Brain Storm (A Taylor Morrison Novel Book 1)

by Cat Gilbert

  “Jenny is a doctor and a very good one at that, but she also has the power of healing. The ability to sense a problem and be able to direct her energy to it. There are others with similar powers, but not many, making it a limited resource. What they can do, though, has opened doors that otherwise would have stayed closed. What we’re doing here is learning to involve the mind in the healing process. We’ve had some fascinating results.”

  The doors opened and we stepped into the foyer, which was flooded with sunlight. I wished the bag he’d given me had contained some good sun glasses.

  “Yes, it’s always a little hard on your eyes when you first come up,” he said, when I flinched from the light. “No matter how much light we provide down below, there’s just no substitute for the real thing.”

  He held the door open for me and I moved through into the fresh mountain air. He pointed the way to the lodge and we headed off down the path.

  “Jenny mentioned that Hughes tracks the Clients. Any particular reason why?” I asked, still wondering how I was going to get out of that one.

  “It’s not always easy to adjust to having the kind of abilities we work with here, Taylor. We try to bring Clients in as soon as their power start to manifest, but even then, it can easily become an emotional upheaval that is difficult to accept. Hughes feels it’s in their best interest to observe them, even if it’s from a distance. Just to ensure their safety.” He turned to look at me. “I’m sure you can understand that.”

  My mind flashed back to the lives I had changed, the men I had killed, and I could understand all too well. I nodded and he gave me a sad smile.

  “At least that’s what he claims, but after the story I heard this morning, I’m not so sure.”He stopped just outside the lodge and stood quietly, looking out over the grounds. “Taylor, is Hughes involved in this?”

  “Are you involved in this?” I asked back, even though I was fairly certain he wasn’t.

  “No. At least I hope not.” I stopped walking and looked down at him. I’m 5‘7” and Connors barely came past my chin. In the sunlight, his hair sparkled with shots of vibrant red. His green eyes were still startling, but now I could make out the fine lines etched around them. When I’d first met him, I’d pegged him to be in his 30’s. Young to hold such a high position, but stranger things had happened. Now, I wasn’t sure. He spoke like someone older, carried himself differently. “Taylor, I thought you were dead until you phoned last night. Hearing your story today, learning that the Agency is somehow complicit in this astounds me. As the Director, I am ultimately responsible. I need to know if you think Hughes is involved in this.”

  I hesitated, unsure whether to trust him. Fact of the matter was, Mac was out of commission and I was on my own in here, unlike Hughes, who had heaven only knows how many people working for him. I needed to even the odds. At the very least, I needed someone to make sure Hughes didn’t get to Mac. Connors would be a powerful ally. Or a powerful enemy. I need to make a decision though, and now. Time was short and I might not get another chance. I decided to just go with my gut. It hadn’t failed me yet.

  “No, Dr. Connors, I don’t think he’s involved. I know it for a fact.” I watched his face closely when I told him, looking for any sign that I was wrong to trust him, but he took it like I’d hoped he would. He was shaken, but the flash of anger in his eyes was unmistakable. “Marcus Adams worked for him and so did Dr. Brown.”

  I watched amazed as his body suddenly seemed to shimmer in front of me. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths as energy poured off him like heat off a desert highway. I’d never seen anything like it and I took a step back, putting some distance between us.

  The shimmering stopped as fast as it started. He had it under control in seconds, but it had been an impressive display while it lasted. His eyes popped open and he looked over at me, a look of confusion on his face, I assumed because of the look on mine.

  “Ah. You can see that, can you?” I nodded. He stepped over to me and motioned me up the stairs to the lodge entrance. “You felt it last night when I helped you out of the ambulance. That surprised me. You’re only the second person I’ve come across that can. ”

  “Does Hughes know?”

  “No. He doesn’t. No one else knows. Except Jenny.”

  Jenny, the Healer. I wondered how much else she knew and if she could be trusted.

