Free Souls (Book Three of the Mindjack Trilogy)

by Susan Kaye Quinn

  I couldn’t help but wonder what was happening at that moment. Sasha must have access to the hidden depths of Vellus’s brain. I could imagine the tangled connections that controlled every process in the mind: the simple, the automatic, the instinctual, the learned. All of it was one big mess in our heads. How did Sasha find his way through it? How did the people he scribed come out anything other than a vegetable?

  For the first time, it occurred to me that Sasha wasn’t a merchant of death for the soul. He was a healer. Someone who found the evil and excised it from your mind, with the precision of a laser and the good intentions of a saint. Anyone else would be tempted to do far less and far worse. It made something inside me squeeze in recognition. It was an understanding, but an elusive one, like it was at the tips of my fingers but slipping away.

  Sasha released him, and Vellus blinked several times.

  Then his soft brown eyes met mine. “Kira, there’s an antidote.”

  I frowned. “What?” I wasn’t sure if I had heard him properly, or maybe Sasha’s mental scalpel had slipped while he was in there.

  “There’s an antidote to the serum,” Vellus said with complete urgency, seizing hold of my shoulders with his fervor. “But only Kestrel knows where it is.”

  My stomach clenched tight.

  It was time to break out of Vellus’s prison.

  I shrugged out of Vellus’s grip, adjusting my shirt afterward. Even though I knew Sasha’s scribe had taken hold of him and turned him into one of us—which he should have been all along, considering he was a handler like Julian—I still didn’t like him touching me.

  The jackers in the cages around us murmured again, and I felt the energy building. I wished I could free all of them, but that wasn’t going to happen today. I didn’t want anyone else overhearing, so I linked in to Sasha, my dad, and Vellus all at once. It was a combination that I never expected to experience.

  Kestrel has some kind of plan to poison the water at a pumping station that feeds into Jackertown. I’m sure he’s on the way there now. We need to get out of here and stop him.

  I know! Anguish rippled through Vellus’s thoughts, turning his fall-leaf mindscent sour. There are so many people who will be affected… how could I have been so wrong… why did I let Kestrel…

  Focus, Vellus. I didn’t have time for his remorse. Is it already done? Is the poison already in the water?

  No, he thought. Or at least… I don’t think so. The plan was to wait until the plant was secure and cleared out. We didn’t want too many eyes on the operation. If Kestrel has already dumped it in the water, the antidote should be able to reverse the effects.

  Okay, good. My heart was pounding through Vellus’s explanation. Maybe we weren’t too late after all. We need a way out of here. We can negotiate your release with the warden, or whoever’s in charge now…

  Yes, yes! He practically gushed happy thoughts in his desire to help. Sasha may have tuned him up a little too much. You can release me, and then I’ll tell them to let everyone go!

  I sighed and threw a look to Sasha. He shrugged. It’s not an exact science.

  Now he tells me.

  But I want to help! Vellus protested. I… I can help you stop Kestrel. Then confusion spun his thoughts, as if this sudden desire to help was a completely foreign animal inside him.

  Sasha indicated Vellus’s head. And there were some serious issues in there to deal with.

  Vellus looked at Sasha’s finger as if it were a fly he wanted to swat.

  They won’t believe anything Vellus says, I linked to Sasha and my dad, ignoring Vellus and his flailing at Sasha’s hand while staying in his head to keep tabs on him. He was still under the effects of the tranq dart, so he wasn't terribly dangerous, but he seemed… unstable. The prison officials know he’s been jacked, although once they have him back, they may not suspect that it’s permanent. If he keeps acting this way, they might put him in a padded psych cell. They’re probably debating whether to shoot us all right now.

  Sasha nodded, and my dad frowned. I didn’t see a way out either.

  We should bring him with us, my dad offered. His thoughts wandered to unpleasant things he’d like to do to Vellus once we were free. The coldness of his thoughts bothered me, but I didn’t have time to think about my dad’s desire for vengeance.

