She was close. Close.
There! A flash of blue, piercing. Searching. Paul!
You made it! His excitement was contagious, huge. How the hell did you do it?
She laughed, giddy.
No idea, but I made it! Can you find us?
Yes. Just hold on.
She sensed his shift to business mode, and kept hold of him in her mind as she eased out of the dark, her body beginning to ache as she became aware of her surroundings.
Faint light glimmered overhead and cast a blue glow over the hard floor of the shed.
“Tom?” Her voice sounded rusty.
She felt him shift behind her.
“You're back then?”
“Back?” She huffed out a laugh. “I guess. Christ, I'm freezing. How long was I out for?”
“Three hours.”
She laughed, then froze. “You're not kidding.”
She sensed his weariness, his resignation to their fate. “Nope. Three long hours. I broke the safety pin two hours ago. Sorry.”
“Don't worry about it.” Three hours? The mind boggled. “It's ok. Paul's on his way.”
He jolted, stunned. “You did it? Bloody hell!”
“I know, right?” She shook her head, stunned. “It was amazing, Tom. It was...I can't describe it.”
“So you're some kind of psychic genius now?” He shook his head in amazement. “I feel like I'm in a sci-fi.”
“Me too. I think-”
We've found you. We're on our way.
She laughed, the sound slightly hysterical. “Tom, they know where we are. They're coming.”
“I'm not going to die?”
“You're not going to die.”
They sat for long moment, cold and aching, but relieved. Libby kept checking in on Paul, her miraculous hold on him too good to be true. And Jackson, with his elation making her heart race, steadfast in his support.
“So, how did it work?”
Libby frowned, shook her head. “It was like a night sky, and everyone was there. Like the stars.”
“Everyone? People you know?”
Her wrists were hurting badly and she took a moment to try to alleviate the discomfort, turning them first one way and then the other.
“No, everyone.”
It was a moment before she recognized his utter shock and concern. Belatedly she realised that perhaps this wasn't information she should be shouting about.
“Everyone?” His voice held an odd note, almost flat. She felt chilled again. “Libby, that's....I don't think you should be telling people that. Jesus...can you imagine what they might do to you if they found out?”
She winced, not wanting to imagine.
“It'd be like that mutant guy in the movie we watched the other week, isolated in a plastic box.”
Her stomach turned viciously. “Tom!”
He sighed. “I'm sorry. That was a bit extreme. Probably. But seriously, Libs. You say you're already known as some super strong talent. I think this would blow that out of the water.”
They sat in silence, and Libby thought over what had happened, what she should do.
Tom broke into her thoughts. “I won't breathe a word. I suggest you don't, either. The last thing I want is to see you locked up like a specimen in some experiment.”
“I can't keep that kind of secret,” she replied on a groan. “Not from Jack anyway. I have to tell him. I want to.”
“Sure,” Tom agreed. “But he'll be invested in keeping quiet. He'd die for you.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Let's hope that won't be necessary.”
“So what's the story?”
“Story?”
Impatience shimmered and she almost rolled her eyes.
“Yes, your story. They'll want to know how you did that thing. You'll have to tell them something, although God knows how you're going to downplay it.”
She shrugged. “I'll just say that I focused on mum, we have a connection after all.”
“And Paul?”
“The truth.” She didn't have much choice there. “That I started with Jack and followed the connections.”
She felt him nod in agreement. “No specifics. None of this night sky with twinkly minds in the darkness, okay?”
“Okay.” She swallowed. Her mouth felt dry and her throat like sandpaper. “And you won't say anything?”
“Libby, I absolutely adore you; no one else is as nerdy as me. You're my academic soul mate.” She laughed at that. “I'm not risking you.”
“Even though I almost got you killed?”
“Bah, that? That's nothing.”
“Ha ha.” She sighed, gazed up at that taunting gap in the roof. Freedom. “I am sorry.”
“It's not your fault.”
