I touched my forehead, explaining. “I keep getting flashes of images and words from Ben. Maybe he’s drugged. It’s all confused,” I said, feeling bleak, but I waved my hand in front of my face to dismiss her concern. “It’s okay. I like knowing he’s still…um…able to talk to me.”
Anna nodded, though she continued to give me a worried look as she went back to her original topic. “And Ben can read minds and push out thoughts.” She shook her head. “I still don’t see why that’s the worst superpower. I mean, we’ve got Facebook. We already know what’s going on in everyone’s head anyway.” She gave me a half-smile.
A surge of affection for my friend came over me. “Thanks,” I managed to say, “but I’m pretty sure the Council has a different opinion.” I regarded her. “Are you serious about coming?”
“I am.” Anna stuck out her chin stubbornly. I knew that expression – it was the same one she wore when I tried to convince her not to enter a hot pepper eating contest. She’d regretted it later when she spent the rest of the day writhing in agony with a horrible stomach ache. I only hoped we both didn’t regret her joining this rescue.
I sighed. “I guess we’d better get ready.” I swallowed, feeling dizzy from the disjointed images and fragments of phrases Ben streamed at me. I’d meant it when I said I was glad to keep in contact with him, but I wished he was more coherent.
Anna pulled out her phone. “I’ll tell Mom I’m spending the night with you.”
I nodded. My cousins wouldn’t have to do much explaining. I had a feeling the ‘rents were busy, but I’d better leave Dad a note telling him I was on a hunt. He was at a play with friends, so I could get away with not texting him since he would have his phone off during the show.
Zoe came back first. “Kevin’s on his way.” She carried a backpack and her old whip. “In case Lange couldn’t get my new one,” she explained when I gave her a querying look.
I grimaced, wishing I kept an extra sword at home, while Anna stared at the whip with wide eyes.
Kevin came darting up, backpack and extra sword in hand. I gritted my teeth, vowing to stash equipment at home in the future.
Lange pulled up in the Sprinter Van and parked it in front of the house. “I see you didn’t have a lot of faith I could get your weapons,” Lange commented as he pushed open the sliding door on the side of the van. He reached under one of the rows of bench seats, pulling out a large black bag. I smiled when he unzipped it to reveal my sword, along with two others nestled in with Zoe’s whip.
Zoe jumped into the van with a smirk at her brother. “Not so much lack of faith in you, just more faith in Mom.” She claimed the seat at the back. “I’m surprised she didn’t catch you.”
“Someday I’ll share my secrets with you, but this is not that day,” Lange answered as he zipped up the bag and pushed it back under the seats.
“Was Smitty there?” I asked, wondering if he and Aunt Kate had already told Ben’s parents the news about the attack. “How is Six?”
Lange shook his head. “I think he took Mom down to see the Hallowfields. I heard Uncle Alex talking to Uncle Dan about it.” Lange rubbed the back of his neck. “Six was still unconscious, but seemed calm. At least, Uncle Alex seemed calm, which usually means his patient is okay.”
“Ha! So your big secret is that everyone was too busy to catch you,” Zoe taunted her brother. He just rolled his eyes at her in response.
I was mid-laugh when another series of images slammed into my head. I stumbled into my seat, gripping the headrest in front of me. The images were the same ones Ben had been sending me – the inside of the van, his captors – but this time they were accompanied by agonized, slurred words. “I’m so sorry. I should have stopped Emma. I caught hints of what she was doing, but I wasn’t brave enough to tell anyone. I didn’t want to get caught using my ability.” Ben’s voice faded away into continuous background mumbling.
I sat trembling, trying to understand the implications of what I’d heard. Ben knew about Emma and he didn’t do anything about it?
The seat sank as someone sat next to me. I looked into Kevin’s concerned eyes. “You okay?”
I hesitated before answering, “Yeah, Ben’s still sending me visions, but I’m pretty sure he’s drugged, so it’s not a smooth experience.” I deliberated telling Kevin about Ben’s confession, but the words wouldn’t form. If it was true, then, well, I didn’t know what to think. I wasn’t ready to reveal what I’d heard until I knew it was a fact.