  We might have to, I linked to all three of them. Vellus is the only thing keeping us alive right now. We can try walking out with him, but I’m sure they’ll have snipers in the courtyard. At some point, if they can get a good line of sight, someone’s going to take a shot. In spite of our dismal chances, a warm flush of satisfaction ran through me—we had stopped Vellus, one way or another. Even if we didn’t make it out, he would never work against jackers again. If they didn’t send him to the demens ward, he might even do some good. I could just picture Vellus in the Senate, working for jacker rights.

  Julian would love the irony of that.

  Julian… My heart wrenched.

  He was captured, maybe dead. Kestrel was on his way to poison all of Jackertown. And we were trapped inside the Detention Center with dozens of twitchy guards ready to kill us.

  It was looking pretty grim.

  The hydrocopter! Vellus’s thoughts burst out into a single clear pulse, clapping his hands like a small child discovering there was cake for dessert.

  My dad, Sasha and I all turned to him. Excuse me? I asked.

  My hydrocopter, Vellus thought, with an emphasis on the possessive part. He seemed delighted to have our attention again, as if it were a spotlight shining on him. I had a sense of what Sasha meant by issues. The copter is quite impressive. Big and black and very powerful looking. It used to transport the President before they upgraded to the new fusion powered ones that can perpetually circle the earth. You know, in the event of a domestic attack or nuclear crisis—

  Vellus! I cut him off. You have a hydrocopter? Here at the Detention Center?

  My mouth hung open, a look that was mirrored on my dad and Sasha’s faces as well.

  Oh yes! His million watt smile beamed at me, pride bursting in his toy. It’s on the roof! We can use it to fly directly to the water pumping station and stop Kestrel before he dumps all those nasty genetic inhibitors of his into the water.

  I rubbed the shock off my face and peered up into Vellus’s. How good of an actor are you? I shook my head. Stupid question. Scratch that. Call it in, tell them that’s our demand. A hydrocopter ride off the roof. Then we’ll let you go.

  I’m not going with you? He seemed disappointed.

  I gritted my teeth and did my best Julian impression. We need you to fight for the cause here, Vellus. You need to undo all the things you’ve done before, okay? You can start with getting these jackers, your fellow jackers in the Detention Center, released. That’s the best way you can serve the JFA. His face lit up. But you need to be mesh about it!

  His face fell, then took on a crafty look. Mesh. Yes, I can do that. But you need to take me with you, Kira. You know they’ll track you, right? And probably try to intercept you.

  Then it’s a good thing we don’t have far to go.

  You’ll only be safe, you’ll only reach the water station at all, if you have me on board.

  I took a breath and let it out slowly. I didn’t want to admit it, but Vellus was right. Ok. You can come with us. Lie to them, tell them we’ll let you go if they have the hydrocopter ready. But they’ll suspect you’re, uh, changed, know what I mean? You need to be convincing.

  Don’t worry, Kira. He grinned. I can be persuasive if I need to be. He was back to that sunshiney smile that was just a little too happy. And, heaven help us, he was a handler. Who knew what he would do with that once he was off the tranquilizer.

  I was starting to think I should have shot him anyway.

  Vellus spoke into his com-link. “The terrorists are demanding that the hydrocopter be ready to go once they reach the roof.” He spoke in a calm, even tone. “Along with a pilot to take them where the
y need to go.” A pause. “Yes, I understand your reluctance, warden, but I assure you they have no intention of letting me walk out of here alive otherwise.” Another pause. “And if I were jacked? Would that make their demands any less pertinent to solving this crisis? Surely allowing a few jackers to release early from the Detention Center is worth my life. Or would you rather see a senator die on your watch?” Another pause. “Thank you for your concerns, Warden. When this is finished, we can discuss the soundness of my mind.”

  My mouth was hanging open, so I shut it. Ok, maybe Vellus would do all right after all. My dad and I took up positions on either side of him, our guns pressed not quite so hard into his side, but hopefully convincing. Sasha followed close behind. Vellus put on a good show of fear and trepidation.

  As we approached the door at the end of the prisoner level, it buzzed and slid open. Vellus guided us out and to the right, heading down a corridor and past another guard station. Behind the glass, the guard watched us go, his lips moving as he spoke into his com-link. Another door buzzed open for us, and we marched up a stairwell.

