The Unseen Trilogy

by Stephanie Erickson

  “What’s supposed to be happening here?”

  “You’ll see,” Rebecca said.

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  “Pipe down. I need to concentrate,” I said to both of them. Rebecca snickered, but David grumbled. I knew he was just giving me a hard time, so I smiled and shut my eyes, searching for him again.

  Then, all of a sudden, I saw it plain as day. Or maybe I should say I felt it, heard it? It was hard to describe someone’s mental signature. His was different from Rebecca’s, in the way that a B is different from a B flat on the chromatic scale. And in the same way I could see music on the page, feel it with my heart, and hear it with my ears, I saw, felt, and heard his signature.

  All I had to do was reach out to it.

  Hey, I thought to him.

  Hey. What are you doing? You’re making me nervous.

  I’ve created a connection between us that will maintain long distances. At least, that’s what I think it will do.

  Did you do it? Rebecca asked.

  You can’t hear him. It was a realization, not a question. And you can’t hear me talking to him?

  Nope.

  David, can you hear me talking to Rebecca?

  No, you’re also talking to Rebecca?

  Getting tired of the back and forth, I decided to speak out loud. “Okay, it makes sense that you can’t hear each other when I’m talking to you separately this way, but why can’t you hear me talking to the other person? Once I’ve found your signature and our connection has been made, shouldn’t you be able to hear the thoughts I’m broadcasting all the time?”

  Rebecca thought for a moment, and then her face lit up. “Maybe the connections are like highways. You can’t drive on both at the same time. So, when you’re talking to me, you’re on one road that’s shared by us. Your communication with David is a separate road, one that I can’t hear.”

  David nodded. “Also, just because you’ve established a mental connection with someone doesn’t mean they have an open door to your head. Consider the way we normally communicate. When I send you a message, you hear what I want you to hear. It makes sense that the rules wouldn’t change so dramatically.”

  I sighed. “It just means it’s not perfect, and there’s still work to do. If we have a large mission, we’ll need to make sure that everyone is not only on the same highway, but in the same car. But we’ve made progress today,” I said, hoping it was enough for now.

  David stood to go back to his office, but he stopped and rested his hand on my shoulder. “Good work. Tracy would be proud.”

  I nodded, not feeling like I could trust my voice in that moment. Rebecca smiled encouragingly at me, her eyes shining with the excitement of our discovery.

  He left Rebecca and me alone in the room, and I tried to imagine the real-world applications of this skill. “It might be hard to decide who you need to speak to in a critical moment.”

  “No, it wouldn’t be. I imagine the list of people you’d want to talk to would be pretty short. Me, David, maybe Owen, but that’s it.” She shrugged her shoulders.

  “What about the researchers? Wouldn’t it be helpful to be able to tap into what they know without having to call them?”

  She paused for a moment, considering the suggestion. “Yes, that would be helpful. You’re right. But one of us could always find out what you need pretty quickly if it came down to it. Anyway, we may be overcomplicating it. One step at a time.”

  “And the next step should be protecting what we’ve learned. These connections make me nervous.” I thought of how easily the Potestas had captured me in Shields’ mind. That could happen to any one of us at any time. It would be disastrous if they somehow gained access to our signatures. Without our help, the world would go up in a cloud of Zero. Then a thought occurred to me. Did the Potestas even know the signatures existed? If not, it was all the more reason to keep the information out of their hands.

  “It can wait until tomorrow. It’s late.” She stood and stretched. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  I nodded, and she left me alone in the training room. I had no idea what time it was, but I wanted to see Owen so I could tell him what I’d learned.

  Leaning back in the chair to take a moment of rest before I went to the hospital ward, I shut my eyes and imagined him in his room. I wondered what his signature would be like, and I felt for it, trying to answer my own question.

  Perhaps my love for him had taught me his signature long ago, without me even realizing it, because I found it easily. And we weren’t even in the same room. I was so excited I nearly lost it.