  “How do you hold that much energy without burning out?” I asked, feeling the pulse of energy on my back as his hand guided me through the door into the lodge.

  “I was born to it, Taylor. Just as you were born to yours.”

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  THE LODGE WAS everything a luxury mountain hideaway should be. Everything in it was large, from the massive roof beams to the enormous fieldstone fireplace. Just like the medical facilities, no expense had been spared. The floor to ceiling windows flanking the fireplace opened out to a stunning vista of the mountains.

  The dining room was all but empty by the time we arrived. If there were any Clients in house, they’d already eaten and gone. We had our choice of tables and I took one where I could see anyone coming in from the lobby. The last thing I wanted was Hughes sneaking up on me.

  “Taylor,” Connors began, when the waitress had taken our order.

  “How many clients do you have here,” I asked quickly, cutting him off before he could continue. He looked at me in question and I gave him a pointed look, which he thankfully interpreted correctly. I was pretty sure that if Hughes was tracking the Clients, he’d have bugged the place too, especially the dining room. I needed to watch what I said, but there were some questions that I was sure would alert him more by their absence than by me actually asking them. Besides, they were things I was going to need to know for later.

  “It varies,” he replied slowly, the reality of the situation dawning on him. “but it’s never very many. A handful at most. The majority of people with the potential for special abilities never even realize they have them. It’s the rare individual that senses there’s something more going on. Rarer still to find someone like you.”

  “Lucky me,” I said, not feeling lucky at all. I watched as the waitress sat a huge mug down in front of me and began pouring the coffee. Maybe a shot of caffeine would help.“How do you find the Clients?”

  “Believe it or not, we find most of them through the internet. Odd things start happening, things that can’t be explained. People notice and they start looking for answers. We monitor a variety of websites and forums. We even host a number of sites, forums and blogs. Social media is a great resource for finding people. As you well know, as an investigator, there’s not much people won’t chat about if someone will listen. We listen and once in a while, we find someone that interests us.”

  I reached out and grabbed the waitress’s arm as she turned to go, indicating that she should leave the pot on the table, fairly sure I was going to need more coffee. A lot more. Connors was right. I’d searched the internet for answers, but not until after the incident with Marcus and according to Mac, he’d been in place long before that. Connors might get most of his Clients via the internet, but that’s not how he found me.

  “What about the Watchers? Sean said there were others like him, but surely there aren’t that many. When do they come into play?”

  “That’s something entirely different,” Connors explained, watching me closely. “Not everyone has a Watcher. They’re only used when there is someone that we feel certain has abilities, but they haven’t come out yet.”

  Someone we feel certain has abilities? How would they know? What was going on here? Mac may have been in place for seven years, but they’d put him there. They’d been watching me long before that. Gee, that wasn’t ominous at all. I looked at Connors, the question in my eyes.

  “The Agency has been around for a long time,” he said, fiddling with his cup. “Not in it’s current form, of course, but the idea, the concept, has existed for decades. I’ve only been the Director here
for 5 years, and you were already on the radar when I arrived. According to your file, both your parents were gifted with abilities. I have to assume that somehow they were involved, at least for a time, with the Agency, but I haven’t been able to find any information on them other than that mention in your file. A child from two gifted people was bound to peak their interest. I’d think it would be safe to say that they’ve had eyes on you since birth.”

  Shell-shocked, I think they call it. I honestly couldn’t think and I certainly couldn’t talk. My brain refused to accept what Connors was telling me. Surely that couldn’t be right. This couldn’t have started with my parents and been going on for decades. They’ve had eyes on you since birth. His words swept, unbidden through my brain, time after time, and I was helpless to stop them.

  Suddenly a jolt went up my arm and I gasped, looking down to see Connors holding my hand. He’d shocked me. How he’d done it, I had no idea, but it had gotten my attention. I glanced up and saw him nod in warning towards the security camera in the corner. That’s right. Hughes was watching. I needed to hold it together.

