by Cat Gilbert
He nodded at my warning and we started back toward the lodge. I’d gotten a good look at the security Hughes had in place during our walk. I didn’t discover anything new that we hadn’t already known about from when we’d cased the place before. I’d had the advantage of both Bryan and Mac then and even from a distance we hadn’t missed much. I looked up at the mountain where we had been before, and felt secure that Bryan or Candice were up there now, watching my every move.
“There’s one thing I don’t understand, Taylor.” Connors had interrupted my thoughts and I turned to him, waiting for him to explain. “It’s Brown. The man was a teacher, an educator. He wore tweed jackets. I can’t see him besting a fly, much less a trained military man like Sean.”
I looked him in the eye, confident he was kidding, but he wasn’t. Connors didn’t understand. He might be the Director of an agency that investigated paranormal abilities, but he had no idea what he was dealing with here. For a split second, I was jealous. I used to be like that too. I knew there were bad people. Really bad people. But I’d thought there were limits. At least in my realm of existence. Now I knew better. I hated to be the one to burst his bubble, but he needed to know. For his own protection and mine.
“Dr. Connors, Caleb Brown wasn’t what you thought he was. He wasn’t the only one here keeping secrets. He had abilities, powers that no one knew about. Apparently not even you. You saw what he wanted you to see and nothing more. Not everyone uses the power they have for good. Brown was bad, but Hughes is worse. He’s an animal and you need to realize that. There’s nothing he won’t do.” I paused, regretting what I was about to do, knowing it needed to be done. “Tell me about Abby.”
He stopped so fast, I ran into him. It was like running into an electric fence.
“What do you know about Abby?”
“That she could find things. Lost things. I know that she’s missing.” Connors looked at me, fear etched on his face, waiting to hear the rest and I forced myself to finish. “And I know, she’s not coming home again.”
His face crumpled in grief, his eyes suddenly awash with tears.
“It’s my fault. They were trying to find me and used her to do it,” I told him, trying to ease both his pain and mine. “I’m sorry. You can’t even begin to imagine how sorry I am.”
I walked on back towards the lodge, stopping to admire the gardens along the way, giving him some space to deal with it. It wasn’t long before before he joined me, having pulled it back together.
“Tell me what you need me to do.” His voice was strong and determined and I knew he finally understood what we were facing.
“I need to know that Sean is safe. That Hughes can’t get to him.”
“Done. What else?”
“Be careful and keep your eyes open. You know what’s normal around here and I don’t. Let me know if something doesn’t jibe.”
He nodded that he understood. We’d reached the main entrance to the lodge and he stepped up, opening the door for me. His hand fell gently on my back, guiding me through the door. The spike of energy pulsed through me at his touch and I was relieved to find that it no longer startled me.
Whatever relief I felt was short lived though, as we came through the doors to discover Hughes entering the lobby from the dining area, heading toward the stairs. I stopped short, blocking Connors from his view.
“Ah, Ms. Morrison, there you are,” Hughes said, as he changed direction and headed toward us. “I thought I’d find you and Dr. Connors in the dining room.”
Connors was behind me but as soon as he heard Hughes, anger erupted off him in waves of energy. I’d seen Connors angry earlier in the garden and that was nothing compared to what was happening now. It was my fault. I hadn’t expected to run into Hughes so soon. Connors’ emotions were still too raw from finding out about Abby, to deal with the situation.
The heat was so intense I was surprised that my clothes didn’t burst into flames. Hughes might not have been able to feel the heat or see the energy coming off Connors, but he could certainly feel the anger being directed toward him and I could tell from his narrowed gaze, that he assumed it was coming from me. Either he hadn’t noticed Connors behind me, or he’d dismissed him, not knowing about his ability. I had plenty of reasons to be angry at Hughes, but none I wanted to share with him. As far as he knew, I didn’t suspect him and I wanted to keep it that way, but I needed something. Connors was having enough trouble dealing with his anger at Hughes. I didn’t want to give him the chance to explain it to Hughes in person.