  Hey, are you awake?

  What? What the hell? he asked, a hint of alarm in his internal voice.

  Rebecca and I made some great strides today.

  Where are you?

  In the training room.

  Seriously? Slowly, his alarm was turning to excitement. I thought maybe you were just outside the door and didn’t want to knock or something.

  Just wanted to see if I could connect with you from a distance. But there’s a lot to do to perfect this method.

  He turned a bit wistful then. I’ll bet.

  You’ll be up and at ‘em soon, Owen. You’ll see.

  Sooner than soon actually. I thought I detected a hint of excitement in his voice, but I couldn’t be sure if I was just projecting. They’re releasing me tomorrow. That was definitely joy I heard, and I loved it, but his news stressed me out.

  What? No! It was an automatic response, and I instantly regretted it. I knew he would misunderstand me.

  You don’t want me to get out of here? The hurt in his tone was only slightly masked by his confusion.

  No, that’s not what I meant. I’m supposed to work with Rebecca tomorrow. I wanted to help you. To show you your… I hesitated. I hadn’t told him about my plan for us to move in together. David had rather reluctantly approved the idea after I’d reminded him that we were both adults—and had been for some time.

  I gathered my courage and continued. To show you our quarters.

  Our quarters?

  Suddenly, I regretted the distance between us, so I left the training room and started to make my way to the hospital ward. I thought you might like to share a room. I asked David, and he approved my request…eventually. We have a larger space, two dressers, and a double bed. It’s no California king or anything, but it’s big enough.

  One bed? I could almost hear the wheels turning in his mind.

  One bed. It was a big step for us. But after what we’d been through…well, I loved him and he loved me, and I wanted to spend my nights with him in every possible way. I knew all too well how short life was. I didn’t want to waste it tip-toeing around social niceties.

  I’m on my way to see you. I’ll be right there.

  He was silent as I made my way across the facility. My anxiety ratcheted up with each step I made, closing the distance to his room. If I’d assumed too much, moved too quickly, I might have ruined everything. But then again, was our relationship really that fragile? We’d been tested by fire these past months, and we were still there for each other. We’d survived. And we’d survive this, right?

  I put one hand on his door, then took a deep breath and went into his room. He had a huge smile on his face, and the sight of his joy filled my own heart with light. “One bed, huh? I think I can handle that.”

  I ran to his side and flounced on top of him, taking no care for his injuries. He groaned, but he wrapped his lightly bandaged arms around me anyway.

  “I need to tell Rebecca I can’t train tomorrow, because I’m moving in with my boyfriend.”

  “Whoa there, you little hussy.” His eyes sparkled as he tried to hide his smile.

  I swatted his head playfully. “If I’m a hussy, what does that make you?”

  His face turned serious. “Lucky.”

  I laughed out loud and pulled the pillow from behind his head to smack him with it, taking care not to hit his shoulder or arms.
“If you think I’m easy, you’ve got another thing coming.”

  It was his turn to laugh. “Honey, you are anything but easy.”

  Things degraded from there until we were both laughing and prodding each other, although Owen was at a serious disadvantage with his bandaged hands.

  We lay next to each other in an exhausted heap, staring up at the ceiling with smiles on both our faces. “What time is it?”

  “After eleven.”

  “Rebecca’s such a night owl; she’s bound to be up.”

  I tapped into our connection and addressed her quietly, just in case she was sleeping. You up?

  Yes. But don’t be so whispery. It’s creepy.

  I raised the volume of my thoughts a little. I didn’t want to wake you. Owen’s moving out of the hospital tomorrow. I can’t train.

  Yay! The genuine enthusiasm was plain in her thoughts. What can I do to help?

  See if you can figure out how to hide your signature. If we’re discovered, the signatures could be the Unseen’s undoing.

  Sure. Anything you need.

  Thanks, Rebecca. Night.