  “When your Aunt died,” Connors continued on as if nothing had happened, “they instructed me to assign you a Watcher. We have found that trauma is often the spark that ignites a person’s ability. A chemical change in the body perhaps, due to stress. Or maybe the brain is distracted enough to allow the ability to gain a foothold. Why, is something we’re still looking into, but the point is, it was felt that it would be better to keep a closer eye on you after that, so Sean was sent in.”

  “Okay,” I mumbled, trying to remember what we’d been talking about when Connors had dropped his bombshell. “What’s next? What happens after you find these people?”

  “We invite them to the Agency. Offer them testing, the opportunity to participate in experiments and yes, research, but it’s all on a volunteer basis. No one is forced to do anything they don’t want to. Truth is, most of them are as intent on finding out what’s happening as we are. They want answers too and we try to provide those, along with confirmation that they aren’t losing their minds and imagining things. They are instead, something special and unique and we treat them that way. They stay here until they feel comfortable and then they leave us.”

  “And you just let them go? It is a government facility. I would think they would be somewhat concerned about the Clients being out there just walking around.”

  “Yes, well. They do require we keep tabs on them.” He stopped to refill my coffee mug, which I’d already drained. “You do know that all that caffeine isn’t good for you?”

  “Well, I’m just not as peppy as you are.” I said, a look of innocence plastered on my face. “I need it.”

  “ Ah. Touché, my dear. But you might want to pace yourself a bit.”

  “You were saying... about security?” I decided to ignore his warning and concentrated on adding just the right amount of cream instead.

  “Yes. We managed to convince the government that the sight of armed soldiers roaming the grounds would be offsetting. Hughes was their answer. Private security, but ex-military, so they understand the chain of command. I’m the Director, but the Agency is funded by the government and I answer to them. They keep close tabs on what we do here, but we don’t have much interference in our operations. Probably because we don’t have much success. At least not the type of success they’re looking for.”

  The waitress arrived with our food, giving me time to get my bearings. The fact that Connors kept referring to the government as them, wasn’t lost on me. Whether it was intentional and he was trying to tell me he wasn’t part of it or he subconsciously didn’t agree with what was going on, I had no way of knowing, but he was definitely disassociating himself from what was happening at the Agency.

  Connors cleared a space on the table in front of him as the waitress deposited his plate. He had ordered a muffin. It was big and that was about all I could say for it. It looked suspiciously tasteless and dry. I sincerely hoped mine was better than that and it was. The waitress sat a huge platter of scrambled eggs, bacon and hash browns down in front of me. I had ordered my toast buttered and uncut. It was homemade, full of nuts and seeds and smelled like heaven on earth. I grabbed up a piece and started piling my food onto it. “Go on.” I prodded Connors, when he just sat there watching me. “What is it they’re looking for?”

  “Proof,” he said, shaking his head. “Something tangible that they can use to justify the millions of dollars they’ve poured into the Agency. It’s what they want and we haven’t been able to give it to them. It’s very difficult to substantiate these abilities in a scientific manner..”

  “Don’t you mean impossible?” I finished loading my toast and grabbed the other piece to top it off. “There have been others that have tried and failed. You’re not the first.”

  “No. I think it’s entirely possible. It just hasn’t happened yet.”

  “Why do you think that is?” I asked, looking around for something to wrap my sandwich in. Connors caught on and reached over to the next table, snagging a large napkin and handing it to me.

  “That is the question, now, isn’t it? The obvious answer is that they don’t really exist, but we both know that’s not the case, don’t we?” I finished wrapping my sandwich up and topped up my coffee.

  “Yes we do,” I agreed. “ So why can’t you prove it?” I stood up and he joined me, grabbing an extra napkin, his muffin and his coffee. I snatched a piece of egg from the plate that had escaped and popped it into my mouth before grabbing my cup and heading outside.

