Apparent Power: DiaZem Trilogy Book One

by Dacia M Arnold

  “They broadcasted the video here last night. Dr. Jarrett told them you murdered their families outside of the facility.” Her brother didn’t say any more.

  She wished he had used a different word, but murder was appropriate for her to feel the weight of the situation. In their eyes, she was a murderer. Valerie’s stomach knotted. She then noticed the whispers around her and the angry energy from those nearby.

  The woman behind the door stopped ranting, and something changed. She felt the tiny breeze get stronger. He was getting closer. He was coming to whisk her out of the horrible stifling room of hate. Her heart fluttered with hope and regret. She pulled Caleb back to her lap and watched the door. Valerie wanted the feelings to go away, but the closer he came, the more she wanted him there. She needed him there.

  The angry woman came back to the desk and motioned for them to proceed to the next station. A fitting area. Hyka pushed the chair to the following table. Valerie reached for the forms to fill out as a small sign instructed.

  “Ms. Burton, here are your clothes. The changing room is right through there.” Another woman directed her to a booth against the wall. The woman was doing a better job than the woman at the medical station at concealing her animosity.

  “Need me to dress you, Barbie?” Hyka asked her.

  “No, I should be fine. Caleb, come with Mommy, please.” She held his hand and sauntered to the booth. After a couple of steps, she got her bearings and felt confident she was not going to pass out. The pile of clothing was stark white, down to the undergarments that she imagined were far more embellished than what they generally issued. She held up white, lace thong underwear with her thumb and index finger. They had included a matching bra. Caleb played with his reflection in the mirror as Valerie slid out of the hospital gown she woke up in. In a moment of complete nakedness, she knew he was there, just on the other side of the thin changing room door. Her face flushed and her heart raced. She felt like a girl in the locker room. Vulnerable and bashful. She slid the panties on. They fit just right on her lean figure. The bra was made for her. And then he spoke.

  “I hope everything fits alright.”

  His voice wrapped her in heat and took her breath away. She rushed to pull on her white fitted t-shirt and white uniform cargo pants. She debated opening the door and then putting her shoes on, but knew she would forget about her shoes after she saw him.

  She bent down and grabbed Caleb’s hand. “You ready, honey? Come on; you can sit on Mama’s lap again in the chair.” She picked him up to help calm her nerves and held him close as she opened the door.

  “Lord, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” Lucas Jarrett stood there with his slimy, curled smile and thin trimmed dark beard. He was tall next to the armed guards around him. His tailored suit a contrast to the uniformed occupants of the facility.

  Valerie tried to stop his heart like she had the homeless man and her attacker. She cursed the technology that muted her ability. Despite her hatred and anger, she was drawn to him. He was the one watching her. Lucas was the cool breeze. His voice had washed over her and made her want him. She was disgusted with herself.

  “This room is supposed to suppress the gene, but I’ll be honest, I am having a terrible time keeping my hands off you,” Lucas reached to brush a lock of hair from her face.

  Valerie slapped him away. She could fight her primal urges with the hatred brewing inside. Her body screamed for him, but she was having a more difficult time keeping herself from physically ripping him apart with her bare hands.

  “Luke, she’s had a long day. Now is not a good time,” Mike said as if she were a child and could not speak for herself.

  Valerie wanted to spit. Her father and the man who murdered his son-in-law were on a casual first name basis.

  “Oh? I thought she would be excited about wedding planning. We are short on time, dear.”

  Valerie had endured about as much as she could handle. She lowered Caleb to the ground as calm as she could and pushed him in the direction of her brother. Her vision went red. She went after Lucas Jarrett with all her strength and intended to kill him. The moment her hands reached him, weapons fired on her.

  Valerie pulled the heavy blanket to her chin, savoring the comfort. Caleb rustled next to her, and she pulled him into her arms, nestling him against her. She smelled his hair and looked around the dark room. She had no idea where she was but accepted the illusion of safety. Silent tears soaked into her pillow. She did not want to wipe them away for fear she would wipe away the grief she felt for her husband and any semblance of who she used to be.

