Impostor

by Susanne Winnacker

  Kate’s expression fell. What right did she have to be dismayed? She didn’t have to pretend to be a dead girl; she didn’t have to lie to someone’s parents. She just had to secretly search people’s brains without their ever being the wiser.

  Major leaned back in his chair, his face businesslike. “You’ll get a few minutes alone with the victim so your body can gather her data.”

  He made it sound all clinical and easy, but it wasn’t.

  He turned to Kate. “And you, Kate, will try to gather more information from the family and the hospital staff. Unfortunately, most of the doctors are men.”

  I envied boys and men, who were safe from Kate’s power. There wasn’t much I wouldn’t do to permanently avoid her gaze. FEA scientists had searched for an explanation for Kate’s selective talent but hadn’t come up with one. By definition, Variants deviated from the norm, defied the laws of nature. Analyzing our gifts wasn’t exactly easy.

  “And Alec, I’ll need you to speed up Tessa’s training. This mission is potentially very dangerous. I wish we didn’t need her so soon, but it’s necessary. You’re our best fighter. Get her ready.” The way Major and Alec looked at each other, I had a feeling there was more to Alec’s involvement in this case than just self-defense lessons.

  “Sir, I know how to fire a gun, and I’ve been taking karate since I arrived here,” I said.

  “Two years of karate and knowing how to fire on an unmoving target aren’t enough. In the next few days, Alec will teach you how to fight for your life.” Major trained his gaze on Alec. “Teach her how to walk away from a fight as the winner.”

  The fire in Alec’s eyes sent a jolt of electricity through my body.

  “Kate, Tessa, get ready. We’ll set out in thirty minutes.”

  Alec smiled encouragingly as he walked past me. I wanted to return the gesture, but the muscles in my face refused to obey. I was going on my first real mission. As bait.

  I hurried along the ocher corridor, in the direction of my room. The dismal yellow shade reminded me of the carpet in my old room back at home.

  Two years.

  Sometimes I forgot how long I’d been living with the agency. The last image I had of my mother was of her back as she’d let Alec and Major take me away. She hadn’t even turned around to say good-bye. And now I was supposed to pose as someone else’s daughter, become a part of a normal family, which was the last thing I knew how to pretend. Even before I came to the FEA, a family was the one thing I’d never had. I couldn’t remember a single thing about my father since he left with my brother when I was only a toddler.

  Loud booms greeted me as I stepped into my room. Holly was sprawled out on her bed, reading a book and moving her legs in rhythm with the music. I switched the speakers off, launching the room into a sudden silence. Holly whirled around and sat up. “What did Major want?”

  I leaned against our door, trying to take some weight off my trembling legs. Outside the picture windows, dark clouds were gathering in the sky over the forest—harbingers of another snow storm. It was March, but here in Montana, so close to the Canadian border, the winters were long and brutal. In the distance I could make out the mountains of Glacier National Park, their peaks still crowned by snow.

  “He wanted to talk about the serial killer case in Livingston. There’s been another victim—the fourth. She’s still alive, but she doesn’t have long, and—” I hesitated a moment before continuing. “I’m supposed to take her place once she dies.”

  Holly’s eyes grew wide. “You’re going on a real mission?” She couldn’t keep the envy from coloring her voice. Holly and I had started at the agency at the same time and were usually called into training together. I was sure her invisibility had the head of the CIA and the Department of Defense salivating. If she ever got a grip on her talent.

  “The mission can’t start until the girl is dead.” Maybe she hadn’t absorbed that detail the first time I told her.

  Holly still looked enthusiastic. “Wow. I can’t believe they’re going to let you work on a real murder case. I’ve always wanted to pretend to be someone else. You must be so excited.”

  I shot her a withering glance. I was about as far from excited as one could get.

  “So wait, you’re leaving now? Are you going out in the field already?” Holly twittered close behind me as I gathered my coat and slipped a few essentials into my purse.

