by Abby Blake
* * * *
Jenna struggled to move. An invisible force held her still as her children were torn from her arms. She heard their screams, their terror, even though she couldn’t see through the surrounding fog. The noise seemed to come from all around, and she wriggled harder, trying to break her invisible bonds, trying to twist around in a vain attempt to locate the sounds. Her girls were here, held by an unknown captor. She tried to call for them, but her voice sounded weak in the fog, a bare whisper, and she gasped for air as she thrashed against the force holding her immobile.
She sensed two people, not her daughters or her daughters’ abductor, but someone else. She searched the fog, trying to see them, trying to tell friend from foe.
“Save my babies,” she whimpered. “Please.” She’d never begged in her life, but she’d beg for her girls, beg for them to be returned, but she couldn’t find them, couldn’t see who’d taken them. Panic twisted her gut as the people moved closer. She could barely see them, but they were both covered in blood, her blood. She screamed as they came closer, terrified that they would kill her before she could rescue her babies.
“No, please. Please just let me save them. Let me save my girls. Then I don’t care if you kill me. Just please save my babies.”
* * * *
Zane approached the bed apprehensively. Even sedated, Jenna thrashed around in the throes of a nightmare, her terror nearly palpable.
She mumbled incoherently, her movements and voice slowed by the sedative, but no less agonizing. She called for her babies, for her girls to be saved, and it bought him to his knees. Zane smoothed his hand over her arm, almost jumping in surprise when she latched on to him with a strength he hadn’t expected. Her eyes flew open for a moment, her focus seemingly faulty. “Please,” she whispered. “Please save my babies.”
He glanced over the bed to see Rick on the other side, his hand also crushed by hers in a death grip. Rick lifted his other hand to her brow, pushing the strands of hair away from her eyes as he uttered soothing noises.
“It’s okay, Jenna. We’ll find your babies. We’ll keep them safe while you rest.”
She seemed to react to his reassurance for a moment. Her body lost the tense, rigid hold, and it looked like she might finally rest, but her emotions spiked and her eyes flew open again. Her panicked gaze bounced around the room, her hand squeezing Zane’s tighter even as she moved away from him. When she realized Rick held the other hand, she moved back into the middle of the bed, still looking panicked, still looking terrified.
Jason came into the room, and she seemed to become even more agitated, her manner urgent, her plea heartfelt.
“Jase,” she said, her voice a croaky whisper. “Jason, I’m so sorry. Please, I need help. They lied to me, and I need help, and I had nowhere else to go. Please help me.”
“Jenna, we’ve done this dance before. Last time you threatened to kill me. Why would I help you now?” His voice was matter-of-fact, not unkind or cruel, just calm and very reasonable. “Your injuries should’ve killed you this time. You gambled your life just to find out if the rumors about me are true.”
She shook her head in denial. “No. No, it wasn’t like that. They lied to me. They told me they died, but they lied to me.” Jenna shook all over now, her body vibrating with agitation. “They have them, and I need to find them. I’ve got to find them.” Her voice rose with her hysteria, her chest lifting and falling rapidly as she gasped for air. Jason stepped closer just as Jenna gagged like she was choking and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
“Damn,” he swore as he placed his hands over her heart. “What the hell did they do to her?” He seemed to concentrate a while, sweat beading on his forehead as he worked. Slowly Jenna’s breathing became less labored, and color returned to her features. Jason turned as a familiar woman entered the room and handed him a syringe full of medication. “Thanks, Bec,” he said as he pushed the contents into Jenna’s IV line.
Zane had known Bec when she was a field agent but hadn’t seen her since she’d been shot. Her recovery had taken over a year, but instead of going back into the field, she and Cody had surprised everybody by joining the medical staff and studying to be doctors. Bec stood back out of the way, but it was obvious by the emotions emanating from her that she was concerned for Jason’s safety and very, very angry with Jenna.