  “Are you alright?” Kevin asked from the chair across the dark room. “I was keeping an eye on Caleb. You’ve been asleep for a while. Poor buddy was pretty upset and wouldn’t leave you. There might be some cereal in the bed somewhere, too.”

  Valerie kissed her son’s head. She was so stupid to put Caleb and everyone else in danger. She held no other regrets about attacking Lucas.

  “I’m sorry, Kevin, for everything. He must have been so scared.”

  “Well, you missed all the real action. Dr. Jarrett got his ass beat by some dude. Whatever technology controlled the room was disabled. The whole place went black. Then all we could see were bolts of lightning shooting through the room. I’m guessing the other guy was another DiaZem. They fought for a while until the barrier was restored and Jarrett’s goons shot the guy.” Kevin stopped.

  Valerie sat straight up in bed with her hand over her mouth. “Is he okay? Where is he?” Her heart pounded for fear of breaking all over again.

  He squinted at her and answered, “I’m not sure what they did with him. Do you know him?”

  “August,” she answered, embarrassed at her reaction. “Doctor August Wilkes. We were together when everything started. Not together, like in the biblical sense. He was the doctor on shift at the ER. We didn’t know what was going on then. Have you heard from Madi at all?” She tried to change the subject.

  “Yes and no,” Kevin sighed. “She’s alive. When we first arrived, they were still trying to maintain the lie that we’d all be released. I called to check on her. She said she couldn’t handle being apart and couldn’t wait for me. She checked out. Said she was going back to New York and she had made a mistake even coming to Colorado.”

  “I’m sorry, Kevin. I could punch her in the face if you want. How is Dad holding up?”

  “So, this is going to sound strange, but he grew his leg back.”

  “What?”

  “The process started when he regressed in age. Once he got here, he told Lucas where you were under certain conditions. Lucas finished the progression. He’s as good as new. He seems pretty at home here. He and Lucas have meetings once a day, about you I’m guessing.” Kevin slumped back in his chair. “He doesn’t tell me much, just reassures me this is the best thing for us right now.”

  Valerie could feel her face getting hot. She trusted her father, but having him conspire with Lucas was infuriating. Her older brother wore his emotions right on his sleeve. Valerie would need to do a better job at masking her suspicions.

  “Bathroom?”

  Kevin pointed across the room at a closed door.

  She moved as quietly as she could, shut the door behind her, and flipped on the light. There was a marked contrast from the simple room she had seen before. Though it maintained the stark white of the rest of the facility, floors and countertops were marble. The towels hanging on the wall were thick and soft. There was even a large TV mounted behind the sink displaying the time, date, and the weather outside of the facility. There were other announcements as well: menus for the day and mealtimes, a schedule for live updates, and times when phones would be available for use. Just before she turned back to the sink, a picture of her came across the screen.

  Please welcome Valerie Burton to the Denver Facility. You will treat her with reverence and respect as your DiaZem. She will assume her seat on the World Council alongside her DiaZem partner,
Lucas Jarrett. We ask you to maintain order and peace during her time of transition. All your concerns will be addressed in the coming weeks. Thank you.

  “Russell,” she said out loud to herself. “Valerie Russell.” She pulled her badge off and threw the card and lanyard across the counter.

  Her white shirt had a black burn hole on the right side of her back, revealing smooth, unblemished skin. She had healed while she slept. She also realized that the energy emitted from the men fighting might have lent itself to her aid.

  Valerie considered the deep-jetted tub situated in the middle of the room. The idea of soaking seemed bizarre and inappropriate, but if she could not relax now, she feared she might never have the opportunity again. Caleb was sleeping with Kevin there watching him. She turned on the faucet and held her hand under the water until she was satisfied with the temperature. She pulled what remained of her shirt over her head and stood again in front of the mirror. Her hands slid over her abdomen, giving no hint of the tiny life within. In the moment she had attacked Lucas, Valerie had not given a thought to its safety or if the shock could harm her child. She had no idea how far along she even was, and if her genetics were strong enough to protect the babe.