  As I snuggled in next to Owen, I felt content. Yes, terrorists were trying to kill hordes of people with a deadly chemical, but I drew strength from my love for the man next to me.

  Four

  We both groaned when the nurse woke us up in the morning. I was sore from sleeping in such an awkward position, and I knew Owen had to be in even more pain.

  “You’re going home today, although I see a bit of your home has come to you.” She eyed me, but there wasn’t disapproval in her look. She seemed to find the situation amusing.

  It took most of the morning to get Owen packed up and on his way. He didn’t need to sign any release forms or anything like you’d normally do after a long hospital stay, but there was still a lot to gather after such a lengthy stay. It didn’t help that he was moving pretty slow. I reminded myself that at least he was moving.

  Before we left, the nurse reminded him, “Now, you’re scheduled for continued therapy four times a week.”

  He groaned. “Can I have Saturdays off?”

  She chuckled at him and shook her head. “It’ll be every other day, so sometimes it might be Saturday, sometimes it might be Sunday. But that’s half what you’re getting now, so quit your whining. Plus, think about the person who has to work weekends to get your butt back into shape. Eventually, you’ll go down to three days a week, and you and our nurses can both have your weekends. Just don’t be late.”

  There were three nurses there to see him off, all full-blown members of the Unseen’s medical staff. They’d spent plenty of time with him in the last few weeks, and they all seemed like they’d miss him. I wondered what they did when there weren’t any patients around. They probably kept inventory, cleaned, and monitored any missions. If the Unseen hated anything, it was being unprepared, and I imagined these nurses were always prepared for the worst.

  They offered him a wheelchair to make the transfer, but he declined. He said he needed to walk anyway, and besides, it wasn’t that far. We made the trip slower than I would have made it by myself, but not as slow as you’d think considering he’d been in the hospital for the better part of a month. He’d been allowed out of his room for short visits to the living room to watch the occasional movie with us, but nothing more. I could tell from the look on his face that he was really enjoying his freedom.

  When I opened the door to our room, I stood back to let him take in our space. The new facility had a lot more space anyway, but our room was even bigger because we were sharing. A couch stood opposite our very own TV, and my keyboard and guitar sat next to the TV stand. Two dressers finished out that wall, and the couch and our bed took up most of the opposite wall. I’d sprinkled some decor around the room, and I’d even found a plant to set between the bed and the couch as a divider. It was fake, but it made the room feel homier. I thought Maddie would have appreciated my effort, if nothing else.

  “There’s a door. Where does it lead?” Owen asked, looking at the second door in the room.

  This was my favorite part of the new facility. The door he was referring to was tucked between the couch and our front door.

  “Go see.”

  Quirking his brow at me, he walked to the door and opened it, revealing a state-of-the-art bathroom. Granite countertops, glass sinks, and a shower with multiple heads, jets, and temperature settings. The separate tub was a dream. I’d already tested it on several occasions, and I couldn’t wait to try it for two.

  “We have our own bathroom.” He ran his lightly bandaged hand along the vanity as he walked further into the bathroom. “Does everyone have their own?”

  “Yup. This facility is awesome. I know you’re going to love it once you can explore a little. You should see our view.”

  “I’m quite enjoying this view.” He eyed me, and I could tell what was on his mind. But I didn’t think his body was up for what his heart wanted, so I maneuvered him back out into our room. It was worth waiting until we didn’t have to worry about aggravating his injuries.

  Gently squeezing his hand, I said, “Welcome home, love.”

  We took it easy for the rest of the day. I helped him get unpacked and settled. He took a nap in the afternoon, and then we had dinner with everyone. They held a huge group meal for him, and everyone chatted him up. We were all excited to have him back, and he was equally enthusiastic about being back.

  Even Mitchell spoke up more than usual. “Good to have you topside again.” He nodded at his friend between bites of food.