  “I think, Taylor, that its because it is more than science. It can’t be replicated and authenticated in a lab because there’s no reason to do it other than to prove it can be done and that’s not a good enough reason. There has to be emotion involved. There has to be need.” He got to the door, pushed it open with his foot and held it, waiting for me to pass.

  “If that’s true, your work here is kind of precarious, isn’t it?” I headed toward a bench and then changed my mind, deciding that Hughes had probably bugged it simply because it was the only place to sit down. I zeroed in on a nice grassy area instead. “They can pull the funding out from under you anytime they want.”

  “Yes, they can and I seem to spend most of my time giving them reasons not to do just that. The fact is, they know it exists. They can’t deny it, just because we haven’t been able to prove it in a lab and they aren’t ready to give up yet. They have too much riding on it. To tell you the truth, it’s frustrating and if that was what it was all about, I’d have thrown in the towel long ago, but it isn’t. Testing and experiments are only a small part of what we do here. People have to know how to handle it and we can help them with that. Granted, it’s mainly lectures and ‘what if’ scenarios, but at the very least, they know they’re not crazy and they know they’re not alone. That’s why I’m here, Taylor. To help those people. To help you.”

  Connors wanted to help me. Help me how? Help me get a handle on this thing, or help me find out who was after me? Maybe it was both. The thought cheered me up a bit. I hoped I was right and he wasn’t involved in this, because I was really starting to like the little guy. We settled down on the grass and I hunted for a flat spot to set my coffee before starting in on my sandwich. It was just as good as I’d anticipated.

  “Now?” he asked and I nodded that it was safe to talk. “You think Hughes has listening devices in the lodge?”

  “I think Hughes does whatever makes his job easier and uses his position to cover it up. If he has access to the equipment and I’m willing to bet he has, then yes, I think he’s done it and not just to the lodge. Probably medical and anywhere else he thinks it might be beneficial.”

  Connors looked down at his clothes in dismay.

  “I think you’re safe, Dr. Connors. Even if Hughes did bug you, the energy you put out would take care of it, but I wouldn’t count on anyplace else being safe.”

  He picked up his muffin and broke it i
n half, exposing its insides. It was full of berries and nuts and some oozing dark purple substance that looked delicious.

  “What is that?” I asked, munching away on my own sandwich.

  “It’s a high energy muffin. They make them especially for me. There’s probably three times the amount of calories inside as what you’re eating there.”

  I looked down at what was left of my sandwich which wasn’t much. Full of butter and fat, nuts and seeds this was one high calorie meal and not something I would do on a regular basis, but right now I needed it. I had a feeling those special muffins were something Connors needed on a regular basis.

  “How many of those in a day?” I asked.

  “It would stagger even your mind,” he said, managing a smile.

  We finished eating and got up to walk. I didn’t feel real comfortable staying in one place for long. Not with Jenny’s warning that Hughes would be looking for me. We strolled out toward the perimeter, making our way through the gardens.

  “How much of your story was true?” Connors asked as we made our way around to the back side of the lodge.

  “Most of it.”

  “You think Hughes was right about the men who attacked you being thieves or do you think Brown doubled crossed him?”

  “Neither.” I paused, thinking about just how much I wanted to tell him. I trusted him or I wouldn’t have risked my life, telling him as much I as I had, but I just wasn’t prepared to risk the others. If nothing else, I had to protect Candice, Bryan and Mama D. I owed them that much.

  “Brown decided to take matters into his own hands. He attacked Sean and came after me.” I didn’t state the obvious and Connors didn’t need me to fill in the blanks. He was smarter than that.

  “Hughes has no idea you’re onto him, then.” I shook my head no, and pretended to stop and look at around at the grounds. “You think he’s the one calling the shots?”

  “That’s what I’m here to find out. I do know that he’s not working alone. He has others here that are involved, so you need to be careful. Hughes is dangerous.”