  I shrugged. “Today’s just preparation. The real action doesn’t start for a couple of days.” The flight to the hospital would take at least two hours, enough time for me to completely and utterly freak out.

  “Good luck!” Holly shouted as I left the room.

  I would need more than just luck.

  • • •

  The gray facade of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital loomed above me, lightning flashing in the sky behind it. If it hadn’t been for Kate and Major, I’d have turned on my heel and hidden in the sleek black Mercedes limousine that brought us here from the heliport.

  The sliding doors glided open without a sound, giving way to the sterile white reception area. My nose stung from the smell of disinfectants. We breezed ahead without asking for directions. Major knew his way and nobody stopped him; not the nurses who whispered to each other as we passed or the doctor who nodded his head in greeting. The FEA was thorough in absolutely everything.

  The corridor looked like an endless tunnel with walls that threatened to close in on me. One identical door followed after the other, concealing an endless succession of patients.

  Finally, Major stopped beside a door being guarded by a man in a black suit. FEA, no doubt. He had a hooked nose set within a narrow face and reminded me of a hawk. He was probably one of the many external agents scattered around the country—those unfortunate agents whose Variations weren’t useful enough to be part of the more prestigious espionage and counterterrorism missions. The local agents’ jobs were considered boring by some, but at that moment I’d have switched places with him in a heartbeat.

  “Where are they?” Major’s tone took on the condescending edge it always did when he talked to people from the outer circle—everyone who didn’t live or work in headquarters. Hawk-Face stood up straighter, and though he was about a head taller than Major, he managed to appear much smaller. “Cafeteria, sir. They won’t come back before six.”

  That gave us twenty minutes. I didn’t know why the family had gone to the cafeteria or why Hawk-Face knew when they’d return, but some FEA agents could mess with other people’s minds in all kinds of ways.

  Mental Variations were the most valued in our world. Major’s official Variation was “night-sight,” but many people believed he was one of the few Dual Variants whose second mental Variation remained a secret. Apparently most Dual Variants hid their more powerful mental Variation behind the obvious physical one.

  “Kate, you know what to do,” Major said.

  She nodded and set out for the cafeteria, where Mrs. Chambers would soon have her mind raided.

  Hawk-Face stepped aside as Major opened the door and gestured for me to enter. As soon as I set foot into the room, I wanted to turn around and bolt. But Major was right behind me, blocking my only way of escape.

  My eyes were instantly glued to Madison Chambers, still and silent in her green hospital gown. Her pale skin was almost the exact same shade as the white walls surrounding her. Veins shone through her skin, like blue vines had been painted on her arms. I tried to swallow, but my throat was too dry.

  Madison’s dull blond hair fanned out on the pillow around her head like a faded halo. Her neck was wrapped with gauze. Was that where the wire had cut into her skin? She appeared so fragile, so tenuous amid all the tubes and beeping machines. I backed away and collided with Major’s muscular body.

  “What’s the matter?”

  What wasn’t the matter? There were so many answers to that question. With Major’s presence looming close behind me, I inched closer to the bed. Closer to the girl who needed to die so I
could pretend to be her. Major’s hand landed on my shoulder, but it wasn’t a comforting touch.

  “This is your chance to prove yourself, Tessa.”

  I pulled away from him, shaking myself free of his grip. My hand trembled as I extended it toward Madison.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered as my fingertips touched her arm. It didn’t feel as warm as I’d expected. I knew her body was still alive, though maybe Major was right when he’d said it was really just an empty shell. Something was missing. Usually when I touched someone, there was a certain kind of energy, a unique presence I could feel; but with Madison I felt nothing. Still, as I stood there among the beeping machines, I could feel my body absorb her “data.”

  As far as FEA scientists could gather, my DNA incorporated foreign genetic instructions into its own unique strand as dormant DNA that could be activated when necessary. I felt the familiar tingling starting in my toes, the way it always did when my brain memorized every detail of someone’s appearance and my body felt eager to try it on. I suppressed the sensation. I wouldn’t change into her now; I would wait until I no longer had a choice. Soon, I’d be able to copy her perfectly despite the fact that I didn’t yet know anything about her—not about her worries, her fears, or her dreams. I’d be nothing but a hollow imitation of the girl she used to be.

