Ava’s eyes tracked Jesse’s movement, but no one seemed to notice but Minji.
“Yes, it’s cold in here, but did you notice the one thing common with all the people who died right away in the attack?” Alec waited for an answer, and when one didn’t come, he continued, “They were all wearing white.”
Jesse straightaway dropped the coat on the floor and stepped away from it. “Shit. You’re right.”
Immediately Minji thought of the female tourist in her white t-shirt and her male partner dressed in tennis clothing. Rummaging through her memories, she cursed herself for not noticing earlier. All those who had bled to death in the first attack had all been wearing white clothing.
“Wha-what does that mean?” Arthur regarded the doctor’s coat with fear.
“It means that you shouldn’t wear white,” Alec answered simply.
Then he left the room.
Chapter 23
“All the dead in the hallway yesterday,” Simone whispered to Minji, “were the doctors in their white coats.”
The woman’s voice, though lowered, broke through the stunned silence that remained after Alec made his observation and departed. Jesse tore his gaze away from the discarded doctor’s coat and hurried after the military man. Arthur slid his chair back, the feet making a terrible screech against the tiles, and scrambled after the others.
“I have to see this,” he mumbled before darting out the doorway.
Ava refused to acknowledge the protein drink Minji held to her lips and swiveled her head to look toward the exit.
Simone instantly sat forward in her chair, her eyes flaring with shock. “She’s not looking at you!”
“No, she’s not,” Minji answered in a neutral tone. It felt important that Simone not become aware of the other.
Ava’s gaze remained pinned on the doorway. At some point, she had stopped making the strange noises, and Minji hadn’t even noticed. Flicking her focus to Minji then back to the door, Ava slid off the chair and started after the others.
“Is she waking up?” Simone gasped. “Is that what’s going on?”
“I don’t know,” Minji lied, hoisted Bailey onto her hip and went after Ava.
For a second, Minji feared Ava would attempt to join the other mesmerized on their terrible trek, but the child turned and scurried purposefully down the hallway after the receding footsteps of the others. The noise of the men ascending the stairs reverberated through the corridor and Ava picked up her pace, making it very apparent that whatever was within Ava wanted to stay close to Alec. Reaching the stairwell, Ava started upward.
“Ava, hold up,” Minji called out, though she knew it wasn’t Ava scurrying up the steps.
“Minji,” Simone hissed, close on her heels. “Minji, what’s going on? Why is she acting different from the others?”
Minji pressed an index finger to her lips while glancing at Simone. The other woman lifted her eyes to study the little girl striding up stairs. Minji wasn’t sure Simone actually discerned what was happening, but she fell silent and simply nodded. It was difficult not to make noise in her heavy boots, but the other inside Ava didn’t seem concerned that Minji and Simone were following.
When they reached the second floor, Ava’s tiny form was already halfway down the corridor and closing in on the trio of men that were talking in hushed tones before a door labeled SECURITY. Arthur was clearly agitated, while Alec appeared annoyed. Jesse fumbled with a set of keys, his hands shaking. The dark circles and deep lines around his face and mouth made the nurse practitioner appear exhausted.
“What is she doing here?” Arthur asked when he caught sight of Ava.
Alec leaned forward on his cane to gaze past Arthur to observe Ava approaching. “Well, hello there.”
Ava did not hesitate in her rapid pace, her shoes barely making a sound against the polished floor.
“I think this is it,” Jesse said, clearly concentrating on the task at hand and not on Ava. He slipped a key into the knob, rotated it, and smiled victoriously when the mechanism unlocked. “Now we can check this out.” Jesse shoved open the door.
A man lurched out, eyes glazed, mouth and nose a battered mess. Disoriented, he crashed into Jesse, knocking him to the floor. Alec made a grab for the man, but missed, lost his balance, and fell to one knee with a pained grunt. Arthur leaped out of the way of the bloodied security guard with a cry of fright.