  “I need you, Scott,” she whispered and wrapped her arms around herself. The tears came again, and she removed her remaining clothing and slid into the hot bath. She took a breath and submerged herself. The weightlessness loosened any tension left in her body. The heat of the water helped her focus. She needed to come up with a plan, and fast. To ensure her family’s safety in the immediate future, she had to appear agreeable to Lucas’ plans for her. She did not know how long or how far she would be forced to comply. She feared she would never get the opportunity to fight if she did not start immediately. A smile spread across her face under the water imagining August blacking Lucas’ eye.

  Valerie came up for air with an idea. If Lucas could watch her, then she could trace the video feed and do the same, like how she used the speaker to call for help at the resort. If there were cameras everywhere, tracking August would take little effort. She looked at the mounted TV. The screen went dark as she traced the electrical wires to the camera in her bedroom and displayed the feed in front of her. She was comforted by the ability to see her son sleeping, like using a baby monitor. In the same turn, she was sickened, knowing Lucas Jarrett had video access to her room. He and Max were both disgusting. She shuddered and followed the electrical system further, displaying other various locations.

  Valerie found the control room of the facility and displayed the view on the screen in front of her. Three blue-uniformed people manned a control panel in front of surveillance screens. A much older man looked like he was in charge. He would point, and the surveillance screens would change at his command. And then there he was, on one of the many screens, in a white room. August was sleeping in the glow of his TV display. Just seeing him made her want to find him, be near him. She traced the video feed deep underground and down miles of tunnels opening into thousands of housing units. She could feel him. She could find him. And she did.

  She watched him for a few moments, forgetting why she had tried to find him in the first place. She just knew she needed him to help her. He could not leave her there. Lucas would never let her be free. She would hold the title of DiaZem partner, and Lucas would control her.

  Valerie took a quick breath and August’s eyes opened as though he had heard her. He looked back at her. Startled, she broke the connection. He must have felt her watching, the same way she had sensed Lucas. She did not think he could see her, but in any case, she pulled the plug from the drain and got out of the tub. Just as she snatched a towel and covered herself, a knock at the door made her jump.

  “Here is a set of clean clothes.” Kevin opened the door and shoved the clothes through the small opening.

  “Thanks,” she said, blushing. Thankful at least her brother would respect her privacy, she was angry for never remembering to lock the bathroom door. She took the clothes and closed the door. Valerie was careful to dry off so as not to risk her white outfit being transparent. To her relief, the undergarments were far more appropriate than what Lucas had given her.

  She tied her hair back in a band and looked over at the TV to make sure the standard display had returned. 3 a.m.

  “Kevin, where’s Dad?” she whispered, closing the door behind her.

  “He’s right outside. Hey, come here,” he said, motioning with his arms open to hug her. Valerie let her brother hug her, but the embrace felt forced and awkward. “Val, I am sorry about Scott. I wanted you to know that. We need to be smart about—OUCH!” Valerie pinched his side, and once she had his attention, she moved her eyes in the direction of the camera in the corner, hoping he could see in the darkness. He glanced up, noticed the black ball in the ceiling, and nodded.

  “I’m going to go talk to Dad. Care to watch Caleb for a bit? I won’t be gone long; I don’t want to wake him,” Valerie said, studying his face. Her brother had never fussed over her before. Then again, she had never lost her husband before, and Madi was not there to make every situation about her. “Are you okay?”

  Kevin shrugged and hugged her one more time. “Be careful.”

  Valerie opened the door to the hallway where Mike Burton lay asleep. He was in an oversized armchair on one side of the suite’s living room area, and Jack McGuire was on the other. She kicked Jack’s shoes together, and he jumped at her. Valerie let out a tiny scream and laughed.