  “Someone has to make sure you’re staying on task.” Owen eyed Mitchell’s hand, resting gently on top of Rebecca’s, in plain view of everyone at the table.

  Camden chimed in. “I think Mitchell has his tasks prioritized just fine without your help, Owen.”

  There was much hooting and hollering, but Mitchell just smiled. It felt good to see such simple happiness on his face. Rebecca laughed right along with everyone else, and while I thought I detected a faint blush on her cheeks, it could’ve been a trick of the light. As the conversation devolved into further teasing, neither of them moved to take their hands from the table.

  That night, Owen and I climbed into our bed together. He was exhausted after so much activity, so he fell right to sleep, and I snuggled up to him, feeling content as I listened to the soft sound of his breathing. It was an emotion I hadn’t experienced in quite a long time.

  The next morning, I had to go back to work with Rebecca, so I left Owen to his own devices. He was still asleep when I got up, and I expected he’d sleep well into the morning.

  Just to ease my mind, I caught up with Mitchell on my way to the training rooms. He was already mostly done with his workout for the day.

  “Can you check on Owen a little later? He was still asleep when I got up.”

  Sweat pouring off him, he nodded, not willing to pause his workout. Mitchell was a man of few words, but when he said he’d do something, he meant it, so the simple gesture was enough to reassure me.

  David stopped me on my way to the training room. I knew that something was wrong before he even said anything, and my suspicion was confirmed when he asked me to follow him into the office.

  Once the door was latched behind me, he gestured for me to take a seat. My heart was racing uncontrollably. Had something happened to Owen? Were the Potestas about to strike again?

  “There’s been word from the Spanish Ministry of Mind Reading. They suspect an attack is in the works, but they’re having trouble working out the details.”

  I sank back in the chair, weighed down by the gravity of what he was telling me. “What can we do?”

  “I have Mitchell and his crew working hard to sift through the information sent to us by the foreign ministry. All of our chapters are doing everything they can to get to the bottom of this, but so far, we don’t have enough to go on.” His brow was furrowed in obvious frustration.

  I had no answers, no
thing to offer him. But his resolve didn’t seem impacted by the uncertainty of the situation. “Keep working. We will get to the bottom of this,” he said.

  “Hopefully sooner rather than later,” I said.

  As I left his office and made my way to the training room, I felt more pressure than ever to get things right with Rebecca. Time was running out.

  Rebecca waited patiently for me in the training room, working on her latest crocheted creation. It was too early to know just what it would be, but it looked like it might end up being a scarf or a shoulder wrap for the cold Colorado temperatures.

  “There may be another attack in Spain,” I announced as soon as I closed the door behind me.

  “I heard.” Her tone was low and sad. It felt odd on her, which made me want to fix the problem even more.

  With nothing more to be said about it, I asked, “Did you figure out how to hide your signature?” I asked as I settled into the seat across from her, watching her hands work artfully as they pulled the yarn just so.

  “Oddly, no. It’s almost like a phantom limb for me. Now that I know it’s there, I can feel it, but I can’t see it. Without being able to see it, I’m not sure how to hide it from intruders.” She frowned as she continued to twist and loop the yarn.

  “It’s a bit of an abstract concept, I guess, just like everything else related to mind reading and defenses. You can’t see your thoughts, your memories, the things that make you you. But you still have defenses in place, right?”

  “But without knowing where my signature is, or even what it is, how can I defend it?” She was clearly frustrated from her lack of progress.

  “Maybe I need to do it first, and then I can explain it better.”

  Sighing, I wondered how much it even mattered. We needed more than a connection to our peers to defeat the Potestas, find Zero, and stop the killing. It had been days since we’d heard from our headquarters in Washington. They were busy sifting through the possible leads being fed to them by the various branches of the Unseen, like us. David said we’d get news as soon as there was some to give. And the foreign ministries weren’t sharing much either. The lack of information, and apparent lack of forward progress, was making me antsy. And there was a new threat in Spain…