum and lick the bottle clean for himself.
As we exited the vehicle, I could hear the screams and protests from the crowds of people wanting to kill me.
Sigh.
Too bad people! You can try all you like, but I can never die. Ever.
Ever.
Death was scary, yes, but living forever was ten times more frightening and I couldn’t begin to explain why. Just the mere thought of something going on forever, with no end… It gave me shivers. It reminded me of when I was a little girl and the first time my mother told me about outer space. I kept on imagining a big circle surrounding earth, but when Mom really drilled in the fact that the universe never ended, my little brain couldn’t seem to wrap around that fact. It wasn’t until I was slightly older that it hit me and I had my first panic attack.
Now that never ending concept was me. Literally.
We entered the building and Gramps told me I could go to my room to rest (gee, thanks) while he and Fortski rushed off to the lab. They were like two giddy school boys who’d bought a new toy.
I think I kind of shrugged and Turner’s two guards escorted me back to my room.
To my enormous surprise, Ryan was already there, lying on the bed. When he saw me, he jumped off and leapt into my arms. Aaahh.
Ryan gave me the kiss of all kisses and suddenly thinking of doing this forever didn’t seem so bad. “I missed you,” he whispered between kisses.
“You have no idea,” I mumbled incoherently.
I wanted to escape into the moment and not have to deal with what was coming, but no such luck.
“Did you get Forstki back?” Ryan asked innocently.
I groaned. “Yes, he’s fine, he’s immortal, nothing can kill him, me too, oh and Max too, how are you?”
“Say that again?” Ryan did a double take.
I fell into his chest and he wrapped his arms around me supportively. “That serum that cured Max and me, once you drink it, nothing can ever kill you. Nothing.”
The Riser Saga Page 91