  After a few seconds, I pulled back, but I still couldn’t take my eyes off the girl who’d never walk out of this room again. And though her survival would ruin the mission, I wished that she’d prove everyone wrong, that she’d miraculously heal and return to her family and friends.

  “You should dry your tears before you leave the room,” Major said.

  I looked up. He had already turned to talk to Hawk-Face in the doorway. I wiped the moisture from my cheeks and leaned down, close to Madison’s face. “You have to live, do you hear me? Please, please live.” But a part of me knew there was nothing left in her to listen to my plea.

  • • •

  A few hours later, I tossed in my bed, unable to fall asleep. The image of Madison was stamped into my mind. I shifted uncomfortably. My tablet felt like it had burned a hole into my upper thighs. I’d been watching movie after movie, which usually helped lull me to sleep. But not tonight.

  A knock sounded from the door. I pulled my earbuds out and turned off the screen. Holly had turned her back to me and was breathing evenly. She always dozed off at exactly 11 P.M. You could set a timer by her.

  I tiptoed toward the door, shivering as the cold from the tiled floor seeped into my bare feet, and quietly pried it open.

  Alec stood waiting in the corridor. He held up a DVD. The jacket showed a warped, scarred face partly covered with an ax. “Want to watch the newest horror shocker?” I glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight. “We haven’t done a movie night in weeks,” he added.

  Yeah, more like months.

  “That’s not my fault,” I said, a heavy silence descending on us. Kate had destroyed movie night—what had been Alec’s and my tradition since I’d joined the FEA.

  He lowered the DVD. “Is that a no?”

  I snatched the DVD from his hand and brushed past him into the corridor. “You take care of the snacks. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  Alec caught up with me in two sweeping steps. From the corner of my eye, I saw him smile. His hand brushed against my arm, and I had to stop myself from grabbing hold of it.

  A few minutes later, we settled onto the uber-comfy sofa in the common living area. It was deserted, silent except for the hum of the vending machine that sat in the far corner.

  Alec put a bowl of gummy bears between us and propped his legs up on the table. He was wearing black jeans and a tight black T-shirt with a picture of Chucky, the killer doll, printed on the front. I’d given it to him shortly after moving in with the FEA. He’d worn it often—until Kate. She preferred him in boring collared button-downs.

  Alec kept glancing over at me. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You know, if you don’t feel ready for the mission, I’m sure Major would understand.”

  I laughed. “Are we talking about the same person?”

  Alec’s expression became fierce. “He can’t force you to do something you’re not ready for. I’ll talk to him.”

  “No.” I touched his arm. “It’ll be okay. I can do this.”

  He didn’t seem convinced.

  I started the movie and a scream ripped through the silence as the ax murderer killed his first victim. Keeping an eye on the screen, I sorted the gummy bears, piling the green and white ones in a heap on my thighs and leaving the others for Alec.

  “You always do that, you know,” Alec said.

  I swallowed a gummy bear. “Do what?”

  “Bite their heads off first.”

  I shrugged. “It’s the nice thing to do. If you could choose, would you rather be eaten alive starting at your feet or would you want it to be over quickly?”

  “Well, if it was up to me, I’d rather not be eaten at all.” Slowly, a grin crept over his face. It was a look I hadn’t seen in a while. Lately, he’d been so serious all the time. His moods had almost matched Major’s. Ever since he and Kate had been sent out into the field a few months ago—the mission from which they’d returned as a couple—Alec had been changing. Every day I felt him slipping away from me, our friendship crumbling before my eyes. But I had no idea what had transpired between then and now, as neither he nor Kate ever spoke a word about the mission—Major’s orders.

  “You’re weird. You know that, right?” he said.