“That’s not cool.” Kevin peered at me. “Any way to block him? Does shielding work?”
“Huh?” I asked, feeling a bit stupid.
“Don’t tell me you forgot you could shield from Ben?” Kevin raised a critical eyebrow.
I squirmed with embarrassment. Forgetting I could use something as important as a mental shield to block out Ben was a rookie move. I started to visualize the mental wall that symbolized a shield, but then I froze. “If I block him out, how will we know where they take him?”
Kevin frowned. “Maybe you could drop the shield occasionally?” He slid away from me to the end of seat. Talking about shielding against mind readers seemed to make him nervous.
I shook my head. “No, what if he sends me something and I miss it? It’s not like voicemail, where the information waits until I listen.” I realized I knew more about mind reading than most people did in current times. Given how repulsive the rest of the supernormals found the idea, combined with the fact that there was only one known mind reader, meant I was probably the one person who’d willingly let a mind reader practice his powers.
Oh, except for Emma. I couldn’t forget about Emma.
Kevin shrugged uncomfortably. “Okay, I guess that makes sense.” He got up to help Lange and Zoe finish loading the van.
Anna slid in next me and gripped my hand tightly without saying a word.
It didn’t take long for us to settle into the van, Lange in the driver’s seat, with Kevin sitting shotgun, and Zoe, Anna, and I in the middle. Lange started the engine, then paused with his hands gripping the steering wheel. His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. “Are you sure?”
I made my voice as strong and firm as possible. “Yes.” In my head, Ben’s voice seemed to murmur, “now.”
“Okay.” Lange put the van in drive. “Which way?”
I’d spent a few minutes before my cousins had returned looking at online maps, trying to figure out the best route. “Go 26 East for now. Looks like that will take us in the direction they’re headed.”
“Okay.” Lange angled the van into the street and we were on our way. Despite my anxiety over Ben and worry about the trip we were embarking on, I felt a little of the excitement I always felt when beginning a road trip. There was something mysterious about driving down the darkened highway, even one I’d been down many times before.
Whatever drug Ben was on seemed to wear off over the next hour because the images he sent got more and more clear and focused. Strangely, he didn’t respond to my questions. It was like yesterday when he’d been too far away to hear me. Unless they were travlling in something other than the van he kept sending me flashes of, then he shouldn’t be too far away.
I chewed on my lower lip as I stared out the window, trying to process the images and words Ben was pushing at me. He’d stopped sending me images of the inside of van. Now the only images he sent were of the occasional road signs – most flashing by too quickly to read. Instead of images, he monologued, rambling like a drunkard trying to bare his soul. Olivia, the first time I saw you, I knew you’d understand me. You didn’t carry the learned prejudices of the rest of us. You’d learned to understand life outside of our little, narrow world. It helped that you are so beautiful and funny. He flashed his image of me. I looked like I’d had an awesome makeover or something. I almost snorted aloud with laughter at his idolized version of me.
Ben continued his rambled monologue, covering many topics, but mostly painful ones about how separate he felt
from most people and how much he wished he could be normal, even to the point of giving up his abilities altogether. How did you do it Olivia? Maybe you can show me someday?
Highway 26 East took us through Gresham towards Sandy. I knew this route from countless hiking and camping trips with Dad. In Sandy, we passed the donut shop where we usually stopped for our yearly forest pass and, of course, donuts. It was closed now, and it looked strange without the mass of cars and long line of people waiting for donuts.
Zoe stretched her legs out and sighed. “So where do you think they’re taking Ben?” She nudged me with her foot.
I closed my eyes, focusing on the last image from Ben. It was of a highway sign showing mileage to Basque, Oregon. “They’re in Oregon, on OR-205N. Where’s that?”
Anna pulled out her phone and swiped at it for a moment. “Okay, there’s not a whole lot out there. A couple of little towns, Steens Mountain, maybe? I don’t know.”
She looked up, her eyes reflecting the headlights from a passing car.
I chewed on the skin around my thumbnail, worrying about Ben. The words from his monologue were getting to me, twisting my stomach into knots at how much guilt he carried around. Guilt about his ability, when he used it, when he didn’t use it. The poor guy couldn’t win.