Careening across the hall, the security guard smashed into Ava, sending her sprawling across the floor. Minji rapidly handed Bailey to Simone and ran forward to help her eldest daughter. The mesmerized security guard’s feet tangled with Ava’s legs and he stumbled, one knee smashing into Ava’s torso before he managed to stand again.
“Grab him!” Alec ordered.
Arthur didn’t obey, and cowered against the wall.
Jesse lunged after the security guard, but was knocked away by the man’s pin-wheeling arms. Thrashing about, Ava attempted to get away from the guard, but the mesmerized man’s feet remained interlaced with Ava’s limbs and his attempts to walk only resulted in him kicking her.
Minji was almost to them when the atmosphere turned frigid so fast, her breath misted and frosted her lips. Invisible tendrils flailed through the corridor, slashing at Minji and the others. Slender, icy whips nipped at Minji’s face and neck. Though she couldn’t see the tentacles, their sting could not be ignored. Wincing under the onslaught, she shielded her eyes with one hand. The air writhed with unseen wisps of ice that left red welts where they lashed Minji’s arms
“Ava, stop!”
A second later the guard started to bleed from every orifice.
“No!” Minji shouted at the entity within Ava.
Finally close enough to reach Ava, Minji yanked her daughter away from the hemorrhaging man. The guard pitched face first into the wall, his injured face making a resounding splat, then slid to the floor leaving a long red mark.
“Please stop!” Minji gripped Ava’s chin with one hand and stared into the glassy eyes. “Stop now! He didn’t mean to hurt you! No one wants to hurt you!”
In the next intake of breath, the unseen assault ceased.
Relieved, Minji leaned heavily against the wall, holding Ava close. “Thank you...”
On the floor near her feet, the security guard gurgled on his blood, then was silent.
“No one wants to hurt you,” Minji said again, her fingers combing through Ava’s curls. “I’ll help you. I promise.”
There wasn’t a response from Ava or anyone else.
Focusing on the others, Minji saw that they were gradually emerging from their transfixed states. The attack had rendered them motionless and blank once again.
Simone was the first to blink her eyes and let out a low moan. Blood trickled from her nose, and she raised one hand to her face. “I’m bleeding.”
In her arms, Bailey let out a desperate sob.
“Me, too!” Arthur shrieked, wiping frantically at his nose with his fingers.
Nearby, Jesse managed to get to his feet and pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes.
Alec sluggishly shook his head from side to side, rapidly blinking his eyes. “That was a short, but fierce one,” he said.
“It hurt. A lot.” Simone wiped a few drops of blood from Bailey’s lips. She kindly held Bailey out for Minji to kiss her cheek and whisper reassurances to the baby. “She seems to be okay. I’ll keep holding her since you’ve got your arms full with...” Simone stepped back, casting a wary look at the five year old in Minji’s grip.
In fact, everyone was staring at Ava.
Exhaustion and frustration settled like a hot, wet blanket on Minji’s shoulders. Staring into Ava’s eyes, Minji sensed the other looking back at her. Was it so intertwined with Ava that it had seen the security guard’s actions as an attack on it? Or had it been protecting Ava?
“He’s dead,” Jesse said. Blood was smeared across his lips and chin and he looked several shades paler than before. Squatting at th
e guard’s side, Jesse seemed much older and worn down than he had just the day before. “Like the others...before.”
“His face was all beat up.” Arthur’s nervousness made his tone hoarse and his actions jittery.
“From beating it against the wall.” Alec pushed the door all the way open to the security room. The far wall had a fair amount of dried blood on it. “He was trying to get out. The room is soundproofed, so that’s why we didn’t hear him.”
“I should have checked,” Jesse said, guilt slumping his shoulders. “I should have realized Charlie was here when it started.”
“It’s not your fault, Jesse.” Simone’s fingers lightly skimmed Jesse’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. “You’ve been doing all you can and we all appreciate it.”
“But it’s not enough, is it?” Arthur snapped.
The nurse practitioner cradled his head in his hands, either because he was still woozy from the assault, or in despair. Or maybe both.
