Lunatic Fringe

by TL Schaefer

  I huffed out a dry laugh that was half hysterical. I pretended not to hear it. I’d need to draw on my days in the desert, on my time as a homicide detective, to see this through. Because dammit, this war was coming to her.

  FIFTEEN MINUTES INTO my cross-town drive my phone rang again. I barely looked at it as I activated the speaker, my eyes on the road. I was doing ten over the speed limit as I used every bit of my offensive driving skills to make up for the three minutes I’d ducked into a hardware store.

  I’d texted Kavenaugh before I even left the safe house, letting him know where I was going, then sent the same information to Heath.

  “Foudy,” I answered.

  “Where are you?” It was Heath and he sounded enraged, even more so than he’d been just a short while ago. Apparently he’d just received the text.

  “About halfway to Grace,” I said, then continued. “Before you go batshit, she gave me a very tight deadline. No way would you have made it to me in time.”

  “Jesus, Monica. Pull over.” His voice had gone low now, swinging from furious rage-monster to worried. For me. Regardless of how we’d left each other, he knew I was alone. Knew I had no backup. Now he needed to know why I really didn’t give a shit.

  “She called me from Tori’s phone. Says Joe and everyone else is dead and that she’s got the kids. Which I don’t believe for a second, but it’s the first good lead we’ve had. If nothing else, I’ll get what intel I can, okay? The address is one of the ones you ruled out, here in town. Some kind of executive getaway on a lake on the northern part of town.

  “Fuck. Me. You’re talking about Northwood. It’s perfect. It’s also been completely inhabitable due to mold and termites. It flooded last year. The outside looks great but the interior is a wreck.”

  “Whatever,” I said as I braked hard at a yellow-going-to-red light. “That’s the address she gave me, and that’s where I’m headed.”

  “Monica, pull over. It’s a trap. Asa just called me.”

  “I can’t take that chance, Heath, not on a vision. What would you do?”

  The speaker went conspicuously silent before he said, “The same thing you’re doing. How fast are you going?”

  “Ten over, but I’m through the thick of it.” I knew what he was going to ask, and wasn’t totally opposed to it. I looked at the time on the dash. “I’ve got just over fifteen minutes left. I’m probably five minutes out.”

  “Slow down. There’s a gas station two blocks from the gates. I’ll meet you there. I promise I’ll make it in time.” And just like before, that first day when he’d promised we’d find Tori, I believed him.

  “Okay,” I said, and I could tell in the silence that he was shocked. “Listen, Heath, just in case...”

  “Don’t even go there. We’ll get through this, all of us.”

  The gas station was up ahead on my right. I stopped at the light, looked at the dash clock. Still thirteen minutes.

  “Talk to me. Otherwise I won’t be able to convince myself to stay put.”

  “I’m sorry for what I said,” his voice was something I’d never heard before. Contrite.

  “You weren’t wrong,” I replied. His words still stung, but the apology took some of that away. Maybe what we’d said needed to be out there, in the open, before we could move on.

  “Neither were you. Grace has fucked up a lot of people’s lives. It’s time for her to pay.”

  I could get behind that. But I was worried as well. Worried Grace had another trick like Trang up her sleeve.

  Ten minutes. There was no way Heath would make it.

  “I’m here,” I said. “You’re not going to make it in time.”

  “You might be surprised,” he said cryptically. And then, because he did know me, probably better than anyone... “Hang tight, Monica, I’m only a few minutes away.”

  Then the phone pinged, and I saw Tori’s number on the screen. Grace.

  “I have to go. She’s calling.” I disconnected from Heath and answered my sworn enemy.

  “Foudy.”

  “I know you’re at the gas station, Monica. Come inside. We’ve got so very much to talk about.” Her voice was sugar coated, genteel. The exact opposite of the monster who had ruined so many lives. Over what? Power?

  “I’m not going anywhere until I talk to Tori,” I said, and parked the car in front of the open gates. I’d been so tied up with the concept of Tori being taken again, with the possibility of losing my own freedom, that I’d made a huge rookie mistake. I hadn’t asked for proof of life.