She didn't agree, but didn't want to argue.
The distant sound of a motor had her sitting up.
“Rescue?”
She closed her eyes, tested her connections. “I'm not sure.”
There's a car coming, Jack. Is it you?
No. We're five minutes out. She felt his curse, his frustration. Hold on.
Pulling a face, Libby reached for Tom's hand. “So there's good news and there's bad news.”
“Let me guess. The good news is that yes, it's them. The bad news is that they forgot the pizza.” He strove for humour, but she heard the fear in his voice even as she felt his resolution to fight whatever was coming.
She began to tremble. Couldn't stop it.
“It's not them.”
He swore quietly.
They waited, fingers gripping tightly.
Chapter Twenty Nine
Five minutes. That's all they needed, she told herself. Five minutes of distraction and her dad and the others would be there.
Five minutes.
If they just sat tight, kept quiet….her aunt had said she'd be back in the morning. It wasn't even dawn. Libby swallowed nervously at the change of plan.
The engine shut off outside the shed. Panic clawed at her throat and she pulled involuntarily at the cuffs.
"Steady," Tom cautioned in a low voice. He seemed eerily calm.
She started to answer when the heavy door crashed open. A beam of light played over the floor, sweeping over them before spotlighting them mercilessly.
"There you are, darling." The drawl was steeped in sarcasm. "My mate, my other half."
Libby squinted against the light, struggling to make out the shadowed figure. She recognised the voice of course, and still felt that forged connection. From his tone, she guessed he was under no illusion that the connection was real. There was relief in that, she realised. Still…
"What are you here for, Lucas?"
Her supposed soul mate laughed.
"Let's just say that my involvement here has gone on a hell of a lot longer than I anticipated." He moved closer, and light flooded the barn as he switched on a camping lantern he must have brought along with him. He was dressed entirely in black, his lean face relaxed rather than menacing. "Although it's tempting to kill you and end this thing once and for all."
"Anyone care to fill me in?" Tom asked casually, covering Libby's panicked gasp.
"The witch linked us," the man replied lightly. "A foolish idea really, given that Libby had already found her mate. Nothing compares to the real thing, isn't that right, my love?"
"You know the difference?"
She wasn't sure it was wise to get into a discussion about it, but curiosity always won out.
Lucas shot her an impatient look. "Anyone who's experienced the real thing can tell. Unless they're an imbecile. Luckily for you, Maria doesn't understand this. It was purely a backup plan on her part anyway, in case the boy overcame his fears."
She grit her teeth. "You orchestrated it. You set Jackson up on that train."
He laughed, moved towards them. "It was just a bit of fun; he was safe enough. And who do you think pulled the emergency stop to end it?" He was so matter of fact, dismissing the trauma Jackson had
experienced as though it were nothing. "Right, let's cut you two loose."
"Why?"
He stopped, his voice harder. "Because your aunt is crazy. I like experimenting - testing our talents, I suppose you could say. So many opportunities have passed me by in the last couple of months, lucrative ones at that, and I want you out of my way. You escape, the ex-husband steps in and arrests her. It should be over by lunch, unless the ex is completely incompetent." Amusement coloured his tone at that.
Tom shook his head. "Nothing's that simple."
"True enough. Keep your fingers crossed, why don't you?" He dismissed Tom with barely a glance, focused again on Libby. "Your aunt should arrive at the same time as your friends, Libby. I'm hoping for a dramatic conclusion."
Libby jerked as he crouched beside her and grabbed her wrist firmly.
"Hold still, darling."
In moments the cuffs fell loose.
"Well then. Good luck, Liberty Bell."
He moved quickly, killing the light as Tom leaped up, and disappearing into the shadows.
"Where the hell is he?" Fury radiated from Tom's body, even as he pulled Libby up beside him.
"He won't have gone far," Libby guessed. "He'll want to watch."