“Shut up, Arthur,” Simone said, sounding more tired than angry.
Studying Ava’s eyes, Minji wondered if the little girl and the other were both listening. Could they both see her? “We’re all doing our best,” she said, more to the entity than Arthur.
“Whatever,” Arthur grunted in reply.
“I’m going to check the video,” Alec announced, clearly done with the argument.
Alec shuffled into the security room, which looked nothing like the ones on television. To Minji, it looked rather low-tech. There were three computer monitors set up on a long desk and each one had six small scenes playing on them. Once seated at the array, he pulled up a program and set about searching for the recorded video.
Arthur slipped into the room to sit on a computer chair next to Alec while the two women lingered in the doorway. Meanwhile, Jesse remained seated on the floor near the guard. Minji wasn’t sure if he didn’t want to see the footage or if he was just too overwhelmed by the loss of his co-worker to move.
“How do you know how to do that?” Simone asked.
Studying the screens, Alec answered, “I worked security at an office building after I retired.”
“Sure,” Arthur muttered.
Alec ignored him and continued to work. “The attack last night had to have been around six-thirty. That’s when I had my accident. So this is the footage from about that time. You were in the downstairs hallway, right?”
Jesse joined them and squeezed past the women to lean over Alec’s shoulder. “Yeah. That’s about the time we all saw Minji disappear.”
Alec dragged a window containing a paused video across the screens onto the largest of the monitors.
“Then let’s watch,” Alec said, clicking PLAY.
From where she stood, Minji watched the black and white feed of her and the others in the hallway. It was disconcerting to see herself responding to Ava calling out for help while the others froze in place. It was very apparent that Minji had been oblivious to the condition of the others as she excitedly tried to communicate with Ava before realizing what was occurring. Alec paused the feed when Minji stepped out of camera view. Rubbing his chin with his long fingers, Alec stared at the screen.
“Well?” Arthur asked, even though the answer was obvious.
“She’s completely immune.” Though he still appeared incredulous, Alec confirmed what had been evident on the screen. He replayed the scene again, leaning toward the monitor. “She didn’t even flinch.”
“So what does that mean?” Arthur demanded, eyeballing Minji with renewed mistrust.
“It simply means she’s immune.” Alec swiveled on his chair to look at the women in the doorway.
At first, Minji thought he was studying her, then she realized his attention was directed at Ava. Minji fully expected him to question her about what had transpired with Ava during the attack, but he remained silent.
“So what now?” Jesse asked.
“You get ready to leave,” Alec answered. “And so do I.”
“You’re just going to follow the mesmerized?” Simone eyed him doubtfully. “With a cane and your head all stitched up?”
Alec shrugged. “Yep.”
“Okay, then I’ll need Arthur to go get the shuttle and bring it to the front of the building,” Jesse decided. “Simone and Minji, you can help me with supplies.”
“I’m not going out there by myself!” Arthur frowned at Jesse. “What if they’re...you know...not peaceful anymore? That guard kicked the little girl around!”
“He stumbled over her,” Jesse retorted.
“I don’t know, it looked like an attack to me.”
“Arthur, I need your help!”
“Don’t be an asshole, Arthur,” Simone snapped.
The argument devolved into shouting voices. Minji reclaimed Bailey from Simone and stepped into the hallway, dragging Ava by the hand. Closing her eyes, she listened to the bickering, but didn’t really hear the words. It was time for her to make a decision about what she was going to do. Should she go with the others, or try to find out what was happening and stop it?
“What was she saying?” Alec’s tone was lowered significantly to avoid the others hearing.
Opening her eyes, Minji saw him leaning on the doorjamb next to her. She hadn’t even heard him approach.
“Help me, Mommy,” she answered.
“Do you think it was Ava?”
“I don’t know.”
“Or the other thing? Inside her?”
“Maybe.”
“I know you’re probably planning to go with the others once they stop fighting, but I need your help.” Alec rubbed his thin lips together and his blue eyes implored her to be cooperative.