My mind was desperately searching for a logical reason for me to be furious with him, when I spied the bracelet dangling from his fingers and remembering Jenny’s warning, felt my temper flare. We were going to have it out about that anyway and this was the perfect time to make my feelings clear on the subject. Fate had dropped the answer right in my lap.
“I know about the bracelet, Hughes and you should know right now. I’m not wearing it. You could have saved yourself the trip over here.” I ground out the words, and braced my legs, my attitude definitely hostile.
Connors was still standing frozen behind me, and I was hoping, trying to get his anger under control. The heat was still pouring off him and I could feel the sweat gathering at my hairline.
“Jenny told you?” he asked, although if my suspicions were right, he already knew. I didn’t even bother to answer. “It’s for your own protection, Taylor. We can protect you better, if we know where you are.”
A second man entered into the lobby from the dining area and came to stand next to Hughes. He was dressed in black, like the rest of the security team I had seen and was armed with a gun and a radio. My watchdog, I assumed. This was just getting better by the moment.
“Protect me? So far you’ve done a poor job of that. If I’d left it up to you, my friends would be dead now and I’d have been sold to the highest bidder.”
He’d been able to keep his cool pretty well, but my insult about his ability to do his job pushed his buttons. That I’d done it in front of one of his men, certainly didn’t help the situation.
“I am in charge here, Ms. Morrison,whether you like it or not. I run the security and you will do as I say.”
“I. Don’t. Think. So.” I clipped the words out along with a determined mental shove that sent the magazines and books in the lobby scattering onto the floor. The effect on Hughes was instantaneous. For the first time, I saw a shadow of fear cross his face. He knew what had happened the last time I’d gotten angry and lost control. I hadn’t lost control this time, but he didn’t know that.
The sudden absence of heat behind me felt almost like a cold wind blowing against me, but its effect paled in comparison to the relief of knowing that Connors had finally pulled it together. His face was a mask of concern as he stepped around to face me.
“There, there. Taylor. No reason to be upset. Hughes is only concerned for your safety. I can assure you, he is very, very proficient at his job. You can trust him completely.”
I could only imagine how it must have grated for him to get the words out, but he did a convincing job. It was a smart move on his part to side with Hughes on the issue. If Hughes considered him an ally in controlling me, he was more likely to keep him in the loop.
“It may have escaped your attention, Dr. Connors, but there’s someone inside here that’s gunning for me and you have no idea who it is. Neither of you do. If you know where I’m at, they could too. If I wear that,” I pointed over to the bracelet still in Hughes hand, “I’m a sitting duck.”
Connors breathed out in exasperation, his shoulders slumping in defeat as he turned to Hughes.
“She does have a point, Hughes. We don’t know who is after her. It could be anyone here. How can you protect her from that?”
“We’re working on finding the person responsible, but until that time, she needs protection. She has to let me to my job, Dr. Connors.”
“Fine,” I snapped out. “Do your job. I assume he’s here
for me?” I pointed again, this time to the guard standing next to Hughes. He hadn’t flinched a bit at the flying books, instead keeping his eyes fixed on me. He could well be a problem, but an easier one to fix than being tagged and tracked. “Isn’t that a radio on his belt? I’m sure he can contact you if there’s a problem. I’ll accept the guard, but I’m drawing the line there.”
“I can have you restricted to quarters,” Hughes threatened.
“Stop!” Connors interceded before I could dare Hughes to try it. “This is getting totally out of hand. Hughes, if Taylor is that opposed to the bracelet, there’s no reason to force her. She’s agreed to the guard, and I think that’s sufficient.” Hughes glared at me, refusing to give ground and Connors went on. “She’s come in of her own free will and she’s free to go whenever she chooses. I’d prefer she stay.”
