The Forbidden Trilogy

by Kimberly Kinrade

  Gary glared at Curtis and pointed his finger. "That asshole and his friends beat Greg and called him a bunch of homophobic names."

  Susie looked at Greg. "Is this true?"

  He just nodded, his eyes sad.

  Susie pointed to two kids. "You two, help Curtis to the clinic. Greg, you should come too, so I can take a look at your eye."

  Curtis and his friends left, and Gary and Greg moved to follow, but Susie stopped them. "Not now, Gary. Cool down first. You can come by later for some bandages for your hands."

  The crowd dispersed reluctantly, and Gary hugged Greg. "I told you... we shouldn't stay here. It's the same old thing." His thoughts careened as he walked away. 'Thought this place would be better. Just want to live somewhere without judgment of any kind. Want to leave but Greg doesn't want to. Can't leave him.'

  I hoped he wouldn't let that anger eat too deeply into him. That wouldn't end well for anyone.

  Soon, only Robyn and I remained in the hallway. "Thanks for waiting," I said. "Now, where's Mary's room?"

  ***

  An hour later, and I had to admit Mary didn't do it. It was a painful admission, since I'd pinned all my hate—and hopes—on her, but aside from a few cloudy spots from when the Seeker controlled her mind, and the part where Drake had almost killed her, she had nothing to hide. Given what she'd been through, I almost felt bad for her, especially since some of it had kind of been my fault. Her terror at waking up in the IPI treatment facility, scared and alone, had particularly chilled me.

  Mary sat on her bed, arms crossed. "You satisfied?"

  I nodded and stood to stretch. Her room surprised me, too tiny for a roommate, and nearly monastic in its plainness. A red blanket hanging from the bed provided the only dash of color—and that probably belonged to Robyn.

  I was about to leave, but paused. "I'm sorry for slapping you." The words almost stuck on my tongue.

  She shrugged. "No big deal. I would have slapped myself. I deserved it."

  No argument there. She'd been a mega-bitch to everyone since forever. But seeing her now, alone in the dark, so self-conscious about the scars she carried from the fire, I pitied her. "Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine." She scooted back on her bed and put a pillow on her lap. "Things are really different now."

  "That's true. I sometimes wonder if it was easier at Rent-A-Kid. Life had been simpler, before we knew the truth." Mary's bullying notwithstanding, I'd enjoyed my life there, before Drake and the baby and all of this.

  "We can't go back to ignorance, and I'm not sure we'd really want to. But knowledge carries its own burdens." She looked up at me as if waking from a trance. "Good luck, Sam. I really do hope you find who took her. She's a sweet baby."

  The vivid memory of Ana, rather than the idea of finding her, sent me into a spiral of hurt. I missed her so much I couldn't stand it. The knowledge that, if I broke down and gave into the pain Ana would pay with her life, kept me moving forward.

  Anger boiled in me. Mary had been my prime suspect. If not her, then who? No one else at Rent-A-Kid had it in for me—that I knew of. Was it Norm or Robyn? They'd acted weird, but I couldn't imagine my friends betraying me like that. I decided not to scan them until I'd checked the rest of the school. Hopefully, I'd figure out what happened before I even got to them.

  After checking off Mary's name, I scanned the list and started from the top.

  Five hours later, only a handful of people remained, all of whom were close to me. Nobody else had hidden anything of relevance. One guy had smoked pot the week before, and a girl had made out with her boyfriend when she was supposed to be in Algebra, but that hardly qualified as suspicious activity for a group of teenagers, paranormal or not.

  Bernard, Father Patrick and Susie had insisted that I scan them, and while they all had very interesting pasts, they knew nothing about Ana and felt horrible about her kidnapping.

  I stopped and stared at my list. Which friend's mind would I violate first? As I weighed my options, Susie put her arm around my shoulders. Her calm spread through me in waves, but even she couldn't touch the cold fear at the center of my being.

  "How are you holding up, Sam?"