Jason checked Jenna once more and then turned to pull Bec into his arms. He held her as he turned back to Zane and Rick. “Has Jenna said anything? Do you have any idea who they are?”
“She was calling for her babies. Saying that they stole her babies,” Rick said.
Jason looked at Rick and then back at Jenna, a look of concern creasing his face. Bec stepped forward, placed her hands over Jenna’s abdomen, and closed her eyes briefly. She nodded when she looked back at Jason.
Frustrated at the private dialogue between the two doctors and confused as hell why Bec would somehow know something about Jenna without actually giving her a physical exam, and forgetting that he had no actual right to know Jenna’s medical history, Zane exploded.
“So what’s the damn answer? Has she been pregnant? Does she have babies we need to rescue?” His temper kept flaring despite his efforts to control it. “Why the fuck would she let herself get shot several times in the back if she wasn’t trying to escape and find her babies?”
Jenna squeezed his hand. Even in her sedated state, she somehow gave him permission to know the answers, and he leaned away from the bed toward Jason. He didn’t know what sort of skills besides healing Jason possessed, but he was willing to risk his wrath to get some answers. If Jenna had babies out there that needed rescuing, he and Rick were getting the assignment, and no pansy-ass, geek doctor was going to get in their way.
He didn’t quite realize he was growling the words out loud until Jason titled his head to the side and looked at him questioningly. Bec had moved a step back, and Jason stood his ground, waiting for Zane to attack. Hell, he had no idea what was going on in his brain. It didn’t make any sense. He’d never been affected like this by any woman. Why this woman? Why now? What had changed?
“She’s in our heads,” Rick sent telepathically, and Zane turned to see his partner trying to dislodge the grip Jenna had on his hand.
“She’s sedated! How the fuck can she be influencing our actions?” Zane twisted his arm, her grip quite painful as he pulled against her hold. Relief swept through him as both he and Rick finally pried themselves free. Immediately, he felt more like himself, more in control, less frantic. He could still feel Jenna’s desperation to rescue her children, but it was easily discerned from his own feelings. The fact that he still wanted the assignment was not entirely surprising. Stolen children was a major problem—anyone’s children, not just Jenna’s.
“Sit down,” Jason ordered in a very authoritative voice. Zane sat in the chair, far from Jenna’s reach, and held his head in his hands. He had no idea just how Jason fit into The Agency, but considering who his sisters were, it was a good chance that if he wasn’t actually highly placed himself, he certainly knew people who were. All Zane needed was to get fired. He loved his job. This was where he felt most comfortable, where he could do the most good.
Jason smiled kindly as he placed his hand over Zane’s forehead. “You know I have to put this incident in my report to Caleb, but I have no intention of blaming you for that outburst. It’s more than obvious that Jenna has some influence over people she touches, though at this stage we can’t be certain if it’s all people or just you and Rick.”
“Thanks,” Zane mumbled, grateful for the understanding but still conflicted over his feelings for Jenna. If she could influence his thoughts, then what was real? What wasn’t? How the hell could he trust anything that went through his own brain?
Chapter Three
Rick shook his head sharply. He had no idea how he’d finally figured out that Jenna was influencing his thoughts. It had only been Zane’s uncharacteristic outburst that had fin
ally made him see things clearly.
“I’ve never heard of someone capable of manipulating people’s thoughts and emotions,” Zane said. Rick noticed Zane’s hand trembled slightly. The loss of control over his own actions had affected him deeply. No one liked being forced to do something, and Jenna’s skill seemed the most dangerous they’d ever come across.
“I know of one empath who can affect the emotions of others. And even then, it’s more of a suggestion than any real influence over their decisions. Jenna seems to have the same skill, just more advanced,” Jason said quietly.
“How do we protect ourselves from that?” Rick wanted to say so much more, demand answers right now, but he held his emotions together and waited with a thin veneer of patience for an answer.
“I’m not sure you can,” Jason said as he shook his head slowly. “We need to figure out if she can affect everyone or just you two.”
“Why would you think it could be just us she affects?”