I hadn’t said anything about leaving, but I wished I had. The wind went right out of Hughes’ sails as the implications hit him. There was no way he could keep me here against my will, not with the audience we had attracted. The kitchen staff was gathered in the doorway and there were people along the bannister at the top of the stairs looking on. The last thing he wanted was to lose track of me again. Connors’ had successfully cornered him.
“I think it’s a mistake, but if that’s what she wants, then most certainly, we’ll accommodate her.” He’d done a complete about face, the anger gone and in its place nothing but understanding and concern as he turned to me. “I hope you understand, Ms. Morrison. It wasn’t my intent to upset you and I apologize for getting angry. It’s just you’ve been through so much already and I’m to blame for that. I should have known and stopped him before it got this far.”
I didn’t answer him, just nodded my head and waited quietly while he stepped away to give instructions to the guard. Connors’ stood quietly next to me with his eyes closed. I wanted to talk to him and this was perhaps the only opportunity I would have while the guard was busy with Hughes.
“I suppose I should go clean up my mess.” I sighed and headed into the sitting area to collect the magazines that I’d thrown on the floor. Connors followed and knelt beside me, to help.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered in my ear. “I lost it back there.”
“It’s all right.” I gathered up a handful of newspapers and sat them on the table. “I’ve lost it a few times myself. You got it back together, that’s what counts.”
He smiled sadly and lifted the armload of books that he’d stacked. I followed him over to the bookcase with my own stack of books and started re-shelving them.
“You know anything about this guard?” I took a book from him and stretched up to put it on one of the higher shelves.
“He’s fairly new. Just came on a few weeks ago. Hughes said he came highly recommended.”
“After all this started?”He nodded, as I placed the last book and turned to find Hughes coming toward us, the guard following on his heels.
“Thanks for your help, Dr. Connors,” I said as they joined us. “Again, I’m sorry about the mess. I... ah… have ... well, there’s a ... things like this seem to happen when I’m upset.” I stumbled over the words and kept my eyes down, seemingly embarrassed, watching as Hughes shoes came into view.
“Nothing to worry about, Taylor. Things like that happen here all the time.” He picked up the last book and shoved onto the shelf.
Hughes cleared his throat to get our attention. “This is Lars Jorgensen, Ms. Morrison. He’ll be taking the first guard rotation. You met him last night, but I don’t think you were ever formally introduced.”
I raised my eyes to get a good look at Lars. Hughes was right, we’d met before. And I’d been wrong. It wasn’t the fire suit that made him look enormous. It was genes. Pure and simple. Standing next to Connors, he was a giant. That he wasn’t happy being saddled with me was written all over his face. I wasn’t too thrilled about it either.
“Lars will escort you back to the medical facility. I’m sure you need some rest after the busy morning you’ve had.”
“Actually, I’d like to get a cup of coffee, and then, if you have time, Dr. Connors, I’d like to see the rest of the lodge.”
“If you’re feeling up to it, I’d be delighted.” Connors offered me his arm and we headed into the dining room with Lars in our wake, leaving Hughes standing by the fireplace. I hated to admit it, but he was right. I was tired and I had a splitting headache, but I wasn’t about to let Hughes order me around. Plus there was the little fact that I needed to get a look at the whole facility before Hughes made his next move, which I suspected would be pretty soon.
Another hit of caffeine would get me through the rest of the morning and I had a pretty good idea that Connors needed another muffin after expending so much energy. Maybe two or three. He called over to check on Mac while we waited for our order to arrive and gave me a nod of assurance. He’d make sure nothing happened to him. They brought my coffee and two muffins for Connors. He might frown on my need for a hit of caffeine, but he obviously had no such reservations regarding his own energy hit. I slowly sipped my coffee as he wolfed down the massive muffins in what had to be record time. All the while, Lars stood in the background and watched us like some big bird of prey.
To say it was irritating was the understatement of the year. It would have been easier to just throw the tracking bracelet over the fence, but a lot harder to explain. With Lars, I could shake him and then simply blame it on him for not doing his job. The thought of Hughes ripping him up for losing track of me brought my irritation level down a notch and I threw him a tight smile as we got up and prepared for the rest of my tour. He just stared at me. Real social, this guy.