  I slumped into her shoulders. "Honestly, I'm a wreck. Drake promised he'd be here, but he's not. No one knows anything about Ana, so now I have to probe my friends. And when Drake does get here, I'm not sure it'll make a difference. We had a lot of problems to work out anyway, and his leaving didn't help. His ability to control minds has always made me uncomfortable, and even after learning it myself, I hardly ever use it. In fact, I haven't used it at all since Ana was born. He has no trouble taking over other people, though, or beating them to death, and I just don't know if I can trust him. At this point, I don't know if I can trust anyone."

  Susie pulled me closer. "You can't let your mistrust of one individual destroy your trust in all of mankind. Who should be believed? Who should be ignored? It's a test, a personnel dilemma. Some may pass your test, and some may fail, but they will do so individually."

  I understood that, but still had to ask, "And if one has already failed?"

  Her compassionate smile made the world seem a kinder place. "Everyone deserves a second chance to make things right."

  "I'm not sure I can let him. I'm not sure he can make things right, no matter what he does."

  "You must have faith, my child. Without faith, there is no trust. No one is beyond redemption."

  ***

  Brad and Desirai sat in an empty classroom, heads bent over a computer.

  "Hey guys, what are you working on?" I hated to interrupt them, but best to get the interview out of the way. My list of people had become distressingly short, adding to the desperate fear I'd felt since Ana disappeared. Only force of will allowed me to put on a neutral face and try to interact like a normal human being.

  Brad rose and hugged me. "Are you okay? Any luck?"

  I shook my head. "Sorry, but you guys are next. No one else has known anything so far. It's not that I think you would hurt Ana...."

  Desirai came up behind Brad and hugged me as well. "Nonsense. You need to do this. We understand. Don't worry about it, Sam."

  Yes, this needed to be done, but what would happen later, when everyone realized I'd seen into their most private thoughts and secrets? No one liked being around someone who could do that. It had been hard enough before, when everyone could pretend to forget about my abilities, but they couldn't pretend anymore. Would I have any friends left when this was over?

  A scan of Desirai's and Brad's minds revealed what I'd expected. They didn't do it, they didn't know anything about who did, and they were happy and in love. Also, their short story idea was pretty awesome, and I told them so.

  Brad smiled. "Thanks! But, um, sorry we couldn't be more help."

  Ha! Now people were apologizing for not being the bad guy. This seriously sucks.

  I wanted to duck out of there and continue my search, but I was also a friend and needed to act like one. Even though the scan had already revealed the answer, I asked, "What have you been up to, Brad. Anything exciting?"

  He grabbed Desirai's hand, and a twinge of jealousy shot through me, but I kept my fake smile plastered onto my face. "Well, yeah, actually. I've been thinking of interviewing paranormals, like for television and radio, putting a spin on what we can do, getting it out into the world so you guys don't have to hide anymore."

  "I think that's a great idea. If anyone can do us justice, it's you."

  "Thanks, but I'm not sure about it yet. The world may not be ready to know about you guys, and I don't want to put any of my friends in harm's way by outing you. I'm talking to Father Patrick and Bernard about it, and we'll be talking to some of the other people with para-powers to see if it's the best idea. When you've found Ana, and this is over, I'd love to talk to you about it too."

  "Sure. Let's talk later. Have fun writing your story."

  Next, I went in search of Greg and Gary, who were playing chess in the re
c room. "Hi, Greg, how's the cheek? I'm so sorry about what happened earlier."

  He shrugged. "I'm fine. Douchebags will be douchebags, no matter where you are."

  Judging by Gary's frown, he didn't have such a nonchalant attitude about it.

  "If it's any consolation, Bernard had a serious talk with Curtis. He won't do it again."

  Greg snickered. "Yeah, we'll see. Don't worry about me, Sam. It looks bad, but really, I'm fine. I just have some big decisions to make."

  I nodded and wondered if one of those decisions involved leaving. Where would they even go? The world didn't know about paranormals yet, and from what I'd seen in the news, gay relationships weren't exactly embraced by the mainstream public either. The real world would target them on two fronts. But, it was their decision, not mine. Greg's power to mentally hack into and take control of electronics wouldn’t raise as many eyebrows as his partner's power over metal. They could probably hide their abilities, but how long could they hide so many parts of themselves for the sake of fitting in? Would they even want to?