  And even more rookie, I hadn’t tried Joe’s phone. I blamed it on the short timeline. I still didn’t believe Grace had abducted Tori and killed Joe, but it wasn’t something I was willing to take on pure faith.

  “No. You’ll find a way to extricate yourself, you always do.” Now her voice had gone cold, pissed.

  She was right. We’d all escaped her at one point when she thought she held the upper hand. We would again.

  I took the biggest gamble of my life. “Goodbye, Grace. You don’t have her, and I’ll bet my bottom dollar that Joe and all of my friends are alive and well.” I disconnected the call, dialed Joe’s phone.

  “Monica?” he answered, concern ringing in his voice. “Are you all right?”

  Relief surged through me. Joe was alive. It had all been a ruse. But to what point? To lure me in? But why?

  Heath pulled beside me, I’d never seen a more welcome sight than his face, set in those cold, cold lines, as if it was the only way to mask his heat. He vaulted out of his rental and slid into the passenger seat of mine.

  I didn’t care if Grace saw him. Because we were coming for her. As a team.

  “Heath is here with me. Call Kavenaugh now, get everyone there to protect the kids.” I was operating off pure instinct. “I think we found Grace, but there’s something else, something at the back of my mind that’s twitching. Tell Summers she’s got something planned.”

  Joe’s voice went distant, cold. “Done.” Then he softened. “You two be careful. Should Kavenaugh call for backup?”

  “No,” Heath said, and his voice was just as cold, just as distanced as Joe’s had been. “This is between me and Grace. It always has been. Always will be. And it ends here.”

  We disconnected the call and sat in the car for a long silent moment. “She’s out there somewhere,” I said. “She can see us parked here. I may be a healer now, but my instincts are still there.”

  Heath nodded, then leaned over the center console, framed my face in his hands. “I need you to let me go in there alone, Monica. I can’t do this and worry about you at the same time.”

  Every instinct inside made me want to refute his words, to push away the strong hands cradling me so tenderly. But I couldn’t. Because he was right. It hurt, more than I wanted to admit, but based on what had happened with Trang this morning, I was no longer an asset in an assault. I was a detriment.

  I’d knee jerked this morning out of anger. We both had. But the facts were the facts.

  I nodded, and surprised a grunt out of him. I figured I’d given him his biggest surprise of the day, so far, and that was saying something. “I agree. But I’m going to drive you up there and be your backup. I’m not going to hang in the car, Heath. I’ll be behind, you, a good distance back, but behind you. In case you need me. And no matter how much it might pain me to hurt someone, literally, I’m going in armed. If I have to shoot Grace or one of her fucking henchmen, I’ll do it, and do it without thinking twice.”

  He leaned forward, ghosted his lips over mine, igniting a firestorm I wanted to go on and on and on.

  But we had a job to do. A pretty damned important one. Like potentially saving the world.

  We separated, as if by agreement.

  Heath slid out of the car as I pulled through the gates. I watched him in the rearview as he angled his car across the inside of those gates. Blocked us all in. I dialed Kavenaugh, put the phone in my pocket as Heath climbed back into my c
ar and then we drove up the long drive toward the school.

  Grace wasn’t going to escape this reckoning.

  Around us the day was beautiful, with big puffy clouds crawling across a too-blue sky. Trees waved in a tiny breeze, welcoming us to Northwood. It was gorgeous, and deceiving because of it.

  The first bullet hit the front quarter panel of the car.

  Heath and I reflexively ducked, then I triangulated the source, out of pure instinct and habit. Coming from the too-beautiful woods.

  I gunned the engine, rocketing toward the main lodge as the vehicle was peppered with semi-auto gunfire. Whoever was out there was a truly shitty shot.

  Heath sent me a look as we screeched to a halt next to a retaining wall, giving us minimal cover, but it was more than I’d ever had in the desert, and would do. I nodded, reassuring him I’d stay safe.

  Not promising to stay in the car.