She didn't care. He wasn't a threat, not to them. He was criminal, for sure, but all that could wait. Libby waited impatiently for her eyes to readjust to the darkness, trying not to think about what would happen if Maria arrived first.
Tom muttered something nasty sounding under his breath. "Can't see a bloody thing now."
Another engine, this one gunning for the shed at speed. Two engines, she realised in rising panic.
Jack!
She stumbled, her legs unsteady and aching after the hours spent sitting on cold ground. Tom steadied her as they ran to the barn doors.
She recognized the first car immediately, felt the tears spill as her dad burst from the car.
"Libby!"
His embrace felt safe and warm and she fell against him in relief.
"Dad. We're fine."
Then her mother was holding her and Tom, even as her dad stepped around them. She looked up, her eyes round as she saw her aunt, furious in the face of Paul, Jackson and Danny.
"Mom-"
"It's okay. It's okay now."
They turned together to face their blood, their enemy. Silhouetted against the harsh headlights, Maria vented her fury, raged at Paul.
"My only child, Paul," she cried. "Stolen from me without a word!"
"You never cared," Danny spat angrily. "Don't pretend that you ever wanted me."
On a hum of distress, Francis stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"You deserve everything you have coming," Maria continued as though he hadn't spoken. "That bastard Ian, too. A son for a son, isn't that how it goes?"
Libby saw the gun, cried out.
Of course. It was Jackson she'd wanted all along. A payment for what she saw as theft, her mind twisting the truth to suit her own ends. Lurching forward, Libby felt only the impulse to defend him.
Jack shook his head, fear for her hitting like a blast of ice as he held out an arm to keep her behind him.
Stay back, Libby.
It was chaos, too many voices, too many people trying to be heard. Danny shoved forward, but Paul grabbed his arm, held fast.
Then Maria looked at Libby, her smile sudden and cruel, and all sound faded.
"What's a man without his mate?"
The barrel of the gun was perfectly round, shining like silver in the car beam.
The shot.
She felt herself fall, the burn of a bullet.
Unspeakable pain.
Libby!
The shout echoed in a hundred voices, ringing through the night, through her mind.
Jack.
I've got you. God, the blood. Libby -
He sounded panicked, as though he was shouting. She frowned, feeling the chill of a numbing emptiness where his emotions usually ran beside her own.
Jack-
The pain receded. Darkness closed in.
Heat was everywhere. Red, burning, charred black. Her lips were dry, her throat parched as she gasped back to consciousness.
Her eyelids felt heavy, and it was an effort to drag them open. The pale green walls of a hospital room were easily recognisable though. It was an awful colour. Wasn't it supposed to be soothing? Her memory rushed back and she winced at the image of her aunt pulling the trigger. What had happened then?
Jackson?
Darling. "Libby. sweetheart."
The cold press of her mother's palm against her temple was blissful.
Mum-
"Don't try to talk. I can hear you well enough." Amazed pride rang in her mom's voice, and warmed her skin. "God only knows how. I think maybe you can somehow use Jackson's gift as your own, independently."
Frowning, Libby vaguely remembered Tom's warning and slammed her shield in place.
Crap.
"Where's Jackson?" Her voice sounded pitifully weak.
"With the police, giving their statements." Francis pulled out her phone, tapped out a message. "There, I've texted him and your dad."
Nodding, Libby glanced towards the jug of water on the side table. Her mother leaped up, helped her drink. The pain in her arm was hideous, and she avoided moving it as much as possible.
The water cooled her throat and eased the pain there at least.
"What happened?"
Francis pressed her lips into a thin line.
"The bullet went straight through your shoulder. There won't be any permanent damage, thank goodness. Paul knocked her down and she…..well. She missed. Dad drove you to the hospital. We decided the wait for an ambulance would be too long and you were so still."
Libby grasped her hand and squeezed. Francis returned the comforting gesture.
"We've been here for over twelve hours. The police came to question everyone, which was awkward. They think she's a raving lunatic, of course."