“Because Theresa can only use her skill to influence her husbands. Fortunately, Caleb and Ethan are both strong telepaths and empaths, so they can easily discern her influence from their own decisions. I don’t believe she’s ever actually tried to use it deliberately.”
“Whoa, back up a minute,” Rick said, his confusion growing with every word Jason uttered. “Why would you think Zane and I would be the ones she can influence?”
“You already show a connection to her. You feel drawn to her in ways you’ve never felt with another woman.” He said the words in a matter-of-fact tone, like a typical scientist, with complete disregard for the actual people and real emotions involved. Rick wanted to explode and could feel Zane’s temper heating up.
“Of course we have a fucking connection. We just saved her life. Of course we feel a responsibility toward her.” Even as Rick shouted the words, he knew in his heart that the connection to Jenna was more than that. Saving her life had been part of their job. Hanging around the hospital waiting to find out if she’d make it, holding her hand while she screamed through her nightmares, simply wasn’t. They were going above and beyond for this case, and he couldn’t really explain why.
Jason just watched him, no expression on his face, until Rick ranted himself out and sat down beside Zane.
“I need to make a couple of phone calls. In the meanwhile, I want you both to clean up. Put all of your clothes and shoes in these bags. There’s a shower over there. Scrub, wash, rinse, scrub again. Make sure you get every drop of Jenna’s blood off you. I’ll get one of the nurses to grab you a set of hospital scrubs each. I want to make sure that if Jenna’s influence is somehow connected to her blood, that we at least have that under control. Agreed?”
Rick saw Zane nod the same time he did. It had been a long time since he’d felt so vulnerable, and perversely, he was at least relieved to have his partner in the same boat. Somehow, with a lifetime of friendship to fall back on, it was good to know someone understood exactly how he was feeling.
* * * *
Jenna struggled toward consciousness. The fog felt thicker, heavier, but somehow she had to find her way through. Her babies needed her. Finally, she managed to open her eyes against the harsh light and strange antiseptic smell. Hospital?
She gasped as memories crashed over her—the gunshots, the intense pain, the desperate journey to Jason’s home, the exhaustion, and finally the black fog that had held her prisoner. She moved carefully, almost surprised to have woken at all. She had only a vague recollection of reaching the apartment before she was overwhelmed by the pain and blood loss.
Moving cautiously, Jenna flexed her arms and tried to shift slightly in the hopes of identifying how badly she was injured. She ground her back teeth together, determined not to cry out at the pain she knew would follow.
She almost cried out at the lack of pain, at the feeling of never having been shot. Had she dreamed it? Was this another of the Professor’s experiments? Where the hell was she?
“You’re in a hospital, Jenna.” The calm, quiet voice came from her left, and she quickly swung her head in that direction, a little shocked to hear a woman’s voice. None of the Professor’s assistants were women.
It was almost like looking into a mirror. What the fuck? Next time the Professor came near her she was going to tear him apart with her bare hands. What sort of experiment could he be running that would make her imagine that she’d been shot or that her babies had survived their birth even though she knew otherwise? Why would she be seeing her own face on another woman?
“Jenna,” the woman said kindly. “I know this must be pretty strange. I remember how I felt when Gabe and Rafe finally rescued me.”
“Rescued? Rescued from what? Who the fuck are you?”
“I am the reason you’re not strapped down to that bed. Stop being such a bitch and listen to what I have to say.” Wow, it wasn’t just like looking in a mirror. It was almost like listening to a recording, too. Every inflection, every facial movement was exactly the same. Had the Professor perfected cloning now? She knew he’d considered it but didn’t think he’d made too much progress in that field.
“Are we calm yet?” the woman asked in such a smug, arrogant voice that Jenna wanted to leap up and hit her. Damn, wouldn’t that be interesting? Right now, she was essentially contemplating beating the shit out of herself. The Professor had outdone himself this time, and as soon as he walked through that door, he was going to understand what it felt like to have his world pulled out from under him. Fucking egghead.