  They consented easily enough while I scanned their minds. No information about Ana, but, as suspected, they were considering leaving. How hard it must have been for them to be judged for their love. People were so stupid sometimes. What did it matter whom a person loved, as long as it didn't hurt anyone else in the process?

  Two more checks on my list, and then I went in search of Norm and Robyn. This interview made me the most nervous, as they clearly had something to hide, and part of me dreaded learning any more secrets about my friends.

  They cuddled on the couch in the media room, watching a comedy. Made sense; Norm had always been a funny guy, quiet until you got him on stage, but then he could make anyone laugh. He'd been a favorite in our talent shows at Rent-A-Kid.

  But today neither laughed at the shtick on television. God, it couldn't be them, could it? That just doesn't make sense. "Um, guys, it's time. I need to scan you."

  Robyn looked at Norm, and he nodded. "Before you begin, there's something we want to tell you."

  My skin turned cold and clammy. This was it. Were they about to tell me what happened to my daughter? Oh God. I clutched the list of names in my hand so hard it tore.

  Robyn burst into tears. "We're pregnant!"

  My shoulders slumped and my body released all the tension it had been carrying. Relief and disappointment battled for control of my heart. On the one hand, I was glad my friends hadn't betrayed me. On the other, if they'd known something, I might be closer to getting my daughter back. Damnit! I'm getting nowhere.

  Robyn bit her lip and had a hard time looking me in the eye. Of course, she'd just revealed something huge.

  "Wow." I hesitated. "Sorry, it's just a lot to take in. How long have you known?"

  Norm took Robyn's hand. "About a week. We didn't plan it. We were careful and everything. It just—"

  Happened. Oh, the irony. I'd never even had sex and gotten pregnant. Rent-A-Kid students had gotten knocked up before, but then they'd disappeared. We were told they'd withdrawn from the program for their own safety and the safety of their babies. I now suspected Rent-A-Kid just considered them breeding bonuses.

  "What are you going to do?"

  "We don't know yet," Norm said. "You're the first person we've told."

  Which explained the serious case of nerves they'd sported all day. They knew I'd find out when I probed their minds. "You might want to tell Father Patrick. He could help you figure things out."

  Norm nodded, but Robyn continued biting her lip, even as she spoke. "I'm just so scared. What are people going to think?"

  Didn't that very question worry me, but for different reasons? "Honestly, people are going to think whatever they think. You can't control it. Just do what's best for you guys, and the baby."

  "I'm sorry," Robyn said. "I should have told you earlier. I hated acting all secret-ish around you."

  I patted her hand. "Don't be. I understand. It's a difficult thing."

  Norm nodded. "Yeah, I'm not even sure if I can be a father."

  Becoming a parent had also scared me. Still did, but the bond I felt with my daughter trumped any of those insecurities. "If you decide to have this baby and raise it, your love for him or her will take over. It's not easy and I'm certainly no expert, obviously." Since I lost my baby shortly after giving birth. "But the parenting instinct does kick in. The rest you learn as you go, from trial and error, from those who know more than you, from books."

  They settled back into the couch, their tension dissipating. Norm smiled. "I think we're ready for the scan now."

  The scan revealed the same gaps as everyone else, and nothing relevant to finding Ana.

  I stood to leave. "You can always talk to me, guys. I'm here for you."

  ***

  The last name on my list was the person I wanted to scan least: Darren. He obviously hadn't taken the baby because he was with me when she disappeared, but he might know something, and no one else remained.

  After asking around, I found him sitting on the porch, watching the rain and using his telekinetic powers to float a handful of leaves around in the air.

  He scooted over to give me room to sit with him. "I didn't think you'd scan me, since we were together when it happened."

  "I know, but I can't leave any stone unturned. Are you mad?"

  He shrugged but didn't look at me. "Maybe I should be offended. After all, how could I have had anything to do with this? But, nah, I'm not. I get it."

  Unbidden, his thoughts started flowing into me. Snippets of memories, bits of conversation, an idea he'd been contemplating.

  "You should do it," I said.

  "Do what?"