  I pressed one set of the earplugs I’d bought at the hardware store into his hands. Inserted my own. Not only would they help in tamping down the weapons fire, it’d keep Grace from voodoo-talking us if she got within speaking range. Didn’t matter if she wasn’t all that Talented. We couldn’t take the chance.

  I sent up a thanks to Spooky’s vision as Heath jammed the plugs in his ears and peeled out of the car, heading for the woods. I stayed inside, weapon burning in my hand as I watched everything but the tree line. Heath had that covered. Or I had to believe he did.

  Nothing stirred near the building itself, the sprawling wood and stone design intimidating in itself, never mind the reason we were here. I risked a quick glance at Heath, who was using classic evasion maneuvers to get closer to the tree line without getting his ass ventilated.

  I watched the way he moved, his athletic grace in diving low when the shooter in the trees started going at it again. But he was safe, was moving inexorably toward the threat we could see.

  It was hard to tear my eyes away to ensure his safety, but I had a job as well, and that was to cover his six. I diverted my attention to sweeping the rest of the area, using the rear-view and side mirrors to ensure no one was creeping me.

  It was eerily quiet now, with only the occasional bark of what sounded like a pistol breaking the silence. The shooter must have used up their civilian banana clip. Or the semi-auto had jammed. That happened more often than not when civilians were handling the weapons.

  I could see Heath talking although I couldn’t hear the words at this distance. Watched as his face twisted as he realized he was talking to the trees.

  Then a woman was breaking out of the tree line, running toward the lodge as if her hair was on fire.

  I’d only seen pictures of Grace Pearce, but I knew her when I saw her. She was carrying a pistol in her hand like it was useless deadweight.

  Heath went into a full sprint behind her, but she was too far away for him to stop her. I could see the panicked look on his face. The second he decided to call upon his power. To kill his kin.

  Grace threw the pistol at Heath as I lurched out of the car. I crouched behind an enormous planter at the base of the stairs, waiting, waiting, waiting.

  And then she was there. I surged out, my body flying as I tackled her to the ground, the sharp corners of the stairs biting into both of us, the pain of the hard concrete warring with the agony that began to consume me as my inner empath tried to soothe her hurts.

  She struggled beneath me, and I called up every ounce of my military training, the picture of TI Millington screaming at me to get over it in Basic Training, to the combat training beat downs we’d all taken in technical school, to the reality of the desert and the jungle and the home front. I used every bit of my past to protect what was most certainly my future.

  Then a warm hand cradled the back of my neck and the security of it filled my consciousness, and I pulled away from the suddenly motionless Grace, saw the shock on her face as her brother stood over her, the huge bore of the gun pointed at her. She looked so incredulous, as if she hadn’t seen this outcome.

  Maybe she’d never had a Sara. Maybe Burke hadn’t been able to give her this future, because we’d fucking changed it all.

  I began to laugh.

  Chapter Sixteen

  WHAT CAME BEFORE...

  AA has done wonders for Mama. Just having her attend meetings and begin to climb back into her own skin has done wonders for me as well.

  She met a guy there. Carl. He’s her age, runs a hardware store in town. He’s kind of goofy but has been taking her out on actual dates. I’d forgotten what a real smile looked like on her face. I don’t think I’ve seen one since Papa died.

  Time will tell, but I really hope this guy isn’t an asshole. Mama’s had enough sadness in her life. It’s time for her to be happy for a change.

  And honestly, I’d really like to not worry about her during my next deployment. We’re going to Afghanistan again.

  I’m so fucking sick of this. Of the grind. Of going somewhere sandy every six months. I’ve got to be careful, or I’ll pick up where Mama left off...both with the shitty men and the bad booze.

  Now... Denver

  Grace looked up at us, her lips curled in contempt before she smiled and began to talk.

  I’m not an outstanding lip reader, but I could tell she was ordering us to free her.

  Heath just laughed at her, then pointed to the earplugs he wore. That I wore. Negating her Talent.

  Asa’s vision had been spot on.