The rest of the lodge was much like any other hotel. There were several large meeting rooms on the main floor, a few of which had been divided up to smaller, more intimate areas. Connors’ office and private quarters were located on the second floor along with a couple more meeting areas, with housing for the teachers in the adjoining wing. The third floor was restricted to rooms for the Clients.
He took me to Brown’s room and I looked in, giving it a fast appraisal. I doubted that anything implicating him would be found there. Hughes had access to the room and I was sure he’d done a thorough job of tossing it when Brown had turned up missing.
Security was as tight inside the lodge as it had been outside. Hughes wasn’t just worried about people getting in. He was worried about the Clients and kept a pretty close eye on them. The number of cameras scattered about the place was staggering. They must have a whole bank of monitors and a raft of personnel to keep track of everyone. Not a good sign. All in all, I was pretty discouraged. I kept reminding myself that not everyone there was in on it. Surely most of the people in the security force were there to actually guard the property and protect the Clients. The fewer people who knew what Hughes was doing, the easier it was to keep it quiet. Maybe the odd weren’t as bad as I thought.
Lars followed along in our wake the whole time, checking in with Hughes periodically. By the time we’d covered the third floor, I was ready to head back. I was tired, my head was pounding and I wanted to get some rest before tonight. I didn’t think Hughes would wait long to make a move. He’d more than likely wait until late evening when most of the staff was off duty and he could manage to have his men in place. I planned on being awake and ready for him when it happened.
We arrived back at the entrance to the medical facility and got into the elevator to go back down to my room. I turned to watch the sunlight disappear as the doors slowly slid closed and sincerely hoped I wasn’t seeing it for the last time.
THIRTY-NINE
I WOKE MID-AFTERNOON feeling better. My headache had ratcheted down from blinding to bearable, which was a vast improvement as far I was concerned. The extra sleep had improved my outlook substantially and although I couldn’t say I was entirely positive about things, at least I wasn’t feeling the ax of doom hovering over me. The lights were still on, which puzz
led me until I remembered that Jenny had said they were hooked into the monitors which, fortunately, were no longer hooked up to me.
I rolled out of bed and padded into the bathroom to splash some water on my face in an effort to clear my head. My hair was a complete mess and the sweatsuit looked like I’d slept in it, which I had. I ran damp fingers through my hair in an effort to tame it, thankful for the shorter length as it fell into some semblance of order. I jammed my feet back into the hospital slippers and quietly opened the door, slipping out into the empty hallway.
“Going somewhere?” I looked back over my shoulder to find Hughes standing behind me. Where he’d come from, I had no idea. He hadn’t been there a minute ago. Now there he was, bigger than life, holding a steaming cup of coffee and waiting for an answer.
“Yes, I am,” I answered him, trying not to let my annoyance show. “I’m going to find Sean and see how he’s doing. You can tag along if you like.”
“I’m afraid that will have to wait until later, Taylor. Right now, arrangements have been made for you to go into town and get some clothes and whatever else you might require during your stay here.”
I’d expected Hughes to make a move, counted on it in fact, but I’d thought I’d have a little more time. Getting me away from the protection of the Agency, small as it might be, would give him all the opportunity he needed. I wasn’t quite ready to ‘disappear’ though.
“Don’t you think that under the circumstances, it would be better for some clothes to be brought out here? Or have you forgotten that there are bad guys out there looking for me? I think I’ll pass on the shopping for now, but thanks anyway.”
I turned around and started back in the direction I’d been heading only to find Lars blocking the hallway. I met his stoney gaze and felt my stomach drop. Apparently I was going shopping whether I wanted to or not. He’d changed into a pair of jeans and a turtleneck, along with a leather bomber jacket to conceal the shoulder holster I was sure he was wearing underneath.