  "Sorry, I heard what you were thinking about. You should start the club. People need to share their feelings and talk about what's going on, and you can make it a bully-free zone for anyone who wants to be there. It's a great idea. How come you haven't told anyone about it?"

  "I just wasn't sure if it mattered, really. I'm not going to run the club, though. I don't want to be in charge of people."

  His fear of leadership would be his downfall. Darren had a lot to offer, but he needed to speak up more. "I can relate to that. I'm the same way, but sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zones to really make a difference. You could be a great leader if you let yourself."

  "Hmm... maybe." He didn't look convinced.

  "It's true. You have good ideas, Darren. Don't be afraid to speak your mind. If you don't, who else will? I bet Greg and Gary would really love your club, and others would as well. Everyone feels disconnected and lonely, but something like this club could bring people together in a powerful way."

  He smiled and nodded, but his thoughts saddened me. 'Says I should speak up, but tried that. Told her my feelings, and she rejected me. No point.'

  He'd always been so sweet to me; I wished it could've gone differently between us. Maybe if he'd spoken up sooner—before Drake and the baby—but now it was too late. Even if I never trusted Drake again, I doubted I could ever love someone else.

  I dug deeper into his mind and saw the place where his grief lived, where he mourned the loss of his best friend. He'd never expressed the depth of his pain—not to me, not to anyone. "I'm sorry about Kyle. I didn't know him well, but he seemed like a great friend."

  "He was. He always made me laugh." His voice thickened. "I get it, you know? What it's like for you with Drake gone. It's almost the same for me, in a way."

  True. We'd both lost someone close to us. But Drake was still alive, and we had a baby together. I thought about Susie's words. Maybe I could find a way to forgive him, to let him redeem himself. He hadn't died like Kyle. We could still make things right.

  "I miss him so much," I admitted. "I never thought he'd leave. I thought we'd raise our baby together. And Ana, I have no idea who took her. No one remembers. What do I do now?"

  Darren put his arm around me, and I didn't pull away. "It'll be okay. You have people h
ere who care for you."

  Maybe. No one cared about Ana the way I did, except maybe Drake. He should have been the one holding me, the one I shared my heart with.

  But he still hadn't shown up. So where did that leave me?

  ***

  Out of leads and out of time, I searched my phone for Agent Morrison's number. Luke and Lucy would be with him, and maybe they had information that could help. The call went straight to voicemail, and I left an urgent message begging him to get back to me immediately. I then called Agent Simmons.

  She answered on the third ring. "Agent Simmons here."

  "Hi, this is Sam. Sam Smith. We met the night of the Rent-A-Kid escape."

  "Sam. The mind reader, right?"

  "Yes. I'm calling to see if you've heard from Luke or Lucy. My baby's been kidnapped, and I need to know where Steele is keeping all the young kids and what the status is on the mission."

  Her silence stretched out, punctuated only by her irregular breathing. She spoke, her voice hesitant. "Sam, I'm sorry to tell you, but there was an accident. Their plane went down on an island in the Pacific. They survived the crash, but in the course of rescue operations, we lost them again. We're not sure if they're still alive."

  I nearly dropped the phone. This couldn't be happening. First my baby, now my best friends? "I want in on the mission. Tell me where to meet you."

  "It's not that simple, Sam. We'd have to train you, teach you the protocols. Luke and Lucy prepared for this. We can't bring a civilian in at the last minute. It's a danger to both you and my team."

  "Just tell me where the base is, then. Where are they keeping the kids? He had to have taken Ana there."

  "No doubt you're right, but I can't release that information to you. I'm sorry. I'll call you if we hear more."

  "But—"

  She hung up on me.

  I seethed and ground my teeth in anger, resolving to connect to Ana and Tommy and all of those other kids. I would make my powers work. I would find them, and I would rescue them, with or without IPI.

  Chapter 96 – Lucy

  The day dawned bright and cheerful for Lucy, who felt well-rested and optimistic for the first time in a long time. She pulled the braid out of her hair, brushed it out as best she could, and re-braided it down her back. Short hair wouldn't have been so difficult, but she wasn't about to hack off her hair out here. She'd wait until they got home, and she could go to a real stylist.