  Heath worked one earplug out, motioned for me to do the same. “She’s not powerful enough to compel us both, so we’ll just have to watch each other’s back.”

  “You smug fucking bastard,” Grace spat, not even trying to get us to do her bidding anymore.

  Heath eased the gun back. “Get up. I refuse to have this conversation with you flat on your back and you can’t run fast enough to get away from me. We all know it.”

  “We could go inside,” she said, as she stood. Cast a long look at the front doors of the lodge.

  “Good try,” I said, then stepped behind her, used the heavy duty cable tie I’d also picked up at the hardware store to secure her, then turned my attention to Heath. “I can’t really sense anyone else out there. Do you?”

  “No,” he replied, the gun still at the ready—for Grace or any other threat. “But we’re just going to sit her here on this nice bench out in the open while you and I hunker down. In case.”

  I nodded, pushed Grace into a sitting position, then Heath and I sat with the natural stone balustrade at our backs.

  Grace Pearce looked remarkably, disappointingly normal. Her dark hair was tousled from her fun and ignominious fall, her makeup still impeccably applied. She looked like a freakin’ apple-pie-baking, take-the-kids-to-T-ball, Mom. And I should know, because more than one perp had mistaken me for a soccer mom in the past.

  She twisted her shoulders, testing the restraints, then laughed again. “What makes you think this makes any difference? My allies will be here soon enough, and I’ll get exactly what I wanted. The breeder and the no-talent who took what was rightfully mine.”

  I felt the heat, the anger, begin to roll off of Heath, and placed my hand on his knee, soothing, comforting him. Let her talk, I tried to tell him with my expression. Because every word out of her mouth was being heard by Kavenaugh, every syllable was being recorded by the phone in my pocket.

  “You think you’ve won today. But you have no idea the plans we have for you. For CASI. For the Talented. We’ll be unstoppable. No government in the world will be able to stop us.”

  Madness threaded through her voice now, and I was doubly glad we’d restrained her. She was just nuts enough to try something dumb, like charge us.

  She hazarded a quick glance over her shoulder toward the main body of the lodge and in that moment I saw a face in the window. The face of a boy not even in his teens.

  Jesus, had she really done it? Started her own school? In a mold-and-termite ridden building?

  “You s
hould have killed me when you had the chance,” she sneered, pulling my attention back to her. Next to me Heath’s temper was on a slow simmer, and I knew that he’d destroy her if she showed even the slightest inclination of escape.

  “But no, you’ve always had to be better. Better at school. Better at sports. Better as a child. Hugh never saw that you were weak. That you’d just as soon show someone mercy as close a deal. You took what we started with CASI and made it soft. You could have had real power, but now you’re a second-rate government employee.”

  Heath tensed beside me, then did the very last thing I expected of him. He began to laugh. Not a cynical chuckle intended to goad her, but instead one that seemed to come from deep within. “You may not want to hear this, dear sister, but I used to be just like you. Before you fucked CASI up with Dr. Green and basically tortured those kids, I wielded a power you cannot even fathom. I could have destroyed the world.”

  Truth rang in his words. Holy shit.

  I’d known he was with the National Security Agency, but not exactly what he did. I doubt even Joe had a real clue.

  “But I discovered something when you started coming after me and my children, and then CASI. My kids, my friends? They’re all that truly matters. Sure, having money and power is a very nice thing to have in your back pocket, but the top of the tower is a lonely fucking place. Now I have so much more than you can ever imagine, and a power of my own to set the world on fire.”

  His words curled around me like a hug. He meant every syllable. And the ironic part? Grace had no idea he literally could set the world on fire.

  Behind us the rumble of an engine sounded.

  The cavalry or a new threat? And how had they gotten past Heath’s rental?

  I pulled my phone from my pocket. “Did you get all that, Kavenaugh?”

  “I did, we’re three minutes out,” he said. “Hold on until we get there.”

  “We’ve got company,” I said, and returned the phone to my pocket and withdrew my weapon. It felt cold and heavy in my hand. Just as awkward as before. But I’d use it if necessary.