Entanglement
Page 39
It took a good five minutes, but she found the woman standing solemn and alone near the water's edge. Several tree-trunks lined the edge of this small hill, and Keli took refuge behind one of them. Two-souls could see in all directions.
The minutes passed with no change, and the strange hooded woman remained still, almost as if something had sucked the life right out of her. Something was very wrong here. Keli didn't dare try to use her talent again, but she knew that there was more to this than what appeared on the surface. A woman like that had to have allies, and-
She felt it.
Something moved through the water, splashing as it made its way toward the shore. When she tried to find it with her eyes, she saw nothing, but the presence was distinct. A very powerful mind had arrived.
The hooded woman dropped to one knee, bowing her head. “She is loose,” she said with more than a touch of anger in her voice. “Her impudence is considerable, but I still believe she will serve us well.”
Keli scoffed.
The…whatever it was…approached its kneeling servant. She could see it kicking up water as it drew near. Strange that she couldn't see the creature itself, only its effects on the surrounding environment.
“Yes,” the woman said, answering a question that hadn't been asked. Odd…Could the creature be communicating by telepathy? It wouldn't be difficult to find out, but she had no doubt she would be noticed if she tried.
“They suspect nothing,” the woman added.
It dawned on her that she was looking at a sapient alien: a truly sapient alien. In all their travels, her people had found very few lifeforms in this galaxy with anything close to human intelligence, but this thing…
A shriek pierced her eardrums!
No human could make that sound.
She ventured a glance around the tree-trunk and found the creature in a fit, splashing about like an angry child. It had noticed her; Keli knew it. The full weight of that thing's emotions was focused on her.
The woman turned, looking up to the spot where Keli cowered behind a tree. “You didn't listen, girl!” she shouted. “A dreadful shame, really. But it seems you've outlived your usefulness.”
The long, gray corridor stretched on for what seemed like miles. Doors in either wall were all shut tight, and the lights provided a harsh glare.
Melissa ran like the wind.
“Come on,” she whispered despite the burning in her lungs. “You can do this! You just have to keep going a little longer!”
Melissa doubled over, clutching her shirt with one hand, scrambling madly up the corridor. “Come on…” She stopped and leaned against the wall for a moment, struggling to catch her breath. No time to wait.
She started forward again.
The plain, uniform walls seemed to slide past at an agonizingly slow pace. Her legs burned with the effort of running – she had been at a dead sprint ever since getting off the monorail – but she forced herself forward. She couldn't lose a second. Not one.
She understood.
Now all she had to do was make the others understand. If she couldn't convince them to believe her…No! There was no time for that kind of thinking. A Justice Keeper found a way; it was part of the job.
Melissa tripped over her foot and fell forward, slapping hands down on the floor tiles to catch herself. “No time,” she panted, giving her head a shake. “Get up, Melissa! You have to get up!”
She was on her feet again in an instant.
The burning in her chest made her wonder if she was about to have a heart attack, and she'd been running for most of the afternoon. She had been shopping in the Rideau Centre when clarity overwhelmed her like a tsunami. It all made sense now! The pieces fit together with perfect symmetry.
At long last, she came to Jena's office. The door was closed – meaning her mentor was in a private meeting – but Melissa slammed her hand against the chime. Whatever Jena was doing could wait.
The door slid open.
Melissa stumbled in to find four people in a small cluster. Her father was leaning against the wall with his arms folded, frowning at the two young Justice Keepers in front of him.
Jack and Anna stood side by side, both with relaxed posture, but they instinctively stiffened when they heard her entrance. She wondered if that was part of their training. Maybe some battle instinct kicked in.
And Jena…
Jena sat on the edge of her desk with hands on her knees, staring into her own lap. “Bleakness take me, girl,” she said when she noticed Melissa. “You look like you've seen a ghost. What is it?”
“I know…” Melissa gasped. “I know. I understand.”
“You know what?”
After all that running, forcing herself to speak was so very difficult, but she worked up the willpower. This had to be said. They had to be told before it was too late. “I know what Grecken Slade is planning.”
The End of the Third Book of the Justice Keepers Saga
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Books by the Author
Symbiosis (Justice Keepers Saga I)
Friction (Justice Keepers Saga II)
Entanglement (Justice Keepers Saga III)
Relativity (Justice Keepers Saga IV)
Evolution (Justice Keepers Saga V)
Dirty Mirror (Justice Keepers Saga VI)
Severed Bonds (Justice Keepers Saga VII)
Dark Designs
Desa Kincaid: Bounty Hunter