  I didn’t like it. The feeling of being confined in too small a space was starting to crawl down my back. We managed to climb three flights of stairs, though, with no problems. When we reached the top, I tried the guard’s badge, and it swiped us into another hallway. At the end was a door with a window out into the bright afternoon sun. I saw the hazy blue of the Chicago winter sky outside. We had made it to the roof.

  We crept down the hall, but something was wrong. It was dead silent. We should be hearing the hydrocopter by now if they were truly letting us go. When I coptered off the roof of the Tribune Tower, a zillion years ago, the vibrations could be felt all through the top floor. I reached ahead, but the outside of the building was blocked by a shield. I beat on my brain, trying to remember if the entire building had been shielded when I came in or only the outer perimeter.

  I linked in to all three of their minds—Sasha, Vellus, and my dad. Something’s wrong.

  Agreed, thought Sasha. He darted a look down the hall behind us, then up ahead. I’m going first.

  My dad handed Sasha the dart gun as he edged past us. He stole up to the outside door, trying to peer around the edges of the window. As he got close, the door buzzed and clicked unlocked. Sasha reached for the door handle, paused, then flung the door open and lead with his dart gun.

  A hand shot from the side of the door and grabbed his arm with the gun. Another person—a SWAT guy in full riot gear—grabbed Sasha by his jumpsuit, lifted him off his feet, and slammed him against the door, stunning him.

  I yanked Vellus to the side of the hallway, pushing him in front of me to block any bullets that might come my way. My dad quickly tucked behind us. Up ahead, Sasha was wrestling with the two SWAT guys, but losing fast. They forced him to the ground right outside the doorway, and a couple more SWAT guys swarmed around him, pointing rifles at his head.

  He stopped resisting.

  Then Vellus’s com-link squawked. “They want to make an exchange,” Vellus said in a breathless voice over his shoulder. “They want to trade Sasha for me. Then they promise to let you all go.”

  The hydrocopter wasn’t even started, so I knew that was a complete lie. As soon as they had Vellus, they would shoot us all. The only question was whether it would be with dart guns or bullets.

  Sasha was twenty feet away, pinned to the ground, but I wasn’t sure if he overheard Vellus. He seemed to figure it out quickly enough, though, given that he wasn’t already dead. He turned his head to stare right at me.

  “Kira!” he shouted. “Don’t let them take me! Please!”

  What? I reached out with my mind, but he was outside the shield. I linked to my dad and Vellus instead. We can’t just give them Vellus. If we do, they’re going to kill us all, including Sasha. Or at least take us into custody.

  Yes, they will, Vellus thought. I threw a look to him. He shrugged. It’s what I would have done before.

  I agree. My dad peered over my shoulder at the door. There has to be another way out of this.

  The SWAT guys hauled Sasha to his feet. There was one on each side of him, holding him fast, and two more behind. They were still outside the shield.

  “I mean it, Kira!” Sasha called again. “Vellus isn’t worth it! Just give him up!”

  Were they jacking him? No, the SWAT guys were all wearing anti-jacker helmets.

  Sasha has to know they’ll kill us, I linked to Vellus and my dad. He’s got a plan. I think we should trust him.

  My dad nodded.

  “Okay,” Vellus said into his com-link. “Don’t shoot! They’ve agreed to exchange me for the prisoner!”

  My dad and I edged forward, still gripping Vellus. My attention was glued to Sasha. He very slightly moved his head side-to-side. I stopped, pulling Vellus to a halt with me. We were only a dozen feet from the door.

  “You, at the door,” I called to the SWAT guys holding Sasha hostage. “Meet us halfway, or no deal.”

  They looked at each other, and I heard the com-link chatter again in Vellus’s ear. “They want you to send me ahead.”

  “Halfway or no deal!” I shouted at the SWAT team. We started to move, but slowly. They hesitated, then edged forward. They had to squeeze together to get all three of them through the doorway, but they kept a firm grip on Sasha.

  As soon as Sasha was past the shield, I mentally flung myself into his head. What are you thinking?

  Dose me, Kira, he thought, his mind racing.

  What?

  Adrenaline dose me! Now!

  I plunged deeper into his mind, going down the levels, searching for his adrenaline center. His mind was so complicated… but I remembered the thread I had found before, raced along it, and dosed him with a massive shot of adrenaline. I yanked back out of his mind because I had finally figured out what he was planning.