“No, I’m not fucking calm. I’m fucking pissed. Where is he? The Professor has gone too far this time, and I would like to lodge a formal fucking protest with my fists.”
A cynical laugh came from the clone-woman sitting beside her.
“Trust me, sister, I would happily hold that bastard down while you did it, but you’re in an Agency hospital. Jason saved your life, despite the fact that you threatened his only a few months ago.”
“Jason?” Jenna shook her head in disbelief. “I really was shot? This isn’t another experiment?” The woman’s face seemed to soften a little, and she smiled sadly.
“Yes, Jenna. You had several bullet wounds when Rick and Zane caught up with you. If it wasn’t for them, you would’ve died before Jason reached you.” Jenna’s headache was fast making itself known. Hell, if she really had been shot, then that meant that everything else had really happened, too. She sat up quickly as panic hit her hard.
“My girls, my babies, I have to find them. I have to save them. They told me they died at birth, but the Professor stole them from me. They’re alive, and I need to find them.”
“We know.” The hard masculine voice came from the doorway of the room. Jason stood there, a neutral expression on his face. “You look better than you did a few hours ago.” He stepped to the bed and held her wrist as he looked at his watch. “You’ll need to take it easy for a few days. You lost a lot of blood, and despite the transfusions, you’ll need time for your body to recover fully.”
“H–how long have I been here?” This was getting confusing, well, more confusing anyway. “Clone-girl here says I was shot, but I don’t feel any pain. I don’t even feel any stiffness. How the hell can I get shot and not have any injur...” She trailed off as the truth hit her smack bang in the face. “The Professor was right? You can heal with your touch? Holy fuck! That is one hell of a handy skill.”
A quiet laugh escaped his otherwise professional exterior. “Thank you, I think. Unfortunately, now that you know about it, we’re not quite sure what to do with you. What do you think, clone-girl?” He turned a brilliant smile on the woman sitting beside her.
“I think,” she said with a mock growl, “that my name is Alana, and as to what we should do with my twin sister, I have no idea. Gabe tells me that Caleb and Davies have been in discussions for the last couple of hours. Problem is the only law you broke was to threaten this guy’s life, and since he seems unwilling to press charges, we have a big problem.”
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“Unwilling?”
“Yes, for some dumbass reason, our big brother has decided you deserve a second chance. Personally, I reckon you are too far gone to be rehabilitated.”
Jenna turned her attention to Jason. If he was willing to not press charges, then maybe he was her best chance to get help to find her girls.
“Jason, I really am sorry. I had no reason to not believe the Professor. I’ve known him my entire life. I didn’t think he would ever lie to me, but then I found my medical records and read all the experiments they’d done without my knowledge.” She fought back the tears even as the words tumbled from her mouth. “About how they artificially inseminated me like I was some type of breeding cow, and then stole my girls and told me they were dead.”
“We know,” Alana said quietly. “They did similar things to me. Jason is the only reason I’m free. The only reason my children aren’t being subjected to the Professor’s brand of sadism.”
“You have children?” Jenna asked inanely.
“Yes, which brings me to why we are here. How much do you know about our mother?”
“Our mother? Nothing.” She rolled her eyes. Her mother was the last thing she wanted to discuss. “I want to find my children,” she demanded, her anger spiking again. “I don’t give a shit about a woman who abandoned me before I was old enough to remember her.”
“That’s just it. She didn’t abandon us. Until a few years ago, Mom didn’t even know we existed. The Professor stole her eggs and made babies without her knowledge or consent. Kind of like what he did to us.”
“Us? As in he experimented on you, too?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah, well, I still don’t give a shit. I want to find my daughters, and then I’m going as far away as I need to keep them safe. Now either you can help me, or you can get the fuck out of my way.” She levered herself off the bed, trying to pull the drip from her arm, but then she froze. She couldn’t move, couldn’t talk. Hell, she couldn’t even roll her eyes.