As we passed Government Camp, near Timberline Lodge, I sat up straight. Ben’s murmurings went from soft to frantic. I could hear his sendings become garbled, then abruptly cut off with one last vision.
A city limits sign for Andrews, Oregon: Ghost Town.
Chapter 28
“Andrews, Oregon? Where’s that?” Lange asked me. He’d pulled over to the side of the road when I’d cried out in reaction to losing my connection to Ben.
Our self-designated navigator Anna spoke up, phone in hand. “Looks like it’s near Steens Mountain.” With a serious expression, she kept her eyes on the screen. “Southeast a bit. It’s pretty far from here.” She gave me a worried look, biting her lower lip.
“The sign in Ben’s sending said it’s a ghost town.” I rubbed my palms on my thighs. “Do you think that’s where Mountain of Ash is?”
No one answered except Lange. “I’m going to stop for gas.” He started up the van and headed for the gas station at the junction of Hwy 26 and Hwy 35.
Once we got there, I jumped out of the van, desperate to move even if my only option was to walk off nervous energy. I kept my attention focused inside, hoping to hear Ben’s voice in my head, cursing the passiveness of being a receptor. Zoe and Anna followed as I stalked around the station. Finally, I stood on the median, hands shoved into my pockets, staring out at the dark highway. Anna put her arm around me and I leaned into her gratefully. Zoe shuffled restlessly in place beside me until she blew out her breath. “Ollie, are you sure this is a good idea?”
Startled by her question, I lifted my head. “We have to save Ben.”
Zoe nodded and rubbed her neck. “Yeah, but if he’s being held by Mountain of Ash, it’s serious. I’m not sure we’re equipped to handle this. Maybe the Council should deal with it.”
“So how am I supposed to tell the Council how I know where Ben is without getting Ben in more trouble?” I frowned at her. “Besides, when did you turn into a wuss?”
Zoe held up her hands. “Hey, trying to be the voice of reason. You know me, I like adventure more than anyone, but this feels off.”
“I agree.” Kevin joined us on the dimly lit strip of grass. Behind him, I saw Lange paying the gas attendant by the gas pumps.
“What feels off about it?”
“I think it’s weird that whoever snagged Ben kept him conscious for so long.” Kevin shrugged. “Dude’s a mind reader. I bet they know he can also send out thoughts. Other mind readers in the past could. It’s well documented. So why keep him awake until just now?”
“Oh, come on. They can’t possibly know Ben is sending me visions. There’s no way. Even if they knew about the visions before he woke up, they can’t know he’s still doing it.” I pushed down the roiling ball of anxiety in my stomach. “Look.” I took a deep breath, trying to speak calmly. “I don’t know why Ben’s been knocked out now, but,” I lost the battle to keep my voice under control, “I don’t care!” I faced them, fists clenched at my sides, ready to fight them all if necessary. “I have to save him. It’s my fault he was in a coma. It’s my fault he’s out there.”
“What? Why?” Zoe gaped at me in bewilderment, her face mirroring the astonishment on everyone else’s face.
I bit my lip. I hadn’t meant to say so much. “Ben stayed in Portland to see me. Emma went psycho because I came back. Ben was under the bridge that night because of me.” I looked up at my cousins and best friend through a sheen of tears. “He was supposed to go home with his parents that night, but instead he came with Hugh and Kevin to help me.” I took a shuddering breath, looking directly at Kevin. “It’s all my fault. I triggered Emma. Maybe if she’d found out about my ability in a different way, maybe…” I trailed off, my guilt choking me.
Suddenly Kevin launched himself forward. I shifted my stance to face an attack, but instead he wrapped his arms around me. My hair muffled his voice, but I heard his words anyway. “Stop blaming yourself, Ollie.” His voice cracked. “Just stop. None of this was anyone’s fault but Emma’s.” He held me at arm’s length. “Okay?”
Wordlessly, I nodded.
Lange cleared his throat. “We still going?”
“Yes.” Kevin spoke so firmly that we all stared at him. “We couldn’t save Emma or Hugh, but we can try to save Ben. We owe him.”
“Okay, let’s go.” Lange led us back to the van.