  I poked his chest. The muscles felt like steel under my fingertip. He snagged my hand, his thumb and forefinger curling around my wrist. His other hand shot forward and began tickling my side. A mix of laughter and screeching tumbled from my lips as I tried to wriggle out of his grip, but with his strength it was useless. I pulled my legs up to my chest and tried to push Alec off with them. Suddenly, he leaned over me, his face mere inches from mine. I stopped struggling, for a moment even stopped breathing. He was so close. If I moved my head forward, our lips would touch. His breath fanned over my face, his eyes darting to my mouth, but then he settled back against the cushions, as far from me as possible. My cheeks burned as I returned my attention to the screen, just in time to see someone get beheaded by an ax. Figures. That’s just how I felt.

  For a few minutes, it had been like old times—like the days before Kate became Alec’s girlfriend. But those days were over now.

  CHAPTER 3

  * * *

  The next morning, my preparations for mission “Be Madison Chambers” began. It was sad how easy it was to summarize the life of an eighteen-year-old girl in eighty neatly typed pages. In uncaring black and white, the report told me everything I needed to know in order to blend in with Madison’s friends and family. Or so Major thought.

  Kate had done a good job extracting information from the minds of Madison’s friends and mother. But the file still lacked any mention of Madison’s emotions, her thoughts, her internal life. It was like telling someone to enjoy a beautiful piece of music simply by looking at the notes.

  Madison weighed 7 pounds and 2 ounces when she was born. She started playing the piano when she was seven years old. She had a cat named Fluffy that she’d gotten for her ninth birthday and a fraternal twin brother, Devon. She loved peanut butter cookies and was allergic to tuna and capers. She had been a cheerleader until shortly before the attack.

  A stack of photos fell out of the file, spreading around my feet. I crouched down to pick them up and began looking through them. There was Madison as a little girl, dressed in a bunny costume. Madison in the middle of a group of grinning girls, braces flashing in her mouth. Madison hugging her father and brother.

  I didn’t even want to imagine how the FEA had gotten access to them.

  Madison was so full of life in the photos; all shiny blond hair, sparkling blue eyes, and happy smiles. And someone had taken that light fr
om her.

  I snapped the file shut as tears prickled the corners of my eyes. I didn’t want to get to know Madison, didn’t want to learn about her quirks and interests, because it made her too real. This wasn’t right.

  “Tessa?”

  Alec.

  I rubbed my hands over my face—silently thankful for waterproof mascara—and rearranged my ponytail. “Come in.”

  The door opened with a creak.

  Alec took up most of the doorway, tall and muscled as ever. He’d never entered my room before, and it didn’t look like that would change anytime soon. Sometimes I wondered why he was so reluctant to come in. I often wondered if he didn’t trust himself to be alone there with me. But I knew that was probably just wishful thinking.

  “You okay?”

  I felt my skin flush. “Yeah, I’m fine. Is there something you want?”

  For a moment he seemed to look right through me. His eyes were so intense. Did he remember that moment last night? Heat gathered in my stomach, but then he cleared his throat. “Major wants our training to start today.”

  “Oh, right. Sure.” We didn’t normally have any classes on the weekends, but our time before the mission was tight. Alec’s eyes lingered on me for a moment before he disappeared from view. “In the dojo in ten minutes. Don’t be late.”

  Had I imagined the way he’d just looked at me? I shook my head to get rid of the thought.

  I grabbed simple gray sweat pants and a white T-shirt from my drawer. Just as I was about to get dressed, Holly burst in, her hair still damp from her morning swim. Her natural color, a nice light brown, showed at the hairline. “You’re leaving already?”

  “Yeah, Alec wants me in the dojo in—” I glanced at the clock on the wall. “Nine minutes.”

  She took my clothes from me and dropped them on the ground. “You’re not wearing those.”

  “Holly, I don’t have time for your styling tips right now.” And I didn’t have the patience either. Looking cute wouldn’t get me out of the mission alive.