Libby rolled her eyes. Her aunt was a raving lunatic. Her story about special talents was just padding.
She felt Jackson before he arrived; relief and excitement, deep weariness running beneath it all. His tired, bright grin as he burst into the room lifted her instantly.
"It's about time!"
He kissed her, gentle in spite of his exuberance.
We need to talk.
She met his gaze, smiled wryly. In trouble already?
Use your shield. We need to go normal.
He knew.
"Jack-"
"You stared the hell out of me. You bleed fast, Libby."
"Ha-ha." She smiled as he grasped her hand, his own trembling slightly. Fear. Her smile faded.
"Are you okay?"
"I am now. Your dad was apoplectic."
"Where is dad?"
"Giving a statement to the police. He's nearly done."
Francis stood up. "I'll just pop out to the canteen. Would you like another coffee, Jackson?"
He declined. Francis paused, leaned down to squeeze Libby hard. Her eyes watered at her mother's pain and guilt. She was gone before Libby could form the words to absolve it.
"What's wrong?" She didn't waste any time focusing on Jackson. He looked exhausted. "Why am I shielding mum?"
"Tom told me what happened in there," he replied, his voice low as he settled in the chair next to her bed. "I doubt he told me everything - there wasn't time. But he was worried."
Libby sighed, closed her eyes. She let the shield fall so she could show him all. His shock and awe made her nervous and she waited for his reaction with something close to dread.
Speechless, he simply stared at her, his hand tight on hers.
"I think Tom's right," he said at last. "We need to keep this quiet."
"I'll have to tell mum something," Libby pointed out. "Maybe that I could hear her and vice versa because of our close relationship?"
"Right," he responded after a moment.
He looked a little green. "Libby, if people find out what you can do…."
The shock and fear rolling off him took her aback. Was he scared for her or of her?
A smile ghosted on his lips.
"Both."
He glanced towards the door.
"Madness descends," he muttered dryly. "Shield."
Uncertain, she did as he requested, leaving him under the shield. The ease at which she could now do this sent another tremor of nerves through her.
What did he mean, both? Was he really scared of her now?
He rose, pressed a hard kiss on her mouth.
"You're terrifying. You always have been."
She stuck her tongue out at him as the door opened. Her family, and his, clamoured in to fuss over her.
Terrifying? You wuss.
She caught the smirk before he turned away and let the certainty of him, the certainty of them, together, wash over her.
Chapter Thirty
Libby tapped her pen on the table, her foot bouncing distractedly. She wasn't good at waiting, not when so much hung on the result of the trial.
In the months after the kidnap, she had been dreading giving evidence, worrying that somehow she'd give too much away and reveal the talents. It had been more straightforward than she'd expected, in the end. With her aunt still crazed and telling anyone who'd listen about her talent, she'd condemned herself.
Jackson had been a good distraction. He had found a way for her to practice and refine her ability to find and read emotions of any person she wanted whilst making good use of the skill. She'd tracked a few missing people, and a couple of wanted criminals too, including Lucas. It was easy to pass anonymous information to the right person and it had given her purpose. The process was still drawn out, and wiped her out for days, so more often than not she kept her shield up, blocking everyone but Jack. She suspected her mum had guessed some of her abilities, but they never spoke of it.
Jackson reached over, covered her hand to still it.
"Please. You're driving us crazy."
Her gaze flicked to Danny and Kelly. The redhead met her gaze and shrugged. Danny was staring out of the window, seeing nothing. He'd been quiet all day, which was hardly a surprise. Waiting to hear the judge impose a sentence on his mother wasn't easy, even though he knew first-hand what a monster she was.
Maria had admitted using her son, even knowing that the people she exposed him to were psychopathic. Jackson's ordeal had also been at her hands, and the murder of all those people in the apartment block. The talent responsible had worked under her command, although his sociopathic nature made Libby wonder if he'd have done something similar under his own steam at some point.
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