I stared out of the window for the next several hours, hoping Ben’s voice would sound in my head, but all I heard were my own thoughts. After a while, I tried to sleep, but the combination of my dark thoughts and Kevin snoring from the seat behind me kept me awake.
We pulled into a small town just as the sun was rising. Lange turned the van into a gas station. The sudden cessation of the engine woke up the rest of the group.
Zoe stretched her arms up and yawned. She blinked in the sunlight. “Where are we?”
“We’re in on highway 205. I think we’ve got about an hour to go,” Lange answered as he swung out of the van. He poked his head back inside. “Good chance to stop for a break.”
We all took the hint, stepping out of the van. There was a small breakfast place serving breakfast burritos. As I stood by a bench, munching on the combination of cheese and sausage, Anna joined me, a cup of coffee clutched between her hands. “Heard anything from Ben?”
Her tentative question made me lose my appetite and I set down the half-eaten burrito. “No, nothing since the sign.”
She squeezed my shoulder. “He’s okay. Maybe they’ve put him in a kryptonite-sealed room or something.”
I gave her a look through narrowed eyes. “You know that’s not a thing, right? Kryptonite doesn’t hurt us.”
She shrugged, the movement sloshing her coffee. “Maybe there’s an equivalent you don’t know about.”
“I think I’d know,” I paused, “or at least Aunt Kate would.”
“Okay,” Anna blew into her coffee before saying, “I was just pointing out there could be many reasons why he’s not sending information to you. I don’t like seeing you worried.”
I bowed my head, grateful for her words. “Okay, I get it.” I managed a weak smile.
“Come on, let’s get going,” Lange yelled from the van.
With a last, “thanks,” I followed Anna to the van. My heart thudded in my chest. What would we find in Andrews?
The dawning day raised everyone’s mood a little bit. It felt possible that we’d find Ben alive. Anna’s comments back at the breakfast stand helped as well. It was true I didn’t know everything about the supernormal word. Maybe Ben’s capturers had a portable container with a more powerful damping field.
“We’re almost there,” Lange commented as he turned the van onto a des
erted highway. “About 10 miles out.”
I sat forward, filled with dread to see what was ahead. The scenery was the same as it had been for miles – vast fields covered with stubby bushes and scruffy trees. Barely a building in sight. Endless roads leading to mountains in the background.
After a long ten minutes, we came to a crossroads where a sign pointed left to Andrews. Lange pulled over, parking under a large sign. We all got out, on alert.
The sign for Andrews, Oregon loomed above me. Population: 0 since 1996, according to Anna’s research. I looked around. Yep, it was one of the most depressing-looking places I’d ever seen. A few dilapidated buildings stood amid dust and tumbleweeds. Everything was gray and dirty. Off in the distance, I saw a few more buildings, but otherwise the horizon was empty.
Lange stood with his hands on his hips and stared around. “When you said it was a ghost town, I didn’t really believe you.” He looked directly at me. “Any thoughts on where they could be?”
I felt the crush of disappointment tightening my throat as I shook my head. Kevin bounced away and I saw him on the horizon. He bounced back and shrugged in response to my querying look. Zoe dashed down the road in the opposite direction, leaving a trail of dust in her wake. When she returned, she shook her head.
Anna widened her eyes at my cousins’ display of power. Then she shaded her eyes and peered around. “Could they be underground?”
Lange looked at her with interest. “Maybe, but I have an idea. Anyone else smell fuel and exhaust?”
We all sniffed and I realized I smelled exhaust but had ignored it as a background smell, normal in the city. However, we were in a ghost town, and the smell was very strong. As one, my cousins and I all turned to the northeast where the scent wafted in the breeze.
Anna sniffed, frowned, and followed our lead, looking puzzled. She muttered, as if to herself, “I don’t smell exhaust.”
We walked through a large, barren field and crested a hill. Spread out in the shallow valley below us was a landing strip with an old wooden barn converted into a hangar at one end. The concrete covering the strip was old and cracked, but if debris lining the sides was any indicator, someone had cleared it off recently. The track of large wheels left imprints in the weeds of the landing strip.
Root Page 24