  “Jesus Christ on the cross, Val. I could have killed you.” Jack hugged her instead, and she laughed again.

  Jack had been so mean to her when they first met, but now he felt more like a brother to her than Kevin ever had.

  He pulled her away, holding her at arm’s length to look her over. “Are you alright? They said you healed yourself like you healed Major on the road.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” Valerie turned to her dad as he stood from where he had been sleeping in the chair. “Are we stuck here? Can we leave the building at all?”

  “Lucas likes being macabre, so your suite is on the thirteenth floor of the airport hotel.”

  Valerie noted his further familiarity with her enemy but kept the concern to herself.

  “We’re in the U-shaped building at the end of the terminals.” Mike turned and motioned to the wall of windows to his left. “We are on the west side toward the mountains. All the lights are coming from the airport to the north across a small walkway. Lucas’ suite is in the east tower, the same floor but separated by the architecture. You are free to walk around as you please within the hotel. Our rooms are on the lower guest floors, but under the circumstances, no one wanted to be far away from you. Luke is power-hungry and impulsive. He’s a dangerous person.”

  “Eric Earl is here. So is Max,” Jack added. “Also turns out the guy who treated you at the hotel is a DiaZem. Duke is his personal assistant like Hyka is to you. I was with Duke getting updates when you woke up in the infirmary.”

  “Well then, we’ve got a man on the inside,” Valerie said, unimpressed by her old acquaintance’s new title. She’d never trusted Duke. He had to have earned his position by betraying her trust like Max had done.

  “Well, he’s leaving soon, so we don’t have an inside man for long,” Jack finished.

  “I think I need to walk around. This is home now, right?” She laughed but inside she wanted to run, find August, and escape. She was running out of time before he would be out of reach to offer any help to her at all.

  Jack pushed the button to the elevators next to them and held the door open for her. She walked in. Jack stepped into the elevator to join her, but Mike grabbed his arm.

  “Luke is a jealous man. We don’t want to test his limits,” he said to them both. Mike reached in and pushed the number six. “This will take you to the main lobby. Hyka will meet you down there. Use your badge to go through the doors. You need your badge to access everything. The outer doors and the elevator to the sub
-levels are restricted. I’m not sure if he’s granted you full access yet. There is a courtyard on the second level between here and the security checkpoint of the airport. You have free reign in there. No one comes or goes, but if you need to venture out, the terminals would be the best place to wander around.”

  Valerie smiled at her father and thanked him as the doors closed. She fell against the elevator wall. There was no winning. She knew what her dad said was right, but his knowledge of Lucas bothered her. She did not bring up his miraculous healing because she was not ready to know the part he had played in her arrival. Since she was always under surveillance, she just played dumb and did not push the issue. The less they knew about her concerns, the better chance she had of somehow escaping. Even if she did find August, she was not even sure how he could help her. Lucas seemed to know and control everything.

  The elevator doors slid open to the hotel lobby. Neutral-colored lounge chairs were set up in groups along the windows to the left and right of her. In the middle of the room was a bar across from a reception desk. The generous space was quiet and otherwise empty. If this were a permanent living arrangement, she had no doubt she would, at some point, bump into Lucas in this space. She hoped to never be in the same room with him again. He could stay in his tower, and she in hers.

  Valerie walked to the south side of the room where she could see the parking lot full of empty vehicles. Past the parking lots, the electricity stopped, but something on the western horizon caught her eye. She had to strain to see because the support wires of the hotel structure obstructed her view. There were lights in the distance. The resort had full power. Her former sanctuary was connected by a subway. There was a possibility Lucas was powering the resort, but she did not understand why he would need to anymore.

  She moved away from the window and crossed to the opposite set of windows. The lobby was a comfortable sleepy space with dim lighting and a faint smell of fragrant hand lotion, not overpowering, but noticeable. What used to be a space of movement and change was now a luxurious prison with complimentary shampoo and conditioner.