“With what?”
“To get to the epicenter of the event. You’re the only one truly immune. That makes you invaluable.”
“And my girls?” Silent tears slipped free from her lashes to slide along her cheeks.
“Simone can care for them until we’re done,” Alec replied somberly.
The argument in the security room was starting to simmer down, so Minji lowered her voice. “If you want me to help you, then we need to talk.”
“Agreed, but away from the others.”
“And you’re going to tell me why you’re really here. Maybe not in the medical center, but Las Vegas. You were sent here, weren’t you?”
The lines around Alec’s eyes scrunched up as he studied her with an intensity that was unnerving. “You’re very smart.”
“And you’re very evasive.”
Alec’s eyebrows twitched upward.
“You need me, Alec.”
“The world needs you.”
“Then tell me what you know,” Minji answered.
“Okay, but not around...” He looked significantly at Ava.
The words hurt, but Minji knew they were wise. Her heart felt encased with the concrete of despair. In silence, she nodded.
Chapter 24
Gathered in the break room, the four adults and two children were far away from the bloody scene outside the security room. Bailey sat on Simone’s lap playing with her necklace while Ava stood next to Minji with her head tilted to gaze at her mother.
Why was the other always watching her? Minji suspected she knew, but the conclusion she’d come to made her very uneasy.
“It’s better that she goes rather than me,” Arthur said, gesturing toward Minji, “since she’s immune.”
Minji rolled her eyes, but didn’t argue. Alec had devised the perfect plan to separate them from the others so they could have their talk. Sadly, it entailed her leaving her daughters to accompany him on a quest to retrieve transportation and fuel. It pained her to admit that it was best if they spoke away from Ava and the entity watching and listening through her eyes and ears.
“You’re a coward,” Jesse said to Arthur with contempt. When Alec had pitched his revised idea for acquiring transportation, Jesse had immediately offered that Arthur join Alec in Minji’s place, but Arthur had
instantly shot down the idea.
“Maybe I’m just good at self-preservation. Plus, you need me to help you get your precious patients wheeled out and ready to go. Which is a complete waste of time and resources.” The fear inside Arthur was slowly festering into belligerence. His tone was always hostile now.
“I should go then,” Jesse said to Alec. “You’re wounded and Minji has kids.”
“I can manage, Jesse,” Alec answered. “Plus, you need to pack up the medical supplies since you know where all the items are that we need to take with you. Have Arthur help you. Simone can watch the kids for Minji. If that’s okay with you, Simone?”
“I’m fine with taking care of the girls,” Simone said after a hesitant pause. Her dark eyes rested on Ava for a second, then returned to Bailey. Minji speculated that Simone deduced that something was watching them through Ava’s eyes. “They’re not a problem. Minji should go.”
“We’ll be back as soon as we can.” Alec glanced at Minji. “Besides, she’s technically my ride.”
“Biker chick to the rescue.” Minji gave him a wry smile, then squatted before Ava, her fingers resting on the child’s waist. “I’m going with Alec to get us a ride out of Las Vegas. I will come back. I will take care of you.” She pondered if the other understood and hoped Ava could hear her. Pressing a kiss to Ava’s cheek, she experienced an unexpected throb of repulsion that surprised and saddened her. Again, she was reluctant to acknowledge her growing fear of the thing inside Ava.
“I’ll keep her leash tied to my chair so she can’t wander off,” Simone promised when Minji rose and approached with Ava in tow.
“We should just sedate her, since that’s what we appear to do around here with problem people,” Arthur grumbled.
Jesse grimaced, but said nothing.
Bailey struggled to cling to her mother when Minji gave her a tender kiss on the forehead. It broke Minji’s heart in a million pieces when she had to pry the small fingers from her dreads. She lovingly kissed the chubby digits. “Mommy will be right back, Bailey.”
The baby fretted in Simone’s arms, which made it even more difficult for Minji to return to Alec’s side.
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