  As soon as I was free, Sasha grabbed the hands of the two guards holding him, managing to get his fingers on the bare skin of each. Then he jerked backward, shoving them through the doorway and outside the shield, so he could access the minds of the other two SWAT members behind him. I had no idea if Sasha could scribe four guards, two without touching, all at the same time, even with the adrenaline, but I wasn’t waiting around to find out.

  Run! I linked to my dad and Vellus, hauling them with me as I lurched after Sasha.

  We reached the doorway and crossed the shield, stumbling out onto the roof to find all four guards sprawled in the gravel, and Sasha lying face down on top of them.

  “Sasha!” I gasped and bent down to him. I heaved him over, but he was staring unseeing up at the bright winter sun. No, no, no… My gaze flitted across his mint-green jumper, but there weren’t any gaping holes, no bright red spots of blood seeping out…

  My dad snagged one of the SWAT team’s rifles, and he and Vellus sprinted for the hydrocopter. I linked quickly to my dad. Get the hydrocopter started! Vellus, come help me with Sasha!

  Vellus pivoted on his heel to run back to my side while my dad went ahead. I prayed there would be a pilot there since I was pretty sure flying hydrocopters was not one of my dad’s skills in spite of his time in the Navy. I linked in to Sasha’s mind, but it was a tornado of thoughts and images.

  Sasha! It was like calling into a hundred mile wind.

  Kira? His thoughts were faint. They bounced around his head, like he was lost in a faraway place that held an infinite number of rooms.

  Sasha! What’s wrong? How do I fix this? I asked.

  Kira…? He was searching for me in the maelstrom, but I couldn’t tell where he was.

  The hydrocopter started beating the air into gusty waves that tore at my clothes. Sasha, we need to go!

  Vellus was hovering over us. “Help me get him to the hydrocopter!” I shouted over the increasingly noisy blades. Vellus bent down and hoisted Sasha up, bracing his shoulder under Sasha’s arm. I grabbed his other arm and looped it across my shoulders. His prison shoes dragged a
long the gravely roof.

  Sasha’s head hung, and his body was dead weight. A-va…? Sasha’s thoughts were choppy, like they were being beaten to bits by the wind whipping our faces from the hydrocopter. Or the hurricane in his mind. Either way, it was bad.

  Ava’s not here. You need to pull it together, Sasha.

  But there was no answer. I searched and searched inside his mind, but it was just floating bits of memories and thoughts. He was splintered into a thousand pieces, and I had no idea how to put him back together again. My heart beat painful thuds against my chest in time with the copter blades. I didn’t know how to fix him, but maybe Ava would. She knew him better than anyone.

  The only problem was she might be in no shape to help either.

  Vellus carried Sasha up the five-step ladder into the hydrocopter, and I climbed up after him. My dad helped Vellus lay Sasha out on the plush carpet inside. A pilot peered out of the cockpit, nervously watching us. His anti-jacker helmet lay on the roof at the bottom of the steps where my dad had clearly tossed it out. Vellus was right—the hydrocopter was big and black and looked presidential on the inside, with a dozen white faux leather seats stretching down the length of it and a gleaming steel and glass kitchenette at the entrance. I braced my hand against the cockpit doorway and linked in to the pilot’s head. I would jack him if I had to, but he was afraid, not suicidal. He would take us wherever we wanted to go.

  Take us up. I would let him know where we were headed once we were in the air and free of the airspace around the Detention Center.

  My dad knelt by Sasha. Vellus took one of the luxurious seats and gazed out the window as we lifted into the air. His grin was unsettling, like he was a small boy on a grand adventure, eager and full of expectation and the thrill of possibility.

  It was creepy, but having him on board was probably the only thing that gave us any hope of getting to the water plant in one piece.

  The hydrocopter blades beat the air and pummeled our ear drums as they wound up for takeoff. My dad punched the button that closed the hatch door and muffled the sound to a low throbbing. I watched through the cockpit windshield as the roof slid away. We tilted and zoomed across the courtyard. I held my breath until we were out of rifle range, beating a path through the air over the city. The fact that we were putting space between us and the Detention Center seemed nothing short of a miracle.